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How to Crop in Illustrator Download Article Cut part of an image in Adobe Illustrator Co-authored by Shari Fairclough and Travis Boylls
Last Updated: December 20, 2024 Tested
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Using the Cropping Tool
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Using a Clipping Mask
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Expert Interview
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This article was co-authored by Shari Fairclough and by wikiHow staff writer, Travis Boylls. Shari Fairclough is a Social Media & Graphic Design Expert based in Atlanta, Georgia. Shari is a versatile designer with extensive experience in social media marketing, UX/UI design, and graphic print production. She has over 4 years of both freelance and in-house experience working as a UX and Graphic Designer. She currently works as the Social Media & Marketing Coordinator at Guidepost Montessori. In this role, Shari curates engaging content and enhances the school's online presence. In 2022, Shari founded Sunni Aesthetics, a design platform that blends culture, design, and art. Shari holds a Google UX Design certification. Additionally, she studied graphic design at The Creative Circus, has four years of experience working as an assistant teacher, and is certified as a TEFL instructor. Shari has contributed to various publications, including Canvas Rebel, VoyageATL, and 11 Alive, and has film credits on IMDb for her work in "Black Lightning," "The Color Purple," and "The Staircase." She received a BA in Film & Media from Georgia State University. There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. The wikiHow Tech Team also followed the article's instructions and verified that they work. This article has been viewed 837,013 times.
This wikiHow guide teaches you how to crop an image in Adobe Illustrator.
Quick Steps
Open an image in Illustrator.
Click the selection tool.
Click the image.
Click Crop Image at the top.
Click and drag the crop marks.
Click OK.
Steps
Method 1 Method 1 of 2:
Using the Cropping Tool
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1 Open or create a file in Adobe Illustrator. To do so click on the yellow and brown app that contains the letters "Ai.
2 Click New or Open. To create a new Illustrator file, click New from the title screen. To open an existing Illustrator file, click Open on the title screen and then navigate to the Illustrator (.ai) file and double-click it.
You can also find the New and Open options under the "File" menu in the upper-right corner of an open Illustrator file.
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3 Place an image in Illustrator. Use the following steps to place an image in Illustrator.
Click File in the menu bar at the top.
Click Place in the drop-down menu below "File".
Select an image and click Place.
Click and drag where you want the image to go.
4 Click on the Selection Tool. It's the solid-black pointer near the top of the toolbar to the left.
5 Click on the image you want to crop. This selects the image. The cropping tool will not appear unless an image is selected.
6 Click on Crop Image. It's in the Control Panel at the top of the screen below the menu bar.
You can also find the "Crop Image" button in the Properties window in the menu bar to the right. If you don't see the Properties window, click Window in the menu bar at the top, then click Properties.[1]XResearch source
If a warning about linked images opens, click on OK.
The "Crop Image" tool is only available in Illustrator 2017 or newer.
7 Click on and drag the crop marks in the corner of the image. The crop marks are in the corner and sides of the image. Dragging the crop marks inwards displays a rectangle with dotted lines inside the image. The light part of the image outside the rectangle is the area that will be removed with the image is cropped. Center the rectangle around the area of the image you want to keep.[2]XResearch source
8 Click on OK. It's in the Control Panel at the top of the screen or in the Properties. This crops your image.
Advertisement Method 2 Method 2 of 2:
Using a Clipping Mask
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1 Open or create a file in Adobe Illustrator. To do so click on the yellow and brown app that contains the letters "Ai In Vector art, a clipping mask uses the object or shape on top to crop all the images and objects below the object.
2 Click New or Open. To create a new Illustrator file, click New from the title screen. To open an existing Illustrator file, click Open on the title screen and then navigate to the Illustrator (.ai) file and double-click it.
You can also find the New and Open options under the "File" menu in the upper-right corner of an open Illustrator file.
3 Create graphics or place an image. You can apply a clipping mask to a raster image, or vector graphics created in Illustrator. Use the art tools to create graphics, or use the following steps to place an image:
Click File in the menu bar at the top.
Click Place in the drop-down menu below "File".
Select an image and click Place.
Click and drag where you want the image to go.
4 Draw your clipping mask over your image. You can make the clipping mask any shape you want.[3]X Expert Source Shari FaircloughSocial Media & Graphic Design ExpertExpert Interview You can use the rectangle or ellipse tool to create a rectangle or oval-shaped clipping mask, or you can use the Pen tool to create a custom shape for your clipping mask. Place the shape over the area of the image or graphics you want to keep.
To make things easier to see, turn the fill off on the clipping mask shape, and make the stroke a clearly visible color.
