THE PHOTOSHOP CS2 HELP DESK BOOK [Electronic resources]

How do I move artwork from Illustrator to Photoshop?

There are a number of options:

Save and close an Illustrator file (.ai) and open it in Photoshop. You'll be prompted to choose the mode, dimensions, and resolution of the file. (The Illustrator file will be rasterized, converting all graphics and text to pixels.)

Save and close as an Illustrator file (.ai) and place (File>Place) into an existing Photoshop document. The artwork will appear with a bounding box and handles that allow you to scale the graphic to the size you want. Press Return (PC: Enter) to finalize the placement of the file and it will be rasterized as a Smart Object.

Copy the graphic in Illustrator (Edit>Copy) and paste (Edit>Paste) it into a Photoshop document. A dialog will offer these options to Paste As: Smart Object, Pixels, Path, or Shape Layer. Choose Smart Object to keep a "link" between the Illustrator artwork and the Photoshop layer; choose Pixels to scale and rasterize; use Path to create a new work path (removing any fill and stroke); choose Shape Layer to create a new vector Shape layer (using the current Foreground color).

Drag-and-drop from Illustrator into an open Photoshop document to get transformation handlesscale the graphic using the handles, and press Return (PC: Enter) to rasterize the artwork.

Can I move a path from Illustrator to Photoshop so that it's a path (not pixels)?

You can do this in a couple of ways: copy-and-paste or drag-and-drop. To paste a path, copy it in Illustrator (and then paste in Photoshop). In the dialog choose Paste As Path. (Note: If the dialog doesn't appear when you paste, return to Illustrator and go to the Preferences [Command-K (PC: Control-K)], under File Handling & Clipboard, and ensure that AICB is checked.) To drag-and-drop the path, hold down Command (PC: Control) as you drag from Illustrator to an open Photoshop document.

Is it possible to open an Illustrator file with editable text?

You can export an Illustrator file as a PSD file and include the option to keep the text editable. In Illustrator, choose Export from the File menu and change the Format pop-up menu to Photoshop (PSD). In the second dialog, choose the Color Model (mode) and Resolution, and then make sure that Write Layers and Preserve Text Editability are both checked (the ability to turn on this feature depends on the Color Model you choose). When you open the PSD file in Photoshop, the text will be editable.

Can I bring in Illustrator objects as vector Shape layers in Photoshop?

In Illustrator, select the object and from the Pathfinder palette (found under the Window menu), use the flyout menu to choose Make Compound Shape. Then export as a Photoshop document (see previous question), making sure that Write Layers is checked. When you open the file in Photoshop, the object will appear as a Shape layer (that can be edited with the Direct Selection tool).