The Vallejo company was registered in New Jersey, U.S.A., in the year 1965. In these early years it specialized in the manufacture of colors for animated films (cartoons). The most sustained expansion of Vallejo started in the nineties, beginning with the introduction of new products directed at the model painting and Hobby sector. The company became the first specialist in acrylic colors, with a long and varied experience in all aspects of this branch of manufacturing.

In 1972 Amadeo Vallejo developed Acrylic Artist Color, the first acrylic for fine arts manufactured in Spain, and one of the first acrylic colors for artists produced in Europe. In this period, Vallejo also introduced Liquid Watercolor-colors for graphic design.
In the year 1981, following suggestions by professors of the Fine Arts University of Barcelona, Vallejo presented Acrylic Studio- a range of high quality acrylic colors for fine arts in large size packaging (200 ml./6.76 fl.oz. and 500 ml./16.9 fl.oz. sizes, the first such presentation in artist colors worldwide) at a reduced and unified price. With this range, a result of the most careful selection of permanent artist pigments, avoiding the most expensive colors, such as cadmiums and cobalts, Vallejo created the line of colors which was to become a benchmark for the industry and the beginning of a new period of expansion for Acrylicos Vallejo.