Multiple Illustrator issues on M2 Macbook Pro

[pierBover]

I recently got an M2 MBP and I'm having some issues with Illustrator which I recently installed the latest version (27.6.1).

I'm not using old preferences. I have disabled dictation features which some users in other posts seem to believe affected Illustrator performance. This is a fresh install of macOS and the Adobe apps.

I'm on macOS Ventura 13.4.1.

Lag and stuttering when moving objects

Randomly when dragging objects the canvas seems to freeze for a second or two and then finally updates itself. This happens even on emptuy projects with nothing but a rectangle.

I disabled the Pro Motion feature of my laptop's monitor which changes framerates depending on what the user is doing. This seems to have alleviated the issue even though I'm using an external monitor connected to a Thunderbolt port.

Lag when writing

There's another random issue which is not really consistent. When writing text it seems text doesn't render as I type it. Sometimes the characters I've typed take 1-2 seconds to appear in the screen. This is extremely frustrating and is slowing me down considerably.

I've disabled GPU performance in the settings which solves the issue but now the rendering performance slows down to a crawl (as expected). Sometimes if I re-enable GPU performance the issue goes away momentarily and then comes back.

Inititally I thought this could be caused by my BT keyboard but it happens with the internal keyboard too. Even when using the BT keyboard I don't see this this behavior in any other app (I write a lot of code).

For some strange reason, the issue seems to go away when recording the screen with Quicktime so I recorded these videos with my phone.

With GPU performance enabled you can see how when I keep the E key pressed it take a while for text to appear:

https://youtu.be/uSujR7dGqZw

With CPU rendering the issue disappears and text renders as it should:

https://youtu.be/PXSV0P_LckQ

[obergim]

Any fix? still happening MBP 14 m2.

[Anubhav Majumder]

Hello @obergim,

Thanks for reaching out. Are you facing performance issues on Illustrator? If yes, kindly try the suggestions shared in this help article (https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/kb/optimize-illustrator-performance.html) and check if they help.

If the problem persists, kindly share more details, like the exact version of the OS/Illustrator, system config (CPU/GPU/Memory), and a screen recording of the problem (https://community.adobe.com/t5/illustrator-discussions/screen-record-an-issue-on-windows-amp-macos-f...), so we can investigate this further.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Thanks,

Anubhav

[pierBover]

Same. I'm still having the same issues and just installed the latest version of Illustrator.

It's like when using the GPU it just stops rendering randomly and dropping frames.

[Monika Gause]

Which system? Sonoma?

[pierBover]

I'm still in Ventura

[Goddard0101]

Experiencing this too, using an M3 Pro, 18GB, Sonoma 14.2.1. In Illustrator, if I click to type I get the Apple loading icon for about 30 seconds! Dragging artboards or artwork around has about a 5 second delay, and these aren't hi-res images either. Whilst its doing this nonesense I can switch to Adobe PS or any other program and it works just fine with no lag.

[Rory Scout35638982mfrn]

Idk what is wrong with Illustrator but it is absolutely F'ed. I am seeing the strangest stuff happen. My artboard tool just creating artboards inside artboard when I am trying to click and drag one. Illustrator also straight up just deleted a file I HAD OPEN. It's gone. Happened after I had left Illustrator open while my laptop was sleeping but it wasn't a not saved issue bc I have the cloud. It's nowhere to be found. 

Random things won't work, like today I wasn't able to edit a gradient in a simple 1 layer file just because? Illustrator is very quickly losing my trust. Who is a legit competitor does anyone have ideas?

[Monika Gause]

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@Rory Scout35638982mfrn  schrieb:

Idk what is wrong with Illustrator but it is absolutely F'ed. I am seeing the strangest stuff happen. My artboard tool just creating artboards inside artboard when I am trying to click and drag one. Illustrator also straight up just deleted a file I HAD OPEN. It's gone. Happened after I had left Illustrator open while my laptop was sleeping but it wasn't a not saved issue bc I have the cloud. It's nowhere to be found. 

Random things won't work, like today I wasn't able to edit a gradient in a simple 1 layer file just because? Illustrator is very quickly losing my trust. Who is a legit competitor does anyone have ideas?

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Which system?

If it's Sonoma, then do you have the Magnet app installed?

[Monika Gause]

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@Goddard0101  schrieb:

Experiencing this too, using an M3 Pro, 18GB, Sonoma 14.2.1. In Illustrator, if I click to type I get the Apple loading icon for about 30 seconds! Dragging artboards or artwork around has about a 5 second delay, and these aren't hi-res images either. Whilst its doing this nonesense I can switch to Adobe PS or any other program and it works just fine with no lag.

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Do you have the Magnet app installed?

You can also contact Customer Care and have them take a look into it. https://helpx.adobe.com/contact.html 

[obergim]

Apparently after uninstalling the magnet the problem was gone.

[joehahi]

Just want to add into this thread I'm experiencing a feezing bug when attempting scroll fonts, which also DOES NOT happen whilst recording my screen:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/illustrator-discussions/illustrator-28-2-0-freezing-when-scrolling-fo...

[mbtassino]

Same Here. I'm with a brand new Macbook Pro M2 Max, 64gb, 12-Core CPU/30-Core GPU and it is impossible to work with, incredible slow... is there any solution? 

[Ton Frederiks]

Which OS, Sonoma? Did you migrate the CC apps? Can you install Ventura? 

[mbtassino]

Sonoma, yes. I didn't migrate them, it was a fresh install. I might be able to install Ventura, but I've read that some people encountered similar errors with Ventura too. Do you think it's worth a shot? I've been having a lot of issues with Sonoma in general, but I lack a point of comparison since I haven't used macOS in 12 years.

[Ton Frederiks]

I have a Macbook Pro M2 since a couple of weeks. Since I read about a lot of problems with Sonoma, I asked at the Apple store for Ventura, that works fine for me so far. So, yes, from my experience I would give it a shot.

[mbtassino]

I'll give it a try then!! Thank you so much.

[Ton Frederiks]

Good luck, let us hear if it works for you!

[Juan Martin5C99]

Hello, I'm experiencing the same issue on a MB Pro with an M3 Pro chip. I noticed that the Mac screen resolution might be related to the problem. I usually use it at 1080x1169, but when I lower it, for instance, to a lower resolution like 1525x982, the issue disappears! Also, I moved Illustrator to a secondary screen with a resolution of 1920x1080, and it doesn't have that problem there. I'm not sure why this is happening, but it's my humble observation. I'm forced to use the 1525x982 resolution, which isn't ideal, but at least it works fine!

[Juan Martin5C99]

Update! It seems that the issue disappears from the MacBook when you disconnect the secondary monitor and work solely with the Mac's monitor.

[pierBover]

I just tested this quickly and yes it does seem to make a difference in the latest version of Illustrator 2024 (28.4.1). I can write text fluidly, I can move objects without lag, etc.

Hopefully this information will help the Adobe team nail down this bug.

[Juan Martin5C99]

A possible solution using two monitors: In the system settings, go to Desktop & Dock - Mission Control - and check the option "Displays have separate spaces." It works for me. 🙂

[timp7533729]

I'm having the same issue for 3 days now. Is there any new solution?

[Monika Gause]

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@timp7533729  schrieb:

I'm having the same issue for 3 days now. Is there any new solution?

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Which issue exactly do you have?

On which system?

With which version of Illustrator?