This year’s color

Every year PANTONE® reveals the “Color of the Year”. For 2018, that color is a shade of purple – called “Ultra Violet” (18-3838).

But first, What is ‘Pantone’s Color of the Year’?

PANTONE is recognized as one of the world’s leading authorities on color. For example, when Tiffany called upon someone to standardize their Tiffany Blue color used in their branding (including the famous box that the jewelry goes into), they called PANTONE. Tiffany had been using ‘Tiffany Blue’ since 1837, but it wasn’t until 2001 that PANTONE’s custom color department got involved. The official color they developed is called “1837 Blue” after the year the blue was first used. PANTONE works with many and varied companies every year doing custom ‘color work’.

If you think a color ‘of the year’ isn’t important, listen to this

Colors of the year typically get used by marketers of everything from clothes to furniture to household goods to paint to printing, and eventually by the end of the year, something of the yearly color trickles down into almost every culture, if not every household (be it a dress, a man’s tie or a desk organizer piece). How do they choose the color each year? As they put it, “A symbolic color selection; a color snapshot of what we see taking place in our global culture that serves as an expression of a mood and an attitude.”  Seems to me like a pretty cool way to come up with each year’s color.

I, and other website builders, find color trends interesting because they work themselves into current color palettes for those looking for modern and fresh-looking websites. If you’ve been thinking about freshening up your website, learn more here.

So whatever your personal passions, may you notice the purples in every-day life to light the way to what is yet to come.

More information about this color from PANTONE’S website

Inventive and imaginative, ‘Ultra Violet’ lights the way
to what is yet to come.

“A dramatically provocative and thoughtful purple shade, PANTONE 18-3838 Ultra Violet communicates originality, ingenuity, and visionary thinking that points us toward the future.

Complex and contemplative, Ultra Violet suggests the mysteries of the cosmos, the intrigue of what lies ahead, and the discoveries beyond where we are now. The vast and limitless night sky is symbolic of what is possible and continues to inspire the desire to pursue a world beyond our own.

Enigmatic purples have also long been symbolic of counterculture, unconventionality, and artistic brilliance. Musical icons Prince, David Bowie, and Jimi Hendrix brought shades of Ultra Violet to the forefront of western pop culture as personal expressions of individuality. Nuanced and full of emotion, the depth of PANTONE 18-3838 Ultra Violet symbolizes experimentation and non-conformity, spurring individuals to imagine their unique mark on the world, and push boundaries through creative outlets.

Historically, there has been a mystical or spiritual quality attached to Ultra Violet. The color is often associated with mindfulness practices, which offer a higher ground to those seeking refuge from today’s over-stimulated world. The use of purple-toned lighting in meditation spaces and other gathering places energizes the communities that gather there and inspire connection.”