Cutting out pictures in Adobe Illustrator can be a useful skill for a variety of projects, from creating digital art to designing marketing materials. With the right techniques, you can easily remove background from photos and isolate specific elements to use in your designs. In this article, we will explore how to cut out pictures in Adobe Illustrator and achieve clean, professional results.
Step 1: Open your image in Illustrator
To start, open the image you want to cut out in Adobe Illustrator. You can do this by going to File > Open and selecting the image file from your computer. Alternatively, you can simply drag and drop the image into an existing Illustrator document.
Step 2: Select the image
Once your image is open, click on it to select it. This will allow you to access the various tools and options for editing the image.
Step 3: Use the Image Trace tool
One of the easiest ways to cut out a picture in Illustrator is by using the Image Trace tool. This tool allows you to automatically trace the outlines of the image and convert it into a vector shape.
To use the Image Trace tool, go to Object > Image Trace > Make. This will apply the default tracing settings to your image. If you want more control over the tracing process, you can click on the Image Trace panel to adjust the settings such as the number of colors, threshold, and advanced options.
Step 4: Refine the traced image
After using the Image Trace tool, you may need to refine the traced image to achieve better results. You can do this by clicking on the Expand button in the control panel or by going to Object > Image Trace > Expand.
Once the traced image is expanded, you can use the Direct Selection tool to select and delete any unwanted elements. You can also use the Pen tool to manually draw and refine the edges of the image as needed.
Step 5: Use the Clipping Mask tool
Another way to cut out a picture in Illustrator is by using the Clipping Mask tool. This method is useful when you want to isolate a specific part of the image without altering the original composition.
To use the Clipping Mask tool, create a shape (such as a rectangle or circle) that covers the area you want to keep from the image. Then, position the shape over the image and select both the shape and the image. Finally, go to Object > Clipping Mask > Make to create a mask that hides the parts of the image outside the shape.
Step 6: Save or export your cut out image
Once you have successfully cut out the picture in Adobe Illustrator, you can save or export the image in the desired format. To do this, go to File > Save As or File > Export and choose the file format and settings that best suit your needs.
By following these steps, you can easily cut out pictures in Adobe Illustrator and create clean, professional-looking images for your projects. Whether you’re a graphic designer, digital artist, or marketing professional, mastering this skill can greatly enhance your ability to create visually stunning designs. So, go ahead and start practicing these techniques to achieve the desired results in your next design project.
