50 Unforgettable Color Palettes to Help You Design Your Own


Choosing a color palette for your design project is an important decision that affects every aspect of your design’s performance, from visual impact to user experience.

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In this post, you’ll find abundant color palette inspiration and, more importantly, learn how to choose the right palette for your unique project.

Table of Contents

Choosing The Right Color Palette for Your Design Project

While selecting a color palette without much consideration might be tempting, you must understand that your color choices must be intentional and informed.

Colors are much more than aesthetics. Choosing colors that achieve the desired impact and communicate the intended meaning requires careful and thoughtful selection.

The question then becomes — how do you find a color palette that aligns with your design needs and preferences? A great starting point is to establish a framework for understanding and organizing these palettes through categorization.

Color Palette Categories

Understanding color palette categorization allows you to identify palettes that align with your design requirements and broadens your creative horizons beyond your habitual preferences.

While there aren’t any hard or fast rules about categorizing the near-infinite number of possible color combinations, we can approach this in two ways — creating color palettes based on the color wheel or based on inspiration. Each has unique advantages.

Note: Most palettes will belong to more than one category across both categorization methods.

Categorizing Color Palettes Based on the Color Wheel

This method categorizes color palettes based on how the colors within the palette interact with the color wheel. For context, the color wheel is a circular illustration where the position of one or more colors relative to others depicts their relationships.

Color palette inspiration infographic explaining basic color theory

Image Source

Here are some color palette categories based on this method.

1. Analogous Color Palettes

An analogous color palette, or related color scheme, is based on colors directly beside each other on the color wheel.

For example, in a basic color wheel that consists of primary and secondary colors, an analogous palette might consist of green, yellow, and orange.

Analogous color palette inspiration

These palettes are great for achieving color harmony and smooth transitions between the colors in your design.

2. Complementary Color Palettes

A complementary color palette, or contrasting color scheme, is based on colors opposite each other on the color wheel.

For example, in a basic color wheel that consists of primary and secondary colors, the complementary pairs would be green/red, yellow/purple, and blue/orange.

Complementary color palette inspiration

These palettes are great for achieving contrast in your designs while maintaining balance. As an additional tip, consider using your key color as the dominant hue while the others serve as complementary or accent colors.

3. Triadic Color Palettes

A triadic color palette consists of three evenly spaced colors along the color wheel. A simple way to find colors that fall within this category is to draw an equilateral triangle on the color wheel and select the colors at each point of the triangle.

For example, the primary colors on a basic color wheel (red, blue, and yellow) form a primary triad, while the secondary colors on a basic color wheel (orange, green, and purple) form a secondary triad.

Complementary: Triadic

These palettes are great because, if done right, they allow you to create versatility and depth in your designs without sacrificing harmony.

4. Tetradic Color Palettes

A tetradic, or double complementary, color palette is similar to the triadic color palette; however, this palette consists of four colors evenly spaced out on the color wheel.

The easiest way to find these colors is to start by selecting a base color and then choose three other colors equidistant from the base color on the color wheel.

For example, in a primary color wheel, if the base color is red, the other three colors in the tetradic palette would be green, blue, and yellow.

Tetradic

Tetradic palettes are great because they help you create vibrancy and visual interest through high contrast levels between the colors.

Categorizing Color Palettes Based on Inspiration

Another approach to categorizing color palettes is referencing the external sources of inspiration the palettes draw from.

Rather than starting with colors, this method observes objects, locations, events, etc., and uses the most prominent colors associated with them to form a palette.

Here are some categories based on this method:

1. Warm vs. Cool-Toned Color Palettes

The categorization of warm versus cool color palettes is based on the perceived temperatures of colors derived from how they are naturally observed.

For example, red, orange, and yellow are considered warm colors due to their natural association with heat, warmth, and fire. The meanings attributed to these colors extend beyond their natural occurrences and evoke sensations related to them, such as passion, anger, and energy.

On the other hand, cool colors are naturally associated with colder elements like water and sky. And similar to warm colors, these are also associated with certain feelings such as calmness, tranquility, and even elegance. Some examples include colors like blues and greens.

So, these palettes can then be used to help designers pass across a visual message that evokes these associated feelings.

Complementary: warm-vs-cool

2. Seasonal Color Palettes

Seasonal color palettes are unique combinations of colors inspired by specific seasons of the year. These palettes incorporate colors naturally associated with particular seasons to capture and evoke the period’s mood, atmosphere, and emotions.

With this category of color palettes, the geographic context of where the designs will be displayed is crucial because the audience’s familiarity with the referenced season determines their ability to relate to and resonate with the design.

For example, a palette that uses “autumn colors” (orange, red, yellow, and brown) will only be relevant in locations where the audience experiences and values the changing autumn leaves.

Complementary: seasonal

3. Thematic Color Palettes

Thematic color palettes are palettes inspired by a specific theme or concept.

While these palettes allow for endless creative possibilities, selecting a palette that resonates with your audience and effectively communicates the design’s narrative requires a deep understanding of your audience and project. It’s also important to note that these palettes often have to be used in collaboration with elements related to the referenced theme.

Some examples of thematic color palettes include retro-inspired, space-inspired, and even minimalistic.

thematic

Bonus category: Monochromatic Color Palettes

A monochromatic color palette modifies a base color using shades, tones, or tints to create variations of that single color.

For example, a monochromatic color palette might use the color pink as a base color and then incorporate other shades of pink by adding varying degrees of white, black, or gray.

Monochromatic

50 Color Palette Examples to Inspire Your Next Project

Now that you understand how to think about color palettes, here are some palettes to consider for your next creative project. These palettes have also been categorized to help you quickly determine whether they fit your design project.

Please note that while some of these palettes may fall into multiple categories, they have been assigned a maximum of two primary categories for simplicity’s sake.

1. Sunset Serenade

Color Palette Inspiration: Sunset Serenade color palette

Categories: Analogous. Thematic.

Hex Codes:

2. Ocean Breeze

Color Palette Inspiration: Ocean Breeze color palette

Categories: Analogous. Thematic. Cool-toned.

Hex Codes:

3. Spring Meadow

Color Palette inspiration: Spring Meadow color palette

Categories: Analogous. Seasonal.

Hex codes:

4. Autumn Harvest

Color Palette Inspiration: Autumn Harvest color palette

Categories: Analogous. Seasonal.

Hex codes:

5. Candy Store

Color Palette Inspiration: Candy Crush color palette

Categories: Analogous. Thematic.

Hex codes:

6. Desert Sands

desert-sands

Categories: Analogous. Thematic.

Hex codes:

7. Winter Chill

Color Palette inspiration: Winter Chill

Categories: Analogous. Seasonal.

Hex codes:

8. Fiery Passion

Color Palette Inspiration: Fiery Passion

Categories: Complementary. Thematic.

Hex codes:

9. Fresh Citrus

Color Palette Inspiration: Fresh citrus color palette

Categories: Complementary. Thematic.

Hex Codes:

10. Bold Harmony

Color Palette Inspiration: Bold Harmony color palette

Categories: Complementary.

Hex Codes:

11. Nature’s Delight

Color Palette inspiration: Nature’s Delight color palette

Categories: Complementary. Thematic.

Hex Codes:

12. Tropical Paradise

tropical-paradise

Categories: Complementary. Thematic.

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13. Vibrant Energy

vibrant-energy

Categories: Complementary. Thematic.

Hex codes:

14. Dynamic Sunset

Color Palette Inspiration: Dynamic Sunset color palette

Categories: Complementary. Thematic.

Hex codes:

15. Vibrant Trio

vibrant-trio

Categories: Triadic.

Hex codes:

16. Citrus Burst

Color Palette Inspiration: Citrus Burst color palette

Categories: Triadic. Thematic.

Hex codes:

17. Pastel Dream

pastel-dream

Categories: Triadic. Thematic.

Hex codes:

18. Tropical Sunset

Color Palette Inspiration: Tropical Sunset color palette

Categories: Triadic. Thematic.

Hex codes:

19. Spring Blossom

Color Palette inspiration: Spring Blossom color palette

Categories: Triadic. Seasonal.

Hex codes:

20. Electric Harmony

Color Palette Inspiration: Electric Harmony color palette

Categories: Triadic.

Hex codes:

21. Earthy Tones

earthy-tones

Categories: Triadic. Thematic.

