Last updated on
Mar 30, 2026
Find out about the latest updates, new features, and bug fixes in the recent Illustrator on desktop releases.
March 2026 (Illustrator 30.3)
Feature updates
- Use Turntable to generate multiple rotated views of a raster or vector object and see what it looks like from different angles. Smoothly slide between views, extract them for editing, and export them as GIF files (unavailable in mainland China).
- Generate up to 4 variations from a single prompt with Auto Select (unavailable in mainland China).
- Use Style Reference in Text to Vector Graphic to define output style with a reference image across new partner models (unavailable in mainland China).
- Edit text on generated vectors instantly when using Text to Vector Graphic (unavailable in mainland China).
- Export your Illustrator files directly to Adobe Cloud storage using Export for Screens for easy access and sharing.
- Use GPT Image 1.5 when using Text to Vector Graphic (unavailable in mainland China).
- Live curve fitting in the Pencil tool is active by default.
- Experience improved font handling in Illustrator (macOS) for better consistency and reduced reliance on unsupported system resources.
Fixed issues
- In Illustrator 29.5, an unnecessary circle appears in the top-left corner of the artboard when selecting a calligraphic brush tip shape in the panel.
- In Illustrator 29.7.1, Morisawa variable fonts such as DriveFlux fail to load and cannot be used.
- In Illustrator 30.1, using the Eyedropper tool on a text object in Isolation mode duplicates the object as an outline.
- Clipping masks display incorrectly in GPU preview when using transparency.
- Opening files from Adobe Cloud displays artwork in monochrome instead of the original color.
- Duplicating artboards changes their order unexpectedly.
- 'Copy' is unexpectedly added to preset names when loading Mojikumi settings files.
- Mixed stroke colors turn white when changing fill using CMYK mode in RGB documents.
- Create Gradient and Create Swatch Info actions don't play correctly.
- Ignore White option no longer works in JavaScript for Image Trace.
- Line breaks occur within words even when hyphenation is turned off.
- Embedded images turn white or disappear after reopening Illustrator files.
- Em dashes display incorrectly in vertical layouts.
- Rasterizing objects inside a clipping group causes the artwork to disappear.
- Illustrator shows a 'not enough room for window' error when opening files from the drive.
- Images are downsampled incorrectly when exporting to PDF/X-4.
- File metadata appears incorrectly in the Links panel.
- Toolbar tooltips don't dismiss automatically and interfere with the workflow.
- The Deselect All shortcut does not work correctly in Artboard mode.
- Files saved to legacy versions cannot be opened correctly in Illustrator CS6 or earlier.
- Renaming an artboard repositions it to the top of the Artboards panel.
- Text pasted from the web appears white even when the fill is set to black.
- The Share button appears misaligned under the icon.
- Files saved in Illustrator 30.2 fail to open due to PostScript errors.
- The scale dropdown option in Export for Screens fails to apply selected values.
- The font names remain in the native language even when English display is toggled on.
- The Tab key behaves inconsistently while renaming an artboard from the Artboards panel.
- Illustrator doesn't package files correctly after upgrading to macOS Tahoe.
- Type orientation in the Type menu does not correctly reflect the selected text within grouped objects.
- Temporary files are created every time a document is saved.
- Changes made by plugin tools are not rendered instantly in CPU Outline and Pixel Preview modes.
- Placed images rotate unexpectedly due to embedded metadata.
- PDF preview shows corrupted or unreadable text.
Feature updates
- Get smart model recommendations using Auto Select based on your prompt’s content and context when using Text to Vector Graphic (unavailable in mainland China).
- Use GPT Image 4o and Gemini 2.5 (Nano Banana) when using Generative Shape Fill (unavailable in mainland China).
- Use Gemini 3 (Nano Banana Pro) and Imagen 4 when using Text to Vector Graphic (unavailable in mainland China).
- Export artboards and assets in TIFF format using Export for Screens.
- Export Illustrator files directly to Adobe Cloud storage for easy access and reuse across desktop and web.
- Export assets directly from the Illustrator workspace into Firefly Boards to explore mood boards and create mockups (unavailable in mainland China).
- Apply proportional or exact scaling using Relative and Absolute options.
Fixed issues
- In Illustrator 30.0 and 30.1, gradient previews don’t update while moving objects.
- In Illustrator 29.8.1, symbols get replaced or disappear unexpectedly.
- In Illustrator 29.7.1, pressing Esc fails to exit text editing or isolation modes.
- Rasterizing inside a clipping mask causes objects to disappear.
- Perceptual gradient objects get fully rasterized on PDF export.
- Pasting an object with a perceptual gradient expands it into an image.
- Smart objects fail to update after saving the file.
- Color Mixer sliders vanish when navigating with Tab.
- CMYK document shows embedded RGB images with incorrect color labels.
- In Illustrator 30.0, the Search bar is missing on the Home screen.
- Live text is converted to outlines when pasting across documents.
