Opening Illustrator 2020 files with Illustrator 2019

[sarapixels]

I am noticing that working files started with Illustrator 2020 are becoming corrupted when opened in Illustrator 2019.  Layer information is being collapsed into clip groups.  Is there a setting that can stop this from happening?

[SJRiegel]

The files are not being corrupted. Illustrator 2019 cannot directly read the newer format (2020), so it is opening the PDF portion of the file instead. The way to fix this is to work in the same version that the file was created in, or a newer one.

[sarapixels]

What is the recommended way to use Illustrator across teams that use different versions?  In the past this has not been an issue.  What is so different about the 2020 version that sacrifices that compatibility?

[Monika Gause]

The recommended way is to not do it.

Always use the same version when you want to send files back and forth.

[sarapixels]

Is there at least a way to enable saving to legacy formats for compatibilty?

[Ton Frederiks · Accepted solution]

Yes there is in 2020: legacy CC

[sarapixels]

So if the 2020 made files are resaved as CC(Legacy), then 2019 machines will be able to open them correctly?

[Ton Frederiks]

Yes.

[sarapixels]

Thank you.  That is working.

[Ton Frederiks]

Glad to hear that worked for you.

[Bobby Henderson]

Just remember with each new version of Adobe Illustrator certain new features come along that are not backward compatible with earlier versions. For instance, the freeform gradient fill is a handy new feature, but those kinds of fills won't translate as is when saved back to earlier versions of Illustrator. The farther back the file version saved will mean more features and effects built into that artwork will break. The same rule applies to exporting Illustrator-generated artwork to use in other non-Adobe graphics applications.

[Ton Frederiks]

"Just remember with each new version of Adobe Illustrator certain new features come along that are not backward compatible with earlier versions."

That is indeed something to be aware of.

But between 2020 and CC 2019 there are no new features introduced that can give problems, at least that's what I can see from the "what's new in 2020" descriptions

[archivore]

Our institutions sometimes do not allow this, because they have large license purchases for faculty, and students we must work with on research projects then have access to newer software. Instead of always pushing people to buy the newer software, Adobe should be cognizant that there are restrictions to this and write the software to be compatible.

[Monika Gause]

It's just not possible to save new files fully compatible with old versions, because you want everything to stay editable.

You need to educate your coworkers to

1. not use any new functions

2. Save files to the old version

[Ton Frederiks]

But in the case of saving 2020 files as 2019, I have not seen a compatibility problem.

There are no new functions that are not supported in 2019.

[Monika Gause]

There is the new Free transform.

And while it doesn't change general editability, it might still break workflows.

[Ton Frederiks]

"There is the new Free transform."

There is also a new Simplify. But when simplified or transformed it does not matter if the file is saved as 2019. These are not Live effects.

[Monika Gause]

As I said.

[defaultonfa8w4zoay5]

It would not be out of the realm of possibility to update 2019 for compatibility when releasing 2020. Simple things like text boxes should not break into individualized text clips just because you opened them in an older version. It's just on Adobe to be more robust in their approach to new product releases. And given their size and place in the industry....that's not too much to ask IMO.

[Nick Gammon]

Just save others a little of their precious time if they're confused as to where the dialogue box to save legacy files actually is, after they've clicked "save as" - it appears AFTER choosing the location in the Save Dialog of OS X, and apprently not at all when saving to creative cloud.