Classic blue is a timeless and elegant shade that exudes style, confidence, and credibility. As a primary color, blue makes a strong visual impact and is commonly associated with stability, trust, wisdom, and loyalty. In the world of color psychology, classic blue promotes productivity and focus while having a calming effect. This versatile color works well in a variety of settings from corporate branding to interior design. But what exactly is the Pantone number for classic blue? We’ll explore the origins of Pantone’s color matching system, examine how classic blue became Pantone’s color of the year for 2020, and reveal the specific Pantone number and RGB and HEX values for this enduring color.
The Pantone Color Matching System
To understand the Pantone number for classic blue, we must first look at the history of the Pantone color system. Pantone Inc. is a New Jersey-based corporation known for its proprietary color space used across the design industries including print, digital, fashion, and plastics. In 1963, Pantone was founded by Lawrence Herbert who invented an innovative color matching system that standardized colors for production across various materials and finishes. This allowed designers to accurately specify and reproduce specific colors, eliminating guesswork and inconsistencies.
The Pantone Matching System (PMS) is a standardized color reproduction system where each color is assigned a unique number and associated formula ink mix. This enabled colors to be matched exactly by printers and manufacturers globally using the Pantone color guides. Today, Pantone is considered the authority on commercial color reproduction and its color guides are used as an industry standard across multiple market sectors. The system went digital in 2007 with the launch of Pantone Color Manager software allowing enhanced digital workflow.
Pantone Color of the Year
In addition to its color matching system, Pantone makes headlines each year by picking a Color of the Year. This annual choice highlights a top trending shade that reflects current tastes in design, fashion, pop culture, and socio-economic conditions.
Pantone’s Color of the Year selection process involves meticulous trend analysis by Pantone’s color experts who comb the world looking for new color influences. They analyze upcoming seasonal runway colors, movie sets, new artists’ palettes, travel destinations, socio-economic conditions, sports influences, and technologies. The chosen color is meant to express the mood and spirit of the upcoming year.
The first Pantone Color of the Year was selected in 2000. Some past selections include Blue Iris (2008), Greenery (2017), and Living Coral (2019). The 2020 pick was Classic Blue, a timeless, confident, and resilient shade.
Pantone 19-4052 Classic Blue
For 2020, Pantone chose Classic Blue, a deep, masculine blue tone evoking feelings of trust and reliability. With technology ever evolving and societal views rapidly changing, Pantone felt Classic Blue promoted resilience and optimism while offering solidity and refuge. As consumers craved honesty and integrity, Classic Blue conveyed confidence and connection.
According to Pantone, “Imprinted in our psyches as a restful color, Classic Blue brings a sense of peace and tranquility to the human spirit, offering refuge. A boundless blue evocative of the vast and infinite evening sky, Classic Blue encourages us to look beyond the obvious to expand our thinking; challenging us to think more deeply, increase our perspective and open the flow of communication.”
Specifically, Pantone 19-4052 Classic Blue is the official Pantone Matching System (PMS) number and RGB and HEX values for this rich azure shade.
| Pantone Number | 19-4052 |
| RGB Value | R: 25, G: 56, B: 102 |
| HEX Value | #193866 |
Use Cases for Classic Blue
As a versatile primary color, Classic Blue works beautifully in a variety of settings. Here are some popular uses for Pantone’s 2020 Color of the Year:
– Corporate branding – Classic Blue conveys trust, confidence, and professionalism for business branding. IBM, Dell, Ford, Lowes, HP, and Samsung have used classic blues in their logos and marketing.
– Website design – Classic blues make excellent background colors with high readability for text and content. Classic Blue provides a calming web presence.
– Packaging design – On product packaging, Classic Blue grabs attention on shelves. It pairs well with clean, white space and pops against black.
– Interior design – Paint walls or accent pieces in a home or office with Classic Blue to promote productivity and relaxation. Classic Blue makes a dramatic impact on ceilings. Use sparingly as it can overwhelm in large doses.
– Fashion design – Navy blues are wardrobe staples. Classic Blue offers a complementary neutral that works for casual and dressy looks. Pair with whites, reds, pinks and earth tones.
– Graphic design – A saturated classic blue creates a bold, stable background for design elements like graphics, charts and photographs. Soft blue tones work for headers, footers and backgrounds.
The versatility of Classic Blue makes it a favorite among designers, brands and the color-conscious. It works well across masculine and feminine styles. As a primary color, Classic Blue packs visual impact while offering many contextual shades suitable for diverse applications.
