How to Create a Clipping Mask in Adobe Illustrator

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By Sum Dum Guy
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Create a Clipping Mask in Adobe Illustrator

Clipping masks can be a helpful and fast way to add some depth and variety to your art designs. These easy to follow steps will show you the fundamental actions required to create a clipping mask quickly and easily.

All screenshots and video found in this article were created on an Apple Macintosh computer.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Adobe Illustrator CS3
A desire to try new things

Step 1

Create New Document

Launch Adobe Illustrator and create a new document (⌘-N).
Step 2

Create and fill a shape

Create a simple shape. For this example, a rectangle will suffice. Fill the rectangle with the color of your choice. In this example, it will be black.
Step 3

Add the Scribble effect

To give the rectangle an interesting texture and look, select it and use the "Scribble" tool found in the "Effects" section of the Illustrator menu bar.
Step 4

Adjust your Scribble settings

In the settings window that appears, tweak the Scribble effect parameter to your liking. Check the "Preview" box to see your adjustments as they are made. I find the "Moire" effect to be very interesting effect to use as a starting point.
Step 5

Once you've adjusted the scribble effect to your satisfaction, click on the "Type" tool in the Illustrator toolbar and create some text. In this example, the word "MASK" was entered using a bold font and the word was sized to cover a large portion of the scribbled rectangle. The text should be on top of the rectangle, not below. Use the "Bring to Front" feature found in the "Arrange" section of the "Object" menu to make certain.
Step 6

Your first mask!

With the rectangle and the text both selected, go to the "Object" menu bar option and choose "Make" in the "Clipping Mask" option.

Enjoy your first mask!