i1Pro2 obsolescence!

[eronald]

It looks like one had better get i1Profiler ASAP, because the new versions of i1Profiler won't be able to use the i1Pro2.

https://proofing.de/x-rite-i1profiler-no-longer-supports-i1pro2-and-i1display/

Here are the download links for the current version
https://www.xrite.com/service-support/downloads/i/i1profiler-i1publish_v3_8_6

Edmund

[digitaldog]

If you are able to spend money and want to support X-Rite, buy a new i1Pro3. For a fraction of that price, if you don't have one, buy an old MacBook on eBay and install all kinds of old software when you need to use it.
Today I had to measure a target that was too thick to pass through an iSis XL, so I pulled out the old MacBook, measured it with the i1Pro2, moved the .mfx file to the new Mac Studio M4, and built the profile. Easy peasy. I could have built the profile with MonacoProflier, of Copra, or ProfileMaker with a saved CGATs doc; the old MacBook (cost at the time $160) runs all that old software just fine.
Now how/why X-rite can't support older hardware in updates to i1P? No idea. But the fix is simple and inexpensive.

[Kyle Jackson]

Similar happened a year or two ago with the i1Display. Scroll down on that xrite link to v3.7.1 to see the note. The software update announced it clearly tho so it was easy enough to back up the v3.7.1 installer and skip any future updates. Saving installers is handy.

(Aside: I don't actually use i1Profiler anyhow. I only bought the i1Display for my Eizo CS2740 that didn't include a colorimeter, and for which I use Eizo's software. When I explored i1Profiler I found the license included with the i1Display was so hobbled that it couldn't do much anyhow. I already had a print spectro solution so didn't need to invest more in i1Profiler's tiers.)

[eronald]

If you are able to spend money and want to support X-Rite, buy a new i1Pro3. For a fraction of that price, if you don't have one, buy an old MacBook on eBay and install all kinds of old software when you need to use it.
Today I had to measure a target that was too thick to pass through an iSis XL, so I pulled out the old MacBook, measured it with the i1Pro2, moved the .mfx file to the new Mac Studio M4, and built the profile. Easy peasy. I could have built the profile with MonacoProflier, of Copra, or ProfileMaker with a saved CGATs doc; the old MacBook (cost at the time $160) runs all that old software just fine.
Now how/why X-rite can't support older hardware in updates to i1P? No idea. But the fix is simple and inexpensive.

Andrew,

You're totally right. It's what I've done too.

And actually, with the dropped support there will be a lot of cheap i1Pro2 units hitting ebay, so we'll be able to get spares to take on location.
What is the main software you use these days?

Edmund

[BAB]

I had the same issue with the puck for my NEC multi sync PA 302w which I have two of and Im using my older MacBook Pro just to recalibrate those two monitors. This allows the recalibration to the monitors internally.

[delfalex]

Hi,

I have a question concerning licensing:
I have an i1Pro2 that's being used as a license dongle for i1Profiler (I'm using an iSisXL to make measurements).
Do you know if with its discontinued support starting this week, it will no longer be able to activate the i1Profiler licence?
I'm not really keen in purchasing an expensive new dongle.

Thanks,

Alex

[digitaldog]

The old hardware should still function as a dongle. Otherwise X-rite can transfer it.

[delfalex]

Thanks, hopefully this’ll be the case.

Alex

[Richard.Wills]

X-rite were very good at transferring over my license from a revD to a second hand revE 18 months ago - I contacted them via their website

[delfalex]

Thanks, that’s good to know.

It seems that since the close of 1st of January the i1Pro2 has continued to connect and register the license with the latest (at this moment in time), software.
Phew!

[PhilipCummins]

Thanks, that’s good to know.

It seems that since the close of 1st of January the i1Pro2 has continued to connect and register the license with the latest (at this moment in time), software.
Phew!

From what I read online X-Rite wasn't deliberately cancelling usage of the i1Pro 2 after 01/01/2026 in the current software, so you could see it stop working licensing wise in the next release of i1Publish this year (3.8.7+) if you upgraded. Best to grab a copy of i1Publish 3.8.6 (from here) to keep on hand to downgrade to in case the next update really does cancel all support (including licensing). It looks like there's not likely to be any super exciting must have features coming out so the only feature that expires is the beta ColorPicker mid-2026 so you could theoretically stay on 3.8.6 for the foreseeable future on Windows 11 or macOS 15/16. (I'd opt to use Windows 11 nowadays if doing this on a primary PC, Apple has been pretty quick about cancelling legacy support so looks like Rosetta 2 for Intel binary support such as i1Profiler is going away in macOS 28, or as Andrew mentions keeping an older PC/Mac around to run it is best).

As with Richard's experience, X-Rite's been pretty good about transferring licenses, a while ago I was able to upgrade directly from an i1Pro 1 to i1Pro 3 (skipping the i1Pro 2) by contacting them directly, so if there was an i1Pro 4 release in the future it might be worthwhile upgrading at that point in time.

