Features

With its latest Color of the Year, Pantone sets the tone for a new age …

When it came time to interview designers, manufacturers and consumers to help ascertain the new decade’s first Pantone Color of the Year, Leatrice Eiseman, executive director at the Pantone Color Institute, already had a sense of what she would hear.

“It became even clearer that people are seeking some respite from all the turmoil in today’s world,” Eiseman, who is also director of Eiseman Center for Color Information and Training, described in an exclusive interview with Stationery Trends. “This was apparent even at the very beginning of the previous year, and it continued to grow as a prevalent theme all during the year, showing itself in all areas of design.”

Blue is just the salve for this moment in time, she continued. A long-time consumer favorite, “it represents a calming and reassuring presence, especially in this kind of tranquil twilight shade.”

Indeed, Classic Blue speaks to a cultural quest for trust and faith as well as deeper understandings, expanded perspectives and open dialogues. Suggestive of the sky at dusk — which appears nightly as the world reinvents itself — Classic Blue is a stable foundation to carry us into a new era.

The shade is deceptively simple. “Classic Blue can (be) presented (in) a certain traditional concept, lending itself to more ‘historical’ themes especially in paper and other matte finishes, while in a shiny, lustrous material it can (feel) high-tech — looking into the future,” Eiseman commented. “This makes for a very versatile color that can serve many purposes.”

The Color of the Year is something of a misnomer in that it takes hold during the calendar year, but can remain an important design element for years. Eiseman doesn’t expect this one to fade anytime soon. “As it is such a consumer favorite, this shade will definitely have longevity for several years to come — that’s why it is called Classic Blue.”

Bonnie Marcus Invitation.

PrintsWell.

Pet Loss Card.

Compendium.

Keychain.

Idlewild Co.

Chevron Gift Tags.

CharmCat.

Congrats Letterpress Card.

Helen Edna.

I’m So Glad Card.

People I’ve Loved.

Floral Hello.

Inkwell Cards.

Thank-You Card.

Design Design.

Notepads.

Dear Annabelle.

Cactus Card.

Antiquaria.

Request free product information.