Retro color palettes: 70s, 80s and 90s codes

A retro color palette recreates the colours of a past decade: the mustard and burnt orange of the 1970s, the hot pink, teal and neon of the 1980s, or the olive, brick and denim of the 1990s. Each era's palette came from the materials and screens of its time, which is why the colours instantly read as "then". Below are six palettes, two per decade, with hex codes and notes on what each one is good for, then the details that separate a convincing retro look from a costume.

70s color palettes

The 1970s were warm, earthy and slightly faded. Kitchens, cars and record sleeves leaned on harvest golds, oranges, browns and avocado green, usually against cream rather than white.

The second 70s staple is the sunset stripe: bands of gold through orange and red to deep brown, seen on everything from surf boards to television idents. It works best as hard stripes rather than a smooth blend.

80s color palettes

The 1980s ran on two very different moods. By day there was Memphis: confident primaries, squiggles and confetti patterns on light grounds. By night there was neon: glowing pinks and cyans on near black, the look now revived as synthwave.

90s color palettes

The 1990s swung between grunge and pop. Flannel, record shops and photocopied zines gave muted olives, bricks and denim blues. Children's television, sportswear and early websites gave loud primaries and lime with lots of black.

Retro palettes by decade at a glance

How to make a retro palette feel authentic

Old colours were shaped by their media: inks that never quite matched, paper that yellowed, screens that glowed and bled. Copying the hex codes is only half of it. These touches do the rest.

Type matters as much as colour. A 70s palette with a soft, heavy serif, or an 80s neon palette with a chrome script, does more than any single code. Retro fonts lists faces by decade, and retro gradients turns these palettes into backgrounds. Gradiently's lettering treatments include Riso, Extrude, Inline and Double, which suit print and arcade looks.

Using a retro palette for a modern brand

A full decade palette suits a one off event or a themed product. For a brand that has to last, borrow less. The most durable approach is to keep one or two retro colours as signatures and set them against calm modern neutrals, so the reference is felt rather than worn.

1. 1

   Choose the one colour that carries the decade

   Mustard says 70s, hot pink with teal says 80s, olive says 90s. Pick the colour that does the most work and make it your lead.

2. 2

   Replace the period neutrals with your own

   Keep the warm ground idea, but tint it towards your lead colour instead of copying cream or paper exactly.

3. 3

   Use a single supporting retro colour

   Burnt orange with mustard, or teal with hot pink. Two period colours are a nod; five are a theme night.

4. 4

   Add texture once, consistently

   Choose grain, halftone or a faded print feel and apply it everywhere, so it becomes part of the brand rather than an effect.

If the 1950s and 60s are closer to what you want, mid century modern colours covers teak, olive and atomic orange, and the 80s aesthetic goes deeper into grids, chrome and Memphis shapes.

Retro looks are popular, which means plenty of brands reach for the same sunset stripe. If you want the feeling without the sameness, a Gradiently Mark is a living background with grain and materials built in, checked so no two look alike, and once you claim it, only you can export with it.