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.



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:
- The A to Z of Adobe IllustratorMary Winkler20 Jan 2014
- Quick Tip: Advantages of Using the Clipping Mask Over the Pathfinder PanelAndrei Stefan16 Sep 2015
- How to Create Pixel-Perfect Artwork Using Adobe IllustratorAndrei Stefan19 May 2015
- How to Scale Icons Correctly in Adobe IllustratorAndrei Stefan09 Dec 2015
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!
