Illustrator Thumbnail Preview Not Showing Images Sonoma 2023

[lynnh13435174]

I download vector images from Adobe stock photos they have the .ai extension and up until recently I was able to select the file and hit the space bar to see what the image is.  Now I have no previews to look at. And this has been asked in other streams but this situation is different because I don't want to open every illustrator file to find out what it is or to save as pdf compatible.  This is very time consuming. These are stock images from Adobe stock.  I also don't want to have to open Bridge to see what the images are. I want it to be a quick simple thing like it has been forever. Any suggestions? I found the instructions to change the Illustrator.qlgenerator file and did so but it's not solving the situation.  

[Monika Gause · Accepted solution]

Save them "PDF compatible". MacOS uses that embedded PDF.

If a file doesn't have an embedded PDF you could never see what's inside in Mac OS (I've been using Mac OS for 30 years)

[lynnh13435174]

Hi, Thank you for taking the time to respond, I purposely started my own question becasue this is the answer on the other ones.  My question is what has changed that makes previously viewed by hitting the space bar files not being able to do so and how do I fix it?  I have been downloading these files from Adobe stock for years and now they aren't working. I don't have time to go through each one and resave and I have not had to in the past.  So something has changed. I don't know if it's from updating to Sonoma or not. 

[Monika Gause]

Did you previously download AI files? Or EPS files?

Previously MacOS could preview EPS files by hitting the spacebar. Now this ability is gone and will probably never return.

[lynnh13435174]

All Ai files. If you go to Adobe Stock and chose Vector you get ai files and it should be noted that they are all different versions of Illustrator saved with or without pdf compatible. I have not used eps in forever. 

I was reading about it being a security issue and there was a work around (by changing the Illustrator.qlgenerator file) which I tried but that isn't working either. Having to take extra steps just to see what the file is is very time consuming and frustrating. And it feels like we are going backwards as I am from the era where you had to open files to see what they were so the whole spacebar thing was an awesome thing... I was hoping someone would know of a way to resolve this issue. 

[Monika Gause]

I'm not using Sonoma and don't plan to for at least some years. So: does the spacebar work when there is a PDF embedded in the file? For me it does.

[lynnh13435174]

Yes, it works for only the PDF embedded ones in Sonoma. Unfortunately I had auto update turned on and to go backwards from Sonoma is not fun either.  Thanks for taking the time to respond. 

[Cynthia24848234ck1t]

Any resolution? I upgraded to Sonoma to try to solve another issue but have now created this problem. Same instance... Yes, I CAN go in and resave but I've always been able to preview Adobe Stock AI images and now I can't. I often download MANY image options at a time to determine which one I want to actually use and trying to sort it out later is a big problem. I shouldn't have to go in and resave them to preview if I never have needed to do that before. 

[Monika Gause]

Any resolution? I upgraded to Sonoma to try to solve another issue but have now created this problem. Same instance... Yes, I CAN go in and resave but I've always been able to preview Adobe Stock AI images and now I can't. I often download MANY image options at a time to determine which one I want to actually use and trying to sort it out later is a big problem. I shouldn't have to go in and resave them to preview if I never have needed to do that before. 

By @Cynthia24848234ck1t

Sonoma doesn't support EPS

Preview has always been taken from the embedded PDF. So you have to save an AI with PDF compatibility.

[BrianJG]

No eps preview in MAC OS Find - is a costly problem. Bought new MACs with M2 & Sonoma. Now too late to return to Apple. Unless we can find a real-world fix, will likely become bookends on a shelf. too big a saved library of image & working files to accept "oh well". Now to look at Windows 11 and Adobe CC. Less cost, wider options? 

I'd be much happer to remain on path, HAS ANYBODY a way around the No Preview in Sonoma dilemma?

[Ton Frederiks]

Did you try if Adobe Bridge can preview your files?

[Monika Gause · Accepted solution]

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@BrianJG  schrieb:

No eps preview in MAC OS Find -

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Apple has ditched EPS. It's last century's file format and hasn't received an update since 1997. 
https://support.apple.com/en-us/108775

[BrianJG]

thank you for taking a moment to respond - BUT... the Apple echo-system has a strong base in the graphics biz - and we have all received, shared and continue to receive, share and save files as EPS. One of the best differences between MAC and the Win world is the Search Function - with that gone - because of what you call Last Century - it's a reason to switch. A big reason. The COST of losing fast, easy, access to an asset library that I, and many other professionals use within their daily creative oprocess  is significant. Apple should be more collaborative with its GC User Base. This end-of-service became know after the purchase.Adobe serves both platforms - this alone would, and still may cause me to jump.

[Monika Gause]

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@BrianJG  schrieb:

 This end-of-service became know after the purchase.Adobe serves both platforms -

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I do not understand this statement at all.

Apple chose to discontinue EPS. So if you want to complain to someone, maybe that should be Apple? 

[ncoleartist5]

I think it is so stupid on Apple to discontinue eps previews because all designers use them. It is the universal vector file format. Do they think SVG files can replace EPS. i don't think so. i have worked with both and i personally don't like SVG files and the way the save. This is a really poor decision on Apple. 

[Monika Gause]

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@ncoleartist5  schrieb:

I think it is so stupid on Apple to discontinue eps previews because all designers use them. 

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You have to tell Apple.

[Jenny28461622ukoe]

I am also unable to preview adobe stock .ai files. Extremely frustrating. 

[Monika Gause]

They need to be saved with PDF compatibility.

[onfire design]

IT STILL DOSENT WORK. Saved as PDF compatible, and STILL DOSENT WORK, is SONOMA going to fix that bug, it is SUPER FRUSTRATING not previewing files that I work with all day long.

[Ton Frederiks · Accepted solution]

Try viewing with Adobe Bridge. I don't use Sonoma, so I can't test it, but Bridge can generate a preview for .ai files without PDF compatibility.

[Stefanie30854343f24j]

I feel the same way and I'm so frustated!

[jdh_gd]

Ja, leider habe ich dasselbe Problem. Wahrscheinlich muss Adobe alle AI-Dateien öffnen und richtig abspeichern, damit es wieder funktioniert...

[Monika Gause]

Das Preview auf MacOS wird aus dem eingebetteten PDF in der AI-Datei generiert.

Ist kein PDF eingebettet, dann gibt es kein Preview.

Die Anwender*innen (nicht Adobe) müssen also die Dateien öffnen und PDF-kompatibel abspeichern (also die gleichnamige Option ankreuzen im Illustrator-Optionen-Dialog).

[HeyStopLaughin]

Just curious. Did you ever find a solution to this? Struggling with same issue. Yeah, Bridge works, but that's just one more step and one more open app that I don't want to deal with.

[MyTee Guy]

Same problem here.  It would be great if there was a way to batch convert files to have the preview.  Illustrator files that I save have the preview so I have had to resave old stock vectors one at a time in order to work with them.