URGH! Make clipping mask/path out of a placed image?!

I'm having major issues. I'm a n00b at Illustrator, though.
I need to make a placed photo into a clipping path, and I can't figure out how to do it correctly.
It's homework for a college course in Digital Illustration. I need to recreate a photo using only shapes in Illustrator, and to do so, we're supposed to make the photo into a clipping path so that when we draw the shapes on it, the shapes won't leave the bounding box of the photo and onto the white space of the document.
I know to make the clipping mask, you just go to object > clipping mask > make... but every time I do it, and I draw on the image, the shapes still leave the image, so I must not be doing it correctly.
ANY help would be great. I'm about ready to rip my hair out.
Thank you!

Hola Carlos,
Thank you so much for you help!!
your first suggestion worked wonderfully!!
however, i have one more question ... for Carlos or anyone else
i am suppose to delete the original circle but not matter what i do ... select it and hit the delete key, select the layer it's on and hit the trash can icon or even cutting it ... the Edit menu says the actions have taken place but when i hover over the area afterward the path is or seems to still be present.
i have tried and tried to look for an answer in the manual, FAQ's and have even Googled for an answer but i cannot find any info at all about how to delete a path ~ most of all under this particular circumstance. arg!
i've looked at the rest of the tut and i think if i can get past this point i'll be great.
i am wondering if it even matters rather i delete this original path.
any help and/or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
thanks again for your time
ps. i was just thinking ... can this original path/circle even really be deleted? isn't it necessary to keep the shape of the object and/or a part of the mask that gives the object its appearance?

Similar Messages

How to make a pattern in illustrator from a placed image ?

how to make a pattern in illustrator from a placed image ?

Just embed the image and make a swatch of it.

How to make clipping mask with text and vector pattern?

Hey there guys, any help would be greatly appreciated. Im making a logo for a client and am having a nightmare of a time trying to properly use the clipping masks in illustrator CS5. I copied and pasted the logo I made behind itself with a different color just for a drop shadow-like effect. And now I'm trying to apply this diagonal line pattern I created over top the "shadow" I made to give it some texture.
Here's an example of what I'm going for, only imagine the line pattern on the text instead of banner

Eric,
As I (mis)understand it, you can either keep the Type live (or outline it) and:
1) Create one copy of the pattern for each Type object (this will give you the opportunity of having different(ly coloured) patterns;
2) For each Type object, select the type object and one of the patterns and Object>Clipping Path>Make;
or you can:
1) Select both Type objects and Type>Create Outlines, then Object>Compound Path>Make;
2) Select the compound object and the pattern and Object>Clipping Path>Make.

Trying to make clipping mask - HELP!

So I'm trying to make a clipping mask for this graphic in picture 34, I want it to look like picture 35.
I've got the contruction guy on layer 1, and the two cut outs on layer 2 above, I've grouped them all and click on clipping mask/make and nothing happens. I want the two cuts to cut out those sections on the contruction object.
Any suggestions on what I'm doing wrong?

Dan, hold on,
Here's what I did:
1. bring the two white shapes to the front
2. send the black construction guy to the back
3. select everything
4. Effect/Pathfinder>Minus Front/Subtract
Do not use Effect, use the Pathfinder palette, bundled with the Transform and Align palettes.
Then it should work.
Minus Front is the name of the option in the newest version(s), Subtract from Shape Area in older ones.

White gaps in black stroke of clipping mask path

Drew a path in Illustrator - made it a compound path. Made a clipping mask with another object inside it. When saved as a pdf, there are these strange white gaps in the stroke of the path.....

file://localhost/Users/wardmorgan/Desktop/Screen%20shot%202013-08-12%20at%201.57.57%20PM.p ng
Here is a screen shot. Note the little white gaps in the corners of the letters.....

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!

How do I copy clipping masks including relative positions for multiple images?

I have a number of microscope images of the same subject that were taken under three different conditions. I'd like to use clipping masks to crop the images in the same way (the same size but also the same positions relative to the corners/sides of the images. In case that was incoherent, I made an image to try to explain what I'm trying to achieve (the same portion of each image for each set):

condor,
You may, with one image in the set masked:
1) Direct Select the Clipping Path and Ctrl/Cmd+C+F+X+F, then move it by the distance between the centres of the images; you may do that for the whole set by repetition;
2) Select the/each image and path and Object>Clipping Mask>Make.
Alternatively, in 1), you may select the Clipping Path (Mask) in the Layers palette, within the Group.
The Ctrl/Cmd+C+F+X+F is to get the path out of the Group.

Clipping Mask to hide certain area of image

Hi All,
I would be grateful if anyone could help me to figure out how to clip mask only 1 polygon with cat heads because my cat image is so big until it appears on other polygons. Attached below is my screen shot for better understanding. Any tips and help is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance. Apologise for my earlier mail with wrong title as "layer mask".

One way would be to:
1. Ctrl click on the layer 1 thumbnail in the layers panel
    to load a selection of the polygons.
2. Make layer 2 active, then alt click on the add layer mask icon at the bottom
   of the layers panel. (this adds an inverted mask which hides all)
3. Set the foreground color to white by pressing the D key and then pressing the X key.
4. Make sure the layer mask is active and paint with your brush on the polygon
   that you want the cat heads in.
MTSTUNER

Edge Animate CC Make Clipping Mask

Hi guys
How can I create an animation? in a circular mask on the transparent backgorund
exmple :
http://www.arifdemiroz.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Untitled-1.jpg

Thanks Michael for the link
This subject is recurrent in the present forum :
http://forums.adobe.com/thread/1260756?tstart=0
http://forums.adobe.com/thread/1285275?tstart=0
http://forums.adobe.com/thread/1296701?tstart=0
Gil

Why are all paths in Clipping Masks and Compound Paths?

