ASE2GPL is a Python-Fu plugin for GIMP 2.8, that imports Adobe Swatch Exchange (ASE) palette files by converting them into GIMP'S GPL format. The converted palette is automatically added to the user's GIMP palette library.
This script was originally written in 2008 by Chris Mohler for Kuler's palette exports. It was updated by Roy Curtis in 2018 after an issue report on reddit by /u/Adderbox76.
This plugin allows ASE palettes exported from Adobe's Color Creative Cloud (formerly Kuler) to be converted to GPL files and imported into GIMP.
Simply save ASE2GPL.py into your local GIMP's plug-ins folder:
- Windows:
%USERPROFILE%\.gimp-2.8\plug-ins - Linux:
$HOME/.gimp-2.8/plug-ins - OS X:
$HOME/Library/Application Support/GIMP/2.8/plug-ins/
You must restart GIMP after (un)installing the script, for it to appear.
- Open the Palettes dock with Windows > Dockable Dialogs > Palettes
- Right-click an existing Palette and "Import ASE palette..."
- Navigate to the target ASE palette and hit OK
- Observe as the palette is imported and auto-selected
Note that if the ASE file has multiple palettes (as is possible, according to the spec), each palette will be imported as its own new palette file.
- Palettes that use CMYK and LAB colors will convert to RGB inaccurately, meaning some of the colors may be off by one or two values. The plugin will warn you about this.
- Grayscale palettes are not yet supported
- The code is not exactly clean or DRY...
References used for the ASE format:
- http://carl.camera/default.aspx?id=109
- http://www.selapa.net/swatches/colors/fileformats.php#adobe_ase
- https://bazaar.launchpad.net/~olivier-berten/swatchbooker/trunk/view/head:/src/swatchbook/codecs/adobe_ase.py
... and their archives, if they become lost to history: