choose colors for your plots

1. The HTML 4.01 specification^[9] defines sixteen named colors, as follows (names are defined in this context to be case-insensitive):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_colors

CSS 1–2.0 / HTML 3.2–4 / VGA color names

Color	Name	Hex (RGB)	Red (RGB)	Green (RGB)	Blue (RGB)	Hue (HSL/HSV)	Satur (HSL)	Light (HSL)	Satur (HSV)	Value (HSV)	CGA number (name); alias
	White	#FFFFFF	100%	100%	100%	0°	0%	100%	0%	100%	15 (white)
	Silver	#C0C0C0	75%	75%	75%	0°	0%	75%	0%	75%	7 (light gray)
	Gray	#808080	50%	50%	50%	0°	0%	50%	0%	50%	8 (dark gray)
	Black	#000000	0%	0%	0%	0°	0%	0%	0%	0%	0 (black)
	Red	#FF0000	100%	0%	0%	0°	100%	50%	100%	100%	12 (high red)
	Maroon	#800000	50%	0%	0%	0°	100%	25%	100%	50%	4 (low red)
	Yellow	#FFFF00	100%	100%	0%	60°	100%	50%	100%	100%	14 (yellow)
	Olive	#808000	50%	50%	0%	60°	100%	25%	100%	50%	6 (brown)
	Lime	#00FF00	0%	100%	0%	120°	100%	50%	100%	100%	10 (high green); green
	Green	#008000	0%	50%	0%	120°	100%	25%	100%	50%	2 (low green)
	Aqua	#00FFFF	0%	100%	100%	180°	100%	50%	100%	100%	11 (high cyan); cyan
	Teal	#008080	0%	50%	50%	180°	100%	25%	100%	50%	3 (low cyan)
	Blue	#0000FF	0%	0%	100%	240°	100%	50%	100%	100%	9 (high blue)
	Navy	#000080	0%	0%	50%	240°	100%	25%	100%	50%	1 (low blue)
	Fuchsia	#FF00FF	100%	0%	100%	300°	100%	50%	100%	100%	13 (high magenta); magenta
	Purple	#800080	50%	0%	50%	300°	100%	25%	100%	50%	5 (low magenta)

2. using colors in R

http://research.stowers-institute.org/efg/Report/UsingColorInR.pdf

3. 

Generate Distinct Colors for Your MATLAB Plots

http://blogs.mathworks.com/pick/2010/12/23/generate-distinct-colors-for-your-matlab-plots/

