The Pantone Color of the Year

The whole idea of someone selecting the color of the year and impacting art, fabric, clothing and just about everything in the world, seems strange to me. I decided to try to better understand by doing some research.

First I wanted to know Who or What is Pantone. Where did this company come from? The website says “In 1963, Lawrence Herbert, Pantone's founder, created an innovative system of identifying, matching and communicating colors to solve the problems associated with producing accurate color matches in the graphic arts community. His insight that the spectrum is seen and interpreted differently by each individual led to the innovation of the PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM®, a book of standardized color in fan format.

Since then, Pantone has expanded its color matching system concept to other color-critical industries, including digital technology, textiles, plastics, architecture and contract interiors, and paint." So, my question is, what makes this company the leading authority on color and allows them to select a “color of the year” that impacts so many industries.

I thought that perhaps they looked at what designers were doing worldwide to see what colors were being used and then used that pallet to identify what the popular color is. But that doesn't seem to be the case. 

Their website says the color of the year is “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.”

This year’s color is greenery. It’s supposed to be a “bright but calming symbol of new beginnings and a reconnection with nature.” I sure don’t see that happening in my world.

Leatrice Eiseman, Executvie Director of the Pantone Color Institute says, “Greenery bursts forth in 2017 to provide us with the reassurance we yearn for amid a tumultuous social and political environment. Satisfying our growing desire to rejuvenate and revitalize, Greenery symbolizes the reconnection we seek with nature, one another and a larger purpose.”

I actually love their color choice and plan to use it a lot in my quilts this year and will be happy to see it reflected in fabric. I also agree with how they describe the color: “Greenery is a fresh and zesty yellow-green shade that evokes the first days of spring when nature’s greens revive, restore and renew. Illustrative of flourishing foliage and the lushness of the great outdoors, the fortifying attributes of Greenery signals consumers to take a deep breath, oxygenate and reinvigorate.”

Green has long been a favorite of mine and my favorite green is a spring green, which to me describes But the question remains, does the Pantone color of the year come from what the world has already dictated. Or does Pantone’s selection of that color make it become prevalent throughout the world. We may never know.

Pantone says “color experts at the Pantone Color Institute comb the world looking for new color influences. This can include the entertainment industry and films in production, traveling art collections and new artists, fashion, all areas of design, popular travel destinations, as well as new lifestyles, playstyles and socio-economic conditions. Influences may also stem from new technologies, materials, textures and effects that impact color, relevant social media platforms and even up-coming sporting events that capture worldwide attention.”

Yet they also say “For 17 years, Pantone’s Color of the Year has influenced product development and purchasing decisions in multiple industries, including fashion, home furnishings and industrial design, as well as product packaging and graphic design.”

So, maybe it works both ways. If you look at my stash, you’ll see I’ve been collecting this spring green color for some time and there has been no shortage of fabrics with this hue. But thanks to Pantone’s emphasis, I’ll be using it more and more in the next year. What about you?

If you’ve never looked at the Pantone website, I highly recommend a visit to: www.pantone.com.  If nothing else, you’ll see some great color combinations that you can experiment with in your next quilt. You're sure to find something you like. Here's a few: