Hot off the heels of Pantone’s 2020 color of the year, popular handmade website Etsy announces their color of the year, and it’s not what we expect. Etsy is known for everything artisanal and handmade, and while other brands and color-oriented companies like Pantone have gravitated towards calming shades of blue, Etsy, the source of all things unique opts to head in another direction. According to Etsy, the official color of 2020 is Chartreuse.
Appropriately named for its resemblance to the French liqueur, Chartreuse is a shade that is halfway between yellow and green; a blend of warm and cool colors. The greener shades of this hue have a fresh, spring like feel and can be reminiscent of 60’s retro. The yellow side is warm but is however toned down by the bits of green. This vivid color combines the vitality of green with the energy and optimism of yellow. Chartreuse is so versatile that it can range from a bright lime to a more muted avocado tone.
Choosing Chartreuse
When it comes to choosing that perfect color to represent the new year, Etsy’s choice was backed up by statistical support. According to Etsy’s trend experts, “There has been a 12% increase in searches on Etsy for green items, and a 55% increase in searches for neon green items in the past three months.” These statistics were compared to the same searches this time in the previous year.
Similar to Pantone’s Classic Blue, Chartreuse offers a sense of calm and harmony. This shade goes along with the movement of 2020 being a year full of new beginnings and making meaningful changes. Trend experts also add that shoppers will be thinking more about their actions – including what they are purchasing. This combination of yellow and green perfectly complements that feeling by again connecting us with nature and encouraging us to make mindful choices.
Chartreuse and Packaging
For those who are all about staying on trend, Chartreuse can easily fit into any type of packaging design. Whether using it alone, as a statement color or mixed with eye-pleasing neutrals like gray or navy (Classic Blue), this hue will be sure to create on-trend packaging. Depending on your brand’s style, Chartreuse can also pair well with textured materials like kraft papers, cotton, specialty textured papers or velvet.
With the combination of Chartreuse and an assortment of materials, your brand can also create unique packaging with special treatments to make Etsy’s color of the year pop. Treatments from spot uv to foil hot stamping are great options to add onto any type of shopping bag or gift box. The glossiness of the spot uv can bring out any logo or graphic paired with this popular shade. Foil hot stamping, on the other hand can add a warm earthy tone to any type of packaging.
Etsy’s chosen color of the year is the perfect addition to any packaging collection. Considering its visually pleasing aesthetic, it can be another color that brands will gravitate to in 2020. Finally, pairing this shade with Pantone’s Classic Blue and other neutrals can create an on-trend color palette for this year. Make your 2020 packaging collection stand out with a combination of popular materials, treatments and colors; including Etsy’s color of the year: Chartreuse. We are excited to see this eye-catching hue in home décor and packaging trends.
