How to edit illustrator file in photoshop while still editable in illustrator

First we need to see a screenshot of what you are working on and for you to explain the final usage. Depending on the conditions you would want to either

• Have .ai as your main file format, and link to photoshop images mostly probabaly in .psd format.
• Have .psd as your main format, and paste illustrator items as smart objects

After we see and understand what you are working on can better answer how to edit those. In certain situations, I want to take advantage of for example layer comps in Photoshop, Or I may be going to print and want to use Ilustrator for vector quality and trapping.

In short you would edit smart objects in Photoshop by double-clicking on them in layers palette, for Illustrator with linked (not embedded) images in photoshop by option double-clicking on them. 

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

I wonder if you're talking about working with an Illustrator file placed as a Smart Object where you can double-click it to make it open up in Illustrator to edit it there. If that's the case, then, like Federico said, you can go to File > Place Linked to open it as a Smart Object. When you double-click on the thumbnail of the layer of the placed artwork, Photoshop will open the file in Illustrator where you can edit it. When you save it in Illustrator and go back to Photoshop, the linked Smart Object will be updated.

the nearest you could get to this would be using Smart Objects in Photoshop. I'm not clear enough on your intended workflow to know it that would be a viable solution for you.

Operating systems do not allow to ope the very same file in two applications at the same time.

You need to close it in Illustrator and then open in Photoshop.

If it were possible, it could hapen that while you were doing changes in Photoshop, the initial file could be changed, add or delete items that would not be accesible in PS and at the same time editions in PS would not be seen or displayed on Illustrator.

That's said, if you want to edit an .ai file in Photoshop, you should (File:) PLACE LINKED the file.

This way the saved ai file is protected, not altered, when editing in Photoshop.

While you have open the file in PS and make adjustments or changes, you can open it back in Illustrator (the saved version in Illustrator) and edit it there, save and close and you will be back in PS, where the linked file will be updated.

Alternatively, if you make changes in the saved .ai file, already placed in a file in PS, it will be updated.