diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 50135a77..82374ba0 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ Keyword | Default | Type | Aliases
 `:annotation` | `nothing` | Series | `:ann`, `:annotate`, `:annotations`, `:anns`  
 `:axis` | `left` | Series | `:axiss`  
 `:color` | `auto` | Series | `:c`, `:colors`  
-`:fillto` | `nothing` | Series | `:area`, `:fill`, `:filltos`  
+`:fill` | `nothing` | Series | `:area`, `:fill`, `:fills`  
 `:group` | `nothing` | Series | `:g`, `:groups`  
 `:heatmap_c` | `(0.15,0.5)` | Series | `:heatmap_cs`  
 `:label` | `AUTO` | Series | `:lab`, `:labels`  
diff --git a/src/Plots.jl b/src/Plots.jl
index a54c78ab..f9e38023 100644
--- a/src/Plots.jl
+++ b/src/Plots.jl
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ export
 
   current,
   default,
+  colorscheme,
   
   scatter,
   scatter!,
diff --git a/src/args.jl b/src/args.jl
index 9f325764..ac3c498c 100644
--- a/src/args.jl
+++ b/src/args.jl
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ _seriesDefaults[:fillcolor]   = :match
 # _seriesDefaults[:ribboncolor] = :match
 _seriesDefaults[:nbins]       = 100               # number of bins for heatmaps and hists
 _seriesDefaults[:heatmap_c]   = (0.15, 0.5)   # TODO: this should be replaced with a ColorGradient
-# _seriesDefaults[:fillto]      = nothing          # fills in the area
+# _seriesDefaults[:fill]      = nothing          # fills in the area
 _seriesDefaults[:reg]         = false               # regression line?
 _seriesDefaults[:group]       = nothing           # groupby vector
 _seriesDefaults[:annotation]  = nothing           # annotation tuple(s)... (x,y,annotation)
@@ -206,8 +206,8 @@ const _keyAliases = Dict(
     :msize        => :markersize,
     :nb           => :nbins,
     :nbin         => :nbins,
-    :fill         => :fillto,
-    :area         => :fillto,
+    :fill         => :fill,
+    :area         => :fill,
     :g            => :group,
     :rib          => :ribbon,
     :ann          => :annotation,
@@ -305,16 +305,11 @@ function processAxisArg(d::Dict, axisletter::AbstractString, arg)
 
   if T <: Symbol
 
-    # xscale/yscale
-    if haskey(_scaleAliases, arg)
-      arg = _scaleAliases[arg]
-    end
+    arg = get(_scaleAliases, arg, arg)
+
     if arg in _allScales
       d[symbol(axisletter * "scale")] = arg
-    end
-
-    # xflip/yflip
-    if arg in (:flip, :invert, :inverted)
+    elseif arg in (:flip, :invert, :inverted)
       d[symbol(axisletter * "flip")] = true
     end
 
@@ -332,6 +327,15 @@ function processAxisArg(d::Dict, axisletter::AbstractString, arg)
   end
 end
 
+function handleColors!(d::Dict, arg, csym::Symbol)
+  try
+    c = colorscheme(arg)
+    d[csym] = c
+    return true
+  end
+  false
+end
+
 function processLineArg(d::Dict, arg)
   T = typeof(arg)
   delete!(d, :line)
@@ -346,7 +350,7 @@ function processLineArg(d::Dict, arg)
       d[:linetype] = arg
     elseif arg in _allStyles
       d[:linestyle] = arg
-    else
+    elseif !handleColors!(d, arg, :color)
       warn("Skipped line arg $arg.  Unknown symbol.")
     end
 
@@ -354,14 +358,8 @@ function processLineArg(d::Dict, arg)
   elseif T <: Real
     d[:linewidth] = arg
 
-  else
-
-    try
-      c = colorscheme(arg)
-      d[:color] = c
-    catch
-      warn("Skipped line arg $arg.  Unhandled type $T.")
-    end
+  elseif !handleColors!(d, arg, :color)
+    warn("Skipped line arg $arg.  Unhandled type $T.")
 
   end
 end
@@ -377,7 +375,7 @@ function processMarkerArg(d::Dict, arg)
 
     if arg in _allMarkers
       d[:marker] = arg
-    elseif arg != :match
+    elseif arg != :match && !handleColors!(d, arg, :markercolor)
       warn("Skipped marker arg $arg.  Unknown symbol.")
     end
 
@@ -385,15 +383,9 @@ function processMarkerArg(d::Dict, arg)
   elseif T <: Real
     d[:markersize] = arg
 
