tc_schemes

Version 1.0.0 | 2026-04-08

tc_schemes bundles publication-oriented graph schemes from Daniel Bischof's blindschemes, Mead Over's compatibility fixes, and Asjad Naqvi's schemepack into one installable package. The wrapper command gives you a real Stata entry point, so which tc_schemes succeeds and project headers can check one package instead of juggling multiple upstream installs.

Requirements

• Stata 16 or later

Installation

capture ado uninstall tc_schemes
net install tc_schemes, from("https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tpcopeland/Stata-Tools/main/tc_schemes") replace

Commands

Command	Description
tc_schemes	Browse the installed scheme catalog, filter by source family, and display either a compact list or detailed descriptions

Quick Start

tc_schemes
set scheme plotplain

sysuse auto, clear
scatter mpg weight

How It Works

• Run tc_schemes with no options to see the organized catalog of available schemes.
• Use source(blindschemes) or source(schemepack) when you want to narrow the list to one upstream family.
• Use list for a compact machine-readable list or detail for human-readable descriptions. These two display modes are mutually exclusive.
• After browsing, either run set scheme <name> to change the session default or use scheme(<name>) on a single graph.

Included Scheme Families

Family	Count	Examples	Best for
blindschemes	4 schemes	plotplain, plotplainblind, plottig, plottigblind	Clean publication figures and colorblind-safe defaults
white_*, black_*, gg_* series	27 schemes	white_tableau, black_cividis, gg_viridis	Choosing a palette and a background style together
Standalone schemepack schemes	8 schemes	tab1, cblind1, ukraine, neon	Distinctive one-off visual styles
Custom color styles	21 styles	vermillion, sky, turquoise, sea	Accessible colors used by the bundled scheme families

The package includes 39 graph schemes in total: 4 from blindschemes and 35 from schemepack.

Worked Examples

1. Browse the catalog and filter by source

Use the catalog first when you want to see what is available before you commit to a scheme.

tc_schemes
tc_schemes, detail
tc_schemes, source(blindschemes) list

2. Set a global scheme for the current Stata session

After set scheme, subsequent graphs inherit that scheme until you change it again.

set scheme plotplain
sysuse auto, clear
scatter mpg weight, ///
    title("Fuel Economy by Vehicle Weight") ///
    xtitle("Weight") ytitle("Miles per gallon")

3. Apply a scheme to one graph without changing the session default

This is the safer workflow when you want to compare different looks side by side.

sysuse auto, clear
scatter mpg weight, scheme(white_tableau) ///
    title("Single-graph scheme override")

4. Compare two schemes visually

Because the schemes are installed locally, you can render the same graph under two visual systems and combine them in one figure.

sysuse auto, clear
scatter mpg weight, scheme(plotplain) name(g1, replace)
scatter mpg weight, scheme(gg_viridis) name(g2, replace)
graph combine g1 g2

5. Use which tc_schemes as an installation check in project headers

This is one of the main reasons the wrapper command exists.

capture which tc_schemes
if _rc != 0 {
    capture ado uninstall tc_schemes
    net install tc_schemes, from("https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tpcopeland/Stata-Tools/main/tc_schemes") replace
}

Gallery

plotplain

white_tableau

gg_hue

neon

Acknowledgments

• Daniel Bischof created the original blindschemes package and its publication-oriented, accessibility-aware visual style.
• Mead Over supplied blindschemes_fix, which resolved compatibility issues with recent Stata versions.
• Asjad Naqvi created schemepack, which contributes the larger palette-and-background scheme families collected here.

Wrapper code is distributed under MIT. Individual schemes retain their original licensing and attribution.

Version History

• 1.0.0 (2026-04-08): Initial Stata-Tools release consolidating blindschemes, blindschemes_fix, and schemepack under one installable catalog command

Author

Timothy P Copeland, Karolinska Institutet

License

MIT for the wrapper command. Original scheme files retain their original licenses and attribution.