Lagging when zooming and dragging screen

[nathank54340229]

In the last couple weeks Illustrator has been lagging alot when I try and zoom in/out as well as when move around the document. At first I thought it was because of the complexity of my files but it does the same thing and brand new empty documents. 
Ive tried all the advice lised on adobe's Improve Illustrator performance on macOS page. And nothings helpec.
The rest of my CC applications work just fine. 
I don't think it has anything to do with my computer. It's a brand new mac book pro with 32 GB of RAM.

Any ideas? 

[Ashutosh_Mishra · Accepted solution]

Hi there,

Sorry to hear about your experience. Would you mind sharing version of the OS & Illustrator?

I'd request disabling GPU Performance under Preferences > Performance & see if it helps.

Looking forward to your response.

Regards,

Ashutosh

[nathank54340229]

Toggleing to use GPU preformace worked! Thanks a million!  

[Halyna334328082aqy]

Toggleing to use CPU helped on my machine. Also, turning off rulers ( ctrl + R ) when not  in use.

Problems were only with files that had transparencies a lot of small scattered elements and effects. Artboard sizes 120 x 120 inches and more.

Brand new PC 2024:
Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-14700K  5.5 GHz
GPU - Zotac Nvidia RTX 3060ti 
MSI Z790-P

[Anubhav M]

Hello @Halyna334328082aqy,

Thanks for reaching out. Would you mind trying the suggestions shared in this help article (https://adobe.ly/3Hilhjx) and checking if they help? Also, try performing a clean reinstallation of the GPU drivers (Intel / NVIDIA / AMD) and setting the Graphics Preference to High-Performance for Illustrator (https://adobe.ly/3RVMCgu) and share your observations.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Thanks,

Anubhav

[Benjamin22022984qkj4]

This is happening to me, I tried to disable the GPU Performance but that didn't do anything. Zooming in Photoshop is super smooth but in Illustrator its laggy/choppy.

Illustrator version 26.0.1

MacOS Monterrey 12.0.1

MacBook Pro (14-inch, 2021) with 32 GB of memory

Any advice?

[ionutp86612089]

Had the same problem. It seems like when the rulers are active the zooming has lag. Deactivating rulers "Ctrl + R" made zooming and panning work smoothly again.  

[ionutp86612089]

Update.

Seems like it wasn't the rulers after all. It does have to do with GPU performance. I've deselected it and restarted illustrator.

I still had the zoom lag problems. I've activated GPU performance again and there was no more lag on zoom and pan. I can only assume it's a GPU incompatibility or something similar. 

[helmi5C94]

I'm still having zoom lag issues. I have enabled GPU performance again and it still lags MBP 16 " 16gb ram

[ionutp86612089]

Hello! 

Another thing I've noticed on my side is that I had lag in heavy illustrator documents (with lots of embedded photos). 

What happens is that the Illustrator automatically switches from GPU preview (which is smooth) to CPU preview, which comes with lag. See attached where "GPU/CPU preview" shows in illustrator. If you have lag and it says "CPU preview" in the name tab of the file, than that's the issue.

The thing is that I couldn't fix this. If the document's heavy in size, the preview will automatically switch from GPU to CPU and the lag will happen. Restarting Illustrator fixes the issue for a few minutes, but then it switches back. 

This happened to me on a PC, with Windows 10, 32 GB of RAM, a Sapphire Radeon RX 570 PULSE ITX 4GB GDDR5 256-bit graphic card, and an AMD Ryzen 5 2600 3.4GHz CPU. 

Since then I've switched to a Mac Mini M1, 16 GB RAM and I didn't had this problem anymore.

I assume the issue has to do something with the GPU. 

Cheers,

Ionut P. 

[c8i]

I also have major lag. Running i9-12900k, 64gb DDR5, 2gb NVME in RAID 0, RTX 3090. Same document runs smooth on another computer with 16gb ram DDR4, I5-9600, GTX 1080ti, Single 512gb NVME. Super frustrating that the much faster machine has these problems. Also tried disabling GPU and it's only slightly better. The more slow machine still out performs. 

[c8i]

I have found that the problem has to do with running or opening photoshop after/while illustrator is running. 

SOLUTION:

- Close Photoshop, Close illustrator and restart Illustrator without photoshop. 

[Anubhav M]

Hello @c8i,

We understand that encountering technical issues can be frustrating. Would you mind performing a clean reinstallation of the GPU drivers (Intel / NVIDIA / AMD) and setting the Graphics Preference to High-Performance for Illustrator (https://adobe.ly/42OVdGQ) and checking if it helps? Also, try running Illustrator under a different administrator account (Windows / macOS) and share your observations.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Thanks,

Anubhav

[alexisaronson]

Hi There,

I am having the same problem of lagging but with moving objects. I have tried to disable and re-enable the GPU Performance, but it has not helped. All my other adobe programs are running smoothly. I am on MacOS Monterey with a brand new macbook pro with m1 chip (2021) - everything else is functioning well and quickly.

Any ideas?

[Marian2794163600kc]

I have the same issue since 2 months and I've tried everything but nothing helps.

[kevinco]

I have the same issue with laggy panning and zooming running the fastest M2 Max available.

Figma runs like lightening in comparision.

[Anshul_Saini]

Hi @kevinco @Marian2794163600kc,

I'm sorry to hear that you're experiencing laggy panning and zooming in Illustrator despite using the fastest M2 Max MacBook Pro. I understand how frustrating that can be.

One thing you can check is whether your GPU performance is properly set up and if you have enabled: GPU performance, animated zoom & Real-Time Drawing, and Editing. Additionally, ensure you're working in GPU preview mode, which can significantly improve performance. In CPU preview, overprint, and pixel preview, lag & panning will not be smooth as GPU preview, trim view & Outline with GPU preview.

It's worth noting that Illustrator is actively working to enhance the pan, zoom, and scroll functionality, and the next update (v27.3)  will bring some improvements that could help with your issue.

I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any further questions or concerns.

Thanks,

Anshul Saini

[jdeyoung01]

Hello Anshul,

Look, I get that you probably are "sorry that we're having troubles" but nothing you have responded with has resulted in any form of a solution for all of the above people. Rather these people are taking there time when they would rather be working on billable work and not issues with software they are paying for that shouldn't have endless bugs to deal with in the first place. 

So is there any solution that works for the lag when zooming in and out that we can all benifit from right now or not? Thanks in advance.

[kokoujt54]

Did you find a different solution since you last posted 3 days ago? I notice this thread is years old. I just started having this problem today even with brand new empty files. Never was the case before and suddenly it's doing it. Tried all the solutions above and nothing worked. Very frustrating. I'm having a new problem everyday with Adobe software.

[Anshul_Saini]

HI @jdeyoung01 @kokoujt54,

Thank you for highlighting the issue you are experiencing with Illustrator lagging while zooming and dragging the screen. We understand how frustrating this can be and apologize for any inconvenience it may have caused.

To better assist you, would you mind sharing a screen recording demonstrating the issue you are facing and, if applicable, the specific file you are working on when the lag occurs? This will help us further investigate the issue and provide you with a more accurate solution.

Also, please confirm the OS & Illustrator version and share your system details like CPU & GPU make and model.

Rest assured that we are committed to resolving this issue and ensuring that your experience with Illustrator is smooth and efficient. Please feel free to provide any additional information or ask any questions, and we will do our best to assist you.

Thank you for your patience and cooperation.

Best,

Anshul Saini

[Marian2794163600kc]

Hi, can you please look at my answer I posted a screen recording of the lag.

[Anshul_Saini]

Hi @Marian2794163600kc,

I apologize for the inconvenience you're experiencing with Illustrator lagging while zooming and dragging the screen. Thank you for sharing a screen recording of the issue. Based on the recording, it appears that you are working in Outline or CPU preview mode, which can result in lag and performance issues in Illustrator.

I would recommend working in GPU preview mode, as this can significantly improve performance in terms of pan, zoom, and scroll functionality. GPU performance, animated zoom & Real-Time Drawing, and Editing should be enabled in your Illustrator settings all the time.

Please try working in GPU preview mode and see if the same behavior persists. If you continue to face the issue, please provide your OS, Illustrator version, and system details, such as CPU, and GPU make and model.

Thank you for your patience and cooperation.

Best,

Anshul Saini

[Chris_E. D]

Hi, My lag is more slow, I have Illustrator v29.31 in windows 10 22H2 intel Core i7 6700 3.4 GHz video: GeForce GTX 1660 4GB

During 2024 and now, the lag no disappear. Please help me, My workflow is stopped, Thank you

[Srishti Bali]

Hi @Chris_E. D

Sorry to hear about the slow performance. Does it freeze or slow down specifically when zooming and dragging the screen, as mentioned abive, or is it slow in general? Have you tried launching the machine in safe mode to see if it works fine? Also, is the issue occurring with a specific file or with new files as well?  We're here to help—just need a bit more info!

Regards,

Srishti

[SalvasZogo]

https://community.adobe.com/t5/illustrator/lagging-when-zooming-and-dragging-screen/m-p/11351195#:~:....