Pantone have announced Ultimate Gray and Illuminating as the 2021 Colour of the Year.
The contrasting tones of Pantone 17-5104 Ultimate Gray and Pantone 13-0647 Illuminating, a vibrant yellow, have been announced as the Pantone Colour of the Year for 2021. Pantone has described the pairing of the two colours as “a marriage of colour conveying a message of strength and hopefulness that is both enduring and uplifting.â€
The pairing of the independent colours has been done to highlight how different elements can come together to support one another.
Ultimate Gray is representative of natural elements such as stone and provides a sense of stability after a tumultuous 2020. Illuminating is a bright and cheerful shade of yellow that warms and give hope for the coming year.
Bright shades of yellow have already been making an appearance in greeting cards and homewares as a way to combat the negativity that has plagued much of this year. More instances are sure to follow as people search for optimism and lift their moods. Grey is the perfect way to add dimension to any design without the need to go too dark or monochromatic.
“The union of an enduring Ultimate Gray with the vibrant yellow illuminating expresses a message of positivity supported by fortitude. Practical and rock solid but at the same time warming and optimistic, this is a colour combination that gives us resilience and hope. We need to feel encouraged and uplifted; this is essential to the human spirit,†said Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute.