diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index b08cc48..9ab62e5 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+2015-03-22 Riccardo Mottola <rm@gnu.org>
+
+	* Headers/Protocols/Preferences.h
+	* PCPrefController.m
+	Direct preferences method for setting and getting colors.
+
 2015-03-22 Riccardo Mottola <rm@gnu.org>
 
 	* Modules/Preferences/EditorFSC/PCEditorFSCPrefs.m
diff --git a/Headers/Protocols/Preferences.h b/Headers/Protocols/Preferences.h
index 938495f..636b7bc 100644
--- a/Headers/Protocols/Preferences.h
+++ b/Headers/Protocols/Preferences.h
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 @protocol PCPreferences <NSObject>
 
 - (NSColor *)colorFromString:(NSString *)colorString;
+- (NSString *)stringFromColor:(NSColor *)color;
 
 - (NSString *)stringForKey:(NSString *)key;
 - (NSString *)stringForKey:(NSString *)key
@@ -47,6 +48,10 @@
 - (float)floatForKey:(NSString *)key
 	defaultValue:(float)defaultValue;
 
+- (NSColor *)colorForKey:(NSString *)key;
+- (NSColor *)colorForKey:(NSString *)key
+        defaultValue:(NSColor *)defaultValue;
+
 - (void)setString:(NSString *)stringValue 
 	   forKey:(NSString *)aKey
 	   notify:(BOOL)notify;
@@ -56,7 +61,9 @@
 - (void)setFloat:(float)floatValue
 	  forKey:(NSString *)aKey
 	  notify:(BOOL)notify;
-
+- (void)setColor:(NSColor *)color
+	  forKey:(NSString *)aKey
+	  notify:(BOOL)notify;
 @end
 
 @protocol PCPrefsSection <NSObject>
diff --git a/PCPrefController.m b/PCPrefController.m
index 8920166..e341526 100644
--- a/PCPrefController.m
+++ b/PCPrefController.m
@@ -103,6 +103,30 @@ static PCPrefController *_prefCtrllr = nil;
   return color;
 }
 
+- (NSString *)stringFromColor:(NSColor *)color
+{
+  NSString *colorString;
+
+  colorString = nil;
+  if ([[color colorSpaceName] isEqualToString:NSCalibratedWhiteColorSpace])
+    {
+      colorString = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"White %0.1f", 
+		  [color whiteComponent]];
+    }
+  else
+    {
+      if (![[color colorSpaceName] isEqualToString:NSCalibratedRGBColorSpace])
+	color = [color colorUsingColorSpaceName:NSCalibratedRGBColorSpace];
+      colorString = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"RGB %0.1f %0.1f %0.1f",
+			      [color redComponent], 
+			      [color greenComponent],
+			      [color blueComponent]];
+    }
+
+  NSLog(@"serialized color: '%@'", colorString);
+  return colorString;
+}
+
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // --- Accessors
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -176,6 +200,33 @@ static PCPrefController *_prefCtrllr = nil;
     }
 }
 
+- (NSColor *)colorForKey:(NSString *)key
+{
+  return [self colorForKey:key defaultValue:nil];
+}
+
+- (NSColor *)colorForKey:(NSString *)key
+	    defaultValue:(NSColor *)defaultValue
+{
+  NSString *stringValue = [[NSUserDefaults standardUserDefaults]
+			    objectForKey:key];
+
+  if (stringValue)
+    {
+      NSColor *color;
+
+      color = [self colorFromString:stringValue];
+      return color;
+    }
+  else if (defaultValue)
+    {
+      [self setColor:defaultValue forKey:key notify:NO];
+      return defaultValue;
+    }
+
+  return defaultValue; // returns nil
+}
+
 - (void)setString:(NSString *)stringValue 
 	   forKey:(NSString *)aKey
 	   notify:(BOOL)notify
@@ -225,6 +276,24 @@ static PCPrefController *_prefCtrllr = nil;
     }
 }
 
+- (void)setColor:(NSColor *)color 
+	   forKey:(NSString *)aKey
+	   notify:(BOOL)notify
+{
+  NSString *stringValue;
+
+  stringValue = [self stringFromColor:color];
+  [[NSUserDefaults standardUserDefaults] setObject:stringValue
+					    forKey:aKey];
+
+  if (notify)
+    {
+      [[NSNotificationCenter defaultCenter] 
+	postNotificationName:PCPreferencesDidChangeNotification
+		      object:self];
+    }
+}
+
 - (void)loadPrefsSections
 {
   PCBundleManager    *bundleManager = [[PCBundleManager alloc] init];