why is Illustrator flattening my export to photoshop?

[paper1246]

I have an index page, which I created in Illustrator that I am attempting to export to photoshop.  The problem is that when I open the Photoshop file, it has all been flattened into a single layer.  I made sure "flat image" is not selected in the export options.  Furthermore, I always get a pop up message that says "Some containers in the AI document have been flattened," every time I export.  The document is a single artboard with 9 layers (each layer representing a different element on the index page).

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Paul

[waleed_maalik]

Hi everyone, i tried to export PSD from illustrator with different ways and these different methods are surly work for you.

(Method 3rd work for me with this attached preview file.)

METHOD 1:

All objects are in different groups and in contain in single layer. ** ITS NOT WORK FOR ME but you may try with your file.

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METHOD 2:

and also i bring all the objects in layers with "Release to layer(Sequences)" and put all layer in single top layer. **STILL ITS NOT WORK FOR ME but you may try for your file.

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Workable Solution for me

METHOD 3:

Select the object from the layer panel and go to Object > Resterize.. and follow the below instruction (user this method for all those objects which are not converted layers) and then Export > Select type PSD and save. Now open this PSD file to Photoshop and Boom! you just converted your AI file to PSD with layers.

I wish this will help for you! Cheers Designers!

Feel free to email: waleedmaalik@gmail.com

[kara fellows]

0down vote

I've wrestled with this problem a lot lately and sometimes I have no trouble, sometimes I do. At the moment I'm working on 18 Illustrator frames for an animation, so I need to export all of the layers to Photoshop for shading. All the frames are built the same way, in fact duplicates of each other in most cases. There's transparency, lots of groups, and clipping masks in each. The simplest frames exported just fine into Photoshop with the layers intact and with everything grouped, transparency and clipping masks ok. The more complex frames started to give me trouble, so I went through the options you all listed above. Copying and pasting the troublesome layers from Illustrator to Photoshop isn't an option since the elements have to stay in the same spot for animation. Bottom line: It was the clipping masks, not the grouping or transparency. At least this time!

[defaulteum1enijvlr4]

Appears to be an Adobe issue, at least they told me they would look into it because they were able to replicate the problem.  I reported a few months ago in 2021.  I suspect its mostly AI....especially if you get the message below where PRESERVE TEXT EDITABILITY is grayed out....usually is a sign its not going to retain the layers and will flatten.  And it doesnt seem to matter if Type Optimized or Art Optimized is selected in Anti-aliasing

 

However, on occasion, I've been able to get exports to work by separating layers containing text from objects.  I have to do more work to layers in PSD, but at least its exporting the elements into layers.  Kind of a pain though.

Also noticed that when building files, start off by creating the elements in their own layer and not moving to other layers afterward.  AI doesnt seem to recognize that elements were moved to different layers but seems mostly WHEN EXPORTING TO PSD.  Same goes for separating elements into layers from existing AI files that were not originally layered....it just doesnt recognize that the layers are present during export to PSD.

Anyway, Im bugging the crap out of Adobe to fix this because this exporting each layer separately for PSD and recombining is NUTS!!!

[Qohen Leth]

I was having this problem right now as well (Ai/Ps CC 2019). Nothing above worked, the solution for me was to 1) convert all my groups and paths to compound shapes (yes, even single isolated paths); 2) to change all gradients to flat colours. Doing this, I could export my Illustrator artboards to fully editable paths in .psd. Compound shapes would be converted to grouped shapes in Ps. I noticed that strokes weren't kept, but re-adding them on Ps is a minor inconvenience at this point. Manually converting and renaming 80 paths and groups is x)

[davidm20114112]

I found that one thing stopping layered psd exports was strokes with gradients across the stroke applied. Once I took this off then it exported the layered psd no problem.

[TommmR]

Please see rickburress​’ comment in Export to Photoshop flattening layers​ and show him your love if it works!

I had the same problem with Adobe Illustrator CC 2019 and a document with

• simple shapes,
• no contours,
• all filled K100,
• each on a layer of itself.

Tried so many things, still got one layer only in the exported PSD.

Rick’s FIX worked for me.

Not quoting his fix here b/c he deserves your “helpful” click if it helps

Cheers,

Tom in Germany

[Stazzyboo17]

Guys I figured it out after months!! I took the problem file and kept eliminating objects until the file exported as layered. It's the gradients or specifically gradients with transparancy. All you need to do is select the gradient and go to Objects > Flatten Transparancy, make sure to select "Preserve Alpha Transparancy" to preserve the transperent effect and set it to resolution that fits your needs!

