{
  "id": 8015021,
  "title": "Pantone’s new colors prove we’re living in a ‘more-is-more’ world",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/pantones-new-colors-prove-were-living-in-a-more-is-more-world",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-17T10:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Fast Company",
    "slug": "fast-company",
    "url": "https://www.fastcompany.com/91608327/pantones-new-colors-prove-were-living-in-a-more-is-more-world"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Pantone's Matching System has expanded its color range with the introduction of 224 new hues. The company revealed these shades on Wednesday, marking the first additions since 2022 when warm grays and dark neutrals were first unveiled. The latest colors are accessible via a $482 color bridge guide set and a $90 spot color chip set, bringing Pantone's total offerings to near 9,000 colors. The Carlstadt, New Jersey-based firm credits its global team of \"color anthropologists\" for inspiring the recent expansion, which reflects shifting design trends toward bolder hues and unusual combinations. The new shades represent a departure from minimalism, favoring richer saturation and higher contrast. Gen Z is credited with driving this maximalist aesthetic, as this cohort uses and responds to color differently than millennials who typically prefer neutrals, beiges, and muted tones. The release of these new color packs indicates that \"more-is-more\" systems are now the standard, with neutral colors of the past giving way to more expressive, saturated, and bright options. The company's latest additions also reflect a changing need to match standout online color combinations. Pantone's VP Laurie Pressman attributes the shift to Gen Z's influence in internet culture, noting that they move away from neutral palettes towards more impactful shades. The company has showcased the new colors through a preview with designer Aaron Draplin and four palettes demonstrating how selected colors work together. These palettes include \"Desire for Pleasure,\" \"Desire for the Exquisite,\" \"Oxygenating,\" and \"Beyond Boundaries,\" each evoking distinct moods and inspirations. Pressman emphasizes that color is now treated as an expression of visual identity and communication tool, with a clear understanding of the symbolism attached to each color and the unique message it conveys.",
  "summary": "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…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}