Copy and paste doesn't always work
Hi,
I've been experiencing problems with Illustrator. When I copy an object with the ctrl + c button and try to paste them it randomly doesn't work.
The problem is that I can't replicate it on command. At first I thought it had something to do with the laptop that I used, but it also happens on a freshly installed desktop.
My version of Illustrator is 22.0.1
I also checked the copy paste functions under the edit tab, and when I copied something it didn't show the ability to paste it. It could also only have something to do with copying files.

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이춘명 commented
창을 처음 실행했을시에는 Ctrl + C , Ctrl + V, Ctrl +Shift + V 단축키가 잘 작동하다가 작업을 하다보면 Ctrl + C , Ctrl + V, Ctrl +Shift + V 단축키가 작동이 하질 않음. 하지만 다른 단축키들은 작동이 잘됨.
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Glen Helen commented
StrgX - StrgV wenn dieser Befehl oft gemacht wird, funktioniert nicht das einfügen nicht immer: Auschneiden geht immer, das Objekt wird ausgeschnitten und ist nicht sichtbar, aber fügt das nicht wieder ein.
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Danon McConnell commented
I can't believe this is still a problem that hasn't been fixed.
I go to copy an object, shape, etc. and it doesn't put anything in the clipboard. Paste doesn't work and is greyed out in the drop down menu. This is a very basic function and heavily used in my work. None of the solutions I have come across in forums have worked. I have a brand new laptop with Windows 10 and up-to-date adobe subscription. Keystrokes and edit menu both do not work to copy/paste, restarting, using fewer processors, no other programs running... nothing works. This is extremely frustrating. -
Danon McConnell commented
Still a problem. Have the subscription, brand new laptop with windows 10. I'm about to make design my full time job, I really need this to work. I have tried resetting preferences, reducing the number of cores used to process, svg/pdf toggled on and off in preferences, restarting... pretty much everything i've been able to read. Nothing works.
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eduardo asta commented
Yeah, it also happens with me, specially when using the Graph Tool. It doesn't matter which OS, hardware set up or Illustrator version. It is an very old issue.
You try to copy/paste text (a word, tab separated or a list) from/to Excel, word or TextEdit and it stops working on Illustrator (and only with Illustrator). It maybe loses the tabs or maybe you can't paste it.
You need to use the menu (counter productive) and even the menu stops working eventually.
I've recorded a short video showing it.
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Anonymous commented
I also find that CMD + C often doesn't work and when I go to paste, it pastes an old object.
The solution I've found which I learnt from colleagues who experience the same issue in Illustrator and After Effects is to mash CMD + C multiple times before pasting.
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Alex commented
I also have them same issue.. I've tried to copy + paste onto a new artboard but it generates on top of itself or to left. Is there a solution to this yet?
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nic commented
since yesterday i've problem on copy and paste on illustrator. Today is unable to use. Even if use menu option, you still cannot paste anything (shapes, text, images...)
waiting for fixing...
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jacyne commented
Im experiencing a similar issue.
1. Copy and pasting text but it always pastes the text as default without copying character styles/format. The 'paste text without formatting' is unchecked in Preferences.
2. When copying text+vector shape, it only pastes the text without the formatting again.
3. When copy grouped shapes, it pastes as ungrouped.Please fix this bug.
Mac OS Catalina v 10.15.7
Adobe Illustrator v 25.4.1
Please fix this bug -
Eva Valles commented
same issue on v.25.4.1 the last one!
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Armando commented
When I copied a vector with text or only a text inside illustrator to another artwork on illustrator only paste text with not format and without the vectors.
Mac os Catalina
Illustrator 25.2.3 -
Jason commented
Hot key functions nor the dropdown menu COPY/PASTE (Back Front or simply paste) works intermittently. I have contacted support and the resolution is to reset my settings which is annoying and only proves to work for a day if that long before it stops again. I now have to use the mouse and copy 3-7 times before the paste options are ungreyed and I can chose an option. Very frustrating to say the least. Never was an issue before the subscription version of the program.
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Liza Brown commented
This is very odd. I had this problem 4 years ago when I was running Illustrator 2016 on an older mac of that time, I am now having the very same problem on my very nice iMac Pro (Mojave OS) with the latest CC 2021 Illustrator: Copy and Pasting objects into a new or the same document randomly doesn't work and just gives me the flattened text from that complex object. (flattened in this case meaning, no longer on a curve)
I'm not using any auxiliary program such as Team Viewer. I was shocked when this happened as I assumed it was a thing of the past. I reset preferences, tried both keyboard, and menu copy and paste, checked "remember paste layers", all of it!
the only thing that worked was dragging instead of copy and paste (luckily you can drag from one open file into another, I never knew this or had forgotten)
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A.Marques commented
Oh yes, been having this problem today, except I've also tried copying from another document to no avail, and so far this is the only page I have found on this particular issue, quite annoying.
Having a quick fix would be awesome since the project I'm working on this very moment requires me to fetch a bunch of assets from another documents, and having this glitch is seriously hampering my progress.
Also, possibly unrelated, before I opened up illustrator this morning to work I was greeted by a .NET framework warning about a clipboard issue, of which I got to go away by downloading a fix from MS, but so far illustrator been acting the same.
If anyone know something please speak up.
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matty commented
I have exactly the same issue and I can't find the error!! It really f*x me up!
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Anonymous commented
COPY AND PASTE FEATURE NOT WORKING PROPERLY.
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Anonymous commented
This seems to be a long-standing bug in Illustrator. When I copy some object and try to paste it no paste option work using shortcuts. Worse, the Edit menu shows all paste options highlighted but they don`t work either. So I have to reinitialize Illustrator to get things done. It`s very frustrating! I`m using version 25.0 on Windows 10, but had the same problem in the previous version too.
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ritchie commented
I've been having similar problems using illustrator on Mac OSX too.
Often only copies the text.
Sometimes it will copy objects but the CMYK values are different (even when the doc profiles match).
The only (temporary) solution is hitting command+c several times before pasting (at least three).
Not helpful when five of the last fifty documents are a different colour to the rest of the clients files because old habit takes over and I forget to copy multiple times.
Surely there has to be a fix. Right?
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A monitor controller? Interesting... Which one? What does it do normally?
I would suspect clipboard manager, but monitor thing... -
V George commented
I went to Adobe chat and had them log into my computer via remote and figure it out. There was an app I had on my PC (a monitor controller) that was causing it to be buggy for some reason. Uninstalled it and we're good to go now. I wouldn't have been able to figure that out if tech support hadn't remoted.