Crayola crayons are a staple of American childhood. Since first introducing crayons in 1903, Crayola has become the best-known name in crayons and other art supplies. Over the decades, Crayola has introduced numerous specialty crayon sets and colors, dramatically expanding their offerings beyond the original box of 8 basic crayons. Determining exactly how many distinct Crayola crayon colors have existed over the company’s 120+ year history requires looking across all of their various crayon assortments and specialty lines.
Original Crayola Crayons
Crayola (originally the Binney & Smith Company) produced their first crayons in 1903. This original box contained just 8 colors: black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, violet and yellow. For nearly three decades, Binney & Smith produced only these 8 Crayola crayon colors. Their boxes prominently featured the color names printed in order on the box.
This original 8 color Crayola crayon set remained unchanged until the 1930s. In 1926, Binney & Smith introduced sticks of coloring wax wrapped in paper, similar to modern crayons, though the Crayola brand name would not be used for another decade. Prior to this, their crayon products were simply wax sticks without any paper wrapping.
So as of 1930, after nearly 30 years of production, there were still only 8 distinct Crayola crayon colors. However, major expansions to the Crayola color palette were on the horizon.
16 Crayola Crayons
In 1934, Binney & Smith introduced their No. 52 box, featuring 16 different colors. This expanded set took the original 8 colors and added 8 new crayons: green yellow, lemon yellow, blue violet, red orange, red violet, violet red, yellow orange and yellow green.
With the No. 52 box, Crayola established the basic color palette that would remain standard for decades. The original colors made the transition, along with these 8 newly introduced colors. The No. 52 box remained the flagship Crayola product from 1934 until 1958, when another major shift took place.
So in 1934, the number of distinct Crayola crayon colors doubled to 16.
The 64 Box
In 1958, Binney & Smith introduced the No. 64 box, their largest box of crayons ever. This new flagship box contained a staggering 64 different colors, though the original 16 colors remained as part of the set. The additional 48 new crayons greatly expanded the color selection.
This expansion took the total number of Crayola crayon colors from 16 to 64 in 1958. The 64 box remained the flagship set well into the 1990s, though specialty boxes and other products occasionally added new colors.
The most notable additions during the 64 box era took place in 1962. To celebrate their 100th anniversary, Crayola released a Centennial 64 box with 4 brilliant metallic crayons: gold, silver, copper and bronze. Additionally in 1962, Crayola released a 48 color box for the educational market, which contained 2 colors not found in the 64 box. So by 1962, the number of Crayola colors had expanded to 70.
Fluorescent Crayons
Crayola introduced fluorescent crayons in the 1970s, adding 8 intense neon colors. Originally sold as a specialty box of 8, fluorescent crayons were eventually incorporated into the standard 64 count crayon box as well as the educational 48 count box.
The fluorescent crayons boosted the total Crayola crayon color count to 78. These flashy colors included:
| Hot Magenta | Chartreuse |
| Shocking Pink | Violent Violet |
| Vivid Tangerine | Spring Green |
| Laser Lemon | Deep Purple |
The 96 Box
In 1996, Crayola retired the 64 count box after nearly 40 years and replaced it with the new No. 96 box. Adding 32 new crayons took the total distinct Crayola crayon colors to 110 by 1996. The new colors included unique shades like Piggy Pink, Granny Smith Apple and Macaroni & Cheese.
Specialty boxes and licensed products continued to add new Crayola crayons throughout the 1990s and into the 2000s. Additions during this period included Crayola’s Color Mix-Up crayons, Pearl Brite crayons, Metallic FX crayons, Window crayons, Construction Paper crayons and Magic Scent crayons. Each new specialty box or product line introduced new colors, pushing the total ever higher.
The 120 Box
In 2003, Crayola released their biggest crayon box yet: the 120 color box. This massive collection contained every color from the 96 count box plus 24 new colors, taking the total Crayola crayon count to 134. The 120 box remained the definitive Crayola offering and included specialty colors introduced in other lines.
Just a few years later in 2010, Crayola streamlined their offerings by consolidating everything into the 120 box. They retired other box sizes like the 96 and 64 count, making the 120 box the flagship for all markets. However, specialty lines and licensed products continued to add exclusive new colors.
Recent Additions
Here are some notable Crayola crayon lines and specialty boxes that have pushed the total color count even higher in recent years:
| True to Life | Metallic Crayons |
| Pearl Brite | Fabulous Footwear |
| Color Alive | Crayons of the World |
Crayola has also partnered with major brands and properties to release licensed crayon assortments featuring distinctive new colors. These include boxes for Disney Princess, Nickelodeon, Cars 3, Lego Batman, Wonder Woman and Justice League.
Recent innovations like Crayola Color Alive augmented reality drawing sets and Crayola Virtual Design Pro boxes feature colors that interact digitally. These technologies add colors beyond just the physical crayon.
The Current Count
So what’s the current total number of unique Crayola crayon colors created over the brand’s 120+ year history?
**Counting every color across all standard boxes, specialty lines, limited editions and licensed sets, there have been around 1,500 distinct Crayola crayon colors since 1903.**
This includes:
– The 16 original colors from 1903
– All 64 standard colors from 1958
– Specialty crayons like metallics, fluorescents, neons, window colors, etc.
– Licensed boxes and product lines with exclusive new colors
– Colors created for digital platforms like Color Alive
While no definitive list exists of every Crayola crayon color, estimates based on the major assortments land around 1,500 unique shades. The 120 box remains the core offering, but Crayola’s ongoing innovations and special sets continue to expand the palette.
After more than a century, Crayola crayons remain an integral part of childhood. With an estimated 1,500 colors created since 1903, Crayola offers colors to suit every creative need. For generations to come, the iconic brand promises to keep dreaming up exciting new specialty colors and sets. Children today have a nearly unlimited rainbow of creative options thanks to Crayola’s ever-expanding, inclusive world of color.
