Denver Nuggets colors - Hex, RGB, CMYK, and Pantone

Q: What are the Denver Nuggets colors?

The official Denver Nuggets team colors are Midnight Blue, Sunshine Yellow, Flatirons Red, and Skyline Blue, accompanied by white. Midnight Blue (#0E2240) acts as the dominant primary base shade, with all four official colors forming their visual identity since the organization's widespread rebrand in 2018.

Q: What are the Denver Nuggets color codes in HEX and RGB?

The digital color formulas for the franchise are Midnight Blue HEX #0E2240 / RGB (13, 34, 64); Sunshine Yellow HEX #FEC524 / RGB (255, 198, 39); Flatirons Red HEX #8B2131 / RGB (139, 35, 50); and Skyline Blue HEX #1D428A / RGB (29, 66, 138).

Q: What is the Denver Nuggets Pantone color?

The official Pantone matching system codes for physical manufacturing and print layouts are PMS 289 C for Midnight Blue, PMS 123 C for Sunshine Yellow, PMS 202 C for Flatirons Red, and PMS 7687 C for Skyline Blue.

Q: What is the primary color of the Denver Nuggets?

Midnight Blue (#0E2240) is the primary color of the Denver Nuggets. It establishes the solid circular background layer behind the crossed pickaxes on the global emblem, serves as the primary fabric base for their Icon Edition uniform kit, and outlines the main court markings at Ball Arena.

Q: When did the Nuggets adopt their current colors?

The Nuggets unveiled their current palette in June 2018 as part of their comprehensive 'Evolve' branding transformation ahead of the 2018-19 NBA season. This transition completely retired the signature powder blue look that had defined the team's visual style since 2003.

Q: What were the old Denver Nuggets colors?

The Nuggets possess a diverse color history, highlighted by the powder blue, metallic yellow, and deep navy era from 2003 to 2017. Prior to that, from 1993 to 2003, the franchise utilized a navy, copper-gold, and dark maroon scheme. This was preceded by the iconic multi-colored rainbow skyline era, which ran from 1981-82 through 1992-93.

Q: Are the Nuggets colors the same as the Utah Jazz?

No. While both Northwest Division teams share a deep navy base hue, their auxiliary styling choices diverge sharply. The Utah Jazz blend their navy with athletic gold and dark green tones, while the Nuggets incorporate Flatirons Red—a specialized deep wine/maroon tone—to build a completely distinct regional aesthetic.

Q: What does Flatirons Red mean?

Flatirons Red is an explicit tribute to the iconic red sandstone Flatirons rock formations framing the foothills of Boulder, Colorado. Because the state's name is derived from the Spanish phrase meaning 'colored red,' this specific maroon shade visually embeds the state's rugged geography into the team identity.

Q: Why isn't Skyline Blue on the primary logo?

The design strategy purposefully left Skyline Blue out of the central pickaxe crest lockup to maximize color contrast. Skyline Blue—which honors the blue field on the Colorado state flag—is instead utilized exclusively as the primary base for the Statement Edition jersey and select stylized alternate marks.

Q: Which Nuggets jersey uses which colors?

The Association Edition uniform features a clean white base paired with bold Flatirons Red jersey lettering and Sunshine Yellow outlines. The Icon Edition uniform features a deep Midnight Blue base carrying an arched Sunshine Yellow 'Denver' wordmark. The Statement Edition uniform stands out in a rich Skyline Blue fabric base emblazoned with the 'Mile High City' crest across the chest.

The official Denver Nuggets colors are Midnight Blue, Sunshine Yellow, Flatirons Red and Skyline Blue. The primary color is Midnight Blue (#0E2240), paired with Sunshine Yellow (#FEC524), Flatirons Red (#8B2131) and Skyline Blue (#1D428A). These four appear across the logo, uniforms and merchandise, adopted in the 2018 rebrand.

