How to create duotone in photoshop with spot colors?

[MollyK83]

I am trying to manipulate a duotone image in Photoshop 2023. The Pantone solid coated swatches are not available in the swatch picker to change the colors.  I have purchased Pantone Color Connect and even with that, the Pantone swatches are not listed in the options for color libraries within the duotone color pickers. Anyone know how to edit duotones in 2023 after the Pantone color library debackle???

[kevin stohlmeyer]

Starting in 2022, the agreements expired and Adobe started removing Pantone colors from their software.

You can reload the .acb files needed for Photoshop to function properly from previous installs or other sources.

Pantone Connect does not have full Photoshop integration yet (per Pantone).

Here is a page explaining more:

https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/kb/pantone-plus.html

[MollyK83]

Thanks, I already loaded the old swatched into the new photoshop. The swatches are available in my swatch palette but not available when editing a duotone color within the duotone settings.

[kevin stohlmeyer]

You should still be able to create a duotone with your two colors - pick any two, then convert the channels using either the .acb files once in Photoshop or manually using the Lab values.

[Stephen_A_Marsh]

Swatch .aco files are not the same thing as Colour Book/Library .acb files.

https://prepression.blogspot.com/2022/12/photoshop-2022-pantone-color-book.html

As suggested in my blogpost, defining spot colours using Lab colour picker values rather than colour book values has many benefits.

[gener7]

If you have or can install an older version of Photoshop with the Pantone Libraries, then it should have the ability to create your Pantone duotones. Then you can bring it back into Ps 2023 for any further work if 2023 won't try and remove it.

[Joshua25389404vh14]

We just bought Pantone Connect for our entire office and I am trying to do the same thing with a Duotone and cannot figure it out. This really sucks. This is a disaster.

[kldibbledibble]

A disaster we're being forced to pay for!!! Unbelievable!

[MollyK83]

I figured out if you just put the CMYK values in of the spot color you want and then rename the duotone ink (with the exact naming convention of the pantone swatches) in the duotone options pallette it works. You just have to manually put the info in. 

I just did it with a reflex blue logo and when it was placed into Illustrator it held with the pantone color separation.

[MollyK83]

I figured out if you just put the CMYK values in of the spot color you want and then rename the duotone ink in the duotone options pallette it works. You just have to manually put the info in. 

I just did it with a reflex blue logo and when it was placed into Illustrator it held with the pantone color separation.

[Stephen_A_Marsh]

@MollyK83 - that is what I wrote above and provided a screenshot. Lab values are wider gamut, but that may be the least of your concerns.

[MollyK83]

Ah, gotcha. I think the .acb part confused me and made me think I had to load something diffrent. Thanks!