When you paste a
graphic from Illustrator into an InDesign document, the artwork appears
in InDesign as a grouped collection of editable objects.
For example, if you paste an Illustrator drawing of a soccer ball with individually created patches into InDesign, the patches are pasted as a group, which can be ungrouped and edited using tools in InDesign.
You cannot change the visibility of layers within the illustration.
Import the graphic using the Place command, and when you want to edit it, choose Edit > Edit Original to open the graphic in Illustrator.
For example, for a multilingual publication, you can create a single illustration that includes one text layer for each language. You can transform the illustration as a single object in InDesign but you cannot edit the paths, objects, or text within the illustration.
If you want to adjust layer visibility in InDesign:
For example, if you paste an Illustrator drawing of a soccer ball with individually created patches into InDesign, the patches are pasted as a group, which can be ungrouped and edited using tools in InDesign.
You cannot change the visibility of layers within the illustration.
![Soccer ball in Illustrator (left) and in InDesign (right) Soccer ball in Illustrator (left) and in InDesign (right)](https://helpx.adobe.com/content/dam/help/en/indesign/using/importing-files-applications/_jcr_content/main-pars/image_1/df_02.png)
(above) Illustration of soccer ball in Illustrator (left) and same
illustration pasted into InDesign (right)
Import the graphic using the Place command, and when you want to edit it, choose Edit > Edit Original to open the graphic in Illustrator.
For example, for a multilingual publication, you can create a single illustration that includes one text layer for each language. You can transform the illustration as a single object in InDesign but you cannot edit the paths, objects, or text within the illustration.
If you want to adjust layer visibility in InDesign:
Import
the graphic using the Place command, and when you want to edit it, choose
Edit > Edit Original to open the graphic in Illustrator.
For example, for a multilanguage publication, you can create a single
illustration that includes one text layer for each language. You
can transform the illustration as a single object in InDesign but
you cannot edit the paths, objects, or text within the illustration.
![Layered file with Spanish and English layers Layered file with Spanish and English layers](https://helpx.adobe.com/content/dam/help/en/indesign/using/importing-files-applications/_jcr_content/main-pars/image_0/df_10.png)
(above) layered file with Spanish and English layers
Copy
the art from Illustrator and paste it into your InDesign document.
For example, in a magazine, you might use the same design element
in each issue, but change its color every month. By pasting a graphic
into InDesign, you can change objects’ color, path, and transparency
using the InDesign tools designed for that purpose.
Sometimes Illustrator graphics can include
multiple artboards. When you import an Illustrator graphic with multiple
artboards, you can use Import Options to specify which artboard, or
“page,” is imported.
You can save an Illustrator graphic as a layered
PDF and control the visibility of layers in InDesign. Adjusting
layer visibility in InDesign lets you vary an illustration depending
on context. Rather than create multiple versions of the same illustration, you can place the same illustration
where needed and adjust the visibility of the layers as appropriate.
You can transform a PDF as a single object (for example, you can rotate it, or resize it), but you cannot edit the paths, objects, or text within the illustration.
If you’re placing an Illustrator file that includes multiple artboards, you can specify which artboard is used, as when placing multi-page PDF files.
You can transform a PDF as a single object (for example, you can rotate it, or resize it), but you cannot edit the paths, objects, or text within the illustration.
If you’re placing an Illustrator file that includes multiple artboards, you can specify which artboard is used, as when placing multi-page PDF files.