Illustrator not exporting gradients when exporting to PDF

[defaulthqsnsupqvzb7]

I just updated to Adobe Illustrator 2023, and when you use the freeform gradient tool and export your files as a PDF, whatever you have set as a freeform gradient disappears.

I either need a fix to this ASAP or a way to roll back to the previous version of Ai because I'm working with a brand that uses freeform gradients in a TON of their materials, and PDFs are one of the main filetype resources we use. 

[Doug A Roberts]

What are you using to view these PDFs? Do they work in Acrobat?

[defaulthqsnsupqvzb7]

I've tried Acrobat, Preview, and just the basic files previewer on my iPad, and the graphics don't show up on any of them for some reason.  

[Monika Gause]

Please create a new file

Put your gradient object into it

Export as a PDF

Check the file

Does it show in Acrobat? (Forget all that Apple crap. It cannot be trusted with PDFs)

If not, please upload that PDF here.

[defaulthqsnsupqvzb7]

Well, a couple of things here:

1. Every time after updating to the newest 2023 versions of all the Adobe apps, including Acrobat, Acrobat freezes and has to be forced quit every time I try to open a file in it. From the initial preview load I can see in Acrobat the freeform gradients arent showing up.

2. I can't really forget Apple in favor of Acrobat because the company I work for has a lot of employees that work here, and the majority of them are using Apple laptops, so I need to make sure they can review brand assets and designs as PDFs.

[Doug A Roberts]

There are a number of things AI PDFs can contain that don't work properly in Apple's Preview, Freeform Gradients being one of them.

[Monika Gause]

2. I can't really forget Apple in favor of Acrobat because the company I work for has a lot of employees that work here, and the majority of them are using Apple laptops, so I need to make sure they can review brand assets and designs as PDFs.

By @defaulthqsnsupqvzb7

Apple does not care.

Simple as that.

[defaulthqsnsupqvzb7]

UPDATE: My Mac updated to the newest version of iOS yesterday evening, and I believe that's part of what's causing the viewing issue. I'm not sure if this is an Apple bug or an Adobe bug tho.

[AnnushkaJali]

Hi, i just updated to Ventura and i'm facing the same issue. My company invoice banner has a freeform gradient that isnt showing up either. I need to invoice a client asap, and i need to find a way around this. How can it be done? Any updates, etc? It shows up in adobe acrobat, not in preview. However when i sent it as a trial to a friend on whatsapp via the desktop app, the gradient showed up. On the phone in the whatsapp app it doesnt. This discrepancy is highly frustrating. 

[Ton Frederiks]

You could try to select the object that contains the gradient and use Object > Rasterize...

[defaulthqsnsupqvzb7]

That's what I've been doing as well. Object > Rasterize > 300 dpi > Background -Transparent. It's not the best, but it gets you where you need to go, at least. 

[AnnushkaJali]

Since it was a one page thing, i just temporarily exported it as a png, and then saved that as a pdf. This is highly annoying thing to do though and idk if everyone is experiencing this, or apple silicone users, or just a select few. 

[Ton Frederiks]

I don't have the problem, but I am still using Catalina.

[Doug A Roberts]

I still have High Sierra installed. Freeform gradients seem to work in Preview version 10. I guess Apple broke something in a later update.

[david.crow]

I'm having the same problem. Ever since upgrading my M1 MacBook Pro to MacOS Ventura, Freeform gradients are not visible in QuickLook Previews or the Preview app. The data is still there and can be seen in Acrobat or Illustrator. This is definitely an issue with MacOS as this problem is present in old files with Freeform Gradients as well. Very frustrating. 

As I continue to hunt for a fix, I'm going to be looking at what has changed with Preview that prevents freeform gradients from rendering. 

In the meantime, seems like Effect > [Illustrator Effects] Rasterize... is the best bet for keeping the gradient editable and preserving its appearance in the default programs. 

I've attached a sample file as an AI, PDF, and exported as a PNG. Then a screenshot of the preview as it appears in Finder.

[cesaralopez]

I'm having the same issue with Ventura 13.1 on an M1 Macbook Pro. Freeform gradients do not show up in Apple Preview but do show up in Acrobat Pro for the same file. Fortunately, in this case, the Freeform Gradient I built was a simple gradient that I was able to convert to a Linear Gradient. Once I converted the gradient to Linear, with the same color stops, the gradient appears just fine in Apple Preview. One may assume this is an issue on Apple's end, however, my experience with Adobe is that it's an Adobe issue. I suspect there's a bug in the Freeform Gradient that prevents the PDF render engine from displaying it properly. One might say, "just use Acrobat and not Preview" but that's not an option for Mac-based clients (I don't know if this is an issue with Windows.) Or worse, what about when the rush Freeform Gradient project you sent to the printer comes back with a proof with colors completely missing and your deadline is at risk of being blown.

Adobe, can you look into this?

[Monika Gause]

---

@cesaralopez  schrieb:

my experience with Adobe is that it's an Adobe issue. I suspect there's a bug in the Freeform Gradient that prevents the PDF render engine from displaying it properly.

---

Preview doesn't support several stuff that should be part of the PDF render engine. It simply cannot be trusted with anything. 

People need to install the Adobe PDF reader. It's free and therefore a viable option for Apple as well as Windows users.

[Doug A Roberts]

I suspect it's an Apple issue mainly because freeform gradients work in older versions of Preview.

[cesaralopez]

Good insight @Doug A Roberts . When viewing a PDF with a Freeform Gradient element in an earlier of Preview, build 1018.62, in this case, the gradient renders correctly. However, viewing the same file in the latest Preview, build 1043, does not render the Freeform gradient in a PDF. I'll submit a bug fix with Apple. Hopefully, this issue can get resolved once Apple and Adobe get connected on it.

[Laura29458483vdxv]

Same issue. I'm using an ASUS laptop. After I exported the PDF, I used both Microsoft Edge and Adobe Acrobat to check my file, the gradient IS here. But then, I checked my PDF file with my iPhone, the gradient is MISSING. It is quite frustrating. 

[Monika Gause]

You do not "check" a PDF with your iPhone. When Prepress is concerned, the iPhone is a toy. 

[Laura29458483vdxv]

I sent my artwork in PDF format to my clients who are also my friends via WhatsApp. That's how I found the issue. 

[Monika Gause]

Please complain to Apple or Whatsapp since it's an issue with their software. And instruct your friends on how to download stuff in order to view it correctly. If you don't want to do that, only thing is you can send them a pixel image.

[Ton Frederiks]

I would complain to Apple, they wrote their viewer.