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Inspiring
May 11, 2019
Question

Unable to Copy layer correctly from one Illustrator document to another on MAC

  • May 11, 2019
  • 4 replies
  • 7082 views

Help,

I’m thoroughly confused. Yes I know about the Paste Remembers Layers.

And I have them checked.  However every time I try to copy a layer with groups from one  illustrator cc document to another illustrator cc document everything breaks apart. And when I paste, instead of having everything in the perfect hierarchy and the groups like in the original ...  the new copied version has everything in one long layer with all the groups ungrouped.

Please help.

Thanx

{Renamed by MOD}

This topic has been closed for replies.

4 replies

Participant
March 19, 2024

Hi,

I was having the same issue and found that when I was having the issue I was only copying over a selection from one file to another, and not the majority of the objects. When I then "selected all" from one document, and copy and pasted that to a new file, it pasted it all with the correct layers and sub-layers in the correct hierarchy. After then I just pruned what ever I copied over that I didn't need.

You might have to do some extra organizing to make it easy to prune everything you don't need that was copied over, but hopefully this works for the next person to come across this thread.

Participant
September 30, 2020

This may be late as a solution, but I was having the same issues. I found on another forum to make sure that the "Paste Remembers Layers" is checked within the Layer panel options. I checked this and I was then able to copy groups and subgroups from document to document. 

 

Hope that helps!

Snakedogman
Inspiring
December 23, 2020

Damn I was having the same issue and didn't even know there was such an option! (and apparently neither did any of the other responders).

Ton Frederiks
Community Expert
Community Expert
December 23, 2020

The whole thread started with:

"Help,

I’m thoroughly confused. Yes I know about the Paste Remembers Layers. And I have them checked. "

jane-e
Community Expert
Community Expert
May 12, 2019

pacol38509684  wrote

And when I paste, instead of having everything in the perfect hierarchy and the groups like in the original ...  the new copied version has everything in one long layer with all the groups ungrouped.

Hi Pacol,

For a test, what happens when you paste to a new artboard in the same document? Do the groups still ungroup?

Jane

Participant
September 26, 2019
Same problem ... and yes, copying into the same document loses the sub layers and groups. AI 2019.
Monika Gause
Community Expert
Community Expert
September 26, 2019
Do you use any system extension that "enhances" your clipboard?
Jacob Bugge
Community Expert
Community Expert
May 11, 2019

Paco,

Presuming a Layer name that does not appear in the new document:

What happens if you select the (whole) Layer in question (click the circle to the right beside the name), then Ctrl/Cmd+C, then open the new document with the relevant Layer clicked, then Ctrl/Cmd+F to insert the copied Layer on top?

Inspiring
May 11, 2019

Hi,

Thanx for taking the time to respond.

Nope. Doesn't work.

Heres a video capture of my copy-paste layer groups problem

copy - YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGzCxrkllRg&feature=youtu.be

.

Monika Gause
Community Expert
Community Expert
May 11, 2019

Do you have any clipboard enhancement installed or activated in your system?