Participant

Answered

Hide everything outside the Artboard?

Forum|Forum|18 years ago
March 12, 2008
15 replies
181107 views

I'm designing some business cards, which have an 1/8" bleed, along with elements that hang outside of the border of the card. Is there a way in Illustrator CS3 that I can say, "hide everything outside of the Artboard" so I can see what the finished product will look like?

I know I could print them out or output to PDF and see it without the non-Artboard items, but these approaches seem clumsy and labor intensive. I'd like it if I could have some sort of "cropped view"--where everything not on the Artboard is hidden--to work in.

Thanks.

This topic has been closed for replies.

Correct answer Monika Gause

View screen is indesign only. I wish they would add this to illustrator because I use it all the time. It's so easy to hit W to toggle it on and off

You might want to add your vote here: Have the option to hide all artwork that falls outside the bounds of the artboard. – Adobe Illustrator Feedback

Show previous replies

Steve Fairbairn

Inspiring

For this sort of job you're better off using InDesign which has Normal, Preview, Bleed and Slug view options.

For business cards you put everything that's the same on all cards on a master page and the variables on ordinary pages.

You can duplicate pages ad infinitum – a whole lot easier than making lots of artboards.

Also if you've got printing on the backs you just work with facing pages.

I used to do business cards in Illie but have long since gone over to ID exactly for the reasons you mention.

You can easily copy your Illie artwork into ID or place it linked.

F

fvlcrvm

Participant

I totally agree. I'm missing this feature for so long. I know about my friends creating white boxes everywhere outside the artboard which is absurd.

CarlosCanto

Community Expert

you can create your own "hide everything outside the Active Artboard" using Actions.

self explanatory

to bring everything back, go to Object->Show All, or hit Ctrl+Alt+3

tromboniator

Community Expert

OK you're right — masking via the Layers panel almost does as you say, and definitely does not group them (good to know!). However, if I do:

- Layer 1 (mask object)

- Layer 2 (artwork layer)

- Layer 3 (artwork layer)

in order to create a clipping mask, I need to select each layer (highlighting them does nothing), and if the mask is on a different layer (as diagrammed above), no mask is created. Only if the masking object is on the topmost artwork layer (Layer 2 in example above) does the mask get created.

My Layers panel is set to show layers only — I wonder if this plays a factor?

edit: nope, just tried it. The toggling on/off feature is crucial here. Thanks for helping figure this out!

Message was edited by: georgecoghill

I beg your pardon. The topmost object in the layer becomes the layer clipping mask when the layer is highlighted and the button is clicked. The object does not have to be selected, but the layer must be highlighted. The masking object must be in the layer it is to mask.

A

Anonymous

I have been hoping and wishing for this ever since I started using AI — Now with multiple artboards it's tedious to make and keep editing the masking layer as artboards are added.

Adobe: Please add Artboard Masking

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_Greg_Maletic_Author

Participant

I've done that, too...but doesn't it seem a little absurd for me to have to create a separate layer, remember to set it to "non-print" status, etc., just so I can see how my item will print? It's hard for me to believe that Illustrator doesn't have a feature like this.

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_Martha_Bostwick_

Participant

I just fudge it either by using a Clipping Mask, or by having a dummy "Masking" layer on top with white rectangles drawn to hide the content off the artboard.

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