diff --git a/scripts/plotting/plotting_data.R b/scripts/plotting/plotting_data.R
index 9ecc2a7..6f6c3ec 100755
--- a/scripts/plotting/plotting_data.R
+++ b/scripts/plotting/plotting_data.R
@@ -89,16 +89,39 @@ cat("\nNo. of unique mutational positions:"); cat(length(upos), "\n")
   
 
 ###########################
-# extract mutations <10Angstroms
+# extract mutations <10Angstroms and symbols
 ###########################
 table(my_df_u$ligand_distance<10)
 
 my_df_u_lig = my_df_u[my_df_u$ligand_distance <10,]
+
+
+#==================
+# Angstroms symbol
+#==================
+
 angstroms_symbol = "\u212b"
 cat(paste0("There are ", nrow(my_df_u_lig), " sites lying within 10", angstroms_symbol, " of the ligand\n"))
 
+#==================
+# Delta symbol
+#==================
+
 delta_symbol = "\u0394"; delta_symbol
 
+###########################
+# variables for my cols
+###########################
+
+mcsm_red2 =  "#ae301e" # most negative
+mcsm_red1 =  "#f8766d"
+
+mcsm_mid = "white" # middle
+
+mcsm_blue1 = "#00bfc4"
+mcsm_blue2 = "#007d85" # most positive
+
+
 ########################################################################
 #               end of data extraction and cleaning for plots          #
 ########################################################################