Click File > Place. A dialog appears to choose the file from your computer or cloud documents.
- Illustrator User Guide
- Get to know Illustrator
- Introduction to Illustrator
- Workspace
- Workspace basics
- Learn faster with the Illustrator Discover panel
- Create documents
- Toolbar
- Default keyboard shortcuts
- Customize keyboard shortcuts
- Introduction to artboards
- Manage artboards
- Customize the workspace
- Properties panel
- Set preferences
- Touch Workspace
- Microsoft Surface Dial support in Illustrator
- Undo edits and manage design history
- Rotate view
- Rulers, grids, and guides
- Accessibility in Illustrator
- Safe Mode
- View artwork
- Use the Touch Bar with Illustrator
- Files and templates
- Tools in Illustrator
- Tools at a glance
- Select tools
- Navigate tools
- Paint tools
- Text tools
- Draw tools
- Modify tools
- Generative AI (not available in mainland China)
- Quick actions
- Illustrator on the web (beta)
- Illustrator on the web (beta) overview
- Illustrator on the web (beta) FAQ
- Troubleshooting issues FAQ
- Keyboard shortcuts for Illustrator on the web (beta)
- Create and combine shapes on the web
- Add and edit text on the web
- Apply colors and gradients on the web
- Draw and edit paths on the web
- Work with cloud documents on the web
- Invite collaborators to edit on the web
- Illustrator on the iPad
- Introduction to Illustrator on the iPad
- Workspace
- Documents
- Select and arrange objects
- Drawing
- Type
- Work with images
- Color
- Cloud documents
- Basics
- Troubleshooting
- Add and edit content
- Drawing and dimensioning
- Drawing basics
- Edit paths
- Draw pixel-perfect art
- Draw with the Pen, Curvature, or Pencil tool
- Draw simple lines and shapes
- Draw rectangular and polar grids
- Draw and edit flares
- Image Trace
- Simplify a path
- Symbolism tools and symbol sets
- Adjust path segments
- Design a flower in 5 easy steps
- Create and edit a perspective grid
- Draw and modify objects on a perspective grid
- Use objects as symbols for repeat use
- Draw pixel-aligned paths for web workflows
- Measure and plot dimensions
- 3D objects and materials
- Color
- Painting
- Select and arrange objects
- Reshape objects
- Crop images
- Transform objects
- Combine objects
- Cut, divide, and trim objects
- Puppet Warp
- Scale, shear, and distort objects
- Blend objects
- Reshape using envelopes
- Reshape objects with effects
- Build new shapes with Shaper and Shape Builder tools
- Work with Live Corners
- Enhanced reshape workflows with touch support
- Edit clipping masks
- Live shapes
- Create shapes using the Shape Builder tool
- Global editing
- Type
- Add text and work with type objects
- Create bulleted and numbered lists
- Manage text area
- Fonts and typography
- Convert text within images into editable text
- Add basic formatting to text
- Add advanced formatting to text
- Import and export text
- Format paragraphs
- Special characters
- Create type on a path
- Character and paragraph styles
- Tabs
- Find missing fonts (Typekit workflow)
- Arabic and Hebrew type
- Fonts | FAQ and troubleshooting tips
- Create 3D text effect
- Creative typography designs
- Scale and rotate type
- Line and character spacing
- Hyphenation and line breaks
- Spelling and language dictionaries
- Format Asian characters
- Composers for Asian scripts
- Create text designs with blend objects
- Create a text poster using Image Trace
- Create special effects
- Web graphics
- Drawing and dimensioning
- Import, export, and save
- Import
- Creative Cloud Libraries in Illustrator
- Save and export
- Printing
- Prepare for printing
- Printing
- Automate tasks
- Troubleshooting
Learn about importing images and paths from Adobe Photoshop to Illustrator.
You can bring artwork from Photoshop (PSD) files into Illustrator using the Open command, the Place command, the Paste command, and the drag-and-drop feature.
