diff --git a/dlib/image_transforms/colormaps.h b/dlib/image_transforms/colormaps.h
index 67552bc18..40d9c335c 100644
--- a/dlib/image_transforms/colormaps.h
+++ b/dlib/image_transforms/colormaps.h
@@ -63,6 +63,32 @@ namespace dlib
         return matrix_op<op>(op(img));
     }
 
+// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    inline rgb_pixel colormap_heat (
+        double value,
+        double min_val,
+        double max_val
+    )
+    {
+        // scale the gray value into the range [0, 1]
+        const double gray = put_in_range(0, 1, (value - min_val)/(max_val-min_val));
+        rgb_pixel pix(0,0,0);
+
+        pix.red = static_cast<unsigned char>(std::min(gray/0.4,1.0)*255 + 0.5);
+
+        if (gray > 0.4)
+        {
+            pix.green = static_cast<unsigned char>(std::min((gray-0.4)/0.4,1.0)*255 + 0.5);
+        }
+        if (gray > 0.8)
+        {
+            pix.blue = static_cast<unsigned char>(std::min((gray-0.8)/0.2,1.0)*255 + 0.5);
+        }
+
+        return pix;
+    }
+
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
     template <typename T>
@@ -89,22 +115,7 @@ namespace dlib
 
         const_ret_type apply (long r, long c ) const 
         { 
-            // scale the gray value into the range [0, 1]
-            const double gray = put_in_range(0, 1, (get_pixel_intensity(mat(img)(r,c)) - min_val)/(max_val-min_val));
-            rgb_pixel pix(0,0,0);
-
-            pix.red = static_cast<unsigned char>(std::min(gray/0.4,1.0)*255 + 0.5);
-
-            if (gray > 0.4)
-            {
-                pix.green = static_cast<unsigned char>(std::min((gray-0.4)/0.4,1.0)*255 + 0.5);
-            }
-            if (gray > 0.8)
-            {
-                pix.blue = static_cast<unsigned char>(std::min((gray-0.8)/0.2,1.0)*255 + 0.5);
-            }
-
-            return pix;
+            return colormap_heat(get_pixel_intensity(mat(img)(r,c)), min_val, max_val);
         }
 
         long nr () const { return num_rows(img); }
@@ -137,6 +148,54 @@ namespace dlib
         return matrix_op<op>(op(img,max(mat(img)),min(mat(img))));
     }
 
+// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    inline rgb_pixel colormap_jet (
+        double value,
+        double min_val,
+        double max_val
+    )
+    {
+        // scale the gray value into the range [0, 8]
+        const double gray = 8*put_in_range(0, 1, (value - min_val)/(max_val-min_val));
+        rgb_pixel pix;
+        // s is the slope of color change
+        const double s = 1.0/2.0;
+
+        if (gray <= 1)
+        {
+            pix.red = 0;
+            pix.green = 0;
+            pix.blue = static_cast<unsigned char>((gray+1)*s*255 + 0.5);
+        }
+        else if (gray <= 3)
+        {
+            pix.red = 0;
+            pix.green = static_cast<unsigned char>((gray-1)*s*255 + 0.5);
+            pix.blue = 255;
+        }
+        else if (gray <= 5)
+        {
+            pix.red = static_cast<unsigned char>((gray-3)*s*255 + 0.5);
+            pix.green = 255;
+            pix.blue = static_cast<unsigned char>((5-gray)*s*255 + 0.5);
+        }
+        else if (gray <= 7)
+        {
+            pix.red = 255;
+            pix.green = static_cast<unsigned char>((7-gray)*s*255 + 0.5);
+            pix.blue = 0;
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            pix.red = static_cast<unsigned char>((9-gray)*s*255 + 0.5);
+            pix.green = 0;
+            pix.blue = 0;
+        }
+
+        return pix;
+    }
+
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
     template <typename T>
@@ -163,44 +222,7 @@ namespace dlib
 
