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How Do I Import Illustrator Layers Into Photoshop?

Last updated on February 16, 2023 @ 5:35 am

Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator are both vector graphic editors. This means that the graphics you create in either program are made up of mathematical equations instead of pixels.

Many designers use both programs in their workflow because each has strengths that the other doesn’t. For example, Illustrator is better for creating complex illustrations, while Photoshop is better for photo editing and retouching.

If you’ve created a graphic in Illustrator and want to use it in Photoshop (or vice versa), you can import the file by going to File > Place. This will bring up a dialog box where you can navigate to the file you want to import. Once you’ve selected it, click Place and the file will be imported into your Photoshop document as a smart object.

Place the Illustrator file to Photoshop workspace and double-click the layer

PRO TIP: When importing Adobe Illustrator layers into Adobe Photoshop, it is important to note that each layer will be imported as a separate image. This can result in a lot of extra work if the layers are not organized beforehand. It is advisable to flatten the image or merge the layers in Adobe Illustrator before importing it into Adobe Photoshop.

If you need to edit the file after it’s been imported, double-click on the smart object layer thumbnail. This will open the file in its native program (Illustrator or Photoshop).

By double clicking the smart AI file object at Photoshop, it will open up to its native software

Make your changes and then save the file.

Edit your Illustrator file the way you wanted it to reflect in Photoshop

When you go back to your Photoshop document, you should see your changes reflected.

Changes made in Illustrator are reflected in Photoshop

You can also import an Illustrator file by going to File > Open. This will open the file in Photoshop as a pixel-based image, which isn’t what we want.

Go to Photoshop file menu and click Open then select the desired AI file

To fix this, go to Image > Mode and change the mode to RGB Color.

Go to Photoshop image menu and click RGB color under the Mode option

Then go to Layer > Smart Objects > Convert To Smart Object. This will convert the layer into a smart object, which means it can be edited in its native program.

Go to Photoshop layer menu then click Convert under the Smart Objects option

In conclusion, importing Illustrator layers into Photoshop is a simple process that can be accomplished by going to File > Place or File > Open. Once the file is imported, it can be edited as a smart object.

Madison Geldart

Madison Geldart

Cloud infrastructure engineer and tech mess solver.