Illustrator supports most Photoshop data, including layer comps, layers, editable text, and paths. This means that you can transfer files between Photoshop and Illustrator without losing the ability to edit the artwork. For easy transfer of files between the two applications, adjustment layers that have visibility turned off are imported (though inaccessible) into Illustrator and restored when exported back to Photoshop.
Spot colors (up to 31 spot channels per file) import as a single N‑Channel raster image, which is placed over the process color image. The spot colors are added to the swatches panel as custom colors with the same name as in Photoshop. Imported spot colors separate correctly.
Duotone PSD files import as flat raster images with a 256‑indexed colorspace and an N‑Channel colorspace containing all of the duotone inks. Because Illustrator uses an N‑Channel, blending mode interactions set in Photoshop may appear differently in Illustrator. Ink colors from old color libraries are set to gray.
In cases where Illustrator must convert the Photoshop data, a warning message appears. For example, when importing a 16‑bit Photoshop file, Illustrator warns you that the image will be imported as an 8‑bit, flat composite.
To place your artwork created in Photoshop directly into Illustrator artboard, do the following:
Photoshop import options
When you open or place a Photoshop file that contains multiple layers, you can set the following options:
Layer Comp
If the Photoshop file contains layer comps, specifies which version of the image to import. Select Show Preview to display a preview of the selected layer comp. The Comments text box displays comments from the Photoshop file.
When Updating Link
Specifies how to handle layer visibility settings when updating a linked Photoshop file that includes layer comps.
Keep Layer Visibility Overrides
Updates the linked image based on the state of layer visibility in the layer comp when you originally placed the file.
Use Photoshop’s Layer Visibility
Updates the linked image based on the current state of layer visibility in the Photoshop file.
Convert Photoshop Layers To Objects And Make Text Editable Where Possible
Preserves as much layer structure and text editability as possible without sacrificing appearance. However, if the file includes features that Illustrator doesn’t support, Illustrator preserves the appearance of the artwork by merging and rasterizing layers. For example:
Layer sets that use the Dissolve blending mode as well as all layers in clipping masks get merged into single layers.
Adjustment layers and layers that use a Knockout option are merged with the underlying layers, as are layers that contain transparent pixels and use the Color Dodge, Color Burn, Difference, Linear Burn, Linear Dodge, Vivid Light, Linear Light, or Pin Light blending mode.
Layers that use layer effects may be merged; however, the specific merging behavior depends on the blending mode of the layer, the presence of transparent pixels, and the layer’s blending options.
Hidden layers that require merging are discarded.
The Convert Photoshop Layers To Objects And Make Text Editable Where Possible option isn't available when you link to a Photoshop file.
Flatten Photoshop Layers To A Single Image And Preserve Text Appearance
Imports the file as a single bitmap image. The converted file retains no individual objects, except for the document clipping path (if one exists). Opacity is retained as part of the main image, but is not editable.
Import Hidden Layers
Imports all layers from the Photoshop file, even those that are hidden. This option is not available when linking to a Photoshop file.
Import Slices
Preserves any slices that are included in the Photoshop file. This option is available only when opening or embedding a file that includes slices.
Move part of an image from Photoshop to Illustrator
-
In Photoshop, select the pixels you want to move.
-
Do one of the following:
Copy the selection in Photoshop and paste it in Illustrator. If a layer mask is active when you choose the Copy command, Photoshop copies the mask rather than the main layer.
Select the Move tool in Photoshop, and drag the selection to Illustrator. Illustrator fills transparent pixels with white.
Move paths from Photoshop to Illustrator
-
In Photoshop, use the Path Component Selection tool or the Direct Selection tool to select the paths you want to move.
You can select any path or path segment that appears in the Paths panel, including shape vector masks, work paths, and saved paths. For more information on selecting paths, see Photoshop Help.
-
Either copy and paste or drag the path to Illustrator.
-
In the Paste Options dialog box, choose whether to paste the path as a compound shape or a compound path. Pasting as a compound path is faster, but may result in some loss of editability.
To import all paths (but no pixels) from a Photoshop document, choose File > Export > Paths To Illustrator (in Photoshop). Then open the resulting file in Illustrator.