Photoshop and using vector objects

L
Posted By
Larry
May 21, 2004
Views
1241
Replies
6
Status
Closed
I am evaluating Photoshop CS and Illustrator CS to compare them to Paint Shop Pro. It is clear that individually they are very powerful tools and offer things that PSP can’t do, however, the fact that PSP can handle vector objects and raster in the same application is a huge benefit. Specifically, the ability to rotate, resize and reposition them in their own layer to blend it with other raster images and backgrounds.

I created a vector object in Illustrator and pasted it into PS. I was able to resize, etc without any loss in quality, but apparently this is the only chance you get to do so because you can’t do anything else until you ‘place’ the object. I assume this rasterizes the vector object, and from that point on any lossless deformation is impossible. Is this true?

I have read that some people use Illustrator for this type of thing (instead of doing all the work in PS) but frankly the raster manipulation is more important to me.

So I guess I’m saying that I am confused how to use these two applications together effectively?

How to Improve Photoshop Performance

Learn how to optimize Photoshop for maximum speed, troubleshoot common issues, and keep your projects organized so that you can work faster than ever before!

M
Madsen
May 22, 2004
Billy wrote:

It is clear that individually they are very powerful tools and offer things that PSP can’t do, however, the fact that PSP can handle vector objects and raster in the same application is a huge benefit.

Photoshop can do that too.

I created a vector object in Illustrator and pasted it into PS. I was able to resize, etc without any loss in quality, but apparently this is the only chance you get to do so because you can’t do anything else until you ‘place’ the object. I assume this rasterizes the vector object, and from that point on any lossless deformation is impossible. Is this true?

If you copy and paste from Illustrator CS to Photoshop CS, the only thing you can do (by default) is to decide the size, skew, perspective or rotation of the pasted graphic. When you have decided that, you have pixels and not vectors.

If you in Illustrator goes to Edit > Preferences > File Handling & Clipboard and check AICB Preserve Paths (or Appearance) instead of PDF, you’ll get some new options when you paste into Photoshop. You can then choose between pixels, path and shape layer. I can recommend that you take a look at the path tools and how shape layers work in Photoshop Billy.

I have read that some people use Illustrator for this type of thing (instead of doing all the work in PS) but frankly the raster manipulation is more important to me.

Well it depends on what you want to achieve. Illustrator has superior vector functionality compared to Photoshop and Photoshop has far better handle on pixels than Illustrator, but both programs can handle both vectors and pixels at the same time to some degree.


Regards
Madsen
T
tacitr
May 22, 2004
It is clear that individually they are very powerful tools and offer things that PSP can’t do, however, the fact that PSP can handle vector objects and raster in the same application is a huge benefit. Specifically, the ability
to rotate, resize and reposition them in their own layer to blend it with other raster images and backgrounds.

Photoshop has the ability to create vector layers, using the Pen, Line, and Shape tools.

I created a vector object in Illustrator and pasted it into PS.

Vector objects from Illustrator will always place or paste into Photoshop as rasterized pixels, unless you copy a vector object and choose the "Paste as Paths" option when you hit Paste in Photoshop. Any Illustrator file opened in Photoshop will always be rasterized.

I was able to
resize, etc without any loss in quality, but apparently this is the only chance
you get to do so because you can’t do anything else until you ‘place’ the object. I assume this rasterizes the vector object, and from that point on any
lossless deformation is impossible.

You assume 100% correctly.

So I guess I’m saying that I am confused how to use these two applications together effectively?

Create your raster elements in Photoshop; create your vector elements in Illustrator; combine the two in Illustrator (or in a page layout program such as QuarkXPress). That’s normal workflow for designs or page layouts containing both raster and vector elements.


Biohazard? Radiation hazard? SO last-century.
Nanohazard T-shirts now available! http://www.villaintees.com Art, literature, shareware, polyamory, kink, and more:
http://www.xeromag.com/franklin.html
B
Barry
May 22, 2004
Thanks for the response.

Photoshop can do that too.

Yes I see now that it can do ‘shapes’. But it seems that any fills/gradients in the shape don’t follow the rotation/deformation until you "apply transformation".

If you copy and paste from Illustrator CS to Photoshop CS, the only thing you can do (by default) is to decide the size, skew, perspective or rotation of the pasted graphic. When you have decided that, you have pixels and not vectors.

Sounds like it can’t paste in objects from Illustrator as shapes then?

If you in Illustrator goes to Edit > Preferences > File Handling & Clipboard and check AICB Preserve Paths (or Appearance) instead of PDF, you’ll get some new options when you paste into Photoshop. You can then choose between pixels, path and shape layer. I can recommend that you take a look at the path tools and how shape layers work in Photoshop Billy.

When I tried this I still can’t get the object to paste in as the original vector image. It either pastes in the same way as before (pixels – meaning I still have to ‘place’ it and rasterize it), or if I paste as path or shape layer it loses all of its gradients and becomes wireframe.
M
Madsen
May 22, 2004
Billy wrote:

Sounds like it can’t paste in objects from Illustrator as shapes then?

Not if you want to copy fills like gradients and such from Illustrator to Photoshop. You can only copy the path either as a "clean" path or as a shape layer. If you want to copy the fill from Illustrator., you’ll have to paste as pixels.


Regards
Madsen
M
Madsen
May 22, 2004
Billy wrote:

Sounds like it can’t paste in objects from Illustrator as shapes then?

Not if you want to copy fills like gradients and such from Illustrator to Photoshop. You can only copy the path either as a "clean" path or as a shape layer. If you want to copy the fill from Illustrator, you’ll have to paste as pixels.


Regards
Madsen
T
tacitr
May 23, 2004
Yes I see now that it can do ‘shapes’. But it seems that any fills/gradients in the shape don’t follow the rotation/deformation until you "apply transformation".

Correct. Photoshop is not intended as a replacement for vector illustration programs like Illustrator.

Sounds like it can’t paste in objects from Illustrator as shapes then?

Not directly, no.

When I tried this I still can’t get the object to paste in as the original vector image. It either pastes in the same way as before (pixels – meaning I still have to ‘place’ it and rasterize it), or if I paste as path or shape layer it loses all of its gradients and becomes wireframe.

Exactly. If you paste as paths, only the path is preserved; the stroke and fill are not. Illustrator objects can not be placed and manipulated as vectors in Photoshop.


Biohazard? Radiation hazard? SO last-century.
Nanohazard T-shirts now available! http://www.villaintees.com Art, literature, shareware, polyamory, kink, and more:
http://www.xeromag.com/franklin.html

MacBook Pro 16” Mockups 🔥

– in 4 materials (clay versions included)

– 12 scenes

– 48 MacBook Pro 16″ mockups

– 6000 x 4500 px

Related Discussion Topics

Nice and short text about related topics in discussion sections