illustrator on M1 Max Chips

[defaultosresoydfmzm]

Is there anyone tried to run illustrator on Macbook pro M1 Max, did they solve the lagging issue? 

[Anshul_Saini]

Thanks for sharing the files. There are no issues within the file. I would recommend you update Illustrator to v26.2.1 if not done already, which includes multiple bug fixes and improved GPU performance on macOS. Let us know how it goes.

Regards,

Anshul Saini

[bd123456]

I upgraded to v26.2.1, problem solved, thanks for your attention.

Regards, 

BD

[Minnepolitan]

I am having these SAME issues. I wish I were relieved that I am not alone. 

Is this an illustator issue or a M1 issue? 

[Anshul_Saini]

Hi @Minnepolitan,

We are sorry to hear about your experience. & delayed response. Would you mind trying the steps suggested in this helpx article (https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/kb/optimize-illustrator-performance.html) and let us know how it goes?

If it doesn't, would you mind describing the lag you are facing while working in Illustrator? Does it happen while working on a specific file or using a particular tool/ effect/ feature?

We are here to help. We just need more info.

Thanks & Regards,
Anshul Saini

[Dwoodwor]

+1 to everything said here.. my last three macbooks worked better with illustrator than my new 2021 MacBook pro 16" 32gb.. . It has nothing to do with file type or size

[schulterblick]

I got problems with opening and editing .ai files on myMacbook pro M1.
When i open a .ai i have to answer if i want to replace the missing files.
There are no files. It is only a vectorgrafic.

When it is open it is only 1 layer and i can not edit that.

The same when i open other .ai 

It is urgent because i am earning money with illustator. 

[Monika Gause]

I got problems with opening and editing .ai files on myMacbook pro M1.
When i open a .ai i have to answer if i want to replace the missing files.
There are no files. It is only a vectorgrafic.

When it is open it is only 1 layer and i can not edit that.

The same when i open other .ai 

It is urgent because i am earning money with illustator. 

By @schulterblick

Please create a new thread. This thread is about lagging.

[Peter Furstenberg]

Although it's a lot better, the issue is not fully resolved. Really complex files still struggle to render and keep up. The image below is still incredibly laggy when trying to manipulate objects.

https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/golden-wheel-fortune-lottery-game-casino-chance-win-prize-lucky-...

[Anshul_Saini]

Hi @Peter Furstenberg,

Thanks for sharing the vector file link, @Peter Furstenberg. I checked this file on the windows machine and was facing extensive lags while editing it. It seems the issue is with this particular file, not with M1 Max Macbook Pro. EPS files can have such issues sometimes. @Monika Gause would be able to explain it better. Would it be possible for you to check this Monika and share your observation & suggestion?

Are there any other files in which you are facing issues which is not an EPS file?

Regards,

Anshul Saini

[Monika Gause]

The file has been made with the limitations of compatibility with Illustrator 10 in mind, so it doesn't contain  gradients with reduced opacity, but instead for the intended visual effect they had to use blend modes for everything that glows and glitters inside here.

But in this case I don't think the blend modes or the Illustrator 10 limitations are the issue. Just the sheer amount of objects that blend into each other. On top of that I saw some some paths having way too many points. Maybe there are others as well.

The file caused my M1 to lag as well.

[Anshul_Saini]

Thanks, Monika. I appreciate you checking this out and explaining the cause of the issue. Thanks again!

Regards,

Anshul Saini

[crispe123]

Also have the same issues. Worse on Ventura than Monterey if anything. Getting to the point where I'm just probably going to switch primarily to Affinity Designer or similar. Less features, more tedious workarounds, but using it doesn't infuriate me moment to moment like Illustrator. I've been using Illustrator for 20 years and had long been my favourite program, but over the years it has just become more bloated, slow and unpleasant to be in.

[Yevgeniy29389910gr3n]

The issue is still there and it prevents me from using illustrator on my M1 Max.

[samc24050789]

Same here, just bought a new Mac Mini M2 Pro with Apple Studio Display. If the GPU is used, Illustrator is unusable, serious lag even just draging a simple box round the screen. Turning GPU off in the settings and using CPU seems to help a lot. Come on Adobe, this looks like it's been going on for years, still no fix...??

