The official Phoenix Suns colors are purple, orange and black. The primary color is purple (#1D1160), paired with orange (#E56020) and black (#000000). Gray, yellow, dark orange and light gray round out the palette used across the logo, uniforms and merchandise since the 2013 rebrand.
Phoenix Suns Color Codes: HEX, RGB, CMYK and Pantone
| Color | Swatch | HEX | RGB | CMYK | Pantone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purple | #1D1160 | 29, 17, 96 | 98, 100, 0, 43 | PMS 275 C | |
| Orange | #E56020 | 229, 96, 32 | 0, 75, 100, 5 | PMS 159 C | |
| Black | #000000 | 0, 0, 0 | 0, 0, 0, 100 | PMS Process Black C | |
| Gray | #63727A | 99, 114, 122 | 19, 7, 0, 52 | PMS 431 C | |
| Yellow | #F9AD1B | 249, 173, 27 | 0, 31, 89, 2 | PMS 137 C | |
| Dark Orange | #B95915 | 185, 89, 21 | 0, 52, 89, 27 | PMS 1675 C | |
| Light Gray | #BEC0C2 | 190, 192, 194 | 2, 1, 0, 24 | PMS Cool Gray 5 C |
A quick note on the CMYK values. Different sources publish slightly different conversions for the same HEX. The Pantone matches above come from the team’s usage guideline sheet, but if you’re printing anything real, pull a swatch book and check it under decent light. Screen-to-press purple is where things go wrong. That #1D1160 looks almost navy on a cheap monitor and prints muddier than you expect.
Every Color in the Suns Palette, Broken Down
Purple (#1D1160)
This is the anchor. It’s a deep, near-indigo purple, not the brighter grape tone the team wore through the nineties. The road uniform is built on it, the current logo sits on it, and most of the team’s digital branding treats it as the background rather than the accent.
Worth knowing: the 1992 to 2000 sunburst era used PMS 267 C (#5F259F), which is a noticeably lighter, more saturated purple. If you’re recreating a throwback, don’t use #1D1160. You’ll get the era wrong immediately.
Orange (#E56020)
The sunburst color. It reads warm and slightly burnt rather than a pure traffic-cone orange. It shows up in the rays of the logo, the lettering on the purple road jersey, and it carried an entire alternate uniform on its own starting in 2003.
Here’s the thing designers miss: #E56020 has enough red in it that stacking it directly on #1D1160 creates a real contrast problem at small sizes. The team gets around this with white outlines. So should you.
Black (#000000)
Black entered the picture in 1994 with the black sunburst alternate, which a lot of fans still consider the best jersey the franchise ever put out. These days it does structural work: numbers, outlines, the logo’s basketball, and the Statement edition uniform introduced for 2022-23.
Gray, Yellow and the Supporting Cast
Gray (#63727A) and light gray (#BEC0C2) are trim colors. They dominated the 2000 to 2013 uniform sets (the Nash-era jerseys had gray side panels) and now mostly appear in secondary graphics.
Yellow (#F9AD1B) and dark orange (#B95915) exist for one reason: the sunburst gradient. The rays fade from yellow through orange to a darker orange, and you need all three to build it correctly. Use them as gradient stops, not as flat fills.
Uniform Colors
Home (Association): white base, orange lettering with speed lines, black numbers, purple trim.
Away (Icon): purple base, white “Phoenix” wordmark, orange numbers, sunburst rays underneath the lettering.
Statement: all black, introduced for the 2022-23 season.
The 2023-24 refresh pulled the sunburst back into both the purple and white sets. It’s a direct callback to the 1992 look, cleaned up. City Editions rotate: “The Valley” set from 2020-21 ran on a purple-to-black gradient, and the El Valle edition (designed by ASU professor Miguel Godoy) leaned on colors drawn from Mexican American culture in the Valley.
How the Palette Got Here
The Suns joined the NBA in 1968 with purple and orange, and they have never abandoned either. Jerry Colangelo reportedly paid $400 for the original sunburst mark.
1968 to 1992: Western-style “PHOENIX” lettering, purple road, white home. Two uniform sets in twenty-four years. That’s restraint you don’t see anymore.
1992-93: the sunburst redesign, timed to the move into America West Arena. Brighter purple (PMS 267 C), diagonal sunburst across the chest. A black alternate followed in 1994.
2000-01: a full simplification. Orange gained ground, gray became a real trim color, and “PHX” showed up on the 2003 orange alternate.
