Pantone's color of the year is an ode to Prince and outer space

It's a mystical symbol of originality. It's an ode to Prince and Jimi Hendrix. It's Pantone's color of the year.

Pigment authority Pantone has named "Ultra Violet" its 2018 color of the year. The mystical shade is a "complex and contemplative" color that symbolizes discovery and innovation, the company says.

Ultra Violet is like something you'd find in a galaxy, Pantone claims in its announcement — and NASA is on board:

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The Pantone Color Institute names a top shade every year. It isn't supposed to represent current trends in design, but rather inspire the future of it, the company explains.

Maybe Pantone knows something about the space program that we don't?