def spectra(i, **kwargs):
    """
    Define colours by number.
    Can be plotted either in order of gray scale or in the 'best' order for
    having a strong gray contrast for only three or four lines
    :param i: the index to access a colour
    """
    ordered = kwargs.get('ordered', False)
    options = kwargs.get('options', 'best')
    gray = kwargs.get('gray', False)
    CD = {}
    CD['dark blue'] = (1.0, 0.0, 0.55)  # 0
    CD['dark green'] = (0.15, 0.35, 0.0)  # 1
    CD['dark red'] = (0.73, 0.0, 0.0)  # 2
    CD['dark purple'] = (0.8, 0.0, 0.8)  # 3
    CD['light green'] = (0.49, 0.64, 0.0)  # 4
    CD['orange'] = (1.0, 0.5, 0.0)  # 5
    CD['light blue'] = (0.5, 0.85, 1.0)  # 6
    CD['pink'] = (1.0, 0.8, 0.8)  # 7
    CD['brown'] = (0.5, 0.3, 0.0)  # 8
    CD['red'] = (0.9, 0.0, 0.0)  # 9
    CD['greenish blue'] = (0.12, .8, .8)  # 10
    CD['bluey purple'] = (0.8, 0.85, 1.0)  # 12
    CD['yellow'] = (1.0, 1.0, 0.0)  # 6
    CD['dark gray'] = (0.25, 0.25, 0.25)  #
    CD['mid gray'] = (0.5, 0.5, 0.5)  #
    CD['light gray'] = (0.75, 0.75, 0.75)  #
    CD['black5'] = (0.05, 0.05, 0.05)  #
    CD['black'] = (0.0, 0.0, 0.0)  #
    CD['white'] = (1.0, 1.0, 1.0)  #

    if isinstance(i, int):
        i = i
    elif isinstance(i, float):
        i = int(i)
    elif isinstance(i, str):
        dat = CD[i]
        return dat

    DtoL = ['dark blue', 'dark green', 'dark red', 'brown',
            'light green', 'orange', 'light blue', 'pink', 'dark purple',
            'red', 'greenish blue', 'bluey purple', 'yellow',
            'dark gray', 'mid gray', 'light gray']
    Best = ['dark blue', 'orange', 'light blue', 'dark purple', 'dark green',
            'bluey purple', 'dark red', 'light green', 'pink', 'brown',
            'red', 'yellow', 'greenish blue', 'dark gray',
            'mid gray', 'light gray']
    Dots = ['dark blue', 'yellow', 'light blue', 'dark purple', 'dark green', 'orange',
            'bluey purple', 'dark red', 'light green', 'pink', 'brown',
            'red', 'greenish blue', 'dark gray',
            'mid gray', 'light gray']
    # ll = [0, 5, 2, 4, 1, 6, 3, 7, 8, 11, 9, 12, 10, 13, 14, 15]  # change 11 w 5

    ind = i % len(Best)
    dat = CD[Best[ind]]
    col = Best[ind]
    if ordered:  # if ordered is true then the colours are accessed from darkest to lightest
        ind = i % len(DtoL)
        dat = CD[DtoL[ind]]
        col = DtoL[ind]
    if options == "dots":
        ind = i % len(Dots)
        dat = CD[Dots[ind]]
        col = Dots[ind]
    if options == "ordered":
        ind = i % len(DtoL)
        dat = CD[DtoL[ind]]
        col = DtoL[ind]

    gray_value = 0.299 * dat[0] + 0.587 * dat[1] + 0.114 * dat[2]  # calculate the gray scale value

    if gray:
        return gray_value, gray_value, gray_value

    return dat