How to Merge Live Paint in Illustrator (4 Steps)

By Daisy Buchanan

Live Paint is a great feature for people who want to paint more intuitively.
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For those of us who find the quirks of drawing with vectors frustrating, the Live Paint function is a great option. Live Paint allows you to fill and color things the way you see them on the screen, even if the vector spaces have not been defined as such. Because Live Paint is different from other fill options, it can be confusing when you decide you want to join two objects that have been Live Painted together. Merging the items is different, but certainly not difficult.

Step 1

Find the gaps that will need to be merged. Choose "View," "Show Live Paint Gaps."

Step 2

Use the "Direct Selection Tool." Hold "Shift" and click on all of the Live Paint groups you want to merge, making sure that all have been selected.

Step 3

Navigate to the "Object" menu. Choose "Live Paint," "Merge."

Step 4

Revisit the "Show Live Paint Gaps" option in the "View" menu. Check that the merges are complete and that no gaps remain between the merged items.

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