Clipping mask vs. selection?

I want to restrict my painting to only part of an image.
1. How is doing this with a clipping mask different from just making a selection and painting within a selection?
2. How can I make a clipping mask to do this?
Thanks.

Actually with anti-aliased or softened edges of a Selection multiple brush-strokes can produce a different result than if the Layer is clipping masked (or has a Layer Mask).
Good point! The effect would be the same as painting once each on multiple, stacked clipping masks? I think it would. My point was that selection = clipping mask = layer mask (something which interests me greatly). I wonder if there are any other ways in which they're not the same.

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Plea from technical artist: CS5 clipping mask content selection as a preference...

I just have to weigh in on this.
I've been trying to adjust to CS5, from CS3, since November. It's now March.
My job involves taking apart and editing complex art created by other people... who have all different ways of working. The inability to see what a clipping mask contains when I click on it, AND the inability to edit the contents unless I first locate the perimeter of the mask and/or switch tools, has me working "blind". It's become a real battle to figure out how the previous artist set things up.
I've found workaround methods, but they're just that. I seem to be doing a lot more clicking, double clicking and tool switching, all of which are that much harder on hands that do this for 10 hours a day.
I need to be able to click on an element and know if it is part of a mask, what other additional elements that mask contains, whether the perimeter of the mask is aligned correctly, etc.
PLEASE make it a preference setting to handle masks and mask content selection the old way. When I'm building new art, I'll be happy to work the CS5 way. When I'm trying to figure out what someone else has done... please don't make me work harder than I already do...
Thanks.

Larry (et al),
[Please be assured...I've invested HOURS trying to get this clipping mask to work before requesting help on this forum.]
The exact same image as per my prior post appears when the file is saved:
Illustrator --> Save As --> PDF
Illustrator --> Export --> JPEG (with and without Artboards)
Illustrator --> Export --> PNG(with and without Artboards)EXCEPT: One PNG trial with "Transparency" selected (turned ON) did not have a white background but did have the unwanted 90-degree corners.
Illustrator --> Save for Web --> PNG
Illustrator --> Save for Web --> JPEG
And a few other trials whose details I omitted to record.
After ~dozen trials...with many permutations & combinations of Adobe Illustrator's parameters...all I can generate is the image in my prior post--with the unwanted 90-degree corners.
Let me fully acknowledge, no doubt I'm doing something wrong...yet I just can't figure out what.
@Larry: Would you please clarify the reference to the Avery labels? Regrets, I looked at the site you provided...yet don't understand how it relates to clipping masks.
Here's hoping someone can throw a life-line.
Many thanks to everyone,
Plane Wryter

Is it possible to make clipping masks only selectable within their objects?

I sometimes work with files which have multiple objects which contain enormous clipping masks. This means whenever I go to drag-select multiple objects on a board it will always select multiple clipping masks, and essentially render this mode of selection useless.
Is there any way to ensure that clipping masks are only ever selected within the bounds of their containing object?
Thanks,
Felix

Sure.
So I'll have a page full of pushpoints, with clipping masks applied to each to provide a photographic backdrop:
But then if I try and select the adjacent pushpoint elements, it will also select the clipping masks, despite the fact that it doesn't actually touch its containing object.
This has lead to quite a bit of inconvenience in many circumstances. Any idea, apart from locking the layers? I need the clipping masks to also be selected when their container layer is selected, but not the rest.
Thanks in advance!

Clipping mask VS. Selection for restricting area?

What is the advantage of making a clipping mask vs. selection for painting a selected area and making sure not to go out of it?
Thanks.

Painting on a layer clipping masked to another layer ascertains that the transparency of the underlying layer is maintained.
For example if a region/pixel of that layer has 50% transparency painting on a clipped layer will result in that region/pixel having the new color but the same transparency.
If on the other hand one were to paint on a separate layer with a Selection of the first layer’s transparency
• multiple Brush strokes in the 50% transparency region could push it much higher
• a single 100% Stroke (or Fill) would cause the resulting pixels to be a mixture of background, first layer and second layer (see attachment, middle clipped, right masked)

Clipping mask wont work

hey everyone...
when in illustrator cs4...i try to put texture on my text and when i try add a clipping mask, i select it and it doesnt work...the text will become seee through and the texture is gone
please forgive my explanation as its hard to explain...i think im doing everything right?? what could be going wrong???

shepney wrote:
yeah i do, just dont know why it goes blank
No you don't Jacob has the right answer this is a question of semantics.
This is how it works
you have text and you have the texture art
OOOPs I posted that too soon
you place the text on top of the texture art that is the text is in the front
Then you hit the keys command 7 or control 7 or object>Clipping Mask>Make and you get this
I did not exactly use a texture but it is the same thing

Selecting objects AFTER they have a clipping mask applied.