- Unknown error occurs while saving an existing file.
Fixed issues
- The last character of the file name in the Links panel disappears or changes when a file is reopened.
- Function key conversion for Hiragana, Katakana, half-width Roman characters, and full-width Roman characters does not work as expected .
- In Illustrator 29.8.1, content may shift on artboards when reopening saved Illustrator files.
- Acrobat layers may duplicate unexpectedly when files are opened in Illustrator.
- Color appearance may change for linked images that include embedded profiles.
- In Illustrator 29.8.1, font embedding does not work when the Embed option is selected.
- In Illustrator 29.3, Japanese text displays incorrect characters in the original layout of the Reflow Viewer preview when using the Source Han Serif font.
Feature updates
- Generate scenes, subjects, and icons with partner models, such as GPT Image 4o, Ideogram 3, and Gemini 2.5 (Nano Banana), in Text to Vector Graphic (unavailable in mainland China).
- Convert a solid fill to a gradient to instantly access contextual and color-aware gradient presets in the dropdown, and explore creative options beyond the default black-and-white blend.
Note
Share your feedback on the color, artboard, snapping, and performance enhancements.
Fixed issues
Feature updates
- Use the enhanced font browser to find, apply, and organize fonts.
- Preview and pick colors faster with the enhanced color picker.
- Apply dithering to gradients to reduce banding and create smooth transitions.
- Use perceptual interpolation in gradients for more natural color blends.
- Start with ready-to-use gradient presets to speed up projects or spark inspiration.
- Snap lines tangentially to arcs or circles.
- Snap paths perpendicular to lines or curves.
- Access artboard actions like Duplicate, Rename, Lock, Export and more directly with a right-click.
- Export selected artboards directly from the canvas.
- Lock all objects on an artboard instantly to prevent accidental edits.
- Apply background colors to artboards for better visual clarity and easier workspace management.
- View artboard labels directly on the canvas and rename them in place for faster organization.
- Easily spot the active or selected artboard with a clearer black border.
- Save complex edits in your artwork faster with the enhanced Save in Background setting.
- Recover your work quickly and reliably after an unexpected crash with the enhanced Save in Background setting.
- Experience real-time on-canvas editing with move, scale, rotate, and duplicate operations without lag or interruptions.
- Create shared spaces in Projects to organize and collaborate on your files.
- Access Generation history from the Illustrator homescreen or workspace to work with the raster images generated on the Firefly website.
- Find the template you need directly from the Illustrator homescreen and refine it in Express.
- Choose between Firefly Vector 4 and Firefly Vector 3 models to generate scenes, subjects, and icons (unavailable in mainland China).
- Use the Generative AI button in the toolbar or the Object > Generative menu to access all generative AI features in one place (unavailable in mainland China).
- Hide the perspective grid easily with the new, distinct Hide Grid widget.
System updates
- With version 30.0, Illustrator has dropped support for macOS Monterey (version 12), Windows 11 v22H2, and v21H2 devices.
Fixed issues
- While dragging an artboard's anchor point to align with an object, the alignment snaps to the cursor rather than the actual anchor.
- All text objects in a document disappear unexpectedly upon opening the file.
- Image map URL links disappear in exported PDFs.
- Exporting files with large amounts of outlined text using the High Quality Print preset produces corrupted PDFs on macOS.
- Illustrator freezes or slows down during file save.
- Pattern fills don't scale with objects when transforming objects.
- Placed PNG image cannot be selected or moved after scaling.
- The Save dialog defaults to a PDF file instead of an .ai file for new documents.
- Function keys (F6 to F9) don't work for Japanese input conversion (e.g., Hiragana, Katakana, etc).
- Pressing the Esc key fails to exit text editing mode.
- Drop shadows render inconsistently.
This release includes fixes for font-related issues.
Fixed Issues
- In Illustrator 29.5.1, fonts get randomly substituted in existing files despite correct fonts being installed.
- In Illustrator 29.8.1, fonts may not render or may display incorrectly when using Japanese typefaces such as Kozuka, Shin Go, or Ryumin.
Feature updates
- Copy color values directly from the Color panel, Color Picker, New Swatches, or Swatch Options dialog box.
- Snap precisely to the endpoint, midpoint, and center of any object with Smart Guides.
- Use Snap to Grid to position objects freely inside grid cells while still snapping to lines or intersections when needed.
- Use Snap to Pixel to keep your artwork aligned to the pixel grid by eliminating half-pixel shifts and misleading alignment cues.
- Toggle between Snap to Grid, Snap to Pixel, Snap to Point, and Smart Guides from the Snapping Quick Access panel in the Control bar. Use the panel to change snapping preferences, like Alignment Guides and Snap to Glyph.
- Use Smart Guides to detect rotation angles for consistent alignment.
- Limit snapping to objects only within the active artboard, and snap to isolated objects from the Preferences panel.
