mynameismyname

Q: Copy text from Adobe Illustrator to the Save-As field

I create a new business card in Illustrator CS6, and I need to save the file, copying the person's name, to paste it into the Save-As field.  Doesn't work.

 

It does work OK in Adobe InDesign, and Photoshop though! And I can copy a name from InDesign or PS — and paste it into the Save As field in Illustrator. Also, from Illustrator I can paste that name into a new email, or even name a folder on the Desktop. But never to the Save-As field...

 

The ONLY workaround I found is — if I open the Clipboard window, and leave it opened on my Desktop. Then I copy the name from the business card I created, switch to the Desktop for a second, see the name in the Clipboard window, and then back to Illustrator, click Save and paste it into the Save As field.

 

Why can't Illustrator do what InDesign and Photoshop do?!?!  This is BASIC....


iMac, OS X Yosemite (10.10.5), 27" 2.9 GHz 24 GB Ram

Posted on Sep 21, 2016 7:08 PM

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Q: Copy text from Adobe Illustrator to the Save-As field

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  • by Kurt Lang,

    Kurt Lang Kurt Lang Sep 22, 2016 6:50 AM in response to mynameismyname
    Level 8 (37,946 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 22, 2016 6:50 AM in response to mynameismyname

    It stands to reason that if all other apps on your system are working correctly that Illustrator is the problem. I'm having no problem with it here. Currently using the latest CC 2015 release, but have never seen this issue in any previous version.

     

    Try something simple, first. Close Illustrator. Open the Preferences folder in your user account and put the folder Adobe Illustrator 20 Settings on your desktop. The number will be different depending on the version of Illustrator you're using. Such as 17 rather than 20.

     

    Launch Illustrator again. All settings will be back to the defaults. Try a copy/paste into the Save As name field.

  • by mynameismyname,

    mynameismyname mynameismyname Sep 22, 2016 8:10 AM in response to Kurt Lang
    Level 1 (17 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 22, 2016 8:10 AM in response to Kurt Lang

    Thanks, Kurt,

     

    Yes, it makes sense — as always makes sense — to have the application rebuild it's preferences.  BUT IT STILL DOESN'T WORK...  I launched the "new" Illustrator, opened the business card created yesterday, copied the name (or tried copy a phone number, or a street name...), clicked Save As, the old name showed up in the field, but I couldn't paste the copied information instead.

  • by JimmyCMPIT,

    JimmyCMPIT JimmyCMPIT Sep 22, 2016 8:15 AM in response to mynameismyname
    Level 6 (8,075 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 22, 2016 8:15 AM in response to mynameismyname

    CS6 was never supported for Yosemite and any issues inherent needed to be addressed by Adobe, and they chose to drop support. While the majority of Illustrator works in 10.10 there are issues with it the graphic artists I work with have come across and implemented workarounds as part of the routine.

    If you create a new account and try this in the new account the problem is with the software or an incompatibility with some other software running, which does not exclude any other software in Creative Suite.

     

    As for the exact reason to "why?" this is a question for Adobe. if you have not already try the Adobe forums and see if your post gets picked up by an engineer who can explain better than us guessing as to what it could be.

  • by mynameismyname,

    mynameismyname mynameismyname Sep 22, 2016 10:27 AM in response to JimmyCMPIT
    Level 1 (17 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 22, 2016 10:27 AM in response to JimmyCMPIT

    Well, the weird part is, InDesign and Photoshop (as well as Acrobat Pro), all CS6, are working fine in that regard, but not Illustrator.

    ...Not sure what you mean by creating a new account, Jimmy.

    Yes, I posted the same question on the Adobe ILL board, got some responses, but no solution yet.

  • by Eric Root,

    Eric Root Eric Root Sep 22, 2016 10:27 AM in response to mynameismyname
    Level 9 (72,578 points)
    iTunes
    Sep 22, 2016 10:27 AM in response to mynameismyname
  • by Kurt Lang,

    Kurt Lang Kurt Lang Sep 22, 2016 10:34 AM in response to mynameismyname
    Level 8 (37,946 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 22, 2016 10:34 AM in response to mynameismyname

    He means to open the System Preferences and click on Users & Groups. Click the lock so you can access the buttons at the bottom. Click the + button to create a new account. Doesn't matter what you call it. It's just for testing.

     

    Once the account is created, logout of your normal account and login to the test account. Try Illustrator there.

     

    If it works as expected, then something is wrong specifically in your normal account. If it's the same, then it may be a system wide issue, which reinstalling the OS may, or may not fix.

