Illustrator in 60 Seconds: How to Use Clipping Masks

Welcome to our Illustrator in 60 Seconds series, in which you can learn an Illustrator skill, feature, or technique in just a minute!

Illustrator in 60 Seconds: Clipping Masks

Struggling to understand how Clipping Masks work in Illustrator? Well have no fear, Illustrator in 60 Seconds is here to make it all clear.

Give our little how-to a go, and I promise you will be using Clipping Masks like a pro.

From understanding what masks are to how to use them, you'll be eased in step by step so that everything can be as clear as possible.

How to Use Clipping Masks in Illustrator

A Clipping Mask is an object whose shape masks other artwork so that only areas within the shape are visible.

Start out by deciding what it is that you want to partially hide from the rest of your artwork. Next, create a Mask by using either the Pen Tool or the Default Shapes that Illustrator comes pre-packed with, making sure to Overlap the areas that you want to remain visible.

Finally, once you have the mask in position. You simply select both shapes of your artwork and then you Right-click and hit Make Clipping Mask option.

Make Clipping Mask option in Adobe Illustrator

Want to see this in action? Check out the quick video above to see this lesson at work!

A Bit More Detail

Want to learn more about Adobe Illustrator's vast tools and settings? Check out these tutorials below:

60 Seconds?!

This is part of a new series of quick video tutorials on Envato Tuts+. We're aiming to introduce a range of subjects, all in 60 seconds—just enough to whet your appetite. Let us know in the comments what you thought of this video and what else you'd like to see explained in 60 seconds!