How to crop in Illustrator

If you want to learn how to crop in Adobe Illustrator, you should know that there’s more than one way to do it. Do you want to crop a photo in Illustrator, or a vector graphic? Do you just want to crop it visually, without cutting, or remove the trimmed parts? It all depends on your needs. I will show you all the methods, so that you know exactly how to crop in Illustrator.

How to prepare an image for cropping in Illustrator

Whether you want to crop a photo in Illustrator destructively or non-destructively, it’s good to plan the cropping area first, without changing anything. You can use the Artboard for this purpose—just use the Artboard Tool (Shift-O) to resize the artboard area and create visible boundaries. You can then adjust any cropping in Illustrator to this area.

How to crop an image in Illustrator

Now that you’ve prepped your image, let’s get started with the meatiest part of this beginner Illustrator tutorial and start to use Illustrator for cropping.

Step 1

This method for using Adobe Illustrator to crop pictures is the easiest way to crop a raster picture, but it’s only available in the CC version of Illustrator. Open your image and select it with the Selection Tool (V). Then move to the upper bar and select Crop Image.

Step 2

You’ll be informed that your original photo will not be affected by the cropping, which is cool. Dismiss the message and drag the anchors to crop your image. Press Enter when you’re done. This method for using Adobe Illustrator to crop pictures is destructive, which means the cropped area can’t be revealed again if you change your mind.

Step 3

You can also use this method in Illustrator for cropping a vector image. The trick is to embed it in a new file rather than trying to crop the original. To do it, create a New File and go to File > Place, or simply drag the image into the artboard. You won’t have any problem as you crop an object in Illustrator.

How to crop an image in Illustrator by exporting

Let’s continue with another method of cropping in Illustrator. Exporting is a great crop tool in Illustrator. Who knew?

You can easily crop any image, raster or vector, by exporting the picture to the raster version. Go to File > Export > Export As and select a raster format, like PNG. Check the Use Artboards option. Now, only the part of the image within the artboard area will be saved as a new file, and the original file will stay unaffected.

How to crop in Adobe Illustrator using a Clipping Mask

Here’s another way to crop an object in Illustrator. Clipping masks can be an interesting crop tool in Illustrator.

Step 1

If you want to crop a vector graphic in Illustrator, you can use a more universal tool. First, take the Rectangle Tool (M) and draw a rectangle over the picture. Adjust the size of this rectangle to your intended Illustrator cropping area.

Step 2

Fill the rectangle with any color.

We’re almost done using the clipping mask as a crop tool in Illustrator.

Step 3

Now select all the objects (Control-A) and go to Object > Clipping Mask > Make, or simply use the shortcut Control-7. This is a non-destructive method, so the cut parts are still there and can be edited at any time. You can also remove the Clipping Mask by going to Object > Clipping Mask > Release.

It’s a creative and inventive way of using a Clipping Mask as your Illustrator cropping tool.

How to crop in Adobe Illustrator using an Opacity Mask

Opacity can also be a crop tool in Illustrator. It will give you another way to learn how to crop in Adobe Illustrator.

You can achieve an identical effect by using an Opacity Mask. As previously, create the masking rectangle and select all, and then go to the Transparency panel and select Make Mask. You can also easily release the mask in this panel. In a few clicks, you’ll be using the Opacity Mask as an Illustrator cropping tool.

How to crop a shape in Illustrator

Let’s say that you want to use the crop tool in Illustrator to form a shape. Learn how to do it:

Step 1

If you want to crop something simple, like a single shape, you can also use the crop tool in Illustrator, which is hidden in the Pathfinder panel. First, use the Rectangle Tool (M) to draw the cropped area.

Step 2

Go to Window > Pathfinder. Select both objects and click Crop. The parts outside of the rectangle will be cut destructively.

Step 3

You may be tempted to use this method to crop more complex images too, but it’s not recommended—you’re likely to end up with tiny artifacts that ruin the quality of the picture.

How to cut an image in Illustrator

OK, so how can you crop an image in Illustrator if it’s vector and you want to remove the cropped parts instead of hiding them? Take the Eraser Tool (Shift-E) and hold the Alt key. Now click and drag to create a rectangular selection that will cut parts of the image. With this method, you can be sure that the cropped area disappears forever!

Good job! You’ve learned how to crop in Adobe Illustrator

Now you can see that the answer to the question “how to crop in Illustrator” depends on your preferences regarding the final file. But after this tutorial, you should be ready for any Illustrator cropping challenge! Or what about Photoshop? We have a quick tutorial on how to crop an image in Photoshop as well.

Would you rather watch how this is done? Follow along on our Envato Tuts+ YouTube channel to learn how to crop in Adobe Illustrator:

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Learn even more about Illustrator!

Now that you’ve discovered how to crop in Illustrator, you may be starving for even more Illustrator tutorials! Learn the basics of Illustrator and more with these:

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