Pantone Color Palette: Colors of the Year & Hex Equivalents

If you have ever picked paint, fabric, or print colours, you have probably met Pantone. A Pantone color palette uses the Pantone Matching System (PMS) — a standardised library of colours used across print, fashion, and product design so a colour looks identical no matter where it is produced. This guide explains what Pantone is, shares recent Pantone Colors of the Year with approximate hex codes, and shows how to bring those shades to the web.

Want to build palettes around any of these shades? Drop the hex codes into the PaletteCSS palette browser and generate matching combinations instantly.

What is Pantone — and why hex codes are approximate

Pantone is a spot-colour system: each colour is a specific, pre-mixed ink with a code like "Pantone 19-4052." Because screens build colour from red, green, and blue light (RGB/hex) while Pantone is a physical ink standard, a hex value can only ever be an approximation of a Pantone shade. For web work, you use the closest hex; for print, you reference the official Pantone code. Keep that distinction in mind whenever you convert between the two.

Pantone Colors of the Year (with approximate hex)

Every year Pantone names a Color of the Year that influences design trends worldwide. Here are several recent picks with their approximate web hex codes:

• 2024 — Peach Fuzz: a soft, warm peach — #FFBE98
• 2023 — Viva Magenta: a bold crimson-pink — #BB2649
• 2022 — Very Peri: a periwinkle blue-purple — #6667AB
• 2021 — Illuminating: a bright, cheerful yellow — #F5DF4D
• 2020 — Classic Blue: a calm, dependable blue — #0F4C81
• 2019 — Living Coral: a warm, lively coral — #FF6F61
• 2018 — Ultra Violet: a deep, creative purple — #5F4B8B
• 2017 — Greenery: a fresh, leafy green — #88B04B

3 Pantone-inspired palettes (with hex codes)

1. Viva Magenta Mood

Built around the bold 2023 Color of the Year.

#FBE9EC · #E98BA3 · #BB2649 · #7D1735 · #2B1318

2. Classic Blue Calm

Cool and dependable, around the 2020 pick.

#EAF0F6 · #9DB8D6 · #3A6CA8 · #0F4C81 · #0A2A47

3. Peach Fuzz Warmth

Soft and welcoming, around the 2024 colour.

#FFF2EA · #FFD9C2 · #FFBE98 · #E08E66 · #A85A3A

How to use Pantone-inspired colors in CSS

Once you have the closest hex, treat it like any other web colour:

:root {
  --poty-2023: #BB2649; /* Viva Magenta (approx) */
  --poty-2020: #0F4C81; /* Classic Blue (approx) */
  --poty-2024: #FFBE98; /* Peach Fuzz (approx) */
}

From there you can build tints, shades, and full palettes — our guide on how to choose a color palette walks through the process.

Frequently asked questions

Can I convert a Pantone color to hex?

You can find the closest hex equivalent, but it is only an approximation. Pantone is a physical ink standard, while hex describes on-screen RGB colour, so the two never match exactly.

What is the Pantone Color of the Year?

It is a shade Pantone selects each year to reflect and influence design trends. Recent examples include Peach Fuzz (2024), Viva Magenta (2023), and Very Peri (2022).

Is Pantone free to use?

The colours themselves are not copyrightable, so you can use any hex approximation freely. Official Pantone colour libraries and tools, however, are licensed products.

Build your own version. Drop any Pantone hex into PaletteCSS to generate matching palettes, or explore current aesthetic color palettes.