Abstract: Color assignment is a complex task of incorporating and balancing area configuration, color harmony, and user's intent. In this paper, we present a novel method for automatic color assignment based on theories of color perception. We define color assignment as an optimization problem with respect to the color relationships as well as the spatial configuration of input segments. We also suggest possible constraints that are suitable for task-specific purposes and for enhancing visual appeal. Our colorization scheme is useful in many applications such as infographics, computer-aided design, and visual presentation. The user study shows that our method generates perceptually pleasing results over a variety of data sets.