photo problems for Illustrator newbie

[pentimento@adobeforums.com]

I have a photo which I put a fancy border over. I need to know how to delete, cut or erase the photo outside of the fancy border. I can't seem to figure out the cut behind the path thing.
Also, the photo is in a layer that is dimmed to 20% but when I print the document the photo is shown at full strength. Do I need to lighten or screen the photo in Photoshop before I put it in Illustrator? I have much more Photoshop experience - very little Illustrator. Wish they were more similar!
Thanks!

[Dee Holmes]

Do a clipping mask instead.

Select the layer of your photo, choose the rectangle tool, place a rectangle around the image that you want to show. Make sure the rectangle is on top with no fill. Then select both and go to Obect/Clipping Mask/Make. Put your border in front, if need be.

As for the dimmed image, how did you dim it? Through transparency or through the layers pallet. I personally would feel more confident in lightening it in Photoshop. But that is just my workflow. There are other ways, but it depends on how you're trying to do it.

[pentimento@adobeforums.com]

Thanks Dee,
I can make the rectangle with no fill and I have the border on top put I can't figure out how to select both layers. When I make the path the border disappears instead the part of the photo which extends beyond the border.
I double clicked on the photo layer and set the dim to 20% but when I print it prints 100%.

[lee_vickers@adobeforums.com]

Pentimento, open the layers pallette and drag the layers so they are sitting next to eachother (I create a separate main layer if I'm working with other items, so not to get confused). Like Dee said, make sure the rectangle is on top. Select the dot on the right side of the rectangle layer, hold shift and do the same for the photo layer (multiple select). Now click the main layer box for the rectangle so the layer box is shaded darker (you are telling AI it is this layer which is to be affected). Now go to Object/Clipping Mask...

If you have stroked the rectangle, this attribute will disappear if it is turned into a clipping mask. Follow the steps above, then, when you have finished, add the stroke effects.

The dim option in the photo layer's options is there for tracing; it makes the path of the pen tool etc. stand out against the image, but does not print dimmed. Change in PS and re-import.

Hope this helps.

[pentimento@adobeforums.com]

Thanks! The problem seems to be that the shape of the border is not a rectangle. When I make a rectangle it clips a rectangle, not the shape of the border...does that make sense?

[pentimento@adobeforums.com]

Here is a link to the image I am working with. I would like the photo to be cropped around the border.

<http://www.paintedphoto.com/diploma.htm>

[Wade_Zimmerman@adobeforums.com]

You have to close the path.

[lee_vickers@adobeforums.com]

Woah... I thought it was a rectangle!

What to do is this: Lock the fancy frame layer. Create a new layeron top, and with the pen tool draw your clipping path following the flowing frame, keeping roughly in the centre of the frame thickness, closing the path at the starting point (there's no stroke or fill on this path). Now drag the photo into the same layer as the path you have just made and place it below. Select path layer's dot, shift-select photo layer's dot, Object/Clipping Mask/Make. Drag the border above the photo layer so it covers the edge of the photo and hopefully... it's inside.

Tip: any path, compound shape or text object can be used to make a clipping path.

[jonf@adobeforums.com]

Looks to me like you're going to have to create a separate layer (or object, anyway) for the mask. Your border isn't a closed object. It has open gaps, so you won't be able to use it as a mask.

Copy the border. Move one copy into a lyar and lock it. I'd use the scissor tool to clip each "piece" of the other copy border into two sections: the inside of the border, and the outside of the border. Delete all the outside pieces. Join up all the remaining (inside) sections so that they form a single closed object. Then apply the mask like you did before.

This works if your border is vector lines. If it's a stroke style or something similar you might have to expand it first to turn it into outlines.

You didn't make this easy on yourself, did you?

[jonf@adobeforums.com]

Lee posted while I was writing. Lee's suggestion accomplishes the same thing, so if it's easier for you that's the way to go.

[pentimento@adobeforums.com]

SWEET!! I tried Lee's method as it did sound easier - I have a few little places that I messed up but now I know how to do it!
Thank you all SO much!

[pentimento@adobeforums.com]

Is it possible to modify the path or do I have to start over? Can I select a point of the path somehow and move it?

[Wade_Zimmerman@adobeforums.com]

Make a copy paste in front use the copy you can add and delete points and join end points. To delete a segment as you only need the exterior outline you use the direct select tool and click on that segment and delete to join two end points drag the direct select tool over those two points and hit command j.

[jonf@adobeforums.com]

Is it possible to modify the path or do I have to start over? Can I select
a point of the path somehow and move it?




Did you try it? (If it didn't work, what problem did you have?)

[pentimento@adobeforums.com]

Make a copy of clipping path?
When I try to select the anchor point or the path to delete or move a point, it moves the whole thing. A few times I was able to delete points but I have no idea what I was soing differently unless I moved to another layer...

[Wade_Zimmerman@adobeforums.com]

Use the direct select tool white arrow click on the path not an anchor point then once the path is selected you can click on a particular anchor point to move it or delete. Shift click on additional anchor points to select them and you will be able to move them all at the same time or delete them.

You should really read the manual, I mean really.

[pentimento@adobeforums.com]

Thanks - and I will read more of the manual. I could not find anything about the first questions I had when I started this.

[Phosphor@adobeforums.com]

<sarcasm>Lovely body font you got there, Pentimento.

Can you maybe find one more pedestrian, though? The headers are good, but the body text is just too dang fancy.</sarcasm>

Seriously...I think you could make a better choice than that.

[pentimento@adobeforums.com]

Phosphor,

I agree wholeheartedly - That is the font they requested. I figured I would get them another version to choose from once I got the technical stuff worked out.