Problem making a clipping mask out of text

[E***@adobeforums.com]

Hi! I'm sure this is a very easy problem to solve for anyone who's used Illustrator for any length of time but I just can't seem to get past it. Here's what I want to do: I want to type my name and then make the letters into a clipping mask to use over a photograph - in other words so that the photo is hidden by all but the letters. Here's the problem: I type my name, and convert the letters to an outline. At that point I can't seem to find a way to group all the letters together so that they all become a compound clipping path when I "Make Clipping Mask". When I hit "Apple-8" only the last letter becomes a Compound Clipping Mask while all the rest remain "Compound Paths" so that is the only one that does what it is supposed to while the others remain unchanged. I've tried every way I can think of to group them but to no avail. What am I doing wrong?

I would really appreciate some help if anyone has an insight as to what I'm dong wrong. Many thanks in advance.

All the best,
Endre

[S***@adobeforums.com]

Hi Endre,

The simplest way to get your text to mask an image is to select both your text and image (your text will need to be located above the image), then select: Object > Clipping Mask > Make (Command + 7).

The text you are using does not need to be converted to outlines prior to creating the clipping mask (which allows you to make edits further down the line if need be), nor does the text need to be on the same layer as the image. Creating a clipping mask will group the two objects together - this group will be placed within the topmost layer if the objects are located on separate layers.

Kind regards,
Lee.

[E***@adobeforums.com]

Thank you so much for your response, Lee,

Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to help. If I don't first transform the text into outlines I get the error message that "Illustrator can't make a Clipping Mask. The selection must contain more than one object." If i do turn the text into outlines (also enabling me to then size it properly) the clipping mask only applies to the last letter of my name and not the entire name. I've tried to "group" them again somehow but that doesn't do any good since the moment I turn the text into outlines it becomes a group automatically. There must be a way to define all the separate letters as a single object to then turn into a clipping mask.

That's my problem. Any further insight would be most appreciated. Thanks.

All the best,

Endre

[Nini Tjäder]

Maybe my tutorial here < <http://www.ninisworld.com/thecorner/tutorials/imgintxt.html>> about placing image into text might help? The first description is about InDesign. Scroll down to Illustrator.

[Teri Pettit]

If I don't first transform the text into outlines I get the error message
that "Illustrator can't make a Clipping Mask. The selection must contain
more than one object."




It sounds like you are selecting only the text object. Your selection must contain both the text object, and the image that you want it to clip.

If i do turn the text into outlines (also enabling me to then size it
properly) the clipping mask only applies to the last letter of my name
and not the entire name. I've tried to "group" them again somehow but
that doesn't do any good since the moment I turn the text into outlines
it becomes a group automatically. There must be a way to define all the
separate letters as a single object to then turn into a clipping mask.




You need to turn all the outlined text into one compound path, not a group. So with all the outlined text selected, use the Compound Path>Make command. Then select that compound path together with your image, and do the Clipping Mask>Make command. (It is not necessary to Ungroup the outlined text before making the Compound Path.)

[E***@adobeforums.com]

Thanks, Nini and Teri!

Both of you were very helpful and helped solve my problem. I needed to make a "Compound Path" first and also I wasn't selecting the two layers right. It's different from Photoshop which I know well. I'm just getting used to Illustrator.

Thanks again. All the best,

Endre

[E***@adobeforums.com]

Thanks, Nini and Teri!

Both of you were very helpful and helped solve my problem. I needed to make a "Compound Path" first and also I wasn't selecting the two layers right. It's different from Photoshop which I know well. I'm just getting used to Illustrator.

Thanks again. all the bst,

Endre