# Retro color palettes: 70s, 80s and 90s codes [Canonical HTML page](https://gradiently.design/guide/retro-color-palettes) Each decade had its own colour fingerprint, shaped by printing, television and fashion. Here are the codes for six of them and the small touches that make retro feel real. ## The short version - A retro color palette borrows the colours that defined a past decade, such as the earthy golds of the 70s, the neons of the 80s and the muted grunge tones of the 90s. - 70s palettes are warm and earthy: mustard, burnt orange, rust brown and avocado on cream. - 80s palettes split into bold Memphis primaries on light grounds and electric neons on near black. - 90s palettes range from muted olive, brick and denim to bright primary colours with black. - Retro colours feel authentic when they sit on off white or warm grounds with a little grain, rather than on pure white. 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. - Cream #f3e6c8: #f3e6c8 - Mustard #e8a33d: #e8a33d - Burnt orange #c4622d: #c4622d - Rust brown #7a3b1f: #7a3b1f - Avocado #6b7a35: #6b7a35 Harvest. Cream type on rust brown reads at 6.9:1. Cream on burnt orange is only 3.3:1, so keep that pairing for large headlines. 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. 70s sunset stripes: `linear-gradient(180deg, #f2c14e 0% 20%, #f08a2e 20% 40%, #d9502b 40% 60%, #8c2f39 60% 80%, #3d1f2b 80% 100%)` Five hard stops, no blending. Dark aubergine type (#3d1f2b) on the gold band reads at 8.8:1. ## 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. - Off white #f7f1e3: #f7f1e3 - Hot pink #ff5c8a: #ff5c8a - Teal #2bc4c4: #2bc4c4 - Sunshine #ffd23f: #ffd23f - Electric violet #6a4cff: #6a4cff - Black #111111: #111111 Memphis. Use black for every outline and word: black on the yellow is 13:1. More in [Memphis design](https://gradiently.design/guide/memphis-design). - Night #0d0221: #0d0221 - Deep purple #2a1050: #2a1050 - Neon pink #ff2a6d: #ff2a6d - Neon cyan #05d9e8: #05d9e8 - Ice #d1f7ff: #d1f7ff Neon night. Cyan on the night ground reads at 11.6:1 and works for small text; neon pink at 5.5:1 is best for headings. See [synthwave colours](https://gradiently.design/guide/synthwave-colors). 80s neon horizon: `linear-gradient(180deg, #0d0221 0%, #2a1050 45%, #ff2a6d 75%, #ff9e00 100%)` Night sky to hot pink to orange at the horizon line. Add a grid or a sun shape and it is unmistakably 1980s. ## 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. - Paper #e9e2d0: #e9e2d0 - Olive #4a5d3a: #4a5d3a - Brick #8c3b2e: #8c3b2e - Khaki #c9a66b: #c9a66b - Denim #2f3b4c: #2f3b4c Grunge. Paper type on denim reads at 8.8:1. Add photocopy texture and slightly misaligned type for the full effect. - Yellow #f7d633: #f7d633 - Magenta #e4007c: #e4007c - Bright blue #00a1de: #00a1de - Lime #69be28: #69be28 - Black #1b1b1b: #1b1b1b 90s pop. Black on yellow is 12:1. Use these at full strength but in blocks, with black separating them. Related: [90s aesthetic](https://gradiently.design/guide/90s-aesthetic). ## Retro palettes by decade at a glance | Decade | Signature colours | Ground | Good for | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1970s | Mustard, burnt orange, rust, avocado | Cream | Cafés, vinyl, outdoor and craft brands | | 1980s day | Hot pink, teal, yellow, violet with black | Off white | Events, kids, playful launches | | 1980s night | Neon pink and cyan | Near black purple | Music, gaming, nightlife | | 1990s grunge | Olive, brick, khaki, denim | Paper | Fashion, bars, zines, record shops | | 1990s pop | Yellow, magenta, blue, lime with black | Black or white | Streetwear, snacks, youth campaigns | Pick the decade for the feeling you want, not for the year your audience was born. ## 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. ### Looks like fancy dress - Retro colours on pure white - Perfectly clean flat fills - Every colour from the palette on one page - Modern geometric sans serif type - Neon on light grounds ### Feels authentic - Cream, paper or near black grounds - Grain, halftone or slight fading - Three or four colours, one leading - Type from the era: chunky serifs, rounded display faces - Neon only where it would glow, on dark 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](https://gradiently.design/guide/retro-fonts) lists faces by decade, and [retro gradients](https://gradiently.design/guide/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. **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. **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. **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. **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](https://gradiently.design/guide/mid-century-modern-colors) covers teak, olive and atomic orange, and the [80s aesthetic](https://gradiently.design/guide/80s-aesthetic) goes deeper into grids, chrome and Memphis shapes. A retro style Instagram post for a weekly soul music night at a basement venue A retro event poster: warm ground, a few strong colours and type with character. The palette sets the decade before anyone reads a word. 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. ## FAQ ### What colours are retro? It depends on the decade: mustard, burnt orange and avocado for the 70s, hot pink, teal and neon for the 80s, and olive, brick, denim or bright primaries for the 90s. ### What are the hex codes for a 70s color palette? A classic set is cream #f3e6c8, mustard #e8a33d, burnt orange #c4622d, rust brown #7a3b1f and avocado #6b7a35. ### What colours were popular in the 80s? Memphis primaries such as hot pink, teal, yellow and violet with black outlines, and neon pink and cyan on dark backgrounds. ### How do I make colours look vintage? Use warm off white or paper grounds instead of white, add grain or halftone texture, keep to three or four colours and choose type from the era.