Link feature/tool not working

[birckcmi]

I'm working on an old Mac Pro, in Mojave 10.14.6 and Illustrator 25.4.1. I do a  lot of Illustrator work over Photoshop files, and often flatten the Photoshop file, leaving the filename the same so that I can continue working on the same image, but updated. Lately, starting I know not when, the  "Link" feature in Illustrator  has been placing, over  the in-progress Illustrator image, the same old image. And I have made sure, once I noticed the problem, that I save the PS file after placing the step 1 AI parts in it. It's not a deal-breaker problem,  but I would like to be able to see my progress in Illustrator. Any suggestions? Note: The fact that I am on an Old Mac Pro should indicate that no, I haven't upgraded to the latest version of Illustrator because the latest version is incompatible with the old Pro.

[S_Gans]

Hi. I'm having a hard time distinguishing whether you're using Illustrator documents placed in Photoshop, or Photoshop images placed into Illustrator, from the way this is worded. I feel like you're saying that when you place a flattened version of a PS document into AI, that the next time you open AI, it loads the unflattened version of your PS image, instead of a flattened version? If that's the case, perhaps try changing the PS file name a little before saving everything?

If I misread you, I apologize.

[birckcmi]

Sorry that I was unclear. The finished product needs to  be a Photoshop file,  and the problem I'm describing is one step in the process wherein I stop working in PS, save the file, then open that file in Illustrator to add something that I can only draw in Illustrator. I then copy my AI addition, go back to PS, where the main file is waiting and paste down the copied Illustrator material, where it becomes a new layer in the PS image.

      What's going wrong now is that, if I save the Photoshop image with the new layer (added from Illustrator), then decide that I want to add yet another Illustrator element, say, an hour later, I'd like to be working In Illustrator over the PS image that I last saved an hour ago, but I can't do that because the "Link" tool only shows me the original PS image from two hours ago, not updated with newer, pasted-in elements from Illustrator an hour ago.  God, that's repetitious. But I hope it's clearer. Baasically, the Link tool isn't doing it's job as it was doing it, say,  five years ago. It doesn't update the PS file.

[Monika Gause · Accepted solution]

Did you update the link? It doesn't necessarily update automatically.

[birckcmi]

I never really looked into the Link process, so I have relied on these steps: after making a change in the image,  I click on the Links menu and:  a tiny verison of the color image appears in the Links work area and the menu type goes from grey to black. That makes it possible to then click on one of the three now-accessible link icons running horizontally below the image icon. Plus a get-info style list of image properties now occupies the lower panel of the menu. I've never gone beyond clicking on the second Link icon in the horizontal list-the one that looks like two links in a chain. As far as updating is concerned, I can't update anything until I get a newer Mac, so am I stuck witht this situation until that happens? OK, I'll drag out my Illustrator C-I-B books and read up on Links. Will that help?

[birckcmi]

I can't edit these posts, so: I should have written: "after making a change in Photoshop and saving the file under the same name, I click on the Links menu..."

[Monika Gause]

https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/using/importing-artwork-files.html

There is also a Links setting in the preferences which tells Illustrator what to do when links are updated.

[birckcmi]

Thank you, Monika. It looks like I've got some work to do to get all this down.

[birckcmi]

PS: I just checked the AI prefs, and, sure enough, I had ignored the Links setting and left it at "Ask when modified". I will experiment with the other settings.