CS6 PMS Book Colors only as LAB

Question

HI:
I can't get Illustrator to create a swatch with Pantone Book CMYK values: only LAB. All my Color Books arte displaying LAB icons.
If I spec the spot color as CMYK, I get the CMYK equivalent of this LAB value, based on my Color Settings. For example: Pantone 485C with a book value of C0 M100 Y95 K0 dispalays as C10 M96 Y100 K2
I'm working in CMYK color space.
I've set "Use CMYK values from Manufacturer's Books" in spot colors dialogue in swatch panel.
Thanks,
Cam

Answer 1

Theres another thread here thats has some decent similar points...Pantone 295U is off from my pantone book
I just want to add my posts here 'cause I'm on Manwith2shoes side of this and, like him, I don't think this issue is trivial. I was surprised months ago when CS6 was released that there were'nt a zillion posts about this. I think it's like what Kals said in his post:
Here's an example.
I'm creating a 16 page booklet (Web coated SWOP) for AMEX (on befalf of an agency) that requires their artwork to be printed as PMS 288C (specced by AMEX as a Pantone Book Color of C100M67Y0K23). I get $5,000 to design the book and the print job is worth $150,000.
If for whatever reason AMEX isn't happy about the color of the book, I gotta be sure that there's at least no yellow dots on that thing or I'm exposed to liability that is far beyond my pay grade. I can't afford to have Illustrator or InDesign decide for me that a little bit more yellow and a little less black will be just the ticket to match that Pantone.
I have depended on the "Use CMYK value from Pantone's Book" option, the default 'Press Quality' colour conversion setting for exporting PDF artwork from InDesign set to 'preserve numbers' for CMYK colours, and the "Convert Spots to Process" without thinking twice about the outcome. Now I can't afford to just do that. Those "old" CMYK specs aren't just archaic, they're a kinda contractual agreement for me.
Almost every corporate client I work with specs their colors in Pantone. Almost without exception they provide CMYK color guidelines for those Pantone colors that are exactly the same as in the "old" Pantone Color Books.
I may be producing 10 various projects like Direct Mail, Letterhead, Brochure, digital or whatever. Some print as spot. Some print as CMYK. Some are both. Sometimes the same piece is printed both ways. Sometimes they change.
When I set up a Client program in the past, I could spec their Pantones in an Illustrator (InDesign) file and 'presto' the Book mix was there if I needed it. From there I could swing whatever way I wanted without monkeying with different setups or naming conventions (like "My Client's CMYK idea for PMS 288c which is exactly the same as in the Pantone Book"). One Illustrator logo: 10 projects. One InDesign file managed with the Ink Manager and "Preserve Numbers".
Maybe it's just on my end of the world... but my Client's don't give me CMYK specs for all the various press conditions. They just expect their simple Pantone to print at 0 100 95 10, regardless whether 6 97 94 7 gets them closer to the true Pantone color. I think they kinda like that we can lose the 4th plate every once and a while too!
It's just lazy of me, I know... But with every advance of CS: things always get a little more efficient.
Hey Whay!!
This is an old post. It's not an old topic. Most users are deaf I realized after beating the drum a few times. I stopped. "If the dog is asleep. Let 'em sleep!". As far as I am concerned (just me): Pantone is an archaic color system. It has a dictatorial role. I need a color system that is subserviant to my software. i can't spec complements and other harmonies using Hue values and expect to make any sense of them in Pantone. It's stupid! I can't accomplish complex color work this way. I want Adobe to devise it's own proprietary pallette (a simple, logical, flexible one). Then make Pantone or any other Ink House jump to this tune. Just me. Just my letter to Santa Claus.