Illustrator Clipping Mask Stroke

[jessicap36602023]

Hello Everyone,

I've spent the past hour trying to figure out how to make a stroke on a clipping mask. Here's what I've done so far (I'm in a class and using Adobe Illustrator CC Revealed 1st edition. I'm working on completing the project shown in Figure 5-83)

I took four letters and united them, making them a compound path. I selected the patterned rectangle behind it and made a clipping mask. After this, I position objects on top of the letters, cut them and paste them 'in front' so that they become a part of the mask. Then I'm supposed to make a stroke around the letters.

I've looked everywhere online and tried every tutorial I can find with no luck. As soon as I make a clipping mask, it seems like Illustrator 'locks' the stroke colors and fill colors. If I just try selecting the whole thing and adding a stroke, I get the rectangle with the pattern shrunk down inside the letters. Not helpful at all. I've tried just selecting the anchors, I've tried adding the stroke at the beginning of the project, I've tried starting the project over thinking I missed a step. I can't convert it to a smart object because it's a graded project, and that would change the whole outcome.

Beyond frustrated with the program, to say the least. Any help anyone can offer would be appreciated. It's for a project due this Sunday.

Thank you,

Jessica.

[Jacob Bugge]

Jessoca,

Have you tried to select the actual Clipping Path of the Clipping Mask with the Direct Selection Tool (just click it, Smart Guides may be your friends), then apply the Stroke (in the Toolbox)?

[jessicap36602023]

Hi Jacob,

Yes. When I select the clipping path it shows that there is no stroke color or filling color. I try to fill the stroke color and then add a stroke from the tools bar and nothing happens (went all the way to 100 pt stroke, no effect.)

Jessica

[Rob de Winter]

Have you maybe somewhere in the exercise activated the outline mode?

I you hit CTRL (or Cmd on Mac) - Y you can see if this helps?

[jessicap36602023]

That's a great idea Rob! Unfortunately, I doubled checked (in an earlier exercise I did use outline mode) and am in 'Preview Mode', not outline mode. 😕

[jessicap36602023]

Here's a picture of my screen:

Here's what happens when I apply a 50 pt stroke:

AKA Nothing.

[Rob de Winter]

Ah, I see you haven't selected your clipping mask. Just select it first on the border with the direct selection tool (white arrow) (so you really have to click on the border of your artwork to select the clipping path) and then change again the width of the stroke. Does that help?

[jessicap36602023]

Like this right?

I've tried going into Select>Object>Clipping Masks but nothing gets selected.

[Kurt Gold]

Can you share the .ai file, so one may take a look at it?

[jessicap36602023 · Accepted solution]

Well I found my problem! lol

I misread one of the directions, I made the four letters into a united path instead of a compound path then a clipping path when I 'merged' the yellow/green and the letters together. DOH!

Thank you all for your help!

[Rob de Winter]

   good to hear you'be solved it!

[Maria3B]

Hi Rob, I just found this while trying to solve a similar problem. I successfully added a stroke to a clipping path by using the direct selection tool. However, now that I see the stroke, if I align it to the inside or outside, the stroke disappears (even though those options are not dim and selectable). Any thoughts on that?

[Monika Gause]

A clipping path can only have certain attributes.

[Maria3B]

Thanks Monica, I just thought it was weird that it wasn't dimmed and wanted to make sure there was not something i was missing.

[Monika Gause]

Maria3B  schrieb

Thanks Monica, I just thought it was weird that it wasn't dimmed and wanted to make sure there was not something i was missing.

Yes, it's strange. Same goes for effects.

[Rob de Winter]

Hey, great to hear Monika Gause​ has solved the new problem, this is indeed the case