Macromedia Illustrator - CS4 Troubleshooting Guide
Adobe Illustrator CS4 Troubleshooting
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Last updated 11/12/2015
Contents
Unexpected behaviors after replacing the Illustrator CS4 Crop Marks Effects plug-in with the updated Crop Marks Filter plugin.
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Troubleshoot problems printing to non-PostScript printers
Troubleshoot damaged Illustrator files
Supported file formats | Illustrator
Spot colors, transparency
Preference file location | Illustrator
Optimize performance | Windows
Optimize performance | Illustrator |CS2-CS4 | Mac OS X
Optimize native and PDF file sizes
Error: "Can't open the illustration..." | Opening file | Illustrator CS4 and earlier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Missing tools and panels (Illustrator CS5-CS2 on Windows)
Looping kernel panic after Illustrator CS4 crashes (Mac OS)
Illustrator support for networks and removable media
Adobe Illustrator fails to save (CS4, CS5, Windows and Mac OS)
Illustrator EPS Previews and On-Screen and Printed Appearance of EPS Graphics
Illustrator crashes | Wacom tablet installed
Scrolling through fonts list using the
Freehand MX 11 file type support discontinued
Error "The file is not readable" | Place, o
Error “Can’t print the Illustration” when you try to
Enable content recovery mode | Illustrator CS2-CS5
DXF or DWG files imports at incorrect size when opened in I
DXF or DWG file scales up and fills entire ar
Create efficient Illustrator file
Change default font | Illustrat
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
s | Improve print performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
or CS2, CS3, CS4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
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, Photoshop running | CS4, CS5 | Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
arrow keys freezes | CS4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
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pen file with linked PSD | Illustrator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
print from Illustrator CS4 (Mac OS, Windows) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
tboard when opened in Illustrator (CS2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
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llustrator (CS3 & CS4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
iii
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Unexpected behaviors after replacing the Illustrator CS4 Crop Marks Effects plug-in with the updated Crop Marks Filter plug-in.
Issue
If Adobe Illustrator CS4 preferences are not renamed or deleted after replacing the Crop Marks Effect plugin with the
Crop Marks Filter plug-in, the following issues may occur
1 The keyboard shortcuts to Apply Last Filter (Ctrl+E) and Last Filter (Alt+Cltrl+E) do not work (Windows only).
The Effect menu item Crop Marks Effect remains visible, though selecting it produces no result.
1
The Filter sub-menu is not listed in the Object menu, unless the user has clicked the Crop Marks Effect menu item in
the Effects menu.
Objects having the Crop Marks Effect applied, which are contained in an earlier Illustrator CS4 document, cannot be
moved.
Solution: Reset the Illustrator CS4 preferences.
Mac: Hold down Command + Option + Shift while opening the program.Win d o ws : Hold down Control + Alt + Shift
while opening the program.
Alternatively, you can manually remove the old preferences files which are located in the following locations:
Mac: /Users/[user name]/Library/Preferences/Adobe Illustrator CS4 SettingsWind o w s X P : C:\Documents and
Settings\[user name]\Application Data\Adobe\Adobe Illustrator CS4SettingsWindows Vista or Windows 7:
C:\Users\[user name]\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Adobe Illustrator CS4 Settings
Note: This will remove any customizations you previously made in the Illustrator CS4 preferences dialog box.
Additional information
For more information about the updated Crop Marks Filter plug-in for Illustrator CS4, see the readme which
accompanies it:
For Macintosh download from:http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=4617
For Windows download from:http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=4618
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Troubleshoot problems printing to non-PostScript printers
Ve rs i on s : Illustrator CS2 to CS5
What's covered
• Troubleshooting steps
• Workarounds
Adobe Illustrator is optimized for PostScript printing. In fact, many of the Illustrator advanced features can only be
described using the PostScript page description language. Non PostScript printers (for example, Hewlett-Packard
LaserJets, Canon BubbleJets, or Epson Stylus) use printer description languages that are not full programming
languages (for example, PCL or QuickDraw) and are unable to describe all of the objects and attributes in Illustrator
artwork. Most non PostScript printers rely on display information, host computer resources, and proprietary printer
drivers to relay print information to the printer.
