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Pantone Colour of the Year: A Handbook for Print Design

Every December, the world eagerly anticipates the arrival of a new year. Meanwhile, designers, artists, and brands worldwide await an important announcement. And that’s nothing but ‘Pantone colour of the year.’

Pantone, the global authority on colour, selects a specific shade that will shape everything from clothes to creatives and is released every year. Moreover, this single colour creates such a buzz and influences almost every industry. 

But what exactly Pantone is, which is Pantone colour of the year 2025, and how does it impact printing? Let’s dig in and find answers to all these questions in this blog without further delay! 

What is Pantone? 

In 1963, Pantone started as a commercial printing company. But today, it has evolved into the world’s leading colour authority that decides professional colour standards for the design industry. Incredible growth, isn’t it? 

When you search for Pantone what is, you will understand that it influences colour accuracy in diverse industries. Pantone has become crucial for cracking the colour codes regardless of the location. Moreover, it is mandatory to maintain colour consistency and accuracy in all mediums i.e. offline and online. 

What Is Color Pantone? 

Before the launch of Pantone, maintaining colour consistency in printing was a major challenge. For example, ‘Red’ in one printing press might look different in another due to variations in ink and materials. To overcome this, Pantone came up with ‘Pantone Colour Matching System’ (PMS). 

If you wonder what is a PMS color, it is a standardised system that eases colour selection and avoids inconsistent colour matching. Since Pantone assigns unique codes to thousands of colours, it became a universal colour language. 

Consider you are in the UK guiding your team in New York to print a logo in a particular shade of blue. Just you can share the Pantone code and get the most out of it without losing accuracy. 

A few popular Pantone colours are, 

  • Pantone 286 C – A bright and bold blue colour used in corporate logos. 
  • Pantone 355 C – A lush green often used in nature-related branding
  • Pantone 2617 C – A rich purple that represents luxury and creativity

Just like that, you learnt what does Pantone mean and now let’s dive in deeper. 

The Power of the Pantone Colour of the Year

At the end of the year, Pantone announces a Colour of the Year. Interesting fact? Since 2000, this annual universal colour announcement has influenced product development and purchasing decisions among several industries. This includes but is not limited to 

  • Fashion and Apparel Design
  • Beauty Industry Trends
  • Interior Designing 
  • Industrial Design
  • Graphic Design 

Pro Tip: If you are launching a marketing campaign or printing V boards for real estate, consider Pantone’s colour of the year to keep it fresh and fascinating. 

How Pantone Selects the Colour of the Year 

Do you think these colours are chosen randomly? That’s a big No! Thoughtfully, colour prediction is done in such a way that it reflects our global culture. The team behind Pantone spends months analysing global trends in fashion runways, new technologies, socio-economic conditions, social media trends, and much more. The Pantone colours of the year for the past years are listed below. 

Year 

Pantone Colour of the Year 

2025

PANTONE 17-1230 Mocha Mousse

2024

PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz

2023

PANTONE 18-1750 Viva Magenta

2022

PANTONE 17-3938 Very Peri

2021

PANTONE 17-5104 Ultimate Grey and PANTONE 13-0647 Illuminating

2020

PANTONE 19-4052 Classic Blue

Why Pantone Matters in Printing? 

CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black) is a commonly used four-colour method in the printing process. To produce colours, these four colours are combined in different percentages which may cause slight differences in prints. In contrast, Pantone colours are pre-mixed solid inks. Here’s why Pantone matters and how it impacts printing. 

  • Colours look the same after printing regardless of different locations, printers, and materials. 
  • Contributes to maintaining brand consistency as logos and marketing materials are the same everywhere. 
  • Pantone has more than 2000 solid colours, including metallics and neon that go beyond CMYK colours. 

In simple words, Pantone takes guesswork in colour selection and makes it easier for everyone to reap the power of precision in printing. 

Attention 👀: Printing with Pantone colours is more expensive than CMYK due to the use of pre-mixed inks for precise colour accuracy. For board printing, it is advisable to decide and design in Pantone when necessary or when your budget allows for it.

Let’s Wrap Up 

Voila! Now you have an idea of what is Pantone color of the year, and how this colour influences our whole world. It is believed that this colour of the year continues to shape the way we interact with colours in our daily lives. 

With Pantone, you can choose any shade confidently and achieve accurate colours without the hassle of colour mismatches while printing. So, why not make the most of it? Inject Pantone into your board designs and flaunt your flawless visuals effectively!

Pantone Colour of the Year: A Handbook for Print Design
By: admin

An enthusiastic Graphic Designer professional with strong communication and organisational skills, who is passionate about creating and developing innovative ideas with the client to help them get their business noticed. I work to the highest standards and have an excellent eye for detail with skills in design and organisation. I am a dependable and productive worker whose honesty and integrity provides effective leadership and builds excellent relationships. I enjoy innovatively…

Feb 04 2025

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