Basics of Clipping paths and layers

Hi, I'm not that experienced in working in Illustrator. I have CS4 and I'm trying to create a simple clipping path around some stars that I created so I can place them on top of other pictures and colors in an InDesign document. I'm totally lost and can't get it right--I know it is the "basics."

Easier: if not 4toshop try the Blendings in the opacity like mutiply overlay and staff
the only way
thanx
Imran

Similar Messages

How do I transform a clipping path and layer at same time?

I have a bunch of images with clipping paths that need to be altered. Most images need skewed or distorted, and I can't figure out how to transform the path at the same time I transform the layer - so I do not have to create new paths. Thanks
Working in Photoshop CS2

I’m afraid You will have to employ a workaround.
I would recommend applying the Path as a Vector Mask to the Layer (with the Path selected command-click on the Add Layer Mask-button in the Layers-panel), then transforming, subsequently duplicating the Vector Mask and removing it from the Layer.
Or copy-paste it into the existing Clipping Path and then remove it.
Some part of the procedure may be automate-able with Actions or Scripts and hopefully it will still save at least some time.

Why does Illustrator CS4 save pdfs with clipping paths and make rasters of gradient areas

I am on a IMAC and upgraded to 10.6.8 Jan 2014. I am using CS4 Illustrator to create with. When i save my work as a pdf then reopen the pdf in Ill to make changes, the whole page has:
A.) Multiple clipping paths around it
B.) Most text has now become outlined. Not editable anymore.
C.) Gradient areas have multiple clipping paths of the single gradient area
D.) The gradient areas now become rasterized.
This is very frustrating as now all of my marketing files, some 300+, are worthless. I don't know where to look anymore to find the problem.
Please help.
Thank you very much

John,
I have the presets as you have shown. I had been editing the supplied items as you suggested. Then figured i should ask the questions of those who are better than I.
But still a bit confused as to why the new save places clipping paths around the document.
Thank you John and Monika for your help.
why does Illustrator CS4 save pdfs with clipping paths and make rasters of gradient areas
created by John Mensinger in Illustrator - View the full discussion
I do a save as "pdf" in the format pull down tab. I save to a folder on the hard drive. Where is the "Illustrator editability" check box? I presumed it is in Acrobat some where
but i seem to be lost.
It is in Illustrator's Save Adobe PDF dialog, which pops up before the saved file is written.
https://forums.adobe.com/servlet/JiveServlet/downloadImage/2-6439399-644928/450-397/Untitl ed-1.jpg
Sorry i didn't mention this, but this seems to have occurred when using images and text from provided pdfs.
That's a critical fact. If you didn't do the original save, the above is moot, and it's too late to exercise any control over the save process. Someone else failed to save for editability. The only thing you can do is clean up/repair the content, (release clipping masks, rebuild rasterized elements, expand objects, etc.), and save correctly as AI. Then, if necessary, re-save as PDF with the correct settings.
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Trouble with clipping paths and expanding

Hey y'all. Okay, so I have a Illustrator element that uses a clipping path.
Even after I run "Expand Appearance" on it, it's not trimming the art to the bounds of the path.
It's making for difficult to position correctly when copying into Photoshop as a Smart Vector or Shape Layer:
And it isn't correct in After Effects either.

What you are describing is just another example of the very common need to trim artwork (including filled, unfilled, open, and/or closed paths) without wrecking its already-applied Attributes, Appearances.
As has been discussed many many times here, Illustrator simply does not provide that basic functionality...neither by its horribly-designed cutting tools nor through its problematic and caveat-riddled Pathfinders. Expanding a Clipping Path doesn't serve as a workaround for this long-missing functionality; nor does flattening transparency. You can't do it without resorting to the workarounds you've already tried or others that will no doubt be suggested.
Once again:
NONE of Illustrator's cutting tools (Knife, Scissor) can cut across artwork that includes multiple open, unfilled paths. Open unfilled paths are ignored by the Knife cut. The Scissor cannot cut across multiple paths at once.
Illustrator's recently-added, very poorly implemented Eraser tool comes nearest to the needed functionality. It can at least cut multiple unfilled open paths without their becoming converted to unstroked, closed fills. But it unpredictably alters the shapes of remaining portions and has no means by which to accurately control a cutting shape other than rectangular.
This is a prime example (there are others) of how Illustrator confuses and clutters the interface with multiple under-powered tools designed for similar functions, none of which measure up to a single tool properly designed for the same purposes in most other programs.
Pathfinders are riddled with ridiculous caveats. Those which come close to providing the needed functionality are incapable of ommitting the unwanted deadwood and/or wreck strokes by outlining them.
Illustrator needs a feature that allows any given path to be employed as either a selection marquee or a cutting path. And the cutting operation needs to act as expected regarding strokes as well as fills--as common in any other drawing program that does provide the long-missing functionality (most do; Illustator never has).
JET

Transforming paths and layers together? Hopefully someday...

