How to Use a Photoshop File in Adobe Illustrator

One of the great things about using Adobe Creative Suite is that the programs integrate so nicely. If a graphic component has been created in Photoshop that will be used in an Illustrator layout, the Photoshop layers can be imported as Illustrator sublayers where other effects can be applied.

1. Go to File > Place. Select the Photoshop file and check Show Import Options.
2. In the Import Options, turn on Convert Layers to Objects.
3. Place the image and go to the Layers Panel to expand the current layer so you can see the sublayers. Now expand the Photoshop file sublayer.
4. The Photoshop layers have been converted to objects. Notice that, with this file, some of the Photoshop layers are also expandable. That's because type and vector shapes created in Photoshop retain their properties and are therefore editable in Illustrator. Here the petals sublayer has been expanded to show the vector path. Using the Direct Selection Tool [], the Target button has been clicked so the anchor points are visible, meaning the path could be edited.
5. The bottom Photoshop sublayer is a bitmap, but Illustrator effects can still be applied to it by selecting the sublayer, then going to the Appearance Panel. Click the fx icon and choose an effect.
6. Here's the effect being previewed.