In order to examine the possibility that dust effects cause color grad
ients in elliptical galaxies, we have constructed a set of elliptical
galaxy models spanning a wide range of dust properties, including mass
, spatial distribution, and spectral properties. These models are sphe
rically symmetric and include the effects of scattering. We have calcu
lated the emergent broadband colors from the far-UV bands through K: T
hese results were then compared with the color properties for a sample
of 52 galaxies taken from the literature. In the optical, we can repr
oduce the magnitude, morphology, and color gradient ratios [i.e., Delt
a U-R)/Delta(B-R)] observed in many of the galaxies. The best fits are
found for distributions with rho(d) similar to r(-1) and tau - 1, whi
ch corresponds to dust masses on the order of 10(6) M(.) within the ce
ntral 10-30 kpc. More condensed dust profiles also produce strong colo
r gradients, but only in the central regions (r < 0.5 kpc). For many o
f the objects in this sample, the implied dust masses are in reasonabl
e agreement with the dust masses inferred from IRAS observations, alth
ough a number of objects require significantly higher dust masses than
their IRAS observations imply if their color properties are to be att
ributed solely to reddening by dust. Our models suggest that a simple
dusty elliptical galaxy scenario can reproduce the magnitude, morpholo
gy, and ratios of observed broadband color gradients in many elliptica
ls. We find that currently available color gradient measurements are c
onsistent with our model results but that these measurements are not p
recise enough in many objects to provide tight constraints on the mode
ls. Extended dust distributions will greatly complicate the interpreta
tion of all broadband data. Any broadband analysis hindered by age-met
allicity degeneracy will also be hindered by dust effects. In effect,
all broadband observations of elliptical galaxies may be age-metallici
ty-dust degenerate. We also consider the effects of dust on several gl
obal relationships in ellipticals, such as the color-magnitude relatio
n and various distance indicators.