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Participant
November 30, 2016
Answered

Why is my "Draw Inside" disabled?

  • November 30, 2016
  • 6 replies
  • 43644 views

Just like shown in the image above, why is this turned off and what can I do to use it?

    Correct answer jane-e

    Or you have a Group selected. 

     

    It could be any of these ideas! 

     

    Select one path and try again. Does it work now? 

     

    Jane

     

    6 replies

    Participant
    October 8, 2025

    yes

    Just like shown in the image above, why is this turned off and what can I do to use it?

     

    Ton Frederiks
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    October 8, 2025

    This is a nine years old thread with a correct answer. Can you create a new one and give some details and screenshots why it is not working for you?

    Participant
    October 8, 2025

    yes

    jane-e
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    November 30, 2016

    Oh, but I did just find something that I think is truly odd. I was about to say it might be a line, because how can you draw inside a line? It turns out that you can. But you can't see it in Preview. Because it is a line, after all.

    Here is my illustration in GPU Preview:

    Here is the same illustration in Outline View:

    And one more time, here it is in Isolation mode:

    jane-e
    Community Expert
    jane-eCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
    Community Expert
    November 30, 2016

    Or you have a Group selected. 

     

    It could be any of these ideas! 

     

    Select one path and try again. Does it work now? 

     

    Jane

     

    Known Participant
    July 9, 2018

    Thank you... I had this same problem and it was because after using the shape builder tool my new shapes were grouped. Ungrouping them enabled the draw in front feature again.

    jane-e
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    July 9, 2018

    Hi Denhamp,

    I'm glad the group / ungroup solution worked for you!

    Barb Binder
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    November 30, 2016

    Or you don't have an object selected. Showing the full screen would give us context.

    ~Barb at Rocky Mountain Training
    Ton Frederiks
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    November 30, 2016

    Maybe because you have an object with a clipping mask selected?