I am trying to make a simple clipping mask but cant for the life of me make it work.

[Conker28266706oxbj]

No software has ever made me feel dumber than AI. Im trying to reacreate a similar effect to this image made in photopea. 

But everytime I try it ends in an error message. 

please help

[Monika Gause · Accepted solution]

The artwork you want to use as a mask is a linked file.

You need to embed it.

But even then it might be a pixel image.

And even if it is a vector image, you need to combine the parts in a. way that there is just one path surrounding the fingerprint.

CHeck out the shapebuilder tool.