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unable to copy/paste path from photoshop

Forum|Forum|7 years ago
January 29, 2018
4 replies
35468 views

Hi,

Unable to copy path from photoshop into illustrator.

The other way around works fine. Also dragging the shape from photoshop into illustrator works fine.

Is there an option in the options bar or preferences I am missing?

The process: Copying a path while on the path/shape layer (using sub selection or the selection tool), moving to the illustrator file, "paste" shows a copy of recent copied text from other applications. The paste command doesnt even bring up the "paste options" window.

illustrator cc2017 21.1.0

photoshop cc2017 18.1.2

os - windows 7

Thank you,

T

This topic has been closed for replies.

Correct answer tonyharmer

Also - just removed all of adobe cc and re-installed. Can open a new doc in PS and create a path and can paste into a new doc in AI. Cannot open an existing file - select pixels - create work path - copy - then paste to illustrator. Have been able to do this for years prior to updates. Any help would be appreciated. Thank You.

Hey Michael

This should work the way that it always has. Select the path with the Path Selection Tool and copy, then paste in Illustrator and choose from the two path options. I've just checked here and it's working as expected.

If you're still experiencing problems, then it may be that you have a corrupted preference setting in Photoshop or Illustrator. It may help to reset your preferences: How to set preferences in Illustrator (and the operation should be identical for Photoshop).

It's quite rare to actually need to uninstall and reinstall apps these days—a prefs reset normally fixes the issue.

Hope that helps

Mohit Goyal

Community Manager

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

E

eyeartxx

Participating Frequently

I just upgraded to PS 2022, and I can no longer copy a path from PS to AI. Very frustrating! Export Clipboard is checked! Going back to 2020 for now. It's always something!

tonyharmer

Adobe Expert

Are you using the Path Selection Tool? If you're using the Direct Selection Tool, that may not always work—depending on the path. Then when pasting you should get a small dialog asking which way you'd want to paste the path.

The export paths to Illustrator method is a good solution too (as mentioned by SJRiegel, above).

P

philippf94621854

New Participant

Hi Tony,

I have a problem, that is only apparent on one of my machines (use CC on two devices), and seems somewhat familiar two what was mentioned above. Also never occured to me at work, only just happened on one of my private machines.

Usually, I was able two create a path, and then paste it into a exisiting vector mask. I would have that path in the layer mask. It also worked to copy/paste paths between vector mask and paste into another vector mask.

For a reason I dont know, this doesnt work anymore...

Whenever i try to copy a path into an exsisting (empty) layer, I wont apply the path as vector mask to that layer, but create a completly new layer. (also the path is not in the same position but shifte down and right). Same happens when I try to copy the path into an existing vector mask. Instead of the path being subtracte, intersected,added,.. (depending in the setting of that path in the vector mask it is copied from) to the new vector mask, ps creates a completely new layer.. so I cannot add paths via copy/paste to vector masks.

I tried to check for differences between my machines couldnt find any. also unistalled and reinstalled, reset preferences couple of times. nothing can fix it...

Appreciate any help!

Y

Yellowlines.ca

Inspiring

Hi Tony,

I'm experiencing the same issues than both Tetel and Phil; it started yesterday evening.

Obviously, I started . by purging all preferences from PS and AI. Then restart Macbook.

To be clear:

Problem #1: I can no longer copy-paste a path from PS to AI, but I can copy-drag from PS to AI (AI to PS still works perfectly).
Problem #2: whenever I want to copy-paste a path within Photoshop, it copies the whole layer/folder on which the path is applied.

When doing so, I am using the Path Selection Tool and it did work perfectly until yesterday.

There's clearly a PS bug, but I cannot see where.

Thanks for your help!

Clément

S

SJRiegel

Brainiac

In Photoshop, look under File > Export > Paths to Illustrator

Whispering_EuphoriaB82BAuthor

Known Participant

(to SJRiegel) The export paths to illustrator works fine but its a too long solution. The copy paste from one app to the other used to work fine till few weeks ago and the copy paste from AI to Ps works as well. Im thinking maybe theres a box I miss ticked or a bug.

(to tonyharmer) Using both direct and path selection tools. No luck. Tried deleting the pref files, which didnt work either.

tonyharmer

Adobe Expert

Just to check—the export clipboard preference (General category) in Photoshop is enabled? As you've deleted the prefs it's unlikely to be changed but just worth a shot—I've known stranger behaviours.

The only other thing I can think of is that there is a mask on the active layer when you copy; if that's the case, make another layer (without a mask) active before you execute the copy command.

Hope that helps.

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