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helloflash123
helloflash123
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how to create round corners / edges of an image in illustrator ?

May 14, 2012 9:53 AM

how to create round corners / edges of an image in illustrator ?

 

I have googled a lot but everywhere I find round corners of a shape by going to "Choose Effect > Stylize > Round Corners."

 

But I DO NOT want round corners of a shape, I have a image (jpeg), how to cut the corners and make them round ?

 

please help

4667 Views   20 Replies   Latest reply: Gustavo Del Vechio, May 14, 2012 7:54 PM
 
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  • Gustavo Del Vechio
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    1. Gustavo Del Vechio,
    May 14, 2012 9:57 AM   in reply to helloflash123
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    @helloflash312

     

    You can create a rounded rectangle and put it above your image. Select both (image and shape) and go Object > Clipping Mask > Make. This will create a mask and it´s a group.

     

    You can acess Layers panel....open the group hierarchy..move the image and the mask as separated itens.

     

    Gustavo.

     
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  • helloflash123
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    2. helloflash123,
    May 14, 2012 10:19 AM   in reply to Gustavo Del Vechio
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    Thanks but I don't understand the last line "You can acess Layers panel....open the group hierarchy..move the image and the mask as separated itens."

     

    What exactly I need to do here ?

     

    http://img836.imageshack.us/img836/3339/rounda.png

     

    Please help me with the steps and how to do it ?

     
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  • Gustavo Del Vechio
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    3. Gustavo Del Vechio,
    May 14, 2012 10:26 AM   in reply to helloflash123
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    Hi helloflash123

     

    When you create a Clipping Mask...Illustrator considers this structure as a

    group (you can see in the Layers panel it´s a group with 2 elements: the

    shape and the image).

     

    Using Layers panel you could for example click in the circle in the right

    of the image thumbnail to select it. This way you can move or resize the

    image without affect the clipping Shape.

     

    The same process of selecting could be made via the Group Selection Tool

    (that´s located at tools panel).

     

    I wanna just to tell you after creating the mask...the 2 elements can still

    be edited separatelly or together (in operations like moving or resizing).

     

    That´s it

     

    Did you understand?

     

    Gustavo.

     
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  • Jacob Bugge
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    4. Jacob Bugge,
    May 14, 2012 10:34 AM   in reply to helloflash123
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    helloflash,

     

    As it is in the screenshot, the whole Group is selected.

     

    You may click the ring to the right (in the layers palette/panel) of either the (Clipping) Path or the (clipped) Image to select it, then you can move that separately.

     

    Another way is to use the Direct Selection Tool to select either the Image, by clicking outside the Clipping Path, or the Clipping Path by clicking inside it.

     

    Edit: Hi Gustavo.

     
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  • helloflash123
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    5. helloflash123,
    May 14, 2012 10:42 AM   in reply to Gustavo Del Vechio
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    sorry but it is confusing because the rectangle with roundle corners is white in color, and covers the whole images with round corners of picture visible at the corners.

     

    if I make the rectangular color as transparent, still what I think is that moving image or path will only help in putting the image withing the round corner rectangular, the image corners will still be pointed,.

     

    Sorry I am totaklly confused, is there any video tutorial ? This is very urgent for me.

     
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  • emil emil
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    6. emil emil,
    May 14, 2012 10:48 AM   in reply to helloflash123
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    according to your screen shot your <Path> is not yet <Clipping Path>

    Did you follow the instructions from the first sentence of Gustavo's post?

    Seems like you created a group only but not a clipping path. You don't have to create the group yourself, the group will be created automatically when you create the Clipping Mask and this will be a special group because it can't be ungrouped while containing a Clipping mask.

    To select an object using the layers panel click the spot of one the little blue squares on your screenshot. The little box show that the item is selected. To deselect it click it while holding Shift.

     
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  • helloflash123
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    7. helloflash123,
    May 14, 2012 12:23 PM   in reply to emil emil
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    Ok here are the steps that I followed, guys please correct me where I am wrong:

     

    Step1: Opened image in illustrator

     

    http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/9040/step1re.png

     

     

    Step2: Selected rectangle tool from the tool bar, placed a rectangular area on the image, made the rectangular area as rounded corners:

     

     

    http://img803.imageshack.us/img803/9725/step2m.png

     

     

    Step 3: Defined the radius of round corners

     

    http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/1870/step3vh.png

     

     

    Steps 4: By holding SHIFT + CTRL, selected image and the rectangular with rounded corners

     

    http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/3329/step4bv.png

     

     

     

     

    Step 5: Now selected Clipping Mark > Make

     

    http://img560.imageshack.us/img560/7650/step5d.png

     

     

    Step 6: After selecting "Mask", I get this

     

    http://img827.imageshack.us/img827/816/step6a.png

     

     

     

     

    Now I don't know what to do, as you can see in the layer panel, I have the group. Please HELP !!!

     
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  • Larry G. Schneider
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    8. Larry G. Schneider,
    May 14, 2012 12:32 PM   in reply to helloflash123
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    Try selecting your Rounded Rectangle and go to Object>Expand Appearance, then select both and Object>Clipping Mask>Make.

     
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  • Wade_Zimmerman
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    9. Wade_Zimmerman,
    May 14, 2012 1:01 PM   in reply to helloflash123
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    Laarry is correct because you used an effect to make the rounded rectangle instead of using the rounded rectangle tool. If you click the rounded rectangle tool in the document window or anywhere on the canvvas the rounded rectangle  options window will appear and you can then enter tthe radius amount for the corners, probably fater than going to the effects. And effect has to be expanded to be used as a clipping mask. Object>Expand Appearance.

