Adobe to remove Pantone books from Creative Cloud

[miconut]

Adobe is removing the built-in pantone colorbooks from creative cloud. Update happens in March. Pantone in anticipation has moved their Pantone connect extension from a free to a paid service, $60/year per user. Pantone has also removed the hexcodes and converter from their website, also only available behind the paid service.

Get ready for a lot of extra work explaining this to brand designers. I'm saving the currently available Solid Coated v4 library as well as the color equivalent CMYK/ Lab/ Hex values from PANTONE color manager while still available.

How is everyone else preparing for it?

 

[abc]

Thread already running

https://printplanet.com/threads/pantone-color-libraries-will-be-removed-from-future-adobe-updates.291824/

 

[gordo]

Adobe is removing the built-in pantone colorbooks from creative cloud. Update happens in March. Pantone in anticipation has moved their Pantone connect extension from a free to a paid service, $60/year per user. Pantone has also removed the hexcodes and converter from their website, also only available behind the paid service.

Get ready for a lot of extra work explaining this to brand designers. I hate both companies so I'm going to find a way to rehost the most recently .acb files for the Solid Coated v4 library as well as the color equivalent CMYK/ Lab/ Hex values.

How is everyone else preparing for it?

affinity publisher?

 

[miconut]

Thread already running

https://printplanet.com/threads/pantone-color-libraries-will-be-removed-from-future-adobe-updates.291824/

Thank you! I didn't find this in search.

 

[Dov Isaacs]

Adobe is removing the built-in pantone colorbooks from creative cloud. Update happens in March. Pantone in anticipation has moved their Pantone connect extension from a free to a paid service, $60/year per user. Pantone has also removed the hexcodes and converter from their website, also only available behind the paid service.

Get ready for a lot of extra work explaining this to brand designers. I hate both companies so I'm going to find a way to rehost the most recently .acb files for the Solid Coated v4 library as well as the color equivalent CMYK/ Lab/ Hex values.

How is everyone else preparing for it?

As much as you hate Adobe, this whole situation really can't be put on Adobe's shoulders. If not immediately, it will affect every other application which currently directly supplies Pantone color definitions.

Adobe didn't desire or request that the Pantone content be removed from Adobe products. And certainly, Pantone's new service / subscription / whatever-you-want-to-call-it was not in reaction to a move by Adobe. If Pantone simply won't license the content to Adobe for unlimited distribution and decides to change its business model to one of “a direct subscription model with the end users” there is really nothing that Adobe can do about that.

And yes, this situation is a real problem for anyone who has counted on Pantone definitions for any colors and especially spot colors (i.e., colorants beyond process CMYK using either specific spot colors or simulating same via Lab definitions and additional inks).

Please direct your concerns directly to Pantone.

 

[DYP]

The big question is, will Adobe still allow color libraries ASE file containing Pantone definitions to still be installed? I would think they would but do we have an official statement from Adobe?

As most all RIPs would need to continue to support Pantone Spot Colors and most RIPs allow you to export ASE files I don't see this being any kind of problem to have the Pantone libraries available to use in Adobe software.

 

[jwheeler]

If not immediately, it will affect every other application which currently directly supplies Pantone color definitions.

I was starting to think this as well @Dov Isaacs , particularly in regards to our digital presses which have the Pantone libraries built in to the controllers. It doesn't happen to often, but we occasionally go into the controller (Fiery or other) to adjust a Pantone that is called out in a file to make sure it matches.

 

[gregbatch]

Just a couple of weeks ago I went to the Color Finder page at the Pantone website to get a CMYK value. Today I went to do the same thing and it redirected to the a Connect landing page - "Looking for the RGB, CMYK, or Hex value? Visit Pantone Connect". Annual cost is $60.

 

[abc]

As much as you hate Adobe, this whole situation really can't be put on Adobe's shoulders. If not immediately, it will affect every other application which currently directly supplies Pantone color definitions.

Adobe didn't desire or request that the Pantone content be removed from Adobe products. And certainly, Pantone's new service / subscription / whatever-you-want-to-call-it was not in reaction to a move by Adobe. If Pantone simply won't license the content to Adobe for unlimited distribution and decides to change its business model to one of “a direct subscription model with the end users” there is really nothing that Adobe can do about that.

