Copy and pasting to Photoshop and maintaining position

Question

I have tried to export a fairly complex illustrator file to PSD but encounter a 'not enough memory to save image' error (even though I have 8gb installed). As a workaround I am trying to cut and paste each illustrator layer into a new Photoshop layer. Both documents are the same size, but I can't figure out how to copy and paste and maintain the relative position of the layers to each other once I paste them into PS.
Can anyone help? Surely this is possible!
Thanks

Answer 1

Best method depends on the specific circumstance. But not knowing the specific circumstance, here's a method I have used for many years:
Assume a full-page ad that includes of a full-bleed raster image in the background. Various vector elements and live text need to be positioned optimally relative to the background image. Some of those elements are to be created as vector objects, but "flattened" as part of the background raster image. The final will be delivered as a PDF exported from the program being used for page assembly.
1. Create the background image in the raster imaging program, including bleeds.
2. Set up the page in the vector drawing program or page assembly program to match, including bleeds, with guides at the trims.
3. Place a low-res FPO of the raster image in the page assembly program, on its own layer, or otherwise locked. (A mere screenshot often suffices for this.)
4. Create the various text and vector objects.
5. For the set of vector objects that needs to become part of the background image:
5.1 Draw two small filled, unstroked rectangles (quarter inch or whatever) aligned to two opposite corners of the raster image.
5.2 Select these two objects along with whatever objects I want to rasterize as part of the background image. Copy.
5.3 Paste into the raster image program. The pasted content either auto-sizes to the bounds of the background image because it is of the same aspect ratio, or can easily be scaled to size before being deselected and rasterized. When deselected, the pasted content is rasterized to the same resolution of the background image, on its own layer (depending on the program.)
5.4 If the temporary "registration objects" (the two tiny squares) are within the trim, simply select them and delete them. If they reside only in the bleed, they can be left.
5.5 Apply whatever layer effects or other raster editing desired to the new content.
5.6 Flatten the whole image. Save it in appropriate full-res format. Import it to the page assembly program. delete the now-unnecessary vector objects that have become parts of the raster image. Export the press-ready PDF.
Specifics vary, of course, depending upon what specific programs are being used, and according to the specifics of the design. The basic principle is simply to create a couple of temporary "registration objects" at two opposing corners and include those in whatever you are taking to the raster program. They then serve to establish the aspect ratio and/or size of the transferred content.
Clean, simple, straightforward. Yes, slightly more work than the "just-draw-whatever-'looks-good'-on-screen-and-hang-how-it's-built" school of haphazard design that puts too much trust in all the automated flattening of raster effects applied in vector programs. But the final page construction is also clean, simple, straightforward, and I never have to worry about ugly surprises such as stitching artifacts between too many auto-created abutting raster slices.
JET