Crop Image is dimmed

[Kashchei]

I am trying to crop an object and the "crop image" selection is dimmed. I did a search on this and found out the problem has something to do with the artboard. This doesn't help me, however, because I'm a beginner with Illustrator. Can anyone point me towards a simple solution?

[Doug A Roberts]

'Crop image' is for cropping placed images, not objects created in Illustrator. What kind of object are you trying to crop? Please show screenshots and describe further.

[Kashchei]

I uploaded the file in question with the object in the margin that can't be cropped. By the way I am using version 27.7 on Mac OS 13.5

[Ton Frederiks]

You can use CC filesharing, Dropbox, Google, WeTransfer to share files.

[Kashchei]

Here is what I want to do. Attached are two Word documents, both containing a table full of numbers. Here's a link to the .ai file. I want to save each of these Word files as a separate pdf file. I then will export a png file at 1200 ppi from Sibelius (music notation program) and open the file in Illustrator. I then want to place the pdf files underneath the music, crop them, and export the whole complex as a png file to be used as an example in a book.

I think this website may have identified part of the problem. When I tried to upload my Illustrator file, it gave me the following error message: The attachment's example 12.ai content type (application/postscript) does not match its file extension and has been removed. I also noticed that when I opened the original png file (the one exported from Sibelius) and saved it as an .ai file, I got two error messages. They were: The document Raster Effects resolution is 72 ppi or less & Only fonts with appropriate permission bits will be embedded. Does this explain my problem? More importantly, can the problem be worked around?

[Ton Frederiks]

The file you tried to share using Google drive does not have permissions to be opened.

You can use CC filesharing, Dropbox, Google, WeTransfer to share files.

[Kashchei]

I am so sorry! Here is the fixed link.

[Ton Frederiks]

Vector objects cannot be cropped, pixel images can.

Vector object can be clipped using Clipping Masks.

[Kashchei]

I am trying to place a pdf file (a table from Word saved as pdf in the print dialog box). The strange thing is I was able to do the exact same thing earlier today--I can even upload the file to demonstate!

[Ton Frederiks]

Maybe the PDF was image based.

[Ton Frederiks · Accepted solution]

I understand that you want to crop the PDF files and place them under the PNG file that you opened in I llustrator and save the as PNG.

Sounds more like something you do in Photoshop.

Your problem is that you want to crop the pdf files, but PDF does not behave like an image in Illustrator.

As a workaround you can place them, rasterize them at 1200 PPI (Object > Rasterize...) and crop the resulting image.

You can also Place the PDF files, Drag a rectangle on top (at the size you want to crop) select both the rectangle and PDF and choose Object >  Clipping Mask > Make.

[Kashchei]

Thank you SO much for your expert help and profound patience. I tried the first solution and it worked beautifully! Now I can get back to work and meet my deadline thanks to you. From the bottom of my heart, I salute you!

[Ton Frederiks]

Thank you. Good to hear that helped.