So, it has been a while since I updated my apps through the cloud. I just went through and updated all. I have only ever used CC (thought that was the only one). Now I have CC and “Illustrator 2019” on my computer. And the default is now automatically 2019 even though I’ve never used it.
What’s the difference between the two? Should I be using 2019?
Do I need to delete CC or something?
Really annoying. Thanks
Yes, the update upgraded you to the latest version; “2019”. Adobe appears to be moving away from the “CC” tag on the individual apps, whereas the Creative Cloud desktop app retains the CC identity.
There were multiple “CC” versions, so enumerating the specific differences would be a matter of research at your end. Although it could depend on which features form the core of your workflow, you shouldn’t see a significant difference. Here’s a blog post that might help you get a better frame of reference: https://theblog.adobe.com/illustrator-cc-2019-release-blog/
No, the 2 versions will happily coexist on your system, and I’d say you should keep CC for a time at least, in case you find reasons to revert.
Keep all your Adobe programs updated to the latest version EXCEPT Illustrator.
I generally wait about a month after the newest update and I will ask “here” as well as look on the Adobe Illustrator report a problem pages for major bugs. The latest version of illustrator has some minor bugs (with gradients is the big one) but the update previous was an absolute sh*t show.
I’m on the newest version of CC (2019) and in most ways it works well. It has a problem with entering numbers in the transform and placement boxes, but you just have to be careful when typing.
Yeah, I learned this the hard way. I use Illustrator editable pdfs for a lot of my working files, and they recently all reverted back to version from about a week ago, causing me to lose about a week of work. Adobe support is useless (to put it politely) and I have no idea how to prevent things like this happening in the future.
Illustrator pdfs open correctly (as their current versions) in acrobat and preview, but in illustrator, where they were created, they revert back to a version from about a week ago. I have no idea how many files were effected.
Don’t you find that saving as PDF rather than .ai puts all those wonderful Clipping Masks all over everything that you then have to remove? I don’t trust PDF for anything other than final output at the RIP. But then, everything I do in Wide Format is native file up to that point anyway, it’s just inconceivable to me to save an Illy file as anything other than .ai. You wouldn’t do that with InD, don’t with Illy.
It does do that unless you tick the box:
That prevents it because the file is saved in the dual format (it’s both .ai and .pdf), and is read back into Illustrator from the .ai code.
Nevertheless, I know of no good reason to save as PDF for anything other than final deployment, if applicable.
Yeah. Really, how hard can it be to save the native file, and the same in PDF? Is hard drive space that precious?
In addition to saving the PDF with the “Preserve Illustrator Editing Capabilities” box checked (which I’m not entirely sure really does ensure complete compatibility and wouldn’t trust as the standard way of saving an Illustrator file), there’s the check box when saving as an .ai file that says “Create PDF Compatible File,” which I’ve never understood.
In other words, Illustrator gives us the option of saving PDFs to be (supposedly) compatible with Illustrator and also gives us the option of saving Illustrator files to be (supposedly) compatible with PDF. Is there really a difference?
It is precisely in those toggles where the difference lies. As I mentioned in my previous post to this thread “Illustrator PDF” is a dual format, written to be interpreted in one way or the other by different applications.
If anyone is going to work on the files at all, even basic color correction, then please check BOTH boxes.
Checking both boxes will save 2 versions within one file.
Despite the fact that there are 2 files “wrapped” into one, you can’t break it apart into 2 versions/files. The preview that is shown onscreen is dependent on the processes you are undertaking.
Yes, both boxes are always checked. Again, I’ve been using illustrator pdfs as my working files for years. Never an issue. Never needed to save both an .ai and pdf. The illustrator pdf is exactly the same.
Must have just had an unlucky glitch I guess. Will be saving .ai from now on just to be safe
No big deal, but you responded to my post while misunderstanding what I wrote. I didn’t refer to the second box you mentioned when saving to PDF. The second box I referred to is when saving to an .ai file to make it PDF compatible.
The only reason I’ve found the save with PDF compatibility useful is when the file is being placed into another file. Since InDesign “package” doesn’t capture the fonts in links, having that second PDF format will (usually) allow the link to print properly without having the actual fonts available, and in some cases even the image links, depending on if the PDF was saved with linked images embedded (talk about file bloat!)
But it sucks to work that save funtion when doing Illustrator file work. Since saving with that compatibility turned on slows the saves considerably, I’ll shut that function off until the last save of the day on that particular file. It doesn’t hurt the file to do that.
I also have a funny feeling the saving issue may have something to do with the Top Level Layers check box when creating the PDF. I don’t know too much about it, but it allows saving multiple versions of the file within one PDF that can be toggled on and off in Acrobat 6. I don’t print stuff in that fashion so I’m not sure if somehow the error in opening the file in Illustrator isn’t related to that function.
We have two threads going down the same highway here and I’ve got them confused.
Just saying…
Saving illustrator files as .pdf for archiving = bad idea.
It’s been a bad idea for forever.
As a printer I shudder every time I have to open a PDF in Illustrator to “fix” something the designer effed up. It is NOT a format you want to be keeping your work in even with all the bells and whistles checked.
My mistake. Happy 5th of July!