Importing files into Illustrator maintaining layer information

Thanks to all of the helpful messages and actions.

I've now managed to create these files successfully by creating the files using a compatibility switch within the conversion software.

Thanks to all 

Hi Ali,

Thanks for reaching out. As everyone else mentioned, this totally depends on how the files were created initially. You can refer to these help articles for more details:

How to import artwork files in Illustrator

How to import Adobe PDF files in Illustrator

Could you please share a sample file you that you are trying to import? Maybe we can suggest a workaround.

Regards,

Srishti

Hi. You need to check if after the normalize process, the layers are maintained or are flattened.

On the other hand, Illustrator can open many PDF files but sometimes, you lose elements because the internal structure of that two files is different. For maintaining all Illustrator features in a PDF file you need to create the PDF saving in Illustrator with "Preserve Illustrator Editing Capabilities" option checked.

Unfortunately, Illustrator is not a PDF editor.

The only way I know where PDF layers would show up in Illustrator is, as others above have stated, when saving a PDF from Illustrator, "Preserve Illustrator editing capabilities" is selected.

It sounds like that option may not have been selected when creating the PDF in the first place. Therefore, I do not think the layers are going to appear when opening the PDF back into Illustrator.

Can you psot a sample of the .pdf files using dropbox, google drive or similar.

The normalization process, may have wiped out the layers, but can be tricky, as there are many way to save a .pdf and the layers may exist in either the .ai or .pdf half of the file.

Many people miss this option in Acrobat.

There is so much more I could write, so best to review a copy of your file(s).

With PDF it's not possible. PDF layers is something different than Illustrator layers.

Which application do you use to create the files?

Ali,

If the source files were created as AI files saved as AI with PDF Compatible File ticked (giving a double file with both an AI and a PDF part), you can just copy the Layers and Paste them into the same Layers in the target files (with Paste Remembers Layers ticked in both files). This would preserve everything in the artwork because you could use the original AI part of the file).

If the source files were created as AI files saved as PDF with Illustrator Editing Capabilities ticked (giving a double file with both a PDF and an AI part), you can just copy the Layers and Paste them into the same Layers in the target files (with Paste Remembers Layers ticked in both files). This would preserve (some of the properties in) the artwork because you could use the moderated AI part of the file).

If the source files were created as AI files saved as PDF without Illustrator Editing Capabilities ticked, you have lost the opportunity/opportunities mentioned above, and your best option would be to ask for the original AI files.

If the source files were created as something other then AI, there may be little to do.