However, the five methods explained on this page cut a shape in Illustrator in slightly different ways. As ever, there are lots of different ways to achieve lots of different things in Illustrator, and cutting a shape is one of them. This article has been written using Adobe Illustrator CS6, but the steps are the same no matter what version you're using.

How to cut one shape out of another in Illustrator.

Cutting a shape using the Crop Tool (this deletes unwanted elements outside a specific shape).Cutting a shape using the Clipping Mask Tool (this masks to a specific shape rather than cuts).

Cutting a shape using the Scissors Tool.The following is a general list of things you may try when the issue is not in a specific file (you may have tried/done some of them already) 1) and 2) are the easy ones for temporary strangenesses, and 3) and 4) are specifically aimed at possibly corrupt preferences) 5) is a list in itself, and 6) is the last resort.Ģ) Restart the computer (you may do that up to 3 times) ģ) Close down Illy and press Ctrl+Alt+Shift/Cmd+Option+Shift during startup (easy but irreversible) Ĥ) Move the folder (follow the link with that name) with Illy closed (more tedious but also more thorough and reversible) ĥ) Look through and try out the relevant among the Other options (follow the link with that name, Item 7) is a list of usual suspects among other applications that may disturb and confuse Illy, Item 15) applies to CC, CS6, and maybe CS5) Ħ) Uninstall, run the Cleaner Tool (if you have CS3/CS4/CS5/CS6/CC), and reinstall.Illustrator How to Cut a Shape This article covers in Adobe Illustrator how to cut a shape using one of five methods: Failing everything suggested here (hopefully not), you may start considering your going down this dark road:

Pathfinder tool illustrator