How To Use Knife Tool In Illustrator

You're sitting in front end of your Adobe Illustrator file. Yous did a good job, and y'all're i pace away from finishing your artwork, but maybe yous feel like you tin can still play around with it a bit more, break things up a little to run into what comes up.

You could too just need to refine and adapt an object or a group that you already fabricated. Maybe you could cut some stuff out, divide some elements, and edit them separately so the whole blueprint stands out more.

In Adobe Illustrator, the "Knife" is a useful tool for quickly dividing a shape or a path by merely drawing a cutline that can separate any shape into two or more parts.

It can cut any, and every bit many shapes as information technology'due south dragged over (as long as they are unlocked).

Proceed in mind that if naught is selected previously, information technology will cut all available paths that you drag over. However, if yous decide on a particular object earlier using the tool, it will only cut that one, leaving the balance of the elements on the canvas unbothered.

You can use the "Knife" tool by drawing a freehand cutline, and a straight line i if you hold the "Alt" or "Command" key while drawing it.

You tin also brand a cutline with a 45-caste angle, by holding the "Alt" or "Command" fundamental and the "Shift" key at the same time you lot're drawing the cut.

Now, this tool is one of the few in Adobe Illustrator that lacks settings. So, proceed in mind that you'll need to accommodate the accuracy of it past adjusting the zoom. The closer you are, the more precise it becomes.

Simply follow the steps beneath to learn how it works; information technology's actually simple, and one time you acquire it, you'll want to apply it all the fourth dimension!

How to apply the Adobe Illustrator Knife Tool

Start by selecting the "Knife" tool from the primary toolbar. At present, drag the mouse above the shape or path that you want to cut, making sure yous begin and end your cutline away from the shape. Once yous are done, the shape will be divided into two or more than different new shapes, and you tin can piece of work on them as separate objects.

How to use the Adobe Illustrator Knife Tool : Step-by-step guide

Before you offset testing the tool also know that this is never going to piece of work over open paths without a make full, and neither over other objects, such as pixel images or text that isn't converted to outlines nonetheless.

It will also not work if yous draw the cut from the inside of the shape and do not go it outside of the edges.

This tool can exist a lot of fun to use considering information technology gives you a lot of freedom when using the freehand line. The sky is the limit!

The best function is that you can describe across two or more paths at the same fourth dimension to cut them with the same line! And, while in freehand way, the line will automatically simplify on the wing to make it look clearer.

Just go on in mind that once the cut is fabricated, the path cannot exist inverse. Simply don't worry, because y'all can always use the beloved "Ctrl+Z" keyboard shortcut (or "Command+Z" if you lot're a Mac user) to undo any mistakes y'all fabricated and try over again as many times as y'all need!

Footstep 1:

Find or create the shape you want to cut. Get-go you are going to need a shape.

You can employ whatsoever of the preset shapes in the toolbar or create your ain. It doesn't affair if y'all select it or not, the tool will work either mode.

If you only want to cutting but one (or more) of the shapes in a group, merely select the shapes you lot want to cut and the rest will remain unaffected. Merely if yous drag the tool over multiple shapes, it will cutting them all.

Step ii:

To find and select the tool. Be aware of disruptive the "Knife" tool with the "Piece Tool." The "Knife" tool should be placed near the "Eraser Tool," in the sub-menu that nosotros previously explained how to open.

Stride 3:

Make up one's mind on the blazon of cutting you want to make.

Information technology's necessary to take into consideration that y'all tin use this tool freehand or brand a directly cut in any direction by property downwards the "Alt" primal while cutting.

Past pressing the "Alt" and "Shift" keys together, you can as well create a straight horizontal line, a 45-degree line, or a directly vertical line.

So, before you get started, I recommend deciding what kind of stop event you want.

Stride iv:

Depict your cutline.

You can hold and drag to draw a first cutline while moving your mouse, pad, or digital pen, simply make certain to start and end the cutline away from the shape to ensure the cutting was successful. You tin can practice as few or equally many cutlines as you want!

This tool gives you a lot of flexibility, and yous can get actually good and quick results.

And wow, you lot did it!

Ofttimes Asked Questions About How to Merge Layers in Illustrator

What'south the departure between the "Slice Tool" and the "Knife Tool" ?

Fifty-fifty though "Piece Tool" sounds similar to the "Knife", it's a tool used for web pattern, and information technology has naught to exercise with the use of the "Knife" tool .

Why tin't I observe the "Pocketknife" tool on my Toolbar?

If the tool isn't paired with the "Eraser Tool," look for it at the bottom of the toolbar under the iii dots icon. You can see all of the available tools. Detect the "Knife" and drag it to your toolbar.

Hey guys! It'southward me, Marcel, aka Maschi. On MaschiTuts, it's all nigh tutorials! No affair the topic of the article, the goal e'er remains the aforementioned: Providing yous guys with the most in-depth and helpful tutorials!

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