I was working with a client with some multi-layered Adobe Illustrator files. They wondered if there was a way to have all objects go onto a single layer when importing the files to CorelDRAW.

When the layers are maintained, the Object Manager Docker has several layers as shown at right. Also note that a couple of the layers are locked from editing by default. Yes, one click will unlock them if we wanted to make changes.

The simple answer to the question is that you can force the layers to be merged upon importing. If you select a file with multiple pages or layers, the checkbox you see below is just under the file select window of the import dialog box.

When the box is checked, the layer structure and pages are maintained after importing. This is the default. In the case of the sample file I was testing, there was only a single page. I didn’t feel the file would be easier to edit if the layers were merged into the default Layer 1. So while I can show the client how to do it, I’m not sure it is the right answer for them.

This is one of many situations in CorelDRAW where it is easy to answer how to do something, yet the best choice may be to not do it. It is really dependent on the files or project involved to determine the most productive decision to make.