How to combine a picture with a transparent block? from adobe stock

[Jason27665409my42]

So, I don't really know much about adobe illustrator, but my boss wants me to make a flyer for our company using an adobe stock template. Everything was pretty easy except for this part. The template has a transparent block or element or whatever you call it, which is obviously just a blank space for a picture. I have a picture, but I cant figure out how to make the picture take the place and shape of the block. Screenshot is included.

I'm sure this is something simple, but I've spent 2 hours already trying to find an answer and just can't.

[Monika Gause]

There are two possiblities and it depends on how this is built.

One possibility: Just send the photo to the back (Object > Arrange > Send to back - seems like there is just one layer in the file, right?) and then move it where you want it.

Second: There is a mask. Probably something called "Your image goes in here". Then you could select that mask, press the draw inside button in the tool panel (below the color picker buttons) and then File > Place the image. Double click somewhere to leave the draw inside.

[Jason27665409my42]

So, neither of these worked for me. Sending the image to the back just puts all the objects over the image, but doesn't take on the shape of the transparency. There is no or anything that I can see like what you are talking about. When i look at the layers, the transparency shape just says path.

I've tried following a few tutorials on filling a shape with an image. I place the image over the transparency, send it to the back, and then make a clipping mask, but Illustrator tells me it can't make the mask. I'm including another screenshot that I hope helps. I just want the image to be the same shape as the transparent part.

[Monika Gause]

OK, thank you. There is already something inside the mask.

You can double click that mask, delete what's inside and then place your own image. 

It would be important to know whether that checkerboard in the mask is an image or vector artwork. You can check that in the Links panel. Is there a checkerboard image inside?

[Jason27665409my42]

I really appreciate the help. Might just have to give up on this though, between the cheapo template and my skill level, my blood pressure might not be able to take much more!

So I'm including two more screen shots. The first is what I see when I double click the checkerboard. I don't see what there is to delete. If i press the delete button it just wipes the whole path.

Second Screenshot is what I see when I open the links window. I already embedded the image (not sure if that matters) but I don't see any checkerboard.

I did try to convert the checkerboard (which says it's a path) to an object, and then tried the steps from my previous reply, but it gave me an error of not enough anchor points.

If it helps, the file I downloaded was a .ai file, from adobe stock.

[Monika Gause]

Thank you.

OK. That shape is a path, filled with a pattern. The checkerboard is just a pattern. It's not transparent.

So when you put the image behind that patterned shape and then select both the image and the shape, Illustrator should actually apply the shape as a mask. Make sure that you have just the image and the shape selected.

If it instead gives you an alert, then what does the alert say?

[Jason27665409my42]

Ok. So here are the steps that I took.

I took the checkerboard bit, and moved it to the blank artboard from my recent screenshots.

I take the image and put it over the checkerboard.

I right click the image and go to arrange>move to back

at this point, the checkerboard is over the image.

I click and drag to select both the image and the checkerboard.

I right click and go to make clipping mask.

An alert pops up that says "Can't make clipping mask. A path used as a clipping mask must contain at least two connected anchor points."

[Monika Gause]

That is weird. Can you please upload that file to Dropbox or the like and share a link? Or send me the link in a private message.

AI files cannot be uploaded to this forum.

[Jason27665409my42]

I sent you a link.

[Jason27665409my42]

On the off chance this helps anybody else struggling with something like this, I finally got it to work. I swear I tried this same thing before and it didn't work, so YMMV.

I selected the checkerboard and converted it to a shape. I then went to the object menu with it still selected, and went to path, add anchor point. This didn't seem to do anything, but when I put the image behind the checkerboard and right clicke.make clipping mask, it worked.

Could very well be user error, since I am fairly lost with illustrator, but for what it's worth, there is a possible solution.

Thank you so much to Monika for all the help and troubleshooting!

[Monika Gause]

I'm glad you could get it to work.