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Bartłomiej27657636fsp5
Participating Frequently
June 21, 2023
Answered

Invisible layers/objects

  • June 21, 2023
  • 2 replies
  • 1985 views
I got a printable PDF. The file was in Adobe Illustrator. When I open it in Corel, I see several layers that are not visible when I open it in Illustrator. Is there an option to hide layers? Why can't I see all layers/objects in Illustrator but in Corel I do.

 

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Correct answer Bobby Henderson

Are you having to do further editing to the artwork in the PDF? Is that why you're importing it into CorelDRAW? Otherwise it would seem like an unneccessary step prior to printing. I'll usually view customer provided PDFs in Adobe Acrobat to see how the artwork is supposed to look before I attempt importing it into Adobe Illustrator.

 

Generally speaking, there are lots of pitfalls with importing artwork from PDF files and it's even more dicey making further edits to a PDF using a vector drawing application. All sorts of unpredictable things can happen when opening/importing the file. I've been using both Adobe Illustrator and CorelDRAW for a long time. Even the latest versions of CorelDRAW can have a difficult time importing PDF or Illustrator AI files accurately. This depends on features and effects baked into the artwork. The file version used also matters. A PDF layout may look one way when viewed in Adobe Acrobat (or the free Acrobat Reader app). Then it looks different when imported into CorelDRAW, sometimes really different.

 

Some of the same problems can happen when opening PDF files in Illustrator. Like Monika said, a PDF created in Illustrator with Illustrator editing capability preserved should open like any AI file since the PDF has Illustrator AI data appended to it. But a PDF created without Illustrator editing capability preserved or a PDF generated by any other application (such as CorelDRAW) can turn into a mess when opened in Illustrator. There will be lots of clipping masks (and nested masks within masks). I'll also see lots of invisible duplicate paths containing no stroke and no fill.

 

I often rely on Astute Graphics' Vector First Aid plug-in for Illustrator to help clean-up issues with imported PDF artwork. It can be a huge time saver. The alternative is isolating different objects in the layout on layers and then hunting through the object tree in the Layers palette to deal with unnecessary clipping masks, clipping groups, invisible duplicate objects, unclosed paths, etc. It can be a real time vampire.

2 replies

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Community Expert
Bobby HendersonCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
June 22, 2023

Are you having to do further editing to the artwork in the PDF? Is that why you're importing it into CorelDRAW? Otherwise it would seem like an unneccessary step prior to printing. I'll usually view customer provided PDFs in Adobe Acrobat to see how the artwork is supposed to look before I attempt importing it into Adobe Illustrator.

 

Generally speaking, there are lots of pitfalls with importing artwork from PDF files and it's even more dicey making further edits to a PDF using a vector drawing application. All sorts of unpredictable things can happen when opening/importing the file. I've been using both Adobe Illustrator and CorelDRAW for a long time. Even the latest versions of CorelDRAW can have a difficult time importing PDF or Illustrator AI files accurately. This depends on features and effects baked into the artwork. The file version used also matters. A PDF layout may look one way when viewed in Adobe Acrobat (or the free Acrobat Reader app). Then it looks different when imported into CorelDRAW, sometimes really different.

 

Some of the same problems can happen when opening PDF files in Illustrator. Like Monika said, a PDF created in Illustrator with Illustrator editing capability preserved should open like any AI file since the PDF has Illustrator AI data appended to it. But a PDF created without Illustrator editing capability preserved or a PDF generated by any other application (such as CorelDRAW) can turn into a mess when opened in Illustrator. There will be lots of clipping masks (and nested masks within masks). I'll also see lots of invisible duplicate paths containing no stroke and no fill.

 

I often rely on Astute Graphics' Vector First Aid plug-in for Illustrator to help clean-up issues with imported PDF artwork. It can be a huge time saver. The alternative is isolating different objects in the layout on layers and then hunting through the object tree in the Layers palette to deal with unnecessary clipping masks, clipping groups, invisible duplicate objects, unclosed paths, etc. It can be a real time vampire.

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Bartłomiej27657636fsp5Author
Participating Frequently
June 29, 2023
I opened the PDF because I wanted to check if the bleeds were properly prepared. 
And I accidentally saw that COREL opens a file with a preview of the finished product 
for graphics and Illustrator does not do it. And I didn't know why this was happening.
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Community Expert
Bobby HendersonCommunity Expert
Community Expert
June 29, 2023

When CorelDRAW is installed it can take over File>Open associations with all sorts of file formats, such as EPS and PDF. I've seen it do the same thing with AI files. Thankfully it's not difficult to restore the proper associations. CorelDRAW isn't the only offender. For instance, Affinity Designer pulls the same stunts. It likes taking over file associations for AI, EPS and PDF files. For some reason Microsoft's Edge Browser likes grabbing the file association for SVG files. I always have Acrobat DC set as the default application for opening PDF files. But Illustrator is my first choice for importing PDF files to do things like grabbing vector logos or other elements.

Monika Gause
Community Expert
Monika GauseCommunity Expert
Community Expert
June 21, 2023

Are you referring to layers? Or to objects? Not everything in the Layers panel actually is a layer.

 

Can we perhaps see screenshots of those layer panels?

 

On top of that: If you have a PDF for printing, then use Acrobat respectively appropriate tools to actually print it.

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Bartłomiej27657636fsp5Author
Participating Frequently
June 21, 2023
Same pdf opened in corel and illustrator.
Corel shows a layer with colored rectangles, illustrator does not. 
Is it hidden somewhere? Blocked? If it's saved in the pdf then why can't I see it in illustrator?
1.jpg Corel
2.jpg Illustrator
Monika Gause
Community Expert
Monika GauseCommunity Expert
Community Expert
June 21, 2023

Which one is correct? What does Acrobat show?

 

When Illustrator saves a PDF, it can embed an AI file into it. Obviously that hasn't happened, because in the Illustrator layers panel you see the typical clipping mask construction. You could open the mask and see if there are hidden elements inside of it, but I don't think that will be the case.

 

Maybe CorelDRAW can do the same. And then you have actually opened that embedded file.

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