How to trim vectors to artboard dimensions

Nobody would usually bother, since when this is converted to a PDF or an image it becomes irrelevant and the artboard boundaries become your page bounds. Otherwise the simplest option would be to apply a clipping mask to everything short of pathfindering every object in the artwork... But again: Unless "clean" edges are required for some specific production process, one wouldn't bother.

Mylenium

This is not very precise, but might be what you need.

here my objects come off the page. Use the eraser tool and hold Option/alt It will marquee over everything and delete a rectangle. Just make the rectangle go to the edge of your artboard.

As I said, this isn't very presice, but it does exactly what you are asking for if I understand properly. A clipping mask that is the same size as the artboard will also work in most cases, but the vectors are still actually there. This kills them dead.

> "I was playing with the shapefinder but did not get the results I wanted."

What exactly did you do when playing with the Shape Builder tool? What was wrong about the results?

Can you provide a sample .ai file?

Which version of Illustrator are you using?

Here's a quick video:

http://vector.tutsplus.com/tutorials/tools-tips/quick-tip-four-ways-to-crop-a-vector-illus tration-in-adobe-illustrator/

Now we may be talking about different things.

I thought you were using the Shape Builder tool. Probably you are using the Pathfinder panel instead, but I'm not sure. You call it the Shapefinder although a shapefinder does not exist in Illustrator, at least not something that is called like that.

Telling which AI version you are using and providing a sample .ai file may still help to clarify.

the video "shows" what elDudereno said and illustrated in post # 2