When I open up previous versions of Illustrator files (i.e. CS5), why are all of my paths messed up. Every object is embedded in a Clipping Mask, paths are compounded and in most cases type on a path is expanded into multiple non-editable objects. This causes complete redesign. This is terrible.

Because Illustrator accessed the PDF part of the file.
---> this points to corrupt files.
How were those files transferred to your computer? Are they on a server?
How old are they?
Which versions were they created in?
Did you already try to restart (the computer)?
Any plugins installed?

Ive been trying for hours now but illustrator wont allow me to create clipping mask

I have created the attached logo wit the pen tool. I then cut the middle bit out using the shape builder tool.
I imported this onto a new document containing an image/object i want to clip it to . I select both go to object> make clipping mask.
Both objects suddenly go blank and i can see the no fill/ no stroke icons. If this doesnt happen then ai will plain and simply say "cannot make clipping mask".
This has been bothering me for a couple days now.
Anyone have any ideas?
Thanks in advance.

herms-ra.
You can do it in a quite different/similar way with Cliping masks, without or with the purple/flamelike/smoky coloured background.
Note: There was an error in the first suggestion in post #18: In Step 5) you should select C) (the purple/flamelike/smoky coloured background to cut from) instead of D) (the underlying texture of the dripping black parts), sorry, I just spotted it.
You may (reusing part of the first suggestion):
1) Go back to, or start anew with, the following basic parts (starting with this stacking order):
A) The Compound Path forming the inner dripping black part (in the A),
B) The Compound Path forming the outer dripping black parts,
C) The purple/flamelike/smoky coloured background to cut from,
D) The underlying texture of the dripping black parts,
E) The underlying texture of the inner letter parts;
2) Select A) and B) and copy them both at the very top of the stacking order, then release both Compound Paths and delete the inner path from A) and the outer path from B), then make them into a new Compound Path consisting of the inner letter shapes (you may use Pathfinder>Minus Front or Object>Compound Path>Make);
3) Move E) (the underlying texture of the inner letter parts) up just below the new Compound Path from 2), select both, and Object>Clipping Mask>Make, then hide;
4) Select A) (the Compound Path forming the inner dripping black part (in the A)) and B) (the Compound Path forming the outer dripping black parts) and Object>Compound Path>Make;
5) Select the combination from 4) and D) (the underlying texture of the dripping black parts) and Object>Clipping Mask>Make;
6) Show 3).
C) The purple/flamelike/smoky coloured backgroun, if you keep it, or any other background will will be visible wherever it is not covered.

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.

Cropping vs Clipping Masks etc.

I'm a graphic designer more familiar with photoshop but I'm starting to familiarize myself a lot more with illlustrator lately. I just been having trouble with the correct way to crop things in illustrator using pathfinder or a clipping mask. I have attached an image of what I'm trying to do, just tried a bunch of things but not getting the result I want. I basically want to crop the curved paths to the rectangular box below. Can someone give me a detailed description of how to go about this? I did use a blend to create the curved line pattern but I already expanded it to separate objects, I just can't seem to get any desired results using the pathfinder pallete. I also have a lot of trouble using clipping mask because illustrator has all it's crazy group and I always get errors when trying to make clipping masks. Any advice would be much appreciated!
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v258/stalsby/packagedesign.jpg[/IMG]

For my part you are welcome, stalsbee. Steve is an hour later than I (or not), so when I stopped posting about 00.14 AM yesterday, he posted here until 23.39 PM.
By the way, if you are in a scathing mood (or just tire of selecting the parts outside the Bounding Box of the Clipping Path, or wish to reduce the (file) size for export) you may use the Clipping Mask destructively (always save (a copy of) the artwork before destroying it):
1) With the Clipping Mask selected, you may Transparency dropdown>Multiply (or whatever else than Normal);
2) Object>Flatten Transparency (just keep the defaults).

Clipping mask fail

Hi there, I have just received a poster back from the printer and have noticed the edge of the clipping mask of the artwork has printed. The graphics consisted of an image (placed as a CMYK tiff) and plain vector graphics over the top in some parts. I had a white rectangle (brought to the front) running from left to right (to edge of page) over the image, then I grouped the all the elements (white rectange still at front) and created a clipping mask (a rounded corner rectangle) about 1cm within the borders of the page to keep it all tidy. Where the white rectangle running over the image and the border of the poster come together there is a hairline of colour of the image. From the full view of the page I could see the line but when I zoomed in uber close it disappeared (same in the PDF). I have seen things appear a bit skewed in high res PDFs before even when you know they are aligned correctly so I didn't worry about it sure it was just previewing incorrectly. Anyhoo! hope I have explained this Ok... can anyone suggest why it happened or how to create the artwork correctly. Cheers, Sarah

I think I know what you're talking about. A little of the image leaked past the white box.
Shouldn't have caused a problem, but it did. Sorry about that.
I simulated your problem. When I did the following, none of the image showed past the white box, in Illustrator or in Acrobat:
1. Draw a big box surrounding the artwork
2. Select this and the white box, make a compound path
3. Select this and the image, make clipping mask.
4. Now bring your round corner rectangle to the front.
5. Select all, make clipping mask.
Hope this helps

Clipping mask

I have made a circle; I have inserted a picture into the circle. I want to make the picture round (im making a badge) so instead of gaps I have it nicely rounded in the circle. I cant remember how to do it. I have selected all and then I try and make a clipping mask - I get error cannot make clipping mask the top selected object must be a path or compound. So where am I going wrong?
Ive done it before but I must be missing some steps.

zatanna,
The circle must be on top of what is to be masked (in the stacking order, as you can see in the Layers palette/panel), and both must be selected.
Are those requirements fulfilled?

URGH! Make clipping mask/path out of a placed image?!

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for