Photoshop CS2 has a new way of understanding vector data. This is called smart objects. Many times we face a situation where we have to import artwork from some vector drawing application to photoshop. Lets take this case. we have created a background in photoshop.
Also our client provides us a logo artwork in illustrator format. Now our job is to place this logo on the background we created in photoshop. You open the logo in illustrator and press Ctrl+C to copy the artwork on clipboard.
Switch to photoshop and press Ctrl+V to paste the artwork. The paste warning appears and we select pixels. Press OK.
Logo is pasted on our background. So far so good. But in case you have to do some transformation on this logo like scaling up, look what will happen.
You press Ctrl+T and scale the logo up. Since out logo's vector artwork is converted to pixels it will become pixellated. All the quality is lost.
Here Smart Objects come into picture. Lets Copy logo again from illustrator and try to paste in photoshop. This time instead of pixels choose smart object from paste options.
It will be pasted in a new layer with a special thumbnail reserved for smart objects.
Its pasted in its normal size on our background.
Lets try to scale it up now. Wow, the quality is as good as it was in small size. Now you can perform any transformations and its quality will remain intact thanks to smart objects.