When you print from Illustrator to a non PostScript printer, objects may not print, or may print incorrectly. The
behavior may vary with different printers and with different versions of the printer software. Non PostScript printing
problems can manifest themselves in many different ways, including (but not limited to) the following:
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• Text or other objects are partially or completely missing from the page.
• A system error or freeze occurs.
However, the troubleshooting steps below may help you to print your Illustrator documents to non PostScript printers.
In some cases, such as older printers whose drivers are no longer being updated, the troubleshooting steps may not
solve the problem, and you may have to use a workaround. There are several workarounds listed at the bottom of this
document.
Troubleshooting steps
The tasks in this section will help you isolate the most common causes of printing problems that occur in Illustrator.
Before you begin these troubleshooting steps, make sure that a damaged Illustrator file is not the cause of the problem
by opening a new file and trying to re-create the problem. If the problem does not occur in a new file, it is likely that
you have a damaged Illustrator file. For information on troubleshooting damaged Illustrator files, see document
, "Troubleshoot damaged files (Illustrator CS2 and later)."
Always restart your computer after a system error occurs to refresh your computer's memory; continuing to work
without restarting may compound the problem.
1. Update or reinstall the printer driver.
Contact your printer manufacturer to obtain the latest version of the printer driver for your printer. If you are using the
latest version of your printer's driver and the problem persists, remove the driver, then reinstall it from the original
installation disks or CD-ROM.
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2. Change the Bitmap printing option in Illustrator.
If you use Illustrator for Windows, then change the Print As Bitmap setting in the Print dialog box. That is, if it's
selected, then deselect it; if it's deselected, then select it.
To change the Bitmap Printing option, choose File > Print > Advanced and select or deselect Print As Bitmap.
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Note: If you disable Print as Bitmap in the Print dialog box, Illustrator uses Graphic Display Interface (GDI)
information and the printer driver to create vector-based print data, which prints more quickly but may result in
inconsistent printing to some devices.
3. Use Enhanced PCL.
If you use Windows and your printer supports an Enhanced PCL printer driver, install the Enhanced driver. For
instructions on installing an Enhanced driver for your specific printer, see the printer's documentation or contact the
manufacturer.
4. Switch to a standard Windows video card driver.
Switch to a standard Windows video card driver by starting Windows in VGA Mode:
• In Windows Vista and Windows 7: Choose Enable low-resolution video (640 x 480) from the list of startup options
and press Enter. If this menu doesn't appear or flashes by too quickly, choose Start > Control Panel, Click System
and Maintenance, and then click System, and then choose Advanced System Settings. Select the Advanced tab and
then Select Settings in the Startup and Recovery area and increase the value for the Time To Display List Of
Operating Systems option.
• In Win dows XP: Re start Wind ows, press the F8 key when prompted, and choo se Ena ble VGA Mode f rom t he menu.
If this menu doesn't appear or flashes by too quickly, choose Start > Settings > Control Panel, double-click System,
and then click the Advanced tab. Select Settings in the Startup And Recovery area and increase the value for the Time
To Display List Of Operating Systems option.
• In Windows 2000: Restart Windows, press the F8 key when prompted, and choose VGA Mode from the menu. If
this menu doesn't appear or flashes by too quickly, choose Start > Settings > Control Panel, double-click System, and
click the Advanced tab. Select Startup And Recovery and increase the value for the Display List Of Operating
Systems For Seconds option.
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If you can print correctly from Illustrator using the SuperVGA or VGA driver, then the driver for your video card may
be damaged, outdated, or incompatible with your printer driver or Illustrator. To obtain an updated video card driver,
contact the video card manufacturer.
5. Change the text format.
If text is printing incorrectly or not at all, then save a copy of the Illustrator file, and then do one of the following:
• Apply a zero-point white stroke to the type.
