gif size/crop ability

[Melanie_Graysmith@adobeforums.com]

I am having trouble with getting my gif size correct. It seems that the gif made in illustrator is usually too large, and I don't understand the mask/crop ability. What am I doing wrong there? Thanks

[Wade_Zimmerman@adobeforums.com]

What exactly do you mean? It is difficult for anyone to respond to this unless you explain a little clearer and with more detail such as the steps you went through to try to accomplish what you wish to accomplish.

Also what don't you understand about the Mask/Crop?

If you can explain it you will get assistance with this.

[Melanie_Graysmith@adobeforums.com]

OK..
when I make a gif from an illustrator file the entire document area is in gif format, not just the smaller area with the logo, buttonbar, etc. So my question is how can I get the specific area containing my desired elements to be the gif. As it is now, I can make a gif, but the whole document area comes along with it. Too large for placement for my needs.

Is that OK for description? Thanks

[Gary_Newman@adobeforums.com]

Draw a rectangle aroound your artwork that you would like to define the size of your GIF. With the rectangle selected, go to Objects - Crop Area - Make. Now do the Save for Web procedure.

[Melanie_Graysmith@adobeforums.com]

There is no crop area under objects. There is a crop marks -- make, but that makes crop marks. According to the illustrator manual, you need to make a mask which supposedly is the crop function. But I can't seem to do it. I don't get a cropped area -- my image just disappears.

Does anyone know how to do this function, please !!???

[Gary_Newman@adobeforums.com]

If it says Crop Marks, you must be using Illustrator 10, yes? Unless people say so, I always assume they are using the latest version.

In AI 10, artwork can be cropped by two methods.

Masking: Draw a rectangle on top of your artwork that is the size you wish your GIF file to be, at 100%. Select this rectangle and all the artwork under it and go to Objects - Clipping Masks - Make. This will crop out (make invisible) all the artwork that lies outside the rectangle. But when saved as a GIF file, it is the size of the bounding box that surrounds the unseen part of the artwork, with white space between it and the clipping path.

Cropping: Draw a rectangle on top of your artwork that is the size you wish your GIF file to be, at 100%. Go to Object - Crop Mark - Make. The rectangle disappears, and crop marks will appear at its corners. You still see the artwork that extended outside the rectangle. Save for web, and you'll see the the GIF file cropped to where you intend.

You can use a copy of the rectangle for both clipping and masking on the same artwork, if you want to crop it and not see what was cropped.

[Melanie_Graysmith@adobeforums.com]

Thank you Gary! Finally I was able to get what. I did your cropping directions and it worked well for me. The masking steps are not best for me, as the disapparing image scares me. I'm comfortable doing the cropping steps.

Thanks for sticking w/it. I didn't even know there was an Ilustrator 11 ... or CS, so now I know