Pantone just finished presenting Goe (pronounced "go"), their completely new color specification system. The new system took three years to develop and was developed with modern workflow, production, and delivery processes in mind. Pantone stressed that Goe is not a replacement for the Pantone Matching System.
During the press conference Pantone listed a large list of vendor-partners that support or are working on support for the new system. They also had representatives from Xerox, Flint Group, and EFI speak about implementing Goe into their products.
One major vendor that was absent from the list was Adobe Systems. Questioned on the omission of Adobe's name on the partner list, Richard Herbert, president of Pantone acknowledged that Adobe had not officially partnered with Pantone on the new Goe system, but noted the two companies have a long relationship and the two are working on bringing the Goe system to Adobe products.
Clearly the Goe system will get native application in Adobe products shortly as creatives start to take advantage of the new system's simplified color classification system and modern software tools. But in the meanwhile, Adobe users that wish to take advantage of Goe will need to manually load the Goe color palettes.
Discussion
By Pat Berger on Sep 12, 2007
Why? What's the point? Is PMS broken?
By Bryan Yeager on Sep 12, 2007
From what I heard at the show, a number of vendors are not happy about the new Goe system for various reasons. I don't understand how this isn't a replacement to the PMS system. It's going to be a replacement eventually I would imagine. Why not market it in a similar transitional fashion as Apple did switching from PowerPCs to Intels?
By Dr Joe Webb on Sep 14, 2007
I was at the press conference, and there was some muttering and a light gasp when it was mentioned that Adobe wasn't on the list up on the screen. Pantone made it clear that the Goe software does work with Adobe products. Speculation ranged from how Adobe could ignore Pantone to the other way around and everything in between. Will we ever really know? Probably not. Pantone also made it clear that the older PMS system was not being discontinued and that they had no desire to discontinue it. It's not broken, but there are applications where additional "in-between colors" (my words, not theirs) are needed by designers as they work in a wide range of media. (Reminded me of the old Harry Chapin song, "Flowers are Red": There are so many colors in the rainbow So many colors in the morning sun So many colors in the flower and I see every one") http://www.harrychapin.com/music/flowers.shtml So it will be a gradual transition and a very long period of co-existence. Some of the vendors may not like licensing fees, but may like the system. It could be one of the reasons for their discomfort. If this sells with designers and agencies, then the printing industry vendors and businesses will adopt it as well.
By Brian on Sep 14, 2007
Has no one considered the impact on the ink room? I'm sure Pantone has CMYK/6-color blends in mind for the final output of their creation, but the spot color world will sorely suffer this "advance" in design flexibility.
10 new unique mixing colors? Is Pantone going to buy everyone new ink dispensing units (sans 4 pots) to hold these new mixing colors? Will Sun or Dow license the process and offer blend formulations?
I've spoken to several attendees who visited the X-Rite/Pantone Booth. Not a one could get a clear answer or even an indication that any consideration was given to what will happen when a designer specifies one of these colors as a spot, rather than a blend.
The product is in its infancy, and the partnerships that will make this product successfull are either not formed or aren't being made public. I am praying that X-Rite/Pantone has simply jumped the gun on the product release and has development relationships in process behind the scenes.
I know one thing for certain; until X-Rite/Pantone gets serious about considering the ink room, if a customer specifies a Goe color, they'll get the closest PMS match and they'll have to live with it.
By Pat Berger on Sep 16, 2007
Who has pantone contracted or licensed with to make the pigments? Sun and BASF are the big pigment companies and I haven't found any info about who will be manufacturing the base pigments for the GOE system.
By Henk Gianotten on Sep 20, 2007
Pantone will not be able to get rid of Pantone PMS. There are a lot of consumer products such as mobile phones, ballpoints, lighters, magnets, kitchen accesoires and other colored subjects. The producers, dealers, distributors and users rely on the Pantone number to select these products. Of course they could use color systems such as RAL and NCS but some of them prefer Pantone. Pantone did a great marketing job in those fields. That's a very important market where Pantone has a "nearly monopoly". The producers of the pigments deliver their stuff and specify on Pantone numbers. Their technicians rely on CIE-Lab or CIE-LCh numbers, the sales people however, prefer to use the simple Pantone PMS numbers. My observation: Both systems, PMS and Goe will be used during a very, very long time. The advantage of a color hue related notation system is great for designers, print spec specialists and printers. The consumer market will need a far longer learning curve to understand and appreciate the advantages of Goe. Some print buyers too, I think.
By Jon Woolley on Sep 26, 2007
Remember New Coke?
Pantone is not stupid enough to bet their future on the Pantone Goe system. Users will decide if it survives and replaces the old PMS system, or just dies off from lack of interest.
Discussion
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