Stupid Illustrator

Hi!
The company I work for bought Creative Suite 6 back in 2013, which I have used extensively and to much joy - mostly. There has been a bunch of really stupid bugs that you would not expect in premium software, as the legendary Acrobate X bug that forgot the license every 30 days. And Illustrator has constantly, and increasingly, given me a serious headache. I have spent numerous hours trying to fix things in CS6, when I should have been productive. Now, it's enough!!!
These are the recent problems in Illustrator:
"Save for web" has become completely impossible to use. When I define size Illustrator comes up with numbers by itself: either it removes the last digit in the size, or multiplies it by a thousand. It doesn't matter if the width and height is linked or not.
Most of the time, I cannot change any numeric value in Illustrator without it multiplying it by an thousand or more, sometimes a million - this happens with font size, object size, degrees when rotating - well any numerical value.
Copy function only works occasionally; usually when I hot Ctrl+C or choses "Copy" from the drop down menu, nothing happens. I have to repeat this action until it works.
Most often, when I rotate an object, Illustrator adds a space and two zeros to the number, and the nest time I choose rotate, it always shows 360 degrees.
Occasionally when I open a saved document, and always when I open a new swatch, Illustrator has rotated the base of all or some objects by 45 degrees.
In 90% of the cases when I start Illustrator, it tells me that the config file is corrupt, and it does not even remember last used documents. Extremely annoying!
All other applications includes in the suite functions perfect. As do other major applications.
I currently use Windows 8.1
The bugs in Illustrator is completely unacceptable. They are very basic, and should not occur.
This is a product that costs thousands, it should behave better. I expect an update immediately.

Was Win 8.1 available when CS6 was originally released? No! Pretty much all your issues are known and are specific to Win 8/ 8.1 and using high-DPI screens exacerbates some of them. Not Adobe's fault, but how Microsoft changed some things. You have to dig into your system settings and use compatibility modes.
Mylenium

Similar Messages

Assorted frustrations with paths

Please, if anyone has some suggestions, I'm about to throw my computer out the window. Before we begin, I'm in CS2 (can't upgrade at the moment)
1. Having great difficulty working with paths...particularly cutting and joining. The cutting tool cursor is as close to being "on the path line" as I can get it (zoomed in at 2400 even), yet I keep getting the message that I must use the cutting tool "on a path segemnt or anchor point." Last count was 32 attempts to cut a single path line. Pulling my hair our.
2. Similar issue grabbing the direction points. I have the correct anchor point selected, the direction guides are visible and ready, but it takes multiple attempts to "grab" the direction point in order to move it.
(With both, is there a sensitivity or tolerance threshold setting for the tool cursors that I can adjust?)
3. Is there a better way to cut a serties of lines (no shape or fill, just lines)? I'm trying to cut a complex "shape" into a series of lines, without turing the lines into shapes or outlining the stroke...as I need to do more with them. I can't use any of the Pathfinder tools, and using the knife tool causins Illustrator to automatically join and close up the lines into shapes. Very frustrating not to be able to do this seemingly simple task.
Thanks again for any hints.
G