2013-14: back to a darker purple and a cleaner sunburst-inspired set. This is when #1D1160 became the number you actually need.
2023-24: sunburst returns properly, with the current core three locked in.
Using Suns Colors in Your Own Work
For web and screen, use HEX or RGB. For print, use the Pantone or CMYK values. Don’t convert HEX to CMYK yourself and hope for the best, especially with the purple.
Copy-ready CSS:
“ :root { --suns-purple: #1D1160; --suns-orange: #E56020; --suns-black: #000000; --suns-gray: #63727A; --suns-yellow: #F9AD1B; --suns-dark-orange: #B95915; --suns-light-gray: #BEC0C2; } `
A practical layout rule: purple as background, orange as the accent, white or light gray for text. Orange text on purple fails accessibility contrast checks at body sizes. It works for large display type and nothing else.
And obviously, if you’re selling anything with these colors plus team marks on it, that’s a trademark question, not a color question.
Related Reading
- Full league reference: NBA team color codes
- Same city, different sport: Arizona Diamondbacks colors
- Building a scheme around the primary: purple color palettes
- Working with the accent: orange color palettes
- For the sunburst gradient: gradient color palettes
FAQ on The Phoenix Suns Colors
What are the Phoenix Suns colors?
The Phoenix Suns colors are purple, orange and black, supported by gray, yellow, dark orange and light gray. Purple (#1D1160) leads the palette. Orange carries the sunburst. The full set appears in the logo, jerseys and team merchandise.
What are the Phoenix Suns color codes in HEX and RGB?
The Suns HEX codes are #1D1160 purple, #E56020 orange, #000000 black, #63727A gray, #F9AD1B yellow, #B95915 dark orange, #BEC0C2 light gray. RGB values: (29, 17, 96), (229, 96, 32), (0, 0, 0) for the core three.
What is the Phoenix Suns Pantone color?
PMS 275 C matches Suns purple and PMS 159 C matches Suns orange. Black uses PMS Process Black C, gray uses PMS 431 C, yellow PMS 137 C. These come from the team’s reproduction and usage guideline sheet.
What is the primary color of the Phoenix Suns?
Purple, specifically #1D1160. It fills the current logo background, dominates the Icon edition road uniform, and anchors most digital branding. Orange functions as the accent rather than the base, despite how loud it looks on screen.
When did the Phoenix Suns adopt their current colors?
The 2013-14 rebrand locked in the darker purple used today. Purple and orange themselves date to the 1968 expansion season. The 2023-24 uniform refresh brought the sunburst back but kept the same HEX values.
What was the old Phoenix Suns purple?
The 1992 to 2000 sunburst era used PMS 267 C (#5F259F), a lighter and more saturated purple. Anyone recreating a throwback jersey or retro colorway needs that value, not #1D1160. The two shades read completely differently.
Do the Phoenix Suns use black as an official color?
Yes. Black arrived in 1994 with the black sunburst alternate and now handles numbers, outlines and the basketball inside the logo. The all-black Statement edition uniform debuted in the 2022-23 season.
Are Phoenix Suns colors the same as the Los Angeles Lakers?
No. The Lakers pair purple with gold, and their purple sits closer to a royal tone. Suns purple is darker and cooler, and their second color is orange. Rivals, similar first impression, different palettes entirely.
What colors are the Suns jerseys?
Home Association uniforms are white with orange lettering and black numbers. The Icon road jersey is purple with white type and orange numbers. The Statement set is black. City Editions rotate, including The Valley and El Valle.
Can I use the Phoenix Suns color palette in my own designs?
The color values are free to reference for fan art, personal projects and mockups. Team logos, wordmarks and the sunburst are trademarked, though. Selling merchandise with those marks needs permission from the franchise, regardless of your color choices.
Conclusion
The Phoenix Suns colors come down to three values worth saving: #1D1160, #E56020 and #000000. Everything else supports them.
Grab the Pantone codes before you send anything to print. Grab the CSS variables for screen work.
The sunburst has been part of this franchise since 1968, and the current Footprint Center era palette still runs on it. That consistency is rare in the NBA. Use it.
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.
- What Is an Extended Font and When to Use It in Design? - 9 August 2026
- The Linear Logo History, Colors, Font, And Meaning - 8 August 2026
- The Best Gamma Alternative for Business Presentations in 2026 - 7 August 2026
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.
You Might Also Like
