Bitmap images ”either placed from other sources (such as Photoshop) or created in Illustrator ”can be cropped with masks. A photo or any bitmap illustration can be cropped using a vector object as a mask.
The basic routine for creating a mask for a bitmap is to first place a bitmap on your artboard and then place a vector image on top of the bitmap.
With both the masking vector object and the underlying bitmap selected, choose Object Clipping Mask Make to generate a mask, as shown in Figure 13-9.
The resulting masked object will have some of the combined strengths and weaknesses of bitmaps and vectors. You can edit the vector image you used to define the clipping mask. If that image is type, you can even edit the type, as shown in Figure 13-10. On the downside, the fill will be a bitmap and so will not be scalable.
Note | For more on working with bitmaps, see Chapter 19. |