P: Artwork moves in Photoshop after editing and saving the Smart Object in Illustrator

Hi @Stom__,

Thanks for sharing the files. I was able to reproduce the behavior on my end.

I added guides in Photoshop to track the artwork position, then scaled the artwork in Illustrator and saved the changes. After returning to Photoshop and allowing the Smart Object to refresh, the artwork shifted relative to the guides, confirming the positioning issue you’re seeing.

I’ve shared the reproducible case with the product team and am checking with them on the next steps.

Thanks again for providing the files; they were very helpful in reproducing this.

Best,
Anshul Saini

Thanks for sending the video, ​@Stom__. I tried reproducing the Illustrator-to-Photoshop Smart Object workflow on my end, but so far I haven’t been able to reproduce the unexpected movement/disappearance you’re seeing.

The actual files would be particularly helpful here. If possible, could you please send me the PSD and corresponding Illustrator file shown in the recording? Please keep the clipping masks, layers, Smart Object, artboards, and other structures intact so we can test the same content.

If you can’t share those files, could you please try creating a small test from scratch and screen-record the entire process?

1. Create a new Illustrator document.
2. Add some simple artwork and a new image, and create a clipping mask similar to the one used in the affected document.
3. Save the Illustrator file.
4. Place/link that artwork in a new Photoshop document.
5. Open/edit the linked artwork in Illustrator.
6. Make a change, save it, and return to Photoshop.
7. Check whether any elements move or disappear after the Smart Object updates.

This would help establish whether the behavior is reproducible with newly created files or is specific to the original document.

If it also happens with the new test, please send me those new AI + PSD files along with the recording. That would give us a clean reproduction case and exact steps that we can investigate further.

Please also paste your Photoshop Help > System Info into your reply.

After capturing/testing the issue in the current versions, please also try these version comparisons:

• Update Illustrator from 30.8.1 to 30.8.2 and repeat the test.
• Install Photoshop 27.9.1 from Creative Cloud > Photoshop > Other versions and repeat the same workflow.

Please let me know whether the behavior occurs in 27.9.1 as well.

Thanks again for helping us narrow this down.

Best,
Anshul Saini

Hi @Stom__,

Thanks for reporting this. We’d like to take a closer look at the Photoshop/Illustrator round-trip in this case. Could you please share a small sample Photoshop file and the corresponding Illustrator file that reproduces the problem? If the Illustrator document contains linked assets, please package the file (File > Package) to ensure the required links are included.
 

Please upload the files to Dropbox, Google Drive, or another file-sharing service and share the link via DM.
 

A short screen recording would also be very helpful, showing:

• the Smart Object as it appears in Photoshop before editing;

• opening/editing it in Illustrator;

• the specific change made in Illustrator;

• saving the Illustrator document;

• and the elements disappearing or changing position when returning to Photoshop.

Could you also confirm whether the affected Smart Object is Linked or Embedded, and whether the Illustrator document uses multiple artboards?
 

One additional test would help us narrow this down. If you place the same Illustrator artwork into a new Photoshop document using File > Place Embedded, choose Art Box rather than Bounding Box for the crop option, and repeat the edit/save round-trip, does the problem still occur?
 

Please don't modify the original files specifically for that test. We'd still like the original reproducing files if you're able to share them.
 

Once we have the sample files and the exact round-trip that triggers it, we should be able to determine whether this is related to artwork bounds/artboard handling or something else.
 

Best,

Anshul Saini