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Fonts changing in files when opened in Illustrator 29.5.1

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I've experienced this twice now, both times in the last month. I design beer labels and I'll often open an older label and use it as the template for a new one. When I open the older file (an .AI file), it will load, and most of the live text will have switched to a different font arbitrarily. Some fonts switch to OTHER typefaces that exist in the same document, others switch to different weights of the same font, and still others switch to defaults like times and myriad. Some of the switched fonts are stored locally, and others are served via Adobe Fonts. The file does this consistently even after I've restarted illustrator and restarted my computer.

I've attached a screenshot of one of the files with its original fonts (from an outlined version for print), as well as a shot with the changed fonts.

Has anyone else experienced this?

System:

2022 Mac Studio M1 Max

MacOS Sonoma 14.6.1

Illustrator v 29.5.1

Anubhav MCorrect answer

Community Manager

Hello everyone,

Our team has attempted to resolve this issue in the latest Illustrator 30.x and 29.x releases. Kindly update to the latest version of Illustrator and try opening your files to see if the problem persists.

Anubhav

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JodyRadzik37240164

Inspiring

I'm wondering where the abuse is here. My post was worded somewhat strongly due to the massive inconvenience this bug has caused and Adobe's essentially head-in-the-sand approach to it, but it's not abusive, as Adobe has been to my bank account over the last 20 years I've paid for this software.

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JodyRadzik37240164

Inspiring

There has been one report that 29.8.2 appears to have solved the font substitution bug. Can anyone else either confirm this as true or whether Adobe's struggle to produce commercially viable software continues?

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bwatel

Participating Frequently

I’ve downgraded to 29.4 for about 6 weeks now and I haven’t had the font problem so far.
Bruno

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k9tag

Participating Frequently

Wait... did anyone else see this comment from 9/19/25? It appears that the devastating bug that we have all been suffering from for months. at least for the one user below, has been fixed. My response is yeah... right... sure. If this were true, wouldn't Adobe be shouting from the rooftops that they have finally fixed the worst bug in the history of Adobe Illustrator? I mean how much worse can a bug be - you do 3 days worth of work in Illustrator the same way that you have for 20 years, and you save the file, only to find that the next day your file is completely ruined due to some bug that f*cks up all f your fonts?

So, this solitary user says that this bug has been fixed by 29.9 or 30.0 It will take a hell of a lot more than that to get me to upgrade Illustrator past 29.4, a version that I know at least freaking works.

artistic_maker16E5

Explorer ,

Sep 19, 2025

good news

I have downloaded illustrator beta 29.9 and 30.0
The problem seems to have finally been resolved with both versions

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JodyRadzik37240164

Inspiring

I'm going to need a lot more verification than a fan's first impressions.

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M S V

Inspiring

just installed version 29.8.2

opening and resaving my test file with all version between 29.5 and 29.8.1 I get shuffled fonts

doing the same with version 29.4 and 29.8.2 fonts are ok

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JodyRadzik37240164

Inspiring

Ever since I lost a couple of days rebuilding files that were ruined by the font substitution bug, I'm very reluctant to use any version of Illustrator past 29.4. Is anybody still seeing the issue with the latest release, 29.8.1?

Thanks in advance for letting me know.

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kirstinhepburn

Participating Frequently

I am on 29.8 and it happened to me this morning. Sent final files to a client and had them come back to me to ask why one heading on one artboard was "not bold like the others". Illustrator had (yet again) swapped another font in the document in place of my heading font on a single word, on a single artboard, in a large project. Luckily the client caught it before it went to print but it still makes me look incompetent. And for that I am paying $100/m hmmmmm.......

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Jacaranda Marketing & Design | Graphic Design | Children's Book Author & Illustrator

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JodyRadzik37240164

Inspiring

Joining @Randy_111 in thanking you for the report. I will wait and deal with the lesser and more managable problems that arise from using an earlier version of this now cursed application.

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Federico_Romero

Participant

Same issue here, shocking at the beginning.

I needed to print out business cards in a rush, but this happened when I opened the file.

I was able to fix it easily in 3 minutes after I read this thread. Thank you!

I installed Illustrator 28 and everything worked fine. I lost my preferences, but oh well—frustration is the feeling Adobe has gotten us used to.

Funny to think—now you can rotate your characters! But fonts fall apart and get messed up.

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Avatardesign

Participant

I still have the same problem (using Adobe Illustrator 29.8.1). It's not only a nightmare but a real problem if you use similar fonts and maybe you don't notice that before sending the final project. I'm really worried about this issue and the responsabilities we asume. Please, fix it quickly!

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Stuart BDM

Participating Frequently

Thanks, good to know. I'm stuck with 29.4 now and all the annoying selection bugs that seem to be part of that shoddy build. I too do font critical work for print that has the potential to cost a lot if I send files that have the wrong fonts. We're trying to be professional and Adobe you're not helping us. Anyway, at least I'm not having to double check every piece of type on a project now.

Adobe - you should hang your heads in shame over the fiasco that is Illustartor. The ONLY thing we really want as professional users is reliabile predictable functionality. Time is literally money when you're a self-employed designer and you cost me more than my monthly subscription in wasted time every month.

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AbbyMorgan

Participating Frequently

I have the same issue with Illustrator 29.6.1 changing fonts while a file is open. (Apple M2 MAX, Sequoia 15.4.1)
SUPER FRUSTRATING.

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Skeetawk

Participant

Just had this problem today with version 29.7.1 (2023 MBP M2 Max, Sonoma 14.6.1)

Fonts are all from the document itself but have "jumped" all over the place. So for simplicity's sake of describing the issue, the title was Garamond and the body was Helvetica. Now everything is Helvetica but if it was bold before, now it's regular, and vice-versa. Across the entire document. Quitting and re-opening doesn't fix it.

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fluke-d

Participating Frequently

I don't think there is anything you can do once the file is saved and this problem manifests itself. The error is baked in to the file now – opening it in an earlier version won't help. Adobe should pull these versions – who knows how many people have saved and closed documents over the past few months without knowing their work is ruined. It's been going on for months and Adobe are aware of the issue but still these versions are available for download. I'm not interested in 'user-requested color and snapping enhancements', generative bleed, AI, or most of the things being added to this software – I just don't want hours of work ruined when I save and close a document.

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John24472726qybf

Known Participant

Agreed. If they would stop with the new bells and whistles for just one year and focus on nothing but bug fixes for the next version, a lot of their customers would be much happier.

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JodyRadzik37240164

Inspiring

Noting for all that we've had the issue while using Apple's Font Book app. This is an Adobe problem, and now it's our problem as we are unable to use the software we are paying monthly for.

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nicko96979348

Participant

I can confirm the issue also occurs when using Right Font, font software.

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fluke-d

Participating Frequently

Still happening in v 29.8.1

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John24472726qybf

Known Participant

Same. I just had this happen to me for a second time (the first time was a few months ago). They are food packaging designs with several different fonts, and in both instances, Illustrator changed all of the fonts to different fonts. And not just the weights or to a default font, but to any other font in my library that it arbitrarily decided to grab. And like you, some of the fonts are local fonts that we own, and some are Adobe fonts. I use Extensis Connect as a font manager. I'm wondering if there is a bug (possibly in the plugin) with how Extensis Connect works with Adobe Illustrator (?).

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