Illustrator CC Libraries – Assets as editable vectors in other apps

[INTO_RichPaul]

We've recently created a new set of icons in Illustrator and want to use them across multiple users for InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop. We thought a CC library would be a simple solution but are struggling...

Can I check what the correct behaviour for assets in a CC library is? We imagined you could drag and drop from Illustrator and it would be useable as an editable vector in the other programs, although this doesn't seem to be the case. We've tested making the assets in the other apps and get mixed results:

Illustrator vector > CC Library

• Usable in InDesign but only 'placed' in a frame (i.e. you can't change colour etc)
• Smart object in Photoshop, but need to use Illustrator to edit every time

Photoshop shape > CC Library

• Rasterised in InDesign and Illustrator (this is expected)

InDesign vector > CC Library

• Works in Photoshop as shape (hurray!)
• Places in Illustrator as uneditable vector

Is this all expected behaviour, or are we missing something obvious that would allow us to edit the assets normally across all apps?

[Monika Gause · Accepted solution]

When placing your library item in Illustrator try and press&hold the Alt key.

[INTO_RichPaul]

Thanks, that works for importing into Illustrator. How about the other way around?

[Doug A Roberts]

in InDesign you get the PDF version of the object even if you embed it, probably because there are many (vector) things you can make in Illustrator that aren't translatable to InDesign. so i don't think it works that way.

Everything InDesign can do that Illustrator can't is raster-based (i think), so placing editable objects from InDesign seems to work in Illustrator. try, for instance, making a bevel & embossed object in InDesign then alt-dropping it into Illustrator. You get a weird mess of clipping paths and raster objects.

[MaryKJ]

Try copy and paste your image, from illustrator to indesign, make sure in your preferences (clibboard handling) AICB and Preserve Paths are switched on - that would allow you to copy/paste editable vector graphics from illustrator to indesign

[JonahOS]

You've got to place it as a copy, at least inside of illustrator, or it will not be editable.