Draw Inside Mode in Illustrator? Noooo! Make a Clipping Mask!

In this video, I explain why I NEVER use Draw Inside mode In Adobe Illustrator. If I need something clipped, I just make a clipping mask. Am I missing out? What do you think?

You'll learn how to use Draw Inside mode, and how to make a clipping mask. Plus, I demonstrate how to use Isolation mode to edit clipping masks in Adobe Illustrator.

Here's how to use Draw Inside: Select a path (or a compound path) and click the Draw Inside button at the bottom of the tool panel. Now, anything you create, shapes, drawings, etc., will be masked by that path until you click the Draw Normal button.

Ready to move or change the color of that object? It's a Clip Group, just like if you had started with a clipping mask, except you can only select it by clicking its foreground elements. This makes it harder, especially for pattern designers, to select motifs like the cherry or change the color of the background shape when working fast.

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All content by Laura Coyle

[pavithranataraj]

Thank you so much! even after watching tons of video and tutorials nothing helped, I paused every video and tried to follow it, yours worked like a charm. Love you. Wating to see more content.

[Vektorgarten]

You only have that selection advantage when you make an extra shape for the fill (which you could also do in Draw inside mode). When creating a clipping mask the old fashioned way, you can also apply the fill directly to the mask, which is what a lot of people will do (me included), because I do not like duplicate paths (at all). So it's not the method what is causing this, but they way in which you are using the method. Both methods are completely interchangeable as regards the result. They create the exact same thing. It's just that one of them feels more like the FreeHand way of doing things and is slightly more intuitive and the other one is more associated with shortcuts. I use both methods and choose which one fits better into my workflow at a given time. When I want to crop an image with a freeform path, then directly placing the image into it is a really fast way.

[andyarkley]

This is helpful - thnak you. Ugg - that selection issue with draw inside actually seems like a bug. Maybe Adobe will fix it.

[mamanomepegues]

I'm still amazed how wonky selections are in illustrator sometimes. For expample they released the "enclosed mode" in the latest update and i find that it really helps with my workflow (they should make it so it stays toggled all the time imo ). But for example, when i'm working with a png with no background and i draw something behind that png, next time i want to select the background shape i have to carefully click on the the edge of it, otherwise it will select the png . On the other had that isn't a problem in photoshop with "autoselect layer" option.

[annacaroline]

so helpful! I was trying to use the draw inside after i made a shape with pathfinder, and it didn't allow me to use it, with the clipping mask worked just fine!

[clearviewdachsies]

We have not gotten to draw inside mode yet in class! I will have to ask my professor what he likes. :) Thank you!

[centrumshuttletravel]

How can i use draw inside iPad Pro Thank you so much:)

[chrisbrannan]

Now I'm extra frustrated with the project I'm working on. I have multiple shapes where I did clipping masks. However, I am having trouble selecting them, which seemed odd as I don't remember this being an issue in the past. I know I didn't use draw inside because I never have used that mode (always forget it's a thing). Is there something else that could be causing the selection issue? I have double checked to make sure the clioping path shape has a fill color, but still can only select the edges, so annoying!

[SmilleDesign]

I figured out that if I use drawing inside I can't select so I go from the menu Object > Flatten Transparency