colorer

Colorer is an English noun formed from color and the agent suffix -er. It denotes a person, machine, or process that applies color to something. In everyday use, colorer is uncommon; more precise terms such as colorist, dyer, painter, or printer are typically preferred depending on context. The word can function as an informal or historical label, for example “the colorer of maps” or “a colorer of illustrations.”

In the arts, a colorer may be an artist who adds color to drawings, paintings, or comic art, often under the direction of a lead artist. In printing and publishing, the term can refer to the production step in which line art is colored for reproduction or for color separation. In textiles, a colorer is a person who dyes fabrics, or a machine used for applying color to fibers through processes such as dyeing or printing.

In computing, the term colorer is rare; when used, it can describe software that colorizes text or data (for example, syntax highlighting). More common terminology includes colorizer or colorization tool, while colorer may appear in product names or historical texts.

See also: colorist, dyer, painter, colorization, colorizer, syntax highlighting.