How to Fix Missing Pantone Color Books in Adobe Illustrator 2024-2025 (Free and Easy Method)

If you’ve recently opened Adobe Illustrator and noticed that the Pantone color books are missing, you’re not alone. Many designers and creatives are running into this problem with the newer versions of Illustrator, and it can be frustrating—especially if you rely on Pantone colors for printing and branding work.

The good news is that there’s a simple and free way to bring back all your Pantone colors without subscribing to Pantone Connect. In this post, I’ll walk you through the process step by step. I’ve also created a video tutorial to make it even easier to follow.

Watch the tutorial here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxqD-qQHA_g

Why Pantone Colors Disappeared from Illustrator

Adobe and Pantone made changes to how color libraries are accessed. Pantone colors were previously included in Illustrator by default, but now they’ve been removed. To access them officially, Adobe wants you to subscribe to the Pantone Connect plugin, which is a paid add-on. Many people find this unnecessary or too expensive, especially for occasional use.

That’s why this workaround is so helpful.

How to Restore Pantone Colors in Illustrator

Start by visiting my blog where you’ll find the link to download the Pantone color files. These are completely free to use and safe to install. Once you download the file, you’ll notice it’s in a .rar format. You’ll need to extract it using a tool like WinRAR or 7-Zip.

DOWNLOAD FILE

When you extract the file, it will ask for a password. Just enter ABDUL

After extraction, you’ll see the Pantone color book files inside the folder.

Next, you need to go to the installation directory of Adobe Illustrator on your computer. Look for a folder named Color Books inside the Presets section. It’s usually located here:

C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Illustrator [your version]\Presets\en_US\Color Books

Once you’re in the Color Books folder, copy and paste the extracted Pantone files there.

After that, restart Adobe Illustrator.

Now when you open the Swatches Panel, go to Open Swatch Library, then Color Books. You should now see all the Pantone color options available again, just like before.

Why This Is Important

Pantone colors are essential for professional printing. They ensure color consistency across all types of printed materials. If you’re working on brand assets, packaging, or anything that will be physically printed, Pantone is the industry standard.

Without access to Pantone, designers are forced to guess or convert colors manually, which can lead to inaccurate results. This quick fix puts you back in control of your color choices.

Final Thoughts

This solution gives you full access to Pantone colors in Adobe Illustrator without any extra cost or plugin subscriptions. It’s a reliable fix that works on most versions of Illustrator and helps restore the functionality many designers have lost.

If you found this tutorial helpful, check out the video for a full walkthrough:
Watch here on YouTube

And feel free to leave a comment or subscribe to my channel if you’d like more tutorials like this one. Thanks for reading, and happy designing.