Resume design can be a funny thing. Where’s the line between too little color and too much? We’re featuring 20+ resume color schemes (with stunning examples) to help give you some ideas.
I believe it is a balance between showing off your personality and design style about the job you are applying for. So, you might have a couple of resume designs, depending on who you are sending them to.
Another factor is printing. Are you going with a design that requires professional printing or are you doing it yourself? Think about all these things as you peruse these stylish resume color schemes for inspiration. (Note: Mixes are provided in HEX, but if you plan to print, make sure to use CMYK color.)
Mint Green
This color scheme is a great choice for creating resumes that stand out from the crowd. The bright mint green is a color that easily pops and works more effectively for accents to bring attention to specific sections of the resume design. Consider pairing this color with darker colors to get the most out of this color scheme.
Fun Blue
Fun Blue is a beautiful color that not only creates a soothing vibe across the entire design but also makes it look more professional and creative at the same time. When combined with lighter colors, it will help you convey a sense of individuality through the entire design to highlight your personality and experience.
Orange, Brown, and Pink Gray
This is a different style of color scheme that may not work for every resume. It’s more of an eccentric color palette that’s more appropriate for professionals in creative industries. The goal here is to create a color scheme that’s easy on the eyes but also stands out. The orange color does an impressive job as an accent color to highlight the key elements while the brown and pink gray create a beautiful canvas for the design.
Dark Salmon
This color works perfectly as an accent color to bring more attention to your resume. As you can see in this example, it can be used with both light and dark backgrounds as well. The dark salmon color is also associated with creativity so it will be a great choice for resumes related to creative professionals, freelancers, and designers.
Bright Yellow
For creating resumes for graphic designers, marketers, writers, and UX designers, there’s no better color scheme than this one. The bright yellow is often the go-to choice for accents and it works beautifully with both black and white to create attractive and distinctive looks, especially for business and professional document designs.
Magenta and Indigo
Artists, fashion designers, and other creative professionals will find this color scheme right up their alley. The magenta and indigo color combination is not the most common color palette you see every day, but that’s also the point of this color scheme. It’s all about creating a look that makes your resume different and unique.
Cumin and Apricot
A simple yet uncommon color scheme for making a bold statement. The attractive Cumin color combined with the Apricot helps create a charming vibe for resumes. This color scheme will also work the other way around by switching the accent and background colors. It’s perfect for any creative resume color scheme.
Purple and Light Violet
If you want to create a modern resume design with an unconventional look, this color scheme will help achieve that goal. While the light violet and the purple colors work great for this example resume design, we think it would look even better if you were to use a white or a lighter background color.
Dirt Brown and Elephant Blue
The Dirt Brown is a color we rarely see these days but it was quite refreshing to see it being used in a resume design. In this example, a shade of Dirt Brown is used as a stylistic choice to give this design a unique identity while the beautiful Elephant Blue takes center stage as the accent color.
Peacock Blue
This color scheme is all about creating a professional and creative vibe for resumes. The Peacock Blue is a color often associated with business and professionalism. And it brings a certain commanding look to this example resume design as well. The classic look of this color scheme will never fail to impress.
Deep Purple and Gold
If you like a high color, high design style a purple and gold resume color scheme might be perfect for you. This color combination has a regal feel and with tints and tones on the darker hue, you can play up color combinations. Just remember to use a thick typeface so the reverse text is easy to read.
Pastel Blue and Green
Pastels can be a nice color option for a resume because light backgrounds are designed for reading. This pairing with pastel blue and green is somewhat neutral but interesting. You get the opportunity to use a lot of color without an overwhelming or overly designed resume.
Bright Blue and Charcoal
Bright blue is one of those colors that always look great. It’s harmonious and goes well with almost everything and provides a bright boost for your career information. Pair it with charcoal for a resume with a color that’s classic and modern without feeling overwhelming.
Green with Mod Accents
On the other end of the spectrum is bright green with fun and funky mod color accents – here are preach and a golden yellow – to show a little extra personality with a resume color scheme. The way to make color like this work is to use it for a header or footer and keep the rest of the color scheme fairly simple for the content of your resume design.
Rust Accents
If you are planning to use color, the classic option is to pick a single accent color and stick to black for the rest of the resume design. Here, the rest bars and accents keep the design looking fresh but without overwhelming people with color. Another bonus? The color choices have enough contrast so that if they are printed – even on a black-and-white printer – everything will remain clear, clean, and readable.
Blue and Yellow
A blue and yellow resume color scheme has just the right modern feel. It’s creative and interesting without being too flashy or in-your-face. Pairing this color scheme with more creative design elements in the resume adds that extra element of pizazz. Just remember that a color scheme or style like this can get busy and crows the design, so it’s best for a cover page, resumes in creative industries, or those with not a lot of content.
Ivory and Charcoal
A beige resume color scheme is anything but boring. The colors offer a soft palette that puts focus on the content of the resume. The ivory color mimics a thing of the past – buying linen paper to print a resume. You can do that with charcoal-only printing or mimic the entire effect with a PDF.
Classic Blue and Black
A classic blue resume color palette always works. What’s nice about this option is that blue can be used as mostly an accent color, so you can show some creativity but maintain a highly readable resume. When using a classic blue, stick to a classic palette all the way around with black text or accompanying accents.
Bold Brights
If you want your resume to stand out, consider a bold bright color palette for header and footer elements. Stick to traditional black for text, though. The bold color palette is trendy; just make sure to invest in quality printing so it looks great in real life.
Sorbet Hues
The fun “sorbet hues” of this resume design are soothing and peaceful. The minty green and burst of orange provide a nice backdrop with additional tints for even more variation. What’s exceptionally nice about this color combination is that it doesn’t have a distinctly masculine or feminine feel.
Black and White
Black and white color schemes are a classic choice for resume design and one that never goes out of style. A black-and-white color scheme forces you to design with other elements such as typography or graphic divots. What’s nice about black and white is you can send off a PDF and know it will print as intended for the person on the other end.
Bright Blue Monotone
A monotone color scheme is classic and sophisticated. But this design does require professional printing with high color and a full bleed. The bright blue adds a modern touch to a color that’s been a resume staple for decades.
Almost Black and Yellow
Yellow resume accents are a big trend in color. To avoid a bumblebee or too childish feel, pair bright yellow with an almost black/deep gray. That has a more sophisticated and less harsh feel while communicating a bright, happy mood. (Just what you want a hiring manager to have when they see your resume.)
Dark Green and Gray
This dark green and gray resume color scheme with rusty red accents are stunning. The color overlay on images helps tie everything together. The highly visual style could get challenging if you have a lot to include but makes a great simple starter resume. You could also take this palette and use it without images for equally high impact.
Black and Gold
A black and gold resume color palette just seems to ooze sophistication. When using a color pair such as this, streamline other effects with a minimal style that lets your credentials show off.
Pale Purple and Gray
While this color pair does have a softer, more feminine feel, it’s elegant and easy to read. Used in the manner of the example above, the colors serve as a backdrop for a white content area. (Nothing is easier to read.)
Black and Red
You can never go wrong with classic black and red (and even a little gray) for your resume. This color scheme is designed for readability and uses color to create a distinct hierarchy with 60% black for some of the text and red design accents throughout. ¬
Navy and Mint
Navy and mint provide a modern resume color option that has a fairly neutral feel. The example above uses mint accents for a fun little color fade that’s easy to implement.
Modern Maroon
A resume color scheme does not need a lot of options to be effective. Pick one bold color, such as maroon, and pair it with black and white text. It’s modern and striking.
Sage Green and Black
You can apply the same concept with a softer hue, such as sage green. Use black accents for high contrast or consider 60% black for a more subtle feel.
Yellow and Coral
Want to make a big impression with your resume colors? Try this combo of yellows and coral for high-impact color that demands attention. The key here is printing. Don’t skimp on quality if you want this resume to stand out.
Mossy Green and Black
Mossy green and black create a nice color pair for a resume that has a classic feel but with just enough color to be rather stylish. Experiment with the green color to get just the right complement for you.
Steel Blue and Soft Gray
It’s hard to beat the combination of steel blue and soft gray for a resume. It’s classy and elegant. The colors are fairly neutral but not plain. You could also consider a third color accent, but this duo stands on its own.
Emerald Green and Yellow
If you are looking for a bold resume color option, this is it. Emerald green and yellow provide a striking color scheme that’s fun and visually interesting.
Earthy Browns
An earthy brown color scheme is a nice option if you are looking for a stylish neutral palette that isn’t gray or blue. Opt for rich browns so that the overall feel doesn’t get drab. This color scheme works great with photos, too.
Berry Ombre
While the berry tones in this color scheme might be too stylish for some, it’s a concept you can apply to other colors. The ombre/fade coloring does create a modern feel that adds emphasis to specific resume content.
Blue Gradient
Pick two blues and create a gradient that adds a super trendy look to your resume design. (Gradients are big right now and can show that you are on top of design trends.) And you don’t even really have to use blue here, but this color combo is rather stunning.
Deep Teal and Ivory
Deep teal and ivory create a modern, yet classic, color scheme for any resume style. You can replicate this design digitally or by buying ivory resume paper and only printing the color sections. What’s nice about this color combination is the element of contrast and the fresh feel of the color options, which are a nice spin on the expected blue and white.
Neutral and White
With simple neutral color accents on a white background, this resume color option highlights your experience and content without getting in the way. Use it like the featured template with images or let it stand on its own for an elegant, timeless style with just a hint of color.
Classic Grays
Sometimes a simple gray style is just what you need. What’s nice about this resume color scheme is that it uses light and dark grays to create a visual flow throughout the design. And it’s amazingly easy to read.
Bold Bright Duo
This bold and bright color duo has a feminine feel that’s striking and attention-getting. While it looks amazing, this can be a risky choice depending on the industry. Go with a design like this for more creative fields. Also, make sure to take special care with typography and contrast so the color doesn’t hurt readability.