And yes, this situation is a real problem for anyone who has counted on Pantone definitions for any colors and especially spot colors (i.e., colorants beyond process CMYK using either specific spot colors or simulating same via Lab definitions and additional inks).

Please direct your concerns directly to Pantone.

Thanks for the clarity Dov.

 

[abc]

Looking forward to seeing lot's of hand-made 'Pantone' colors with incorrect alternate color definitions and naming conventions from designers who are not willing to pay for something they had included as part of Creative Cloud!

 

[gregbatch]

Looking forward to seeing lot's of hand-made 'Pantone' colors with incorrect alternate color definitions and naming conventions from designers who are not willing to pay for something they had included as part of Creative Cloud!

Partly what I'm fighting already. Which is why I have to look up CMYK. I have designers that build a color that is supposed to be a Pantone, only to find that it's what looks like a Pantone on their $100 printer. I have older bridge books that don't have all of the colors in them to verify. Of course I will get the subscription. $35.99 first year before the end of the year.

 

[abc]

Kind of ironic, Pantone using their almost monopoly to move to a subscription model, very much like Adobe did with the Creative Cloud!
Intrigued to know what will come next, will an alternative to Pantone emerge?

 

[Joe]

Kind of ironic, Pantone using their almost monopoly to move to a subscription model, very much like Adobe did with the Creative Cloud!
Intrigued to know what will come next, will an alternative to Pantone emerge?

Maybe Crayola will make a play.

 

[gregbatch]

Kind of ironic, Pantone using their almost monopoly to move to a subscription model, very much like Adobe did with the Creative Cloud!
Intrigued to know what will come next, will an alternative to Pantone emerge?

Honestly, Pantone knows how difficult it would be for someone to step in. Establishing the standards is small compared to the supporting materials required. Swatch books alone are quite a task. I'm sure Pantone has the necessary processes well automated and down to an exact science. Every color has to be scanned often for color analysis to assure accuracy. Not saying it's impossible, but costly, and you would just be diluting the market share.

 

[miconut]

As much as you hate Adobe, this whole situation really can't be put on Adobe's shoulders. If not immediately, it will affect every other application which currently directly supplies Pantone color definitions.

Adobe didn't desire or request that the Pantone content be removed from Adobe products. And certainly, Pantone's new service / subscription / whatever-you-want-to-call-it was not in reaction to a move by Adobe. If Pantone simply won't license the content to Adobe for unlimited distribution and decides to change its business model to one of “a direct subscription model with the end users” there is really nothing that Adobe can do about that.

And yes, this situation is a real problem for anyone who has counted on Pantone definitions for any colors and especially spot colors (i.e., colorants beyond process CMYK using either specific spot colors or simulating same via Lab definitions and additional inks).

Please direct your concerns directly to Pantone.

I apologize if I wasn't clear from my original post but I agree that this seems like more of a cash grab by Pantone than anything that Adobe would actually want. I've had technicians for two different companies RIPs I use side load pantone color books because they aren't able to put them into the RIP without me as the end user paying for pantone live through their software. My company already has a site license but the management of logging into everything and update downtime doesn't make it user friendly to use. I know Adobe wasn't alone on this. It does appear that some companies are subsidizing the cost increase (or possibly still within a contract) as I did see that affinity publisher had spoken out that they are going to continue having pantone colors included. Who knows for how long though.

 

[jwheeler]

Finally, we get an answer in this article. Key notes:

• Pantone VP explains: "...the future of Pantone colors in Adobe products lies in add-on software, Pantone Connect, which will let the color systems company sell complete and up-to-date color data directly to its own users. . .Pantone was unable to actively update the library to correct any changes to the color data or to update it with new colors,” Cheng told CreativePro. “We had to find a way to address user problems regarding these outdated libraries.”"
• "On top of the usual Adobe Creative Cloud subscription plans, Pantone Connect will cost $7.99 per month or $35.99 for a full year for the first year and $59.99 annually thereafter."
• "Nothing will prevent a user of the affected software from creating a brand-new color swatch as a spot color, selecting a color using RGB sliders to match the printed Pantone chip."
• "Users of Photoshop on the Mac M1 processor will find that the Extension won’t load at all, as Adobe has changed the file format for add-on software. Users wishing to access Pantone Connect and other Extensions will need to run the Intel version of Photoshop under Rosetta 2 or downgrade to version 22.2.0 via the Creative Cloud app."
• "Existing documents—both native application documents and PDFs generated for publication or distribution—will be unaffected by any changes, with essential color information (though it might be from data that Pantone says is long outdated) remaining embedded in the documents that are created with current tools."

