11 Best Colors for Presentations [A Guide]

While we were designing a deck for our client Scott, he asked us something that made all of us pause for a second:

“What are the best colors for presentations that actually work in a boardroom?”

Our Creative Director replied without missing a beat:

“Any color that doesn’t fight for attention, but directs it.”

That one sentence pretty much nails it.

As a presentation design agency, we work on many presentation color palettes throughout the year. And in the process, we’ve seen one common challenge: most people choose colors based on what they like, not what works.

So, in this blog, we’ll talk about how to choose presentation colors that make your slides easy to follow, pleasant to look at, and hard to forget.

In case you didn't know, we specialize in only one thing: making presentations. We can help you by designing your slides and writing your content too.

Why Choosing the Right Color for Presentations Isn’t Just About Aesthetics

Let’s get something straight — color isn’t decoration. It’s direction. It tells your audience where to look, how to feel, and what to remember. And when you're standing in front of a room full of people trying to get buy-in, close a deal, or shift a mindset, you don’t want your slides working against you.

We’ve seen it way too many times. A beautifully crafted narrative ruined by a neon green title. A critical data point buried in soft pastel blue. A background so dark, half the text might as well be invisible.

Bad color choices quietly sabotage good ideas.

The best colors for presentations aren’t just “pretty.” They’re functional. They support your message. They give hierarchy to your content. They help you emphasize what matters without yelling for attention.

Think about this. Most people retain only about 10% of what they hear after 48 hours. But when visuals are paired with that information, retention jumps to 65%. Color plays a massive role in that visual impact.

We’re not trying to turn you into a color theorist. But if you want your slides to actually work, you can’t afford to treat color as an afterthought. It’s the difference between making people lean in — or tune out.

Choosing the right presentation colors is about helping your audience see what you’re saying. And more importantly, feel it.

The 11 Best Colors for Presentations (That Actually Work)

We’ll be honest — there’s no universal magic formula. The best colors for presentations depend on your message, your audience, your brand, and your medium. But after working on hundreds of decks, across industries from healthcare to fintech, here’s what we’ve found: some colors consistently perform better than others.

Below are 11 colors we often reach for when designing high-stakes decks — and why.

1. Navy Blue: The Boardroom Favorite

If there were an MVP of presentation colors, it’d be navy. It’s the suit-and-tie of colors — professional, trustworthy, and quietly confident. Navy works especially well for corporate decks, investor presentations, and anything where credibility matters.

We often pair navy backgrounds with white or light gray text. It creates a clean contrast without feeling harsh. It also photographs well if someone takes a snap of your slide during a talk. Which they will.

Use when: You want to look reliable, serious, and polished.

2. Charcoal Gray: Understated Power

Charcoal is what we reach for when black feels too aggressive. It’s grounded, modern, and doesn’t steal the show from your content. A charcoal background with white or soft yellow text is a combo that never fails.

It’s also a great choice when you want to highlight brighter colors without creating a circus. We often use charcoal as the main slide color, and reserve accents like cyan or orange for callouts or key metrics.

Use when: You want a contemporary, grounded feel with room to play up other colors.

3. White: Clean, Minimal, and Effective

A white background is like a blank canvas. Done right, it’s clean, fresh, and distraction-free. Done wrong, it’s harsh and clinical.

The trick? Don’t leave it empty. Use a soft grid, subtle graphic elements, or light textures to give it life. Also, make sure your text and visuals have enough contrast — medium to dark grays or navy text usually work better than pure black, which can look too sharp on screens.

We often use white backgrounds when a client wants their content to breathe, or when the deck is data-heavy and needs space to process.

Use when: You want clarity and openness, especially for internal reports, product overviews, or data presentations.

4. Teal: The Modern Middle Ground

Teal sits somewhere between green and blue, which makes it calm and refreshing without being too cool. It’s a favorite in healthcare and education decks, and increasingly common in SaaS and startup branding.

It gives you sophistication without being stiff. It also plays well with white, dark gray, and muted yellows.

But be careful with saturation. Too much, and your slide starts to feel like a tropical smoothie ad. Stick to medium tones for a grown-up feel.

Use when: You want to be modern, friendly, and quietly bold.

5. Forest Green: Serious but Soothing

Green is the color of growth, stability, and balance. But not all greens are created equal. Lime green? Please don’t. Forest green? That’s where the magic is.

