Discover the new and improved Pantone colors and base inks
What 224 New Pantone Colors Mean for You
Designers ask questions, and Pantone responds: the largest commercial color library of its kind is now even bigger and better. In December 2022, Pantone® added 224 new colors to the Pantone Matching System and, for the first time since 1963, reformulated its base mixing inks. Each new color launch is the result of years of collaborative research, bringing together graphic designers, consumer goods companies, Pantone's internal color laboratory, and the Pantone Color Institute. The latest launch addresses designers' demand for more trend-driven colors and inks that make packaging stand out on the shelf.
The newly introduced colors solve a common design dilemma: when the color you need falls between two adjacent PMS formulas, you normally have to choose one that is close but not quite right.
No longer. Pantone has developed these 224 new colors to fill the gaps in the PMS color range. The new options include warm grays, deep neutrals, earthy blues and greens, soft pinks, vivid reds and oranges, vibrant pastels, and extraordinary golds.
And that's not all. In addition to these widely sought-after colors that enrich designers' palettes, Pantone has also introduced the largest update to its base inks since 1963.
As of December 2022, all versions of the Pantone Formula Guides and Color Bridges use five new eco-friendly base inks, which are better suited for post-print coatings. The reformulated base inks are made from soy and other vegetable oils, containing no harmful substances beyond standard limits.
This is very important for the Earth. But what does it mean for designers, printers, and ink suppliers? First, rest assured that improvements to the base inks will not cause any changes to the appearance of colors or the related main digital color values. Designers involved in printing and packaging will also be pleased to know that the new base inks can be coated during production. Coatable inks can protect packaging from scratches and fading, keeping products vibrant even after many years.
What does this update mean for Pantone customers?
With the arrival of new colors, new guidelines are also needed. Graphic designers need new formula guides, color bridge guides, or spot color swatches to work with the new colors. Printers and converters need the latest formula guides and color bridge guides to match the new colors. Ink suppliers need formula guides so that their customers can match the new colors.
If your Pantone guides are from 2019 or even 2020, it's time to replace them. Pantone guides are printed on commercial-grade paper, so they are not immune to fading and yellowing. While Pantone guides provide the precise specifications needed for color communication, designers will not see the same colors in old guides as they will in new print materials after natural physical aging has occurred for some time.
The new Pantone® guides allow designers to easily see the actual appearance of colors, ensuring accurate color expectations, maintaining color consistency, and improving collaboration with stakeholders. Keeping Pantone® guides up to date can reduce rework by 50% and ensure consistent color accuracy across all design elements and materials. Adding new colors enables designers to tell more impactful stories in more ways. Whether you are getting color inspiration from our formula guides or using our Color Bridge guide sets to convert Pantone colors to CMYK equivalents, Pantone provides a wide range of color libraries and tools to accurately present your color vision. To integrate these new colors into your workflow, be sure to subscribe to Pantone® Connect for Adobe® Creative Cloud®, to maintain access to all 15,000 Pantone® colors in applications like InDesign®, Photoshop®, and Illustrator®.