A Universal Language of ColourThe History of Pantone

Colour. For artists, colour is more that an aesthetic choice. Colours are often hand picked for their emotion, atmosphere, symbolism, and structure, yet for much of history describing and reproducing a specific colour accurately was surprisingly difficult. A “soft yellow” or “warm crimson” could mean entirely different things depending on who mixed the paint or printed the artwork. Then came a development of a universal colour system changed that forever.

Pantone began in the 1950s as a small printing business in the United States, producing colour guides for cosmetic companies. However, it was not until 1963, under the leadership of chemist Lawrence Herbert, that the company revolutionised the way colour was communicated. Herbert recognised a key issue within the creative industries: there was no shared language for colour accuracy.

To solve this, the Pantone Matching System (PMS) was developed which assigned individual numbers to specific, precisely formulated shades. Instead of relying on subjective descriptions, artists and printers could now refer to a numerical code that guaranteed consistency, so when they asked for Pantone 186, it would always be that exact colour regardless of location or printer.

While it’s true this system was originally designed for commercial printing to aid designers, its impact has extended far beyond that. Pantone offers a way to preserve colour intention for artists working across different mediums or cross disciplines. For example, illustrators collaborating with fashion designers or artists creating merchandise based on their work. A Pantone reference allows colours to translate consistently from paper to fabric to product.

Without standardisation, that colour could shift slightly from batch to batch. Pantone provides a reference point. This ensures that a specific colour can be reproduced accurately across multiple prints or collaborations.

In 2000, Pantone began announcing its annual “Colour of the Year. Elected by experts at the Pantone Color Institute, each year the choice reflects wider cultural moods and global influences, drawing from art, fashion, film, design, and social trends. Although in recent years there has been push back to this, arguably rightly so.

Outside of the design world, for artists, this annual selection can serve as inspiration rather than instruction. It offers insight into current colour psychology and emerging palettes. While no artist is bound to follow trend forecasts, it can be nice to to have the option for insight into current colour psychology and emerging palettes. In the world of art, rules were made to be broken, right?

For artists, learning about Pantone can strengthen overall colour awareness. It encourages precision, not only in reproduction but in observation. When selecting a specific hue, understanding its temperature, undertone, and saturation becomes essential. Pantone swatch books also reveal how subtle colour variations can dramatically shift the mood of a composition.

Ultimately, Pantone represents clarity in a world of subjective interpretation. It allows artists to maintain their creative vision across materials and production methods. Whether used for fine art prints, zines, textiles, or collaborative projects, it offers a shared language that protects colour integrity.

At its heart, Pantone was developed to solve a practical problem. Yet for artists, it has become something more: a bridge between imagination and execution ensuring that the colour you envision is the colour the world sees.

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