Pantone Color of the Year 2021: Illuminating & Ultimate Gray

Pantone chose a duo for 2021: Illuminating (PANTONE 13-0647) and Ultimate Gray (PANTONE 17-5104)—sunlit yellow plus grounded gray to balance hope with resilience.

What color are Illuminating & Ultimate Gray?

• Illuminating: bright, cheery yellow with a soft butter note (not neon).
• Ultimate Gray: medium, stone-like gray with a matte feel; neutral and steady.
• Together they read like sunlight on concrete—warm spark over a calm base.

Why they were chosen as Color of the Year

• Yellow signaled optimism and restart energy; gray stood for stability and care.
• A split pick reflected the “recover and rebuild” mood after a turbulent year.
• The pair translates easily to print, packaging, merch, and digital shells.

Illuminating & Ultimate Gray values (HEX/RGB/CMYK/CSS copy-ready)

• Illuminating — HEX #F5DF4D; RGB 245, 223, 77; CMYK 3, 1, 78, 0; CSS --pantone-2021-yellow: #F5DF4D;
• Ultimate Gray — HEX #939597; RGB 147, 149, 151; CMYK 40, 30, 32, 9; CSS --pantone-2021-gray: #939597;
• Use gray as the canvas, yellow as the signal to keep UX legible.

Is it warm or cool? Compared with close neighbors

• Illuminating is warm and bright; cooler than neon lemon, warmer than pastel butter.
• Ultimate Gray is cool-neutral; darker than silver, lighter than charcoal.
• Versus warm gray (#A8A29E): Ultimate Gray is crisper, better for copy and dividers.
• Versus richer yellow (#EAB308): Illuminating is lighter and cleaner, less orange.

Why they read premium (color psychology & mood keywords)

• Keywords: hope + resilience, balance, clarity, restart.
• Gray adds sophistication and texture potential (linen, stone); yellow supplies emotion without cheapening when used sparingly.
• The duo supports storytelling about recovery, care, and reliable optimism.

4 palettes (Style / Home / Brand / UI)

• Style: #F5DF4D / #939597 / #111827 / #FDFCF7 / #2563EB
• Home: #F5DF4D / #D4D4D8 / #6B7280 / #F5F3EF / #8B5CF6
• Brand: #F5DF4D / #0F172A / #E5E7EB / #9CA3AF / #34D399
• UI: #F5DF4D / #111827 / #1F2937 / #E5E7EB / #60A5FA

How to use it in different scenes (Home / Style / Print / Web)

• Home: Use gray on walls/soft furnishings; add yellow pillows, art, or lighting as accents.
• Style: Gray coats or denim as base; yellow scarf/bag/knit for the spark.
• Print: Gray paper or matte finishes as stage; spot yellow for titles, seals, or tabs.
• Web: Keep layouts gray/off-white; apply yellow to CTAs, notifications, data highlights with dark text for contrast.

Pitfalls to avoid

• Full-page yellow backgrounds with light text—readability collapses fast.
• Pairing yellow with equally bright orange/neon pink; it cheapens the palette.
• Overusing gray without texture; add linen grain, borders, or subtle shadows.
• Forgetting contrast ratios when yellow is the button background—use dark ink colors.

FAQ

• Q: Which color should lead? A: Let gray hold surfaces and typography; deploy yellow for highlights and CTAs.
• Q: Can I use yellow text on gray? A: Only for small badges; main text should be dark on light for accessibility.
• Q: Does the duo work in dark mode? A: Yes—use deep charcoal as the shell, yellow for accents, and keep gray for cards.
• Q: How do I make it feel premium? A: Combine with textured paper, embossing, or soft shadows; keep yellow coverage controlled.

Trademark note

Pantone® is a trademark of Pantone LLC. This article is informational and not affiliated with Pantone.