Hi There,
What really disturbs me about Illustrator is that after I apply a clipping mask to a set of objects, the program assumes that I would want to actually select that object if the cursor hovers above that masked object if it is outside the boundary of the clipping mask. It's like selecting the "invisible". Is there an option that will allow me to turn that function off?
The logic should be something like:
if object has a clipping mask and
cursor hovers above clipped object OUTSIDE of the clipping mask boundary
then
do not highlight or allow user to select the clipped object
Likewise, this logic should be implemented in the interface:
if object has a clipping mask and
cursor hovers above clipped object INSIDE of the clipping mask boundary
then
highlight the clipped object and allow them to select it.
Anybody know any work arounds? Did they address this in CS4? It's really annoying to have to lock and unlock objects all the time.
Thanks,
Laz

It's not a problem. In PostScript thinking it's
quite normal that a couple of graphic objects
defines one or more paths, and that a clipping path
is applied to the whole underlying path system.
If those paths or path fragments which are outside
the clipping path could not be selected, then it
would be rather difficult to handle paths which are
simultaneously inside and outside the clipping area.
Therefore it's necessary to have access to the whole
underlying graphic - not only to the path fragments
which are entirely inside the clipping area.
Best regards --Gernot Hoffmann

[CS4] Clipping Mask issue (bug?) - Beachball when I try to select masked group

I have a somewhat complex compound path (1400 points) that I've duplicated several times and clipped. I want to make a second copy of this clipped set of objects. When I try to select the group that contains the clipping mask (with the selection tool or in the layers palette) illustrator chugs for over a minute. Once it's done chugging and I have my group selected I hit copy and paste. It chugs for another minute and then does nothing but deselect my group.
I saved the file down into CS3 format and opened it in CS3. I have no trouble with copy, paste, select, scale, or anything when I'm in CS3 - no slowdown at all. I saved the file in CS3 and opened the CS3 format file in CS4 and I still have the beachball/chug problem.
I'd like to note that the trouble begins only when I apply the clipping mask. I can select all those objects and copy/paste/rotate/scale/whatever until I apply a mask and then I can't do anything to them. The clipping mask itself is rather simple - only 26 points.
I'm on a G5 with 8gigs of RAM and over 30gigs of available space in my scratch disc. Any advice or any other users who've had this problem?

No that is not true and you know CS 3 does not come close to CS4 in performance and if I were you I would download the trial, although I have feeling you do not have the resources to to actually run the program and that has you quite miffed,
Perhaps the next release will finally release you, so long!
Tracy I found that there s a setting that is on by default in CS 4 that would make things go a bit slow and always has if selected by the user.
Clearly a mistake I would think but for some reason the default settings for the raster effects is 300 ppi as opposed to 72 ppi which really many times will eat up the memory no matter how much you have, and Illustrator can only use a limited amount of RAM something like 2GB, so that the amount of RAM is not the issue and the scratch could be as wide open as possible but it still will choke.
It may not have the resource to as in your case make a review. So I would try setting the document raster image effects setting to 72 ppi and then when outputting it change it to 300ppi or tell the printer to do so.
Hans I am sure you will now be relieved to find out that CS4 is behaving as it should with the right setting.
Enjoy the trial it is free. You are going to love CS 4.
I am mistaken Tracy and Hans CS 3 also has the default setting at 300 ppi I should have checked first.
Yes Hans this might be an issue that is a strike against CS4 on large complex projects
I am certain it was good idea to change the clipping path behavior. The question is how big or complex does the file have to be before this happens.
Hans you should still try the trial and see for yourself. Of course if you don't have the resources it might be difficult to load the trial.
I would still try changing the setting to 722 ppi and changing it for output after the work has been completed.
Yes I think you found and important bug.

Select color on clipping mask

When I have created a clipping mask and want to select a color from the layer behind I have to select the layer to get the color and then go back to the clipping mask to use it.
I have seen Tutorial on the net where they dont seem to have to do that.
So what am I doing wrong here?

What are the Eyedropper Tool settings in the Options Bar?
Do the top Layers hide the base Layer of the Clipping group completely?
Could you please post a screenshot with the Layers Panel visible?

How do I use clipping mask to cover unwanted background?

I'm practicing illustrator myself. I have a book for illustrator hoping it would show me step by step on how to use the masks to take away any unwanted background in a photo but it didn't do that. Can anyone teach me how or show me where to look for the information on how to use the clipping masks or other type of masks? I went to the adobe workshop video to look for the answer but it didn't show exactly as what i want to know. The image i'm practicing on is a family photo and i want to isolate everything to just one person in the photo so how can I do that using clipping mask? Thanks!!

oh~~~ so i still need to use pen tool to draw the shape out. I thought there's something i could use to make the shape easily. Stupid me XD
I was wondering if you could help me more...can you give me a rule of thumb like when is best to use illustrator to edit image or photoshop?
Thanks for your tip! I really appreciate it!!
=D
Sometimes the only way to stay sane is to go a little crazy. -
"Girl, Interrupted"
It is the journey itself which makes up your life. -
Tiresias, the blind prophet, "The Odyssey"
Date: Thu, 18 Feb 2010 02:00:41 -0700
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: How do I use clipping mask to cover unwanted background?
Draw the mask using the pen tool over the image. Select both the drawn mask AND image and choose Object > Clipping Mask > Make
>

How to make a clipping mask in this particular case?

Okay, Just to begin I know how to make a clipping mask, but for the case that I'm going to present right now I just can't figure out what mistake I am doing (if any). However I am a beginner.
http://vector.tutsplus.com/tutorials/illustration/how-to-create-a-medieval-paper-scroll/
In the link to above tutorial on how to make a medieval scrol I'm stuck at step 25 and would be glad to anyone who helped.
As said in step 25 that expand the appearance of the scroll and select the two then clip the mask. In th above picture I have just selected the scroll to show how it looks.
Now as you can see in the image below I have expanded the appearance of the paper scroll. Then I selected the paper scrol and the yellowish green grunge background placed below it. And the moment I hit Ctrl+7 (in windows) or Command+7 (in Mac) to make a clipping mask the error that showed up has been highlighted.
One more thing, I have clipped masks before too in the same tutorial given above but I don't know what has gone wrong for me in this step.
Please help.
Signed,
Awais Rauf

Why would you want a clipping mask? I don’t see a reason for it.
However, for what you want I would use the Pathfinder panel to combine all the paths into one shape. First use the ungroup and release compound commands a few times each, to make sure you have nothing grouped. Then press the top left button in the Pathfinder p[panel. This should produce one closed path that just surrounds the scroll.

Does a Clipping Mask effect just one layer?

Hello everyone ... Level: Newbie OS: Win7 64bit Ia: Cs6
Once I use a Clipping Mask on a layer is the entire document covered in a mask?
And/or is all the artwork from then on inside the mask?
I've read about how to add and how to remove art from a mask. I've read about how to make and release and lots of other things.
So, then I went and found a lesson that contained the use of a Clipping Mask.
But I'm stuck... again.
I am suppose to Select the main shape and "just" copy it and move it down (doesn't say rather to Paste in front or back but I assumed in back ~ not that it has mattered thus far)
However, while making the main shape I used Gradient Mesh and used an Offset to create a "replica" and so when I go to Select the main shape the mesh is selected and so when I Paste (in back ~ seems most logical) and then move it down the details such as the colors of the Gradient and other such things are visible in front ~ ??
So, I have been trying to abate my problem in lots of different ways.
I have tried using the Pen tool to draw behind the main shape, I've tried making a New Layer and placing it above and below and inbetween the main shape layer, I've tried adding the artwork to the Mask ... I've tried everything I can think of and I've been through many an article in the manual and FAQ's to no avail.
I suppose, what I think I need to know ... is, how ... how on earth do I draw behind this main shape? Am I not able to do it becuase I am not getting behind the Mask?
(Let me apologise to those that HATE it when Newbies follow lessons/tuts and who HATE it when we come here to ask for help. I'm doing my best to learn and to find answers on my own before heading here for help)
Please lmk if you would be better able to help me with pictures of my layers and the art. Thanx so much for your time!!

