Pathfinder Tool in Adobe Illustrator :
What is the Pathfinder Tool?
The Pathfinder Tool is used to combine, divide, and manipulate shapes in Illustrator. It helps create complex designs by merging or cutting objects in different ways.
Where to Find the Pathfinder Tool?
- Go to Window → Pathfinder to open the panel.
- Shortcut: Shift + Ctrl + F9 (Windows) / Shift + Command + F9 (Mac).
Pathfinder Operations :
The Pathfinder panel has two main sections: Shape Modes & Pathfinders
1. Shape Modes (Top Row)
- Unite → Merges selected shapes into one.
- Minus Front → Subtracts the front shape from the back.
- Intersect → Keeps only the overlapping parts of the shapes.
- Exclude → Removes overlapping areas, keeping non-overlapping parts.
2. Pathfinders (Bottom Row)
- Divide → Splits overlapping shapes into separate pieces.
- Trim → Removes overlapping areas without dividing shapes.
- Merge → Similar to Trim but unifies same-colored areas.
- Crop → Cuts objects using the top shape as a mask.
- Outline → Converts overlapping areas into individual stroke outlines.
- Minus Back → Removes the back shape from the front.
Example Uses of the Pathfinder Tool
* Creating custom shapes (e.g., cutting a moon shape from a circle).
* Combining multiple objects into a single vector shape.
* Removing overlapping areas to simplify designs.
* Splitting artwork into separate pieces for editing.
