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_Greg_Maletic_
Participant
March 12, 2008
Answered

Hide everything outside the Artboard?

  • March 12, 2008
  • 15 replies
  • 181020 views
I'm designing some business cards, which have an 1/8" bleed, along with elements that hang outside of the border of the card. Is there a way in Illustrator CS3 that I can say, "hide everything outside of the Artboard" so I can see what the finished product will look like?

I know I could print them out or output to PDF and see it without the non-Artboard items, but these approaches seem clumsy and labor intensive. I'd like it if I could have some sort of "cropped view"--where everything not on the Artboard is hidden--to work in.

Thanks.
    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer Monika Gause

    View screen is indesign only. I wish they would add this to illustrator because I use it all the time. It's so easy to hit W to toggle it on and off


    You might want to add your vote here: Have the option to hide all artwork that falls outside the bounds of the artboard. – Adobe Illustrator Feedback

    15 replies

    Show previous replies
    Steve Fairbairn
    Steve Fairbairn
    Inspiring
    June 10, 2011

    For this sort of job you're better off using InDesign which has Normal, Preview, Bleed and Slug view options.

    For business cards you put everything that's the same on all cards on a master page and the variables on ordinary pages.

    You can duplicate pages ad infinitum – a whole lot easier than making lots of artboards.

    Also if you've got printing on the backs you just work with facing pages.

    I used to do business cards in Illie but have long since gone over to ID exactly for the reasons you mention.

    You can easily copy your Illie artwork into ID or place it linked.

    F
    fvlcrvm
    Participant
    June 10, 2011

    I totally agree. I'm missing this feature for so long. I know about my friends creating white boxes everywhere outside the artboard which is absurd.

    CarlosCanto
    Community Expert
    CarlosCantoCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    June 11, 2011

    you can create your own "hide everything outside the Active Artboard" using Actions.

    self explanatory

    to bring everything back, go to Object->Show All, or hit Ctrl+Alt+3

      georgecoghill
      georgecoghill
      Participating Frequently
      July 14, 2011

      Neat idea for the action, but I want something more along the lines of a clipping mask (without having to create the mask). As others said, just like InDesign.

      Your action will not work if items are partially within and partially outside of the artboard.

      Clipping masks suck in this regard as it messes up easy layer configuration and editing, and doing so with nested layers wreaks havoc with doing lock/unlock all.

        A
        Anonymous
        September 28, 2010

        I have been hoping and wishing for this ever since I started using AI — Now with multiple artboards it's tedious to make and keep editing the masking layer as artboards are added.

        Adobe: Please add Artboard Masking

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          _Greg_Maletic_Author
          Participant
          March 12, 2008
          I've done that, too...but doesn't it seem a little absurd for me to have to create a separate layer, remember to set it to "non-print" status, etc., just so I can see how my item will print? It's hard for me to believe that Illustrator doesn't have a feature like this.
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            _Martha_Bostwick_
            Participant
            March 12, 2008
            I just fudge it either by using a Clipping Mask, or by having a dummy "Masking" layer on top with white rectangles drawn to hide the content off the artboard.
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