Pantone’s Purple Rain

Published by Oteri Otobor on Aug 21, 2017 12:00:00 AM

In honour of the late musician Prince, the Pantone Color Institute has worked with his estate to create a new shade of purple, named after his iconic symbol Love Symbol #2.

American Singer Prince (Prince Rogers Nelson) on stage at the 1998 Essence Awards

Prince ‘The Purple One’ Rogers Nelson passed away last year, aged 57. The musician was forever associated with the colour purple, in part due to his song, album and film, all titled Purple Rain and released in 1984. The Love Symbol #2 colour: PQ-7448C was inspired by his custom-made Yamaha purple piano. This piano was scheduled to go on tour with Prince before his untimely death.

Explore our archive for this purple shade.

Pantone colour: PQ-7448C

Troy Carter, Entertainment Advisor to Prince’s Estate said:
“The color purple was synonymous with who Prince was and will always be. This is an incredible way for his legacy to live on forever.”

Purple Leaves III, White, K.B. / Private Collection

Laurie Pressman, Vice President of the Pantone Color Institute said:
“We are honored to have worked on the development of Love Symbol #2, a distinctive new purple shade created in memory of Prince, ‘the purple one.’ A musical icon known for his artistic brilliance, Love Symbol #2 is emblematic of Prince’s distinctive style. Long associated with the purple family, Love Symbol #2 enables Prince’s unique purple shade to be consistently replicated and maintain the same iconic status as the man himself.”