Help please in merging and copy/pasting from one layer to another

[Edward24615452c2yy]

Hello all,

I am preparing a book for publication and initially had all files on one layer. Bad form apparently, but I didn't know better when developing the project. To comply with the publisher's guidelines, I am sorting text, images and overprints into 3 layers: text on layer 1, all images and color blocks on layer 2 and overprints on layer 3. Simple, one would hope.

By and large, a simple cut and paste-in-place + select appropriate layer will move an image file or drop-out text to the correct layer. However, I am repeatedly finding that certain elements simply refuse to meld into the proper layer and become a stand-alone sub-layer with the same layer coloration. When I attempt to merge them into the appropriate parent layer most simply will not do so.

I'm also finding that random text blocks are also deciding that they want to be independent sub-layers which also refuse to merge. 

So, my question, obviously, is: How do you merge all these wayward sub-layers into the parent layers? Simply, I would hope. I am quite mystified why drag and drop in the layers panel is not a viable command. 

Thank you in advance; your help is greatly appreciated.

[Peter Spier]

First, just so you know, it's generally bes for your text to be the top layer so that it is les likely to be rasterized if there is any transparency flattening.

That said, you also shouldn't need to cut and paste. You can select an object and drag the little indicator on the right side of the Layers Panel into the layer you want to use.

Finally, if an object refuses to move to a new layer it may be locked, or grouped with other objects, or it may be an Anchored Object in the text flow and must remain with the associated text.