You can apply a clipping mask to multiple objects, but the clipping mask shape must be on top. To bring the clipping mask shape to the top click it with the selection tool, then click Object in the menu bar. Then click Arrange, followed by Bring to Front.
5 Click the Selection tool. The selection tool is the icon that resembles a black arrow. It's at the top of the toolbar on the left.
6 Select everything you want to crop. To select everything, click and drag over all objects you want to crop. This selects all objects, including the clipping mask shape.
7 Click Object. It's in the menu bar at the top of Illustrator. This displays a drop-down menu.[4]X Expert Source Shari FaircloughSocial Media & Graphic Design ExpertExpert Interview
8 Click Clipping Mask. It's near the bottom of the drop-down menu below "Object". This displays a sub-menu to the left.[5]X Expert Source Shari FaircloughSocial Media & Graphic Design ExpertExpert Interview
9 Click Make. This creates a clipping mask. A clipping mask uses the top object to crop all objects below it.[6]XResearch source
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Expert Interview
Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about using adobe softwares, check out our in-depth interview with Shari Fairclough.
Co-authored by: Shari Fairclough Social Media & Graphic Design Expert This article was co-authored by Shari Fairclough and by wikiHow staff writer, Travis Boylls. Shari Fairclough is a Social Media & Graphic Design Expert based in Atlanta, Georgia. Shari is a versatile designer with extensive experience in social media marketing, UX/UI design, and graphic print production. She has over 4 years of both freelance and in-house experience working as a UX and Graphic Designer. She currently works as the Social Media & Marketing Coordinator at Guidepost Montessori. In this role, Shari curates engaging content and enhances the school's online presence. In 2022, Shari founded Sunni Aesthetics, a design platform that blends culture, design, and art. Shari holds a Google UX Design certification. Additionally, she studied graphic design at The Creative Circus, has four years of experience working as an assistant teacher, and is certified as a TEFL instructor. Shari has contributed to various publications, including Canvas Rebel, VoyageATL, and 11 Alive, and has film credits on IMDb for her work in "Black Lightning," "The Color Purple," and "The Staircase." She received a BA in Film & Media from Georgia State University. This article has been viewed 837,013 times. How helpful is this? Co-authors: 15Updated: December 20, 2024 Views: 837,013 Categories: Adobe IllustratorArticle SummaryX
1. Open or create a file in Adobe Illustrator. 2. Click on the Selection Tool. 3. Click on the image you want to crop. 4. Click on Crop Image. 5. Click on and drag the crop marks in the corners and sides of the image. 6. Click on Apply. Did this summary help you?YesNo
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Download Article Cut part of an image in Adobe Illustrator Co-authored by Shari Fairclough and Travis Boylls 
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Co-authored by: Shari Fairclough Social Media & Graphic Design Expert This article was co-authored by Shari Fairclough and by wikiHow staff writer, Travis Boylls. Shari Fairclough is a Social Media & Graphic Design Expert based in Atlanta, Georgia. Shari is a versatile designer with extensive experience in social media marketing, UX/UI design, and graphic print production. She has over 4 years of both freelance and in-house experience working as a UX and Graphic Designer. She currently works as the Social Media & Marketing Coordinator at Guidepost Montessori. In this role, Shari curates engaging content and enhances the school's online presence. In 2022, Shari founded Sunni Aesthetics, a design platform that blends culture, design, and art. Shari holds a Google UX Design certification. Additionally, she studied graphic design at The Creative Circus, has four years of experience working as an assistant teacher, and is certified as a TEFL instructor. Shari has contributed to various publications, including Canvas Rebel, VoyageATL, and 11 Alive, and has film credits on IMDb for her work in "Black Lightning," "The Color Purple," and "The Staircase." She received a BA in Film & Media from Georgia State University. This article has been viewed 837,013 times. How helpful is this? Co-authors: 15 Updated: December 20, 2024 Views: 837,013 Categories: Adobe Illustrator Article SummaryX
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1 Open or create a file in Adobe Illustrator. To do so click on the yellow and brown app that contains the letters "Ai. 
2 Click New or Open. To create a new Illustrator file, click New from the title screen. To open an existing Illustrator file, click Open on the title screen and then navigate to the Illustrator (.ai) file and double-click it. 
1 Open or create a file in Adobe Illustrator. To do so click on the yellow and brown app that contains the letters "Ai In Vector art, a clipping mask uses the object or shape on top to crop all the images and objects below the object. 
2 Click New or Open. To create a new Illustrator file, click New from the title screen. To open an existing Illustrator file, click Open on the title screen and then navigate to the Illustrator (.ai) file and double-click it.