Adobe Illustrator "Draw Behind" tool is adjusting Fill and NOT transparent font space

[Armour]

I am working on making  postcard, and when I use the Draw Behind tool to fill the lettering with an image, it overwrites the fill (when I have it), and doesn't apply to the transparent space in the font. I want to have a fill where the image gets placed behind, and want to have the image at the center of the lettering. Please help!!

[kglad]

<moved from download&install to ai draw to illustrator>

[Monika Gause]

"Draw behind" is not a tool.

Please tell us step by step what you are doing and also what you want to do instead of the result that appears.

Also: are you sure this is about Draw behind? Or is it Draw inside?

Has this text been outlined? Then you might first need to generate separate objects. But I'm really not sure what it is that you want to do.

[Jacob Bugge · Accepted solution]

Armour (the image looks more something with Amour),

As I (mis)understand it, each of your letters consists of closed paths that form the face and a combination of sides (including the side of the counter in the O) and a surrounding part corresponding to a(n outside) stroke, and you wish to have the image shown across all the letter faces and possibly a solid colour across all the sides/strokes.

If that be the case, you can, depending on the structure of what you have now:

1) Select everything and Ungroup (Shift&Ctrl/Cmd+G = hold Shift and Ctrl/Cmd and press G) and/or release Compound Path(s) (Alt&Shift&Ctrl/Cmd+8), so you have only simple closed paths;

2) Select all the paths forming the faces and turn them into one Compound Path (Ctrl/Cmd+8), then bring that to the very front/top in the stacking order (Ctrl/Cmd+F+X+F);

3) Select all the remaining paths and turn them into a Group (Ctrl/Cmd+G) or another Compound Path;

4) Select the Compound Path of faces and the image, then form a Clipping Path/Set (Ctrl+7);

5) If desired select the Group/Compound Path of sides/strokes and apply a solid fill, or other colouring across it (may require Compound Path as in gradient).

[Armour]

Super detailed and indepth solution! Thank you so much. Apologies for the late response, I will give it a shot, but this sounds exactly what my issue is/was!! 🙏

[Jacob Bugge]

You are welcome, Armour.

I hope you will share your findings.