---
name: "makecpt"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "gmt-manpages"
version: "3.4-1"
release: "Debian 3.0 (Woody)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/makecpt"
---

# makecpt(1)

Make GMT color palette tables

## NAME

makecpt - Make GMT color palette tables

## SYNOPSIS

**makecpt** \[ **-C***table* \] \[ **-I** \] \[ **-T***z0/z1/dz* \| **-T***ztable*\] \[ **-V** \] \[ **-Z** \]

## DESCRIPTION

**makecpt** is a utility that will help you make color palette tables (cpt files). You define an equidistant set of contour intervals or pass your own z-table, and create a new cpt file based on an existing master cpt file. The resulting cpt file can be reversed relative to the master cpt, and can be made continuous or discrete.

## OPTIONS

- **-C**

  Selects the master color table *table* to use in the interpolation. Choose among the built-in tables (type **makecpt** to see the list) or give the name of an existing cptfile \[Default gives a rainbow cpt file\].

- **-I**

  Reverses the sense of color progression in the master cptfile.

- **-T**

  Defines the range of the new cptfile by giving the lowest and highest z-value and the interval. Alternatively, give the name of a ASCII file that has one z-value per record. If not given, the existing range in the master cptfile will be used intact.

- **-V**

  Selects verbose mode, which will send progress reports to stderr \[Default runs "silently"\].

- **-Z**

  Creates a continuous cpt file \[Default is discontinuous, i.e. constant colors for each interval\].

## EXAMPLES

To make a cpt file with z-values from -200 to 200, with discrete color changes every 25, and using a polar blue-white-red colortable, try\

makecpt **-C***polar* **-T**-200/200/25 \> colors.cpt\

To make an equidistant cpt file from z = -2 to 6, in steps of 1, using continuous default rainbow colors, try\

makecpt **-T**-2/6/1 **-Z** \> rainbow.cpt\

To make a GEBCO look-alike cpt file for bathymetry, try\

makecpt **-C**gebco \> my\_gebco.cpt

## BUGS

Since **makecpt** will also interpolate from any existing .cpt file you may have in your directory, you cannot use one of the listed cpt names as an output filename; hence the my\_gebco.cpt in the example.

## SEE ALSO

*gmt*(l), *grd2cpt*(l)