This is on my wish list for the next Photoshop version: One day, I would like to have the ability to transform a group of layers and a path together - at once. There is no other frustration than to create a very complex clipping path only to zoom out and realize that the bottom of the object in question needs to be skewed slightly. You know once you do that, that you will have to recreate the complete path again as you will never be able to match the skew exactly on the layers and then again on the path. Sigh....

Click on the path, then Layer>Vector Mask>Current Path. You'll see a Vector Mask appear on your layer. Now, when resize or rotate the layer the path will do the same.

Clipping paths and coloring text

So I'm putting a brochure together in InDesign and I'm trying to create an effect that I believe could be done easily with a clipping mask as I understand them to work in Illustrator. But this is not working like I hoped. The basic idea is that I'm taking a text box and wanting to create a mask around a specific section of the text so that it cuts through different characters. However, the text box will retains its properties and the text is fitted to the new box. How can I create a mask that doesn't change the shape?
Specifically what I'm trying to do is have an unusual portion of text a different color to fit with the color scheme of the background. Right now the text and background have the same color a certain area and I want to have that areas text a different color. It cuts through the characters at odd angles so I can't gerry-rig something. Perhaps theres a better way than a clipping path?

Here is what I'm trying to acheive. I can do it in Illustrator but I need InDesign to make this brochure. The color scheme is generally the same. I'm trying to use specific colors aswell. I'm not sure how to get exact CMYK values with blending modes. Also the blending would have to only effect the text and not the background color. It was something I tried but couldn't get the result I was going for. Now I realized I had wrong terminology and this might help clarify. I made a clipping mask in Il which masks out an area. I think think in ID it's a clipping path which creates a new path (causing the text to fit to the path) around the text. Hopefully this sheds more light on my conundrum and perhaps someone knows a way?

Clip Paths and temp-files

I guess that clip paths are needed for all the files I've
pasted from Illustrator, but do I need all the temp-files?
How can I clean up the clip paths, bitmaps and temp files I
don't use in my project? Flash freezes a couple of seconds now when
I add, remove or edit an item in the Library...

Now I may be wrong (see my sig), but there is only one way I
know to get only the files you use into the library. Copy all of
the frames in the main timeline (highlight all frames - right-click
copy frame), then create a blank document, right-click on frame one
and paste the frames. That will only bring across items from the
library that are used, leaving behind the garbage. Save your new
document.

Clipping Paths and Smart Object

When I place a photoshop eps into a PSD file the image doesn't come over with a transparent background. I do have an active clipping path, it showes up transparent when placed in Illustrator and InDesign. Am I mistaking in thinking that the image would be clipped when placed?
I am using CC, but this problem has been in both CS6 and CS4

PS operates on channel-based transparency. Just having a clipping path doesn't associate it with the pixel data. You will have to create a proper transparent layer and assign the path as the clipping path.
Mylenium

Jpeg and PDF clipping paths not showing up in Keynote

I am using Keynote '08 and my boss is using an earlier version. He wants to place a jpeg or pdf in his file and see the clipping path. He has pdfs on his machine that open in his keynote document with the clipping path intact, you don't see the white background of the image. When he places the jpegs and pdfs I have sent him, with clipping paths I created, in the same keynote document, mine show up with the white backgrounds.
Help!

The previous designer here saved jpegs and pdfs with clipping paths that apparantly he can open. I give him a jpeg with a clipping path (created by someone else) as well as save it as a PDF with clipping path and he cannot see the clipping path. He specifically wants to use jpegs or pdfs because that is what he has been using and that is what has been working for him until I sent him jpegs and pdfs that aren't working. So far it is just this one photo as a jpeg and saved as a pdf. I cannot find any difference between these two and the ones he is able to see clipping paths on.
Message was edited by: heatherlor

What is the benefit of using clipping paths for a knock out?

