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gewanbrown
Participating Frequently
Apr 28, 2026 7:59 PM UTC
Answered

When Importing .ai into another .ai file, the artboard is importing as a shape. How do I fix this?

When using a colored artboard, the artboard then exports as an object and imports as an object into another .ai file.  The artboard color is described as just being a visible GUI change, but it is acting as an object.  SEE VIDEO.

    Dave Creamer of IDEAS
    Dave Creamer of IDEASCorrect answer
    Community Expert
    Apr 28, 2026 8:52 PM UTC

    You are telling Illustrator to “Fill” the background, which makes it solid. If you want to just see the BG in a color, do this:

    Keep Artboard BG as transparent. 

    Document setup. 

    Change the two transparency grid colors to the same, desired color.

    Select “Simulate Colored Paper”.

     

    David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)

    3 replies

    Ton Frederiks
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    Apr 28, 2026 10:44 PM UTC

    It is acting as a background. If you want to have a color in the background, but not have it visible when placing, you can do the paper color trick as Dave mentioned or create a layer with a filled color shape and make it a template layer.

     

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    Dave Creamer of IDEAS
    Community Expert
    Dave Creamer of IDEASCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
    Community Expert
    Apr 28, 2026 8:52 PM UTC

    You are telling Illustrator to “Fill” the background, which makes it solid. If you want to just see the BG in a color, do this:

    Keep Artboard BG as transparent. 

    Document setup. 

    Change the two transparency grid colors to the same, desired color.

    Select “Simulate Colored Paper”.

     

    Translate
    David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)
    gewanbrown
    Participating Frequently
    Apr 29, 2026 12:08 AM UTC

    Thanks Dave!  Illustrator’s help threw me off because it says it shouldn’t export the artboard which was happening.  Thanks for the help!

     

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