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How do you cut out a piece in Illustrator?

Published in Adobe Illustrator 2 mins read

You can cut out a piece in Adobe Illustrator using the Knife tool. This tool allows you to slice shapes into multiple separate objects.

Steps to Cut Out a Piece Using the Knife Tool:

  1. Select the Knife Tool: Find the Knife tool in the Tools panel. It's often located under the Eraser tool (you might need to click and hold the Eraser tool to reveal other related tools, including the Knife).

  2. Cut Through the Shape: Drag the Knife tool across the shape where you want to create the cut. This creates a new, closed path, effectively separating the section you cut out.

  3. Straight Line Cuts (Optional): To make a straight cut, hold down the Alt key (Windows) or Option key (macOS) while dragging the Knife tool.

  4. Select and Move: After cutting, use the Selection tool (V) to select and move the newly separated pieces. They are now independent objects.

In summary, the Knife tool lets you freehand cut shapes, while holding Alt/Option enables straight cuts, creating new and separate shapes from your original artwork.

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