Thanks as well for your patience with me! It can be difficult to communicate this way, but all we can do is try our best.
As for the issue regarding the author's "main shape"...
Here I have an object with a gradient mesh:
If you follow the directions in step 3 of the tutorial, the author creates a duplicate by going to Object > Path > Offset Path.
And then inputs "0" for the offset value.
I shifted my original gradient-meshed object down a little bit, and there you can see is the simple shape that you were seeing in the author's image. Then they just filled it with that gold gradient and scaled it down.
And as for clipping masks...
As I mentioned before, a clipping mask will only affect the objects and groups you had selected when you created it. For exhaustive information about clipping masks, see this link: http://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/using/clipping-masks.html
I hope this was helpful! Good luck!

Trouble with Clipping Masks

Hello!
I created a pattern in illustrator, and then I created an object, and I wanted to fill half of the object with the pattern, so I used a clipping mask to do this.. however, now when i try to group everything together, the clipping mask in released and the pattern spills all over the artbaord... when i try to copy and paste into a new document, everything is pasted as white instead. When i try to merge the layers, the clipping mask is released...
I'm not sure how to fix this and have been searching for a solution for it. I hope you can help me figure out how to keep the clipping mask from releasing..
Also, I tried rasterizing but that doesnt work either and it makes my shapes all rough and choppy!
Thank you

Thanks for replying but unfortunately that did not help!
I always select with the solid selection tool ^^ infact when i want to select everything i just use command+a.
Anyway, I'm still unable to group or copy the entire picture without the clipping mask releasing..

Clipping Mask not working

Okay, so I am EXTREMELY new to this (I started about an hour ago!) I am trying to make a clipping mask with the mask being the outline of France and the image inside the French flag. Here are the steps I've taken so far:
File>New
Open>Silhouette of France (photo)
Image trace as silhouette>Expand.
Drag in to new file.
Open>French flag (photo)
Drag in to new file and put in separate layer to the silhouette.
Place the silhouette on top of the French flag, select all, make clipping mask.
Then everything goes white!! I can still see the outline, paths etc. of the silhouette but I just don't understand what I'm doing wrong! If someone could explain it to me in layman's terms that would be amazing because I really don't know what I'm doing!
I'll include the pictures I am using and the end result I keep getting...

SoBo,
The France parts seem to be a Group rather than a Compound Path. It would be better if you could expand the Layer(s) completely, also expanding the Group.
As I said, an Opacity Mask may be more forgiving, and work with a Group.
I took the France parts to have no stroke and a white fill, if not, you may give it one (or a black fill), then (the Invert Mask suggested in post #2 was based on a black fill, sorry):
1) Select the two parts of France and Object>Group or Object>Compound Mask>Make;
2) Select all and in the Appearance palette flyout click Make Opacity Mask with Clip ticked and Invert Mask unticked (ticked if the fill is black).
From the OP:
Drag in to new file and put in separate layer to the silhouette.
To have it in the same layer, just have one Layer and File>Place the flag image into it, then the France image, and take it from there.

How do I crop an image with a Clipping Mask using a circle instead of a rectangle?

I watched Adobe TV Illustrator's tutorial about cropping images with a clipping mask. In the video, the presenter uses the rectangle tool with the clipping mask, and makes a reference that the circle or vector shape could be used, but I cannot figure out how to get the circle.
http://tv.adobe.com/watch/learn-illustrator-cs6/cropping-images-with-clipping-masks/
I'm new to Illustrator and need step by step instructions!
Thanks!

Christine,
As Larry said, and as I said in the first post:
For a Clipping Mask, you just create a path, in this case a circle, and place it on top of the image, then select both and Object>Clipping Mask>Make.
You can see the shortcut when you use the dropdown; it is Ctrl+7 for Windows.
At least in the old days, you could also use Alt/Option+O+M+M (easy to remember, Object>Mask>Make).
It is easy to skip/overlook the exact steps.

Help with cutting a whole in an image/clipping mask

Hello.
I am needing to cut out circles in an image so that the background shows through. Sort of like an inverse clipping mask..but I don't know if those exist.. And once I cut holes in the image I am needing to put a clipping mask on the whole thing so that only part of the image is still showing with parts of the cut-outs.
Or i guess if I could figure out how to create an odd shape clipping mask that would work as well.
The image below is something like what I'm trying to accomplish just different image and different sizes and locations of the cut-outs along the edge.

I am not certain about the previous postings but here is how to do it.
1 place your circle on top of the image select the image and make sure the image is filed with white no stroke.
2 Go to the transparency panel and from the flyout select opacity mask make
3. make sure invert is select and clip is deselected as in the screen shot.
Works with linked or embedded images.

Clipping mask vs. selection?

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