         const_ret_type apply (long r, long c ) const 
         { 
-            // scale the gray value into the range [0, 8]
-            const double gray = 8*put_in_range(0, 1, (get_pixel_intensity(mat(img)(r,c)) - min_val)/(max_val-min_val));
-            rgb_pixel pix;
-            // s is the slope of color change
-            const double s = 1.0/2.0;
-
-            if (gray <= 1)
-            {
-                pix.red = 0;
-                pix.green = 0;
-                pix.blue = static_cast<unsigned char>((gray+1)*s*255 + 0.5);
-            }
-            else if (gray <= 3)
-            {
-                pix.red = 0;
-                pix.green = static_cast<unsigned char>((gray-1)*s*255 + 0.5);
-                pix.blue = 255;
-            }
-            else if (gray <= 5)
-            {
-                pix.red = static_cast<unsigned char>((gray-3)*s*255 + 0.5);
-                pix.green = 255;
-                pix.blue = static_cast<unsigned char>((5-gray)*s*255 + 0.5);
-            }
-            else if (gray <= 7)
-            {
-                pix.red = 255;
-                pix.green = static_cast<unsigned char>((7-gray)*s*255 + 0.5);
-                pix.blue = 0;
-            }
-            else
-            {
-                pix.red = static_cast<unsigned char>((9-gray)*s*255 + 0.5);
-                pix.green = 0;
-                pix.blue = 0;
-            }
-
-            return pix;
+            return colormap_jet(get_pixel_intensity(mat(img)(r,c)), min_val, max_val);
         }
 
         long nr () const { return num_rows(img); }
diff --git a/dlib/image_transforms/colormaps_abstract.h b/dlib/image_transforms/colormaps_abstract.h
index f47624877..cc85d90c7 100644
--- a/dlib/image_transforms/colormaps_abstract.h
+++ b/dlib/image_transforms/colormaps_abstract.h
@@ -37,6 +37,18 @@ namespace dlib
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
+    rgb_pixel colormap_heat (
+        double value,
+        double min_val,
+        double max_val
+    );
+    /*!
+        ensures
+            - Maps value to a color.  In particular, we use a heatmap color scheme where
+              values <= min_val are black and larger values become more red, then yellow,
+              and then white as they approach max_val.
+    !*/
+
     template <
         typename image_type
         >
@@ -51,11 +63,9 @@ namespace dlib
               dlib/image_processing/generic_image.h, or something convertible to a matrix
               via mat().
         ensures
-            - Interprets img as a grayscale image and returns a new matrix
-              which represents a colored version of img.  In particular, the
-              colors will depict img using a heatmap where pixels with a
-              value <= min_val are black and larger pixel values become
-              more red, then yellow, and then white as they approach max_val.
+            - Interprets img as a grayscale image and returns a new matrix which represents
+              a colored version of img.  In particular, the colormap is defined by
+              colormap_heat().
             - The returned matrix will have the same dimensions as img.
     !*/
 
@@ -79,6 +89,18 @@ namespace dlib
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
+    rgb_pixel colormap_jet (
+        double value,
+        double min_val,
+        double max_val
+    );
+    /*!
+        ensures
+            - Maps value to a color.  In particular, we use a jet color scheme where 
+              values <= min_val are dark blue and larger values become light blue, then
+              yellow, and then finally red as they approach max_val.
+    !*/
+
     template <
         typename image_type
         >
@@ -94,10 +116,8 @@ namespace dlib
               via mat().
         ensures
             - Interprets img as a grayscale image and returns a new matrix which represents
-              a colored version of img.  In particular, the colors will depict img using a
-              jet color scheme where pixels with a value <= min_val are dark blue and
-              larger pixel values become light blue, then yellow, and then finally red as
-              they approach max_Val.
+              a colored version of img.  In particular, the colormap is defined by
+              colormap_jet().
             - The returned matrix will have the same dimensions as img.
     !*/