Denver Nuggets Color Codes

Color	HEX	RGB	CMYK	Pantone
Midnight Blue	#0E2240	14, 34, 64	100, 76, 12, 70	PMS 289 C
Sunshine Yellow	#FEC524	254, 197, 36	0, 24, 91, 0	PMS 123 C
Flatirons Red	#8B2131	139, 33, 49	29, 96, 76, 29	PMS 202 C
Skyline Blue	#1D428A	29, 66, 138	100, 86, 15, 3	PMS 7687 C
White	#FFFFFF	255, 255, 255	0, 0, 0, 0	N/A

A note on the numbers: the HEX and Pantone references match what the team and league publish. The CMYK builds float around slightly depending on the source you check, and different press profiles will shift them anyway. Treat them as a starting point, not gospel. If you are printing something that matters, ask for the Pantone.

Each Color, Piece by Piece

Midnight Blue in the Nuggets palette

Midnight Blue (#0E2240) carries the whole thing. It fills the roundel behind the crossed pickaxes, it is the base of the Icon Edition jersey, and it anchors the court design at Ball Arena.

The name comes from Denver’s clear midnight sky. The shade itself is a deep navy blue, dark enough to read almost black on a phone screen at low brightness. It arrived in 2018 and replaced the lighter, friendlier blues the team had used since 2003. Big shift in tone. Went from “college team” to “this is a serious franchise” almost overnight.

Sunshine Yellow in the Nuggets palette

Sunshine Yellow (#FEC524) is the secondary, and it does the heavy lifting on contrast. You see it in the pickaxe blades, in the “Denver” wordmark on the blue jersey, and in the trim on nearly everything else.

The name references two things at once: the gold nuggets the franchise is named for, and Colorado’s 300-ish sunny days a year. Worth noting it reads warmer than a pure yellow and closer to a soft gold when printed, especially on matte stock.

Flatirons Red in the Nuggets palette

Flatirons Red (#8B2131) is the accent, and it is the one most people get wrong. It is not a bright red. It is a deep, dusty maroon, pulled from the red sandstone of the Flatirons above Boulder.

It shows up as the “Nuggets” wordmark across the white Association jersey and as trim on the primary logo. The team’s marketing chief at the time described it as a nod to Colorado’s landscape (Colorado literally means “colored red” in Spanish), which is one of those brand stories that actually holds up.

Skyline Blue in the Nuggets palette

Skyline Blue (#1D428A) is the odd one out. It is a bright royal blue lifted from the Colorado state flag, and it does not appear on the primary logo at all.

Its home is the Statement Edition uniform and a couple of alternate marks. So if you are building a Nuggets palette and wondering why the fourth color never seems to fit, that is why. It was never meant to sit next to the other three in the same lockup.

Nuggets Jersey Colors

Association (home): white base, “Nuggets” in Flatirons Red across the chest, Sunshine Yellow trim, Midnight Blue numbers with yellow outlines.

Icon (away): Midnight Blue base with “Denver” in Sunshine Yellow.

Statement: the Skyline Blue set, and the first uniform in Denver pro sports to put “Mile High City” on the front.

City Edition changes yearly. The rainbow skyline versions keep coming back because fans keep buying them out.

The Color History

The franchise started in 1967 as the Denver Rockets, running black, orange and white. The Nuggets name came in 1974, and blue, yellow and red have been in the mix in some form ever since.

Then 1981 happened. Carl Scheer ran a fan logo contest, over 500 entries came in, and Kerry Bowers won with the rainbow city skyline. Seven colors. Nobody would ship that today. The Nuggets wore it from 1981-82 through 1992-93 and made the playoffs nine straight years in it, which is probably why it still sells.

In 1993 the team dumped the rainbow for navy, metallic gold and maroon. That look ran a full decade, through 2002-03.

The 2003-04 season, timed with Carmelo Anthony’s arrival, brought in powder blue and yellow. Kiki Vandeweghe pushed for it, reportedly to echo his UCLA days. It stuck around for fifteen years.

June 2018: the “Evolve” rebrand. Six new logos, three uniforms, four colors. Powder blue was cut from everything. The current pickaxe mark and the Midnight Blue / Sunshine Yellow / Flatirons Red / Skyline Blue scheme have been in place since the 2018-19 season, and the team won its first title wearing them in 2023.

Using the Palette in Your Own Work

Screen work: HEX or RGB. Print: use the Pantone references above and let your printer handle the conversion.

