Can no longer change the color of BMP files in Illustrator 28.5

[ryanm69567755]

So a coworker's and my illustrator updated a couple days ago to 28.5 and we just noticed that we can no longer change the colors of .bmp files we've saved from photoshop and dragged in.

Did everything like normal:

1. Convert greyscale image in photoshop to bitmap

2. Save out as a .bmp

3. Drag / place into illustrator

4. Click on the bitmap image and simply change the color

Now it appears that it treats the bitmap file as a jpg instead, or something to that affect rather than the typical transparent bitmap like before. It get's placed into illustrator with its white background intact. Only workaround I've found is that you can save the file out as a .tiff instead of .bmp and Illustrator will treat it like a normal bitmap, but its weird that the previous method we've always used no longer works. My coworker went back to the previous version, 28.3, and everything went back to working like normal.

Anyone else having this issue?

[kglad]

in the future, to find the best place to post your message, use the list here, https://community.adobe.com/

p.s. i don't think the adobe website, and forums in particular, are easy to navigate, so don't spend a lot of time searching that forum list. do your best and we'll move the post (like this one has already been moved) if it helps you get responses.

<"moved from cc desktop bugs">

[Kurt Gold]

It's a known issue.

https://community.adobe.com/t5/illustrator-discussions/assign-spot-color-to-bitmap-no-longer-works/m...

https://community.adobe.com/t5/illustrator-discussions/bitmap-issues-with-illustrator-28-5/m-p/14619...

[Monika Gause]

There should be a report on https://illustrator.uservoice.com

Does PSD work for you instead?

[Ton Frederiks]

Here it is: https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/601447-illustrator-desktop-bugs/suggestions/48443915-bmp-bi...

[Kywade]

YES - same issue here! Thought I was going crazy — I'd created hundreds of .bmp with a transparent background, and could change color in illustrator.  Turns out there's a change in Illustrator update 27.9.4 to 28.5.

I'm going back to 27.9.4!

[Christy_Kay]

YES! This is happening to me and it is terrible! 

Have you found a workaround? Can we tell Illustrator to fix it? 

[Anubhav M]

Hello @Christy_Kay,

Our product team has tried fixing this in Illustrator v28.6. Would you mind updating Illustrator (https://adobe.ly/3yElbSv) to the latest version to let us know if it helps?

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Thanks,

Anubhav

[Ton Frederiks]

Does not work in 28.6, but it works in the prerelease version.

[Ton Frederiks]

Some workarounds:

Open the file in Photoshop and save the bitmap as tiff or psd.

Open the file in Photoshop, select all, copy and paste in Illustrator.

Place the file in Illustrator, note the resolution and rasterize it, with transparency checked, at that resolution.

[Christy_Kay]

Hello.

28.6 did not fix the issue. How do I go back to the previous version of Illustrator, as I really need this function.

Thanks,

Christy (she/her)

Christy Hawkins | Graphics Manager | 

personal details removed by moderator

[Anubhav M]

Hello @Christy_Kay,

Sorry to hear the suggestions did not help. Kindly try the steps shared in this help article to install a previous version of Illustrator (https://adobe.ly/3WxK1LW) and let us know if it helps.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Thanks,

Anubhav