• Convert the text to outlines. For small text (that is, 24 points or smaller), apply a zero-point white stroke to prevent
the stroke from distorting characters converted to outlines.
• Rasterize the text in Illustrator by selecting the text with the Selection tool and choosing Object > Rasterize.
6. Add a hidden colored object.
If colored text is printing black and is the only color element on the page, then create a hidden object the same color as
the text:
1 Select the Rectangle tool, and then draw a rectangle and paint it with the same color you painted the text.
2 Draw a rectangle large enough to completely cover the rectangle you created in step 1. Paint the new rectangle white
and position it to cover the original rectangle.
7. Change the print layers option to All Layers.
Choose File > Print, click General, and select All Layers from the Print Layers menu.
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8. Set a PostScript printer as the default printer. (Windows only)
Set a PostScript printer as the default printer in Windows. To set a default printer, choose Start > Settings > Printers
(Windows XP, Windows 2000) or Start > Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Printers (Windows Vista). Right-click
the desired printer and choose Set as Default.
Note: If you do not have a PostScript printer, you can still install and set a PostScript printer driver one as your default
printer:
1 Choose Start > Settings > Printers (Windows XP, Windows 2000) or Start > Control Panel > Hardware and Sound >
Printers(Windows Vista), and then select Add Printer.
2 Follow the onscreen instructions, making sure you add a PostScript printer (for example, Apple LaserWriter Pro)
rather than a non PostScript printer (for example, HP DeskJet). For instructions on using the Add Printer wizard,
see the Windows documentation.
To print to a printer other than the default printer from Illustrator in Windows:
1 Choose File > Print.
2 Choose your printer from the Printer menu.
3 Click Done to close the Print dialog box and retain the printer, or click Print to print.
9. Print to a local printer.
If you are connected to a printer over a network, then connect the printer directly to the computer. If the file prints
correctly, then network-related issues may be the cause. Contact your network administrator for assistance.
4
Workarounds
If after performing the troubleshooting steps you still cannot print to your non PostScript printer, the following
workarounds may help you to print your Illustrator document.
10. Save the file as a Portable Document Format (PDF) file.
Save the Illustrator file as a PDF file by choosing Acrobat PDF from the pop-up menu in the Save As dialog box, and
then open and print the PDF file from Adobe Reader.
11. Print from another application.
Print the Illustrator file from another application (for example, Adobe Photoshop, or Adobe InDesign).
Note: O the r appl icatio ns may have prob lems pr inting to non PostS cript pr inter s as wel l. You may ne ed t o sa ve or e xpor t
the Illustrator file in another format (for example, TIFF or EPS) or try different applications until the artwork prints as
expected.
12. Print to a different printer.
Print to a PostScript printer or another non PostScript printer.
Note: Some manufacturers of non PostScript printers (for example, Hewlett-Packard or Epson) offer PostScript
hardware or software for their printers. To determine the availability of PostScript hardware or software for your
printer, contact the manufacturer.
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Troubleshoot damaged Illustrator files
What's covered
• Beginning and intermediate troubleshooting
• Advanced troubleshooting
This document can help you resolve errors caused by damaged Adobe Illustrator files. A damaged Illustrator file may
cause an error, such as "There is not enough memory to open the Illustration" or "Acrobat PDF File Format is having
difficulties...," or cause other unexpected behavior (for example, crashes, objects failing to preview) when you modify,
save, or print artwork in Illustrator.
To determine if a damaged file is the cause, create a new Illustrator file and perform the same tasks that caused the
problem with the original file. If you cannot re-create the problem with the new file, the original file may be damaged.
An Illustrator file may become damaged because of low disk space, low system resources, or software conflicts. In
addition, if the system returns an error, freezes, or crashes while an application is reading from or writing to disk, the
open file can become damaged. Working with a file on a network or removable drive increases the likelihood of a
communication error during the read/write process.
Beginning and intermediate troubleshooting
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To repair a damaged file, create a backup copy of it on the local hard drive, and then complete one or more of the tasks
in this section, in order.
