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Until recently, PMS color libraries were built directly into Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign Creative Cloud applications. This allowed you to easily use Pantone colors natively in these programs at no extra cost. Now, due to a change in Pantone’s business model, if you’ve upgraded to the latest versions of Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign, accessing the complete set of Pantone Color Books requires a separate subscription.
Here are the answers to some of the questions we’ve been getting:
Does this apply to all of the Pantone color libraries?
No. Three Pantone Color books will remain in the Adobe application: Pantone + CMYK coated, Pantone + CMYK uncoated, and Pantone + Metallics coated. The rest are now only available through a plug-in and license.
How does this affect our existing files?
If you do not pay for this subscription, you may find that your existing PSD files that use Pantone colors will now show those colors as black. Existing PDF files are unaffected, as the colors are “baked into” the PDF.
Are older versions of Adobe’s software affected?
No. If you don’t update your Adobe software applications, the Pantone libraries will still be there. However, avoiding updates is not a viable long-term plan. Eventually the older software will become outdated, pose security risks or present other problems.
What’s the solution?
To be able to use all PMS color libraries natively in Adobe products you now must purchase licenses for Pantone Connect at www.pantone.com/pantone-connect. Purchasing less than 100 business licenses costs up to $89.99 per year per user, with discounts available when purchasing five or more seats. This license will enable you to activate the Pantone Connect plug-in.
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