Ultra-Violet is the Pantone colour of the year for 2018

Shades of purple

Purple! It’s the Pantone colour of the year! I must admit, I’m very excited as I’m a big fan of purple. There’s so many shades to choose from. Some prefer pale lilacs whilst others like rich bold purples. It’s an interesting colour too in terms of what it can symbolise. Everything from luxury, royalty and elegance to mystery, creativeness and even magic are represented by purple.

Pantone have announced their special limited edition Ultra-Violet Uncoated and Coated book set. It includes 1,867 spot colours plus pages dedicated to the Ultra-Violet colour range. There’s only 3,500 been made, so you’ll have to move fast if you want to order one. A new star-themed box has also been created for these storing special books.

I’ve already noticed our customers reacting to this latest colour trend. There’s a definite increase of purple products appearing on social media. Looking through the predicted pattern and homeware trends for SS18 there’s an interesting mix. For fashion, there’s lots of nature based I’m really looking forward to a year of purple. It’s always great the creative designs from our customers as they embrace new trends.


How you can react to this Pantone trend with printed textiles purple colour of the year

Digital printing provides a perfect opportunity to produce short print runs and experiment more easily. In addition, pre-production samples are more cost-effective with digital too. There’s no set up costs or screen charges. Digital allows you to trial your ideas without committing to long print runs.

Purple homeware items are appearing online and in shops, so why not try creating a purple inspired cushion cover. Remember, there’s no limit to the number of colours with digital printing so you don’t have to just use one shade of purple!

Our Optimal material is fantastic for reproducing bold, vibrant colours plus it washes well too. You can create a range of matching products, all made from this same material, including tea towels, aprons, cushion covers and bags.

For screen printing, customers can consider reprinting their popular designs in purple, for a cost-effective way of updating their products. Single colour designs can really make an impact too, with a create use of type or illustration.