Skip to content

What can we fix in Illustrator (desktop)? Vote or report a bug.

← Illustrator (Desktop) Bugs

[Bug] Copy and paste broken - Unable to paste text without losing formatting, unable to paste shape+text

Hi there,

The copy and paste function within AI seems to have broken. This started a few days ago. I don't think there was a software update. No new software/hardware changes on my end either.

Operating system: macOSX v11.4
MBP (13" M1, 2020)
No clipboard enhancements/plugins/apps

Version of AI (Desktop): 25.4.1 and 25.3.1

Steps:
Scenario #1:
Copying and pasting a shape with text, within the same artboard
Result: Shape does not get pasted, text is pasted without original formatting, at Myriad Pro 12pt, changed from Area Type into Point Type.

Scenario #2:
Copying and pasting text, within the same artboard
Result: Text is pasted without original formatting, at Myriad Pro 12pt, changed from Area Type into Point Type.
Same results using both Keyboard shortcuts, or via the Edit menu

Repeating Scenario #1 and #2 with:

Paste in Front

Paste in Back

Paste in Place

Returns the same results: No shape pasted, text becomes unformatted point type.

Other observations:
Same results using Keyboard shortcuts, or via the Edit menu
Makes no difference if shape and text are grouped or ungrouped.

Copying and pasting a shape alone does work (somewhat), but the positioning is somewhat unexpected.

Paste in Front/Back/Place result in the shape being pasted elsewhere on the artboard.

Very rarely, the pasting works (fluke) like in 1:05 of the screen recording

I have tried the following:
- Reset and deleted preferences
- Uninstalled and reinstalled (25.4.1)
- Uninstalled and reinstalled rolled back version (25.3.1)

Edit - my screen recording may have been too large, let me get it up somewhere else.

Link to screen recording: https://streamable.com/qb44os

Pardon the length, I was just trying to exhaust the various possibilities.

4 votes

We're glad you're here

Please sign in to leave feedback
Signed in as (Sign out)
Close
Close

We’ll send you updates on this idea

inclify shared this idea  ·   ·  Report…  ·  Admin →
How important is this to you?

We're glad you're here

Please sign in to leave feedback
Signed in as (Sign out)
Close
Close

We're glad you're here

Please sign in to leave feedback
Signed in as (Sign out)
Close
Close
Submitting...
An error occurred while saving the comment
  • Neil Wright commented  ·   ·  Report

    This is exactly what is happening with me. Any updates?

  • inclify commented  ·   ·  Report

    Had gotten on a screenshare with Adobe Support, but the connection kept dropping.
    Contacted IT to get Forcepoint DLP software uninstalled.
    Got back on screenshare, problem gone.

    Seems like the Forcepoint DLP client was the culprit. It's been installed since the start of the year. Not sure what changed within the last week, but certainly led to some conflict that interfered specifically with AI's copy and paste. We'll have to file a ticket with them

    Hope this helps anybody else out there, if your company has installed the same software on your computers, and you're having copy + paste woes with AI.

  • inclify commented  ·   ·  Report

    Hi Egor,

    1. If 'buffer managers' refer to 'clipboard managers' - No, none installed

    2. My settings:

    Include SVG Code [Checked]
    PDF [Checked]
    AICB [Unchecked]

    Paste text without FOrmatting [Unchecked]

    Screenshot: https://i.imgur.com/0owYKYg.png

    I did see that comment in the other thread (https://community.adobe.com/t5/illustrator-discussions/copy-paste-not-always-working-randomly/m-p/12320545/page/2#M287679) where unchecking 'Include SVG Code' worked for that user. Tried this. No difference.

    I have also toggled the 'Paste text without Formatting' box, no difference either.

    3. It gets pasted unformatted (Tested with Indesign, and with text from a webpage).

  • AdminEgor Chistyakov (Admin, Adobe Illustrator) commented  ·   ·  Report

    More questions!
    1. Do you have any buffer managers installed?
    2. In Preferences > Clipboard Handling — what are you settings there? Does it help to change them?
    3. If you try to paste a formatted text from outside the Illustrator, does it get pasted unformatted?

    And thanks for reporting this, it helps.

  • inclify commented  ·   ·  Report

    Decided to contact Adobe Customer Chat:

    Suggestion #1: Any antivirus installed? If so, uninstall and reboot.
    Answer: Avast. Uninstalled and rebooted. Problem still there.

    Suggestion #2: "Kindly check with yor IT team as there any folder which is blocking?
    Any folder you need to throughly check with your IT person all teh possible srcirty where you may think if any Adobe folder were blocked"
    Answer: I can check, but my understanding is that there should be none, as all my other adobe apps are working fine (After Effects, Premiere Pro, Photoshop, Indesign)
    Do you have any other suggested resolution?

    Suggestion #3:
    Okay, I am sharing an from which kindly clean the illustartor and instal it again

    https://helpx.adobe.com/in/creative-cloud/kb/cc-cleaner-tool-installation-problems.html

    Answer: Ran the steps > Cleaner tool > uninstalled AI > Rebooted > Reinstalled. Problem persists.

    Screen recording: https://imgur.com/a/FadCZy3

Illustrator (Desktop) Bugs: Other...

Categories

Feedback and Knowledge Base

(thinking…)