Ultimate Gray + Illuminating Dec 13, 2020

PANTONE 17-5104 Ultimate Gray + PANTONE 13-0647 Illuminating.

(A marriage of color conveying a message of strength and hopefulness that is both enduring and uplifting.)

Colors are so important to our every experience. Even when we don’t notice them, there they are, shaping a place or supporting a visual with warmth or coolness, brightness or darkness, similarity, or contrast.
The power of color comes from how we think and feel when we see them. From historically created meanings to deep-set biological reactions, we give a story to color as color gives substance to our visual world.
And after all the turbulence of 2020, we're looking forward to a fresh start and ways to add color to our lives in the new year. Paint companies and color pros understand that.

Each year, they single out a shade that perfectly captures the current moment in design, gathering insights from pop culture, fashion, architecture, and technology trends.

On December 9, Pantone announced its color(s) of the year for 2021: PANTONE 17-5104 Ultimate Gray and PANTONE 13-0647 Illuminating.
Selecting two colors for only the second time in 22 years, Pantone described the chosen yellow and gray as independent but complementary, representing a theme of unity and mutual support.

Whereas PANTONE 13-0647 Illuminating is bright and vivacious, PANTONE 17-5104 Ultimate Gray is firm and dependable, the marriage of them represents strength, optimism, and fortitude following a markedly challenging year.
A bright and beautiful yellow sparkling with vivacity, PANTONE 13-0647 Illuminating is a warm and luminous yellow shade – which is just what we all need to lead us out of the darkness of 2020.
On the other hand, PANTONE 17-5104 Ultimate Gray is solid and dependable, representing a firm foundation on which to rebuild. With the color of mountains on the horizon, pebbles on the beach, and natural elements that have stood the test of time, Ultimate Gray evokes feelings of composure, steadiness, and resilience.

It is a message of happiness supported by fortitude, the combination of PANTONE 17-5104 Ultimate Gray + PANTONE 13-0647 Illuminating is aspirational and gives us hope. We need to feel that everything is going to get brighter – this is essential to the human spirit.