[3jeeb]

another solve that might fix the issue.. Overprint Fill button is checked. While it is checked, it kept giving me the flattening message So, head to Windows - Attributes - and Uncheck the Overprint Fill. And save to photoshop as usual.

Hope it helps.

[Jonya5DDA]

In my case , in Illustrator I made each layer as a group and only after that it exported perfectly.

[Danielle Langston]

I tried outlining all text, outlining strokes, ungrouping everything, making sure there were no clipping masks or transparency settings and nothing worked for me. BUT....I then took my offending layer in AI (the layer that everything was flattening into in PS) which was the top dieline layer in my file, and moved it to the bottom of the layer order. I then tried exporting with layers to Photoshop and it worked! I then opened the file in Photoshop and reordered my layers accordingly, and everything worked perfectly. I don't know exactly what is wrong with the dieline layer...but I've at least got a work around.  

Thank you everyone for the suggestions, and maybe give this a try if needed. 

[Monika Gause]

This thread is from 2011.

Please create a new one and tell us what exactly is happening step by step.

Also: system, version and file size/dimensions/number of layers.

[Gagan Parida]

 

•  this is why the 1st image. All layers are children to its parent LAYER 4 . But in 2nd image i recordered the Layers and here all layers are individual. So problem solved while exporting PSD. ❤️ From india . 

[Gagan Parida]

Reordered the layer * solved the problem. 

[Mohit Goyal]

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

[TorQueMoD2]

I made a quick tutorial showing an updated way to get an Illustrator file over to Photoshop with all of your layers and groups intact: https://youtu.be/H3YemgRW0cQ

[Monika Gause]

The issue you have in your video is that you did not fully analyze the content of that file. It has a clipping mask. And that is what you originally didn't release. So starting from 3:56 you select the content of the clipping mask. But I don't understand why you copy and paste at all and don't do it in the original file.

[TorQueMoD2]

Yeah, I realized after that I didn't need to copy and paste to a new file, but I didn't want to re-record the video 😛

I've literally never used Illustrator before today, and this was all from a bunch of research I did online through various videos. 

[Monika Gause]

Maybe tell people to skip the first 4 minutes.

[Fatemeh254107769aqy]

I have the same problem

[Monika Gause]

Is there any transparency in the file?

Overprinting?

[sbn85]

Im having the same problem and nothing works! Ungrouping doesnt work, latest version of illustrator 29.3.1

Not only it works sluggish, but also features that works perfectly fine years ago no doesnt work, it's rediculus and sad what devlopers did with this software!

[Monika Gause]

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@sbn85  schrieb:

Im having the same problem and nothing works! Ungrouping doesnt work, latest version of illustrator 29.3.1

Not only it works sluggish, but also features that works perfectly fine years ago no doesnt work, it's rediculus and sad what devlopers did with this software!

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So the same file that used to work previously doesn't work with the latest version?

[sbn85]

no, I dont know about that, Im reffering to the bigger problem, I dont understand why software is degrading over time with each new version.

Years ago I was working in Illustrator 2018 having no issues with exporting to PSD with all layers I needed, workflow was smooth. Recently when I had occasion to jump back in to illustrator do some design work, I updated illustrator to new version (which btw suddenly deleted my old illustrator version) and now exporting to PSD file flattens everything and I have to waste half of the day moving obejcts from Illustrator to photshop manually instead of do some actual work. Im super frustrated using Adobe products recent years. I'm working with Adobe software 20 years now and I dont remember having any of this problem decades ago!

[Monika Gause]

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@sbn85  schrieb:

no, I dont know about that, Im reffering to the bigger problem, I dont understand why software is degrading over time with each new version.

---

It's not doing that.

I have just tried and exported an AI test file (for exporting) that I created in 2007 and exported successfully back then and it did export like it did back then. No problems at all.

The thing with PSD export has always been that you have to build the file with export in mind: using layers, not using transparency or overprint etc.

As for the update deleting your previous version: that is a setting in the Creative Cloud app that you can turn off.

[sbn85]

are you serious? So I am lying? Do you think is my hobby to go here and compain? I exported thousands of files in past thank you for lecture.

Adobe totally doing that. Eeach new version is more crap then previous one. And Im pissed off not because of one thing, it's another 1000th thing. Happy user wouldn't complaining but just working.

Regarding CC app, please tell me where exactly is that option in updated cc app, Im pretty sure I had this option checked OFF before, because I had few version of photoshop and illustrator installed before, I remember that there was this checkbox somewhere but somehow I can not find it now.