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.
#Masking in illustrator how to#
Read on to learn how to change this.įigure 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.įinally, select everything and choose Object > Clipping Mask > Make or press Command/Ctrl+7. When drawing your mask with the Pen or Pencil tools, be sure to close the path. You can mask anything that’s visible on an artboard including paths, text, and raster images. Any shape will work – including live text – and you can set the fill to none to see the artwork underneath as you create and position the mask. You will need some artwork and a shape to use as a mask. 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. You’ll be able to see what’s inside the mask’s boundary, while everything outside its edges is hidden. Applying a mask is like placing a frame with a matte over your artwork. Use the Crop Image button for a quick crop, and the others for more complex image cropping.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. Whether you want to remove the unwanted area or crop a shape from an image, the three methods above will get you what you want. But make sure to hold the Shift key while you drag to enlarge so that the image wouldn’t get distorted.įor high-resolution images, you shouldn’t have a problem with image quality after you crop it. How do I crop an image without losing quality in Illustrator?įirst of all, make you place a high-resolution image in Illustrator for cropping. If you are using the clipping mask or opacity mask method, you must have both the shape (mask) and the image selected to crop. It doesn’t show in the tool panel when no image is selected. If you are talking about the Crop Tool, you must select your image to see the crop button.
Why can’t I crop my image in Illustrator? Use the Elipse tool to draw a circle on top of your image, select both the circle and the image, and make a clipping mask. The fastest way to crop an image into a circle is using the ellipse tool and make a clipping mask. How do I crop an image into a circle in Illustrator? You’ll find quick answers to the questions related to cropping images in Adobe Illustrator below. You will see a Crop Image option in Quick Actions under the Properties panel.
Step 1: Place an image in your Illustrator document. This is the quickest and easiest way to crop an image if you want to trim a photo in a rectangular shape. But if you want to crop out a shape, or have the freedom to manipulate the image, use the clipping mask or opacity mask method.
#Masking in illustrator windows#
Windows or other versions might look slightly different.ĭepending on how you want your image cropped, there are several options to make it happen and the simplest way is no doubt, the crop tool.
#Masking in illustrator mac#
Note: Screenshots are taken from the Illustrator CC Mac version. How do I crop an image without losing quality in Illustrator?ģ Ways to Crop an Image in Adobe Illustrator.Why can’t I crop my image in Illustrator?.How do I crop an image into a circle in Illustrator?.3 Ways to Crop an Image in Adobe Illustrator.