Open your document created in an older version of Illustrator.
Last updated on
Oct 25, 2026
Learn how to compare, update, or preserve East Asian text layouts from older Adobe Illustrator documents using the Reflow Viewer panel and plugin.
Window > Type > Reflow Viewer helps you work with East Asian characters created in older versions of Illustrator. It compares the original text layout with the current version's rendering, flags differences in character position, line breaks, and spacing, and lets you decide whether to update the text or keep the original layout.
Before you begin
Ensure that:
- The document was created in an older version of Illustrator and contains text layout information
- All fonts the document requires are installed on your system
To activate East Asian options in Illustrator, select Edit > Preferences > Type (Windows) or Illustrator > Preferences > Type (macOS), then select Show East Asian Options.
Open a document with legacy text
In the warning dialog that appears, select an option based on the Illustrator version that created the file.
For files from version 10.0 or earlier showing "This file contains text that was created in a previous version of Illustrator. This legacy text must be updated before you can edit it," select Update to update all text objects immediately, or select OK to update text objects later.
For files from versions CS through CC2023 (27.6) showing "The file contains text created in an older version of Illustrator. Updates in the text layout may have changed some character positions," select OK to open with updated text, or select Cancel to stop opening the file.
For files from version 27.7 or later showing "Updates in the text layout may have caused changes in some character positions, or line breaks," select Review Changes to preserve and review the old layout using Reflow Viewer, Update to apply the current text layout immediately, or Cancel to stop opening the file.
Illustrator 10.0 or earlier: The dialog reads, “This file contains text that was created in a previous version of Illustrator. This legacy text must be updated before you can edit it.” Select Update to update all text objects immediately, or select OK to update them later.
Illustrator CS through CC 2023 (27.6): The dialog explains that layout updates may have changed some character positions or line breaks. Select OK to open the file with updated text, or select Cancel to stop opening the file.
Illustrator 27.7 or later: The dialog reads, “This file contains text created in an older version of Illustrator. Updates in the text layout may have caused changes in some character positions or line breaks.” Select Review Changes to preserve and review the old layout in Reflow Viewer, Update to continue with the updated layout, or Cancel to stop opening the file.
If you select Review Changes on Illustrator 27.7 or later, Illustrator opens the Reflow Viewer panel automatically so you can compare the old and new layouts side by side. To update legacy text from Illustrator 10.0 or earlier, see Add text and work with type objects.
Review and compare text layouts
Select Window > Type > Reflow Viewer to open the panel, if it isn't already open.
Under Review Text Layout Changes, select Entire Document or Selected Text to set the scope.
Under Display, select how you want to view the layouts: Original Text, Original and Updated Text, or Updated Text.
Under Highlight Text Layout Changes, select the change types you want to see.
With Mark Affected Text selected, Illustrator displays a shield icon on any text object with an updated layout, so you can quickly find every area that changed
Reflow Viewer panel reference
|
Option |
Description |
|
Mark Affected Text |
Displays a shield icon on text objects with an updated layout. |
|
Review Text Layout Changes |
Sets which text Illustrator checks for changes. Entire Document reviews every text object, and Selected Text reviews only the text objects you've selected. |
|
Display |
Switches between layout views. Original Text shows only the old layout, Original and Updated Text overlays both (magenta for old, cyan for new, by default), and Updated Text shows only the current layout. |
|
Highlight Text Layout Changes |
Marks specific kinds of changes. Line Break shows line break differences with red brackets, Glyph Width shows character spacing changes, including kerning and tracking, with pink markers, Line Height shows vertical spacing changes, and Character Position shows positional shifts. |
|
Convert Original Text to Outlines |
Keeps your original layout as outlined shapes before you update the text. |
Reflow Viewer limitations
- Text with applied effects updates automatically to the new text engine, but you can't preview it in the Reflow Viewer panel
- Outlined text isn't compatible with Reflow Viewer, since it no longer contains text information
- Illustrator deactivates Reflow Viewer for text objects with missing fonts
Install the Reflow Viewer plugin
The Reflow Viewer plugin resaves files from older Illustrator versions so they're compatible with Reflow Viewer, and it supports batch processing for multiple files.
Download the plugin for your operating system: SaveTextLayout_1008A2_Mac.dmg.zip for macOS or SaveTextLayout_1008A_Win.zip for Windows.
Copy the plugin file into the Plug-ins folder in your Illustrator application folder.
Launch Illustrator.
Save a single file with the plugin
Open the .ai file you want to update.
Select File > Save with updated text layout information > Save As.
Illustrator saves the file under a new name that includes the updated text layout information.
Batch process multiple files with the plugin
Select File > Save with updated text layout information > Batch Update.
Select the folder containing the .ai files you want to process.
Illustrator saves every processed file to the same folder under a new name and creates a log file documenting the results.
Tip
Turn off Save in Background in your Illustrator preferences before using the plugin
Make sure every font the document requires is loaded on your system
PDF compatibility is enabled by default when you save — deselect it in the Save As dialog box if you don't want it included
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