Classic Blue was named colour of the year by the Pantone Color Institute. Most of us have heard of Pantone, but who are they? And what makes their opinion on colour so significant?

In 1963 the company Pantone (based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA), introduced a colour referencing scheme called the Pantone Matching System®. It quickly became an international industry standard among designers, printers and manufacturers.

Among other products and services, Pantone curates a growing library of more than 1,300 unique colour references. Since 1999, the Pantone Color Institute has named a colour of the year. The one they’ve selected for 2020 is 19-4052 – or Classic Blue.

Its simple name belies the depth and range of the Pantone system. Within Pantone’s catalogue, there are probably around 300 to 400 shades that might be described as ‘blue’, depending on your individual interpretations, tastes and photoreceptors.

When Pantone announces its colour of the year, marketing agencies, brand managers, interior designers, fashion houses and paint and dye manufacturers all sit up and listen. In fact, for anyone working with colour, Pantone’s colour of the year is a significant event that has the power to influence design trends over the coming 12 months.

As an extra pro tip for designers, Solopress’ Matt Bruty adds:

“It’s worth pointing out that the Pantone number ‘19-4052’ is from Pantone’s ‘Fashion, Home and Interiors’ range of colours. The equivalent to this in the coated and uncoated books that we’re more familiar with as paper print designers, is the range of blues between 2148 and 2154.”

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