Files saved are missing images when imported into Photoshop, InDesign, other apps
Lately I am having problems with linked files in Illustrator not showing up when I open the file in Photoshop for instance, even though everything looks fine in Illustrator in the original file. I have to go into the Links menu and relink everything one at a time and resave to make it work. I also notice that the file size is smaller when the linked files don't work.
I tend to use linked files a lot and have for years so this isn't a case of unfamiliarity with the tool.
Any suggestions are welcome.
Windows 11
Illustrator 30.2.1
Photoshop 27.4.0
The issue seems to be eliminated in Beta. It should be pushed into an upcoming general release.
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@Natasha - we have received the file / package shared by you.
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Natasha Bird commented
@Egor - Ai Beta doesn't have this issue. Thank you for sending me in the right direction.
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Natasha Bird commented
Thank you Egor, I have sent the file to the email address via WeTransfer.
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Thanks, pleased do.
Just to be sure — can you please package the original file (with all the image included), and send it all to the team via sharewithai@adobe.com, so they can try to investigate it, if needed? Put the link to this report in the text, for fast tracking it back here, http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/601447/suggestions/51079009 -
Natasha Bird commented
@Egor Chistyakov, it's not just the thumbnail, it's the actual artwork that is incorrect. If I close the Illustrator file and reopen it, the file and artwork is correct. Should I alter the artwork, it's a 80% chance that it will not save correctly again. Illustrator version 30.2.1 (Adobe Illustrator 2026 - Desktop)
I don't have Beta installed. Will look into downloading it.
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It looks like the PDF part is not consistent with the native part of the document, and when it gets imported into Photoshop (that reads the PDF part), the way the imported document looks doesn’t match what you get when you read the saved file back in Illustrator — am I correct?
Is it only thumbnails look wrong when you import it, or the actual art looks off then too?
What Ai version are you using? Does the Ai Beta behaves differently for you (there were some fixes made)? Can you check it, please? It’s safe to install them both together, the normal version and the Beta one, and you’d have to resave a document using it before trying to import into Photoshop. -
Natasha Bird commented
Illustrator version 30.2.1 (Adobe Illustrator 2026 - Desktop)
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Natasha Bird commented
When I save files (my files do not get saved to the cloud) to my MacBook and external, the artwork is correct on the artboard but the actual file doesn't save correctly. Very often not displaying images or cutting images off partially. I can resave the file as many times as I want, the file does not save correctly.
The original file, when reopened, is in tact with no issues - it just doesn't save the display correctly.
I need to, very often, quit Adobe Illustrator completely and relaunch before the file can save correctly. Sometimes for only a save then I need to quit again.
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Marko, please supply the test files to help the team to investigate this, along with the settings used to generate these. Any error messages these third-party apps, any discussions you can share a link to — all could help to dig into it. Please either share these herein comment or send via sharewithai@adobe.com (in this case, please mention the link to this report, for tracking it back here, http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/601447/suggestions/51076405)
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小島陽子 commented
現在、Illustrator30.2.1をアンインストールし、30.1を使用しているため、テストファイルをお送りできません。申し訳ございません。
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Marko
commented
In Adobe Illustrator version 30.2, certain AI files contain embedded images that fail to display when the artwork is opened in various applications (e.g., ArtPro+, AE Pilot Viewer,...).
The same images are visible in the exported PDF, indicating that Illustrator’s internal embedded PDF stream within the AI file is incomplete or corrupted.
The issue has been validated by multiple independent sources, and behaviour is reproducible outside Esko systems as well. Esko confirmed that the missing images also do not appear in Adobe Acrobat, which further verifies that Illustrator is generating an incomplete embedded PDF layer. -
Thanks for the screenshot. If it is possible for you, kindly provide test file, for the team to review. You can send them to sharewithai@adobe.com and mention the link of this user voice thread (https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/601447/suggestions/51014479) in the subject. Thanks.
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小島陽子 commented
添付ファイルのように、psd画像(紙の地紋)を貼り込んでいた部分が、消えてしまいます。
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We are not able to see the issue mentioned by you - image file linked within the ai file becomes transparent. Please share a file which is showing the issue at your end.
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John, the team would need to see these files, along with some screenshots of how it looks for you, to verify they can reproduce it in house.
Please share what you can here or send it all directly to sharewithai@adobe.com (please mention the link to this report for tracking it back here: http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/601447/suggestions/51032623)
Also — do you have Save in Background enabled in Preferences > File Handling, while saving a document in Ai? Does disabling it makes any difference? -
Kindly provide test files and screenshots, for the team to review.
The problem you mentioned with layout was a bug, now fixed, reported here: http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/601447/suggestions/50515743 -
小島陽子 commented
Illustrator 30.2.1で保存したaiファイルをInDesign2026に配置すると、ai内にリンクされた画像ファイルが透明になります。30.1に戻したところ、直りました。
ただし、30.1でも、InDesign2026配置時に、ai内にリンクされた画像ファイルの位置がずれることがあります。こちらは毎回ではありません。ずれる場合の法則は分かりませんが、モノクロ2階調画像のずれる率が高いようです。