-  else
-
-    try
-      c = colorscheme(arg)
-      d[:markercolor] = c
-    catch
-      warn("Skipped marker arg $arg.  Unhandled type $T.")
-    end
-
+  elseif !handleColors!(d, arg, :markercolor)
+    warn("Skipped marker arg $arg.  Unhandled type $T.")
+    
   end
 end
 
diff --git a/src/backends/gadfly.jl b/src/backends/gadfly.jl
index 57aa17cf..09c8cf50 100644
--- a/src/backends/gadfly.jl
+++ b/src/backends/gadfly.jl
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ supportedArgs(::GadflyPackage) = [
     # :axis,
     :background_color,
     :color,
-    :fillto,
+    :fill,
     # :foreground_color,
     :group,
     # :heatmap_c,
@@ -153,7 +153,8 @@ function addGadflySeries!(gplt, d::Dict, initargs::Dict)
   
   # set theme: color, line linewidth, and point size
   line_width = d[:linewidth] * (d[:linetype] in (:none, :ohlc, :scatter) ? 0 : 1) * Gadfly.px  # 0 linewidth when we don't show a line
-  line_color = isa(d[:color], AbstractVector) ? colorant"black" : d[:color]
+  # line_color = isa(d[:color], AbstractVector) ? colorant"black" : d[:color]
+  line_color = getColor(d[:color], 1)
   # fg = initargs[:foreground_color]
   theme = Gadfly.Theme(; default_color = line_color,
                        line_width = line_width,
@@ -195,50 +196,67 @@ function addGadflySeries!(gplt, d::Dict, initargs::Dict)
   append!(gfargs, getLineGeoms(d))
 
   # colorgroup
-  if isa(d[:color], AbstractVector)
+  z = d[:z]
+
+  # handle line segments of different colors
+  cscheme = d[:color]
+  if isa(cscheme, ColorVector)
     # create a color scale, and set the color group to the index of the color
-    push!(gplt.scales, Gadfly.Scale.color_discrete_manual(d[:color]...))
+    push!(gplt.scales, Gadfly.Scale.color_discrete_manual(cscheme.v...))
 
     # this is super weird, but... oh well... for some reason this creates n separate line segments...
     # create a list of vertices that go: [x1,x2,x2,x3,x3, ... ,xi,xi, ... xn,xn] (same for y)
     # then the vector passed to the "color" keyword should be a vector: [1,1,2,2,3,3,4,4, ..., i,i, ... , n,n]
-    csindices = Int[mod1(i,length(d[:color])) for i in 1:length(d[:y])]
+    csindices = Int[mod1(i,length(cscheme.v)) for i in 1:length(d[:y])]
     cs = collect(repmat(csindices', 2, 1))[1:end-1]
     grp = collect(repmat((1:length(d[:y]))', 2, 1))[1:end-1]
     d[:x], d[:y] = map(createSegments, (d[:x], d[:y]))
     colorgroup = [(:color, cs), (:group, grp)]
 
-  elseif d[:z] != nothing
-    # colorgroup = [(:color, d[:z]), (:color_key_title, d[:label])]
-    colorgroup = [(:color, d[:z])]
+  # handle continuous color scales for the markers
+  elseif z != nothing && typeof(z) <: AVec
+    colorgroup = [(:color, z)]
+    minz, maxz = minimum(z), maximum(z)
+    push!(gplt.scales, Gadfly.Scale.ContinuousColorScale(p -> getColor(d[:markercolor], minz + p * (maxz - minz))))
 
+  # nothing special...
   else
     colorgroup = []
   end
 
-  # fillto and ribbon
+  # fills/ribbons
   yminmax = []
-  fillto, ribbon = d[:fillto], d[:ribbon]
-  
-  if fillto != nothing
-    if ribbon != nothing
-      warn("Ignoring ribbon arg since fillto is set!")
-    end
-    fillto = makevec(fillto)
-    n = length(fillto)
-    push!(yminmax, (:ymin, Float64[min(y, fillto[mod1(i,n)]) for (i,y) in enumerate(d[:y])]))
-    push!(yminmax, (:ymax, Float64[max(y, fillto[mod1(i,n)]) for (i,y) in enumerate(d[:y])]))
+  if d[:fill] != nothing
+    fillmin, fillmax = map(makevec, maketuple(d[:fill]))
+    nmin, nmax = length(fillmin), length(fillmax)
+    push!(yminmax, (:ymin, Float64[min(y, fillmin[mod1(i, nmin)], fillmax[mod1(i, nmax)]) for (i,y) in enumerate(d[:y])]))
+    push!(yminmax, (:ymax, Float64[max(y, fillmin[mod1(i, nmin)], fillmax[mod1(i, nmax)]) for (i,y) in enumerate(d[:y])]))
     push!(gfargs, Gadfly.Geom.ribbon)
-  
-  elseif ribbon != nothing
-    ribbon = makevec(ribbon)
-    n = length(ribbon)
-    @show ribbon
-    push!(yminmax, (:ymin, Float64[y - ribbon[mod1(i,n)] for (i,y) in enumerate(d[:y])]))
-    push!(yminmax, (:ymax, Float64[y + ribbon[mod1(i,n)] for (i,y) in enumerate(d[:y])]))
-    push!(gfargs, Gadfly.Geom.ribbon)
-
   end
+
+  # # fillto and ribbon
+  # yminmax = []
+  # fillto, ribbon = d[:fill], d[:ribbon]
+  
+  # if fillto != nothing
+  #   if ribbon != nothing
+  #     warn("Ignoring ribbon arg since fillto is set!")
+  #   end
+  #   fillto = makevec(fillto)
+  #   n = length(fillto)
+  #   push!(yminmax, (:ymin, Float64[min(y, fillto[mod1(i,n)]) for (i,y) in enumerate(d[:y])]))
+  #   push!(yminmax, (:ymax, Float64[max(y, fillto[mod1(i,n)]) for (i,y) in enumerate(d[:y])]))
+  #   push!(gfargs, Gadfly.Geom.ribbon)
+  
+  # elseif ribbon != nothing
+  #   ribbon = makevec(ribbon)
+  #   n = length(ribbon)
+  #   @show ribbon
+  #   push!(yminmax, (:ymin, Float64[y - ribbon[mod1(i,n)] for (i,y) in enumerate(d[:y])]))
+  #   push!(yminmax, (:ymax, Float64[y + ribbon[mod1(i,n)] for (i,y) in enumerate(d[:y])]))
+  #   push!(gfargs, Gadfly.Geom.ribbon)
+
+  # end
   
