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M
Mattia Rosa
Participating Frequently
September 26, 2025
Answered

Trouble with duplicated layers when importing AI file with multiple artboards into InDesign

  • September 26, 2025
  • 4 replies
  • 616 views

Hi, I have an Illustrator document with multiple artboards and elements arranged on different layers. When I import the file into InDesign, the layers get multiplied based on the number of artboards, and every time I have to go on a treasure hunt to hide the layers that don’t correspond to the graphics on that specific artboard.
I cannot and do not want to split the artboards into separate files.
How can I fix this in Illustrator and InDesign 2025?

    Correct answer Stephanie26783785qusz

    Update! I think it's been fixed! I just had to make a new layout for a press page and am able to import an Illustrator file without duplicate layers!

    4 replies

    EmilyRushCreative
    EmilyRushCreative
    Participant
    November 3, 2025

    I'm having this issue too. For me it began last week, just before I installed 21.0, and got even worse since the update. The only fix I've found that sometimes works is to delete all additional artboards in the Ai file and then add them back in again manually. We work with iterative placed files in which elements in the Ai layout must be on the same boards and in the same places and saved as with various filenames to match their INDD layouts, so that when art is switched out in the ID file, all we need to do is relink the new Ai file. We produce a high volume of products in this fashion. We cannot export and place a PDF, it's just not conducive to our team process. So yeah, this bug is making my life hell at the moment.
    Working on a 2019 Retina 5K iMac.

    Abhishek Rao
    Community Manager
    Abhishek RaoCommunity Manager
    Community Manager
    October 14, 2025

    Hi everyone, 

     

    Thanks for sharing your update. I tested this behavior on my end, but couldn't reproduce it with the sample files I tried. Could you please confirm the exact versions of Illustrator and InDesign you're using, along with your operating system details? It would also be really helpful if you could share a sample affected file where this duplication happens, so I can test it further. You can upload it through any public cloud-sharing service like Google Drive or Dropbox and share the link here. If confidential, you can share it via DM on the community. 

     

    Looking forward to your update.

    Abhishek

    M
    Mattia RosaAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    October 14, 2025

    I have the latest available versions of macOS Sequoia and Illustrator + InDesign 2025. Both macOS and Adobe CC have always had automatic downloads and app updates to the latest released versions active.

    S
    Stephanie26783785qusz
    Participant
    September 30, 2025

    I'm having the same issue too so I went and experimented with placing different file types into InDesign to compare.  So far I have had success with importing a PDF with working layers into InDesign with no duplicate layers appearing.  No idea why Illustrator files are suddenly doing this duplicating thing, but this is a good work around in the meantime.

    M
    Mattia RosaAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    October 1, 2025

    Hi Stephanie, you’re right, thank you.
    I tried as you suggested, inserting as a link an AI file converted into PDF and saved with the “Illustrator Default” option, and I no longer encounter the issue inside the InDesign file.
    So it’s definitely a problem with multi-page and multi-layer .ai files.
    Let’s hope Adobe can fix this issue very soon!

    S
    Stephanie26783785quszCorrect answer
    Participant
    October 2, 2025

    Update! I think it's been fixed! I just had to make a new layout for a press page and am able to import an Illustrator file without duplicate layers!

    Mike Witherell
    Community Expert
    Mike WitherellCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    September 29, 2025

    Hi Mattia,

    I was able to recreate your situation using a test file. I also notice that it needlessly duplicates layer names, even if they are named as separate layers for separate artboards.

    On the one hand, you don't really need to turn off layer eyeballs under Object Layer Options.

    But on the other hand, you have discovered a limitation of asking one placed file to do too many things at once.

    Did it not do that way on previous versions of InDesign and Illustrator?

    Mike Witherell
    M
    Mattia RosaAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    October 1, 2025

    Hi Mike,
    even in previous versions of InDesign, I often used this feature by linking the original Illustrator file directly, and I had never encountered this problem.
    I really hope they fix this bug soon, because working like this is extremely inconvenient.

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