A Look Into Pantone’s 2026 Color of the Year

Oh wow! It’s…white?

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The Pantone Color of the Year was first launched in 1999, and the program was designed as an educational initiative to reflect our global culture. The first official color, Cerulean, was selected in 2000. It’s important to note that these colors aren’t chosen randomly. On an annual basis, they’re selected after careful trend analysis by experts to inspire design and conversation about how culture and color interact.

Pantone recently selected its2026 color, which is called Cloud Dancer. As is the case every year, the selected colors are designed to spark thought about what they mean for the print industry as well as the overall world at any given time. Laurie Pressman, Vice President of the Pantone Color Institute, elaborates, “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.”

It’s amazing that something as simple as a color can offer a lot of insight about where we’ve been and where we’re going.

Despite its very fancy name, you might be surprised to learn that the 2026 Color of the Year is actually a shade of white! This year marks the first time since the program’s inception that Pantone has chosen any shade of white as the Color of the Year. An image used to highlight Cloud Dancer shows a woman dressed in billowy white clothing, with a background of a blue sky filled with equally billowy white clouds.

Cloud Dancer, Pantone’s 2026 Color of the Year

(Source: Pantone Color Institute).

Pantone describes Cloud Dancer as “a lofty, airy white that serves as a symbol of calming influence in a society rediscovering the value of quiet reflection.” As is the case with every Color of the Year, this year’s shade serves a prediction of the mood and culture for the upcoming year.

According to Pantone, its Color of the Year typically acts like a global forecast that sets the tone for what people will buy, wear, or gravitate towards in the near future. The fashion world is already seeing an aesthetic of quiet luxury that relies on shades similar to Cloud Dancer. There is an emphasis on logo-free (albeit expensive)natural clothing that communicates an understated sophistication.

Given the world’s uncertain political and economic climate, it’s not surprising that Pantone chose a color that is intended to encourage tranquility. The color represents a rebirth of sorts, a clean slate that invites us to enter the new year with a calm, fresh perspective. Pantone notes, “Cloud Dancer symbolizes a calming influence in a society rediscovering the value of quiet reflection. It invites true relaxation and focus, allowing the mind to wander and creativity to breathe. It opens up space for creativity, allowing our imagination to drift so that new insights and bold ideas can emerge and take shape.”

Throughout 2026, Cloud Dancer and the Pantone trademark will appear on a wide variety of products—smartphones, Post-It Notes, Joy bird furniture, and even Play-Doh. And yes, these products will be showcasing what boils down to just a fancy name for white.

Play-Doh in Cloud Dancer (Source: Pantone Color Institute).

Reactions to the latest Color of the Year on social media have been mixed. Some have called Cloud Dancer “boring,” “sterile,” or “dystopian.” Despite the backlash, Laurie Pressman asserts that the chosen color “reflects what people are looking for ... Similar to a blank canvas, Cloud Dancer signifies our desire for a fresh start. Peeling away layers of outmoded thinking, we open the door to new approaches.”

Our world has changed dramatically over the past several years, and the rate of change will only increase. Pantone’s 2026 Color of the Year reflects a period of upheaval, disruption, reinvention, and unprecedented technological advancements. With its minimalistic simplicity, Cloud Dancer is intended to capture something essential about our emotional, cultural, and technological climate. It reflects a collective desire to pause, start fresh, and make room for new ideas. As we continue through 2026, this airy white color encourages a renewed sense of clarity, creativity, and inspiration.

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