Pantone is adding 224 colors to its Pantone Matching System (PMS), bringing its color palette to nearly 9,000 shades. Intended primarily for graphic designers, brands, printers, converters, and ink manufacturers, the new shades were developed for use on coated and uncoated papers.
Their selection combines two approaches: the Pantone Color Institute analyzed trends in color usage, while Pantone?s scientific teams handled the technical implementation. In particular, they took into account the reproducibility and stability of the shades in production.
Additions across all color families
Pantone does not limit this expansion to just a few color families. The 224 new shades complement the entire spectrum already covered by the PMS.
The reds, in particular, feature more shades leaning toward pink. The pinks range from soft hues to more vibrant colors. The oranges explore floral, fruity, and earthy tones, while new yellows join the color palette.
Cool colors are also featured, with new shades of green, blue, and purple. Pantone rounds out the palette with browns, taupes, grays, and other neutral tones.
According to Pantone, this trend reflects a growing use of bold colors and more striking color combinations in graphic design, product design, fashion, and interior design. The manufacturer contrasts this trend with the recent prevalence of minimalist designs.
Four palettes for mixing and matching new shades
To illustrate possible color combinations, Pantone has created four palettes of five colors each based on the new color codes. Named ?Desire for Pleasure,? ?Desire for Exquisite,? ?Oxygenating,? and ?Beyond Boundaries,? these palettes feature combinations inspired by the Pantone Color Institute?s trend reports. Their primary purpose is to demonstrate how the new color references can be combined, rather than to establish new ranges within the PMS system.
"Designers and brands are embracing color as a form of confidence and bold expression, focusing on how it makes their audience react." , explains Cindy Cooperman, managing director and vice president of Pantone.
American graphic designer Aaron Draplin, founder of Draplin Design Co., has tested them in his designs. "Working with the new Pantone colors really pushed me to change my approach and discover combinations that I simply couldn't have come up with on my own." ", he explains.
The 224 colors are included in the Formula Guide, Color Bridge, and Solid Chips Set, as well as in Pantone Connect and its extension for Adobe Creative Cloud. Pantone is also offering, for a limited time, add-ons designed to update certain existing physical color swatch books.
