Pantone adds 224 graphics shades as Dunn-Edwards names French Press Coffee its 2027 Color of the Year

Pantone expands its Matching System with 224 new graphics colors

Pantone introduced 224 new colors into the Pantone Matching System, adding to the standard library that designers consult for print and brand work. The new range spans citrusy yellows through to mystical purples, broadening the available chromatic territory for graphics and packaging work. For practitioners, the immediate workflow change is straightforward: any swatch library or brand document tied to the Pantone Matching System now has 224 additional reference points that may need to be sampled, named, and added to internal libraries.

Designers converting Pantone references to screen values for client previews can work through a RGB to CMYK Converter when the project shifts back to print, and the CMYK Color Codes and Their CSS Named Color Equivalents guide helps translate between the two systems. Anyone maintaining internal CSS color tables can also cross-reference new shades against the HTML Color Names Chart.

Dunn-Edwards names French Press Coffee as 2027 Color of the Year

Paint manufacturer Dunn-Edwards announced French Press Coffee as its 2027 Color of the Year, paired with the designation code DEBN07. The hue is described as a deep, nuanced brown layered with a subtle plum undertone, sitting firmly in the warm, grounded territory that multiple paint brands have converged on for the coming season. The DEBN07 code matters because it lets specifiers pull the exact value into procurement and design documents without guesswork, and the brown-with-plum character gives interiors teams a versatile neutral that can carry both warm and cool accents.

For designers building palettes around this color, the Color Contrast Checker helps verify whether chosen text or UI elements paired with French Press Coffee meet accessibility thresholds.

Warm, grounded palettes continue to dominate paint direction

Both reporting outlets frame the Dunn-Edwards pick as continuing a wider movement toward warm, nuanced neutrals in residential and commercial interiors. French Press Coffee's plum undertone keeps it from reading as flat brown, giving it more flexibility across lighting conditions and adjacent materials than a neutral brown would offer. The choice pairs naturally with the Pantone graphics expansion, since the warmer end of Pantone's new citrusy yellows and the deeper end of its mystical purples bracket the same temperature range.

Practitioners preparing mood boards for clients expecting 2027-ready interiors should plan for browns with complexity rather than flat earth tones, and the CMYK Color Chart Palette Ideas Built from CSS Color Names guide offers starting points for building complementary palettes from named colors.

Practical workflow adjustments for designers and developers

Two concrete adjustments follow from the day's news. First, Pantone Matching System references used in style guides and brand documents should be audited to confirm whether any new project uses shades from the 224-color expansion; where they do, the values need to be sampled and documented. Second, French Press Coffee (DEBN07) is now a defensible specification for interior palettes heading into 2027, and the plum undertone should be tested against the materials and lighting of the specific space rather than assumed to behave like a generic brown.

The RGB to HEX for Accessible Color Contrast guide and the Color Contrast Checker on Windows: Run It in Your Browser walkthrough both support the contrast-verification step that should follow any palette decision. For web projects that will eventually move to print collateral, the RGB to CMYK for Web Design: Prep Colors for Print guide covers the conversion path.

Follow-up worth checking later

Readers should watch for two things in the coming weeks: any additional paint brand announcing its 2027 Color of the Year, since the warm-grounded direction is now confirmed by Dunn-Edwards, and any tooling vendor updating Pantone Matching System libraries to reflect the 224 new shades. Brand teams building 2027 mood boards can use the Pantone graphics expansion as a swatch source and French Press Coffee as a primary neutral, validating both choices against accessibility requirements before client presentation.