Each color combo is based on actual historic and modern formulas used in posters, packaging, ads, and other design work over the past century. Pick a palette based on specific colors and its color wheel companions or devise a look that echoes the colors of the Victorian Age, the psychedelic sixties, or shades of mother nature. Although presented in CMYK formulas, you may prefer to pick PMS colors or Web colors that match or nearly match the CMYK combinations for similar effects.
The color combinations presented here come from The Designer's Guide to Color Combinations by Leslie Cabarga (compare prices). It contains over 500 historic and modern color formulas in CMYK. Instead of only little blocks of color Cabarga shows simple layouts that use varying amounts of each color. These layouts make it easier to visualize how a design will look using the three to seven colors in each palette. Follow his lead or rearrange the colors in any way you please. I've used a similar sample layout to show one color scheme in each of the era palettes.
Some of the books listed on the next page provide not only pleasing palettes but hints and tips on why certain colors and color combinations are appropriate.
| Palettes by Color | Palettes by Era |
| Red/Pink | Victorian |
| Yellow/Gold | Art Deco |
| Orange | Atomic Age |
| Blue | The Sixties |
| Green/Teal | 90s and Beyond |
| Purple/Lavender | |
| Brown/Tan/Beige | |
| Gray/Silver | |
| Black/White | |
| More Color Palettes | |
| Patriotic Pantone Palettes | Limited Colors |
| Earthy | Dark Blue Web |
