Sounds Like A Cult The Cult of Pantone (the Color Conspiracy)
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Mar 31, 2026 Kory Stamper, lexicographer and author of True Color, unpacks Pantone’s rise to cultural authority. They explore how Pantone standardized color, the rituals around swatch books, controversies like licensing disputes and tone-deaf Color of the Year choices. Short, sharp looks at naming’s power, color forecasting, and the industry pushback that questions who really owns color.
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How Pantone Became The Color Authority
- Pantone positioned itself as the global authority on color by creating a proprietary matching system that let industries 'speak the same chromatic language'.
- Larry Herbert standardized colors with numbered formulas, replacing ad-hoc methods like sending fabric swatches and ties to printers.
Editor Memories Of Pantone Chip Worship
- Kory Stamper recounts being a junior editor who had to cradle designers' Pantone chip decks like precious objects during production checks.
- Designers warned the decks cost hundreds and must not be lost or marked, showing the near-religious reverence for swatch books.
Pantone Won By Marketing Not Pure Invention
- Pantone's system built on earlier color standards (like Munsell) but outcompeted others by marketing beyond niche industries.
- Its ubiquity comes from effective branding and adoption, not purely original invention.