1. Install the latest version of Illustrator.
Updates correct problems that are discovered after an application is released. By installing the latest update, you can
minimize the possibility that the error is caused by a problem in the application itself. (To determine which version of
Illustrator you're using, in Illustrator choose Help > About Illustrator.) The latest update for Illustrator is available from
the Adobe website at
www.adobe.com/support/downloads.
• To locate an Authorized Reseller, visit the Adobe website at
http://partners.adobe.com/resellerfinder/na/findreseller.jsp and choose your country or region from the menu at
the top of the page.
• To purchase an upgrade from Adobe, visit the Adobe Store at http://store.adobe.com/store and choose your country
or region from the menu at the top of the page.
• To contact Adobe Customer Service in your region for assistance, visit the Adobe website at www.adobe.com, select
your region from the menu at the top of the page, and then click Contact Us
2. Copy the file to your hard drive.
If the file is on a network volume or removable disk (for example, diskette, Zip or Jaz disk), copy it to your hard drive
and open it from there.
If you purchased Illustrator as part of the Adobe Creative Suite and need to store files on a network drive, install and
configure the accompanying Version Cue software for saving files directly to a network. For more information on
Version Cue, see the Adobe Creative Suite product page at
www.adobe.com/products/creativesuite .
3. Place the damaged Illustrator file in a new Illustrator file.
Important: This solution doesn't work if you didn't select Create C ompatible PDF File in the Illustrator Native Format
Options dialog box when you saved the original file. On the Macintosh platform, the damaged Illustrator file may
appear dimmed in the Place dialog box, but you will still be able to select it and place it in the new Illustrator file.
1 In Illustrator, choose File > New.
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2 Select the appropriate size and color mode, and then click OK.
3 Choose File > Place.
4 In the Place dialog box, choose All Formats from the Files of Type pop-up menu (Windows) or choose All
Documents from the Show pop-up menu (Mac OS), choose the damaged file, and then click Place.
5 Name and save the file.
4. Copyartwork from a damaged fileinto a new file.
1 Open the damaged file, and then choose Object > Path > Cleanup to remove unwanted items (for example, stray
points, unpainted objects, empty text paths) from the artwork.
2 If the original file contains multiple layers, choose Paste Remembers Layers from the Layers Panel pop-up menu to
ensure the artwork appears on the same layers when you paste it into the new file.
3 Using the Selection tool, drag a marquee around the artwork.
4 Choose Edit > Copy.
5 Choose File > New to create a new file.
6 In the new file, choose Edit > Paste In Front to paste the artwork in the correct position on the page.
7 Choose File > Save.
If the new file exhibits the same behavior, it may contain a damaged object. To determine whether an object is damaged,
delete it from the new file, and then save and reopen the file and try to re-create the problem. Repeat for each object in
the file.
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When you can no longer re-create the problem, delete and re-create the damaged object in the original file:
• If an Illustrator-drawn object is damaged, then re-create the object with the drawing tools in Illustrator.
• If a linked image is damaged, then re-create the original image, and then replace it in your artwork.
• If a text object is damaged, then convert the text object to outlines or change its font.
To quickly change all fonts in a document:
1 Open the document in Illustrator and Choose Object > Unlock All.
2 Choose Edit > Select All.
3 Choose Type > Font, and select a font not currently used in the document.
Note: To prevent text objects from becoming damaged in the future, reinstall the problematic font from the original
disk.
5. Delete unused swatches, custom colors, color groups, brushes, symbols, or styles.
Eliminate a problem caused by a damaged swatch, brush, symbol, or style by deleting unused swatches, custom colors,
color groups (CS3 and later), brushes, symbols, or styles: Choose Select All Unused from the Swatches panel menu,
from the Brushes panel menu, from the Symbols panel menu, and from the Styles panel menu, and then press Delete.
Advanced troubleshooting
The following elements can damage files: corrupt fonts, gradients, patterns, links, and objects (for example, text blocks,
imported graphics, Illustrator-drawn graphics). If the tasks listed in the previous section don't resolve the problem, you
may need to repair the file by using one of the following tasks.
