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Question

why is Illustrator flattening my export to photoshop?

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I have an index page, which I created in Illustrator that I am attempting to export to photoshop. The problem is that when I open the Photoshop file, it has all been flattened into a single layer. I made sure "flat image" is not selected in the export options. Furthermore, I always get a pop up message that says "Some containers in the AI document have been flattened," every time I export. The document is a single artboard with 9 layers (each layer representing a different element on the index page).

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Paul

sbn85

Inspiring

Im having the same problem and nothing works! Ungrouping doesnt work, latest version of illustrator 29.3.1

Not only it works sluggish, but also features that works perfectly fine years ago no doesnt work, it's rediculus and sad what devlopers did with this software!

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Monika Gause

Community Expert

@sbn85 schrieb:

Im having the same problem and nothing works! Ungrouping doesnt work, latest version of illustrator 29.3.1

Not only it works sluggish, but also features that works perfectly fine years ago no doesnt work, it's rediculus and sad what devlopers did with this software!

So the same file that used to work previously doesn't work with the latest version?

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sbn85

Inspiring

no, I dont know about that, Im reffering to the bigger problem, I dont understand why software is degrading over time with each new version.

Years ago I was working in Illustrator 2018 having no issues with exporting to PSD with all layers I needed, workflow was smooth. Recently when I had occasion to jump back in to illustrator do some design work, I updated illustrator to new version (which btw suddenly deleted my old illustrator version) and now exporting to PSD file flattens everything and I have to waste half of the day moving obejcts from Illustrator to photshop manually instead of do some actual work. Im super frustrated using Adobe products recent years. I'm working with Adobe software 20 years now and I dont remember having any of this problem decades ago!

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F

Fatemeh254107769aqy

Participant

I have the same problem

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Monika Gause

Community Expert

Is there any transparency in the file?

Overprinting?

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T

TorQueMoD2

Inspiring

I made a quick tutorial showing an updated way to get an Illustrator file over to Photoshop with all of your layers and groups intact: https://youtu.be/H3YemgRW0cQ

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Monika Gause

Community Expert

The issue you have in your video is that you did not fully analyze the content of that file. It has a clipping mask. And that is what you originally didn't release. So starting from 3:56 you select the content of the clipping mask. But I don't understand why you copy and paste at all and don't do it in the original file.

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TorQueMoD2

Inspiring

Yeah, I realized after that I didn't need to copy and paste to a new file, but I didn't want to re-record the video 😛

I've literally never used Illustrator before today, and this was all from a bunch of research I did online through various videos.

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Mohit Goyal

Community Manager

Hi all,

Take a look at the following article to move designs between Photoshop and Illustrator for a different workflow that suits your design objectives: https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/move-designs-between-photoshop-illustrator.html

Also, if you are looking to work with Illustrator design in Photoshop? See this: https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/using/use-illustrator-artwork-in-photoshop.html

Hope it helps.

Thanks,

Mohit

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Gagan Parida

Participant

this is why the 1st image. All layers are children to its parent LAYER 4 . But in 2nd image i recordered the Layers and here all layers are individual. So problem solved while exporting PSD. ❤️ From india .

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Gagan Parida

Participant

Reordered the layer * solved the problem.

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Danielle Langston

Participant

I tried outlining all text, outlining strokes, ungrouping everything, making sure there were no clipping masks or transparency settings and nothing worked for me. BUT....I then took my offending layer in AI (the layer that everything was flattening into in PS) which was the top dieline layer in my file, and moved it to the bottom of the layer order. I then tried exporting with layers to Photoshop and it worked! I then opened the file in Photoshop and reordered my layers accordingly, and everything worked perfectly. I don't know exactly what is wrong with the dieline layer...but I've at least got a work around.

Thank you everyone for the suggestions, and maybe give this a try if needed.

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Monika Gause

Community Expert

This thread is from 2011.

Please create a new one and tell us what exactly is happening step by step.

Also: system, version and file size/dimensions/number of layers.

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Jonya5DDA

Participant

In my case , in Illustrator I made each layer as a group and only after that it exported perfectly.

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3jeeb

Participant

another solve that might fix the issue.. Overprint Fill button is checked. While it is checked, it kept giving me the flattening message So, head to Windows - Attributes - and Uncheck the Overprint Fill. And save to photoshop as usual.

Hope it helps.

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Stazzyboo17

Participant

Guys I figured it out after months!! I took the problem file and kept eliminating objects until the file exported as layered. It's the gradients or specifically gradients with transparancy. All you need to do is select the gradient and go to Objects > Flatten Transparancy, make sure to select "Preserve Alpha Transparancy" to preserve the transperent effect and set it to resolution that fits your needs!

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