Share this: Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Pinterest

Discover a neon color palette for every occasion, from bold party invitations to dramatic website designs. Get these hex color codes for the best neon hues.

Our 2019 Creative Trends Report identified a surge in bright hue designs, from the glowing neon lights of Yesterday’s Tomorrow to the dynamic rainbow spectrum in our Prism trend. In addition, we also found the most popular colors of the year: UFO Green, Plastic Pink, and Proton Purple. These intense hues hint at our tech-crazy society and love of all things energetic. Pastel and muted tones take the back seat this year as neon palettes own the color spotlight.

We drew inspiration for each of these neon color combinations from Shutterstock images, and each comes with universal hex codes that you can apply to anything from eye-catching web designs to vibrant party invitations. You can apply the entire palette to a design for an electrifying refresh, or tone down the vibrancy by applying a single hue as an accent.

Love one these color combos? Be sure to pin it on your design mood board for inspiration later. Scroll to the bottom to get your free neon swatch download so you can easily access all of these color palettes in any design application. If you’re using an image editing program, such as Shutterstock Editor, you can type out the six-digit hex codes on each palette.

1. Geometric Glow

Inspired by the Prism Trend, one of our 2019 Creative Trends, this geometric graphic is a dazzling take on popular rainbow-esque hues. Use this complete palette to instantly grab the viewer’s attention, or select a single neon hue to add a touch of contrast in your designs.

Image via Mia Stendal.

2. Neon Lights

Image via View Apart.

3. Psychedelic Pattern

Repetitive and swirled patterns create an experience that is both surreal and abstract. Our 2019 Hypnotic trend is sure to put your designs in a trance.

Image via Vlad_Nikon.

4. Vivid Ferns

Image via Indigo Photo Club.

5. Abstract Wall

This customizable template is available right here on Shutterstock Editor. Advertise a special event and make it unique by changing out the background and text.

Image via Suchota. Design inspired by this Shutterstock Editor template.

6. Colorful Cottage

Image via Sunwand24.

7. Cosmic Burst

As tech continues to reinvent the world, references to the digital realm dominate the creative space. These ever-changing advancements, from virtual reality to biometric scanning, are part of our Everyday Futurism trend.

Image via tomertu.

8. Pops of Pink

Image via Katya Havok.

9. Agave Glitch

Duotones, glitches, and synthwaves take us back to the dawn of digital age. Our Yesterday’s Tomorrow trend is a retro futuristic take on what we know as early tech.

Image via Kira_Yan.

10. Fluorescent Fish

Image via Ievgenii Meyer.

11. Glowing Coral

Pantone selected Living Coral as its 2019 Color of the Year. We see its warm tones and vibrant personality in nature’s precious coral habitats. Use Living Coral as a vivid accent or pair with bright hues to really electrify your designs.

Image via Vojce.

12. Luxurious Lights

Image via Subbotina Anna.

13. Luminous Lines

Flashy neon lights are back from the ’80s with our Yesterday’s Tomorrow trend. These fluorescent hues can electrify any simple vector graphic or work as a vibrant accent.

Image via prairieternal.

14. Sharp Stationery

Image via 5 second Studio.

15. Smooth Prism

Punchy, supersaturated hues never go out of style; our take on the Prism trend showcases the rise of vibrant rainbows. Give your vector designs and patterns a dazzling update by pairing multicolor hues with one of our 2019 Color Trends, Plastic Pink.

Image via Papuchalka – kaelaimages.

16. Venetian Windows

Image via Olga Gavrilova.

17. Retro Refraction

Retro neon lights add an interesting effect to clear objects and simple designs. This major creative trend, deemed Yesterday’s Tomorrow, brings forth a classic ’80s mainstay.

Image via Helen J Davies.

18. Acrylic Strokes

Image via Thirteen.

19. Bright Bokeh

2019 marks a revival of dynamic hues. Taken from Shutterstock’s Color Trends, UFO Green combines the natural and the supernatural into one lively hue. Apply this eye-catching color to any design, from nature-themed to graffiti-inspired, to energize your composition.

Image via LaQuartz Studio.

20. Flashy Fog

Image via ADELART.

21. Cyber Driver

Virtual reality has affected many aspects of society, from gaming to marketing to design. This major trend, coined Everyday Futurism, embraces new technological advancements. Amp up your designs with pops of concentrated color to entice your viewers.

Image via VTT Studio.

22. Radiant Zoas

Image via Tyler Fox.

23. Graphic Gradient

Bright neon hues hues attract viewers to your spring event in this template available for Shutterstock Editor.

Image via MissNorbik. Design via this Shutterstock Editor template.

24. Beach Vibes

Image via Alexander Demyanenko.

25. Purple Portrait

The last of our color trends, Proton Purple, symbolizes the combination of luxury and technology. Use this polarizing hue in your next design as a fluid gradient, or cast models in multicolored lights to captivate the invigorating energy of purple.

Image via Irina Bg.

Download Swatch Files

Download these twenty-five free neon color palettes by clicking the button below. All of these swatches are available in the RGB color profile, so they’re ideal for any digital design.

Download free neon color palettes.

Swatch files allow you to quickly apply color to any design element in your document — you can open these swatch files in any Adobe design program. In other design applications, such as Shutterstock Editor, you can simply type out the unique six-digit hex codes labeled for each color swatch above.

How to Use Your Free Swatches in Adobe

In Adobe Illustrator, click the hamburger dropdown in the Swatches panel and select Open Swatch Library > Other Library, then import one of the swatch files. The color palettes will appear in a new window, ready for your design.

In both Adobe InDesign and Photoshop, open the Swatches panel and click on the hamburger dropdown menu. Select Load Swatches and import an individual swatch file to see it pop up within the panel.

You can apply these unique color palettes to any vector shape, text object, gradient, or background layer.

How to Use Your Free Swatches in Shutterstock Editor

With a shape or text object selected, head over to the Fill Color or Stroke Color menus. Then, click on the circle shape to bring up the Presets and Custom tabs. Select the Custom tab and enter the six-digit hex code in the Web Color box.

Editor‘s new gradient feature allows you to easily apply these color palettes to a linear gradient. Simply select Gradient from the Fill Color dropdown, click the gradient stop, then enter the hex codes in the Web Color panel.

Cover image via Sebestyen Balint.

Interested in learning how to use color to your best advantage? Check out these essential articles: