Pantone unveils Ultra Violet as colour of the year for 2018

Global colour authority Pantone has unveiled Ultra Violet (PANTONE 18-3838) as the Colour of the Year for 2018 saying it represents "originality, ingenuity, and visionary thinking that points us towards the future".

The striking purple shade is a dramatic move on from the 2017 shade of Greenery, but Pantone has deemed it the appropriate colour to represent a point in time which 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.”

Pantone went on to point out that "enigmatic" purples had long been symbolic of counterculture, unconventionality, and artistic brilliance and were favoured by music icons such as Prince, David Bowie and Jimi Hendrix. There is also a link with purple and "mindfulness" practices, which offer refuge to those looking to escape from today's over-stimulated world.

“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,” added Laurie Pressman, Vice President of the Pantone Color Institute.

“As individuals around the world become more fascinated with color and realise 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,” she said.