Now that you have used a clipping mask to crop an image to a shape with Adobe Illustrator, we must resize the canvas (otherwise known as the artboard) so that it fits the newly-cropped image. Step 4: Resize the artboard to fit the cropped image This will allow you to transform the image independent of the shape and the mask. If you’d just like the edit the image inside of the shape, without releasing the clipping mask, navigate to Object > Clipping Mask > Edit Contents. Or you can navigate to Object > Clipping Mask > Release, and then adjust your shape and/or image accordingly. If you’re unhappy with the result, you can undo the clipping mask by pressing Control + Z on your keyboard. Clipping masks allow you to make an image take the shape of another object of your choosing. This will cause your image to take the shape of the object placed over it. To crop your image to the shape, all you have to do now is use the menu at the top of the screen to navigate to Object > Clipping Mask > Make. When choosing the latter just be sure not to accidentally select other objects as well, otherwise this step will not work. This can be done by holding Shift and clicking on each, or by clicking and dragging a selection over both objects. To do this, we must select both the shape and the image at the same time. It’s similar to how a cookie cutter allows you to make cookie dough fit the shape of the cutter. Clipping masks allow you to take a rasterized image, or a grouping of various objects, and make them fit within the shape of another object. Now we will be using a Clipping Mask to crop the image. Step 3: Create a clipping mask using the shape
Reducing the opacity allows you to see the inner areas of the image that will be cropped. Step 5: Save and export your work Step 1: Open your image with Illustratorīefore we can crop our image, the first thing we have to do is open our image with Illustrator.Step 4: Resize the artboard to fit the cropped image.Step 3: Create a clipping mask using the shape.Step 2: Place your shape over the image.Step 1: Open your image with Illustrator.If you’d like a more immersive and easy to follow lesson then it is recommended that you watch the video tutorial below: The following steps will walk you through the process of using a shape to crop a photo with Adobe Illustrator. Crop An Image To A Shape with Adobe Illustrator To crop an image to a shape with Adobe Illustrator, place a shape of your choosing over your image, select both the object and the image at the same time, then use the menu to navigate to Object, then Clipping Mask, and select Make.