Alex Ruben
How To Remove Backgrounds and Cut Out Objects in Illustrator
Ever had a tricky image that just refuses to be cut out cleanly? Sometimes, it feels like Adobe Illustrator’s tools make it harder than necessary, especially when trying to isolate complex objects. This guide walks through a straightforward approach to get your object separated from the background without fussing too much with complicated masks or obscure settings. Once mastered, you’ll be able to create transparent backgrounds, perfect for overlays, logos, or just making your design look sharper. Expect some trial and error, but with patience, it’s doable.
How to Cut Out an Image or Object in Adobe Illustrator
Use the Pen Tool to Trace Around the Object
This part’s kind of essential, but also the most tedious. The Pen Tool (P) allows you to draw precise paths around your object. The reason why it helps is because it gives you full control over the shape, especially when dealing with complex or detailed edges. Usually, I prefer to zoom in a bit—use View > Zoom or hit Ctrl + +—because small refinements are easier that way. On some setups, the Pen Tool can be finicky, and sometimes it doesn’t snap perfectly. So don’t get mad if your lines look rough at first. It’s normal to redo a few anchor points or adjust curves with the handles. That’s key to a clean cut.
If you’re working with tricky curves, it’s helpful to hold down Alt (or Option) to adjust individual anchor points as you go. Remember, practice makes perfect, so don’t sweat it if your first few attempts look jagged. Usually, the shape will improve after some tweaks.
Close the Path and Unlock the Original Layer
After drawing around your object, close the shape by clicking back on the first anchor point. Now, you’ll have a path that outlines your object pretty well. If the path isn’t perfect, you can go back and tweak anchor points with Shift + Click or use the Direct Selection Tool (A) for finer control.
Before you proceed to hide your original image, make sure to unlock that layer. You probably locked it earlier to prevent accidental edits — to do that, go to the Layers Panel, click the lock icon next to the layer’s name. Unlocking it lets you reselect or manipulate it later for masking or exporting.
Apply the Clipping Mask to Isolate the Object
This is kind of the magic step. Select both your path and the original image—hold down Shift and click each one. Then, go to Object > Clipping Mask > Make (Ctrl + 7 / Cmd + 7). What happens next? It crops the image to your shape, hiding everything outside the path. Be warned—sometimes, if the layer isn’t selected properly, it won’t work right away. On some setups, the mask may not update immediately, and you might need to toggle visibility or reselect.
And yes, sometimes it’s weird and doesn’t work on the first try — you might need to reselect or redo the path, especially if you’re doing complex shapes. Not sure why it works sometimes, but saving under a new filename before applying the mask can help keep your original intact.
Export Your Image with a Transparent Background
If your clip worked and you’re happy with the cutout, it’s time to save it as a PNG. Head to File > Export > Export As. Choose PNG, then pick your destination folder. Under the export options, check Use Artboards if you want it tightly cropped, and ensure that the background is set to Transparent. This way, no white box will appear behind your cutout when you open it in other apps. Click Export and you’re done.
Pro tip: Sometimes, exporting directly as PNG can give weird transparency issues due to color profiles. If that happens, try exporting as PNG-24 in Photoshop or another editor to clean it up.
Extra Tips & Common Issues
Here’s the thing—don’t forget to save your project frequently (Ctrl + S). Also, when working with the Pen Tool, adjust the anchor handles for smoother curves; it’s usually a matter of dragging handles to get just the right bend. The more you practice, the less frustrating it gets. And when your clipping mask doesn’t look right? Double-check that all relevant objects are selected and that you’re not accidentally masking a different layer.
Sometimes, I’ve noticed that the mask doesn’t update immediately. Reapplying the mask or toggling the layer’s visibility can fix some weird glitches. On one setup, it worked perfectly the first few times, but on another, a restart was needed. Weird software quirks, of course.
Wrap-up
All in all, this method isn’t super complicated once you get the hang of the Pen Tool and masking. It’s kind of satisfying when it finally works just right. Plus, once you master it, you can do all sorts of complex cutouts without relying on external apps. Just remember: patience, zoom in, tweak your anchor points, and save often.
Summary
- Use the Pen Tool for precise outlines, especially on complex shapes.
- Close the path carefully and tweak anchor points for cleaner edges.
- Unlock and lock layers as needed to avoid messing things up.
- Apply a clipping mask via Object > Clipping Mask > Make.
- Export as PNG with transparency to preserve your cutout.
Fingers crossed this helps
Hopefully, this shaves off a few hours for someone, or at least makes your life a little easier when doing object cutouts in Illustrator. Keep experimenting, and don’t get discouraged if things don’t work perfectly right away. With a bit of practice, this becomes second nature.