How can I cut text through two layered shapes without uniting them?

[jozsef_laszlo_2402]

Hi all,

I'm working on a packaging design in Illustrator and I need some help figuring out the best way to cut out text from two overlapping shapes that are visually layered but not merged.

My setup:

• A blue background.

• A bird made of multiple path segments layered on top of the background.

• The two elements are separate but form a single visual unit.

My goal:

I want to cut out text from both the background and the bird together, so that the text becomes see-through when printed revealing the paper beneath.

The problem:

• If I use Pathfinder > Unite, the bird and background merge, but it overrides the fill color — I lose the design.

• Compound Path causes cutouts where I don’t want them — likely due to the way it treats overlaps.

• Grouping doesn’t help because Pathfinder can’t cut through groups.

• I’ve also tried wrapping them in a compound shape and even a clipping mask, but can’t get it to act like one cuttable unit that retains color.

What I’m asking:

Is there a clean way to keep the bird and background visually separate, but still treat them as one object when cutting out text from them? Any workaround, maybe via compound shape or appearance, that lets me preserve the look but still punch out type?

Thanks in advance — I've attached a screenshot of how the design looks.

Best,

Laszlo

[Jacob Bugge · Accepted solution]

Laszlo,

You can use an Opacity Mask in a rather simple way:

1) Place the cut text on top of the bird and the blue background where you wish to cut though them by making them invisible; you can use both live Type (editable text) and outlined text forming a Group or a Compound Path or even being a raster image with transparency between and round the letters;

2) Make sure your cut text is black;

3) Select the cut text, the bird, and the blue background, then in the Transparency palette (flyout) click Make (Opacity) Mask with the default settings.

With the default settings, the black colour makes the cut text knock out/cut through the selected underlying objects, and the outlying parts of the objects are unchanged.