Start Illustrator. If Illustrator detects a file that is corrupt or causes errors, the application exits.
- Illustrator User Guide
- Get to know Illustrator
- Introduction to Illustrator
- Workspace
- Workspace basics
- Create documents
- Learn faster with the Illustrator Discover panel
- Accelerate workflows using the Contextual Task Bar
- Toolbar
- Default keyboard shortcuts
- Customize keyboard shortcuts
- Introduction to artboards
- Manage artboards
- Customize the workspace
- Properties panel
- Set preferences
- Touch Workspace
- Microsoft Surface Dial support in Illustrator
- Undo edits and manage design history
- Rotate view
- Rulers, grids, and guides
- Accessibility in Illustrator
- Safe Mode
- View artwork
- Use the Touch Bar with Illustrator
- Files and templates
- Tools in Illustrator
- Tools at a glance
- Select tools
- Navigate tools
- Paint tools
- Text tools
- Draw tools
- Modify tools
- Generative AI (not available in mainland China)
- Quick actions
- Illustrator on the web (beta)
- Illustrator on the web (beta) overview
- Illustrator on the web (beta) FAQ
- Troubleshooting issues FAQ
- Keyboard shortcuts for Illustrator on the web (beta)
- Create and combine shapes on the web
- Add and edit text on the web
- Apply colors and gradients on the web
- Draw and edit paths on the web
- Work with cloud documents on the web
- Invite collaborators to edit on the web
- Illustrator on the iPad
- Introduction to Illustrator on the iPad
- Workspace
- Documents
- Select and arrange objects
- Drawing
- Type
- Work with images
- Color
- Cloud documents
- Basics
- Troubleshooting
- Add and edit content
- Drawing
- Drawing basics
- Edit paths
- Draw pixel-perfect art
- Draw with the Pen, Curvature, or Pencil tool
- Draw simple lines and shapes
- Draw rectangular and polar grids
- Draw and edit flares
- Trace images
- Simplify a path
- Symbolism tools and symbol sets
- Adjust path segments
- Design a flower in 5 easy steps
- Create and edit a perspective grid
- Draw and modify objects on a perspective grid
- Use objects as symbols for repeat use
- Draw pixel-aligned paths for web workflows
- Measurement
- 3D objects and materials
- Color
- Painting
- Select and arrange objects
- Select objects
- Layers
- Group and expand objects
- Move, align, and distribute objects
- Align, arrange, and move objects on a path
- Snap objects to glyph
- Snap objects to Japanese glyph
- Stack objects
- Lock, hide, and delete objects
- Copy and duplicate objects
- Rotate and reflect objects
- Intertwine objects
- Create realistic art mockups
- Reshape objects
- Crop images
- Transform objects
- Combine objects
- Cut, divide, and trim objects
- Puppet Warp
- Scale, shear, and distort objects
- Blend objects
- Reshape using envelopes
- Reshape objects with effects
- Build new shapes with Shaper and Shape Builder tools
- Work with Live Corners
- Enhanced reshape workflows with touch support
- Edit clipping masks
- Live shapes
- Create shapes using the Shape Builder tool
- Global editing
- Type
- Add text and work with type objects
- Reflow Viewer
- Create bulleted and numbered lists
- Manage text area
- Fonts and typography
- Convert text within images into editable text
- Add basic formatting to text
- Add advanced formatting to text
- Import and export text
- Format paragraphs
- Special characters
- Create type on a path
- Character and paragraph styles
- Tabs
- Find missing fonts (Typekit workflow)
- Arabic and Hebrew type
- Fonts | FAQ and troubleshooting tips
- Creative typography designs
- Scale and rotate type
- Line and character spacing
- Hyphenation and line breaks
- Spelling and language dictionaries
- Format Asian characters
- Composers for Asian scripts
- Create text designs with blend objects
- Create a text poster using Image Trace
- Create special effects
- Web graphics
- Drawing
- Import, export, and save
- Import
- Creative Cloud Libraries in Illustrator
- Save and export
- Printing
- Prepare for printing
- Printing
- Automate tasks
- Troubleshooting
When you launch Adobe Illustrator, the necessary plug-ins, fonts, drivers, and other third-party elements that are required to function properly are loaded. In the past, when Illustrator encountered an error, for example – a damaged font or an incompatible plug-in, the application would crash and it was difficult to diagnose the cause of the problem.
Safe Mode is a new feature that:
- Assists you in diagnosing and troubleshooting the problem-area, thus providing you with a way to fix any issues.
- Determines the cause of a crash, prevents the particular file from loading with Illustrator, and provides a listing of the problem-causing elements when Illustrator restarts.
- Enables Illustrator to start despite encountering fatal, crash-inducing fonts, plug-ins, or more.
While running in Safe Mode, Illustrator functions normally, except that the disabled items will not be available for use within Illustrator. For example, if a font has been found to be damaged, Illustrator will no longer display that font as an available option to apply to text elements.
Safe Mode workflow
When you have crash-inducing elements in your Illustrator environment:
This procedure assumes, at Step 1, that Illustrator has been functioning normally until now.
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Do one of the following:
- Windows: Re-launch Illustrator.
- Mac: Choose Reopen.
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As Illustrator restarts, you can:
- Choose Run Diagnostics to switch Illustrator to Safe Mode, to help with troubleshooting the error.
- Choose Launch Illustrator to try to start Illustrator normally again.
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(This step may repeat multiple times) Illustrator restarts. If an error is found, the cause of the error (font, driver, plug-in) is identified and disabled from obstructing Illustrator launch.
Note:This step is repeated for each crash-inducing file that Illustrator finds. Do not interrupt diagnostic tests.
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When all error-causing files have been isolated by the diagnostic steps and noted, Illustrator launches in Safe Mode.
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When Illustrator starts, the Safe Mode dialog displays a list of all the plug-ins, fonts, or drivers that are causing Illustrator to crash. Choose from Step 7 or Step 8.
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(Option 1 of 2) To fix errors:
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Click a row in the list.
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Check the Troubleshooting Tips area for information.
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Follow the tips provided and replace a font, or update a plug-in, or uninstall error-causing items, as preferred.
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If you believe the error has been fixed, select the checkbox available for each row.
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Click Enable on Re-launch, save your work, and restart Illustrator.
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(Option 2 of 2). To continue in Safe Mode: In the Safe Mode dialog (Step 6), click Close to continue running in Safe Mode. All error-causing files will continue to be disabled.
At any point in time, click the Safe Mode link in the App Bar to see the Safe Mode dialog. Or, you can click Help > Safe Mode, to use the Safe Mode dialog.