Skip to main content
tahirmehmoodkhokhar786
tahirmehmoodkhokhar786
Participant
March 31, 2026
Question

Struggling with lag and slow performance in Illustrator lately—any fixes?

  • March 31, 2026
  • 3 replies
  • 115 views

Hey everyone, I’ve been using Illustrator for a while now, but recently it’s been getting super laggy even on simple files. I didn’t change anything major on my system, so I’m a bit confused what’s causing it. Has anyone else faced this or found a fix that actually works?

      3 replies

      Abhishek Rao
      Community Manager
      Abhishek RaoCommunity Manager
      Community Manager
      March 31, 2026

      Hi ​@tahirmehmoodkhokhar786,

       

      Sorry to hear that you experience this issue. I understand how frustrating that can be. As the expert already suggested, could you share a few more details like your OS, Illustrator version, and whether the lag happens all the time or only during certain actions like zooming, using a specific tool, or applying effects? It would also help to know if this is happening across all files or just a particular document. 

      In the meantime, if Illustrator has been running for long sessions, try completely shutting down your machine, then rebooting and launching Illustrator fresh to see if performance improves.

      Also, if you haven’t tried resetting preferences yet, it’s worth trying. You can follow this video for steps: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfO7Ixi28oM&t=24s

       

      Please share your observations once you’ve had a chance to try these and we’ll take it forward from there.

      Abhishek

      tahirmehmoodkhokhar786
      tahirmehmoodkhokhar786Author
      Participant
      April 5, 2026

      Hi Abhishek, thanks a lot for your response, I really appreciate it.

      I’m currently using Windows 10 with the latest version of Illustrator. The lag mostly happens when I’m zooming in/out and sometimes when selecting or moving objects. It’s happening across multiple files, not just one specific document.

      I haven’t tried resetting preferences yet, so I’ll definitely follow the video you shared and see if that helps. I’ll also try restarting my system properly as you suggested and update here with the results.

      Anubhav M
      Community Manager
      Anubhav MCommunity Manager
      Community Manager
      April 10, 2026

      Hello ​@tahirmehmoodkhokhar786 

       

      I hope the suggestions shared earlier by Abhishek, Monika and Creative Explorer helped resolve the problem. If not, please try the suggestions shared in this help article (https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/kb/optimize-illustrator-performance.html) and let us know how it goes.

       

      Also, try a clean reinstallation of the GPU(s) drivers (Intel / NVIDIA / AMD) and setting the Graphics Preference to High-Performance for Illustrator (https://www.amd.com/en/resources/support-articles/faqs/GPU-110.html) and share your observations.


      Looking forward to hearing from you.
      Anubhav

      Monika Gause
      Community Expert
      Monika GauseCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      March 31, 2026

      Which system do you have and which input devices are you using?

      Is this happening overall or just when you are doing special things? There is a known issue with zooming with the mouse wheel.

      tahirmehmoodkhokhar786
      tahirmehmoodkhokhar786Author
      Participant
      April 5, 2026

      Hi Monika, thanks for jumping in.

      I’m using a Windows 10 system with a regular mouse (no tablet or anything fancy). The lag is mostly noticeable during zooming and a bit while working with tools, so it might be related to that known zoom issue you mentioned.

      I’ll test it more carefully to see if it’s specifically tied to the mouse wheel. I’ve also been switching between Illustrator and a game I play sometimes (Stick War Legacy), so I’m wondering if that might be affecting performance in the background—especially since I tried a version from stickwarmods recently. I’ll try running Illustrator on its own and see if that makes a difference.

      creative explorer
      Community Expert
      creative explorerCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      March 31, 2026

      ​@tahirmehmoodkhokhar786 yes, I did. But, it was because of my internet being laggy. Using my phone as a hotspot….much better!

      m
      tahirmehmoodkhokhar786
      tahirmehmoodkhokhar786Author
      Participant
      April 5, 2026

      Hey, thanks for sharing your experience!

      That’s interesting—I didn’t think about the internet connection affecting Illustrator performance. I’m usually on WiFi, so I’ll try switching networks or using a hotspot just to test if it makes any difference.

      Glad it worked for you, hopefully it helps on my end too!

      Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement
      Using the community Terms of use Privacy Cookie preferences Do not sell or share my personal information ad choicesAdChoices