[Anshul_Saini]

Hi @samc24050789 @Yevgeniy29389910gr3n,

I apologize for the inconvenience you are facing with Adobe Illustrator on your M1 Max Mac. In order to better understand and resolve the issue, could you please provide some details about the lag you are experiencing? Specifically, it would be helpful to know:

• The specific actions or tools in Adobe Illustrator where you are experiencing lag
• The size and complexity of the document you are working on
• The exact version of Adobe Illustrator you are using
• Any other relevant information about your system configuration, such as macOS version and system specs
• A small screen recording of the issue would be really helpful.

Additionally, have you tried any troubleshooting steps, such as updating Adobe Illustrator to the latest version, resetting preferences, or optimizing performance settings? If not, I would recommend trying these steps as they may help in resolving the lag issue.

Please provide as much information as possible so that we can better assist you in resolving this issue. Thank you.

Best,

Anshul Saini

[ViktorBlub]

I'm using Illustrator 27.5 on Monterey 12.5.1 on an M1 Max and it's unbearably slow and laggy. When opening an A0 architectural plan drawing PDF and trying to select all, move it around or even just turning the orientation, illustrator freezes or takes very long to perform that task..

I attached a screen recording. 

M1 chip has been around now for quite some time. And supposedly it's super fast.. So how come such standard tasks bring illustrator to its knees?
 

[Anshul_Saini]

Hi @ViktorBlub,

Thanks for bringing this issue to our attention. I understand how frustrating it can be to work with slow and laggy software.

While the M1 chip is known for its performance, there can still be several factors that may cause the slow performance of Illustrator, such as the size and complexity of the file, available memory, and other software running in the background.

Would you mind confirming the exact version of macOS & Illustrator?

Also, does this happens while working on a specific file or all? If it's a specific file, could you please share the document with us? You can upload it to the Creative Cloud (https://helpx.adobe.com/in/creative-cloud/help/share.html) and share the download link.

If you have any further questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to let me know.

Best,

Anshul Saini

[ViktorBlub]

Thanks for your quick reply. 

The exact versions are as written above: Illustrator 27.5 on Monterey 12.5.1 on an M1 Max  Are there other specifications that you need? 

The slow performance happens with any "real" file, which has a bit of information in it. E.g. this Din A0 architectural plan with only 13MB.  I would expect that Illustrator can handle this with ease..

[samc24050789]

I'm running a Mac Mini M2 Pro on OSX 13.3.

I can open Illustrator, drag out a single box with no fill, and then drag the box around the screen.

With GPU turned on the latency makes it unusable, the box will be 1 to 2 seconds behind the cursor...

[Anshul_Saini]

Hi @samc24050789 @ViktorBlub,

Thanks for sharing the details. Would you mind uploading sample files on the creative cloud and sharing the download links here or via DM? Please share the screen recording demonstrating the issue. I will forward it to the product team for further investigation.

Also, please confirm if you have tried the steps suggested in this community post (https://community.adobe.com/t5/illustrator-discussions/resolve-slow-performance-and-unexpected-behav...)?

I will be looking forward to your response.

Thanks,

Anshul Saini

[zandwacht]

This issue is still present in 27.7, but I have a lead to where the bug is located. For me, the problem only occurs when the transparency panel is located on the second monitor. As soon as I drag that one back to the main display, there is no delay to selecting objects. The position of other panels had no influence.

My situation: It takes 1-2 seconds to draw a bouding box after selecting an object. I'm on Mac Studio M2 Ultra with 128Gb ram, 2 monitors, no other apps running, GPU acceleration on. This is a fresh install, not a migration. 

[zandwacht]

Update: the problem only occurs when you have "Displays have separate spaces" unchecked in Macos settings. By default, each display has its own space. If you uncheck this option, you can have windows overlap 2 monitors. But it creates an input delay in Illustrator (and Blender)

[Joan245963815j15]

This works!! very thankful to find your comment. Thank you very much for posting. Now illustrator 2023 is running super smooth in GPU and three monitors connected to a Mac Studio M2 Max.