When choosing a resume design, most job seekers focus on layout and wording, but color can also make an impact. The right color can subtly express your personality and attention to detail. And the wrong one can be distracting or make your resume harder to read.
Color can help recruiters remember your application, but it needs to be used with purpose. Bright colors may feel bold but can overwhelm a professional resume. Soft or muted tones are often more effective in creating a visual hierarchy and directing the reader’s eye.
Most importantly, your resume still needs to be easy to scan and compatible with applicant tracking systems (ATS). A well-chosen color palette enhances the message. It shouldn’t compete with it.
The Best Resume Colors To Use
Blue: calm and professional
Blue is one of the safest and most widely accepted resume colors. It communicates trust, stability, and clarity. Navy and slate blues offer a touch of sophistication without being flashy.
Use blue for your name, section headers, or a line break. Lighter blues can be used for subtle icons or skill rating bars.
Black and white: clean and traditional
A classic black-and-white resume is still a favorite in traditional industries like law, finance, and education. It’s easy to read, prints cleanly, and ensures your information stays the focal point.
For a touch of style, you can vary font weights or add thin divider lines. The absence of color can actually feel deliberate and confident when paired with great content.
Gray: neutral and modern
Gray is elegant and minimal. It pairs well with serif and sans-serif fonts. It works especially well as an accent for contact details, section headings, or borders.
Charcoal or soft gray tones feel polished without being cold. Avoid using gray for body text, as it may be hard to read on some screens.
Navy: strong but understated
Navy is deeper than traditional blue and feels more refined. It can signal leadership, professionalism, and structure. It’s an excellent accent color when applying to mid-level or senior roles in corporate settings.
To see how different layouts support subtle colors like navy, browse these professional resume templates that combine design with function.
Resume Colors To Avoid
While creative industries allow for more design freedom, certain colors can send the wrong message or hurt readability.
- Red: Often seen as aggressive or intense. If used, it should be very limited.
- Bright yellow: Hard to read and can strain the eyes.
- Green: While associated with growth, it can feel too casual in traditional industries.
- Purple or pink: May work in creative roles but not always suitable for professional resumes.
- Neon or high-saturation tones: Distract from your content and can appear unprofessional.
Instead, focus on contrast and consistency. A small pop of color goes further than a fully colored background or neon header.
Should You Use Color on Your Resume?
The answer depends on your industry, role, and audience. For example:
- If you’re applying to a graphic design or marketing position, tasteful color use can demonstrate design awareness.
- When entering law, finance, or medicine, stick to neutral tones or none.
- For general corporate roles, a dash of navy, blue, or gray adds polish without looking flashy.
The resume’s content is always more important than the colors. A well-formatted resume will perform better with black text than a rainbow-colored document with typos.
Matching Resume Colors to Industries
Creative fields
Graphic design, marketing, user experience (UX)/user interface (UI), and art roles allow for more expressive formatting. You can use bold accent colors like teal, mustard, or coral — but always prioritize legibility.
Business and corporate roles
Stick to neutral or cool colors like navy, charcoal, or slate blue. These show professionalism while adding a modern edge.
Technology roles
Blue, gray, and even green tones work well in tech, as long as the layout stays clean. Avoid anything too flashy that might look unpolished.
Education and nonprofit
Subtle warm tones like burgundy or muted green can work when used sparingly. Keep most of the resume in black and white.
For students or entry-level applicants, this resume guide for college students can help strike the right tone for your industry.
How To Add Color Without Overdoing It
You don’t need to overhaul your resume to add color. In fact, less is often more.
Where to add color:
- Your name or heading
- Section titles (e.g., Work Experience, Skills)
- Divider lines or icons
- Links or contact information
- Background of skill rating bars
Tips for keeping it clean:
- Use only one accent color throughout
- Avoid color gradients or images
- Keep body text black
- Ensure there’s enough contrast with the background
- Print a test copy to make sure it’s legible
A helpful way to preview how color appears across templates is to use a customizable resume tool like this resume builder, which allows for layout and palette adjustments.
What color says about you: resume color psychology
Color influences perception. When someone looks at your resume, their first impression may be shaped by more than just your content.
Here’s what common resume colors may signal:
- Blue: Stability, trust, logic
- Gray: Balance, neutrality, maturity
- Black: Authority, professionalism, formality
- Green: Growth, innovation, calmness
- Burgundy: Confidence, focus, richness
These color associations aren’t universal, but they’re often linked to broader emotional responses. Understanding these connections can help you align your design choices with how you want to be perceived.
Should your resume color match your personal brand?
If you’re in a creative or client-facing role, you may have a personal brand, especially if you have a portfolio or online presence. Matching the color of your resume to your website or LinkedIn header can add consistency and polish.
For example, if your website uses navy and gold, consider incorporating navy into your resume headers or skill sections. It ties your brand together visually and can make you more memorable.
However, always test how it looks when printed or converted to PDF. The color may shift slightly across formats.
Color vs. content: which matters more?
Design can make a strong first impression, but content is what lands interviews. Even the most beautiful layout can fall flat if the resume lacks depth, clarity, or relevance to the job posting.
Before you focus on color, make sure you:
- Use strong, specific language
- Highlight measurable achievements
- Organize content with logical flow
- Align your experience with the job description
Color should enhance what’s already strong and not cover up weaknesses. Need help with content first? Use this guide to write a strong resume summary and then revisit design.
Example: Same Resume, Two Color Styles
- Version A: Black and white, bold headers, clean serif font
Jordan Ellis – Marketing Specialist
- Version B: Navy name and section titles, light gray dividers, sans-serif font
Jordan Ellis – Marketing Specialist
Both versions present the same content, but Version B feels more modern and tailored to a creative role. Version A, on the other hand, may be better for a corporate audience. This example shows that color choice should reflect both your personality and your target industry.
Using color on your resume can elevate your presentation if done right. Rather than being flashy, it uses design to guide the reader’s attention and convey professionalism.
Choose colors that reflect the tone of your industry, enhance readability, and support your content — not distract from it. Whether you go bold or keep it simple, a well-organized layout and strong wording will always be the foundation of a great resume.
If you’re not sure how your resume looks across devices or formats, test it out with customizable templates that support color and ATS compatibility.
Frequently Asked Questions
Color is optional. Use it to enhance, not overwhelm. Black and white resumes are always safe. If you use color, limit it to headings or dividers.
Navy is one of the most universally professional colors. It's trustworthy, neutral, and readable. Blue and gray are also safe choices in most industries.
Stick to one main accent color. Using two or more can feel cluttered unless you're applying for a design-heavy role. Keep it minimal and consistent throughout.
No, color itself doesn't impact how ATS reads your resume. What matters more is your file format, font type, and layout. Stick to common fonts, avoid images or text boxes, and save in PDF or Word for the best results.
Yes, in moderation. A small pop of color like a blue name or gray divider line can help a student or entry-level resume stand out without looking unprofessional.
Unfortunately, yes. Design choices can unintentionally shape opinions. To reduce bias, focus on a clear, accessible format. Avoid color combinations that are hard to read or that may clash with screen readers.
More Resume Resources
Here are some helpful pages to continue building your resume:
Resume Templates offers HR approved resume templates to help you create a professional resume in minutes. Choose from several template options and even pre-populate a resume from your profile.