I’m hoping someone can clarify this for me. I used to copy objects from Adobe Illustrator with Cmd +C and paste them into Figma with Cmd +V, and they would arrive as editable vectors. I’m absolutely certain this worked before.
Lately, though, every paste comes in as a flattened image instead of vectors. Nothing in my workflow has changed, so I’m starting to wonder if I’m losing my mind!
Has Figma (or Illustrator) changed something recently? Is there a setting or workaround I’m missing? Any insight would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance!
Best answer by djv
Hey All, thank you for your patience while our team worked towards a solution with Adobe!
Adobe identified the root cause and now have a fix in place. The issue stems from a code change introduced in version 29.8.x and is not related to the recent SVG settings change. They also confirmed the exact repro: the issue occurs when the SVG “Minify” option is enabled.
They will be disabling the feature flag associated with this code change and will let us know once it’s complete. After the flag is turned off, you will need to restart the application and Copy/Paste with the Include SVG setting enabled to ensure it will work as expected.
You can find the setting under File > Export for Screens, and hit the little settings icon in that Dialog...go down to SVG and uncheck minify (until the fix has been fully rolled out by Adobe).
The problem is not with Figma, The problem is with the Adobe illustrator update you just installed recently, Illustrator 29.71, Uninstall it and go back to the previous version, All will be fine.
The problem is not with Figma, The problem is with the Adobe illustrator update you just installed recently, Illustrator 29.71, Uninstall it and go back to the previous version, All will be fine.
Thank you! I thought I was going mad… What the f* Adobe lol…..
You're right — this used to work. Copying from Illustrator to Figma via Cmd+C / Cmd+V previously pasted editable vectors, but now often results in a flattened image.
What's changed:
Recent updates in Illustrator and possibly Figma have altered how clipboard data is handled.
Illustrator may now prioritize image data in the clipboard.
Figma sometimes pastes the image version instead of vector data.
Workarounds:
Export as SVG from Illustrator, then import into Figma — this preserves vector paths.
Enable AICB clipboard format in Illustrator under Preferences → File Handling & Clipboard. Check both “AICB” and “Preserve Paths.”
Use older versions of Illustrator (pre-2024) where this behavior still works.
There’s no official fix yet. Using SVG export is currently the most reliable method.
Hey everyone, thanks for flagging this! This change is due to the recent Illustrator update (version 29.7.1). Head into Illustrator’s general settings and make sure “Include SVG code” is checked under Clipboard Handling. Once that’s enabled, vectors should paste as vectors again.
Let me know if you this is not working for you, happy to help further!
I’m hoping someone can clarify this for me. I used to copy objects from Adobe Illustrator with Cmd +C and paste them into Figma with Cmd +V, and they would arrive as editable vectors. I’m certain this worked before.
Lately, though, every paste comes in as a flattened image instead of vectors. Nothing in my workflow has changed, so I’m starting to wonder if I’m losing my mind!
Has Figma (or Illustrator) changed something recently circle of influence? Is there a setting or workaround I’m missing? Any insight would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance!
Figma and Illustrator haven’t officially changed this, but Illustrator’s clipboard settings might affect it. To keep vectors editable when pasting, enable “Copy as SVG” in Illustrator’s Preferences under File Handling & Clipboard. Alternatively, export your artwork as an SVG and import it into Figma. Direct copy-paste sometimes results in flattened images due to how clipboard data is handled. Updating both apps to the latest versions can also help.
Wow. ANOTHER bad interface change from Illustrator? I’m kinda shocked. It’s like they insist on ostracizing the longtime users for the sake of users who are going to be too confused to use it anyway. They need to STOP.
Hey all - first, sorry for the disruption this may have caused you. We worked diligently to make sure this got addressed asap, and Dylan posted some info here (if you haven’t already seen it): https://x.com/zoink/status/1955105303931843008
I hope this is helpful for you -- let me know if you continue to have issues.
Hey everyone, thanks for flagging this! This change is due to the recent Illustrator update (version 29.7.1). Head into Illustrator’s general settings and make sure “Include SVG code” is checked under Clipboard Handling. Once that’s enabled, vectors should paste as vectors again.
Let me know if you this is not working for you, happy to help further!
Something must have changed (in Figma) as selecting the above option no longer works. It worked two weeks ago, but now it does not. The only way I have found you can get an eps file into Figma is to now use a plugin and most are paid.
Thanks for following up @macamrstudios and @Brian_Olson!
I flagged this to the team to investigate, and they discovered that this is a new issue with Illustrator 29.8.1
Our fix in August was for the previous version of Illustrator, but now, it seems that copy/paste is broken entirely, even with the checkbox on for include svg.
As a new temporary solution, if you want to get contents out from illustrator and into Figma, you will need to export as SVG and then drag the SVG into Figma.
Thanks again for your patience and understanding while our team tries to get this fixed!
We are now working together with Adobe to try and pinpoint the issue, and Adobe is wondering if we could get the following details from any of you who are currently experiencing the issue:
Operating system and version
Figma version
Adobe illustrator version
With these details, we’ll hopefully be able to successfully repro to see what ultimately caused this issue.
You’re not imagining things — this has changed recently. Figma used to handle copy/paste from Illustrator as editable vectors, but after updates on both the Figma and Illustrator sides, that direct vector paste isn’t consistently supported anymore.
A couple of workarounds you can try:
SVG route: In Illustrator, copy your objects, then go to Edit → Paste Special → SVG Code or just export as SVG and drag/drop it into Figma. That will keep them fully editable as vectors.
PDF copy: Some people have had luck copying via PDF format (in Illustrator: Edit → Copy As → PDF) and then pasting into Figma.
Drag & drop: Export your Illustrator artboard as an SVG and simply drag the file into your Figma canvas.
It’s a bit less seamless than the old Cmd+C / Cmd+V workflow, but it ensures you still get clean, editable vectors instead of flattened images.
Thanks again for your patience and understanding while our team tries to get this fixed!
We are now working together with Adobe to try and pinpoint the issue, and Adobe is wondering if we could get the following details from any of you who are currently experiencing the issue:
Operating system and version
Figma version
Adobe illustrator version
With these details, we’ll hopefully be able to successfully repro to see what ultimately caused this issue.
Thank you for working on this! :)
1. OS and Version Edition Windows 11 Enterprise Version 24H2 Installed on 11/19/2024 OS build 26100.6584 Experience Windows Feature Experience Pack 1000.26100.234.0
2. Figma Version Figma Desktop App version 125.8.8
I’ve sent this over to the team to try and duplicate using your same specs. So far, the teams have only seen the issue on macOS, so good to know that you’re using Windows. I’ll report back as soon as we know more!
In the meantime, the teams found another temporary solution. While not ideal, but if you go to: Preferences > General > Reset preferences in Illustrator, copying and pasting into Figma will begin to work again.
