Illustrator CC 2018 freezing after using crop tool

[petraš85544149]

Since the last update in October 2017 I am having a problem every time I use the crop tool when creating a pattern. I create a clipping path, then Crop and after I can put the pattern into the swatches. Illustrator is getting EXTREMELY slow after using the crop tool, though. Even if I just move the mouse or click anywhere, it freezes, taking like 200% of my mac performance (activity monitor). I updated today again (there was an update available) but nothing changed. I am paying for this so I expect it to work normally. The problem with this simple tool is obstructing my work and I cannot deliver to my clients. The file I am working in is really small, like 4 artboards with 4 patterns..

[Bill Silbert]

I am confused as to the method you're describing for making a pattern. To make a pattern from vector art you can define the pattern tile by placing an unfilled rectangle in position, sending it to the back and then either dragging the whole selected thing into the pattern swatches or by clicking "Make Pattern" in the Pattern Options panel. Why are you creating clipping paths? Are you importing raster images (which you could pre crop in Photoshop)? Maybe, I'm having a severe memory lapse here or I'm just not understanding what you're doing here.

[petraš85544149]

Hi Bill, thanks for such fast answer:) Well, if you just pull the artwork with the square into swatches, it takes into consideration also everything out of that square (which you have of course when you are making a pattern). So you need to make clipping path and then crop it, so it is completely exactly square. Then you drag this square to Swatches.

Anyway, even if this was not the right way, what does it matter?? The product I am paying for is broken and cannot conduct even a simple procedure. That is the point.

[Doug A Roberts]

what sort of things are you cropping?

do you mean pathfinder crop?

[petraš85544149]

Thanks Doug:) Yes, pathfinder crop. I put elements on a square artboard, clip them into the square and then use the crop pathfinder tool. I found tutorials about making a pattern like this and I made some of them, but the freezes are worse and worse and now I cannot even continue to do anything

[Doug A Roberts]

how complex are the objects involved? can you show a screen shot with them selected?

[petraš85544149]

now I just clicked on the pattern, then on the swatch name and it froze... This happened everytime when I used the crop tool, in different documents.

[Bill Silbert · Accepted solution]

I used your method to make a pattern without any crash or slow down using CC 2017. So I would suggest that it could possibly be something that trashing your preferences might fix for you.

To do so:

For Macintosh Users: With Illustrator closed launch a Finder Window in column view and click on your home folder. With the Option Key pressed choose Library from the Finder Go Menu. Within the Library folder find the folder called Preferences and within it find the following two files and delete them: “Adobe Illustrator <Version #> Settings” (earlier versions of Illustrator might just say “Adobe Illustrator”) and “com.adobe.Illustrator.plist”. When Illustrator is next launched it will create new preference files and the program will be restored to its defaults.

For Windows Users:

For Windows Users: You can try the quick way of resetting on a PC which is to hold down Ctrl + Alt + Shift when launching Illustrator and respond affirmatively when asked if you want to reset. There have been some recent reports that the window asking if you want to reset is not popping up but that the prefs are being reset anyway. If this works then great but if it doesn’t you may have to manually delete them.

On Windows 7 and above the preference files are hidden. To find them go to the Control Panel and open Folder Options and then click the View tab. Then select “Show hidden files and folders” or “Show hidden files, folders or drive options” in Advanced Settings (you may be able to skip the previous steps with Windows 10). Then delete (or rename) the folder at the end of this path: C:\Users\[User Name]\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Adobe Illustrator [version number]\ Settings\<Language> for any versions that you have. Make sure that Illustrator is closed when you do this. When you relaunch the program it will create  new preference files and the program will be at its default settings.

After you’ve reset up the program (make sure that no document window is open) to your liking, it is a really good idea to create copies of your personalized “mint” preference files (make sure that you quit the program before copying them—that finalizes your customization) and use them in the future to replace any corrupt versions you may need to delete.

[petraš85544149]

Thanks again Bill, I will try that. But I have Illustrator CC 2018 not 2017. If I could downgrade on Illustrator, I could also try that.

[Bill Silbert]

Actually, that is all the more reason to trash the preferences. If you had "Import previous settings and preferences" checked (see screen shot) during your install then that would go a long way towards explaining the problem. Use the instructions I posted above and see if that helps.

[petraš85544149]

ooooh I probably did have that checked... ! I will get back to you when I try to use your advice. Thanks for now!

[petraš85544149]

Thanks Bill, that actually helped a lot I can say. I trashed the settings, thank you so much:)

Now I have new problem though I am not sure, maybe by trashing the settings something changed and now my PDFs are rasterized I am going crazy really.. my document settings are "High Resolution" 100 on vectors, when exporting I use "Illustrator Default", Do not downsample... Anyway, when zooming my PDF, it is rasterized.. it consists of only vector art, no images.. What else can be wrong please?

[Bill Silbert]

I cannot duplicate what is happening to you with your pdfs. When I "Save As" an Adobe pdf the resulting pdf using the default settings is still vector. You can check your pdf by reopening it in Illustrator and then going into the artwork mode (command y on Mac control y on PC) and if you can see all of the linework then the art is still vector. If you see a blank square then it has been rasterized (you can get back to preview mode with command/control y). If you are seeing a fuzzy image when you blow it up in Illustrator that might be caused by GPU performance. You can turn that off by clicking on the rocketship in Illustrator's top menu bar which will allow you to access GPU Performance and turn it off.

[AshutoshChaturvedi]

The issue described may not be related to preferences.Please get in touch with us at sharewithai@adobe.com  or any of the other support channels - https://helpx.adobe.com/support.html . Please give a reference to this post so that we can identify you.

Since this is not a generic issue that we can reproduce at our end, we will need someone to look into your machine to figure out what is going on here.

Warm Regards,

Ashutosh Chaturvedi | Sr. Quality Engineering Manager – Illustrator