Graphics are constructed in layers and the drawn elements grouped to make them easier to modify because you can selectively lock or unlock, and see or not see, each layer.

If you open a static graphics and the artwork has been flattened into one layer, check that you have opened the AI file from the ZIP rather than the PDF. When graphics produced in Illustrator are saved to Illustrator CS2, the layers are maintained if the files are opened with Illustrator CS2 or later versions. This is not the case when PDF files are opened.

When you save an Illustrator document to PDF, it will only be compatible with the version of Illustrator from which it was saved. So if the artist has Illustrator CS4 and you open it in Illustrator CS3 all the layers will be flattened, the grouping will have gone, and the text will have been corrupted. That is why we recommend using the ZIP files, unless you only have Acrobat Reader and only want to view or print out the graphic.

STATIC GRAPHICS