Note: If you repair a damaged file using one of the following tasks, then you lose transparency and layer information.
6. Check for a damaged pattern, gradient, or custom color.
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To determine if the problem is caused by a damaged pattern, gradient, or custom color:
1 Choose Edit > Select All and change the fill and stroke to process black.
2 Perform task 4 again to determine whether the problem occurs in a new file that does not contain the patterns,
gradients, or spot colors. If the problem does not recur, re-create the pattern, gradient, or spot color in the original
file.
7. Convert the file to an Adobe PDF file.
If the file is in EPS format, convert the file to PDF in Adobe Acrobat Distiller, and then open the PDF file in Illustrator.
8. Print the file to disk as a PostScript file.
Print the Illustrator file as a PostScript file, and then open the PostScript file in Illustrator.
Note: To perform this solution you must have a PostScript printer driver installed. For information on installing
Postscript printers in Windows Vista and XP, please see the Windows Help Menus.
1 Choose File > Print.
2 Specify the desired print or output settings.
3 Choose Adobe Postscript File from the Printer pop up menu, and then click Save.
4 Type a filename that includes a .ps extension (for example, Filename.ps), and then click OK (Windows) or Save (Mac
OS).
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5 Open the PostScript file in Illustrator.
9. Re-create the file in Illustrator.
Re-create the file in Illustrator after resaving or re-creating graphics, templates, and custom colors used in the original
Illustrator file. Re-create all elements copied from other Illustrator files.
Additional Information
kb408008: Copy/Paste of artwork is very slow and/or includes large amounts of unused data, such as swatches
(Illustrator CS4 and earlier)311742 : Creating Efficient Illustrator Files and Improving Print Performance
312896 : Memory-Related PostScript Error ("VMerror," "limitcheck") Printing from Illustrator -- Troubleshooting
Guide
Supported file formats | Illustrator
This document provides an overview of file formats supported in Illustrator. For information about specific formats
and their use, see Illustrator Help.
Changes to file-format support in Illustrator CS6
Formats that cannot be opened in Illustrator CS6:
• FreeHand (fh7, fh8, fh9, fh10, fh11, ft11)
Formats that cannot be placed in Illustrator CS6:
• FreeHand (fh7, fh8, fh9, fh10, fh11, ft11)
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Formats that cannot be exported through the Save for web feature:
• HTML (html)
File formats supported for opening
• Adobe Idea file (idea) (Illustrator CS6 only)
• Adobe PDF (pdf)
• AutoCAD Interchange File (dxf )
• AutoCAD Drawing (dwg)
• FreeHand (fh7, fh8, fh9, fh10, fh11, ft11)
• FXG (fxg)
• GIF89a (gif)
• JPEG (jpg, jpe, jpeg)
• JPEG2000 (jpf, jpx, jp2, j2k, j2c, jpc)
• Macintosh PICT (pic, pct)
• Enhanced Metafile (emf )
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• Wind o w s Me tafil e (wmf )
• Encapsulated PostScript (eps, epsf, ps)
• Text (txt)
• Microsoft Word DOCX (docx)
• Microsoft Word (doc)
• Microsoft RTF (rtf)
• CorelDRAW 5,6,7,8,9,10 (cdr)
• Computer Graphics Metafile (cgm)
• TIFF (tif, tiff)
• Photoshop (psd, pdd)
• BMP (bmp, rle, dib)
• PCX (pcx)
• Pixar (pxr)
• PNG (png)
• Tar g a (tg a , vda , icb, v s t )
• SVG Compressed (svgz)
• SVG (svg)
• Adobe Illustrator (ai, ait)
• Illustrator EPS (eps, epsf, ps)
File formats supported for placing
• Adobe PDF (pdf)
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• AutoCAD Interchange File (dxf )
• AutoCAD Drawing (dwg)
• FXG (fxg)
• GIF89a (gif)
• JPEG (jpg, jpe, jpeg)
• JPEG2000 (jpf, jpx, jp2, j2k, j2c, jpc)
• Macintosh PICT (pic, pct)
• Enhanced Metafile (emf )