[drgonzo]

Just wanted to give everyone a heads up about this since I got blindsided and figure others might be in the same boat.

So here's what happened: I've had an i1Pro2 with i1Profiler Publish (including the CMYK/RGB print profiling module) for a few years now. Bought it new. Been using it alongside my i1Pro3 Plus (which I got after my Isis XL died). The i1Pro2 was still working fine as an i1Profiler dongle, so I kept both the Pro2 and Pro3 Plus running for different profiling tasks.

Just before Christmas I figured, hey, I'm barely using the i1Pro2 anymore - might as well move that license over to the Pro3 Plus, right?

Wrong.

After a bunch of back and forth with X-Rite, here's what they told me:

• 1Pro2's been discontinued for almost a year
• They don't support license transfers from it anymore since it's reached EOL and they don't repair that hardware anymore
• The X-Rite "license transfer server is shut down since i1Pro2 is discontinued. You can still use the i1Pro2 in the current version of the software but no future versions released."
• Only option now is buying an upgrade

What really bugs me is that when I saw the EOL announcement, I thought it was just about hardware service and recertification. Nothing jumped out saying "move your license before we stop servicing the units or you're stuck." I mean, it's legitimate software I paid for...the Publish module wasn't cheap, and the i1Pro3 Plus is their current product. Seems like there should be a path here?

Anyway, just putting this out there in case anyone else is sitting on an i1Pro2 with a license they're planning to transfer "someday." That someday might've already passed.

Has anyone else dealt with this? Any luck getting them to make an exception, or is the paid upgrade the only way forward? I wrote back and pointed out that the EOL notice made no mention of not being able to transfer a license (just that they wouldn't be supporting or repairing the hardware) and that shutting down the licensing server feels unnecessary and shady. Their response to that was "The feature of transferring licenses for the i-1 prod devices is no longer a feature. If you has a dongle the license will still work but we (X-Rite) no longer will transfer a i1 license from one device to another."

I can keep using the current software version till the i1Pro2 dies and just plug in both spectros when I want to use the Pro3 Plus, but this doesn't make me want to support X-Rite going forward with other purchases I was contemplating (like the iO unit since the Isis is discontinued).

[BAB]

Another consideration: you buy the i1Pro 3 Plus, and then in March 2026 they release the newer i1Pro 4—better and at a lower price. Given that you’ve been buying these devices since 2010 and have already invested a significant amount of money for only occasional use, it may make more sense to use a professional service and pay for recalibration instead.

[PhilipCummins]

Just wanted to give everyone a heads up about this since I got blindsided and figure others might be in the same boat.

That's pretty disappointing from X-Rite as it wasn't mentioned they would be shutting down licensing services for the i1Pro 2's, I did my transfer (from i1Pro 1 -> 3) quite a while ago (mid-2021) but I'd push to state that you contacted them before the support period finished (ie 01/01/2026) so if they prematurely shut the licensing services down prior to 01/01/2026 that really is them pulling the rug on you as even now the i1Profiler software still has the areas showing where you can transfer licenses between the i1Pro 2/3 directly or via Activation Codes.

Just wondering if it's worth requesting to transfer the license into a dongle instead for you by sending the i1Pro 2 in if they were going to support that?

[PhilipCummins]

Another consideration: you buy the i1Pro 3 Plus, and then in March 2026 they release the newer i1Pro 4—better and at a lower price. Given that you’ve been buying these devices since 2010 and have already invested a significant amount of money for only occasional use, it may make more sense to use a professional service and pay for recalibration instead.

You would hope updated i1Publish software would support migrating the i1Publish license from the i1Pro 3 -> i1Pro 4 Basic (or equivalent), however hard to know until X-Rite releases new hardware. I have to admit I only use my i1Pro 3 mostly for display calibration more often than printer profiles so if I was moving to using professional services for print profiling getting a Display Plus HL/Pro would make more sense here.

[ken099990]

I'm not sure how you're trying to transfer your licenses - but I just recently transferred both a pro 2 publish license (in January 2026) and a pro 2 photo license (about 2 weeks ago - February 2026) to new/used pro 3's (publish transfer was to a new i1 Pro 3 Basic package and the photo to a used Pro 3 OEM/EFI package). Upgrades worked fine using iProfiler Software's license transfer ... FYi - the iProfiler software version I used is:  v3.7.1.17587. Hope this helps out.

[Richard.Wills]

Thanks for a peace of good news!

[drgonzo]

Thanks for the update @ken099990....I'll try that with a previous release. Did this work for you using a PC or Mac? I tried so far with a few legacy i1Profiler releases on various Mac computers. Hadn't tried it on a PC yet.

[ken099990]

i used the Mac version.