Illustrator as Paths ?

[StrongBeaver]

How can I import a illustrator file as paths into Photoshop ?

[gener7]

Four ways to copy a path from Illustrator to Photoshop - The Shutterstock Blog

Vector Smart Object might be the best way.

[StrongBeaver]

I should have mentioned if Illustrator and Photoshop are not on the same machine and you only have an illustrator file ?

[Semaphoric]

Maybe you could open the .ai file in Inkscape, and copy from there and paste into Photoshop.

[StrongBeaver]

I'm hoping there is another method besides installing Inkscape ?

[Semaphoric]

Well, you could install Illustrator . . .

[postrophe]

Hi

Lol, you kinda beat me to say the same.

Pierre

[StrongBeaver]

Hrm, I was hoping for another method why I asked

[Trevor.Dennis · Accepted solution]

What are the circumstances here?  Is it a buddy with the illustrator file, or something like a Lynda.com Exercise file?  If you have a buddy with Illustrator, they could share the path via CC Libraries.  That's how I get things from Illustrator to Photoshop, albeit all on the same computer.

[cmgap]

Sharing it in a Dropbox folder will allow you to download the files as well.

[StrongBeaver]

I was a really dummy with this post, I completely overlooked what I should have known Thanks everyone for the help.

[Semaphoric]

Trevor, how do you get editable paths into Photoshop via Libraries? I can get 'Graphics' that are clearly vector, as I can resize and rotate them with no pixilation, but noting shows up in the Paths panel.

[Trevor.Dennis]

As shapes, and as multiple shape layers combined via Smart Objects.  In the case of a Smart Object, open in your PS document and double click to open in new window. Select and copy the path in the new window.  Go back to your master document. Make a new path and paste.  As you can see below, they don't retain their scale, but you end up with a path.

[Semaphoric]

But that just  opens it back up in Illustrator, doesn't it?

[Trevor.Dennis]

Semaphoric wrote:

But that just opens it back up in Illustrator, doesn't it?

Hmmm... it does too.

This works. Hold down Ctrl and drag across the object in AI and copy

Go to PS, make a new path and paste. When the Paste as dialog opens, chose Paths.

It pastes to the centre of the document window.

[Semaphoric]

That's the way I've always done it. I find the CC Libraries so frustrating. I can't put Patterns from Photoshop into a library directly; I have to save them as a 'Graphic', then open that in Capture on my phone, then save it to the Library as a pattern. And Shapes from Capture or Illy can't have their paths modified in Photoshop. I want Shapes from Capture to be Shapes in Photoshop, with all the editing features of native Photoshop Shapes..

And I really want those Sketch style "raster art brushes" in Photoshop, too.

[Trevor.Dennis]

I really like Libraries and use them as a handy place to store things like logos and anything vector that I might want to use again.  You'll have realised that I am not flash with Illustrator, and almost have to relearn it every time I use it, but there is no denying it has some very handy tools and features.

Regards other uses, then I can see web designers and similar finding it handy for creating style sheets, and I like the View on Website option with a library made from a project with a lot of assets.  That would invariably contain sponsor logos that I know I will need for future projects, and it makes it easy to find those assets next time you need them.   My housekeeping is not as good as it might be, because I often loose links after tidying up my files.  There is a cruel irony in that