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Copying artwork results in pasting only text

Community Beginner ,
Nov 25, 2022 Nov 25, 2022

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Hello everyone,

 

I have recently encountered a problem with my Illustrator experience. I have used the software for about two years now and have only recently started having lots of problems with it regarding copying and pasting.

 

Before, I had the problem of a copy + paste only pasting a text file, though I eventually found how to fix that in preferences. I am not sure why this setting would change for seemingly no reason, but I figured it out.

 

Now I am having a new problem with it. I often copy the artwork I am working on in Illustrator and paste it into personal dms to show my friends my progress with it. This has worked for the years I have used the service so far, but today it has stopped working. I copy the artwork in Illustrator, then move to the personal DM to paste it, and when I paste the artwork I no longer get the image that I am usually greeted with, but instead a massive block of words, these words being only part of a layer I have dedicated to text. I have tried on various different platforms, all come up with the text layer, it only copy + pastes properly on Illustrator itself.

 

I dont understand why this is happening, I have messed with and reverted all clipboard handling preferences (and all preferences, for that matter) and the same issue continues. When I copy + paste without the text layer the image pastes completely fine, but with the text layer it only shows up with the text on the layer, no image. I would export the image instead of copying and pasting, but that often makes the image too large to be posted anywhere AND copy + paste has worked (until this point).

 

My only idea is that the artwork itself has crashed a few times while I have been working on it, but Im not sure why or how that would effect copying and pasting?

 

I use Illustrator on Windows 10.

 

Please help!

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correct answers 2 Correct answers

Community Beginner , Dec 17, 2022 Dec 17, 2022

I am pleased to say that when I opened Illustrator today that it was fixed. Thank you all for your help! Not sure specifically what the solution was though. Sorry for anyone in the future looking back here, I dont know what fixed it 😕

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Community Expert , Jan 01, 2025 Jan 01, 2025

adieu  schrieb:

 

Haven't found an app that might be interferring in the process.

 


 

You can start with this list of apps and settings. Each of them has been identified to interfere with the clipboard:

 

  • Parallels Toolbox running with the Clipboard History
  • LogoTech Keyboard management software
  • TeamVewer Clipboard > Use Shared Clipboard
  • Apple iOS device simulator from Xcode
  • Windows Multi-clipboard
  • Windows Clipboard History
  • Clippy
  • Chrome Remote Desktop
  • Mouse Pointer Highlighter
  • AnyViewer
  • Paste
...

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Adobe Employee ,
Nov 25, 2022 Nov 25, 2022

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HI @Kimmi253686240o0e,

 

Thanks for reaching out and sharing the info on the issue. Would you mind confirming the Illustrator version and sharing a download link to the file with us? Also, would you mind confirming the app/ service or website you are using to share artwork via DM using copy & paste?

 

Looking forward to your response.

 

Thanks.

Anshul Saini

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Community Beginner ,
Nov 25, 2022 Nov 25, 2022

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Hello, thank you for your quick response, and I apologize for my late reply. Illustrator is currently running on the most recent version v. 27.0.1. I am not sure if sending a file for the artwork is necessary since this is happening on all of my artworks and isnt exclusive to just this one. I have experimented pasting on Discord and Instagram and it only comes back with text instead of the image (before with Discord it would only not paste the image if it was larger than their accepted file size and they would notify me if that happened, which is not happening when I paste). I pasted it into the Google Search bar (which before wouldn't come up with anything since its an image) and now it comes up with the text. Previously, pasting my artworks would show the whole image but recently its been giving me the discussed error.

 

Hope this helps.

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Community Expert ,
Nov 26, 2022 Nov 26, 2022

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make sure this setting is off, as is by default

MikeGondek_0-1669514786057.pngexpand image

 

 

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Community Beginner ,
Nov 26, 2022 Nov 26, 2022

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"Paste text without Formatting" is off and it still only pastes the text.

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Community Expert ,
Nov 28, 2022 Nov 28, 2022

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Is there something maybe corrupted in what you are copying? Create some simple test elements and trying copying and pasting that. Does it paste fine into Illustrator, the issue might be Discord and Instagram handling of the paste. Try flipping the svg setting in the screenshot I posted earlier.

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Community Beginner ,
Nov 30, 2022 Nov 30, 2022

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Copying and pasting all other elements works fine both on Illustrator and on Discord (and others), though the moment I include the text the problem happens again.

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Community Beginner ,
Nov 30, 2022 Nov 30, 2022

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It wouldn't let me edit this post, but I wish to include that it doesn't paste properly anywhere, not just on the places mentioned. The only place it copy and pastes correctly is on Illustrator itself.

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Community Expert ,
Dec 01, 2022 Dec 01, 2022

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Copy and paste commands in Illustrator have been made for exactly that: copying and pasting from one Illustrator document to another one AND still having the original editability. You simply can't expect this to work anywhere else. And if it did in the pst that has been pure luck.