We’ve used this in ESG presentations, sustainability decks, and even financial reports — and it always lands well. It signals trust, maturity, and connection to nature or long-term thinking.

Pair it with soft beige, ivory, or clean white. Avoid pairing it with red unless you want to signal Christmas.

Use when: You’re presenting anything related to growth, responsibility, or nature.

6. Burnt Orange: Confident, Not Loud

Orange can be risky. Too bright, and it screams. Too dull, and it fades. But burnt orange hits the sweet spot — energetic, warm, and confident without being overbearing.

This is one of our go-tos for startups trying to break into competitive markets. It stands out in the sea of blue everyone else is using, without making the deck look like a kids' cartoon.

Burnt orange works beautifully as an accent color. Use it for icons, highlights, and data points you want people to remember.

Use when: You want to inject energy into your message without going full volume.

7. Soft Yellow: Highlight Without the Highlighter

We’re not talking about traffic-sign yellow. Think muted sunflower, sand, or wheat tones. Soft yellows are excellent for drawing attention in a calm, controlled way.

We use it sparingly — often as a highlight color to support navy or charcoal. It feels optimistic without being distracting.

Be mindful of your background. Yellow over white is a readability nightmare. But yellow over dark gray or navy? Instant clarity.

Use when: You want to highlight with warmth and optimism.

8. Sky Blue: Calm and Approachable

Sky blue is like a visual sigh of relief. It’s light, clean, and universally liked. It doesn’t overpower, which makes it ideal for large presentation screens where darker tones might feel too heavy.

This is a popular choice for employee onboarding decks, wellness programs, or customer education content. It sends a message of clarity and openness.

We often pair it with white and dark navy to keep things balanced. And because it’s light, make sure your text is always darker to maintain readability.

Use when: You want your presentation to feel fresh, calming, and accessible.

9. Warm Beige: Neutral That Doesn’t Feel Cold

Beige gets a bad rap — mostly because people think of it as bland. But the right warm beige can be elegant and inviting. Especially when you don’t want to use pure white or black.

We use it as a background color when we want to reduce screen fatigue in long presentations. It’s easy on the eyes and works well with deep blues, terracotta, or olive green accents.

Pro tip: Don’t go too yellow or too pink. Look for beige tones that mimic soft parchment or sand.

Use when: You want to look understated, sophisticated, and human.

10. Black: Maximum Drama, Minimum Distraction

Black is bold. It makes every other color pop. But it’s also unforgiving. Every pixel of bad spacing or low-quality images becomes instantly noticeable.

We use black backgrounds when we want to create a cinematic effect. It works great for TED-style presentations, product launches, or design showcases.

Keep your text white, ivory, or soft gray. Accent with one bright color — not more. Red, cyan, or gold usually work best. Just don’t overdo it. Black is the tuxedo of presentation colors. Let it speak for itself.

Use when: You want to go bold, dramatic, and ultra-focused.

11. Soft Purple: Creative but Composed

Purple is a tricky one. Too much saturation, and it starts to look like a candy wrapper. But in its muted, softer tones — lavender, mauve, dusty plum — it becomes a sophisticated choice for creative fields, innovation decks, or branding presentations.

It says “we think differently” without trying too hard.

We’ve used soft purples for clients in beauty, tech, and even healthcare. It’s especially useful when paired with cream, slate gray, or light gold.

Use when: You want to project creativity, originality, and depth.

How We Use These Presentation Colors in Practice

Now here’s the part most people miss: it’s not just the color you choose — it’s how you use it. When we design decks, we don’t throw all 11 colors into one slide. We start with a primary base (usually a dark or light neutral), then build a palette with 2–3 accent colors that serve a purpose.

Every color must have a job:

• One for body text and headlines

• One for accents like icons or key figures

• One for backgrounds or containers

  
  

And we test it. On screens, projectors, and even printed handouts if needed. Because what looks great on your laptop might fall apart in a big room with dim lighting.

---

Why Hire Us to Build your Presentation?

If you're reading this, you're probably working on a presentation right now. You could do it all yourself. But the reality is - that’s not going to give you the high-impact presentation you need. It’s a lot of guesswork, a lot of trial and error. And at the end of the day, you’ll be left with a presentation that’s “good enough,” not one that gets results. On the other hand, we’ve spent years crafting thousands of presentations, mastering both storytelling and design. Let us handle this for you, so you can focus on what you do best.

---

Explore Case Studies    | Get to Know Us    | Start Your Project