Colors have an amazing power when it comes to conveying messages and ideas. They affect us emotionally and practically, framing the information we see in one light or another. They can make us believe ideas, buy products, enjoy moments and reflect on important aspects of our lives. As we get ready for a successful new year, Pantone’s 2018 Color gives us a direction or where we can aspire to go personally and professionally.
Also read: 23 Free Resources For Presentation Design
Pantone is the global standard for color, that’s why a Pantone color stays consistent regardless of what kind of design project you are working on, or where and how it’s being printed. They recently announced the color of the year for 2018, which is Ultra Violet.
Image via Pantone
Also referred to as Pantone 18-3838 (#5F4B8B), this particular color aims to communicate originality, ingenuity, and visionary thinking that points us toward the future. As an entrepreneur or a marketer, this is a great pointer into how you can and should package your ideas in the year to come. Reports, presentations and branded materials, they can all benefit from a touch of ingenuity and vision for the future.
The Pantone Color of the Year has come to mean so much more than ‘what’s trending’ in the world of design; it’s truly a reflection of what’s needed in our world today. (…)
As individuals around the world become more fascinated with color and realize its ability to convey deep messages and meanings. (…) Designers and brands should feel empowered to use color to inspire and influence.
Laurie Pressman, Vice President of the Pantone Color Institute via
Inspiration is a powerful aspect of design and I feel like Ultra Violet will be a great source of inspiration for this year’s visual content creators and entrepreneurs. After all, great ideas need to be conveyed with great visuals.
Sonia Simpfendorfer, creative director of Nexus Designs, described Ultra Violet as a “surprisingly liveable colour”.
It has baggage. From royalty and the suffragettes to the psychedelic, it has a powerful, patchouli-scented history.
To help you figure out how to apply this color to your upcoming projects and presentations, we’ve rounded up some practical uses of Pantone’s 2018 color, from templates and graphics to practical tips on how to choose the right color scheme.
1. Use the right color scheme
Being familiar with color theory, at least partially, is an important aspect of creating compelling presentations. When you select the colors for your presentation template, you want to achieve visual harmony so that the design helps convey the ideas, instead of overwhelming the audience.
Regardless if you’re aiming for balanced and visually pleasing or for high-contrast and striking color combinations, your color scheme will need to be split into one dominant color — dominant either because of how much it appears in the design, or because of how it stands out in comparison with other colors — and one or more accent colors.
Image via Canva
Use tools like Adobe’s Color Wheel or this Color Calculator to see all the color schemes that you can build using Ultra Violet as the main color.
Here are some variations of Ultra Violet:
Monochromatic
Analogous
Triadic
Tetradic
2. Go for templates and graphics
If you don’t have the knowledge or the time to design a presentation template from scratch, don’t worry. There are hundreds of graphics based on Pantone’s 2018 color that you can use.
Also read: Spice Up Your Reports With Visual Data
Save time and enjoy the creative work of designers and content creators.
For example:
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Powered by Creative Market
3. Don’t abuse the color
Ultra Violet is a vibrating color that can give your audience headaches when used in combination with other vibrating colors abusively.
Try using it with complimentary (neutral) backgrounds for your main slides and if you want to go for more statement designs, use them in section dividers.
I also recommend going for combinations of cool colors, like blues and greens, since violet is also a cool color.
Image via
4. Keep the meaning in mind
This color serves as more than a simple visual aid. First and foremost, Ultra Violet is intended to inspire.
The vast and limitless night sky is symbolic of what is possible and continues to inspire the desire to pursue a world beyond our own.”
Leatrice Eiseman, Pantone’s executive director
Use the emotions behind this vibrant color to push your ideas further. When you start putting together the ideas for your presentation, keep the meaning of this color in mind.
Challenge yourself to come up with innovative ideas and solutions, quote impressive stories and examples that inspire your audience.
Let’s design a stellar 2018!
