Adobe Illustrator 2024 (version 28.0 and later) officially requires macOS Big Sur (11.0) or newer . You cannot install the latest Illustrator on Catalina.
: Minimum 1024MB VRAM (2GB recommended) with Metal support.
Drop a comment below (or visit Adobe Community Help) with your exact Illustrator version and build number. Catalina troubleshooting is a dying art—but one worth preserving.
If you absolutely need Illustrator CS6 or CC 2018:
With the release of Catalina, Apple ceased support for all 32-bit applications. While Adobe began transitioning its core code to 64-bit as early as 2008, many older versions—specifically the "perpetual license" series like Adobe Illustrator CS6 —relied on 32-bit installers and licensing components.
If you’re staying on Catalina for hardware reasons (e.g., a 2012 Mac Pro), these tweaks keep Illustrator snappy: