Layers Magazine Tip of the Day - Adobe Illustrator CS2 Tip – Creating a Mask From Multiple Objects.
June 21, 2006 – 12:11 pm | by J. RodriguezLayers Magazine Tip of the Day - Adobe Illustrator CS2 Tip – Creating a Mask From Multiple Objects.
Creating a Mask using a single Path is easy. Put the path that will become the Mask in front of the object(s) to be masked and go to Object > Clipping Mask > Make and Presto – a Mask.
But what if you want the Mask to be made up of more than one Path. The trick is to first combine these paths into one path before making the Mask. Select all the paths that you like to be a part of the masking object and go to Object >Compound Path > Make, combining all the selected objects into one Path. Next, in order to use this Compound Path as a Mask, you have to make sure it’s in front of the objects to be masked. So select the Compound Path with the Selection tool, Copy it (Edit > Copy), and press your Delete key. Now select the objects to be masked and go to Edit > Paste in Front (Command + F, Control + F on PC). Move your Compound Path into position above the other objects. Select the Compound Path and the object(s) to be masked and go to Object > Clipping Mask > Make. The objects will be Masked by the combined shapes of the Compound Path.
Source: Layers magazine.
