Document window opens as narrow strip, will not expand to full width
Every document. Every time.
Multiple documents stack inside this narrow window.
Documents set to open in tabs.
Same regardless if Illustrator is opened first or opens with document.
Documents on external drives and local machine.
Illustrator 23.0.4
2016 MacBook Pro 15-inch 16 GB RAM
Mid-2015 MacBook Pro Retina 15-inch 16 GB RAM
MacOS Mojave (current)
Mac Illustrator CC 2019 (current)
Application Frame turned off. (with frame turned on things work differently... fine)
Both built in display and 32-inch 4k.
Only started this when I upgraded to CC 2019.
Clicking here expands the window too it's original, correct size.
Reset preferences.
Uninstalled Illustrator and files. Caches, etc.
Reset workspaces. Changed Workspaces.
Happens on both of my machines. I do not run any third-party plugins or extensions, so all is basically stock across machines.
derek
shared this idea
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Debra Johnson
commented
I feel your pain - it seems so fruitless adding your problems here and seeing it ignored!
I too have the same problem. It's when 'Application Frame' is unticked. I like working in 'Application Frame', but I've noticed both in Adobe Illustrator and Adobe InDesign, that the CC Libraries freeze and only is fixed with a restart of the software. Turning off 'Application Frame' fixes this problem but introduces this new problem of skinny windows when opening previously saved files in Adobe Illustrator. When starting a fresh document, it's okay - the issue is definitely with previously saved files with 'Application Frame' turned off.
We shouldn't be getting such glaring bugs with such expensive and "respected" software!
I am using Adobe Creative Cloud 2026 and Mac OS Tahoe 26.3
Here's my screenshot for what it's worth! Really frustrating with such a high res monitor!
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Derek
commented
Happy Halloween...
Here we are. Still.
First reported this back in 2019.
Upgraded to Illustrator 2026 (v. 30)... And guess what... It has still not been fixed.
To make things worse, with Apple's new Tahoe, the document title in the windows title bar now overlaps the green expand button. So that we now have to drag the windows right side out until the title no longer overlaps the button. So we can click the button and expand the window.
Maybe for Christmas.(Edited by admin) -
Derek
commented
For the love of god it still exists and is now worse with the macOS Tahoe upgrade.
Now when the Illustrator window fails to open to it's proper width, the file name in the window's menu bar covers the window controls in the upper-left corner. So you cannot click the green button to expand. One has to drag the window out to the right, far enough, so that the file title moves off of the window controls and THEN... you can click the green button. Like I have been doing since 2019.
It's 2025 and this has been a thing since 2019. Wow. -
Peter
commented
Come on Adobe, this bug was first reported over FIVE YEARS ago!
Adobe's software quality really has become shockingly bad in recent years.
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Derek
commented
Open document. Click the green (Zoom) button to get the window to expand. Every danm time.
No votes... no fix.
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Derek
commented
Open document. Click the green (Zoom) button to get the window to expand. Every danm time.
No votes... no fix.
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Derek
commented
Open document. Click the green (Zoom) button to get the window to expand. Every danm time.
No votes... no fix.
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Derek
commented
Again...
Open document. Click the green (Zoom) button to get the window to expand. Every danm time.
No votes... no fix.
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Derek
commented
Again...
Open document. Click the green (Zoom) button to get the window to expand. Every danm time.
No votes... no fix.
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Derek
commented
Still again...
Open document. Click the green (Zoom) button to get the window to expand. Every danm time.
No votes... no fix.
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Derek
commented
Still again...
Open document. Click the green (Zoom) button to get the window to expand. Every danm time.
No votes... no fix.
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Those on Windows, including myself, have a similar bug, when the application window gets restored from it’s maximized view, when a file is opened form the Explorer (still not fixed!), it feels like the same problem.
Derek, I can’t offer you nothing, sadly, except for trying a dumb workaround: turn on the Application Frame (temporarily, I understand this is not something you like, and I don’t get why, being a Windows user), make sure the window has the correct width when not maximized, and then turn the frame off again.
It feels like Ai remembers the maximum width of a document, based on something, and then shrinks it when it’s exceeded. -
Derek
commented
Still nothing?
One vote... no fix?
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Derek
commented
Again...
Open document. Click the green (Zoom) button to get the window to expand. Every danm time.
No votes... no fix.
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Derek
commented
Again...
Open document. Click the green (Zoom) button to get the window to expand. Every danm time.
No votes... no fix.
-
Derek
commented
Again...
Open document. Click the green (Zoom) button to get the window to expand. Every danm day.
No votes... no fix.
-
Derek
commented
Again...
Open document. Click the green (Zoom) button to get the window to expand. Every danm day.
No votes... no fix.
-
Derek
commented
Again...
Open document. Click the green (Zoom) button to get the window to expand. Every danm day.
No votes... no fix.
-
Derek
commented
Open document. Click the green (Zoom) button to get the window to expand. Every danm day.
No votes... no fix.
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Derek
commented
Open document. Click the green (Zoom) button to get the window to expand. Every **** day.
