diff --git a/include/effect_matrix.h b/include/effect_matrix.h
index 838e9b7..56b08fb 100644
--- a/include/effect_matrix.h
+++ b/include/effect_matrix.h
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #include "Effect.h"
 #include "config.h"
 #include "my_fastled.h"
+#include "my_color_palettes.h"
 
 class MatrixEffectColumn {
   private:
diff --git a/include/my_color_palettes.h b/include/my_color_palettes.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..09baead
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/my_color_palettes.h
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+#pragma once
+#include "my_fastled.h"
+
+//CRGBPalette16 palette_fire;
+//CRGBPalette16 palette_matrix;
+
+extern const TProgmemRGBGradientPalette_byte palette_fire[] FL_PROGMEM;
+extern const TProgmemRGBGradientPalette_byte palette_matrix[] FL_PROGMEM;
diff --git a/src/color_palettes.cpp b/src/color_palettes.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9f3c7dc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/color_palettes.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#include "my_color_palettes.h"
+
+__attribute__ ((aligned(4))) extern const TProgmemRGBGradientPalette_byte palette_fire[] FL_PROGMEM = {
+  0,     0,  0,  0,   //black
+128,   255,  0,  0,   //red
+224,   255,255,  0,   //bright yellow
+255,   255,255,255 }; //full white
+
+__attribute__ ((aligned(4))) extern const TProgmemRGBGradientPalette_byte palette_matrix[] FL_PROGMEM = {
+  0,     0,  0,  0,   // black
+200,     0,255,  0,   // green
+255,   255,255,255 }; // white
diff --git a/src/effect_matrix.cpp b/src/effect_matrix.cpp
index 33245d3..57b3fc8 100644
--- a/src/effect_matrix.cpp
+++ b/src/effect_matrix.cpp
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
 #include "effect_matrix.h"
+#include "my_color_palettes.h"
 #include "functions.h"
 
-MatrixEffectColumn::MatrixEffectColumn() { }
+MatrixEffectColumn::MatrixEffectColumn() {
+}
 
-MatrixEffectColumn::MatrixEffectColumn(Window* win, int xPos) {
+MatrixEffectColumn::MatrixEffectColumn(Window* win, int xPos) : MatrixEffectColumn() {
   window = win;
   x = xPos;
   start();
@@ -24,11 +26,7 @@ void MatrixEffectColumn::advance() {
 
 void MatrixEffectColumn::draw() {
   for(int i=0; i<length; i++) {
-    CRGB color;
-    if (i==0) color=CHSV(85, 0, 192);
-    else color=CHSV(85, 255, 255/(length-1)*(length-i));
-
-    setPixel(*window, x, y-i, color);
+    setPixel(*window, x, y-i, ColorFromPalette((CRGBPalette16)palette_matrix, 255 * (length - i) / length));
   }
 }