Patone

Pantone

This article was about Pantone, which specializes in color management and professional color standards, made an important announcement: the color of the year for 2011 would be “honeysuckle.” The announcement was made by the Pantone Color Institute, Pantone’s color forecasting and consulting division, which under the direction of Leatrice Eismen scours the globe to determine which emerging color trends will be prominent in the coming year. According to Eismen, this complex shade of bright pink with a hint of red and orange, or more specifically Pantone 18-2120 TCX, evokes a sense of summertime. It’s a warm, catchy color, conveying a sense of optimism. Having Pantone’s blessing on “honeysuckle” and the other colors built into its annual pallet, fashion designers, cosmetic producers, makers of home furnishings and appliances, and many other style- and image-conscious businesses will begin to plan their product offerings based on Pantone’s color recommendations. While the color reports from the Color institute because critical reads for product designers and marketers across many industries, only recently has it developed beyond being a mere service of its parent company. For almost half a decade, Pantone has literally provided the industry standard on color management across the whole spectrum of business sectors, from printing to manufacturing to industrial and beyond.

Pantone’s color-management systems were designed in a business environment and are primarily employed by businesses and entrepreneurs seeking to standardize colors across various production applications. Yes, I believe Pantone’s color-management systems can be used for regular consumers by offering paint and designer-inspired products and services for consumers. In the article by Stewart (2010), the company’s first consumer-licensing launched in 2007, a Japanese cell phone from Softbank in 20 Pantone colors. That was quickly followed by Pantone-themed products, including mugs, messenger...