- Use advanced settings in Smart Guides to customize how objects align and snap on the canvas.
- Experience a faster app launch.
Fixed issues
- Duplicating an artboard may unlock and display previously locked or hidden artwork.
- Fonts applied to portions of text may shift when navigating through slides, causing applied fonts to change unexpectedly.
- Copying objects can sometimes cause Illustrator to crash.
- Symbols may not move along with the artwork when an artboard is repositioned.
- In Illustrator 29.7.1, units may reset from pixels to points when opening documents.
- Changing documents can cause swatches to vanish from the Swatches panel.
- Recent color swatches may disappear and show as None when global or spot colors are used.
- Recent colors sometimes save an invalid swatch, showing None as K=0.
- Decimal values can’t be set in the keyboard increment field under Preferences.
- The font menu may not include specific font styles, such as Montserrat Bold, Arial Bold, or Myriad Condensed, and more.
- Opacity mask mode may only work when the Clip option is selected.
- Variable font content may not display correctly in edit mode.
- Images inside clipping masks may shift position when reopening a file.
- In Illustrator 29.5.1, fonts get randomly substituted in existing files despite correct fonts being installed.
- In Illustrator 29.8.1 and 29.9, fonts may not render or may display incorrectly when using Japanese typefaces such as Kozuka, Shin Go, or Ryumin.
Feature updates
- Add or duplicate artboards using buttons on any edge of an artboard.
- Rename multiple artboards together.
- Illustrator outlines the active artboard with a black border for easy identification.
- When you apply a gradient, Illustrator uses the object’s fill color as the starting point.
- Illustrator saves the recently used colors to the Color and Swatches panel.
- Use the Search Preferences bar in Preferences to locate any setting.
- Screen readers can now read and select previously inaccessible items on the Home screen and in the New Document dialog. They can also read document names, items in the menu bar and toolbar, and properties—along with their states and values—in the Properties panel.
- Tab key lets you navigate within the Properties and Layers panels.
- Cmd + F6 (macOS) or Ctrl + F6 (Windows) lets you switch between the Properties and Layers panels.
- Option to turn on color contrast when Brightness is set to Medium Dark.
Fixed issues
Feature updates
- Use Generative Expand to expand the dimensions of your vector artwork and to add print bleed in your own style (not available in mainland China).
- When using the Pencil tool, preview styles, effects, and curve fitting live as you draw.
- Repeat your last artboard action—move, duplicate, or scale— using Ctrl + D or Cmd + D.
- Paste objects directly onto selected artboards using Paste in Front, Paste in Back, or Paste in Place.
- Rearrange your selected artboards, anywhere on the canvas.
- Calligraphic Brushes and Art Brushes (Window > Brushes) render effects faster.
- Operations such as move, scale, rotate, and duplication are smoother and faster.
Fixed issues
- In Illustrator 29.4, images inside opacity masks shift to the artboard center when reopening files created in earlier Illustrator versions.
- In Illustrator 29.4 and 29.5, live path preview is missing for the Pencil tool.
- Exiting isolation mode causes objects to disappear.
- The Direct Selection tool can't move off-grid anchor points when Snap to Grid and Smart Guides are enabled.
- Visual elements outside the artboard are not captured while exporting assets.
- Illustrator displays a script error on startup due to an unmatched brace.
- Previewing documents in Illustrator 29.0.1, results in appearance processing errors.
- The Eyedropper tool samples incorrect colors from filled clipping masks.
- Illustrator files open with IllustratorDiagnosys by default instead of Illustrator, disrupting workflows.
Feature updates
- Use Generative Shape Fill to add detail and color to shapes and outlines in your own style, and edit them as needed (not available in mainland China).
- Use Text to Pattern to generate vector patterns and add them to your swatch library (not available in mainland China).
- Use Text to Vector Graphic to generate vector graphics in your own style, and edit them as needed (not available in mainland China).
- Apply colors using Hex codes. Enter simple numeric patterns for auto-completion using Hex codes; enter decimal values for auto-conversion to Hex codes; enter CSS color names for auto-conversion to Hex codes.
- Add file name as prefix when exporting artboards or assets using Export for Screens to easily identify them later.
- Top-level menus and context menus open and respond more quickly.
- Navigation in Type > Font and the context Font menu is smoother and faster.
- The Links panel offers a faster scrolling experience. The panel also updates in real time when you modify embedded and linked assets—including those from network drives.
- Transform (Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform), Warp (Effect > Warp), and Blend (Object > Blend) apply faster.
- Effects render faster on objects with multiple fills and strokes.
Fixed issues
- Anchor point selection fails when the point is below another path.
- The Direct Selection tool selects anchor points hidden beneath overlapping objects.
- In Illustrator (Beta) 29.5, pasted items automatically get deselected after pasting.
- Embedded fonts fail to preserve variant glyphs after the original font is uninstalled.
- Artboard dimensions automatically reset when entering width and height for artboard size.
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