AE 2021 washes out color from Illustrator files

I have the same issue. Just spent 3.5 hours with Adobe support, they did the computer take over, erased, reinstalled, played with all the color profile settings and all the rest of the stuff suggested below. To no avail. I've got year's worth of animation files that all are now suddenly all washed out and no idea how to fix them. Changing the original AI file to RGB helps in some cases but borks a lot of transparencies and stuff.

I downgraded to an earlier version of AE and the problem still exists. So maybe it is an illustrator thing? Though many of these old files (from late 2020)  I'm trying to access have never had their illustrator component opened in the newer illustrator.

Color settings in Adobe illustrator did say that my color settings were synchronized across CC apps, but the adobe person changed a few settings (made no difference).

Issue happening in the old AE (17.7), a version AE (18.0) that Adobe had me direct download, and the latest version (18.2).

Something is probably different in your color management settings. The AI file may be in CMYK color space. We can't know anything about your project without screenshots of the entire UI and some workflow details. cropped screenshots don't tell us anything at all.

Hi christopherd75102378,

Thanks for writing in.

What's the exact version of After Effects 2020 and 2021 that you're using: https://community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects/faq-how-to-find-the-exact-version-of-after-effects-you-re-using/td-p/9972137 

Does it happen with all the Illustrator files that you import or a particular one? Also, are you on macOS or Windows?

Try disabling the Hardware Accelerated Composition, Layer, and Footage Panels in the After Effects Preferences > Display.

Let us know if it brings any change.

Thanks,

Nishu