Color Report · 2000–2026
Every Pantone Color of the Year
29 colors over 27 years, from Cerulean in 2000 to Cloud Dancer in 2026. Each one has its Pantone code, a screen hex, and the closest color in our archive of the 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations, so you can see which century-old palettes it already belongs to.
Looking for this year's picks from every brand? All 2026 Colors of the Year · 2027 so far · the book: Pantone: The Twentieth Century in Color
The full list, newest first
Hex values are sRGB references for screens. The PANTONE TCX code is the real color for paint, fabric and print.
- 2026 Cloud Dancer PANTONE 11-4201 · #F0EEE9 Closest in our archive (near-identical): Kinari · ΔE 3.8 · in 14 palettes
- 2025 Mocha Mousse PANTONE 17-1230 · #A47864 Closest in our archive (very close): Sudan Brown · ΔE 9.6 · in 3 palettes
- 2024 Peach Fuzz PANTONE 13-1023 · #FFBE98 Closest in our archive (very close): Light Pinkish Cinnamon · ΔE 5.9 · in 1 palette
- 2023 Viva Magenta PANTONE 18-1750 · #BB2649 Closest in our archive (very close): Red · ΔE 7.4 · in 2 palettes
- 2022 Very Peri PANTONE 17-3938 · #6667AB Closest in our archive (very close): Dark Soft Violet · ΔE 6.1 · in 3 palettes
- 2021 Illuminating PANTONE 13-0647 · #F5DF4D Closest in our archive (close): Lemon Yellow · ΔE 10.3 · in 15 palettes
- 2021 Ultimate Gray PANTONE 17-5104 · #939597 Closest in our archive (near-identical): Nezumi · ΔE 4.3 · in 1 palette
- 2020 Classic Blue PANTONE 19-4052 · #0F4C81 Closest in our archive (very close): Ruri · ΔE 7.5 · in 1 palette
- 2019 Living Coral PANTONE 16-1546 · #FF6F61 Closest in our archive (close): Eugenia Red A · ΔE 11.3 · in 1 palette
- 2018 Ultra Violet PANTONE 18-3838 · #5F4B8B Closest in our archive (near-identical): Edo-murasaki · ΔE 1.3 · in 1 palette
- 2017 Greenery PANTONE 15-0343 · #88B04B Closest in our archive (close): Moegi · ΔE 11.0 · in 1 palette
- 2016 Serenity PANTONE 15-3919 · #92A8D1 Closest in our archive (very close): Salvia Blue · ΔE 7.3 · in 13 palettes
- 2016 Rose Quartz PANTONE 13-1520 · #F7CAC9 Closest in our archive (very close): Sakura · ΔE 8.1 · in 1 palette
- 2015 Marsala PANTONE 18-1438 · #955251 Closest in our archive (close): Ochre Red · ΔE 11.2 · in 2 palettes
- 2014 Radiant Orchid PANTONE 18-3224 · #B163A3 Closest in our archive (very close): Aconite Violet · ΔE 8.2 · in 11 palettes
- 2013 Emerald PANTONE 17-5641 · #009473 Closest in our archive (very close): Dull Viridian Green · ΔE 8.3 · in 4 palettes
- 2012 Tangerine Tango PANTONE 17-1463 · #DD4124 Closest in our archive (near-identical): Red Orange · ΔE 1.6 · in 5 palettes
- 2011 Honeysuckle PANTONE 18-2120 · #D94F70 Closest in our archive (very close): Indian Lake · ΔE 8.3 · in 2 palettes
- 2010 Turquoise PANTONE 15-5519 · #45B5AA Closest in our archive (very close): Venice Green · ΔE 7.5 · in 6 palettes
- 2009 Mimosa PANTONE 14-0848 · #F0C05A Closest in our archive (very close): Yellow Ocher · ΔE 7.7 · in 8 palettes
- 2008 Blue Iris PANTONE 18-3943 · #5A5B9F Closest in our archive (very close): Dark Soft Violet · ΔE 7.0 · in 3 palettes
- 2007 Chili Pepper PANTONE 19-1557 · #9B1B30 Closest in our archive (near-identical): Carmine Red · ΔE 4.8 · in 12 palettes
- 2006 Sand Dollar PANTONE 13-1106 · #DECDBE Closest in our archive (very close): Suna-iro · ΔE 7.6 · in 1 palette
- 2005 Blue Turquoise PANTONE 15-5217 · #53B0AE Closest in our archive (very close): Venice Green · ΔE 8.3 · in 6 palettes
- 2004 Tigerlily PANTONE 17-1456 · #E2583E Closest in our archive (very close): Shu · ΔE 7.4 · in 3 palettes
