cropping text

[Zoe95]

Hello! I have a body of text and I want the text to overlap a large number in the background.  However, instead of overlapping, I want the text to be cut out of the bold '25' in the places where they overlap.  I have attached a picture of what I am trying to accomplish.  I have tried expanding all, then pathfinder>crop, but that makes everything disapear except for the very last letter of the large body text.  I am new to illustrator, so very specific instructions and tips would be very helpful to me. 

[meganchi]

Select both your black text and the 25, then under transparency, pull down the transparency menu from "normal" to select "screen".

[Ton Frederiks]

If the 25 is still text, just move it on top of the small text, select both and choose Object > Clipping Mask > Make.

If the 25 is outlinded, then first make it a compound path befor using it as a clipping mask

[Zoe95]

Thank you! Your suggestion has brought me the closest to my desired results so far.  However, it inverted the result.  I have attached a picture of what Object>Clipping Mask>Make produced for.  I want the letters to remain outside the 25, and the ones which overlap the 25 to be cut out.  Any suggestions? 

[Ton Frederiks · Accepted solution]

Use 2 copies. Keep one small text copy black

And one with small white text and black background. select both white text and backgroun and clip them with the 25.

Put the black text behind it.

[Zoe95]

I got it! Thank you so much. 

[Ton Frederiks]

Good to hear that helped.