looking to cut shape in AI

[agunn]

hey there.. i have AI cs2 and what im basically trying to do is take a background image (pattern, kinda like cheetah or zebra print) and im trying to get a shape out of it (heart,diamond,car,apple) ... i have the background image (vectored) that i need to use and i have the shape (vectored) that i need to use... is there a way that i can simply use the image like a cookie cutter??


thanks in advance
adam

 

[Sign_Boy]

I don't quite understand what you are trying to do.
are you looking to do a clipping mask or cut something with your plotter?

 

[Shovelhead]

I don't quite understand what you are trying to do.
are you looking to do a clipping mask or cut something with your plotter?

Like "power-clipping" in CorelDraw.

 

[agunn]

i just looked up the word "clipping mask" and it seems to be what im looking for

.... let me make it a little easyer to understand....

how do you get zebra print into a heart without re-drawing the print IN the heart?.. i have the zebra print that needs to be used

thanks again, hope i made myself clear this time

 

[Sign_Boy]

Give me a second and I'll post it - Shovel I believe they are the same thing.

 

[Sign_Boy]

OK take your image, place the heart shape over the image.
Use your select tool "Black Arrow" select both elements.
Go to Object in your top wysiwyg menu go down to the "Clipping Mask" option and click create. or just hit ctrl+7 that should do it

 

[agunn]

OK take your image, place the heart shape over the image.
Use your select tool "Black Arrow" select both elements.
Go to Object in your top wysiwyg menu go down to the "Clipping Mask" option and click create. or just hit ctrl+7 that should do it

thanks for your help SIgn_boy, that worked great .. now im just left with the excess around the heart...hummm... let me try working on how to get rid of the excess garbage!

 

[Sign_Boy]

thanks for your help SIgn_boy, that worked great .. now im just left with the excess around the heart...hummm... let me try working on how to get rid of the excess garbage!

No problem
Can you see the excess stuff outside the heart or does it just place a bounding box around a transparent object when it is selected.
How do you plan on using this?
What type of final output?

 

[agunn]

No problem
Can you see the excess stuff outside the heart or does it just place a bounding box around a transparent object when it is selected.
How do you plan on using this?
What type of final output?

i can actually see the excess stuff. my best friends wife needs a heart filled with zebra print (cut on a plotter) ,weird i know, but hey it's money right haha

 

[iSign]

try using the "pathfinder" tools, like "front minus back", or 'trim"...

...if the zebra pattern is made of multiple parts, you might need to "trim" them one at a time, or "make compound" (under object menu) to the multiple parts of the zebra pattern first, then select it, and the heart & try the pathfinder tools. (often you need to try a few undoing after each, until you get the right one... after a while you will learn to choose the right one first, but if you don't know what's in front... I just use ctrl-Z a lot

 

[Sign_Boy]

Oh in that case you will need to use the pathfinder tools.
This is a little complex for me to explain.
PM sent

 

[Sign_Boy]

try using the "pathfinder" tools, like "front minus back", or 'trim"...

...if the zebra pattern is made of multiple parts, you might need to "trim" them one at a time, or "make compound" (under object menu) to the multiple parts of the zebra pattern first, then select it, and the heart & try the pathfinder tools. (often you need to try a few undoing after each, until you get the right one... after a while you will learn to choose the right one first, but if you don't know what's in front... I just use ctrl-Z a lot

That's the ticket...

CTRL-Z is great but does not work in real life:ROFLMAO:

 

[Shovelhead]

:signs101:

Fully plottable.

 

[Sign_Boy]

Nice Shovel

 

[agunn]

:signs101:

Fully plottable.

thanks buddy!!! :U Rock: