What color scheme did Apple’s logo use from 1977 to 1998?

Apple’s logo used a rainbow color scheme from 1977 to 1998.

The design showed six horizontal colored bands inside a bitten-apple silhouette. Rob Janoff created the logo in 1977, and the bite helped distinguish the apple shape from a cherry or other round fruit.

The rainbow version appeared during a period when Apple emphasized the color capabilities of its computers, especially the Apple II. The stripes were not intended as a coded political symbol; their main purpose was to communicate color and approachability.

Apple replaced the rainbow design with monochrome versions in 1998. Later versions used silver, black, or white treatments while retaining the recognizable bitten-apple outline. The rainbow logo is therefore associated with Apple’s early brand identity, but it was not the company’s first logo: an elaborate illustration showing Isaac Newton under an apple tree briefly preceded it in 1976.