Hex codes:

22. Radiant Quartet

radiant-quartet

Categories: Tetradic.

Hex codes:

23. Tropical Fusion

Color Palette Inspiration: Tropical Fusion color palette

Categories: Tetradic. Thematic.

Hex codes:

24. Citrus Zing

Color Palette Inspiration: Citrus Zing color palette

Categories: Tetradic. Thematic.

Hex codes:

25. Sunset Radiance

Color Palette Inspiration: Sunset Radiance color palette

Categories: Tetradic. Thematic.

Hex codes:

26. Earthy Harmony

Color Palette Inspiration: Earthy Harmony color palette

Categories: Tetradic. Thematic.

Hex codes:

27. Electric Dreams

electric-dreams-1

Categories: Tetradic.

Hex codes:

28. Jeweled Opulence

Color Palette Inspiration: Jeweled Opulence color palette

Categories: Tetradic. Thematic.

Hex codes:

29. Spring Awakening

spring-awakening

Categories: Seasonal.

Hex codes:

30. Summer Breeze

Color Palette Inspiration: Summer Breeze color palette

Categories: Seasonal.

Hex codes:

31. Autumn Splendor

Color Palette Inspiration: Autumn Splendor color palette

Categories: Seasonal.

Hex codes:

32. Winter Frost

Color Palette inspiration: Winter Frost color palette

Categories: Seasonal.

Hex codes:

33. Meadow Serenade

Color Palette Inspiration: Meadow Serenade color palette

Categories: Seasonal.

Hex codes:

34. Tropical Oasis

Color Palette Inspiration: Tropical Oasis color palette

Categories: Seasonal.

Hex codes:

35. Fireside Coziness

Color Palette Inspiration: Fireside Coziness color palette

Categories: Thematic.

Hex codes:

36. Enchanted Forest

enchanted-forest

Categories: Thematic.

Hex codes:

37. Oceanic Depths

oceanic-depths

Categories: Thematic.

Hex codes:

38. Vintage Elegance

Color Palette inspiration: Vintage Elegance color palette

Categories: Thematic.

Hex codes:

39. Urban Chic

urban-chic

Categories: Thematic.

Hex codes:

40. Fiesta Celebration

fiesta-celebration

Categories: Thematic.

Hex codes:

41. Serene Oasis

serene-oasis

Categories: Thematic.

Hex codes:

42. Galactic Adventure

Color Palette Inspiration: Galactic Adventure color palette

Categories: Thematic.

Hex codes:

43. Tranquil Serenity

Color Palette Inspiration: Tranquil Serenity color palette

Categories: Monochromatic. Cool.

Hex codes:

44. Lush Greenery

lush-greenery

Categories: Monochromatic. Cool.

Hex codes:

45. Subtle Blush

Color Palette Inspiration: Subtle Blush color palette

Categories: Monochromatic. Warm.

Hex codes:

46. Warm Sunrise

Color Palette Inspiration: Warm Sunrise color palette

Categories: Monochromatic. Warm.

Hex codes:

47. Midnight Sky

Color Palette Inspiration: Midnight Sky color palette

Categories: Monochromatic. Cool.

Hex codes:

48. Soft Lavender

Color Palette inspiration: Soft Lavender color palette

Categories: Monochromatic. Cool.

Hex codes:

49. Earthy Taupe

Color Palette Inspiration: Earthy Taupe color palette

Categories: Monochromatic. Warm.

Hex codes:

50. Sunny Yellow

Color Palette Inspiration: Sunny Yellow color palette

Categories: Monochromatic. Warm.

Hex codes:

Color Palette Generators

To gain further inspiration or create unique color palettes for yourself, consider using an online color palette generator.

Color palette generators are extraordinarily helpful — they suggest colors that look good together and even provide the hex color numbers, so you can plug the colors directly into a program like Photoshop.

Before you begin your next design project, you might want to try generating different palettes of your own using one of these free online tools:

Creating A Color Palette

Every design project is different. This means your project will have unique requirements, objectives, and creative direction.

So, while you could pick a palette from this post, another approach is to consider these color palettes as guides. Use this post as a starting point and reference these examples to create a color palette that is truly and uniquely tailored to your design.

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