How do I create a cut-out brush, that would do directly the Minus Back option from the pathfinder?

[Chris P. Bacon]

To achieve this, I had to:

1. select the object (both fill + stroke)

2. object  > expand appearance

3. pathfinder > merge

4. object > compound path > make

5. object > arrange > send backward

6. pathfinder > minus back

But this is equivalent to a cut-out brush stroke.

First I do my graphics for each page, then I will import it page by page into InDesign and add my text and my images.

Some of the images I would add in the cutout frames like this one.

I thought this is better than brushing the edges of images in Photoshop because it allows more for changes to be made later.

But the procedure mentioned above doesn't work for "painting".

So I need a cutout brush.

Does anyone know how to make it?

Thanks in advance. 

[Chris P. Bacon]

It works!

Thanks.

Like this I can change the color of my shapes inside InDesign and I can use the cutouts for both images and shapes and I can edit the original A4 "punch card" with edit original, to move the items.

Because I don't think that the placed PDF compatible .ai file would allow to move the holes.

Because in Illustrator I can move them.

And indeed, no isolation mode needed.

Great.

[Chris P. Bacon]

Is this opacity mask a clipping mask or layer mask?

[Ton Frederiks]

It is an Opacity mask, it can create various amounts of transparency by using gray instead of black and white, something clipping masks cannor do.

[Chris P. Bacon]

Do you know by any chance an easy or fast way to remove (delete or clip) the leftover image parts under the cutout shape?

They have rectangle edges and shine thru when using blend modes.

[Chris P. Bacon]

And this is what happens if I try to change its color to black from the transparency icon on the left side:

[Monika Gause]

You really want to read about those features before frantically creating files.

Anyway: the more you post here, the less I understand what you actually want. This? https://shared-assets.adobe.com/link/ba7690b4-47af-41d0-6293-6819e2e3b521

[Chris P. Bacon]

I do not want transparency. I want swatches actually (not brushes) that cut out the color or texture beneath them. 

I can apply those swatches to brushes or shapes or to anything.

Best would be to implement it into swatches, then they could be used with every brush and every shape.

The knockout feature seem to create transparency, but it doesn't cut out colors or textures beneath.

[Monika Gause]

Are you trolling us?

You can't build this into swatches. The knockout group is as close as you can get. The workflow would be: assign the brush and then assign the knockout group.

If there is just one brush, and the rectangle is always black, then you can save this as  graphic style and the workflow is: assign the graphic style.

[Chris P. Bacon]

Can you "live paint" with a cutout brush effect using the knockout group method?

[Monika Gause]

I don't understand the question.

[Chris P. Bacon]

I made the GIF animation where I am painting with a cutout brush effect, using the opacity mask method posted in this thread.

Can the knockout group method do that? And how does it compare?

I am asking because I still couldn't undertsnad that.

But I am in the progress and watching the tutorial videos.

[Monika Gause]

I don't see a GIF animation and generally I don't watch them anyway, because they usually lack context, explanation and generally everything. So you are trying to mix opacity masks with knockout groups?

I don't understand your question.

Also it's about time you post your AI files. Without seeing that we can't help you.

[Chris P. Bacon]

The only drawback left is that the masks cannot be moved anymore, once in InDesign, I must use "edit original".