Copy-ready CSS:

“ :root { --nuggets-midnight-blue: #0E2240; --nuggets-sunshine-yellow: #FEC524; --nuggets-flatirons-red: #8B2131; --nuggets-skyline-blue: #1D428A; --nuggets-white: #FFFFFF; } `

A practical warning

Do not put Flatirons Red directly on Midnight Blue. The contrast ratio is terrible and small text becomes unreadable. The Nuggets brand team knows this, which is why yellow almost always sits between them as a separator. Follow the same rule and your layouts will hold up.

Also: Sunshine Yellow on white fails accessibility checks for body text. Fine for a heading or a fill shape. Not fine for a paragraph.

FAQ on The Denver Nuggets Colors

What are the Denver Nuggets colors?

The Denver Nuggets team colors are Midnight Blue, Sunshine Yellow, Flatirons Red and Skyline Blue, plus white. Midnight Blue (#0E2240) leads the palette. All four have been official since the franchise’s 2018 rebrand.

What are the Denver Nuggets color codes in HEX and RGB?

Midnight Blue is #0E2240, rgb(14, 34, 64). Sunshine Yellow is #FEC524, rgb(254, 197, 36). Flatirons Red is #8B2131, rgb(139, 33, 49). Skyline Blue is #1D428A, rgb(29, 66, 138).

What is the Denver Nuggets Pantone color?

The published Pantone references are PMS 289 C for Midnight Blue, PMS 123 C for Sunshine Yellow, PMS 202 C for Flatirons Red and PMS 7687 C for Skyline Blue. Use these for print, not the CMYK builds.

What is the primary color of the Denver Nuggets?

Midnight blue is the primary. It fills the roundel behind the crossed pickaxes, forms the base of the Icon Edition jersey, and dominates the court design at Ball Arena. The other three support it.

When did the Nuggets adopt their current colors?

June 2018. The “Evolve” rebrand launched six logos, three uniforms and the current four-color scheme for the 2018-19 season. Powder blue, used since 2003, was removed from every logo and jersey.

What were the old Denver Nuggets colors?

From 2003 to 2017 the Nuggets wore powder blue, yellow and navy. Before that, 1993 to 2003, it was navy, metallic gold and maroon. The rainbow skyline era ran 1981-82 through 1992-93.

Are the Nuggets colors the same as the Utah Jazz?

No. Both use navy, but the Jazz pair it with yellow and green. Denver swaps green for Flatirons Red, a maroon pulled from Boulder’s sandstone, which keeps the two palettes distinct despite the shared base.

What does Flatirons Red mean?

It references the red sandstone of the Flatirons rock formations outside Boulder. Colorado’s name comes from the Spanish for “colored red,” so the shade doubles as a nod to the state itself.

Why isn’t Skyline Blue on the primary logo?

Skyline Blue appears only on the Statement Edition uniform and two alternate marks. It comes from the Colorado state flag, and the brand team kept it out of the main lockup deliberately.

Which Nuggets jersey uses which colors?

Association is white with red lettering and yellow trim. Icon is midnight blue with a yellow “Denver” wordmark. Statement uses skyline blue and carries “Mile High City” on the chest.

Conclusion

The Denver Nuggets colors are simple once you have the hex codes: a deep midnight base, a warm yellow, a sandstone red, and a royal blue that only shows up on the Statement Edition.

Grab the values from the table, drop them into your CSS variables, and check your contrast before you ship.

The 2018 palette has held for years now, through a championship. It is not changing soon.

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Bogdan Sandu

Bogdan Sandu is a seasoned designer who has been designing websites since 2008.

Renowned for his expertise in logo design and visual branding, Bogdan has developed a multitude of logos for various clients.

His skills extend to creating posters, vector illustrations, business cards, and brochures. Additionally, Bogdan's UI kits were featured on marketplaces like Visual Hierarchy and UI8.

He also wrote in the past years on sites like Design Your Way, WebDesignerDepot, WPDean, Designmodo, Speckyboy, Slider Revolution, and more.

Denver Nuggets colors – Hex, RGB, CMYK, and Pantone

Denver Nuggets Color Codes