Explore the latest performance enhancements in Illustrator on desktop, which will help you work more efficiently with complex files and design workflows.
October 2025 (version 30.0)
Illustrator 30.0 comes with the following performance enhancements:
- Quicker save: Save complex edits in your artwork faster, as Illustrator now only saves the changes you make, not the entire document each time.
- Better crash recovery: Recover your work quickly and reliably after an unexpected crash.
- Smoother editing: Experience real-time on-canvas editing with move, scale, rotate, and duplicate operations without lag or interruptions.
Learn how to set up the new quick save and recovery experience.
Noticed any performance improvements? Share your feedback.
August 2025 (version 29.8.1)
Illustrator now launches faster, offering a smoother, more responsive experience and quicker access to your files and design workflows.
June 2025 (version 29.6)
Illustrator 29.6 comes with the following performance enhancements:
- Effects: Calligraphic Brushes and Art Brushes (Window > Brushes) render effects faster.
- Editing: Operations such as move, scale, rotate, and duplication are smoother and faster.
April 2025 (version 29.5)
Illustrator 29.5 comes with the following performance enhancements:
Menus:
- Top-level menus and context menus open and respond more quickly.
- Navigation in Type > Font and the context Font menu is smoother and faster.
Links panel:
- The panel offers a faster scrolling experience.
- The panel updates in real time when you modify embedded and linked assets—including those from network drives.
Effects:
- Transform (Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform), Warp (Effect > Warp), and Blend (Object > Blend) apply faster.
- Effects render faster on objects with multiple fills and strokes.
March 2025 (version 29.4)
Menus and menu items open and respond more quickly and smoothly, helping you access features and complete workflows more efficiently.
February 2025 (version 29.3)
- File import: Faster opening, placement, and drag-and-drop of PNG, JPEG, TIFF, and Photoshop files from your computer or network drives.
- Effects processing: Faster rendering of the five most used effects—Drop Shadow, Inner Glow, Outer Glow, Blur, and Rasterize.
- Layers panel: Smoother and faster layer management, including hide/unhide and expand/collapse operations and panel scrolling.
January 2025 (version 29.2)
Image import, export, and embedding:
- Faster File > Open, File > Place, and drag-and-drop operations for JPEG and PNG files
- Faster export to JPEG and PNG file formats
- Faster conversion of linked images to embedded images
Effects processing:
- Improved performance for all Photoshop effects on images
- Faster object rasterization when using Object > Rasterize
Layers panel:
Smoother and faster layer management, including hide/unhide and expand/collapse operations, panel scrolling, and layer navigation.
