The Colour of Money

Most Pantone Libraries Are Being Removed from Adobe Creative Cloud Apps

A classy move, completely in character for both companies, to reach into users’ machines and remove stuff they had paid for and may rely on because of some licensing spat.

In the past, I’ve had to occasionally use specific spot colours in artwork, either to comply with a brand’s style guidelines or to achieve a specific print effect such as clear varnish or metallic finish. One lesson I’ve learnt is that using Pantone colours isn’t a 100% guarantee of getting the desired colours in print, particularly if you’re not printing on paper.

This story makes me wonder if the world at large has cottoned onto this unfortunate fact, and Pantone is looking to squeeze more money out of punters anywhere in the production chain while they still can.

The fact that they tried to shake down Adobe first speaks volumes about the dominant position the latter company has in the design world. Adobe’s response, as Nick Heer notes, is in line with past updates that have actually been downgrades of the tools they’re renting out to designers. (RIP Freehand, Fireworks.)