Most of us communicate color information using the Pantone Matching System or “PMS”, (though not to be confused with the condition PMS or Premenstrual Syndrome.)

Pantone also every year announces the “Color of the Year.” They scour the globe and come up with a color. This year it is Pantone 18-3838 Ultraviolet. The Pantone Institute waxes absolutely poetic about their choice. ”

“From exploring new technologies and the greater galaxy, to artistic expression and spiritual reflection, intuitive Ultra Violet lights the way to what is yet to come.” Complex and contemplative, Ultra Violet suggests the mysteries of the cosmos, the intrigue of what lies ahead, and the discoveries beyond where we are now. 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.

“We are living in a time that requires inventiveness and imagination. It is this kind of creative inspiration that is indigenous to PANTONE 18-3838 Ultra-Violet, a blue-based purple that takes our awareness and potential to a higher level.”

They go on to mention Prince, Bowie and Hendrix as being countercultural icons embracing the old Ultraviolet.

Furthermore, they say that “Historically, there has been a mystical or spiritual quality attached to Ultra Violet. The color is often associated with mindfulness practices, which offer a higher ground to those seeking refuge from today’s over-stimulated world.”

Right on.

You can read more yourself about Ultraviolet and how to use it in food, decor, fashion and more by reading the Pantone press release.

If you are wondering what the hell is color 18-3838? That’s a Pantone’s TPG number, TPG is for hard home goods, ceramics, paint, cosmetics, fashion accessories, and leather applications. In printing we use for ink the print version and the closest purple in there to the color of the year is 2096C.

By the way if you ever are given one kind of Pantone system number and want to convert it as closely as possible to another, there is an on-line converter here. There is also an on line RGB to Pantone converter here.

For the color of the year, I think no garment company has it exactly in a t-shirt (unless you want to garment dye something.)  Here are the purples out there in our world:

Hanes Grape Triblend 7670C, Purple 2685U

Champion Purple 268C

Alternative Apparel Eco Tru Purple

Bella/Canvas: Heather Purple 5285C, Heather Team Purple 2665C, Purple 7666C, Purple Triblend 668C, Team Purple 2695C

LAT Apparel:  Vintage Purple 669C

Bayside: Purple

Econscious: Iris 5265C

Los Angeles Apparel: Lapis, Purple or they will dye you something very close to Ultraviolet for a minimum t-shirt run of only 300 shirts on their nice garment dyed line

Gildan: Orchid 2635C, Violet 7452C, Purple 7672C, Heather Purple 668C, Lilac 7679C, Marbled Purple 7680C, Heathered Sport Purple 7673C

Anvil: Violet 7675C, Purple 7672C

and if you buy PFD’s (shirts that are prepared for dyeing) and send them to my pal Jeff Bass at Red Fish Blue Fish  he can dye a minimum run of about 120 shirts and give you ultraviolet (or just about any color) for less than $1.50 a shirt.

and then in the spirit of Pantone’s color choice, let me go all tangent on you.

Pantone mentions Hendrix and Purple Haze. Instead of a link to that song which you all know, here’s the just released Mannish Boy from the new release of Hendrix blues from the late 60’s which drops March 9 called ‘Both Sides of the Sky’ with a track-listing as follows:

1. Mannish Boy*
2. Lover Man*
3. Hear My Train A Comin’*
4. Stepping Stone*
5. $20 Fine* (ft. Stephen Stills)
6.  Power Of Soul
7. Jungle*
8. Things I Used to Do (ft. Johnny Winter)
9. Georgia Blues (ft. Lonnie Youngblood)
10. Sweet Angel*
11. Woodstock* (ft. Stephen Stills)
12. Send My Love To Linda*
13. Cherokee Mist*

* previously unreleased