 

So to send your colleagues the process of the artwork, how about using "Share artwork"? Or make a screenshot and send that?

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Community Beginner ,
Dec 01, 2022 Dec 01, 2022

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Im not sure about that since it let me do it after reinstalling Illustrator on a new computer as well as after updating the application, only recently stopped working for a reason I am not sure of.

 

Also if its part of the artwork I find it a little silly that it would only paste the text instead of the entire image that I want to paste. It pastes the entire image on Illustrator, why not on other platforms? Especially when I am selecting the entire artwork and not just the text.

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Community Expert ,
Dec 02, 2022 Dec 02, 2022

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If something cannot be pasted into other applications, then it's those applications that cannot handle what Illustrator took into the clipboard. Inside Illustrator it needs to be fully editable and keep all the live effects and stuff.

So maybe you contact the developers of the other applications, what they think they can do about that?

 

Also you could make a feature request that Illustrator should be able to copy artworks as images. But that would be a new feature. https://illustrator.uservoice.com

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Adobe Employee ,
Dec 02, 2022 Dec 02, 2022

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Thanks for sharing all the details, @Kimmi253686240o0e. I agree with what Monika has said. I have checked the last 5 versions of Illustrator. I copied a random vector. Images, etc., and pasted it on Slack, Team, Google, and I got an SVG code with a raster image, which is expected behavior.

 

There have been many different feature requests on the UserVoice. Would you mind checking them up and upvoting them or creating a new one?

 

Please feel free to reach out if you run into any other questions or issues in the future. We'd be happy to help.

 

Thanks,

Anshul Saini

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Community Expert ,
Nov 27, 2022 Nov 27, 2022

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Do you have anything installed that "enhances" the clipboard?

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Community Beginner ,
Nov 28, 2022 Nov 28, 2022

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To my knowledge there is nothing installed on my computer which changes how the clipboard usually functions.

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Community Expert ,
Nov 29, 2022 Nov 29, 2022

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Please contact Customer Care and have them take a look into your system: https://helpx.adobe.com/contact.html

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Mentor ,
Nov 29, 2022 Nov 29, 2022

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Have you tried turning AICB on?

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Community Beginner ,
Nov 30, 2022 Nov 30, 2022

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Just tried AICB on with both settings, error persists.

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Community Beginner ,
Dec 17, 2022 Dec 17, 2022

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I am pleased to say that when I opened Illustrator today that it was fixed. Thank you all for your help! Not sure specifically what the solution was though. Sorry for anyone in the future looking back here, I dont know what fixed it 😕

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Community Beginner ,
Nov 15, 2023 Nov 15, 2023

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Hello, I have the same problem as you, but I don't know how to solve it

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Adobe Employee ,
Dec 15, 2023 Dec 15, 2023

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Hello @虹33632234svmn,

Sorry to hear about this experience. Would you mind sharing more details, like the exact version of the OS/Illustrator and a screen recording of the problem (https://adobe.ly/3ttsERP), so we can investigate this further?


Looking forward to hearing from you.

 

Thanks,

Anubhav

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Contributor ,
Dec 30, 2024 Dec 30, 2024

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I certainly wish that you had found out why you were having the pasting problem, because I am suddenly having the same problem and no amount of rebooting or trying new shortcuts is having any effect.

 

I use the latest version of Illustrator on a Macbook Pro. I am involved with creating guidebooks. Each page has illustrations. Because each illustration usually includes symbols and colours that are universal to our guidebook, I copy over pallets of colours, icons and text to each new drawing.

 

For the first time, it no longer works. I am now pasting blocks of unformatted text. If I was not bald, I would be tearing my hair out.

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Community Expert ,
Dec 31, 2024 Dec 31, 2024

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So you are creating the pages of the books in Illustrator? I would rethink that.

 

So there is a lot of text in your documents?

WHat does this "unformatted" text look like? Can you post a screenshot?

Maybe turn off the SVG option in Preferences > Clipboard?

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Contributor ,
Dec 31, 2024 Dec 31, 2024

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I misspoke. The pages are created in InDesign. I was just attempting, poorly, to explain why I was copying graphic and text elements from artboard to artboard in Illustrator.

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Contributor ,
Dec 31, 2024 Dec 31, 2024

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Hopefully, this will work. The top half of the image below are the elements I wish to copy and paste and have, with some changes, for about 12 years. The bottom half is the pasted result. It appears that much of the information has been lost in translation, but I have no idea why.

 

Screenshot 2024-12-31 at 12.15.59.pngexpand image

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Community Expert ,
Dec 31, 2024 Dec 31, 2024

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Try to find if something (app/utility) is interfering with the clipboard.

If it works in safe mode it must be something outside Illustrator: https://support.apple.com/en-sg/guide/mac-help/mh21245/mac

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