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Question

illustrator wanting to save files as .pdf

Forum|Forum|8 months ago
June 20, 2025
13 replies
1240 views

my latest version of Illustrator (version 29.6 - updated on June 18/25) wants to save files as .pdf by default, instead of .ai - is anyone else experiencing this?

Bug

P

Paulina243255910ko1

Inspiring

Same for me, very annoying. Any program should default save in its own format.

Monika Gause

Community Expert

Did you already update to the new version?

E

eunderworld73

Participant

I've also seen this since the lastest upgrade. If it's intended to work like that, it needs to be changed back. I'm even getting corrupted AI files that Illustrator wants to open as PDFs, so I lose most of my work. Beyond frustrating.

Anubhav M

Community Manager

Hello everyone,

The product team has made improvements to this in the latest Illustrator (Beta). Would you mind installing it to see if it helps with your workflow?

Anubhav

Y

YMarketing

Participant

V 29.8.2 on Sequoia. Significant input lag and slow performance, with delays between a user's actions and the application's response!!

N

noahharris

Participant

this is a ludicrous change, why on earth would I want to default to the last file type saved. years of working with an application gives you a subconscious process. basic things you don't have to think about. I can't imagine anyone actually asked for this change. and there's not even a check box in the preferences to turn it off. I work outside the artboards on illustrator all the time... the 'spread' is part of my process... and now it's saved a file as a PDF so nothing exists outside the artboards and I can't get it back... luckily in this instance it wasn't the end of the world... but seriously. why would you change something this fundamental... I can't see how this could actually be helpful to anyone

D

default857nfx0cwm56

Participant

this is horrible ux it should default save as .ai every single time. you will try to save quickly while moving on to something else and lose 90% of your work. insane.

M

mariang23009562

Participant

Why did they make such a ridiculous change? I don't want illustrator to remember the last format I saved as, I want to choose what format I save as, which 99% of the time for a new document is as an .ai file

Eyetooth.Design

Known Participant

https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/601447-illustrator-desktop-bugs/suggestions/38242555-illustrator-is-saving-files-as-a-pdf-by-default

Please vote for this to be fixed, so that Adobe know it's not OK for them to be incredibly stupid all the time.

ROB!@#$

Participant

YES!!!! What the hell is adobe doing making changes for the sake of changing things! This is soooo wrong and i have lost several jobs before realising what was changing! IF i saved a jpg from a psd file then i wouldnt expect that the next psd file i opened would be set to default to save as a jpg SO WHY DO THIS WITH ILLUSTRATOR? No wonder people are leaving in droves from Adobe. We all have workflows and years of ingrained work set ups and having to check for the basic stuff when we expect things to work properly is criminal. If nothing else these should be optional turn on or off functions! So tired of uneccesary changes across the whole suite

S

SavedByTheBel

Participant

I have also been experiencing this. It is beyond annoying.

Abhishek Rao

Community Manager

Hi everyone,

Thanks for sharing the details, everyone. I'm checking this with the product team and will provide an update once I hear back.

Thanks,

Abhishek

Abhishek Rao

Community Manager

Hi everyone,

I checked with the product team, and they mentioned that Illustrator is designed to remember the last file type you selected when saving. So, if you save once as an .ai file, the next save should default to .ai instead of PDF.

If it still defaults to PDF even after saving as .ai once, please share your steps, so we can investigate further.

Thanks,
Abhishek

Eyetooth.Design

Known Participant

That is incredibly stupid and unproductive functionality. The typical thing to do when sending a proof to a client is to save it as a PDF so they are able to view it and provide feedback. When we create a new document (in Illustrator - not Adobe Acrobat), we DO NOT want to automatically save as a PDF because we are creating an Illustrator file, so the files should automatically save as an .ai / Illustrator file.

This did not use to happen in the previous versions, so as usual, Adobe is adding random functionality that makes designers' workflow worse.

Please rectify and use a small amount of logic when adding such incredibly stupid "features" to the app.

Y

YMarketing

Participant

Just upgraded and now its happening. Is there a new preference that can be ticked off or changed. Yes, VERY annoying.

Y

YMarketing

Participant

Also experiencing multiple issues with save function. Try to close file, asked me to save, I do but file wont close. Finally have to quit illustrator and restart. Tried rebuilding preferences to no avail. This is why I typicall wait a very long time before option to update programs. TOO MANY issues. Please fix

Eyetooth.Design

Known Participant

Yes, the latest update of Illustrator crashes 3 times out of 5 when I try to save my work as well. It seems like Adobe is actively trying to encourage its subscribers to go elsewhere and find alternatives that actually do what they are supposed to.

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