Pantone has described its pick for Color of the Year 2023 as a stand-out statement colour that is “rooted in the primordial”.A nuanced crimson red tone that presents a balance between warm and cool, PANTONE 18-1750 Viva Magenta is also a hybrid colour, one that comfortably straddles the physical and virtual, evocative of our multi-dimensional world. Assertive but not aggressive, it is a carmine red that does not boldly dominate but instead takes a “fist in a velvet glove” approach. Exuding dynamism, PANTONE 18-1750 Viva Magenta is a transformative red tone capable of driving design to create a more positive future. The chosen colour is Pantone 18-1750 Viva Magenta, and the roll-out also involves a series of brand collaborations as well as an immersive exhibition dubbed ‘The Magentaverse’. Viva Magenta was inspired by the red of cochineal, “one of the most precious dyes belonging to the natural dye family as well as one of the strongest and brightest the world has known”. Pantone has been under fire in printing and graphic arts communities in recent months, after Adobe dropped Pantone Color Libraries from its Creative Cloud suite and Pantone subsequently more than doubled the price of its Pantone Connect plug-in.