- 2003 Aqua Sky PANTONE 14-4811 · #7BC4C4 Closest in our archive (near-identical): Calamine Blue · ΔE 4.3 · in 10 palettes
- 2002 True Red PANTONE 19-1664 · #BF1932 Closest in our archive (very close): Carmine · ΔE 5.3 · in 8 palettes
- 2001 Fuchsia Rose PANTONE 17-2031 · #C74375 Closest in our archive (very close): Indian Lake · ΔE 5.2 · in 2 palettes
- 2000 Cerulean PANTONE 15-4020 · #9BB7D4 Closest in our archive (near-identical): Salvia Blue · ΔE 4.2 · in 13 palettes
How the match works: each Pantone hex is compared with every named color on this site in the CIELAB color space (CIE76 ΔE), and the smallest distance wins. Near-identical: ΔE under 5, hard to tell apart side by side. Very close: under 10. Close: under 20. "The nearest we have": the archive has nothing truly close.
Studio
Matching a Pantone color off-screen
A screen hex is only an approximation of a Pantone color. Which of these you need depends on where the color is going.
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...onto paper
Start here if the palette gets printed. Screen colour and ink colour are not the same colour, and this is the deck that translates between them.
Pantone
Color Bridge Guide — coated
Listed on Amazon as Pantone Color Bridge Guide Coated | Pantone to CMYK, RGB & HTML Color Matching Fan Deck for Graphic Design, Branding & Print | GG6103B
See price on AmazonView on Amazon -
...onto a screen you can trust
Start here if it stays digital. An uncalibrated monitor is the single most common reason a palette that looked right on your desk looks wrong everywhere else.
Calibrite
Display Plus HL colorimeter kit
Listed on Amazon as Calibrite Video Photo Kit with Display Plus HL Colorimeter and ColorChecker Passport Video 2, 10,000 Nit Monitor Calibration, Camera Color Matching
See price on AmazonView on Amazon -
...by hand
Start here if you are mixing it. Wada's plates were flat printed colour; gansai pans are the closest everyday medium to them.
Kuretake
Gansai Tambi 48
Listed on Amazon as Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolor Paint Set, 48 Colors, Made in Japan | 48 vivid opaque colors, non-granulating pigment, large pans, palette & color chart, Professional Use, Artist Grade
See price on AmazonView on Amazon
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Library
Read more on colour
Colour theory, forecasting and the language of palettes. Books we recommend on Amazon.
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Torn between the two Wada dictionaries? Vol 1 vs Vol 2, compared plate by plate →
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Frequently asked
What is the current Pantone Color of the Year?
Cloud Dancer (PANTONE 11-4201) is the 2026 Pantone Color of the Year. Pantone names the next year's color in early December.
What was the first Pantone Color of the Year?
Cerulean (PANTONE 15-4020), a sky blue, chosen for the year 2000. It was announced at the end of 1999.
Has Pantone ever picked two colors in one year?
Twice. 2016 paired Rose Quartz and Serenity, and 2021 paired Ultimate Gray and Illuminating.
Are the hex codes exact?
Not exactly. Pantone colors are defined by their TCX codes for physical materials; the hex values here are the commonly published sRGB references for screens. Use the TCX code when you match paint, fabric or print.
When will the 2027 Pantone Color of the Year be announced?
Pantone names its pick in early December of the year before. The paint brands have already started naming their 2027 colors; our 2027 page tracks them as they arrive.