Pathfinder Subtract Issus

[Misty22986153t3x6]

Need Help!  I have a square image and I used a circle to make a clipping mask of said image. The circle is now 23".  I now want to take 20" circle on top and use the pathfinder option to subtract it leaving me with a 3" 'border.    I did this sucessfully last week.  For some reason today, its not working.  When I select the subtract option, it is placing the original square back.

What am I doing wrong here?  

[Peru Bob]

This is the Using the Community forum (which is the forum for issues using the forums).
Please tell us what Adobe application you are using so that this can be moved to the proper forum for help.

Scroll down here to see a list of the forums:
https://community.adobe.com/.

[Misty22986153t3x6]

Adobe Illustrator

[kglad]

in the future, to find the best place to post your message, use the list here, https://community.adobe.com/

p.s. i don't think the adobe website, and forums in particular, are easy to navigate, so don't spend a lot of time searching that forum list. do your best and we'll move the post (like this one has already been moved) if it helps you get responses.

<"moved from using the community">

[michelew83603738]

If I am understanding you correctly, you want just a ring of the image with the center hollow. If so, you need to release the original clipping path, create a compound path and then use it as a clipping mask. Alternatively, you can release the clipping, subtract the smaller circle from the larger one and then create the clipping mask.

[Jacob Bugge]

Misty,

Based on the same understanding, both the ways by Michele will work fine.

My guess is that you either did one or the other, or that you actually used a(n Opacity) Mask with a black or white circle with Clip ticked and Invert Mask ticked or unticked.

Apart from that, if you cut a 20" circle out of a 23" circle, your border width will only be 1.5" (half the difference).