Color accuracy is so important to us that we have built color profiles for every substrate we use. We utilize the G7 color management protocols on all our media, so whether your project prints on acrylic, paper, or Sintra, you can be assured your brand colors will be printed with care...

...if your art uses Pantone Colors.

Unfortunately, the Pantone color system is no longer included in the Adobe Creative Cloud apps. You'll need to download the Pantone Connect extension to access the industry-standard color palette we've all grown to depend upon. In this issue of File Prep 101, we'll give you the steps to download and access the program to help you get started using this critical tool for color matching.

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Pantone Connect and Adobe Creative Suite

Pantone Connect (available in a free or premium version) is sold as an online subscription that includes a Web portal, mobile app, and integration into Adobe Creative Cloud apps via a plugin extension. The premium version is $89.99 annually and is required to use the Pantone Libraries within Adobe Creative Cloud apps.

Download the app by visiting Adobe Exchange's Pantone Connect page and clicking on the Free Install button on the top right of the page. You'll need to close and restart any open Adobe application after downloading.

After restarting, go to Window > Extensions > Pantone Connect to open the extension.

Once installed, Pantone Connect is found in your Adobe Creative Cloud program’s menu under ‘WINDOW’ and then ‘EXTENSIONS.’ Selecting Pantone Connect from this menu will launch the Pantone Connect window within Adobe and sign up or sign in. Within the extension, go to Color > Pick and select a Pantone Library of your choice.

To access Pantone Connect from InDesign, Illustrator or Photoshop, Click Window > Extensions and select Pantone Connect.

Have questions about your project's color profiles?

Reach out. We're happy to help.

FILE PREP 101 ARCHIVE

We've assembled all our File Prep 101 emails into one handy reference library on our website. Check it out when you have questions about how best to set up your files for optimal printing results. The website has information on die guides, color profiles, setting bleeds, embedding images, and outlining fonts. 

Dream Big. We'll Print it!