Illustrator will not allow me to export PNG's after latest update (updated on 8/4/25).

[Lopezsi]

Hello,

I'm writing because I updated Illustrator today, 8/4/25, and now Illustrator will not export my files as PNG's.  It was working just fine in that area before this update, and now it will not export any file as a PNG.  I've reset my laptop at least 3 times, and re-started the program multiple times, and the error still occurs.

Attached is a screenshot of what I see when I try to export the files.

Has anyone else run into this issue?

 

[Ton Frederiks · Accepted solution]

What do you use for Export? Export As... Export For Screens?

Where do you export?

Can you uncheck Preferences > File Handling > Export in Background?

[Lopezsi]

I do Export - Export As - and then I choose PNG from the dropdown box where you can choose various formats.
I then export it to a server of the company I work for, or I try my desktop when the server is giving me issues.  Which, I tried with the files I'm using today, and the desktop option creates the same error message.

I tried your suggestion of Preferences>File Handling> Export in Background, and it still does not export it as a PNG.

I did try exporting it as a JPEG, and that worked fine.  Which is odd.

[Ton Frederiks]

Can you try another export option: Export for screens?

[Lopezsi]

Thanks for that suggestion, cause it worked!  I can go that route moving forward if I need a PNG file.  Odd that the other export route stopped working.  Would you have any idea why?  A bug because of the update, or something else.

Either way, thanks for the help!

[Ton Frederiks]

Could be a bug introduced, something was fixed for me in this version (I can now see a preview in export as PNG).

It is worth reporting it as a bug here:

https://illustrator.uservoice.com/

[Lopezsi · Accepted solution]

Thanks again for the help!  I did notice yesterday that I can export PNG's again in the way that I used to, or the way that I noticed that there was an issue, so I'm assuming the bug was fixed.

[Pariah Burke]

To add to @Ton Frederiks questions...

Can you try exporting with a brand new Illustrator document, one that contains something simple like a rectangle?

[Lopezsi]

I just tried your suggestion.  Brand new document, one black rectangle (nothing else created), try to export it, and the same error message appeared.