• Global community
    • Language:
      • Deutsch
      • English
      • Español
      • Français
      • Português
  • 日本語コミュニティ
    Dedicated community for Japanese speakers
  • 한국 커뮤니티
    Dedicated community for Korean speakers
Exit
0

Illustrator file preview shows B&W in Finder (macOS)

New Here ,
Feb 03, 2020 Feb 03, 2020

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Hi, I'm having an issue with an Illustrator file, all the things in the file are in color but when I close the file and click on it to see a preview through Finder (i'm using Mac) the file appears in black and white. And when i open it in illustrator all the color is back, does anyone know how to fix this?

The left is how it looks in illustrator and the right picture is how it looks in finder.

FinderFinder

IllustratorIllustrator

 

 

 

{Renamed by MOD}

Views

5.0K

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Adobe
LEGEND ,
Feb 03, 2020 Feb 03, 2020

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Hi there,

 

Thanks for reaching out. Please provide some more info like:

1. Version of Illustrator and OS.
2. Is it the only file which shows B&W preview?
3. Is this file saved on a network?

All this information will help us understand the issue and work accordingly.
You should try copying this file to a different location as well and check the preview. Let us know how it goes.

Looking forward to your response.

 

Regards,

Ashutosh

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
New Here ,
Feb 04, 2020 Feb 04, 2020

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Hello,

 

The version I use is Illustrator 2019, macOS Catalina 10.15.3 

This bug (whaterever it is) has happened to 3 files.

It is saved locally.

I tried copying to other location but i still got the bug.

 

While i was writting this i was trying out different things with the file and i found something that worked. I deleted some layers, it was stuff i wasn't really using, then saved it in the same laction as the original to compare them.

When i checked the preview it was in color.

My guess is that I was overloading the preview with too many complex designs and the program was trying to simplify what was in the file for the preview (i did not know that was possible).

 

Thank you for your concern.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
New Here ,
Jan 20, 2021 Jan 20, 2021

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

I found a solution that worked for me, using Illustrator 2020, saving the file as .ai.

Make sure the layer that is selected does not have a clipping mask on it or a pattern that was created. I use a background layer with one color box on it. In the layers palette the eyeball is on the layers showing the image as I want to see the thumbnail preview. My completed pattern layer is hidden.

In Save Options section

check Create PDF Compatible File

uncheck Embed ICC Profiles

check Use Compression

This gave me a colored thumbnail in Finder window.

Hope this works for you too.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Beginner ,
Dec 19, 2021 Dec 19, 2021

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Thank you! This worked for me.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Explorer ,
Feb 22, 2022 Feb 22, 2022

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

IN MY CASE. OPEN EYE ALL LAYER. AND SAVE.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
New Here ,
May 30, 2022 May 30, 2022

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

OMG THANKS! THIS WORKS FOR ME!

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Explorer ,
Jul 19, 2022 Jul 19, 2022

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Yes, this works.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
New Here ,
May 16, 2023 May 16, 2023

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Hi there, 

at the agency where I work we have experienced this BW preview issue for a while through several OS and Illustrator versions. Like some of the users here have written it seems to be related to a layer with visibility turned off. This is an issue that makes file viewing not very efficient so I hope Adobe is able to create a fix for the bug.

 

Here are some info what happens to a standard simple illustrator file saved as .ai:

  • Normal preview ok with "hidden" layer saved without ICC profile.
  • BW preview happens with "hidden" layer saved with ICC profile (Coated FOGRA39, same issue with other profiles RGB/CMYK).
  • Normal preview if "hidden" layer in file with ICC profile is deleted.
  • Normal preview if "hidden" layer is shown (turned visibility on) in file with ICC profile.
  • Normal preview if file with "hidden" layer and ICC profile is saved without ICC profile.

 

My conclusion is that the bug is related to ICC profile being included. Hope this is helpful and that the Adobe team are able to fix the bug.

 

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Expert ,
May 16, 2023 May 16, 2023

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Previews in the Finder use Apple's wrecked version of a PDF viewer.

And there's not a lot Adobe can do to fix it. You should report to Apple that their interpretation of PDF is just substandard and sucks pretty much all the time. Not that they would care though.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Participant ,
Jul 02, 2023 Jul 02, 2023

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Although this can be very much part of the Apple play book, in this instance, it seems extremely convenient for an Adobe "expert" to blaim Apple. To my experience this issue is only has only just recently happened with Illustrator and NO OTHER APP, therefore I deem the answer from Monika to be somewhat divisive.
Ai CC 2023, MAC OS 11.7.8

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Expert ,
Jul 03, 2023 Jul 03, 2023

Copy link to clipboard

Copied


@iD3Z1GN  schrieb:

y just recently happened with Illustrator and NO OTHER APP, 


 

Only recently is probably after your recent MacOS update?

And No other app means that probably your AI file contains some transparent and other complex elements that Apple Preview is known to have issues with. 

 

I have been using Apple computers since 1990. I have come to hate every single aspect of them. I just suspect that I'll hate Windows even more and that's why I still keep using Macs.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Participant ,
Jul 03, 2023 Jul 03, 2023

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

LATEST

We can probably debate those details at noseum, what does work is the reported hack of:

Make sure all layers are visible > Save & Close file > The finder preview should now be in colour.

I can then re-open the file, work with it and even leave some layers as non visible without the preview being nagtively effected. Note: I have only totday started to use this work around, I will update if things change.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
New Here ,
Jan 09, 2023 Jan 09, 2023

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Occasional same problem as above, consistently with cmyk files that have white objects (preview was creamy whites and dulled colors otherwise). My fix was open and resave with Illustrator 2022.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines