Illustrator starts flashing on and off on screen?

[Fontand]

I have noticed this flashing occurring on the last 2 updates of Illustrator (Currently 25.3), and it usually stops if I quit one of my more memory intensive programs like Photoshop, InDesign or Excel, I have 40 GB of additiopnal ram installed. Are the updated Illustrator much more memory intensive or is this some kind of bug? Please help.

[ADRIAN5CCC]

I just reopened AI 25.3.1 with that file, and the screen flicker is gone.

I had several big files open at the time.

The M1 chip does a very sophisticated video memory management.

So my guess is that it was the fault of the chip, in a vicious cycle.

[Miles M.]

Illustrator, since the update, when waking from sleep, or even just display sleep - has started to resize the main app window to about 2/3 height of the screen and then when transforming objects (any movement or rotation etc) the pasteboard flickers. The pasteboard also changes shade when shifting bewteen tools - again only after waking from sleep.

It is a brand new Mac Mini, and only affects Illustrator WITHIN the window - i.e. only the pasteboard - no menus or tools etc flicker.

Anyone else experiencing similar?

[Miles M.]

Edit: I have noticed similar window resize issue and image flickering in PS too (not pasteboard)

[seanh2134020]

YES, this is the same issue I have!

[Srishti Bali · Accepted solution]

Hi there,

Sorry to hear about this trouble. We tried, but couldn't replicate this behavior. We'd appreciate if you could share a few more details like:

• Operating System
• Does turning off GPU Performance help resolving this issue?
• Generate the logs(ZXP file) using Log Collector tool & share these files with us here or over DM.
• A small video of the issue and a few sample files.

We'd be looking forward to your response!

Regards,

Srishti

[seanh2134020]

I have the same issue on a new Mac Studio and Studio monitor. Turning off GPU performance does stop the flicker, but then it turns all asset points and lines to white or clear, which makes them impossible to see. Ive reloaded all system and Adobe software with no improvement. Its kind of  mess TBH as it becomes very eye straining for anybody working 8 hours on a flickering screen. FYI, its ONLY in Adobe and Ive only seen it in Illus at this point

[Monika Gause]

Contact Customer Care, so they can take a look at it. https://helpx.adobe.com/contact.html

[uesix]

Contact Adobe Customer Care

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

That's a really good one! 😂

[Srishti Bali]

Hi @Fontand  @jeffhalmos and @benedikth64842477 

We're still waiting for your response to this query. In case you still facing this issue, please shared the details asked above and we'd be happy to help.

Regards!

[omegap7]

FIX IT NOW!!!

Problem also outlined here:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/illustrator/cursor-flickers-in-illustrator-2019-when-photoshop-is-ope...

and

https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop/photoshop-being-open-causes-infuriating-cursor-flicker/m-p/...

[BillC]

OK... instead of fixing this it is now worse than ever as it's started happening with Acrobat now (as well as Photoshop).

1) Open Illustrator (the only app open) - all OK!

2) Working in Illustrator and open a PDF in Acrobat.

3) Click back into Illustrator but leave Acrobat open in the background - flickering cursor

4) Hide Acrobat - cursor stops flickering (quitting fixes it too but currently just hiding Acrobat works)

5) Working in Illustrator and open a file in Photoshop.

6) Click back into Illustrator but leave Photoshop open in the background - flickering cursor (can be intermittent however with Photoshop)

7) Hide Photoshop - sometimes fixes the bug but not always. Quitting Photoshop always fixes it.

Here's my hardware spec (all brand new with clean first time software installs): 

Mac Pro (2019)

3.3 GHz 12-Core Intel Xeon W

160 GB 2933 MHz DDR4

AMD Radeon Pro 580X 8 GB

Hopefully someone from Adobe will look into this seriously as I'm now convinced it's an Adobe issue since Acrobat has started causing the bug. It's happening when there's an open Acrobat or Photoshop window behind Illustrator and it honestly makes it impossible to be able to do any work in Illustrator. Adobe can easily replicate the issue by mirroring my kit (standard off-the-shelf stuff) and installing the three programs. I've tried all the supposed fixes and none work other than the hidind/closing hacks.

[BillC]

An update... Adobe please note.... when Acrobat is open behind Illustrator the cursor flickers between the active Illustrator tool icon and the active Acrobat tool icon.

i.e. I'm using Acrobat and have the hand tool selected - moving the page around etc. Then I click into Illustrator thus bringing it to the front (with the previous Actobat window behind it), and I select, for example, the black pointer tool. The cursor then flickers between the Acrobat hand tool and the Illustrator black pointer tool.

[omegap7]

problem still occurs here too, truly mindblowing its impossible to have two adobe apps open at the same time without causing epilepsy, someone is going to sue them soon

[BillC]

Also InDesign is similarly affected.

[omegap7]

this is an issue with both illustrator and indesign.. if photoshop is open your cursor will flicker in these apps, until you close photoshop the problem remains.

Cursor looks like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJzysLNOS2c

Problem also documented here: https://community.adobe.com/t5/illustrator/cursor-flickers-in-illustrator-2019-when-photoshop-is-ope...

And here:
https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop/photoshop-being-open-causes-infuriating-cursor-flicker/m-p/...

This has been a problem for YEARS

[alitwotimes]

i've been an avid photoshop and illustrator user for over 10 years now. 

just about 6 years ago i started facing this problem. AND IT'S DRIVING ME UP THE WALL. 

only recently did i learn it was linked to having photoshop and illustrator open at the same time. 

But having PHOTOSHOP open does not just affect the cursor in ILLUSTRATOR, and also drives my KEYNOTE cursor crazy. I've searched everywhere for a solution. And the only thing that works right now is to close PHOTOSHOP. i've had this problem with four different laptops, and four different versions of PS and IL, so it's surely not a hardware problem. I do think fonts might something to do with it tho. Because it only starts happening once i start uploading fonts to FONT BOOK.  Pls anyone with a solution post it here!

[omegap7]

has something to do with the apps being open for a certain period of time too.. it doesnt happen right away

[BillC]

Since the latest update (25.4) there's a couple more issues:

1) When resizing the document window the visible artwork jumps and jitters which is really ugly and off-putting. Turning off GPU performance fixes this, however the problem didn't exist prior to the update.

2) When inserting the type cursor into a block of text it blinks and flickers intermittently fast and slow. Before the update it was the normal steady slow, regular blink.

...and the flickering cursor bug is still there of course.

Mac Pro (2019)

3.3 GHz 12-Core Intel Xeon W

160 GB 2933 MHz DDR4

AMD Radeon Pro 580X 8 GB

[Srishti Bali]

Hi Bill,

Sorry to hear about this trouble. As mentioned above, we're still investigating this issue and need your help to find the root cause. 

I have sent you a DM for some more details, please check.

Regards!

[Someone75]

I wrote about that in the Illustrator bugs forum for years without any answer! It still happens with Mac Pro and always the root cause ist Photoshop. Illustrator and Indesign open at once > no problem. Opening an additional document in Photoshop causes flickering cursor in all other programs instantly! That's so odd and no help for years ...

[adelynt73179217]

Running Illustrator on M1 and facing this issue as well. It stopped after I turned off "GPU Performance" in preference>performance.

[kennetha2673602]

find fix in the video below

https://youtu.be/gxAy45kyZGI

[jeffhalmos]

The flickering cursor on M1 Macs is a massive annoyance. Feels cheap. Still happening with 26.0.1.

[uesix]

This is NO fix!

When you work with Illustrator smartobjects in Photoshop you CANNOT close the documents? What a nonsense

[IngmarSpit · Accepted solution]

I have had this issue for seveal updates now. On my system it is specifically related to the extra info popup for buttons in the UI. When hovering over buttons on the toolbar, the flickering occurs right before the extra info popups are displayed. When I turn this option off the flickering stops occuring. Hope this helps.