Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
Windows WOW! Glossary
8
Creatively Combining Apps
Creatively Combining Apps
INTRODUCTION
This chapter showcases some of the ways you can use Illustrator together with other
programs. Moving artwork between Illustrator and other applications—such as
Photoshop, Flash, After Effects, or Ideas—is often straightforward. But there are
always rules and limits to moving files between programs, and the following pages
address some ways to make your life easier when working with Illustrator and other
programs.
LINKING VS. EMBEDDING IN ILLUSTRATOR
The major choice you'll need to make when placing art in Illustrator is whether to
link
or
embed
the file. When you link a file, you don't actually include the artwork in
the Illustrator file. Instead a copy of the artwork acts as a placeholder, while the
image remains in a separate file. Linking leaves the file editable in the original
program, making it easy to update when the original is changed. Not only are .ai files
with linked images smaller than those with embedded images, but linking permits
you to link the same file several times in your document without increasing the file
size for each instance. The Links panel keeps track of all the raster images used in
your document, regardless of whether they were created within Illustrator, opened,
or introduced via the Place command. Just remember that you have to include the
separate, linked files if you move the .ai file to another computer.
When you embed artwork, you're actually including it in the file, which can
sometimes be helpful even though the file size increases. Although it's trickier to
update an embedded file in the original program, embedding is the answer if you
need to be positive an image is included in the document. Consider embedding the
image if you need to edit it in Illustrator or it's the only way to retain its
transparency. Also, if there's a danger the linked file won't travel with the document
when sending it to a client or press, you'll want to embed the file.
Recovering missing linked files
If you don't have the original linked files for an .ai file, you can get the images from
the PDF side of the file—as long as the file was saved with Create PDF Compatible
File enabled. If it was, drag and drop the .ai file onto your Photoshop application
icon, and choose Images in Photoshop's Import PDF dialog. From this dialog you can
open any images from the PDF portion of the Illustrator file, save the images, and
relink them in Illustrator.
So you think it's linked?
Flattening transparency (Object menu) of a linked image automatically embeds the
image. Not only does this increase file size, but you can no longer update the link.
