Clipping mask illustrator how to#

Note: Although any transparency in the Opacity Mask will be flattened upon output, the mask itself can be built using standard vector shapes and it all remains vector while working. To go back to editing artwork, click the artwork thumbnail.

To edit the mask, you click the mask thumbnail.

You'll see the mask thumbnail in the Transparency panel. This will make your circle an Opacity mask.

You may then need to tick the invert or clip options on the Transparency Panel (depends on art).

On the Transparency panel click the Make Mask button.

Fill the circle with 100C100M100Y100K (registration) or R0G0B0.

Draw a circle over all your artwork (like you would if making a clipping mask.).

Clipping masks only see the spine of the path, nothing more. Transparency is simply not supported for Clipping masks. It is not possible to 'feather' a clipping mask path, or apply any sort of transparency alteration to the path. Opacity mask can have, well, opacity tweaks.

Click Invert Mask to make lighter shades more opaque and darker ones more transparent.You actually want an Opacity mask, not a Clipping mask.

Option/Alt-click the mask thumbnail to edit its fill without seeing the art underneath.

Before you attempt to modify the mask or the artwork itвЂ™s linked with, be sure you have the right thing selected by clicking the appropriate thumbnail in the Transparency panel.

You can turn this off, while retaining the opacity effects. The Clip option in the panel is turned on by default so the shape also acts as a clipping mask. Open the Transparency panel by choosing Window > Transparency, then click the Make Mask button in the panel. Next, place the gradient-filled shape on top of your artwork and select both items. You can do this in one step by typing the period (.) on your keyboard with the object selected. To make an opacity mask, first create a shape and fill it with the default black-to-white gradient. In this way, you can create smooth transitions from opaque to transparent. They enable you to selectively hide and show artwork inside their boundaries using shades of gray, from black to white. Opacity masks offer a more sophisticated an alternative to the all-or-nothing approach of a clipping mask.

Clipping mask illustrator how to#

Read on to learn how to change this.ДЇigure 3: With the clipping mask selected in the Layers panel, you can modify its fill and stroke. Notice that any fills or strokes applied to the mask are reset to none. Magic! Your artwork is now showing through the top shape. Next, make the mask shape the topmost object by choosing Object > Arrange > Bring to Front from the menu or use Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+] keyboard shortcut.ДЇinally, select everything and choose Object > Clipping Mask > MakeВ or press Command/Ctrl+7. When drawing your mask with the Pen or Pencil tools, be sure to close the path. Wall dcor or prints use clipping masks all of the time. Clipping masks are ideal for creating stationary such as postcards, posters, and invitations. You can mask anything thatвЂ™s visible on an artboard including paths, text, and raster images. You can also use a clipping mask to create mock ups in Illustrator that would otherwise need to be done in Photoshop. Any shape will work вЂ“ including live text вЂ“ and you can set the fill to none to see the artwork underneath as you create and position the mask. This gave me the path that was exactly what I wanted I just had to re-fill a. For me, it was just as simple, but I utilized the Pathfinder tool divide instead. I had only selected the Clipping Group as instructed in that post. You will need some artwork and a shape to use as a mask. I had a similar questionusing Illustrator CC 2021but the Pathfinder crop solution, noted above, left me with just a portion of my clipping mask as a new object. Here are some basics to get you started masking art in Illustrator with clipping masks and opacity masks. I use masks in Illustrator anytime I need to fill a shape with something other than a color, pattern, or gradient. YouвЂ™ll be able to see whatвЂ™s inside the maskвЂ™s boundary, while everything outside its edges is hidden. Applying a mask is like placing a frame with a matte over your artwork. Masks are an essential tool in Illustrator because they enable you to conceal parts of your artwork, which opens up all kinds of creative possibilities.