I found a posting saying they need someone to knock out the background of a lot of images using clipping paths. My question is, WHY use a clipping path? I know the rule of not using a selection tool such as the Magic Wand and then turning it into a clipping path and I know why that is. But if all is needed is for the background to be knocked out, why can't we just use the selection tool in the first place and just knock out the background from there? What is the benefit of that clipping mask?

Usually the term Clipping Path refers to turning a path into a clipping path (in the paths panel) for use in older programs such as PageMaker that don't support transparency.
For example if one wanted to import a file into PageMaker and only have a certain part of the document visible, one would make a path (or selection) around the object
and turn the path (or selection) into a clipping path. Sorta the same results you see in photoshop using a layer mask or vector mask.
Also clipping paths are used in certain printing workflows.
Without seeing the posting it's hard to say what they meant and in photoshop 6 vector masks were labeled as Layer Clipping Paths not to be confused with real clipping paths.
Old versions of photoshop also used the term Group With Previous to denote Create Clipping Mask.
photoshop 6:
Photoshop cs6:
Anyway clipping masks and clipping paths are two different things in photoshop.
layer masks, vector masks and clipping masks:
http://helpx.adobe.com/content/help/en/photoshop/using/masking-layers.html
an example of creating a clipping path:
http://www.clippingpathspecialist.com/tutorials.html

Help! Getting clipping paths back on exported lightroom images!

A bit of a problem.
I have 22,000 images, half of which were colour corrected in lightroom, but all 22,000 were exported from lightroom.
So, out of the 22,000 exported files I don't know which ones were colour corrected or not, which is not important until I realise that non of my clipping paths stayed with the exported files.
There were clipping paths on about 6,000 of these images.
So first, is there any way of finding from the exported files which ones were worked on in lightroom?
Secondly, is there a clever scripty way of bringing a clipping path from one photoshop file to another photoshop file (pixel perfect).... preferbly maybe having a folder full of doner files that have the clipping paths that a script gets their clipping paths and puts them onto the photoshop files in the second folder (the two folders will have files with same file names?)

Unless you specifically set Lr to overwrite the original export creates anew file, which doesn't include layers, clipping paths, Smart Objects and a bunch of other Ps stuff. Hopefully, your original with clipping paths is still around because that's the only way you're getting them back.
BTW: as you've discovered, editing an image in Lr after t's been edited in Ps is leaving yourself open to a world of hurt, especially when the image includes editing features that Lr doesn't support.

Clipping Paths + live paint?

Hi all
I have a group of shapes that I am trying to use live paint on. However all attempts to apply the tool have given me the following error -
"the selection contains objects that cannot be converted. Live paint groups can only contain paths and compound paths. Clipping paths are not allowed."
i used the release clipping path command. Didn't work; it created a visual abomination that I screenshotted for your amusement. The second image below is the shape with the mask applied. So the second image is what I want it to look like, but is the one that I cannot edit with live paint.
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d188/OphidianShenzi/shape-clippingmaskreleased.jpg
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d188/OphidianShenzi/shape-clippingmaskstillapplied.jpg
Hope I made that clear?
How do I get over this problem and convert these to a live paint group that looks like it's supposed to?
Many thanks in advance for your help, it is such a wonderful supportive community we have here.
-S

That does not look quite right, perhaps you have more than one clipping path and or an opacity mask.
Can you do a screen shot of the layers panel perhaps there is an order in which mask can be properly release by.

Objects with Clipping Paths?

If I import an image (jpg) with clipping path and covert it to a button how can I get it to display properly?
Thanks in advance.

The problem likely is caused by you combining images of varying resolutions (Image > Image Size).
I wuld recommend applying the Path as a Vector Mask in the original document (change Background Layers to regular ones by double-clicking them) and moving that into the container file.