     

    One you a reeal rounded rectangle there are two ways of creating the mask.

     

    htt://www.wadezimmerman.com/videos/ClippingPhotos.mov

     
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  • Monika Gause
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    10. Monika Gause,
    May 14, 2012 1:12 PM   in reply to Wade_Zimmerman
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    You can direct select the mask after having created the clipping mask and then apply the effect.

     
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  • emil emil
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    11. emil emil,
    May 14, 2012 1:21 PM   in reply to helloflash123
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    As suggested, clipping masks do not support effects and when you use an object with an effect for a clipping mask, the effect will be deleted.

    As mentioned you can use the Rounded Rectangle tool and while you are dragging the mouse to draw it before releasing the mouse you can press the up or down arrow on your keyboard to change the radius of the rounded corners. If you have the smart guides turned on you can start from the center of the image to be clipped.

    The rounded corners effect makes sense if you are not sure about the roundness of the corners and you want to change them later before applying the clipping mask. But you have to expand the appearance as mentioned in order to remove the effect and keep the rounded corners.

     

    edit: didn't see Monica's post when replying, but I would recommend her advice.

    Illustrator  is disappointingly sloppy in its inconsistency.

     
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  • Jacob Bugge
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    12. Jacob Bugge,
    May 14, 2012 1:22 PM   in reply to helloflash123
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    helloflash,

     

    Just a tiny elaboration: when you apply an effect, it only changes the appearance but makes no change to the basic underlying path, which is used as the Clipping Path. Expanding appearance actually changes the (basic) path to one with that appearance.

     

    Edit: Reading this post reminds me of Farewell to Shady Glade.

     

    Edit edit: And what Monika said, apart from the fact that you can also just use the (normal) Selection Tool (or you could when Illy was young).

     

    Edit edit edit: And what Emil said.

     
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  • Gustavo Del Vechio
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    13. Gustavo Del Vechio,
    May 14, 2012 1:34 PM   in reply to Jacob Bugge
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    Just another way to complete this task:

     

    1. Just select the image you have imported and click the button called "Mask" in the Control panel (also called control bar, below the menu bar). It will create a rectangle and make it as a clipping mask. Now just go Effect > Stylize > Round Corners and set the value of roundness.

     

    This is direct and you do not need to pre-create a rectangle to make the Clipping.

    This way is also good when you want to keep visible the entire image area (only hidding the corners that get rounded).

     

    Gustavo.

     
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  • helloflash123
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    14. helloflash123,
    May 14, 2012 1:41 PM   in reply to Gustavo Del Vechio
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    Where is rounded rectangle tool ? In the toolbar of my Illustrator CS4, I see rectangle, when I right click, I don't see anything, it is plain rectangle, how come ?

     
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  • Gustavo Del Vechio
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    15. Gustavo Del Vechio,
    May 14, 2012 1:47 PM   in reply to helloflash123
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    The Rounded Rectangle is in the Toolbar..in the same group as Rectangle. Just keep pressed your pointer over the Rectangle Tool to see its group and Rounded Rectangle Tool.

     

    Let´s just tell if you create directly a rounded rectangle you cannot (after created) change the roundness. This is why the effect is a good way to keep roundness interactive.

     

    Gustavo.

     
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  • helloflash123
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    16. helloflash123,
    May 14, 2012 1:57 PM   in reply to Gustavo Del Vechio
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    Ok I found thr rounded rectangle, but when I put that on the image and select both,  and go to Object>Expand Appearance.

     

    The Expand Appearance. is not ACTIVE

     
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  • Gustavo Del Vechio
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    17. Gustavo Del Vechio,
    May 14, 2012 2:01 PM   in reply to helloflash123
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    @hellofhas123

     

    You only use the Expand Appearance option if you have created a simple Rectangle Tool and rounded it´s corner via effect (Effect > Stylize > Rounded Rectangle).

     

    Now If you created directly a rounded rectangle (using the Rounded Rectangle tool) then you do not need the Expand Appearance command.

     

    Gustavo.

     
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  • Jacob Bugge
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    18. Jacob Bugge,
    May 14, 2012 2:13 PM   in reply to helloflash123
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    helloflash,

     

    That is because there is nothing to expand. If you have the rounded rectangle on top of the image, just selct both and Object>Clipping Mask>Make.

     

    Edit: Hi Gustavo.

     

    There seems to be a strange delay in showing new posts.

     
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  • Wade_Zimmerman
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    19. Wade_Zimmerman,
    May 14, 2012 6:23 PM   in reply to Wade_Zimmerman
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    In the videoyou will see I use the rounded rectangle tool there is no need as everyone else pointed pout to expand the appearance.

     

    http://www.wadezimmerman.com/videos/ClippingPhotos.mov

     

    Here is another video showing you the difference between an and an aobject with an effect.

     

    http://www.wadezimmerman.com/videos/Effects.mov

     
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  • Gustavo Del Vechio
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    20. Gustavo Del Vechio,
    May 14, 2012 7:54 PM   in reply to Jacob Bugge
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    Hi Jacob

     

    Yes I perceive this delay when answered via e-mail. At least when I enter new posts directly to the forum web pages it looks the message was sent as soon as I press the Add Reply button.

     

    Do you see the same?

     

    Best Regards

    Gustavo.

     
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