Changes to the licensing agreement between Pantone and Adobe (CC) Just thinking out loud…
I’m in the process of explaining to everyone I work with that after November Adobe will only support the basic Pantone books (CMKY - Coated, Uncoated, Metallics), all other colour books will be withdrawn from the CC subscription unless you purchase a standalone subscription from Pantone.
As I understand swatches from other books within existing files will be replaced with black. Whilst this doesn’t make much difference to the way I work and going forward, I have a lot of clients who supply legacy artwork (sometimes 20 years old) including patterns, prints, character art, assets and illustrations - and I need to work out how to manage the time and cost of updating or recreating.
I’m looking at drafting something as an upfront notice that this will take time and cost money - we all have ‘have a go’ clients who won’t necessarily understand how difficult this might be - but in a way I welcome a ‘reason’ to be able to charge for some of the redundant and frankly terrible files I have to deal with.
It’s worth thinking about now, and not when it becomes an issue.
Replies10
- I agree it will be almost unrecognisable! I do wonder if we will have a substantial 'black vinyl' movement alongside the the latest Ai stuff - I hope and expect so.
- @Gavin Kemp to be honest - and I totally get that not everytone will agree with me - if you equate the 'colour' tha tPantone creates, manages and distributes with a photograph, font or illustration - yoi can understand that ownership of digital productds in the virtual world is such a headache. I don't know where we'll be in 10 years with this issue but it's going to be interesting...
- @Richard Depesando pleasure! I don't think it's so much a mess, it's more that these big guys are finding a way to exploit the existing structure as far as is possible to it's most extreme position.They won't be the last!Gavin
- @Gavin Kemp Cjeers Gavin - I've seen the sample thing - I did think of his as it ties in with the Black/Pink drama from a couple of years ago - just goes to show what amess the whole 'ownership' thin is!
- Hi RichardI've just seen this - Freetone, Stuart Semple appears to have liberated some colours that are very close to pantone!https://www.culturehustleusa.com/products/freetoneGav
- @Richard Depesando Hi Richard, I can appreciate the opportunities for you to streamline here! Our projects are much more straightforward in this regard, though plenty complicated enough in others. Problem-solving as you say... Cheers, Chris
- @Chris Reed Hi Chris - cheers for that - I'm sure its going to be workable once we orientate. Like eveything eles, we're 'problem solvers' and I'm anticipating ways to make it work for me. I looked through some files I had in recently that were 17 years old, had multiple custom swatches and spot colours, patterns, brushes and clipping masks within clipping masks, no coherent laters and multiple edits by different designers over the years and I'm relishing the opportunity to just junk it.
- Hi Richard,According to a piece on CreativePro (https://creativepro.com/pantone-color-libraries-are-leaving-the-adobe-apps/), "Existing documents—both native application documents and PDFs generated for publication or distribution—will be unaffected by any changes, with essential color information [...] remaining embedded in the documents that are created with current tools."There are plenty of workaround tips for new documents on that page, in particular simply copying over the Pantone ACB files from an earlier version of InDesign/Illustrator to restore functionality.Chris
- @Gavin Kemp Hi Gavin - yeah, that makes sense - but for me I think I can use it to apply some discipline to clients out of the creative sector who don't understand (or care) about such isdsues - I'm just scrolling through old files and have examples where 50m or 60 spot colours are being used as swatches, with transprency effects and within patterns and brushes, absolute chaos - I spend a lot of time talking to them about housekeeping and editing - this gives me some context, I suspect asking me to re0build a lousy file from scratch instead of endlessly tinkering willbe cheaper for them and easier fr me - gives me some control too.
- Hi Richard,Hope you're well, I've had a quick look at this, I only make minimal use of pantone.Looking at the pantone site the subscripton for the plug in is arround $90, personally if it's that simple I'd pay it and invoice every client using pantone on a job £10 (as a line on the invoice) and tell it for the use of pantone colours and why.If they want to avoid the pantone fee I'd be happy to recieve hex numbers as a non pantone alternative.Gavin
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