Clipping path - automation

Hello,
For some time I have been trying to figure out a problem I am having with a script.
I have succeeded to write a script that does exactly what I want, wich is having Photoshop opening selected files, then apply the clipping path and finaly save as .png
The only problem I am experiencing is when Photoshop (CS 5.5) opens the selected number of files, it only applies the script to the first opened file, while the others remain unedited...
I was hoping to find some help and or a solution in solving this problem.
Thanks a lot in advance!
Kind regards,
    #target photoshop
//Input selection
var myInputFolder = Folder.selectDialog ("INPUT");
if(myInputFolder!=null){
    var myFiles = myInputFolder.getFiles(/.(jpg|psd|tif|png)$/i);
    for(var fileIndex=0;fileIndex<myFiles.length;fileIndex++){
        var tempDoc = app.open(myFiles[fileIndex]);
//Track
docs = app.documents;
for (i=0; i < docs.length; i++) {
    doc = docs[i];
    app.activeDocument = doc;
//Unlock Layer
docLay=app.activeDocument.layers;
l=app.activeDocument.layers.length;
while (l>0) {
    l--;
    docLay[l].isBackgroundLayer = false;
    docLay[l].allLocked = false;
//Clipping path
    if (app.documents.length > 0) {
    if (app.activeDocument.pathItems.length > 0) {
    var thePath = app.activeDocument.pathItems[0];
    app.activeDocument.selection.selectAll();
    thePath.makeSelection(0, true, SelectionType.DIMINISH);
//Clear Selection
try {
app.activeDocument.selection.clear();
} catch(e) {
alert("Sorry, dit document bevat geen pad!");
//Resolution
   var doc = activeDocument;
   var res = doc.resolution;
   doc.resizeImage(undefined, undefined, 150, ResampleMethod.BICUBIC);
//Trim
app.activeDocument.trim()
//Save PNG
var doc = app.activeDocument;
var Path = doc.path;
var Name = doc.name.replace(/\.[^\.]+$/, '');
var Suffix = "_DSok";
var saveFile = File(Path + "/" + Name + Suffix + ".png");
SavePNG(saveFile);
function SavePNG(saveFile){
    pngSaveOptions = new PNGSaveOptions();
activeDocument.saveAs(saveFile, pngSaveOptions, true, Extension.LOWERCASE);
activeDocument.close(SaveOptions.DONOTSAVECHANGES);

I didn't have how you set up your files to test this, so I hope it works.
#target photoshop
//Input selection
var myInputFolder = Folder.selectDialog ("INPUT");
if(myInputFolder!=null){
    var myFiles = myInputFolder.getFiles(/.(jpg|psd|tif|png)$/i);
    for(var fileIndex=0;fileIndex<myFiles.length;fileIndex++){
        var tempDoc = app.open(myFiles[fileIndex]);
//Track
//declare all variables.
var doc, res, Path, Name, Suffix, saveFile
var docs = app.documents;
for (i=0; i < docs.length; i++) {
    doc = docs[i];
    app.activeDocument = doc;
//Unlock Layer
docLay=app.activeDocument.layers;
l=app.activeDocument.layers.length;
while (l>0) {
    l--;
    docLay[l].isBackgroundLayer = false;
    docLay[l].allLocked = false;
};//end while loop
//Clipping path
    if (app.documents.length > 0) {
    if (app.activeDocument.pathItems.length > 0) {
    var thePath = app.activeDocument.pathItems[0];
     app.activeDocument.selection.selectAll();
    thePath.makeSelection(0, true, SelectionType.DIMINISH);
        }//end if app.activeDocument.pathItems.length
    };//end if app.documents.length
//Clear Selection
try {
app.activeDocument.selection.clear();
} catch(e) {
alert("Sorry, dit document bevat geen pad!");
}//end catch
//Resolution
   doc = activeDocument;
   res = doc.resolution;
   doc.resizeImage(undefined, undefined, 150, ResampleMethod.BICUBIC);
//Trim
app.activeDocument.trim()
//Save PNG
doc = app.activeDocument;
Path = doc.path;
Name = doc.name.replace(/\.[^\.]+$/, '');
Suffix = "_DSok";
saveFile = File(Path + "/" + Name + Suffix + ".png");
SavePNG();//removed saveFile since it's global, you don't need it here.
};//end for loop that sets each document as active.
function SavePNG(){
    pngSaveOptions = new PNGSaveOptions();
activeDocument.saveAs(saveFile, pngSaveOptions, true, Extension.LOWERCASE);
activeDocument.close(SaveOptions.DONOTSAVECHANGES);
};//end function SavePng

Automate selection of Clipping Path?

I'm trying to create a droplet that will strip out the background of an image using the active Clipping Path regardless of the path's name (similar to the way InDesign automatically selects the active Clipping Path and ignores the other paths. So far I've only managed to automate the selection of a path by name, not by Clipping Path status. Many of the images I work with come from far off lands where they are not simply named "Path 1." Any ideas?

When you select your pen tool, look up in the options bar. There are four path types. You want the fourth one, which cuts out donut holes. You may be able to simply select the paths and change their type to whichever one will cut out the holes for you, (make them all exclude overlapping, or make the inner paths subtract) or copy/paste them into a new path that was created while the fourth pen tool option was selected.

Basics of Clipping paths and layers

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