Can't access Pantones in Illustrator

[Ariana Martin]

I bought a Pantone Formula Guide (Coated & Uncoated) in 2020, and it used to be that you could use Pantone Color Manager to upload your swatch book to Illustrator. However, now they have discontued the Pantone Color Manager and I can't access the full range of colours anymore. There are some pre-installed, but it's a only limited number.

I've tried using their new system 'Pantone Connect' and installing to Illustrator, but it just doesn't work! I just want to access the colours that I paid for. Anyone had any luck with this?

[Monika Gause]

Considering the reviews you are not alone: https://exchange.adobe.com/creativecloud.details.103029.pantone-connect.html

[WendyAnn_Thorn]

Pantone Connect only works if you are buying their product monthly. I already have Pantone guides I want to upload. How do I do that?

[Monika Gause]

What do you mean with "upload"?

[WendyAnn_Thorn]

Import my fan books colors.

[WendyAnn_Thorn]

The Pantone Connect doesn't work. What are Illustrators instructions for importing fan decks/guides into Illustrator? I have a code from my purchase with Pantone. Since Adobe is no longer offering the free pantones I've been told, I purchased guides and need to know how to get the colors into AI without having to do it manually.

[Monika Gause]

Other than getting Pantone Connect your only option is manually: create a spot color, set up the color and use it.

For spot colors it doesn't even matter how they look in your document, only matters what the printer puts in their machine.

[WendyAnn_Thorn]

So Adobe Illustrator has no way of importing a full fan deck of over 2,000 colors that I just purchased to do. The Pantone Connect doesn't work. I know how to create a palette but I don't want to have to manually put each color in. There has to be an easier way. Illustrator and Pantone have worked together for years and now they aren't?!

[Monika Gause]

What did you purchase? The printed guides? There simply isn't a way to import the colors from printed swatches books.

If it's software that you purchased, then it should have instructions on how to import the libraries into your design applications.

[Ariana Martin]

You used to be able to register your Pantone product (ie swatch book) and then use the Pantone Colour Manager to export all the colours from the product into AI. But they have discontinued this method and now you need a subscription to Pantone Connect to access all Pantone colours inside Adobe. 

[WendyAnn_Thorn]

I've tried the past few days registering my pantone books and it says it isn't compatible with connect. I just bought them directly online from Pantone. I knew about the Pantone Color Manager in a class that I take so that is why I bought the Pantone guides because I knew I could upload them easily.

[WendyAnn_Thorn]

Before we used the pantone manager to install my swatch books. I just purchased the Pantone guides. Looks like I will be returning them since AI or Pantone cannot instruct me how to install them. 

[Monika Gause]

Did you contact Pantone about the issue?

They need to tell you how that is supposed to work.

[WendyAnn_Thorn]

They are not open during the weekend. I tried contacting them Friday. It is just frustrating because you pay for a product and then they remove the avenue in which to import the product into a program. Who has time to click on every swatch mainly through Pantone Connect?! So many artists are going to be so upset over this. I am in a community of thousands of artists and it is complete nonsense because AI decided they didn't want to offer free Pantone anymore. 

[Monika Gause]

it is complete nonsense because AI decided they didn't want to offer free Pantone anymore. 

By @WendyAnn_Thorn

We don't know what exactly happened there.

Pantone had the Color Manager since a couple of years now. And also for a couple of years the Pantone libraries haven't been updated in the Adobe products.

We cannot know if it was Pantone who no longer wanted this to happen, or who demanded too much license fee or had other things in the contracts that Adobe didn't want or if it was Adobe who no longer wanted to have the libraries. And I can hardly imagine why Adobe would not want to offer you the libraries anymore just out of the blue.

But you have to keep in mind that if Pantone demanded higher license fees then there will be a limit of what can be paid without having to raise the subscription costs or limiting some other functionality. How many customers are even using the libraries?

[Ricardo H]

Wendy, I'm having the same problem. It's sad and embarrassing how, after months, neither Pantone nor Adobe can publish something that's understandable and works for those who already paid for the license in September and still can't get it to work.

[Monika Gause]

Wendy, I'm having the same problem. It's sad and embarrassing how, after months, neither Pantone nor Adobe can publish something that's understandable and works for those who already paid for the license in September and still can't get it to work.

By @Ricardo H

Well, Pantone made a decision and already published their Pantone Connect months ago.

THis whole writing has been on the wall for about 2 years. Enough time to act.  And secure the version of the Pantone libraries you already had.

You can still try and install the oldest available version of Illustrator via the Creative Cloud app and then grab the libraries from it. But that is all you can do or expect. THis ship has sailed.

[Met1]

Pantone Connect sucks, and not in a good way...

Did you buy it at the end of 2020? If it hasn't been 18 months you could approach Pantone and see if they'll cut you a break on v4.

Some unscrupulous people might suggest searching the interwebs, but I could never condone such heinous actions.

[Lukas Engqvist]

I would contact Pantone. They need to sort out their game. The other option is to find an older version of Illustrator and work from there.

I have the Pantone Studio App, which also lost functionality as it was "improved". I think this is partly why they made a new app rather than uppgrade Pantone Studio. What I am missing in Pantone Connect is a visualisation of spectral curve. 

[Ricardo H]

Hi Lukas, which previous version should I select to install? Thank you

[Monika Gause]

The earliest available version in the Creative Cloud app.