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 (list after the book list) 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.
A Century of Color in Books
Some of the books listed below also provide not only pleasing palettes but hints and tips on why certain colors and color combinations are appropriate, based in part on their traditional or cultural color meanings and symbolism.While color has experienced trends where certain shades and specific combinations were favored and others discouraged, today almost anything goes if it is appropriate for the audience and the project. The trick is finding the color combination that speaks for the client and to the intended audience.
Check your local bookstore or favorite online bookseller for all of these books about color selection:
- The Designer's Guide to Color Combinations: 500+ Historic and Modern Color Formulas in CMYK
by Leslie Cabarga
North Light Books
ISBN 0891348573
(source of the color palettes found in this article)
compare prices - The Designer's Guide to Global Color Combinations: 750 Formulas in CMYK and RGB from Around the World
by Leslie Cabarga
North Light Books
ISBN 9781581801958
compare prices - The Designer's Toolkit: 1000 Colors, Thousands of Color Combinations
by Graham Davis
Chronicle Books LLC
ISBN 9780811863056
compare prices - Process Color Manual, 24,000 CMYK Combinations for Design, Prepress, and Printing
by Michael Rogondino
Chronicle Books
ISBN 0811827577
compare prices - Pantone Guide to Communicating With Color
by Leatrice Eiseman
Hand Book Press
ISBN 0966638328
compare prices - Interaction of Color
by Josef Albers
Yale University Press
ISBN 9780300146936 (2009 Edition)
compare prices - Color Harmony Workbook: A Workbook and Guide to Creative Color Combinations
by Lesa Sawahata
Rockport Publishers
ISBN 9781592533299 (2007 Edition)
compare prices - A Book of Colors: Matching Colors, Combining Colors, Color Designing, Color Decorating
by Shigenobu Kobayashi
Kodansha International
ISBN 0870118005
compare prices - Designer's Guide to Color 5
also editions 1, 2, 3, 4,
by James Stockton, Ikuyoshi Haishoku Shibukawa
Chronicle Books
ISBN 9780811857345
compare prices
Color Palettes Based on The Designer's Guide to Color Combinations
| 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 |
| Color in Desktop Publishing & Design | |
| Color Meanings: | Symbolism of Color and Colors That Go Together |
| Color Basics for Print and Web: | Color Wheels, RGB, CMYK, Specifying Color |
| Color Calibration: | The Colors You See, Scan, Photograph, and Print |
| Color Printing: | How to Get Good Color Printing |
| Pick Your Path to Desktop Publishing | |
| Get Started: | Basic Guidelines and Requirements for Desktop Publishing |
| Choose Software: | Desktop Publishing and Design Software |
| Make Something: | Things to Make Using Desktop Publishing |
| Tips & Tutorials: | How to Do Desktop Publishing |
| Training, Education, Jobs: | Careers in Desktop Publishing |
| In the Classroom: | Back to School With Desktop Publishing |
| Use Templates: | Templates for Print and Web Publishing |
