How to Crop a Path in Illustrator

Cropping a path in Adobe Illustrator involves several methods depending on your desired outcome. Here's a breakdown of common techniques:

1. Using the Pathfinder Panel for Simple Cropping

This method is ideal for cropping one shape with another.

• Select: Using the Selection Tool (black arrow), select both the path you want to keep (the "cropping" shape) and the path you want to crop (the object being cropped).
• Pathfinder: Go to Window > Pathfinder. Choose the Minus Front option. This subtracts the topmost object from the object below. If your desired result is different, explore the other Pathfinder options like Intersect (keeping only the overlapping area) or Exclude (removing any overlap).

Example: If you have a circle and a square, and you want to remove the portion of the square inside the circle, select the circle (on top) and the square, and then use Minus Front in the Pathfinder panel.

2. Using the Scissor Tool for Precise Cuts

The Scissor Tool offers granular control over path editing.

• Select: Choose the Scissor Tool (located in the Tools panel).
• Click: Click directly on the path you wish to cut at the desired points. This creates separate paths.
• Delete: Delete the unwanted path sections.

Example: To remove a section of a path, click on each end of that section with the Scissor Tool. Then, you can delete the unwanted segment.

3. Clipping Mask for Complex Cropping

Clipping masks are useful for masking images or complex shapes within a defined boundary.

• Arrange: Place the image or shape you want to crop below the clipping path.
• Select: Select both the image/shape and the cropping path.
• Make Clipping Mask: Right-click and select Make Clipping Mask. This hides any part of the bottom layer that falls outside the clipping path.

Example: To crop a photo to the shape of a star, put the photo below the star path, select both, and create a clipping mask.

4. Compound Path for Combining Shapes

This method is helpful when combining multiple paths into a single, unified shape before cropping.

• Select: Select all paths involved.
• Compound Path: Go to Object > Compound Path > Make. This combines them into a single path, allowing for easier cropping using other methods (like Pathfinder).

Example: If you have multiple shapes forming a design, make them a compound path first before using the Pathfinder tools.

Remember to save your work frequently!