Illustrator

Apply Pathfinder effects

Pathfinder effects let you create new shapes out of overlapping objects. You can apply Pathfinder effects by using the Effects menu or the Pathfinder panel.

  • Pathfinder effects in the Effects menu can only be applied to groups and layers. After you apply the effect, you can still select and edit the original objects. You can also use the Appearance panel to modify or remove the effect.

  • Pathfinder effects in the Pathfinder panel can be applied to any combination of objects, groups, and layers. The final shape combination is created when you click a pathfinder button; after that, you cannot edit the original objects. If the effect results in multiple objects, they are automatically grouped together.

For a video on using Pathfinder effects and clipping masks and how to import clipping masks into Flash, see www.adobe.com/go/vid0057.

Apply a Pathfinder effect using the Effects menu

  1. Do one of the following:

    • Group together the objects you want to use, and select the group.

    • Move the objects you want to use into a separate layer, and target the layer.

  2. Choose Effect > Pathfinder and choose a Pathfinder effect.
    To quickly apply the same Pathfinder effect again, choose Effect > Apply [effect].

Apply a Pathfinder effect using the Pathfinder panel

  1. Select the objects to which you want to apply the effect.

    To apply a Pathfinder effect to a group or layer, target the group or layer.

  2. In the Pathfinder panel, click a pathfinder button (in the bottom row), or Alt‑click (Windows) or Option‑click (Mac OS) a Shape Mode button (in the top row).

Summary of Pathfinder effects

Add
Traces the outline of all objects as if they were a single, merged object. The resulting shape takes on the paint attributes of the top object.

Intersect
Traces the outline of the region overlapped by all the objects.

Exclude
Traces all nonoverlapping areas of the objects, and makes overlapping areas transparent. Where an even number of objects overlap, the overlap becomes transparent. Where an odd number of objects overlap, the overlap becomes filled.

Subtract
Subtracts the frontmost objects from the backmost object. You can use this command to delete areas of an illustration by adjusting the stacking order.

Minus Back
Subtracts the objects in back from the frontmost object. You can use this command to delete areas of an illustration by adjusting the stacking order.

Divide
Separates a piece of artwork into its component filled faces (a face is an area undivided by a line segment).
Note: When you use the Divide button in the Pathfinder panel, you can use the Direct Selection or Group Selection tool to manipulate the resulting faces independently of each other. You can also choose to delete or preserve unfilled objects when applying the Divide command.

Trim
Removes the part of a filled object that is hidden. It removes any strokes and does not merge objects of the same color.

Merge
Removes the part of a filled object that is hidden. It removes any strokes and merges any adjoining or overlapping objects filled with the same color.

Crop
Divides artwork into its component filled faces, and then deletes all the parts of the artwork that fall outside the boundary of the topmost object. It also removes any strokes.

Outline
Divides an object into its component line segments, or edges. This command is useful for preparing artwork that needs a trap for overprinting objects. (See Create a trap.)
Note: When you use the Outline button in the Pathfinder panel, you can use the Direct Selection or Group Selection tool to manipulate each edge independently. You can also choose to delete or preserve unfilled objects when applying the Outline command.