Pantone’s Color of the Year for 2026 named
Pantone has unveiled PANTONE 11-4201 Cloud Dancer as its Color of the Year 2026, describing it as a calming white shade symbolizing tranquility and clarity in an increasingly fast-paced and noisy world, Qazinform News Agency reports.
According to the Pantone Color Institute, Cloud Dancer reflects a growing societal need for quiet reflection, focus and mental balance amid constant information overload and global transformation. The airy white tone is designed to evoke openness and serenity, creating space for relaxation and creative thinking.
“At this time of transformation, when we are reimagining our future and our place in the world, PANTONE 11-4201 Cloud Dancer is a discrete white hue offering a promise of clarity. The cacophony that surrounds us has become overwhelming, making it harder to hear the voices of our inner selves. A conscious statement of simplification, Cloud Dancer enhances our focus, providing release from the distraction of external influences,” Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute Leatrice Eiseman said.
Vice President of the Pantone Color Institute Laurie Pressman likened Cloud Dancer to a blank canvas that signals renewal and new beginnings. She noted that the shade “opens up space for creativity, allowing our imagination to drift so that new insights and bold ideas can emerge and take shape.”
Pantone also highlighted Cloud Dancer’s versatility, calling it a key structural color that provides a foundation for the entire color spectrum. The shade can be used independently or in combination with other hues, bringing a sense of visual lightness, harmony and well-being to design, fashion, interiors and product development worldwide.
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