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Answered

Fonts changing in files when opened in Illustrator 29.5.1

Forum|Forum|8 months ago
May 10, 2025
68 replies
46053 views

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

Correct answer Anubhav M

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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R

Randy_111

Participating Frequently

The adobe update teams strikes again, thank you for releasing with a MAJOR bug. No one can stay in business and keeps raising prices like like adobe for a bad product.

Lorenzo MENHIR PACKAGING

Participating Frequently

Update:
After testing the newly released Illustrator 2025 v29.7, it appears that the font substitution issue has been resolved. Files that were previously affected now open correctly, and the fonts remain as originally saved.

That said, I want to reiterate how unacceptable it is for a bug like this — one that affects something as fundamental as font integrity — to have made it into production. Illustrator is a tool used for professional desktop publishing, where precision and consistency are critical. Random font changes are not a minor glitch — they can compromise entire projects, especially in regulated industries.

We’re glad to see the fix, but I sincerely hope this serves as a wake-up call to treat font handling with the seriousness it deserves in future releases.

K

k9tag

Participating Frequently

Lorenzo, there is no Illustrator 2025 v29.7. At least not on Windows 10 or Windows 11. The latest "production" release for Windows is 29.6.1, and it is still hosed with the random font substitution issue. The latest Beta relaase is 29.8 28, and it is still hosed with the random font substitution issue. I have tried opening hosed files on both of these releases, and they are still quite hosed.

WARNING: All Windows 10/11 users should install v29.4 if you wish to get back to work and avoid costly re-work time, loss of $$$$, and possible loss of customers. Don't even think about installing a version other than 29.4 until Adobe comes up with a fix for Windows.

Lorenzo, I assume that you are on a MAC, and Adobe must use different version numbers over there?

Adobe, whatever you did to fix version 29.7 (must be the MAC version), you need to immediately send those troops over to Windows 10/11 and fix the current "production" and beta Windows versions that are available to us.

The long international nightmare continues for Adobe Illustrator users on Windows 10/11.

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MattG80

Participating Frequently

I have ran into this same issue before upgrading to Illustrator 29.6.1 and today it has happened again. When I opened a file I worked on previously about a month ago, it has completely wrecked my file, changing all my text to random glyphs! I cannot even salvage the file by retyping the correct text as it continues to input the same random glyphs and not the appropriate letters! This is a HUGE problem! Thankfully in this instance it's a simpler design and I had the artwork saved in a separate proof file with the fonts converted to outlines otherwise I would have had to completely rebuild. If the client comes back at a later date wanting, changes to their file.....I'm screwed and will have to rebuild it so I can edit it. This is a catastrophic issue and if it begins to happen more frequently especially with bigger/complex design files, it will kill the software from a professional standpoint. This must be resolved ASAP.

dang8813046

Known Participant

I'm working on a packaging project and have maybe a mix of 10-15 fonts that I'm using within the document. I closed the file last night, and when I reopened this morning every font within the document was changed. I'm working from my desktop and I'm the only one using this computer. It appears to be some kind of bug. What's interesting is that all of the fonts are still using the same 10-15 fonts that I've been using, but none of them are in the correct places. It's as if they've all rotated. I've tried running updates, but there aren't any. I've uninstalled an reinstalled the fonts. I've closed and restarted. Nothing. I've got a meeting with this client in 10 minutes. It wouldn't be a huge deal if this were just a couple of designs, but I've got 20-30 layouts that I need to fix now. I've never seen this before.

Monika Gause

Community Expert

Which version are you using?

dang8813046

Known Participant

Version 29.6.1

Y

Yuttapichai

Participant

I have encountered a bug in Adobe Illustrator after updating to version 29.6.1. Some of the design files I had previously worked on are now experiencing font-related issues. For example, fonts in some files have changed — a file that originally used Font A is now showing Font B when opened. Additionally, in files where bold text was used, the text now change to regular type when opened in this version.

Please kindly address and resolve this issue as soon as possible. Thank you.

kglad

Community Expert

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">

A

Anubhav M

Community Manager

Hello @Yuttapichai,

Our product team has tried fixing this issue in the latest Illustrator Beta 29.7.0.88 release. Would you mind installing/updating to the latest Illustrator to check if it helps resolve the problem?

Looking forward to your feedback.
Anubhav

K

k9tag

Participating Frequently

I keep getting emails sent to me on this topic about folks trying various versions of Illustrator 29.5.whatever, and 29.6.whatever.

No. Don't do that. Both of those versions have this random font substitution bug, and it has not been fixed. You have the potential, using those versions of Illustrator, to lose days worth of client work instantly, costiing you untold re-work hours and dollars.

Just revert back to 29.4 and you will have no issue. Then wait the weeks, months, or years that it takes for this devastating bug to be fixed.

M

Martin_Wilson747

Participating Frequently

Why why why does Adobe still have 26.6.1 availabe for download on CC. They realy don't seem to care. I am wondering if they are even bothering to fix this. Thinking they are hoping it will just go away. Very sad that they are our only option 😞

russellw17789794

Participant

This has happened to me a few times recently and it's really disconcerting. Right when i go to release mechanical files.

averyb30768583

Participant

You're not alone. The same thing just happened to me. Frustratingly, to a file that contained 50+ individual designs. No new fonts were entered into the document, but the fonts essentially all switched with each other. Makes no sense and is incredibly frustrating. Hope they fix this bug quickly.

C

craigiem123

Participant

I've had to reinstall an earlier version of Adobe illustrator 28.5 - and it seems to be doing the trick at the moment, but still not great having to backsave!!!

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Hyanri

Inspiring

A frustrating bug that keeps happening for like week now. 29.6.1 version updated ten days ago (Windows 11). I have no idea what's happening, but I just created a new file yesterday and I reopened it today to edit and a popped up appeared saying the illustrator file was made using the old version of Illustrator (it isn't, it's a new file created yesterday on an app updated ten days ago!) and the only option is "review" (does not help, did not flag the changes) and "cancel" opening the file altogether. All the text formatting changed - bold fonts changed to thin, thin changed to heavy italicized, spacing, etc. It made editing 1 day old files a burden to mix and match to what they were before. I do not think it is fixed yet. Finding fixes on community threads feels like wasting my time when there are deadlines to meet.

S

silveryblu

Participant

I have been having this problem for a few moths too - and today, I even had Illustrator *permanently change the fonts* to the random default fonts it assigned when I opened the file. The fonts were fine when I opened the file an hour earlier. After it changed them, my only recourse was to rebuild the file. I'm using the most recent Illustrator on a Mac with Extensis Connect. (Screenshots below - the super skinny font is the random defaulted one.)

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