Recently, the design world has been busy reacting (both positively and negatively) to the announcement of the Pantone color of the year for 2014. I know, I know - it doesn’t sound like very exciting news. But in the design world, it’s sort of like when Apple announces the release of the newest iPhone. People are anxious to find out what the newest trend will be that year. The Pantone color of the year for 2014 is Radiant Orchid.
What is Pantone?
Pantone LLC is considered the worldwide authority on color. But to understand the impact the Pantone Matching System (PMS) has, especially in the design world, a quick explanation of the printing system is required.
When projects are printed on a press, the paper runs through 4 plates each coated with one color of ink: cyan, magenta, yellow or black. The layered inks create the desired colors. This color mode is called CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, blacK). Check out this example of printing this purple in CMYK.
The downside of printing in CMYK is that there’s no guarantee that a color will print exactly the same every time. That’s where the Pantone Matching System (PMS) comes into play. Pantone swatches provide designers, printers, and other manufacturers a standard so that the colors are produced exactly the same every time. PMS colors are also great for projects that only require one or two colors. The paper can then run through only one plate per PMS color instead of all 4 CMYK plates.
Ok, Back to Radiant Orchid.
Pantone’s color influence extends way beyond just the world of graphic design. Interior designers, fashion designers, presentations designers, and pretty much anyone working in any type of creative capacity take note of the Pantone color of the year. Get ready to see pinks and purples all over the place – in the new spring clothes hitting the racks, in the home decorating magazines, and maybe in the packaging redesign of your favorite products. On their website, Pantone provides color standards for many industries – a downloadable swatch for graphic designers, a fabric swatch for home and fashion designers, paper swatches for interior designers, and a plastic chip for manufacturers.
What does this mean for you?
Consider adding some Radiant Orchid to your marketing materials! Is your website starting to feel a little old and stale? Think about a redesign to freshen it up! Take a look at these color palettes for some inspiration. Even purple can be professional!
Want more information on CMYK vs. PMS printing processes? I thought this article from The Printer was very helpful: http://the-printer.net/cmyk-vs-pms.
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