diff --git a/bec_widgets/utils/colors.py b/bec_widgets/utils/colors.py
index 94fc0676..47298021 100644
--- a/bec_widgets/utils/colors.py
+++ b/bec_widgets/utils/colors.py
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+from functools import lru_cache
 import re
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Literal
 
 import bec_qthemes
 import numpy as np
 import pyqtgraph as pg
+from bec_lib import bec_logger
 from bec_qthemes._os_appearance.listener import OSThemeSwitchListener
 from pydantic_core import PydanticCustomError
 from qtpy.QtGui import QColor
@@ -15,6 +17,9 @@ if TYPE_CHECKING:  # pragma: no cover
     from bec_qthemes._main import AccentColors
 
 
+logger = bec_logger.logger
+
+
 def get_theme_name():
     if QApplication.instance() is None or not hasattr(QApplication.instance(), "theme"):
         return "dark"
@@ -194,6 +199,11 @@ class Colors:
         if not name:
             raise ValueError("Empty colormap name")
 
+        return Colors._get_colormap_cached(name)
+
+    @staticmethod
+    @lru_cache(maxsize=256)
+    def _get_colormap_cached(name: str) -> pg.ColorMap:
         # 1) Registry/backends
         try:
             return pg.colormap.get(name)
@@ -608,7 +618,8 @@ class Colors:
         normalized = Colors.canonical_colormap_name(color_map)
         try:
             Colors.get_colormap(normalized)
-        except Exception:
+        except Exception as ext:
+            logger.warning(f"Colormap validation error: {ext}")
             if return_error:
                 available_colormaps = sorted(
                     set(Colors.list_available_colormaps())
@@ -616,7 +627,7 @@ class Colors:
                 )
                 raise PydanticCustomError(
                     "unsupported colormap",
-                    f"Colormap '{color_map}' not found in the current installation of pyqtgraph. Choose on the following: {available_colormaps}.",
+                    f"Colormap '{color_map}' not found in the current installation of pyqtgraph. Choose from the following: {available_colormaps}.",
                     {"wrong_value": color_map},
                 )
             else:
diff --git a/bec_widgets/widgets/plots/image/image_base.py b/bec_widgets/widgets/plots/image/image_base.py
index 6b17d3e0..ab0435e2 100644
--- a/bec_widgets/widgets/plots/image/image_base.py
+++ b/bec_widgets/widgets/plots/image/image_base.py
@@ -249,6 +249,8 @@ class ImageBase(PlotBase):
     Base class for the Image widget.
     """
 
+    MAX_TICKS_COLORBAR = 10
+
     sync_colorbar_with_autorange = Signal()
     image_updated = Signal()
     layer_added = Signal(str)
@@ -499,14 +501,11 @@ class ImageBase(PlotBase):
         if self.config.color_bar != "full":
             return
 
-        self._color_bar.setColorMap(cmap)
-
         gradient = getattr(self._color_bar, "gradient", None)
         if gradient is None:
             return
 
-        max_ticks = 10
-        positions = np.linspace(0.0, 1.0, max_ticks)
+        positions = np.linspace(0.0, 1.0, self.MAX_TICKS_COLORBAR)
         colors = cmap.map(positions, mode="byte")
 
         colors = np.asarray(colors)