4. Color Palette and the 56 Excel ColorIndex Colors

interior	font	HTML	bgcolor=	Red<	Green	Blue	Color
Black	[Color 1]	#000000	#000000	0	0	0	[Black]
White	[Color 2]	#FFFFFF	#FFFFFF	255	255	255	[White]
Red	[Color 3]	#FF0000	#FF0000	255	0	0	[Red]
Green	[Color 4]	#00FF00	#00FF00	0	255	0	[Green]
Blue	[Color 5]	#0000FF	#0000FF	0	0	255	[Blue]
Yellow	[Color 6]	#FFFF00	#FFFF00	255	255	0	[Yellow]
Magenta	[Color 7]	#FF00FF	#FF00FF	255	0	255	[Magenta]
Cyan	[Color 8]	#00FFFF	#00FFFF	0	255	255	[Cyan]
[Color 9]	[Color 9]	#800000	#800000	128	0	0	[Color 9]
[Color 10]	[Color 10]	#008000	#008000	0	128	0	[Color 10]
[Color 11]	[Color 11]	#000080	#000080	0	0	128	[Color 11]
[Color 12]	[Color 12]	#808000	#808000	128	128	0	[Color 12]
[Color 13]	[Color 13]	#800080	#800080	128	0	128	[Color 13]
[Color 14]	[Color 14]	#008080	#008080	0	128	128	[Color 14]
[Color 15]	[Color 15]	#C0C0C0	#C0C0C0	192	192	192	[Color 15]
[Color 16]	[Color 16]	#808080	#808080	128	128	128	[Color 16]
[Color 17]	[Color 17]	#9999FF	#9999FF	153	153	255	[Color 17]
[Color 18]	[Color 18]	#993366	#993366	153	51	102	[Color 18]
[Color 19]	[Color 19]	#FFFFCC	#FFFFCC	255	255	204	[Color 19]
[Color 20]	[Color 20]	#CCFFFF	#CCFFFF	204	255	255	[Color 20]
[Color 21]	[Color 21]	#660066	#660066	102	0	102	[Color 21]
[Color 22]	[Color 22]	#FF8080	#FF8080	255	128	128	[Color 22]
[Color 23]	[Color 23]	#0066CC	#0066CC	0	102	204	[Color 23]
[Color 24]	[Color 24]	#CCCCFF	#CCCCFF	204	204	255	[Color 24]
[Color 25]	[Color 25]	#000080	#000080	0	0	128	[Color 25]
[Color 26]	[Color 26]	#FF00FF	#FF00FF	255	0	255	[Color 26]
[Color 27]	[Color 27]	#FFFF00	#FFFF00	255	255	0	[Color 27]
[Color 28]	[Color 28]	#00FFFF	#00FFFF	0	255	255	[Color 28]
[Color 29]	[Color 29]	#800080	#800080	128	0	128	[Color 29]
[Color 30]	[Color 30]	#800000	#800000	128	0	0	[Color 30]
[Color 31]	[Color 31]	#008080	#008080	0	128	128	[Color 31]
[Color 32]	[Color 32]	#0000FF	#0000FF	0	0	255	[Color 32]
[Color 33]	[Color 33]	#00CCFF	#00CCFF	0	204	255	[Color 33]
[Color 34]	[Color 34]	#CCFFFF	#CCFFFF	204	255	255	[Color 34]
[Color 35]	[Color 35]	#CCFFCC	#CCFFCC	204	255	204	[Color 35]
[Color 36]	[Color 36]	#FFFF99	#FFFF99	255	255	153	[Color 36]
[Color 37]	[Color 37]	#99CCFF	#99CCFF	153	204	255	[Color 37]
[Color 38]	[Color 38]	#FF99CC	#FF99CC	255	153	204	[Color 38]
[Color 39]	[Color 39]	#CC99FF	#CC99FF	204	153	255	[Color 39]
[Color 40]	[Color 40]	#FFCC99	#FFCC99	255	204	153	[Color 40]
[Color 41]	[Color 41]	#3366FF	#3366FF	51	102	255	[Color 41]
[Color 42]	[Color 42]	#33CCCC	#33CCCC	51	204	204	[Color 42]
[Color 43]	[Color 43]	#99CC00	#99CC00	153	204	0	[Color 43]
[Color 44]	[Color 44]	#FFCC00	#FFCC00	255	204	0	[Color 44]
[Color 45]	[Color 45]	#FF9900	#FF9900	255	153	0	[Color 45]
[Color 46]	[Color 46]	#FF6600	#FF6600	255	102	0	[Color 46]
[Color 47]	[Color 47]	#666699	#666699	102	102	153	[Color 47]
[Color 48]	[Color 48]	#969696	#969696	150	150	150	[Color 48]
[Color 49]	[Color 49]	#003366	#003366	0	51	102	[Color 49]
[Color 50]	[Color 50]	#339966	#339966	51	153	102	[Color 50]
[Color 51]	[Color 51]	#003300	#003300	0	51	0	[Color 51]
[Color 52]	[Color 52]	#333300	#333300	51	51	0	[Color 52]
[Color 53]	[Color 53]	#993300	#993300	153	51	0	[Color 53]
[Color 54]	[Color 54]	#993366	#993366	153	51	102	[Color 54]
[Color 55]	[Color 55]	#333399	#333399	51	51	153	[Color 55]
[Color 56]	[Color 56]	#333333	#333333	51	51	51	[Color 56]
Excel only recognizes names for Color 1 through 8 (Black, White, Red, Green, Blue, Yellow, Magenta, and Cyan).  The colors 1-16 are widely understood color names from the VGA color palette.  Of the 56 colors only 40 colors appear on the palette.  The 40 colors names indicated on the Excel color palette (see below) are for descriptive purposes only.