#Adobe illustrator alternate color ui how to#

This action will remove the overlaps and leave behind the remaining part as a grouped final shape. Select all the shapes with the Selection Tool and then click on the Exclude icon. The Exclude tool will allow you to place two or more objects on top of one another and remove the overlapping area. Consider this tool as the exact opposite of the previous Intersect Layer tool we just mentioned. The fourth and last option under the “Shape modes” section is the Exclude tool. In the end, you will be left with the overlapping shape of the original objects you have used. Then, click the Intersect icon, the third option under the “Shape modes” section. Once you have placed the shapes in the desired position, select them with the Selection Tool (V). What if you could create a shape out of the overlap of two or more objects? The Intersect tool allows you to select the path where the shapes you have chosen intersect. Once the circles and the overlaps are cut out, you will be left with a shape that will resemble an hourglass sand timer.

For instance, you can position one circle at the far left of the square and the other circle at the far right. For instance, you can place a square shape on the bottom layer and two circle shapes on the top layer. You can use the “Minus Front” whenever you need to cut out two top shape layers from the bottom layer. Once activated, this tool will “eliminate” the top shape layers and all the overlaps.

Then you can go ahead and click on the Minus Front icon. Keep in mind that you will have to select all shapes using the Selection Tool (V) and click on the Minus Front icon, the second icon under the “Shape Modes.”Īnother way to select the shapes is to press and hold the Shift tab and then click all the shapes you want to use. Minus FrontĪs the name suggests, the Minus Front tool is used whenever you need to “minus” or subtract the shape you have placed on the top of the background shape.ĭo you need to place a circle shape on a square shape and use the Minus Front icon? Once you use the Minus Front tool, you will remove the circle and the overlapping parts from the square shape at the bottom. Once you do this, select both shapes using the Selection Tool (V) and then click the “Unite” icon, which is the first one under the “Shape Modes.” The tool, once activated, will combine the shapes as well as their paths. The “Unite” shape mode is used to combine two or more shapes into a single new shape of your choice.ĭo you want to combine a square shape and a circle shape to form a single object? All you need to do is place the two shapes into the desired position so that a part of them is overlapping. Let’s take a look at them one-by-one: Unite You can also combine several shapes in various ways using the four tools included in the Shape Modes section. You can use shape modes in a lot of different ways. Once the Pathfinder panel is enabled, you will see two sets of tools: Shape Modes and Pathfinders. The first option is to go to the Window menu, scroll down, and select “Pathfinder.” The other option is to use the following shortcut: Shift + Ctrl + F9. You can think of Pathfinder as a paper cutter, but it's also like a glue stick that can help you combine several shapes together to create an entirely new shape. The Pathfinder panel is a group of tools that can help you create different cutouts using two or more shapes in Illustrator. Illustrator’s Pathfinder is what you need anytime you need to cut out Adobe Illustrator shapes. If you've ever used the Knife Tool or the Scissors Tool to divide objects or crop images in Illustrator, you should know that there is an easier way to cut out shape objects and any image in Illustrator.

#Adobe illustrator alternate color ui how to#

And we'll also show you how to get the same result in Vectornator-a free and easy-to-use alternative to Adobe Illustrator. This step-by-step guide will teach you the different ways you can cut out shapes in Illustrator. In this series, we want to show you how to use Adobe Illustrator tools and how to navigate the tricky vector design software. In the end, we will also give you a preview of similar tools you can use in Vectornator. Learn how to use all the tools found in the Pathfinder Panel to cut out shapes in Illustrator.