How to Crop a Document in Illustrator

Illustrator users can create unlimited clipping masks for an image.

Adobe Illustrator enables you to crop documents by using the "Clipping Masks" function. This tool hides an image area outside of designated clipping marks. You can also remove a clipping mask if for some reason you need to see the remainder of the document. It only takes a few minutes to get started with this tool.

Instructions

1. Open Adobe Illustrator on your computer. Select "File" and then choose "Open." Navigate the browser window and select the text document you want to edit.

2. Locate the tool palette on the left side of the program. Click the rectangle icon in the palette. This icon sits just below the "T" or "Text" icon. Select the "Rectangle Tool" option.

3. Click and drag the rectangle tool over the area in the document that you want to preserve after cropping. Click the black arrow icon in the tools palette.

4. Select the rectangle object you just created. Press and hold the "Shift" key on your keyboard. Click a point in the document within the rectangle you made.

5. Click the "Object" menu at the top of the application. Select the "Clipping Mask" option and then choose "Make." The area surrounding the crop marks you created will be invisible.

References

• Adobe Help: Create a Clipping Mask