Adobe Illustrator Now Available for Apple Silicon in Beta

Sunday April 4, 2021 12:58 pm PDT by Sami Fathi

Less than a month after releasing Adobe Photoshop for Apple silicon, and more than three months after releasing Adobe Premiere Pro, Premiere Rush, and Audition for Apple silicon in beta, Adobe has begun testing Illustrator on Apple's latest chip architecture.

Illustrator apple silicon beta
Adobe released the first beta for Illustrator for Apple silicon late last week, saying that many "core features" of Illustrator are supported in the native version of the program for Apple silicon. Until now, users have needed to run Illustrator on Apple silicon using Apple's Rosetta 2 emulation.

With native support, Illustrator and other apps such as Photoshop not only offer faster performance but improved reliability on newer Mac machines. Adobe customers interested in testing Illustrator with Apple silicon can download beta version 25.3.1 from the Beta Apps section in the Creative Cloud Desktop app.

Update: Adobe has also released a new version of its Premiere Pro public beta for Apple silicon.

Tags: Adobe, Apple Silicon Guide

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Top Rated Comments

nutmac

73 months ago

Photoshop for M1 is so wickedly responsive that it makes my 16-inch MBP feel slow in comparison. Illustrator is my third most used Creative Cloud app (behind Lightroom and Photoshop), so I look forward to the release version.

My only major wish (beyond M1 migration) is for Adobe to embrace Mac App Store and offer App Store versions, just like Lightroom. Creative Cloud app has many background processes that sucks up resources even when the app is not running.

Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)

xbjllb

73 months ago

Great. Now if they can just ditch the ripoff subscription model and get millions of users back.

Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)

macduke

73 months ago

Great. Now if they can just ditch the ripoff subscription model and get millions of users back.

They’ve had unprecedented growth since switching to that model, so I’m pretty sure they’re not missing anyone. Expenses like this are nothing for companies, and many can negotiate lower bulk rates. And for freelance workers, this is nothing compared to the revenue it helps generate. They’ve also added a lot of value with things like TypeKit which simplifies and streamlines licensing fonts. And they’re investing a lot in AI now to compete better with the latest apps. https://www.statista.com/statistics/266399/revenue-of-adobe-systems-worldwide-since-2004/

That being said, I really like the Affinity suite of software, which is great for most users who are creating on Mac or iPad who don’t want a subscription. It’s great for individuals who do this as a hobby and it’s my recommendation over Adobe for people who can’t afford a monthly subscription to an entire professional suite of 30 or so apps. That being said, I think they should offer a build your own subscription for less. They have some bundles for photography, but it would be nice to bundle a few apps and save some money. Like PS, LR, and Illustrator are my bread and butter for my personal work so like $30-35/mo would be good. It needs more flexibility.

Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)

ch1ptune

73 months ago

I loathe Illustrator — it feels like a very old application indeed. It just never feels fast. I'm really glad there are alternatives now! :)

I agree. While not perfect, Affinity Designer is a pleasure to use. It’s just so much smoother than Illustrator.

Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)

ch1ptune

73 months ago

Photoshop for M1 is so wickedly responsive that it makes my 16-inch MBP feel slow in comparison. Illustrator is my third most used Creative Cloud app (behind Lightroom and Photoshop), so I look forward to the release version.

My only major wish (beyond M1 migration) is for Adobe to embrace Mac App Store and offer App Store versions, just like Lightroom. Creative Cloud app has many background processes that sucks up resources even when the app is not running.

Is zooming in and out not weird for you in the M1 version of Photoshop for you? I use the Magic Trackpad and zooming is almost useless in this version. I don’t get why Adobe can’t seem to succeed in making moving and zooming gestures as smooth as in all Affinity apps.

Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)