How Does Color Work in IDL?

QUESTION: Alright, I'm totally confused. Can you please explain to me how color works in IDL?

ANSWER: There are any number of articles on this web page that explain how color works in IDL, but I don't think I have ever seen this information collected in a single place before. To that end, I am making a chapter of my upcoming IDL Programming Techniques, 3rd Edition available as a PDF file. The chapter is entitled Working with Color. If this chapter doesn't explain color thoroughly enough for you, or if you find yourself still confused about something, send me a note. I want to make the subject as clear as possible before publication of the book itself.