The Pantone Color of the Year is like a creative forecast, predicting what color will be in the spotlight and have a cultural impact. It’s a fun way for designers and artists to stay inspired and incorporate the latest trends into their work. Plus, it gives everyone a shared color to celebrate and connect with during that specific year.
The Pantone Color of the Year for 2024 is PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz. This color can be both vibrant and soft, symbolizing warmth and playfulness. It combines shades of pink and orange, creating a captivating and nurturing hue. Peach Fuzz is meant to inspire creativity, imagination, and a sense of limitless possibilities. It is a color that encourages individuals to explore kindness and embrace collaboration.
What is Pantone?
Pantone is a color-matching system created in 1963. The system identifies and organize colors to help designers and artists communicate about colors in a precise way. Every Pantone color is assigned a unique number instead of relying on descriptive names which can be confusing. For example, many colors could be identified as Turquoise but each shade of blue in the Pantone system has it’s own unique number. These colors are used worldwide by designers, printers and a wide-range of creatives to make sure their designs and their colors look just right. It is like having a universal language for colors.
2023 will be the 25th year that Pantone has been releasing a color of the year. Each year, the experts at Pantone Color Insitiute choose a specific color that they believe captures the spirit and trends of that time.
“Color is our most important powerful communication tool. It is the first thing we see and the first thing we connect to. It is a visual language we all understand, one whose message crosses genders, generations and geographies.”
– Laurie Pressman, Vice President, Pantone Color Institute said in an interview.
Why Should You Care?
As an illustrator and surface designer I look at the Pantone Color of the Year as a source of inspiration and a reflection of current trends and cultural influences.
Pantone Color Institues completes a detailed trend analysis across various industries from fashion and beauty to film and entertainment to home decor and even technology. The chosen color has a huge impact these various industries, staying up to date on these color trends will help you predict what will be popular or in demand in the coming year.
Personal growth is always a part of my yearly business plan and it should be a part of yours but that is for a different post. Using the Color of the Year in your artwork can a fun challenge to encourage to explore color pallets that you would normally not play with. Working within the constraints of a specific color can lead to unexpected and exciting results. You never know what is going to turn out to be a work of art so have fun with it.
How I Will Be Using This?
PANTONE has collaborations with multiple official partners: Motorola, Ruggable, Ultrafabrics and my personal favorite Spoonflower. Spoonflower is a print-on-demand platform that allows independent artist to design, print and sell their own fabric, wallpaper and home decors items. Spoonflower hosts a number of design challenges throughout the year. One of their most popular one is the Pantone Color of the Year 2024: ‘Peach Fuzz’ Design Challenge. I don’t participate in all their challenges but I will definitely prioritize this one.
Another way that I will use the Pantone color of the year is to build a palette for a future collection where Peach Fuzz will be the star of the show. This color is different from my usual go-to colors so it will be a fun creative challenge to use it in a collection.
Final Thoughts
Remember, while the Pantone Color of the Year is a popular trend, you aren’t obligated to use it in your art. Being aware of current industry trends can provide inspiration, but don’t be afraid to experiment with your own color choices and develop your unique artistic style. Ultimately, the most important thing is that your art reflects your voice and vision.
Designs are available for licensing – please reach out through the contact form. I will be happy to rescale to fit your project!
