Using the Clipboard to copy artwork

You can use the Clipboard to transfer selections between an Illustrator file and other Adobe products such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Streamline™, Adobe® Dimensions®, and Adobe Premiere. The Clipboard is particularly useful for importing paths because paths are copied to the Clipboard as PostScript language descriptions.

When you copy a selection to the Clipboard, it is copied in PICT and, depending on which option you specify, as PDF or AICB (a format similar to EPS). Artwork copied to the Clipboard is pasted as PICT in most other applications.

However, some applications take the PDF version (such as Adobe InDesign) or the AICB version (such as Adobe Photoshop). PDF preserves transparency, whereas AICB breaks selections into many smaller opaque objects that give an overall look of transparency. If you choose AICB, you can also specify whether you want to preserve the overall appearance of the selection or copy the selection as a set of paths (which can be useful for Photoshop).

To specify copying preferences:

1. Choose Edit > Preferences > Files & Clipboard (Windows and Mac OS 9) or Illustrator > Preferences > Files & Clipboard (Mac OS X).
2. Select one or more of the following formats:
• PDF to copy the selection as PDF.
• AICB to copy the selection as AICB. You can then select whether to preserve the appearance or paths of the selection in AICB format.
3. Click OK.

To copy using the Clipboard:

1. Select the object or objects you want to copy in a non-Illustrator file. Then choose Edit > Copy.
2. In the Illustrator file to which you want to paste the object, choose Edit > Paste.

Note: Some file formats cannot be pasted into Illustrator, but they can be dropped into Illustrator by applications that support the drag-and-drop feature.