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dino camponi
dino camponi
Participating Frequently
July 12, 2019
Answered

Clipping Mask Behavior

  • July 12, 2019
  • 3 replies
  • 4330 views

Hi All,

I work on packaging graphics, and the files I work on often have lots of objects with clipping masks applied to them, either by the "Object > Clipping Mask > Make" method, or the "layer" method (where you select a sub-layer and click the "Make/Release Clipping Masks" button).

Anyway, one of my standard tasks is to apply a final top-level clipping mask to the entire design. I do that by organizing all my art layers within a single top-level layer by using the "Collect in New Layer" command. Then I put my mask shape at the very top of the list, above all the sub-layers representing my art. Then I highlight the top-level layer, select "Make Clipping Mask" and voila, my art is masked nicely.

An unfortunate behavior occurs in the event that I disable the top-level clipping mask. Upon doing so, all the clipping masks that are in my artwork get blown away too. Toggling my top-level mask back on does nothing to restore the masks that are beneath that top-level mask in the layer hierarchy. This is a dangerous behavior that basically ruins the underlying artwork. I'm trying to think back on my years of using Illustrator, and I recall this would occur only occasionally (and seemingly randomly) in versions prior to 23. But now in v23, it happens all the time.

I've discovered a workaround, in which I make sure to lock my sublayers before disable the top-level mask. But this mask-destroying behavior is not optimal, and I'm trying to get a handle on whether Adobe changed the behavior recently, or if this has been "normal" behavior all along and I'm just coming to that realization.

Any insights?

Dean Champeau

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer Ares Hovhannesyan

    Release Clipping Mask command releases all masks in all Layers. If you will release Cliipping Mask from Object ->Clipping Mask after selecting oval it will keep your gradient mask

    3 replies

    Ares Hovhannesyan
    Community Expert
    Ares HovhannesyanCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
    Community Expert
    July 12, 2019

    Release Clipping Mask command releases all masks in all Layers. If you will release Cliipping Mask from Object ->Clipping Mask after selecting oval it will keep your gradient mask

    dino camponi
    dino camponiAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    July 12, 2019

    I see what you mean, Ares. Is this the way AI has worked all along. I could have sworn that the default behavior of using the "Make/Release Clipping Mask" button was to keep intact all the subordinate masks, but maybe I'm wrong. In any case,  your method of using Object --> Clipping Mask --> Release works, as does the workaround I came up with... locking sublayers before toggling the Make/Release button in the Layers palette.

    Thanks!

    C
    chrisl41501719
    Participating Frequently
    July 12, 2019

    I've seen this happen a lot actually. One easy fix (that might not work) is to make that top final clipping mask its own layer and everything under it a different layer before applying the clipping mask. In other words, not 2 sublayers in the same layer, but 2 layers.

    I don't know why this works sometimes and other times not (I assume it's all the clipping paths intersecting and transparency settings) but it's worth a try. You can also try flattening transparencies, but that can produce very unpredictable results.

    Mike_Gondek10189183
    Community Expert
    Mike_Gondek10189183Community Expert
    Community Expert
    July 12, 2019

    Great advice I am sure in many cases.  But in this simple example, I cannot make the red box a clip path.

    Unless I remove the sublayers

    dino camponi
    dino camponiAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    July 12, 2019

    Mike,

    To my mind, it makes sense that the red box would not mask the "artwork" layer beneath it because they are 2 distinct layers at the same level in the hierarchy. In order for it to become a mask, the "artwork" layer would have to be a sublayer of Layer 5.

    Mike_Gondek10189183
    Community Expert
    Mike_Gondek10189183Community Expert
    Community Expert
    July 12, 2019

    HI Dean,

    Skip  collect in New layer, you are adding na extra unnecessary step, and sublayers can be buggy. If you select all and make a mask all items are automatically coilected  in a new layer

    If you still need help can you please try to be brief and post a sample file for us to best help you.

    Though we often do not get enough information on posts, saying too much can add confusion and take up our time. Respectfully, this is why you are receiving little response on a masking question

    Ares Hovhannesyan
    Community Expert
    Ares HovhannesyanCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    July 12, 2019

    Yes please sharing file or test example can be helpful.

      dino camponi
      dino camponiAuthor
      Participating Frequently
      July 12, 2019

      I don't know how to insert a file, so here's a Dropbox link to it...

      Dropbox - clipping path example.pdf

      As you will see, the file is built with 3 sub-layers, one of which contains a gradient that's got a path to define its shape. If you select the top-level layer and choose "Make/Release Clipping Mask" from the Layers palette, it of course creates the mask. But then if you click it again to toggle it off, it blows away the mask that's in the sublayer. Is this normal behavior?

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