• Wind o w s Me tafil e (wmf )
• Encapsulated PostScript (eps, epsf, ps)
• Text (txt)
• Microsoft Word DOCX (docx)
• Microsoft Word (doc)
• Microsoft RTF (rtf)
• CorelDRAW 5,6,7,8,9,10 (cdr)
• Computer Graphics Metafile (cgm)
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• TIFF (tif, tiff)
• Photoshop (psd, pdd)
• BMP (bmp, rle, dib)
• PCX (pcx)
• Pixar (pxr)
• PNG (png)
• Tar g a (tg a , vda , icb, v s t )
• SVG Compressed (svgz)
• SVG (svg)
• Adobe Illustrator (ai, ait)
File formats supported for saving
• Adobe Illustrator (ai)
• Illustrator eps (eps)
• Illustrator Template (ait)
• Adobe PDF (pdf)
• FXG (fxg)
• SVG Compressed (svgz)
• SVG (svg)
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File formats supported for exporting
• PNG (png)
• BMP (bmp)
• AutoCAD Drawing (dwg)
• AutoCAD Interchange File (dxf )
• Enhanced Metafile (emf )
• Flash (swf)
• JPEG (jpg)
• Macintosh PICT (pct)
• Photoshop (psd)
• TIFF (tif)
• Tar g a (tg a )
• Text Format (txt)
• Wind o w s Me tafil e (wmf )
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File formats supported for saving for web and devices
• HTML (html)
• Image (gif)
• JPEG (jpg)
• PNG (png)
File formats supported for Microsoft Office
• PNG (png)
Spot colors, transparency
When you use spot colors and transparency, Illustrator sometimes manipulates file content to maintain the appearance
of artwork in PostScript and other transparency flattening processes. When Illustrator manipulates content during the
flattening process, spot colors involved in specific transparency scenarios sometimes require conversion to process
colors. While these cases are less and less common with each successive version of Illustrator, the following items
address the remaining limitations to spot color preservation when interacting with transparency in Illustrator CS3 and
later and CS2.
Raster effects
Last updated 11/12/2015
In Illustrator CS2 when you apply raster-based effects (for example, Rasterize and Gaussian Blur) at the object, group,
or layer level to objects that contain multiple spot colors or a combination of spot and process color, Illustrator converts
the object color to either the document's process color space, grayscale, or bitmap. You can choose one of these options
in the Raster Effects Settings dialog box. For example, in a simple rectangle with a spot color fill and a process black
stroke, the spot color fill convert to a process color. However, if all of the attributes of an object, group, or layer are
colored with a single spot color, then the spot color is maintained regardless of where you apply the effect. Illustrator
CS3 and later maintain the spot color in any of the above scenarios.
The Preserve Spot Colors When Possible check box (CS2) or the Preserve Spot Colors check box (CS3 and later) in the
Raster Effects Settings dialog box is not selected by default when you open Illustrator files created in versions earlier
than CS2. This setting ensures that the printing behavior of these files is consistent with earlier versions of Illustrator.
The selection in the Preserve Spot Colors When Possible check box in Illustrator CS2 files is maintained when the files
are reopened.
Gradients and gradient mesh
Illustrator CS3 and later and CS2 (or Cs2 and later) preserves spot-color-to-spot-color gradients and spot-color-to-
process-color gradients in both opaque and transparent scenarios. To print and export spot colors in gradient scenarios,
select Preserve Overprints and Spot Colors in the Object > Flatten Transparency dialog box.
In Illustrator CS2, when a gradient mesh contains more than one spot color, or a process color and a spot color,
Illustrator converts the mesh to the document's process color space. Illustrator CS3 and later retain the spot color in
both of the preceding gradient mesh scenarios.
