Best Presentation Color Palettes 2024

4 minutes read

@ tutsplus.com

Check out this tutorial to learn the best presentation color palette techniques for your favorite presentation app.

Learn all about complementary color combinations and more as you choose the best presentation colors.

When you open your favorite presentation software, you’ve got a ton of choices to make. That includes choosing the best presentation colors. What are the best presentation color palette options, and why?

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Whether you use Keynote, PowerPoint, or Google Slides, this tutorial is sure to benefit you. You’ll see the best presentation color palettes for every occasion. You’ll also see templates that include the best color palette presentation designs. Let’s get colorful!

Understanding Color Theory

To effectively select a color palette, it’s essential to understand some fundamental color theory concepts. Here, we’ll break down key terms and how they can inform your color choices as you create your presentation.

Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Colors

Understanding these three types of colors is crucial:

  • Primary colors: Red, yellow, and blue.
  • Secondary colors: Created by mixing primary colors in equal amounts (orange, green, violet).
  • Tertiary colors: Result from mixing primary and secondary colors in varying amounts (e.g., yellow-orange).

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Utilize the color wheel to visualize how different colors work together. Colors directly opposite each other on the wheel form complementary color combinations, which can be an effective strategy for creating visually appealing presentations.

Tints, Tones, and Hues

Beyond primary and secondary colors, there are variations in colors known as tints, tones, and hues:

  • Tints: Created by adding white to a color.
  • Tones: Result from adding grey to a color.
  • Hues: Refers to the pure color itself (e.g., navy is a hue of blue).

These variations influence how colors can be used effectively in presentations.

Experimenting with Color Palettes

Finding the best presentation colors for your next project is crucial. This decision impacts how your content is perceived. The key question is: What’s the best presentation color palette? The answer varies depending on your content and audience.

Using Adobe Color for Custom Palettes

Adobe Color is a powerful browser-based tool that allows you to experiment with color palettes effortlessly. Create unique color schemes to enhance your slides.

The interface features a color wheel and five editable panels, enabling you to create custom palettes that work well visually. You can explore various styles, including monochromatic, triadic, and complementary schemes.

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If you prefer a monochromatic look, Adobe Color allows you to create a palette using different shades of the same color. The color wheel can be manipulated to see how your chosen colors work as backgrounds instantly.

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For precise adjustments, you can use RGB color mode sliders to achieve your desired tones. Custom palettes can be matched to your organization’s branding by entering specific color hex codes.

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You can even extract colors directly from uploaded images, making it easier to create palettes that align with your visual content.

Choosing the Best Presentation Color Palette

As you explore tools for generating color palettes, it’s essential to determine what constitutes an effective color scheme for your presentation. Here are three critical factors to consider:

1. Content and Audience Consideration

The content of your presentation and its intended audience should guide your color choices.

  • For serious topics, a monochromatic color scheme is often less distracting.
  • Avoid using overly bright colors as backgrounds, as they can hinder text readability.
  • Complementary color schemes can be versatile and suitable for various presentations.

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2. Prioritize Readability

The primary goal of your color choices should be to ensure readability:

  • Follow the light/dark rule: Use light text on dark backgrounds and vice versa to maintain contrast.
  • Steer clear of highly saturated colors for backgrounds to enhance text visibility.
  • Avoid complex patterns to prevent distractions from your content.

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3. Accessibility Matters

Consider the accessibility of your color choices. Approximately 300 million people are color blind, which means your presentation should be readable for everyone.

Utilize tools that simulate color blindness to check the accessibility of your chosen color palette. For further guidance, refer to our dedicated resources on creating accessible PowerPoint presentations:

Discover Top Sources for Presentation Color Palettes

If you’re looking for inspiration for the best presentation color palettes, pre-built templates can save you time and effort.

Explore Envato Elements, a vast library of downloadable assets, including templates that feature expertly crafted color palettes.

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Here are some outstanding templates that showcase top color palette options for various applications:

  1. Colorful - Keynote Template
    • Perfect for those who love vibrant presentations, featuring 32 colorful slides.

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  1. ERA - Property & Developer PowerPoint Template
    • Offers complementary color combinations ideal for various presentation contexts.

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  1. Vlavor - Pastel Creative Keynote
    • This template embraces pastel colors, suitable for optimistic themes.

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If you prefer to purchase individual templates, check out Envato Market for a selection of impressive options that ensure your content stands out.

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Make Confident Color Choices

With the insights gained from this tutorial, you can confidently select the best presentation color palettes for your upcoming projects. Embrace color in your presentations and ensure that your choices enhance rather than detract from your message. Life’s too short to stick to greyscale!

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