Seperating a letter within a compound path group and it's underlying image.

[iBabs2]

Hello,

I was wondering if there is anyway to do this:

I made some text and outlined it.

Created a Compound Path

Then used those letters as a clipping mask on an image.

So, here is the question:

Is there anyway to separate the letters and the image below, if I wanted to just use a few letters, or move the letters around etc?

I have tried to all things in the pathfinder panel and and divide objects below, but cannot get one letter with the image below cut out on its own.

Thank you,

Babs

[Monika Gause]

No, you can't do that.

You would need to duplicate the word and then delete what you don't need in each copy

[iBabs2]

Thanks Monika!

As always, appreciate the help!

Babs

[Myra Ferguson]

One way you could do it would be to use Image Trace to convert the photo to vectors (probably with either the High Fidelity Photo or Low Fidelity Photo setting) and Expand. Then select your outlined letters and the background and use Shape Builder to remove all the parts you don't want to keep. Then what's left would be individual filled letters.

[iBabs2]

Thanks Myra Ferguson!

That also work and and was playing with that a bit earlier.

Think I am going with Carlos's only because then I don't have to worry about image tracing the image and losing any quality

But thank you for your idea, that was the route I was initially thinking !!!!

Best,

babs

[tromboniator]

Assuming that you have a version of Illustrator with Crop function:

Peter

[CarlosCanto · Accepted solution]

...another way.

place outlined text on top of your image, no need to make a compound path

give your outlines 0% opacity

select both, the outlines and the image and Flatten Transparency

ungroup, delete background image, move around letters

[Ton Frederiks]

Carlos was a little faster 🙂

[tromboniator]

And, of course, easier than mine. Oh, well, I'm in rehearsal for two shows, so maybe I lack focus.

[CarlosCanto]

tromboniator  wrote

And, of course, easier than mine. Oh, well, I'm in rehearsal for two shows, so maybe I lack focus.

hahaha you're forgiven Peter.

[iBabs2]

Thanks tromboniator  !! Hope Rehersal is went well!!

[Ton Frederiks]

You can try this:

Create Outlines from your text.

Ungroup.

Place your image behind the outlined text and Embed it

Select the text objects and change the opacity to 1%

Select All and choose Object > Flatten Transparency

Ungroup.

You can now delete the picture outside the characters and move the around freely.

[iBabs2]

Thanks Ton Frederiks!!!
All good stuff!! Great work-arounds.!

Best Babs

[iBabs2]

WOW!!

Thank you everyone!!! This is great! Learned many new things here!

Much Appreciated!

Babs

[iBabs2]

Thank you Carlos!

Works great!

Babs