How you crop an epitome in Adobe Illustrator isn't quite as obvious equally it is in Photoshop and InDesign. There's no crop tool in Illustrator's toolbar like there is in Photoshop.

And unlike InDesign, you can't movement images around within frames to crop them that way either. Only at that place a few ways to crop in Illustrator, and you can crop images into a multifariousness of unlike shapes.

How to Crop in Illustrator Using the Ingather Part

Although there'southward no crop tool in Illustrator'southward toolbar, it does take a crop button. It only appears in a different function of Illustrator's interface.

To use the ingather office, starting time by importing an prototype onto a new Illustrator canvas. You can practice this by selecting File > Place from the carte du jour bar or by using the relevant Illustrator keyboard shortcut. You also drag and drop images from places similar Windows Explorer, macOS Finder, or Photoshop.

Placing image in Adobe Illustrator

Once your image is in place, select it with either the Choice tool (5) or the Straight Selection tool (A).

Image selected in Adobe Illustrator

Depending on what workspace layout you're using, you might see a Crop Image push button in the control panel running forth the top of Illustrator.

Illustrator crop image button in control panel

If your workspace doesn't use this panel, then look at the Properties window (if it's open). That will also take aIngather Image button, under theQuick Actions section. If you lot tin't detect this button, try irresolute your workspace inWindow > Workspace. Yous might as well want to reset Illustrator'south interface to its default settings.

Close up of quick actions in illustrator properties

Y'all can now motility the cropping box around or click and hold on its sides to resize information technology. Agree downShift if you want to maintain the aspect ratio of the selection.

Cropping image in Illustrator using crop image

When you're happy with your cropping choice, either click theApply push or hittingEnter.

Illustrator cropping apply button

And that's it. Your image will now be cropped.

Cropped image in Illustrator

How to Ingather in Illustrator Using a Clipping Mask

Y'all can also crop images in Illustrator with a clipping mask. This takes a bit longer, but information technology has a large advantage: y'all can ingather images in shapes other than rectangles and squares. It also works in older, pre-Creative Deject versions of Illustrator, which don't accept the Ingather Prototype push button.

First by clicking and holding on the Rectangle tool. Information technology volition expand to give you more shape options, like Ellipse, Polygon, and Star.

Select star tool in Illustrator

Cull 1, and then lay the shape over the selection you want to make.

Apply star tool in Illustrator

Yous can make your life easier hither, by removing your shape'due south fill and increasing its stroke width. That style, you go a transparent frame, and y'all can run into what you're cropping.

Star shaped stroke in illustrator

Adjacent, you lot demand to select both your shape and the image you want to crop.

Selecting star shape and image together in Illustrator

Right-click on your selection, and select Make Clipping Mask from the context bill of fare. Or from the top menu, select Object > Clipping Mask > Brand. Yous tin too press Cmd + 7 on a Mac or Ctrl + 7 on Windows.

Make clipping mask in Illustrator context menu

The clipping mask will crop your image, leaving information technology in any shape you chose.

Star shaped clipping mask applied in Illustrator

You lot aren't limited to using Illustrator'south default shapes either. Y'all can create your own custom shapes using the Shape Builder tool, as well as the Pen tool.

Heart shape laid over image in Illustrator

And y'all can crop multiple parts of your image at once too. Place all your shapes over your image, and select them all, only not your epitome.

Correct-click, and choose Make Compound Path from the context menu. You can also find this in the menu, under Object > Compound Path > Brand. Or you lot can press Cmd + 8 on a Mac or Ctrl + 8 on a PC.

make compound path in Illustrator

Now, select your epitome and all your shapes. Make the clipping mask every bit before, and you'll do multiple crops at once.

multiple crops in Illustrator

Like other Adobe software, Illustrator is highly extensible. In that location are tons of plugins available, some for free and some yous need to buy. Among the many plugins you can install, at that place are ones that assist you ingather images.

One such plugin is Rasterino. This is available as part of a subscription with Astute Graphics, and it comes every bit role of a package of xix Illustrator plugins. You can endeavour it gratuitous for vii days without having to mitt over payment details.

Astute graphics website

Once you lot've signed upwards, you can download the Astute Manager. From there, you can install the visitor'due south plugins, including Rasterino.

Install information technology, and it will add a Crop Paradigm tool to Illustrator's toolbar. You'll detect this past clicking and holding the Eraser tool to expand it. If information technology's not in that location, make sure you lot've selected Window > Toolbars > Advanced from the carte.

Rasterino cropping tool for Illustrator

You tin't immediately employ the tool, though. First, you need to embed your image. To do that, select it, then click the Embed button, which volition be in the command console at the top or in theQuick Actions department of the Properties window.

embed button in illustrator

You can now use the Rasterino cropping tool to crop your image how you lot please. Y'all'll see there's a new console in the bottom right of your selection, which shows you the dimensions of your crop versus the size of the original prototype. Click the tick in that panel, or pressEnter when you're finished, to apply the crop.

using Rasterino cropping tool

Rasterino has some other trimming features too, but it's not worth paying the $119 per year subscription fee for. The cropping techniques built into Illustrator should exist more than than suitable for your needs. But if you lot're interested in the remainder of Acute Graphics' plugins, then Rasterino could exist a useful addition to your arsenal.

Should Yous Crop Images in Illustrator at All?

Although y'all tin can crop images in Adobe Illustrator, it's non necessarily the best way to do information technology. If y'all know you want an image to be a item shape in Illustrator, it may exist easier to ingather information technology first using a unlike application. The best tools for the chore might be raster epitome editors like Photoshop or GIMP.

Of course, it really depends on what your workflow is like, and how many images you need to crop. In any case, cropping in Illustrator isn't hard, one time you know what y'all're doing. Yous can quickly crop images into squares or rectangles. And you lot can employ clipping masks to crop images into whatever shape y'all like.

How to Crop Images Using Shapes in Photoshop

Read Next

Virtually The Author