     

    I do have the CS6 Master Collection here, so I can install Illustrator CS6 in Yosemite and see if it behaves the same. I just recently wiped the partition I had Yosemite on and reinstalled it, so it's pretty squeaky clean and should prove the issue one way or the other.

  • by mynameismyname,

    mynameismyname mynameismyname Sep 22, 2016 10:39 AM in response to Kurt Lang
    Level 1 (17 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 22, 2016 10:39 AM in response to Kurt Lang

    Kurt, I can do the new account testing, but it will have to wait for the weekend, since I'm loaded with work right now... If you could do your own test — I'd be much obliged!!!! 

     

    Actually, I'll remember you in my will.

     

    Okaaay?

  • by Kurt Lang,

    Kurt Lang Kurt Lang Sep 22, 2016 12:05 PM in response to mynameismyname
    Level 8 (37,946 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 22, 2016 12:05 PM in response to mynameismyname

    Sorry to say, the result is, "It no workee."

     

    I've worked on a lot of Illustrator files over the years, but to my recollection, had never before tried to pick up text within a document to use as a file name. I would guess it has possibly never worked since testing with the current CC 2015.3 under El Capitan does the same thing. In both versions, I also tried all combinations of the clipboard settings in Illustrator's preferences to see it any of them would allow this to work. It didn't.

     

    Illustrator has always had a very different clipboard from any other Adobe app, and sometimes does goofy things like this. Something to do with the amount of different data types it has to possibly deal with? Such as all of the these possibly being grabbed in one clipboard copy:

     

    PostScript text

    TrueType text

    plain text

    raster image

    vector shape

    raster fills and strokes

    vector fills and strokes

     

    Whatever the case, it's impossible to pick up text within an Illustrator document and directly paste it into the name field when saving. The easiest way to get it there was to have a plain text TextEdit document open on the desktop. Paste the text there, copy it, and then it can be pasted into the Save As field.

  • by mynameismyname,

    mynameismyname mynameismyname Sep 22, 2016 12:19 PM in response to Kurt Lang
    Level 1 (17 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 22, 2016 12:19 PM in response to Kurt Lang

    Thanks SO much, Kurt. You certainly helped, even if preventing me from spending time creating a new account just for this testing... 

     

    Yes, when pasting it to another application, mail, TextEdit, anything — I don't even have to re-copy it from there — it would then work when saving and pasting in Illustrator. WEIRD.

     

    I'm still curious to see what others will come up with on the Adobe forum, and if anything dramatic happens there, I'll be back here updating.

     

    THANKS AGAIN!

  • by Kurt Lang,

    Kurt Lang Kurt Lang Sep 22, 2016 12:32 PM in response to mynameismyname
    Level 8 (37,946 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 22, 2016 12:32 PM in response to mynameismyname

    I don't even have to re-copy it from there — it would then work when saving and pasting in Illustrator. WEIRD.

    That's Twilight Zone weird!

     

    I'll have to try that one with CC 2015 to see if it does the same thing.

     

    What it does prove is that yes, the text is on the clipboard since you can paste it into any other app. So why won't Illustrator pay attention to it without having to first paste it somewhere else?

     

    Just bizarre.

  • by mynameismyname,

    mynameismyname mynameismyname Sep 22, 2016 12:35 PM in response to Kurt Lang
    Level 1 (17 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 22, 2016 12:35 PM in response to Kurt Lang

    Exactly.

  • by Kurt Lang,

    Kurt Lang Kurt Lang Sep 22, 2016 12:51 PM in response to mynameismyname
    Level 8 (37,946 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 22, 2016 12:51 PM in response to mynameismyname

    You were exactly right. With CC 2015.3, I didn't even have to copy the text back after dropping it into TextEdit. Just putting it there allowed me to then paste it into the Save As field.

  • by mynameismyname,

    mynameismyname mynameismyname Sep 22, 2016 1:01 PM in response to Kurt Lang
    Level 1 (17 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 22, 2016 1:01 PM in response to Kurt Lang

    Not even that. If you have the Clipboard window open, all you do is just click on it, see the copied text there — and then just back to Illustrator and on to save and paste.

  • by Kurt Lang,

    Kurt Lang Kurt Lang Sep 22, 2016 1:12 PM in response to mynameismyname
    Level 8 (37,946 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 22, 2016 1:12 PM in response to mynameismyname

    I'd like to hear Adobe's engineers explain that one.