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Pantone Unveils Colour of the Year for 2018

Pantone, a wholly owned subsidiary of X-Rite, has named PANTONE 18-3838, Ultra Violet, as the Pantone Color of the Year for 2018. Described by the company as a dramatically provocative and thoughtful purple shade, PANTONE 18-3838 Ultra Violet communicates “originality, ingenuity, and visionary thinking that points us towards the future.”

For the first time, Pantone will also release limited-edition collections of Pantone Color of the Year 2018 Formula Guides (US$165) and Fashion, Home + Interiors Color Guides (US$215) as collector’s items for designers, to enable them to more easily integrate Ultra Violet into their workflow.

“We are living in a time that requires inventiveness and imagination. It is this kind of creative inspiration that is indigenous to PANTONE 18-3838 Ultra Violet, a blue-based purple that takes our awareness and potential to a higher level,” said Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute. “From exploring new technologies and the greater galaxy, to artistic expression and spiritual reflection, intuitive Ultra Violet lights the way to what is yet to come.”

The company explains Ultra Violet suggests the mysteries of the cosmos, the intrigue of what lies ahead, and the discoveries beyond where we are now. Pantone also points to how Ultra Violet is associated with artistic brilliance, mentioning musical icons like Prince, David Bowie and Jimi Hendrix who brought shades of Ultra Violet to the forefront of western pop culture. The colour, explains Pantone, is also associated with a mystical or spiritual quality.

“The Pantone Color of the Year has come to mean so much more than what’s trending in the world of design; it’s truly a reflection of what’s needed in our world today,” said Laurie Pressman, Vice President of the Pantone Color Institute. “As individuals around the world become more fascinated with color and realize its ability to convey deep messages and meanings, designers and brands should feel empowered to use color to inspire and influence. The Color of the Year is one moment in time that provides strategic direction for the world of trend and design, reflecting the Pantone Color Institute’s year-round work doing the same for designers and brands.”