Over the past 5 years Vince Hearing has transformed Pigment Cell Research into a journal with an increasingly wide audience, publishing papers with ever higher quality that is reflected in the steadily increasing impact factor. He deserves the thanks of the entire pigment cell community for his outstanding efforts. As the incoming editor, I intend to continue his work in trying to improve the journal and to expand its audience, while at the same time serving the interests of the entire pigment cell research community and societies. As such the scope of the journal remains unchanged: the publication of papers relevant to all aspects of pigment cell research, including melanin chemistry, development, cell and molecular biology as well as pigment cell-related diseases such as vitiligo and melanoma. The long-term goal is that Pigment Cell Research will become the first choice for publication of many papers that currently go elsewhere. The major criteria for publication remains good quality, well controlled science relevant to pigment cell biology. As the melanocyte field is relatively small, there is a limit to the number of papers generated by the field as well as to how well read, and cited, papers published in Pigment Cell Research may be. This limit may be expanded if more people have access to the journal. For that reason reviews are now freely available online and papers will be published ‘online early’ ahead of appearing in the print issue to avoid delays arising from the bi-monthly publication schedule. Readership may further be increased if the pigment cell field expands. Indeed, recruitment of new members to the pigment cell community is also vital if research into melanocytes and related pigment cell types is to maintain a strong base and remain a vibrant and dynamic field. Pigment Cell Research has historically published few papers related to melanoma. Since the melanoma field is large, publishing papers specifically related to the genetics, molecular and cell biology of the disease, and consequently gaining readership in that area, will be important for the future of this journal. Hopefully this aim will be realised through the efforts of the melanoma specialists on the revised editorial board and the publication of a series of melanoma-related reviews. After all, melanoma proliferation and metastasis is underpinned by the subversion of genes implicated in normal regulation of melanocyte development. By attracting papers from both fields, Pigment Cell Research should stimulate research and provide a forum for the exchange of ideas between those seeking to understand and combat melanoma and those engaged in trying to understand the fundamental questions concerning the developmental pathways leading to mature pigment cells. Although my research interests extend to the basic mechanisms of how genes are regulated and I therefore mix with researchers from a variety of fields, the more I have become immersed in pigment cell biology, the more I appreciate the individuals that make up the pigment cell research community. For those I interact with through collaborations or at meetings, I feel it would be difficult to find a nicer bunch of people so willing to share ideas and reagents without reservation, and to collaborate in the spirit of friendship rather than outright competition at all costs. It seems to me that at this level, the ideals of science that seem sometimes to have been lost in some other fields are upheld within the pigment cell community and should be encouraged and preserved. Finally, there are also some changes in the presentation of the journal: a new format, and a new colour cover for each issue chosen from images provided by members of the pigment cell community. These are more than cosmetic. In providing a visually exciting image on the outside, I hope to entice more of you to look inside. In changing the format, I hope that readers and authors will feel that this is a modern and high quality publication. Some of the more attentive among you may also have noticed a change in citation format, from numbered to author-date. This is a personal whim, based on my own desire as a reader and a referee to have some idea as to which papers have been cited without having to resort to the reference list, as well as the painful experience of having to renumber all citations each time I have to revise my own manuscripts. The cover image for this month comes from Randy Morrison and shows a Madagascan chameleon. Chameleons have at least five different pigment cell types, symbolising the broad interests of the pigment cell community, while the dramatic colour changes displayed by male chameleons reflect the new style of the journal as well as the change of editor.