 

[Dov Isaacs]

Finally, we get an answer in this article. Key notes:

• Pantone VP explains: "...the future of Pantone colors in Adobe products lies in add-on software, Pantone Connect, which will let the color systems company sell complete and up-to-date color data directly to its own users. . .Pantone was unable to actively update the library to correct any changes to the color data or to update it with new colors,” Cheng told CreativePro. “We had to find a way to address user problems regarding these outdated libraries.”"
• "On top of the usual Adobe Creative Cloud subscription plans, Pantone Connect will cost $7.99 per month or $35.99 for a full year for the first year and $59.99 annually thereafter."
• "Nothing will prevent a user of the affected software from creating a brand-new color swatch as a spot color, selecting a color using RGB sliders to match the printed Pantone chip."
• "Users of Photoshop on the Mac M1 processor will find that the Extension won’t load at all, as Adobe has changed the file format for add-on software. Users wishing to access Pantone Connect and other Extensions will need to run the Intel version of Photoshop under Rosetta 2 or downgrade to version 22.2.0 via the Creative Cloud app."
• "Existing documents—both native application documents and PDFs generated for publication or distribution—will be unaffected by any changes, with essential color information (though it might be from data that Pantone says is long outdated) remaining embedded in the documents that are created with current tools."

Unfortunately, this isn't a full or even honest (on the part of Pantone) reply.

In the case of the Pantone VP explanation, Pantone certainly could have provided updated and/or additional .ACB files for Adobe to distribute as part of the regular updates to the applications. It was apparently Pantone's choice to want a “direct relationship” with and significant additional revenue from Adobe customers that led to their subscription plug-in solution.

In terms of the plug-in compatibility with Macintosh M1 processors, it wasn't that Adobe changed the format of plug-ins but rather, that Pantone hasn't yet released an M1-native version of its plug-in.

Even if you subscribe to Pantone Connect, the entire process of dealing with accessing and using Pantone colors in Adobe applications will become more complex. This is not Adobe's doing!

At this point, January 10, Adobe has yet to say anything publicly (or even privately) about this whole mess. It has maintained radio silence except for the cryptic message on its help pages as discussed at the beginning of this thread.

- Dov

 

[Joe]

Unfortunately, this isn't a full or even honest (on the part of Pantone) reply.

In the case of the Pantone VP explanation, Pantone certainly could have provided updated and/or additional .ACB files for Adobe to distribute as part of the regular updates to the applications. It was apparently Pantone's choice to want a “direct relationship” with and significant additional revenue from Adobe customers that led to their subscription plug-in solution.

In terms of the plug-in compatibility with Macintosh M1 processors, it wasn't that Adobe changed the format of plug-ins but rather, that Pantone hasn't yet released an M1-native version of its plug-in.

Even if you subscribe to Pantone Connect, the entire process of dealing with accessing and using Pantone colors in Adobe applications will become more complex. This is not Adobe's doing!

At this point, January 10, Adobe has yet to say anything publicly (or even privately) about this whole mess. It has maintained radio silence except for the cryptic message on its help pages as discussed at the beginning of this thread.

- Dov

So basically doing the same thing that Adobe did with their subscription plan.

 

[jwheeler]

It was apparently Pantone's choice to want a “direct relationship” with and significant additional revenue from Adobe customers that led to their subscription plug-in solution.

This is it right here...definitely just Pantone jumping on the monthly subscription model every other company is going to for the $$

 

[jwheeler]

So basically doing the same thing that Adobe did with their subscription plan.

Yup! Can ya blame them? Instead of waiting for people to replace their 10 year old pantone books, they will now have a steady (and hefty) monthly income.