Pantone 2018 Colour of the Year

There will be no shrinking violets in 2018, as the ultra vibrant ‘Ultra Violet’ has been named Pantone’s Colour of the Year for 2018.

This year’s provocative purple is a polar opposite, on the colour wheel, compared to 2017’s lime ‘Greenery’. Perhaps the guys and girls at the Pantone Color Institute are suggesting the world is in need of a hefty shake-up after this past year’s antics. Ultra Violet oozes originality, ingenuity, and visionary thinking, that leads us into the future.

We are living in a time that requires inventiveness and imagination. It is this kind of creative inspiration that is indigenous to Ultra Violet… from exploring new technologies to artistic expression and spiritual reflection, intuitive Ultra Violet lights the way.

Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute

The colour has also been described as ‘complex’ and ‘contemplative’ while suggesting the ‘mysteries of the cosmos’, ‘the intrigue of what lies ahead’ and ‘the discoveries beyond where we are now’.

Interestingly, for the third year in a row, the base colour for the Adelaide Fringe Festival Poster has ‘somewhat’ pre-empted the colour hue announced by Pantone for the year ahead. While, admittedly, they haven’t absolutely nailed it, 2016’s Pantone Rose Quartz and the Fringe’s psychedelic pink, 2017’s Pantone Greenery and the Fringe’s electric teal and 2018’s Pantone Ultra Violet and the Fringe’s deep purple all have certain similarities. All eyes will be on next years round of announcements to see if this colour phenomenon continues.

Are you interested in learning more about colour psychology? Look no further than our article on ‘The Meaning of Colour’.