Psychology of the Color Blue
Behind Pantone’s selection of Classic Blue lies scientific research on color psychology. Studies have found that different colors evoke specific psychological, physiological and behavioral responses. Let’s look at how humans perceive and respond to the color blue:
Positive Effects
– Calming – The color blue triggers the body’s production of calming hormones which lower heart rate and blood pressure. Blue spaces promote relaxation.
– Productive – Blue’s soothing qualities create focused energy. People are more productive in blue rooms. Blue boosts concentration for detail work.
– Trustworthy – Blue promotes credibility and dependability. Brands use blue for authority, security and stability.
– Intelligent – Blue conveys intelligence and wisdom. Dark blue signals professionalism and expertise.
– Tranquil – The expansive nature of blue induces inner peace, introspection and truth. Light blues are gentle and relaxing.
– Orderly – Blue’s muted tones feel organized and tidy. Blue environments reduce clutter.
Negative Effects
– Cold – Too much blue can come across as aloof and uncaring. Dark blues can feel depressing.
– Unappetising – Blue suppresses appetite. Use sparingly in restaurants and dining areas.
– Overwork – Constant exposure to blue can induce overload. Take breaks from blue spaces.
– Elitist – Royal shades of blue may elicit superiority and seclusion. Blue can seem exclusive.
– Sadness – Dark blues like navy and indigo can bring on melancholy thoughts and loneliness.
– Controlling – Rigid blues feel conforming and unwilling to bend. Avoid using blue in negotiations.
Classic Blue, as a darker, saturated shade, retains blue’s positive effects of calmness, productivity and stability while minimizing negative vibes of sadness, aloofness or depression. Its versatility allows it to work across personal, professional and commercial contexts bringing beautiful balance as Pantone’s 2020 Color of the Year.
Complementary Colors for Classic Blue
Classic Blue looks stunning alongside many other colors. Let’s look at the best color pairings and complementary schemes for Pantone 19-4052 Classic Blue:
Monochromatic – Shades of blue provide a sophisticated, tranquil look. Add depth by mixing light and dark blues like baby blue, azure, navy.
Analogous – Blues combined with adjacent colors like purple, teal and green create soothing, harmonious schemes.
Triadic – Classic blues paired with vivid hues like red-orange and yellow-green form high-contrast, energetic color schemes.
Split Complementary – This scheme uses a color plus the two hues adjacent to its complement. For blue, orange is the complement. So blue-orange-red is a split complementary palette.
Square Tetradic – This scheme uses four colors spaced evenly around the color wheel. For blue, pair it with red, yellow and green.
Accented Analogous – Pair blue with analogous colors like teal and purple, and accent it with a contrasting color like yellow or orange.
Whatever palette you choose, Classic Blue works with both warm and cool partner colors. It is extremely versatile for color combinations that are cohesive, complementary and always stylish.
Classic Blue in Popular Culture
Pantone’s 2020 Color of the Year has made a cultural impact across entertainment, fashion, design, sports, politics and business spheres. Here are some popular instances where Classic Blue took the spotlight:
– Movies – Classic Blues filled the screen in acclaimed films Life of Pi, Gravity, 1917, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
– TV Shows – Viewers saw shades of Classic Blue in Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad, Mad Men and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
– Music – Classic Blue got album treatment on Arcade Fire’s Reflektor, Jay-Z’s Magna Carta Holy Grail and John Mayer’s Paradise Valley.
– Fashion – Louis Vuitton, Salvatore Ferragamo, Christian Siriano and Billy Reid incorporated Pantone’s Color of the Year into dresses, suits and accessories.
– Branding – Companies like Facebook, Messenger, ASUS, Maven Clinic and Danone rebranded logos and products using Classic Blue and Pantone’s 2020 hue palette.
– Politics – For President Biden’s 2021 inauguration, Kamala Harris wore a Classic Blue coat and dress by designer Christopher John Rogers.
– Sports – Nike launched a Classic Blue collection with Pantone-inspired apparel and footwear during the 2020 Olympics which were postponed to 2021.
From soundtracks to runways to product packaging, Pantone’s Classic Blue made a huge cultural impact in 2020 and 2021 across industries worldwide. The timeless color proved prominent and commercially successful.
Conclusion
Classic Blue’s selection as Pantone’s 2020 Color of the Year confirms its versatility and appeal across history. With origins dating back to Pantone’s creation in 1963, this rich azure tone has become an industry-standard color for branding, graphic arts and visual design. As Pantone 19-4052, Classic Blue offers business credibility, personal tranquility and unlimited coordination possibilities. The psychology and meaning behind Classic Blue conjures productivity, stability, trust and focus. This enduring shade will continue making a cultural impact with prominence across commercial markets and popular media. Classic Blue is a undisputed classic color representing consistency and resilience for years to come.
