4 Easy Ways To Crop To Artboard In Illustrator

In this article, you’ll learn everything you need to know how to crop to artboard in Illustrator.

What Is the Artboard Tool in Illustrator

Artboards act like individual canvases within the same Illustrator document. The artboard tool helps you manage these. When you crop to the Illustrator artboard, you essentially remove unwanted areas that fall outside its boundaries.

Why Use the Crop Image Function?

Utilizing the crop image function also can make your Illustrator file size more manageable, streamline the design process, and increase efficiency.

It helps you focus on your final artwork, getting rid of white space, stray objects, or excess elements that can be distracting.

Ways To Crop To Artboard In Illustrator

The easiest way to crop to an artboard in Illustrator is to first group and clip your graphics into a single selection so that they are in the size you want.

Then, select the Artboard Tool, and use the cursor to click on your grouped graphics. The size and shape of your artboard will be created automatically with your design.

When selecting the individual graphics, use the Selection Tool (V) and hold down the Shift key. Then, click on the part of the image or vector object you want to crop. Make sure you’ve selected the correct layer in the layers panel.

Here are the various methods to crop to artboard in Illustrator in detail:

Method 1: Using the Crop Image Option

In this method, you will crop image in Illustrator to fit your existing artboard. This works for designs with only raster images. Here are the steps:

Step 1: Select the Raster Image

Use the selection tool to click on the raster image you want to crop.

Step 2: Open the Crop Image Tool

With the raster image selected, head to the Object menu at the top of the screen. Click on Object > Crop Image.

Step 3: Properties Panels and Crop Handles

The Cropping Properties panel will appear above your document. You will also see crop handles around your image. Drag the cropping tool handles to match your illustrator artboard.

Step 4: Apply Crop

Press the Apply button in the control panel to confirm the crop area.

Method 2: Clipping Path and Mask Techniques

You will use this method if the design you have does not only have a raster image, but multiple images and vector objects that can’t be cropped with the Crop Tool.

Step 1: Draw a New Shape

Use the Rectangle Tool to draw a new shape with the dimensions you want.

Step 2: Clipping Mask-Crop

Select both the new shape and the original image.

Right-click to get the drop-down menu, then select Make Clipping Mask .

Step 3: Crop To Artboard

Go to the Toolbar and click on the Artboard Tool.

Bring the cursor back to your design and click on it once. You will see the artboard of the same shape and size as your design appear automatically. The artboard size will match the edges of your design so you don’t have to do anything else on it.

Opacity Masks and Transparency Panel

You might consider using opacity masks for more specific shapes or custom shapes. These are accessible from the Transparency panel. Click the Make Mask button to start mask-based cropping.

Method 3: Pathfinder Panel Techniques for Vector Graphics

This method is helpful if you don’t wish to only clip your vector objects in your design, but would like to accurately remove them permanently from the artboard. In this case, the anchor points and paths will also be removed from your vectors.

You may wish to do this to crop in Illustrator and export your design to other platforms like Photoshop and Figma.

Step 1: Create a Rectangular Shape

Use the rectangle tool for this.

Step 2: Select Vector Object Layers

In the Layers panel or on your artboard, select the vector object you wish to crop and your new rectangle.

Step 3: Pathfinder Crop

Go to the top menu bar and select Window > Pathfinder to open the Pathfinder panel.

Then, click on Minus Front in the Shape Modes section.

Method 4: Export Options and Use Artboards

In this method, you will crop in Illustrator by exporting it directly based on the artboard size you are using. You won’t need to manually crop anything in your Illustrator file and your exported design will not show anything outside the artboard.

Step 1: Export Your File

You may either select File > Save As or File > Export > Export As, depending on the format you wish to save as.

Step 2: Artboard Options

Select the Use Artboard box for easy access to different sizes.

Step 3: Export

Your format should be a web option like PNG or JPEG. Select one format, then click the Export button.

Best Practices To Crop in Illustrator

1. Keyboard Shortcuts: Utilize keyboard shortcuts for quick navigation. The Shift key helps maintain proportions.
2. White Area and Final Artwork: Make sure your final artwork does not have unnecessary white areas or unwanted spaces.
3. Risk of a Broken Reference Link: When working with linked images, make sure to embed them to avoid the risk of a broken reference link.

Additional Tools and Plugins

Third-party tools like the Rasterino plugin can provide an alternative to Illustrator’s in-built image crop function. These tools allow for in-line editing of an embedded image.

Whether you’re dealing with regular shapes or perfect circles, bitmap images, or vector files, I hope this guide has the tools and steps you need to succeed.

Crop To Artboard In Illustrator: FAQs

You may want to lock any layers you’re not actively working on to avoid accidental edits. Then, use any of these methods to crop your image:

Method 1: Using Clipping Masks

1. Select the Image: Click the image you want to crop.
2. Create a Shape: Draw a shape over the area you want to keep.
3. Select Both: Select both the image and the shape.
4. Apply Mask: Go to Object > Clipping Mask > Make.
5. Adjust if Needed: You can double-click the mask to adjust the position.

Clipping masks are fantastic for cropping images into custom shapes while preserving the original image.

Method 2: Using Artboards

1. Open Artboard Tool: Click the Artboard Tool (Shift + O).
2. Resize Artboard: Drag the corners to fit the area you want to crop.
3. Export: Go to File > Export > Export As to save the cropped image.

This method is excellent for cropping your image to exact dimensions.

Method 3: Using the Crop Image Tool

1. Select the Image: Click on the image to select it.
2. Click Crop Image: In the top menu, click Crop Image.
3. Adjust Corners: Drag the corners to your desired crop area.
4. Apply: Click Apply to crop the image.

This is the quickest way to crop an image, especially useful for simple, rectangular crops.

1. Open the Layers Panel: Make sure you can see all your layers and elements.
2. Draw a Rectangle: Use the rectangle tool to create a shape that matches the dimensions of your artboard.
3. Select All Elements: Utilize the selection tool to select both the rectangle and the elements you want to keep.
4. Use the Pathfinder Tool: Navigate to the Pathfinder panel, usually located on the right side of the screen, and click the “Crop” option.

1. Select Your Image: Use the selection tool to click on the image you wish to resize.
2. Open Properties Panel: This panel displays various options including width and height.
3. Input Dimensions: Enter the dimensions of your artboard into the width and height fields in the properties panel. Make sure to lock the aspect ratio to prevent distortion.
4. Align to Artboard: Use the align tools to position your resized image to fit perfectly within the artboard boundaries.

1. Make Your Selection: Use the selection tool to select the area you want to turn into a new artboard.
2. Artboard Tool: Click on the artboard tool icon, which usually looks like a square with dotted borders.
3. Click Selected Art: Go to your art or design, click on the edge of it and a new artboard will snap to the boundaries of your selection.

1. Access Artboard Tool: First, click on the artboard tool from the tools panel on the left.
2. Choose Artboard: Click on the artboard you wish to resize.
3. Drag Corners or Input Values: You can either manually drag the corners of the artboard to your desired size, or you can input specific dimensions in the control panel at the top.

1. Open the Layers Panel: Make sure you can see all your layers and elements.
2. Draw a Rectangle: Use the rectangle tool to create a shape that matches the dimensions of your artboard.
3. Select All Elements: Utilize the selection tool to select both the rectangle and the elements you want to keep.
4. Use the Pathfinder Tool: Navigate to the Pathfinder panel, usually located on the right side of the screen, and click the “Crop” option.