   # handle markers
   geoms, guides = getMarkerGeomsAndGuides(d)
diff --git a/src/backends/pyplot.jl b/src/backends/pyplot.jl
index 52b9815b..c54d875b 100644
--- a/src/backends/pyplot.jl
+++ b/src/backends/pyplot.jl
@@ -8,14 +8,14 @@ pyplot() = backend(:pyplot)
 
 # -------------------------------
 
-# supportedArgs(::PyPlotPackage) = setdiff(_allArgs, [:reg, :heatmap_c, :fillto, :pos, :xlims, :ylims, :xticks, :yticks])
+# supportedArgs(::PyPlotPackage) = setdiff(_allArgs, [:reg, :heatmap_c, :fill, :pos, :xlims, :ylims, :xticks, :yticks])
 supportedArgs(::PyPlotPackage) = [
     :annotation,
     # :args,
     :axis,
     :background_color,
     :color,
-    # :fillto,
+    # :fill,
     :foreground_color,
     :group,
     # :heatmap_c,
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ function plot!(pkg::PyPlotPackage, plt::Plot; kw...)
   if lt in (:hist, :sticks, :bar)
 
     # NOTE: this is unsupported because it does the wrong thing... it shifts the whole axis
-    # extraargs[:bottom] = d[:fillto]
+    # extraargs[:bottom] = d[:fill]
 
     if lt == :hist
       extraargs[:bins] = d[:nbins]
diff --git a/src/backends/qwt.jl b/src/backends/qwt.jl
index 8a1fc5cc..6dd67031 100644
--- a/src/backends/qwt.jl
+++ b/src/backends/qwt.jl
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ supportedArgs(::QwtPackage) = [
     :axis,
     :background_color,
     :color,
-    :fillto,
+    :fill,
     :foreground_color,
     :group,
     :heatmap_c,
diff --git a/src/backends/template.jl b/src/backends/template.jl
index 3fd401bb..385ea711 100644
--- a/src/backends/template.jl
+++ b/src/backends/template.jl
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ supportedArgs(::[PkgName]Package) = [
     :axis,
     :background_color,
     :color,
-    :fillto,
+    :fill,
     :foreground_color,
     :group,
     # :heatmap_c,
diff --git a/src/backends/unicodeplots.jl b/src/backends/unicodeplots.jl
index dc632470..a35e79e7 100644
--- a/src/backends/unicodeplots.jl
+++ b/src/backends/unicodeplots.jl
@@ -8,14 +8,14 @@ unicodeplots() = backend(:unicodeplots)
 
 # -------------------------------
 
-# supportedArgs(::UnicodePlotsPackage) = setdiff(_allArgs, [:reg, :heatmap_c, :fillto, :pos, :xlims, :ylims, :xticks, :yticks])
+# supportedArgs(::UnicodePlotsPackage) = setdiff(_allArgs, [:reg, :heatmap_c, :fill, :pos, :xlims, :ylims, :xticks, :yticks])
 supportedArgs(::UnicodePlotsPackage) = [
     # :annotation,
     # :args,
     # :axis,
     # :background_color,
     # :color,
-    # :fillto,
+    # :fill,
     # :foreground_color,
     :group,
     # :heatmap_c,
diff --git a/src/backends/winston.jl b/src/backends/winston.jl
index 5a558ed3..5aebb9de 100644
--- a/src/backends/winston.jl
+++ b/src/backends/winston.jl
@@ -30,14 +30,14 @@ const winston_marker = Dict(:none=>".",
                            )
 
