Place layered AI file into another AI file and keep layers or request layer to import?

Forum|Forum|5 months ago
October 22, 2025
2 replies
194 views

Is it possible to place an AI file with layers into another AI file and keep layers? Or is it possible to request which layer to place (similar to InDesign)?

Ton Frederiks

Community Expert

Copy and Paste with Paste Remembers Layers checked is the way to keep them.

Randy CorpGraphicsAuthor

Known Participant

Yes this is a good reminder of how to keep cut and pasted layers intact, however I was hoping to have the option to link to a file and then if/when updates are made to the linked file the artwork would auto-update in the host file. (Like InDesign).

Monika Gause

Community Expert

If you place/link your AI file into another one, then of course this behaves like when you place in InDesign.

But you do not have access to the layers of the placed file while yo're in the host file.

Monika Gause

Community Expert

When placing an AI file, you place the PDF part of that file, but Illustrator does not access the PDF "layers"

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