Web images corrupting in Illustrator

[mhd6]

I have been using Illustrator on the same Mac for years. After one of the 2025 updates, images that I copy and paste (or drag) from websites or Outlook become corrupted within Illustrator. The images turn into jagged color lines like the below example.

I can correct the color format in Photoshop to fix the issue when necessary. But most of the time the images are just for reference, so it would be great if they didn't randomly scramble.

[Ton Frederiks]

Can you share such an image or point to an example on a website that gives you problems?

[mhd6]

The image shown in my first example originates from here:

https://straightedgeconcretellc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/sec-logo.png

I was trying to make a banner from it for print. Little weird that the scramble doesn't look at all like a business logo... more like a person..?  

[Ton Frederiks]

Thanks, I tried to replicate the problem, but it works fine over here.

That said, there are some problems with drag and drop (it can change the ICC color profile of your Illustrator document), but I have not seen this one. Does switching to CPU Preview (Cmd E) before dragging make a difference?

[mhd6]

No matter how I viewed it, if I save the image in an AI document and reopen it, it scrambles. 

I tried it on a 2017 Macbook and it doesn't have the issue. The computer doing it is a. 2020 iMac (27 inch)... so it's likely specific to that computer or the Sequoia OS. Thanks for looking into it!

[Ton Frederiks]

Mmm, if it was a Windows machine, I would have a look at the graphic card, but this is a Mac. Maybe someone else has a smart idea.

[Srishti Bali]

Hi @mhd6

Sorry to hear about this. As Ton mentioned, we're unable to replicate the issue. Could you share a few sample files, including both PNG and AI formats? We'll take a closer look.

Regards,

Srishti

[mhd6 · Accepted solution]

The issue seems to have been resolved with the macOS update to Sequoia 15.3.2 (24D81)

Thanks!

[defaultc32duoqme02z]

I am running on this (Sequoia 15.3.2) and still getting exactly the same issue. It's very very frustrating...

[defaultc32duoqme02z]

I find it happens mostly when you drag a 'hovering' screenshot rather than letting it save to the desktop (which I personally do a lot for speed) and also it occurs when you drag from Photoshop. I have been forced to save everything as actual files which obviously slows everything down. This is first time I have ever had this issue so I am guessing it is some kind of bug in this OS.
Also, It doesn't happen straight away. It can happen at any point whilst you are working on the file so your team may not have it happen straight off in order for them to examine the problem. 

[Ton Frederiks]

There is currently a problem with disappearing images that are drag and dropped into Illustrator 29.4 (screendumps, from a browser webpage,  layer with transparency from Photoshop). Drag & Drop works, but they disappear after saving and reopening the Illustrator file. 

https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/601447-illustrator-desktop-bugs/suggestions/49703918-images...

[mhd6]

Even with the recent updates, the issue is still happening to me. If it is a GPU/CPU issue, I don’t understand why the glitch is isolated to Illustrator.
Photoshop (which is often more demanding) might seize up, but it never scrambles the images like what is happening in Illustrator.

[Ton Frederiks]

Yes as in the Uservoice report above, it is a bug in the current 29.4 version.

It can be reproduced when I drag your image from this forum onto an Illustrator artboard when saved and opened.

It seems working in the current beta 29.6.57