 
-# supportedArgs(::WinstonPackage) = setdiff(_allArgs, [:heatmap_c, :fillto, :pos, :markercolor, :background_color, :xlims, :ylims, :xticks, :yticks])
+# supportedArgs(::WinstonPackage) = setdiff(_allArgs, [:heatmap_c, :fill, :pos, :markercolor, :background_color, :xlims, :ylims, :xticks, :yticks])
 supportedArgs(::WinstonPackage) = [
     :annotation,
     # :args,
     # :axis,
     # :background_color,
     :color,
-    :fillto,
+    :fill,
     # :foreground_color,
     :group,
     # :heatmap_c,
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ function plot!(::WinstonPackage, plt::Plot; kw...)
     x, y = d[:x], d[:y]
     Winston.add(wplt, Winston.Curve(x, y; e...))
 
-    fillto = d[:fillto]
+    fillto = d[:fill]
     if fillto != nothing
       if isa(fillto, AbstractVector)
         y2 = fillto
diff --git a/src/colors.jl b/src/colors.jl
index f0f0f487..021483a7 100644
--- a/src/colors.jl
+++ b/src/colors.jl
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ abstract ColorScheme
 getColor(scheme::ColorScheme, idx::Integer) = getColor(scheme, 0.0, idx)
 getColor(scheme::ColorScheme, z::AbstractFloat) = getColor(scheme, z, 0)
 
+colorscheme(scheme::ColorScheme) = scheme
 colorscheme(s::Symbol) = haskey(_gradients, s) ? ColorGradient(s) : ColorWrapper(convertColor(s))
 colorscheme{T<:Real}(s::Symbol, vals::AVec{T}) = ColorGradient(s, vals)
 colorscheme(cs::AVec, vs::AVec) = ColorGradient(cs, vs)
@@ -288,13 +289,11 @@ function getSeriesRGBColor(c, d::Dict, n::Int)
 
   if c == :auto
     c = autopick(d[:color_palette], n)
-  else
-    c = convertColor(c)
+  # else
+  #   # c = convertColor(c)
+  #   c = colorscheme(c)
   end
 
-  # # should be a RGB now... either it was passed in, generated automatically, or created from a string
-  # @assert isa(c, Colorant)
-
-  # return the RGB
-  c
+  # c should now be a subtype of ColorScheme
+  colorscheme(c)
 end
diff --git a/src/plot.jl b/src/plot.jl
index 04b81337..aa63f1a1 100644
--- a/src/plot.jl
+++ b/src/plot.jl
@@ -46,7 +46,10 @@ function plot(args...; kw...)
   pkg = backend()
   d = Dict(kw)
   preprocessArgs!(d)
-  for k in sort(collect(keys(d))); println(); @printf("%14s: ", k); println(d[k], "\n"); end
+
+  println()
+  for k in sort(collect(keys(d))); @printf("%14s: ", k); println(d[k]); end
+  println()
 
   # # ensure we're passing in an RGB
   # if haskey(d, :background_color)
diff --git a/src/utils.jl b/src/utils.jl
index 6b720876..6a525174 100644
--- a/src/utils.jl
+++ b/src/utils.jl
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ function histogramHack(; kw...)
   d[:x] = midpoints
   d[:y] = float(counts)
   d[:linetype] = :bar
-  d[:fillto] = d[:fillto] == nothing ? 0.0 : d[:fillto]
+  d[:fill] = d[:fill] == nothing ? 0.0 : d[:fill]
   d
 end
 
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ function barHack(; kw...)
   d = Dict(kw)
   midpoints = d[:x]
   heights = d[:y]
-  fillto = d[:fillto] == nothing ? 0.0 : d[:fillto]
+  fillto = d[:fill] == nothing ? 0.0 : d[:fill]
 
   # estimate the edges
   dists = diff(midpoints) * 0.5
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ function barHack(; kw...)
   d[:x] = x
   d[:y] = y
   d[:linetype] = :path
-  d[:fillto] = fillto
+  d[:fill] = fillto
   d
 end
 
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ function sticksHack(; kw...)
   # these are the line vertices
   x = Float64[]
   y = Float64[]
-  fillto = dLine[:fillto] == nothing ? 0.0 : dLine[:fillto]
+  fillto = dLine[:fill] == nothing ? 0.0 : dLine[:fill]
 
   # calculate the vertices
   yScatter = dScatter[:y]
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ function sticksHack(; kw...)
   dLine[:y] = y
   dLine[:linetype] = :path
   dLine[:marker] = :none
-  dLine[:fillto] = nothing
+  dLine[:fill] = nothing
 
   # change the scatter args
   dScatter[:linetype] = :none