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Pantone’s new colors prove we’re living in a ‘more-is-more’ world
Pantone's introduction of 224 new colors reflects a significant shift in brand strategy towards a 'more-is-more' approach, driven largely by Gen Z's preference for bold and expressive color palettes. This expansion not only enhances Pantone's offerings but also aligns with current design trends that prioritize vibrant hues and unconventional combinations, moving away from the previously dominant minimalistic aesthetic.
FastCompany: Pantone’s Matching System just got more range. The company recently introduced 224 colors, which it says represent shifting design trends toward bolder hues and unusual combinations. The colors, announced Wednesday, are the first additions since 2022 , when the company unveiled warm grays and dark neutrals. Pantone’s newest colors for 2026 are available as a $482 color bridge guide set and as $90 spot color chip set. The Carlstadt, New Jersey-based company now offers nearly 9,000 colors.
Pantone says the latest expansion to its color-matching tool used by designers, printers, and manufacturers was inspired by trends spotted by its global team of “color anthropologists” at the Pantone Color Institute. The new shades mark a shift away from minimalism toward bold yet intentional maximalism, favoring richer saturation and higher contrast. [Photo: Pantone] Gen Z is driving this maximalist aesthetic, as that cohort uses and responds to color differently than millennials accustomed to neutrals, beiges, and muted tones, according to the institute.
And while we’ve been seeing the change for some time now, the release of these new Pantone color packs indicates that “more-is-more” color systems are now the standard, and neutral colors of years past are officially giving way to ones that are more expressive, saturated, and bright. For Pantone, its latest additions also reflect a changing need to match color combinations that stand out online.
“The influence of Gen Z, the generation driving internet culture, plays a defining role here, as they move away from neutral palettes towards more impactful shades that allow them to stand out in a ‘sea of sameness,’” Pantone Color Institute VP Laurie Pressman tells Fast Company . Blacks and more muted tones associated with quiet luxury, smooth restraint, and commercially safe bets are “losing their dominance” to unconventional color combinations and bolder contrasts, Pressman says.
[Photo: Pantone] To show off the new colors, Pantone gave an early preview to designer Aaron Draplin, and it also organized four palettes to show how a selection of the colors work together. The “Desire for Pleasure” palette evokes fruit or candy, with bright pinks, orange, aquatic blue, and pistachio green, while “Desire for the Exquisite” pairs light pink with a deep red, gray, and chocolate for a mix of lights and darks. “Oxygenating” is botanical, with a range of greens plus a yellow.
Pantone says “Beyond Boundaries” is meant to be retro-futuristic, with an aqua and purples that recall the popular color combinations of the late 1980s and ’90s. [Photo: Pantone] Color is being treated as an expression of visual identity and a communication tool rather than purely decoration, Pressman says. “Color usage today is an attitude,” she adds.
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The introduction of 224 new colors by Pantone signifies a notable shift in design trends that is likely to influence brand strategies, particularly among those targeting Gen Z, making it highly relevant and impactful for the industry.