1. ...The cutting tool cursor is as close to being "on the path line" as I can get it (zoomed in at 2400 even), yet I keep getting the message that I must use the cutting tool "on a path segemnt or anchor point."
Which cutting tool are you talking about? Always try to use the terms of the program you're discussing. Ilustrator CS2 has a Scissor tool and a Knife tool. Both are sub-standard. In other drawing programs, a single cutting tool is more capable than all of Illustrator's put together. (This is also true of other multi-tool interfaces in Illustrator.)
To use the Scissor tool, you have to click right on the path you want to cut. It can only make one cut at a time.
To use the Knife tool, you drag across one or multiple paths. To make a straight cut, press and hold Alt as you drag.
The use of the tools is explained in the online Help.
Stupidly, Illustrator's Knife tool cannot cut open unfilled paths. (Similar problems in handling open unfilled paths permeate Illustrator's feature set. Always have.)
2. ...it takes multiple attempts to "grab" the direction point in order to move it.... is there a sensitivity or tolerance threshold setting...?)
I don't recall exactly when Illustrator finally gained its very long overdue pick-distance "sensitivity" setting. CS3, as I recall. See if you have a Selection and AnchorPoint Display pane in the Preferences dialog. Failing that, see if you have a SmartGuides dialog. As I recall, SmartGuides appeared one version prior to Selection and AnchorPoint Display, and SmartGuides has a Snapping Tolerance setting. (You would have to have SmartGuides on to use it.)
3. Is there a better way to cut a serties of lines (no shape or fill, just lines)? ...Very frustrating not to be able to do this seemingly simple task.
It's just one of many bedrock basic tasks that Illustrator has been decades late in providing. Such is the entire history of this program. Newcommers to this program are continually frustrated and astonished at the omission and/or difficulty of capabilities they have long taken for granted in other programs. Those without proficiency in competing programs often dogmatically defend its sub-standard features. Truth is, Illustrator's predominance in the market segment is due to marketing success and recognition of the Adobe brand, not to its feature set or its useability. This has always been the case with this program.
CS3 added yet another cutting tool, the Eraser. The behavior of this feature is also sub-standard in that it cannot make zero-width cuts, and it unpredictably disturbs the shapes of the remaining portions. CS5 added a Shape Builder tool, which can be used much like Corel Draw's Virtual Segment tool to sense path intersections and delete path portions on one side or the other of the intersection.
These new features, combined with the anemic pre-existing features have improved the overall path-cutting capabilities; but add to one of Illustrator's most problematic and pandemic problems: basic functionality being scattered across multiple unintuitive and poorly-integrated tools and commands.
Overall, it's the worst-of-class vector drawing interface. It's just the way it is, and always has been.
One of the best features that could be added to this program would be the ability to draw a path and then use it as either an accurate cutting path or as a selection marquee (with a contact-sensitive option). That would actually be competitively innovative. But don't hold your breath.
JET

Stupid updater has messed up my Illustrator! Help??

I'm on the Illustrator discussion board with this too, and still no help. Seems a few of us are experiencing difficulties with the Pathfinder feature in Illustrator after using the BAD updater everyone seems to hate so much.
What can I do? I've tried the prefs, permissions, create new user etc and it just doesn't help.
Of course, considering some of the things that seem to have happened to others, maybe I'm not so bad off. At least I still can use the &%$@ machine.
Is there any way to revert to "before updater"?!
thanks everyoe

Thanks for answering...I was just in the worst mood as you might imagine. There are a couple of us over in the Illustrator forums who are rather cheesed off about this.
I guess it was my bad about the updater, but after years and years of being spoon-fed everything by the IT dept at my old work (they'd DIE if we ever tried to do anything ourselves) I just got lazy.
One last question b/c you seem to know what you're talkin' bout, Willis is the "archive and install" anything like in Windows where you can just step back to your old OS version? Or will I have to back every dang thing up and reinstall it all?
Any help doing your fix suggestion would be GREAT. Thanks again

Illustrator CS3 - & Stupid Me

I formatted my main HD drive two days ago - partitioned = 50GB for C:\ & 200GB for C2 (comes up D:\ - & since then, have been trying to install all my programmes ...
The first thing I did was install XP-SP3 --- hit a few dll problems - but sorted those ...
When it came to my programmes - I decided to install them onto the partitioned C2 part - intended for programmes & data ..
Photoshop CS2 installed fine ...
When it came to Illustrator - I inserted the CD - hit the Autoplay - & the pre-install whirred into action ... I then asked it to install it to C2 (D:\) which it started to do ...
Then - I had a power cut - only a short one --- but it was enough to 'mess-up' the install .....
The CD has blatantly refused to install again ... It gets as far as the pre-install 'search' - but stops & everything goes silent & still ...
As is my usual practice, I had set a Restore Point before installation - & restored back to this point - but still no joy ....
I then cleared the Registry of all the stray Illustrator bits - still no joy ....
My AV & ASW were both switched off ..
I had no problems as all with it when I only had SP2 - so wonder if it's the SP3 which is causing my problems ...
Can anyone help ? ... Thanks in advance ...
Sue

Thank you very much ... Done & dusted ...
What a palarva ... :-)))
Sue

This is probably an utterly stupid question, but does Illustrator come with Photoshop?

It doesn't, right? Just say no or yes, please.

As Silkrooster points out, as a stand-alone, no, but with various suites, then yes. If you have not purchased yet, do check out the suites, as they are often such a great deal, that they are hard to pass up. When offered the option to go to what was then called the Production Studio suite, I got Premiere Pro, Encore, Audition, After Effects, Photoshop and Illustrator, for less than the price (remember, this was an upgrade) of one of those programs at full-price.
One caveat: if one does go to a suite, then the individual program upgrade paths will no longer be available. Once one goes to a suite, the upgrades available will be for the entire suite, so choose wisely.
Good luck,
Hunt

Stupid question: How do I set an Illustrator document to 4:3 aspect ratio?

Is this as simple as make a 4" wide X 3" tall rectangle.... and then proportionately scaling it up from there? I know this is an ignorant question... but thanks for confirming my assumption... or providing accurate instructions.
Thanks! Have an excellent day.

You can do it that way and then once you have the size you want go to Object>Artborads>Covert to Artboards.
Or in the New Document dialogue simply enter the dimensiions you need it is a pretty simple equation to figure if you know one dimension.
Just in case File>New gets you the New Document dialog

Why do I keep getting the "modified outside Illustrator" box?

I work with Illustrator and Photoshop both open simultaneously, moving Illustrator parts into Photoshop scans and importing Photoshop scans into AI for use as templates. Both are Adobe apps, right? So why do I get this warning when I work on the Illustrator file: "This File has been modified outside Illustrator. Do you want to continue?" It is matched by an equally imbecilic query in Photoshop, where I get the warning: "The disc copy of this file has been modified. Do you still want to save it?" or words to that effect. Am I missing something here? I’ve thought about it, and I honestly can’t imagine a situation wherein someone with enough intelligence to use either or both apps as advertised, meaning that they want to use Photoshop and Illustrator to modify images, could find these warnings helpful.
Who came up with these, and why is my computer asking me such stupid questions? And why isn’t there a “Don’t ask me this stupid question again” check box in the dialogue box? Please tell me these moronic inquiries will not appear before me in CS6.

auto-update open documents.. in the preferences, at least for Photoshop. Illustrator is always going to warn you when link data changes.

Tiling Marks in Illustrator- PLEASE HELP

Hi,
I'm trying to tile a large graphic in Illustrator CS4. Printing it is fine. It tiles fine. The problem is getting marks on each page so I can put the thing together properly. I'm working with many sheets so I need some sort of reference for the tiling. InDesign puts marks on each tile so that you can build it seamlessly. How do you get similar marks out of Illustrator? Adding trim marks from the print dialog only gives crops around the final trim size. I need marks on each tile to be able to trim the overlap and bleed off, line it up to the next tile and put it together. I'm making corrections to the graphic as I go, so placing manual marks is a pain in a%$ and time consuming. I'm sure there's som stupid checkbox I'm missing as I think this should be a very simple task- at least it used to be. Any and all suggestions are greatly appreciated.

This thread is old but I'm adding to it in case someone's search points them here.
Luke Jennings's suggestion of printing from Acrobat works. Just select the "Tile Large Pages" option from the "Paper Scaling" menu in the print dialog box, then check the 'Cut Mark' box. You can also place your Illustrator EPS in InDesign and print with tiling. InDesign prints tiled pages with cut marks.
It's odd that Illustrator doesn't provide cut marks when tiling, but the above are viable workarounds.

If I save an Illustrator file as PDF, isn't it still vector?

I was asked to send a logo to someone who wanted to wanted to forward it to someone else to use (possibly a printer or maybe even a newspaper or magazin)e, so I sent it to them in PDF format.
The person I sent it to just emailed me and asked me to provide it as vector.
So I sent the original Illustrator version as well as an EPS version.
Still, I thought this was odd. When I worked at a newspaper, we worked with PDF files that clients provided with no problem. The policy there was to open them in Acrobat Pro and re-save as TIFF. But I also often open them in Illustrator to make changes and it has never been a problem. When I open with Illustrator, they are indeed vectors.
Maybe they don't have Acrobat Pro or Illustrator, but even then, can't most DTP programs place PDF files now?
Sorry if these are stupid questions.

When sending a logo after completion to a client, I give a wide range of files for the exact reasons you mentioned. I have no idea what programs they have, or will have in the future. giving them a "package" allows them to have a great set to send to all areas of their company without having to come back and requesting more files.
I found great articles as reference in case you are interested:
http://designinstruct.com/print-design/create-a-logo-design-from-start-to-finish/
http://www.thedesigncubicle.com/2009/01/what-should-you-get-from-your-logo-designer/
http://99designs.com/designer-blog/2011/05/18/file-types-logo-design/
They advise:
1 x original Illustrator file (.AI) – Containing flat colour, graded and B&W logos (File > Save As…)
3 x Illustrator 8 EPS files – Separate flat colour, graded, and B&W logos (File > Save As…)
3 x PDF files – Separate flat colour, graded, and B&W logos (File > Save As…)
3 x High resolution JPEG images – Separate flat colour, graded, and B&W logos (File > Export…)
The following files are often used when saving print designs:
PDF (Portable Document Format) is a file format developed by Adobe Systems that can be universally downloaded and viewed by any computer that has the Adobe Acrobat plug-in. Today, PDFs are widely favored by most designers — it can be saved as an editable file which is great for clients.
EPS (Encapsulated PostScript file) is a vector format of your logo. It can be re-sized without losing image quality. Due to it’s high quality, it is commonly used with print elements such as business cards or brochures. If you ever question when to use it, ask yourself, “Will this be used for a high quality print?”
TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) is widely supported and works in almost any program. It produces a higher quality image than a JPG or PNG, but is not a vector format like EPS. It is widely used among publishing industries and photographers. It is best used in common things like invoices, page layouts or letterheads.
I hope that helps, Please post back with any other questions
Janelle

Why does text sometimes get garbled when pasting from Excel or opening a PDF in Illustrator?

Hi everyone,
This issue has puzzled me for some time. I've been creating charts in Excel (2008, and now 2011) and pasting them into my Illustrator document (CS5 on a Mac). Sometimes everything pastes perfectly, while other times all or some of the labels, titles, etc. are garbled.
Another strange thing is I can also select a chart in Excel and Save as Picture then chose PDF as the format. The resulting PDF looks exactly how it is supposed to, however when I open it with Illustrator for editing the same thing happens as with pasting.
I realize this issue doesn't involve Illustrator alone, but I figure I have a better chance on these forums than on some Excel forum. If anyone has any ideas to try I would be very happy to hear them!
Thanks very much,
Bern

It's mid-2013 here, this is the first result on Google for this stupid problem. The last comment basically focused on how there are no known solutions to this yet.
ADOBE: I WANT MY PDFs TO OPEN IN ILLUSTRATOR WITHOUT HAVING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WENT WRONG IN THE ORIGINAL WORD DOC OR WHATEVER WAS USED TO OPEN THEM. IF PREVIEW CAN SEE THE FILE AS IT SHOULD BE SEEN, THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE THIS DOWN.
Why do we pay money to put up with this crap? For the amount we are giving you to use your software, you should be on top of these like flies on the stuff that flies like.
I have PDF docs that I need to open in Illustrator because - no doubt due to Adobe's greed - there is literally no other software that can edit the PDF meat. I don't get why InDesign cannot handle PDFs, and we are stuck with this "one page at a time" Illustrator BS. In any case, I need to open these PDFs, and I can't - because they all come out as garbage. I feel like this could be fixed by Adobe in like a week. But that's just not gonna happen, because they would rather spend all their time and resources thinking of new ways to take my money.
Clearly it's a fonts compatibility issue. Why can't we have a dialogue box with character encoding and font selection options when we try and open a PDF?

Adobe Illustrator converted to Adobe Photoshop

Hi there!
Basically, I have designs that I have done in Adobe Illustrator that I need to send to someone but they need to be in Adobe Photoshop. I don't know why, they just do. I am a complete imbecile when it comes to stuff like this, I only managed to do the designs in Illustrator with lots of trial and error.
The designs are for labels that are going to go on bottles. They need to be editable in Adobe Photoshop to add in nutritional information at the factory, but they only work in Adobe Photoshop or some other thing called Corel Draw which I have never heard of.
There are 10 labels in total, all in their separate documents, they are currently .ai, and I sent them via email but they can't open them so I need them to be openable, and editable in Adobe Photoshop.
Please help!
Thanks in advance,
Tom
p.s. Please don't shout at me for being stupid.

Shout at the factory for requesting a Photoshop file when they have CorelDRAW. CorelDRAW is a vector editor very much like Illustrator.
The problem with Photoshop is that the factory would be opening your crispy vector artwork in a bitmap image editor... turning it to mush. The factory should really prefer to open your art in CorelDRAW.
Photoshop can open (rasterize) AI files so you either have idiots at the factory or there was a delivery problem with your AI file.
Try making a ZIP archive of the AI files before sending them via email. That might solve a delivery problem.

Adobe Illustrator CS5 Setup Mistake (Clicked on "provide a serial number")

Hi everyone,
The instructions for installing Adobe Illustrator CS5 told me to to chose the option "Install this product as a trial" instead of "Provide a serial number" when I get to the "Enter a Serial Number" step. I don't know why I was so stupid I clicked on "Provide a serial number" and entered the code. After that, it said that it was invalid, but I was able to open Adobe Illustrator only two times until it made me get a 30 day trial. My mom bought it for me, though...
How do I fix this mistake? I don't want my mom to have to pay for another Adobe Illustrator....for now I'll just install the trial.
Thanks!

Serial number issues are best worked out by calling support by phone.
Mylenium

CHOPPY IMPORT FROM ILLUSTRATOR

Hi everyone. I'm importing some files from illustrator and right now im using the original .ai project files not pictures or exports of it, but when i go to full resolution i'm getting all the text really choppy and even the circles (and image that form our logo, which is a series of grey and green circles) look choppy. here's a screenshot http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d1/TWISTEDHIPHOP/CIRCLEISSUE.jpg you can look at the black/grey circle on the left and a few others and you'll see what i'm talking about. what can this be, should i import as an image instead, what resolution should these things be in for me to import? i'm using the NTSC DV WIDESCREEN setting, is this wrong....also i'm using this to do 16:9 videos but i'm still getting it at 720x480, shouldn't it be 720x405 for 16:9? sorry i know i put a few questions in one.

if you mean the 'toggle pixel aspect ratio correction' that was never on. i think i was being stupid and i overlooked that i had it to fit instead of to 100% on the preview screen, rookie mistake. im so pisst at myself

How to image trace multiple objects at once on Illustrator CC?

Hello,
This may sound like a stupid question, but I am having troubles trying to image trace multiple objects all in one go.
I'm currently working on Illustrator CC and I remember this process being a lot easier to do on Illustrator CS5.
I have a typical job where I create client specific barcodes on a separate program, and then bringing them into Illustrator to vectorize.
When I used to do it in CS5, all I had to do was release clipping masks, select all 50 or so barcodes, then Image Trace - and voila, al of my barcodes were vectorized at once - easy.
I now have to vectorize about 120+ barcodes and Illustrator CC is only letting me select & image trace one barcode at a time. There has to be a better way, and I'm hoping someone here can help.
(I would open up CS5 and do it from there, but my work computer was recently replaced with a newer iMac and was only provided with Illustrator CC)
Thanks!

Not sure what your barcode-specific challenges and methods may be, but my general aversion to the image trace feature compels me to suggest that you just create the barcodes in vectors in the first place. I do that using Terry Burton's free online barcode generator.

Ok I'm stupid: How to search

Yeah, I'm an idiot. I can't figure out these new forums. After going through the ugly process below, I'd like to see:
- On the initial page, a way to specify that I only want to search the forum I'm already in.
- On the initial page of the forum a Help button for search help. Somewhere.
- Please don't make me go through the pain of refinding my chosen forum in the Where drop-down list.
- Consistent use of defined terms. The search result shows me "Items". I think those are also called "Discussions".
For those who want to see how stupid I really am, here's a play by play so far....
Got myself to the Illustrator forum, no problem. I don't see my problem listed on the first page here. Hmmm, how do I search? Best to read the instructions. Is there a "Newbies Search Help" button somewhere? Anywhere? Nope. Well, guess I'll forge ahead. Here's a "Search Forums" blank. I'll type "feather". Let's see, 198 results. Cool. Here's a possibility: "directional feather". I'll read that... no wait. It's in the InDesign forum! I started out in the Illustrator forum, why am I seeing InDesign answers?
Well, the little sidebar says "You can choose to search all content or filter it by content type". (Hmm, I didn't see a filter when I first typed in my search criteria. Would have been handy there.) Guess on this page now I do have a "sort by" filter. Relevance, Rating, Subject, Date. No mention of sort by Forum. Well, there's a More Options link under the Search bar now, I'll try that. (Wonder why that wasn't available when I first started searching.) It wants to know What. Well, I want to search the Illustrator Forum. Should I take off the checkbox for Discussions and People? No... I think I want to search Discussions. Just in the Illustrator forum, but hopefully it will figure that out. OK, let's turn off the other two checkboxes. Next question: When. I don't care. All is fine. Now it wants to know WHERE? Hey, I STARTED OUT IN THE ILLUSTRATOR FORUM. Ok Ok, I'll choose it again in the list. Adobe Illustrator. Wow there are a lot of entries under "A". Indented entries, too. No, it must be under "I". I'll just keep scrolling down... wow, this is taking forever. Let's grab the scroll bar... Whoops, I went past. Illustrator, there we are. Next question. Who? I don't care.
OK, where's the button I press to go ahead with my search? Hmmm. Must be next to the "search forums blank at the top again--- oh no, don't touch that! I think I almost searched for the phrase "search forums". OK, there's a Search button next to the "Search for" blank, which still contains the word "feather". Whew. 28 results. I think they're all for Illustrator.
I wonder if there is a way to open one of the items (I think they're called Discussions although it doesn't call them that here) without losing this "collection." Gosh, I wish there was a Help button. But I do see a "Search Tips" link. Dare I? Well it's mostly about the particulars of searching for certain words. No real instructions for us newbies. I'll read the three easiest steps: Yep. Looks like choosing my forum from the "where" dropdown list is the only way to tell it that I do indeed want my search to be enacted only within the forum I was originally in...
OK, let's select this "discussion". Hmm, I'm in the middle of the discussion; this doesn't make sense yet. I think I need to "go to original post". Nope, this isn't what I need. Let's go back to the collection of 28 results. Back Arrow. And of course it's walking me back through all the replies I clicked on. Back. Back. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. OK, I'm back at my list of 28 results.
...ya know, I'm tired. I think I'll search later. I have to get back to work.

That describes the nightmare beautifully.
Just think, there is a person somewhere that designed that piece of shît.
He probably thinks he did a good job.
His pointy haired boss probably congratulated him.
I hope they both rot in ...
And we thought the search facility in the old forums was rubbish!

Stupid Illustrator

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for