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New Participant
February 16, 2020
Answered

Text automatic convert to outline when copy and paste.

  • February 16, 2020
  • 9 replies
  • 7267 views

Hi, When I copy and paste text as paragraph the text converts automatically to outline!

I use illustrator 24.0.3 on Mac Platform.

Does anyone have any idea where this thing came from?

Thanks.

Correct answer Lostindream

This is exactly, what happened to me. I have closed the Clippy app and everything working normal again. Thank you.

9 replies

New Participant
April 23, 2025

I went to Settings > Clipboard handling and disabled SVG code. Seems to have helped for the most part.

My issue was copying Illustrator > Illustrator

New Participant
April 9, 2025

I'm using Illustrator 29.3.1 on a macbook air with an M1 processor. This bug is happening to me often, but not all the time. To my knowledge I am not running any apps that enhance the clipboard in any way. It seems to happen most often when I have a lot of apps open at the same time which leads me to believe it has to do with memory.  In some cases I've needed to delete images placed in my documents and restart in order to get text to copy properly. It seems like such a minor thing, but the work arounds are costing me a lot of time and frustration. Is there any kind of definative fix for this? Is Adobe going to fix this issue at any point? Thanks anyone for your help.

Monika Gause
Adobe Expert
April 9, 2025

Do you have any of this running?

 

  • Parallels Toolbox running with the Clipboard History
  • LogoTech Keyboard management software
  • TeamVewer Clipboard > Use Shared Clipboard
  • Apple iOS device simulator from Xcode
  • Windows Multi-clipboard
  • Windows Clipboard History
  • Clippy
  • Chrome Remote Desktop
  • Mouse Pointer Highlighter
  • AnyViewer
  • Pastebot app
  • Overzealous antivirus (Digital Guardian) as well as viruses that empty the clipboard
  • Vector Magic

 

Lopetz
Participating Frequently
November 25, 2024

For me the bug appeared today without having any clipboard extension running. A Grouped object with text is outlined when copy/paste or cut/paste in Adobe Illustrator 29.1, macOS Sequoia 15.1.1. Btw: Alt & Shift doublicate the same group doesn’t outline the text. See attached video.

Monika Gause
Adobe Expert
November 25, 2024

A couple of system extensions and third party apps can cause this.

One is named in this thread.

Lopetz
Participating Frequently
November 25, 2024

thanks. I have closed all third party apps and all extensions, restarted Illustrator but the behaviour remains.

Participating Frequently
August 22, 2024

I had this same problem and I found that Keyboard Maestro was the culprit. So I went into its Settings ➜ Excluded, and added Illustrator to the "Clipboard History" exclusions.

 

And then my text objects copied just fine (except the ones grouped with a shape, GRR!).

Known Participant
August 26, 2024

OMG, thank you! I was losing my mind with this and that totally fixed it!

Participating Frequently
July 31, 2024

This will be caused by any utility app on your system that enhances the clipboard, such as Clipy or Raycast. Simply quit those apps or add Illustrator to an exclude list if that's offered.

Lostindream
LostindreamCorrect answer
New Participant
September 2, 2024

This is exactly, what happened to me. I have closed the Clippy app and everything working normal again. Thank you.

New Participant
April 27, 2021

This really made me suffer for a while! 

It'll only happen if you copy/paste the text along with a shape as grouped or something. Try to copy/paste only the text and it will be done with no issues.

 

New Participant
April 27, 2021

So basically just ungroup things then, copy/paste

Brainiac
February 17, 2020

This sounds normal. Your original message seemed to say it only happened inside Illustrator (copy from Illustrator, paste to Illustrator). You can't expect to keep everything intact in styles and detail between different apps. 

Tamir2005Author
New Participant
February 17, 2020

Maybe it's normal between Indesign to Illustrator.

But copy and paste text in illustrator it's converted automatically, I don't remember anything like that!

Brainiac
February 17, 2020

So do you get this message if you copy IN ILLUSTRATOR and paste IN ILLUSTRATOR? No InDesign use?

Ton Frederiks
Adobe Expert
February 17, 2020

Copy and paste between InDesign and Illustrator ould be better.

Ligatures from InDesign can cause outlines in Illustrator.

Try to turn off Ligatures in InDesign before copy.

Or copy the text with the Text tool instead of the text frame with the selection tool.

Or try to use a CC library to exchange text.

Monika Gause
Adobe Expert
February 16, 2020

If the obvious settings in Preferences > File Handling & Clipboard are all usual,

could you check if there are any extensions in place that interfere with the clipboard?

This can be general Mac system extensions, but also some borwser plugins.

 

Also: you don't copy and paste text from InDesign?

Tamir2005Author
New Participant
February 17, 2020

Hi Monika,

Thanks for your reply.

When I copy the text from Indesign to Illustrator I received Win. with:

"Adobe illustrator the document contains PDF objects that have been reinterpreted"

"To preserve appearance, some text has been outlined"

When I copy and place in Indesign it's work OK.