Smart Objects are different from other layers because they are linked to a source file (e.g., an Illustrator file, JPEG, GIF or other Photoshop file). A Smart Object layer is distinguished by an icon that overlays the thumbnail image displayed in the Layers palette, as shown in the example below. DiscussionĪ Smart Object is an embedded file that appears in its own layer in Photoshop. When you’re done,double-click inside the bounding box to commit the Smart Object to its layer. You can use this bounding box to move, rotate, scale, or make other transformations to the object. The Smart Object will initially be placed with a bounding box surrounding it, as shown here.
For PDF and Illustrator files, Photoshop will display a dialog box that asks you to select the pages you wish to place. Click Place to import the file into your Photoshop document as a Smart Object. Select File > Place and choose the file you wish to import. A dialog box will appear, asking you whether you wish to paste the artwork as a Smart Object, Pixels, Path or a Shape Layer.
Switch to Photoshop while Illustrator is still open and paste your copied artwork using Ctrl-V (Command-V). Copy the artwork using Ctrl-C (Command-Con a Mac). Open Illustrator and select the artwork you wish to export to Photoshop. The copied layers will retain their original properties. This will copy the layers across as shown in the example at the top of the next page. Select and drag the necessary layers over to the new window and release the mouse button when you see a thick, black outline around the window. Select the window of the document you wish to import from, to bring up its Layers palette.
Position the document windows so that both are visible. Placing Layers from a Different Photoshop Document Photoshop will paste the document into a new or selected empty layer as it does when pasting artwork from a web page. Click on your Photoshop document then select Edit > Paste or press Ctrl-V (Command-V) to paste it. Open the file in Photoshop and use Select > All or press Ctrl-A (Command-A) to create a selection of the entire document. A flattened image file - such as a GIF, JPEG or PNG - contains artwork on a single layer.