Illustrator 2025: Pencil tool now has no Fidelity.

[lomaxd]

Installed the new Illustrator 2025 and now the Pencil tool can't draw an accurate line to save its digital life. Experience taught me to not delete the old version, so I tried the same line in the previous version with the same settings. Image attached shows what I should be able to draw on the left (red line): I can accurately trace the shape and even round the ends to not be sharp. 'Illy' 2025 on the right (blue line): every time I try to redraw/adjust a line throws a new part of it out of place. And forget rounding the sharp corners. I've un-checked all the 'Snap to...' options on both versions of Illustrator and can't think of anything else to tweak to fix this. Any ideas? (Coworker has the same issue, but others in the dept. do not. ??)

[Kurt Gold]

As per your screenshot you are using the Windows version of Illustrator.

I just tried it with the latest Illustrator version (29.0) on Windows 10 and cannot reproduce your complaint.

[lomaxd]

Thanks Kurt. Neither could a handful of coworkers on the same setup as I have. There's only two of us that seem to have this issue here in this office. I would presume this is not a widespread issue based on the ratio here. What we really need is someone to guide us to a solution and not necessarily a role-call of how many have the problem. I hope it's a setting we've overlooked, but I've been using Illy since '98 and like to think I've covered the bases. Thanks for looking into it.

[Monika Gause]

Did you already try the obvious?

Reboot the computer and reset the preferences?

[lomaxd]

Yes Monika. No change with a reboot, nor trashing the Prefs other than removing all the heavy customization that I've applied to Illustrator to make it more useful. Thanks for piping in.

[lomaxd]

I just tried unistalling and reinstalling also. The problem persists.

[Anshul_Saini]

Hello @lomaxd,

I understand your frustration with the Pencil tool in Illustrator 2025. We’ve shared your concerns with the product team, and they are actively investigating it. Your feedback is crucial, and if there are any updates or improvements, we’ll ensure you’re informed. Thank you for your patience!

Best,

Anshul Saini

[caring_maker6436]

Myself and another collegue are having the same issue, this is a nightmare, cant draw accurately! Please give feed back we want the old pencil back asap and fix this asap.

[susannahl23429837]

Just want to concur on this.  Turned on my computer today to find 2025 has replaced both my 2023 and 2024 versions. The pencil tool is abysmal. No fidelity at all, no matter how tightly I set the accuracy. This greatly affects my work! 

[adamj92089610]

Me too 😭 I illustrate on an iPad using Procreate and then make fine-tuned amendments in Illustrator using the pecil tool. The latest version does not allow for fine tuning no matter what fidelity accuracy setting you choose.

Please, please sort this soon. It's massively affected my workflow 💔

Thanks in advance.

[wotUwant]

Thank you for posting and for taking this challenge on with your team, I would be very pleased to here when you have sorted it. Needless to say I would be much happier having less updates that have been thoroughly tested though. I will remain in 2024.

[ncic]

Thank you @lomaxd  for making this post

This is a major issue affecting both me and my coworkers as well. I’ve made an extensive post about it here:
Ai2025 - The Pencil tool has become unusable again! There's no accuracy—it’s too smooth!!!

The last time this happened was in 2014, and I posted about it back then too. Adobe fixed it back then...:
PLEASE PLEASE adobe. The new pencil tool has become unusuble to me

...but now, in 2025, it’s broken again, making Illustrator unusable for many of us until this gets resolved

@Kurt Gold @Monika Gause

[Caroline2317583621un]

I'm having this same problem, I notcied as soon as I opened the 2025 version. Sounds like there's just a few of us with this issue so far but I saw someone say it happened in 2014 and the issue was resolved. Unfortunate but I'm just using the 2024 version until it gets fixed, hopefully that's soon though. Thanks for your post, glad I found some type of explanation as to what's going on!

[Caroline2317583621un]

Update, it looks like Illustrator 2024 was automatically uninstalled so I'm forced to use the 2025 version now? I've never dealt with an issue like this so not sure how to handle it. Cleaned out my Finder cache today, not sure if it's because of that. Please tell me I didn't do this to myself lol.

[Monika Gause]

https://community.adobe.com/t5/illustrator-discussions/separate-objects-in-the-pattern-without-getti...

also: disable automatic updating

disable automatic deleting of older version.

[lomaxd]

Hey CGE23,

Go into Creative Cloud Desktop app, click on Apps in the left column, then find the Illustrator box. Click on the three dots and then select Other Versions. You should find the version just before this last one and be able to install it. It's been a while since I've had to do this, so I don't recall if it's a smooth process. Also, I'd do as Monika suggested and disable Automatic Updates (Creative Cloud settings) and Delete Older Versions (asks when installing a new version: make sure it's unclicked).

[susannahl23429837]

Thank you! This worked! Hey, whole we're on this subject, I'm interested in going back to the 2023v or earlier when we still had access to Pantone color swatches. Any recommendation on which version to choose. The current listed ones are all 2024, but it looks like I can go back further.

[rfliegler]

Same issue, I've posted on it elswhere. It was recommended to disable live feedback on tool options as a way to correct this, but I have not been able to find this option... has anyone tried this and if so, where is this option?  (I'm on Mac).

[lomaxd]

rfliegler,

The only reference I can find regarding live feedback in Illustrator deals with document sharing over the cloud. I wonder if someone was referring you to Real-Time Drawing and Editing. I've not used this preference, but I just tried both on and off with no change in Pencil Tool problems.

[ncic]

I think mentioning live-feedback was just a mistake for what version we were addressing. The live-feedback option is only available in the beta version of illustrator (29.1) as an upcoming feature.

I've explored it and the issue is there too. But they are working on a fix to restore as it was. I had a nice and productive video meeting with the devs. The breakage wasn't intended. They never intend to change what we have but software dev. is complicated and sometimes things break. Let's hope the manage to restore it as it was and better.

[lomaxd]

I'm glad someone connected with the engineers. I was contacted and responded with my availabilty and never heard back, so I'm glad someone did. Software creation is certainly more complicated than most users give credit. Thanks for helping.

[wotUwant]

What has Adobe been up to, what have they done to their core products? Yes, I have just found this out too, set to 'fully accurate' it is totally useless in 2025 - just roughs out all of the carefully drawn detailed trace (as if the tool was set to 100% smooth), I have reverted to 2024 until Adobe fixes this, it is safer I think. (I needed to revert to 2024 InDesign too). See thread... https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign-discussions/indesign-2025-lagging-on-macbook-air-with-m3-chi...

[lomaxd]

Hey All,

I just installed the latest version 29.0.1 and the pencil tool seems to be working again. On the Fidelity setting I tried the most accurate and the second from the left also and it felt closer to normal (I use those the most). If any other brave souls with a moment of spare time are willing to confirm, that would be great.

[Caroline2317583621un]

I can confirm this!! I just checked when I saw your notification come through and it looks like all the version 29.0.1 pencil tool fidelity settings are working correctly for me now. It's not behaving at all like it was when I first downloaded the latest version. Super happy about this fix as I use the pencil tool constantly!

[ncic]

HI @lomaxd and @Caroline2317583621un 

The engineer manager Rama notified the other day that the 29.0.1 pre release version had been posted with a fix.
but I can't find this version. I'm still waiting for a reply from Rama about it.

Where did you find it. Under the Pre Release tab?

I can't see this version anywhere in the CC app

In the pre-release there is just an old expired 2023 build