The Pantone Color Institute has released the “Capsule Signature Edition,” a carefully curated, portable fan guide to all things pigment. It claims its capsule brings together decades of Pantone palettes and guesses into one cohesive and familiar color collection. The curated capsule is pitched as an accessible way for anyone (like students, freelancers, and content creators) to work with Pantone colors in a variety of creative processes. All for just $99.
You can purchase it here.
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“At Pantone, we have spent a lot of time speaking with our creative community to understand how their roles have changed, the tools they need, and how to best serve them,” said Ora Solomon, vice president of product and engineering at Pantone.
The collection fan features over 600 different colors on coated and uncoated paper. The collection, based on Pantone’s 60-year history, dates back to 1963 and includes both legacy and proven shades. Given the color intelligence service’s target audience, the collection is equally useful as a learning tool for understanding the Pantone Matching System (PMS).
Functionally, the Capsule system is designed to cover the entire typical design workflow. It supports color matching and communication across branding, packaging, marketing, and print, while remaining compact enough to take to meetings or press checks. Each color is labeled with a Pantone number and ink formula, and an index allows you to quickly find the color you want.
An integrated lighting indicator page also helps users assess whether their viewing conditions are suitable for accurate color evaluation.
The Capsule: Signature Edition also reflects Pantone’s response to the rapidly changing creative landscape. As design roles expand beyond traditional studios to include freelancers, founders, and creators working across platforms, there appears to be a growing need for streamlined tools that balance inspiration and utility.
The product was introduced to select designers at Adobe Max, where, according to the color expert, early reactions showed strong interest in a more focused, portable alternative to larger guides.
Rather than replacing the classic formula guide, the Capsule system sits alongside the existing spectrum as a carefully curated addition. It offers a less complicated and more thoughtful way to enter the Pantone system, while adhering to the same standards that have made the brand a cornerstone of color communication.
By narrowing its focus, Pantone seems to recognize that sometimes fewer colors can help make clearer decisions.
Credits:
All images courtesy of Pantone.
