Every year The Pantone Color Institute chooses a colour that they feel will be the next it colour for the next 12 months. Not to long ao, it chose Marsala (PANTONE® 18-1438) as their 25th Color of the Year.
Marsala is a deep reddish-brown colour that the specialists at Pantone say as being “a naturally robust and earthy wine red.” The colour is bold enough to stand as an accent to other colours, but can also make a statement by itself.
The Pantone website has a detailed explanation on Marsala and how it was selected to be the colour of the year, along with the official press release.
As a graphic designer, these trends are always of interest since I can see what comes out of it in terms of print design. I feel this colour isn’t quite as exciting as previous bolder colour of the years, but personally having a preference for the more subtle, muted tones, I can see how it may work alongside other colours. It can accompany other colours that I tend to prefer in designs like orange—albeit a muddy one, or a semi-bright blue that is always an inviting colour.
This page on Pantone’s website has a great combination of colour pairings, and also the ASE file you can import to Adobe programs.
So perhaps the next time you see something of a similar colour, you may learn to appreciate its tone and the mood it sets you in, rather than immediately thinking to yourself that this muted brown colour is somewhat of a turn-off. I personally can’t wait to see what other people come up with, and will also keep in mind this colour when I design printed materials.