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Spot-to-spot blends
When you create a blend between two different spot color objects, Illustrator converts all of the intermediate steps to
the document's process color space.
Rasterization
In Illustrator CS2, the Object > Rasterize command allows you to convert all spot colors to the document's process color
space, grayscale, or bitmap. Spot colors aren't preserved when rasterized. The Effects > Rasterize command is subject
to the Effect limitations explained in Raster Effects (above) and will "Preserve Spot Colors When Possible" when you
select this option in the Raster Effects Settings dialog box.
Illustrator CS3 and later allows you to retain spot colors w hen using both t he Object > Rasteri ze and Effects >Rasterize
command by selecting the Preserve Spot Colors option in the Object > Rasterize dialog box and the Effects >
Document Raster Effects Settings dialog box respectively.
Live Trace tool
Illustrator CS3 and later and CS2 preserves spot colors in grayscale raster objects when the spot color has been applied
in Illustrator. Spot colors in all other raster format files, whether linked or embedded, are converted to process colors
or ignored when you use the Live Trace command.
SVG filters
When you apply any SVG Filter in Illustrator CS2, spot colors are converted to the document's process color space.
Imported raster formats
Last updated 11/12/2015
Methods for accommodating spot colors imported from raster formats are much improved in both Illustrator CS3 and
later and CS2 over earlier versions. Illustrator CS2 retains spot colors in embedded native Photoshop files as a raster
opacity mask over a rectangle that is filled with the spot color and set to overprint, and in Illustrator CS3 and later it
converts the image to a deviceN raster object (alll spot and process colors are retained together in an NChannel format).
Illustrator CS3 and later, CS2 (or CS and later) retains spot colors in embedded PDF files as output-friendly non-
native art. The only significant raster format limitations remaining are listed below and are all fixed by Illustrator CS3
and later.
• TIFF: Illustrator CS2 does not import spot colors in TIFF files. Only the CMYK, RGB, or Grayscale portion is
imported. Illustrator CS3 and later import spot colors in TIFF files exported from Photoshop.
• PSD Duotone: You can't link or embed PSD Duotone in Illustrator CS2. These actions cause an error message and
the Place function fails with no result. You can successfully link and embed PSD Duotone files in Illustrator CS3 and
the spot colors are retained.
• EPS Duotone: Illustrator CS2 converts spot colors in embedded EPS Duotone files to process colors. Illustrator CS3
and later retain spot colors in embedded EPS Duotone files.
• DCS 2.0 EPS: Illustrator CS2 does not support spot colors or high-resolution data contained in DCS EPS files when
the DCS EPS interacts with transparency. In this case, only composite data is preserved. Illustrator CS2 supports
DCS EPS only in non-transparent separated workflows. Illustrator CS3 supports DCS 2.0 EPS files and the retention
of spot colors in both transparent and non-transparent host separated workflows. DCS 1.0 EPS files are still limited
to non-transparent host separated workflows in both Illustrator CS3 and CS2 (CS2 and later).
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Note: For more information on non-native art, see Importing monotone, duotone, and tritone images from Adobe PDF
files" in Illustrator CS3, CS2 Help.
Alpha channel transparency
Illustrator CS2 and later preser ve spot colors that interact with alpha channel transparency (for example, opacity masks,
live raster effects, and transparent images). Earlier versions of Illustrator convert spot colors to process colors in these
scenarios.
Legacy formats
When you save files to Illustrator version 8 or earlier, and selec t Preserve Appearance and O verpri nts in the Save di alog
box, all spot color objects are converted to process color objects.
Preference file location | Illustrator
Adobe Illustrator stores its preferences file in the following locations:
Note: If you can't find the AIPrefs file in the following locations, enable Windows to show hidden files and folders. For
instructions, refer to your Windows documentation. For Mac OS, the name of the preferences file is Adobe Illustrator
Prefs.
Illustrator CC
Mac OS
Local
/Users//Library/Preferences/Adobe Illustrator 17 Settings/en_US*/Adobe Illustrator Prefs
Synced
Last updated 11/12/2015
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