(See Cary Sherburne's feature related to this announcement here.) 

With alternative textiles taking over street and runway styles, Pantone adds 203 new colors uniquely curated for polyester materials

Carlstadt, N.J. – Pantone LLC, provider of professional color standards for the design industry, today introduces polyester standards ideal for athleisure, footwear, swimwear, sleepwear and the home and fashion accessories markets, as an addition to its Fashion, Home + Interiors System. Dyed on 100% warp knit polyester, these products can be effectively used for color management in polyester, poly-blends and other synthetic materials. The new Pantone Polyester Swatch Set is composed of 203 new colors, ranging from timeless neutrals to eye-popping neons, that are not available in the existing cotton library and cannot be reproduced in cotton with the same degree of clarity or intensity.

“In today’s culture where color plays an important part in our visual identity, we see an increasing desire for more saturated colors that help us stand out; colors beyond those formulated for natural fibers; colors whose appearance displays greater hue intensity, said Laurie Pressman, Vice-President, Pantone Color Institute. “Our new polyester offering addresses this demand for a deeper level of coloration, resulting in a comprehensive mix of colors relevant across design industries including all fashion- and lifestyle-driven markets, as well as home furnishings.”

Intended to complement the existing Fashion, Home + Interiors system, the polyester standards are available in three formats that will be familiar to fashion and home designers as their essential tools for inspiration and color management, while affording the assurance in consistency that Pantone provides:

• Polyester Swatch Set: a convenient storage case for all 203 colors in new 2x2” removable swatches for color selection and palette development
• Polyester Swatch Cards: individual colors in 4”x4” swatches that unfold to 4”x8” for optimal color visualization, specification and instrumental evaluation
• Polyester Spectral Data: exact dye recipes for each color to help expedite achieving color intent in production

“We recognize that designers working in synthetic materials face increased color management challenges due to the inability to achieve more vibrant and saturated colors in these materials compared to traditional cotton standards,” said Adrián Fernández, Vice President and General Manager of Pantone. “The addition of standards specifically for polyester materials is intended to satisfy this gap in the market, combining our technical expertise with the color intelligence of the Pantone Color Institute, to offer our globally-renowned methods of standardization to rapidly growing segments.”

Beginning today, the Polyester Swatch Set is available worldwide, with Swatch Cards and Spectral Data to follow this year. To learn more, visit https://www.pantone.com/polyester.