How to use photoshop and illustrator without pixelating?

Forum|Forum|8 years ago
February 24, 2018
2 replies
2300 views

I am illustrating in illustrator for the smooth lines and easy editing but I like to use photoshop to add different elements into the illustration. They both have different tools which help my artwork but when I save my ai file, and import it into photoshop it pixelates and vice versa. If I start with photoshop and import to illustrator it pixelates too. Is there a way to use both programs and keep it un-pixelated?

Thank!

rcraighead

Legend

You can place or paste AI artwork as "Smart Objects" in PS, so they remain vector. This allows you to scale them, freely, in PS without losing quality. You can also increase the overall resolution of your PS file and the Smart Objects remain sharp. If you create your PS elements at the right resolution Photoshop and Illustrator artwork can coexist well together.

If you aren't using "Smart Objects" in Photoshop learn about them here.

Bill Silbert

Community Expert

I think it should be pointed out to the questioner that you don’t actually edit a smart object in Photoshop. When you click on it’s smart object icon it brings you back to Illustrator where you do the actual editing. This means that Photoshop effects cannot be directly applied to change the structure of the Illustrator art.

rcraighead

Legend

Good point, Bill. Puppet Warping and Free Transform can be applied though, which can be very powerful.

E

edgrimley

Participating Frequently

Photoshop is a raster based software and it only displays in pixels. Illustrator will not display imports from Photoshop as vector unless you convert them to vector. (image trace)

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