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Question

Help Please: save layers in PDF file

Forum|Forum|7 years ago
January 28, 2019
5 replies
418 views

Photoshop will not let me save my layers when I save a PDF file. It saves it as a PSD but not PDF. Which is of course, what I need for a class. I have tried several things, changing preferences, checking my GPU, uninstalling apps that might be messing with photoshop. Making sure the box that says to save layers is checked... Nothing. How can I fix this??? Should I just buy a new computer? I really need to figure this out.

Thanks,

Going crazy

This topic has been closed for replies.

jane-e

Community Expert

Hi Brian,

Dov Isaacs from Adobe has answered a Photoshop to PDF question on another thread. A part of his answer applies to you, so please read what he wrote here:

Re: [Photoshop + Acrobat] "Export As Optimized PDF" distorts / garbles all vector data

~ Jane

Theresa J

Community Expert

I’m surprised that your instructor has asked for a PDF file from your Photoshop project. I teach Photoshop and this isn’t something I would require from my students. As you can see from Bojan’s response that the workflow is a bit clunky. There are two settings that you have to get right for the layers to work. Also the only way you will see the layers is to open the file back up in Photoshop, so why not save a PSD to start with. Maybe you can give us a little background on the project, and why you have to save a pdf version.

Stephen Marsh

Community Expert

The Photoshop “layers” will not be visible in Acrobat as “layers”, however they will remain as “layers” when opened back into Photoshop.

Keep in mind that the layers are for Photoshop, these “layers” are not truly “layers” in the specific PDF sense, where they are technically known as Optional Content Groups and just named “layers” as that is familiar users of other Adobe apps.

jane-e

Community Expert

Building on Stephen's correct response for those who like to know these things:

In Illustrator and in InDesign you can create Acrobat layers when you select "Create Acrobat Layers" option. Note that Layers were not introduced in Acrobat until Acrobat 6 and the default Acrobat setting in Photoshop is for the Preset called High Quality Print which saves to Acrobat 5. As it turns out, though, selecting an Acrobat version that does support layers does not make a difference.

Here's what I see:

The checkbox to enable Layers is in the "Save as Photoshop PDF" dialog (this preserves the PS layers)
"Create Acrobat Layers" is not an option in the PDF dialog (PDF layers cannot be created)
Acrobat Layers are not supported for Photoshop regardless of the Acrobat version
It doesn't matter whether you convert to Acrobat from PS or from within Acrobat. PS layers do not convert to Acrobat layers. They don't show up in the Layers panel in Acrobat.

Bojan Živković11378569

Community Expert

Which version and OS you are using? I am testing with Ps 20.0.2 on Windows 10 and everything works fine.

Two things to check when saving:

1. Ensure that Layers is checked in Save As dialog.

2. Ensure that Preserve Photoshop Editing Capabilities is checked in Save Adobe PDF dialog.

JJMack

Community Expert

PSD, PSB and Tiff file format support layers. Other file formats do not support layers. Not all Programs support layers like LR does not support layers.

JJMack

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