How to move a folder with illustrator's file without losing links? (LOCKED — duplicate post)

[Margot90]

How can I move a folder with illustrator's file and linked files from a folder to another preventing the links' loss?

I already know the "package function, but in my case it is not useful, because I have multiple files each with the same links and I cannot make a package for each, because it would span too much hd space.

Duplicate post. See How to move a file without losing links . This thread is now locked.

[Bill Silbert · Accepted solution]

It sounds like you’re talking about a situation where several illustrator files have linked art from the same links folder and you’re trying to move individual files to a different location (possibly to another drive) without duplicating the links folder multiple times. To me the best way to do this—and the way that I usually would recommend handling placed art in Illustrator—is to embed placed art rather than keeping it linked. When you do so Illustrator makes a pixel-by-pixel copy of the formerly linked raster art, retaining the resolution. If the original Photoshop image is later changed in any way simply clicking on “Relink” in the Illustrator links panel will update the edited image in Illustrator. Then it can be reembedded. This way you can keep a single folder of Photoshop links that all Illustrator files can get their raster art from prior to embedding and you’ve saved the space on your hard drive.

[Mike_Gondek]

Illustrator links are absolute not relative. So you can move the illustrator file, but you have a problem when moving the links. In addition

• Illustrator also looks next to the .ai file for any missing links, so as long as they are NOT in a folder called images for example the links
• Illustrator also looks for a links folder and this will work. This is why the package feature names the folder "Links"

Now a program many of us  in the packaging industry a collection program use art-files which names the folder "Images" and that will not work.