There are two ways to fill a shape with an image in Adobe Illustrator. You can use the Clipping Mask or Draw Inside methods. For me, I prefer to use the clipping mask method because it is more flexible.
Hi, my name is Rita. I have been using Adobe Illustrator for over five years and love combining shapes and pictures. Filling a shape with an image in Illustrator has helped me organize my thoughts while creating a design within a minimal space like infographics, flyers, brochures, etc.
Filling a shape with an image takes less space and gives you the flexibility to be creative. That’s cool, right?
Guess what’s even cooler? I will walk you through three easy ways to fill a shape with an image in Adobe Illustrator.
Table of Contents
Key Takeaways
- Sizing and positioning your shape over the image will determine how perfectly it will fit (especially when using the clipping mask method).
- You can continue to edit the image’s placement and shape even after applying the clipping mask.
3 Easy Ways to Fill a Shape with an Image in Illustrator
I will walk you through three easy ways of filling a shape with an image in Illustrator. We’ll begin with the clipping mask method.
Note: All screenshots are from Adobe Illustrator CC Windows Version. Mac and other versions may appear different.
Method 1: Clipping Mask
Filling a shape with an image using the clipping mask method is easy. You only need to get your shape, import/place your image, and make a clipping mask.
We’ll use this image to fill shapes throughout this tutorial. Alright, let’s see how this method works in practice.
Step 1: Place your image in Adobe Illustrator. Go to the overhead menu and select File > Place to add the image to your document.
Did you notice two blue lines across the image?
Yeah, and that’s because you haven’t embedded the image. Embedding the image integrates the image with the document and other elements. Images that are not embedded often disappear even after saving them.
To embed the image, select the image and then go to the window panel and click Embed.
Step 2: Create a shape. You can use the Pathfinder, Pen Tool, Direct Selection Tool, and Shape Builder Tool to make custom shapes. For regular shapes, you can simply use the shapes tool.
I will make a custom shape that looks like a water drop. I used the pen tool to create this shape.
Remember to close the path if you want to use the pen tool to create a custom shape like mine.
Step 3: Make Clipping Mask. Positioning your objects is essential when making a clipping mask. For example, the shape should be on top of the image to create a clipping mask.
If your shape is not on the image, right-click on the shape and then select Arrange > Bring to Front.
The challenge is that you won’t be able to see the areas of the image covered by the shape.
Well, that’s not much of a problem. You can fix it by selecting stroke and “no fill” for your shape. Without a fill, you can see the areas of the image.
You can go ahead and make a clipping mask. Select the shape and the image, right-click and choose Make clipping mask, or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl/Command + 7.
That’s it! We’ve filled our shape with an image.
Method 2: Draw Inside Tool
Using the draw-inside tool to fill a shape in Illustrator is easy. All you need to do is draw a shape, place your image, and then drag the image to fill the shape.
This may sound confusing. Let’s see how it works in practice.
Step 1: Draw your shape. You can use the shape tool or create your custom shape. I will use the Ellipse tool for this illustration.
(You can find the ellipse tool under the triangle on the sidebar.)
I filled my circle because it makes it more visible. You can leave it as a path if you prefer that.
Step 3: Select your shape and click on the draw-inside tool. You will notice that there are three options: Select Draw Inside since you want to fill your shape with an image.
Alternatively, you can use the keyboard shortcut Shift + D.
Can you see dotted lines around your image?
The dotted line shows you that the draw-inside tool has been activated.
Step 4: Place your image. To place your picture, go to the File menu at the overhead window and select the Place option. Alternatively, you can use the keyboard shortcut Shift + Ctrl/Command + P.
Step 5: Embed your image. Once you place the image, you will notice an embed button at the top menu. Click on it to add the image to your document.
Step 6: Position your image. After placing your photo from the File menu, drag the image to position it at your preferred area in the circle.
If your image size is large, resize it to capture your desired area within your shape. To resize, you can select the image, change the size at the overhead menu, or select the image, then press and hold the Shift and Alt/Option keys to reduce its height from the center.
Feel free to select and move the image around the shape till you are satisfied with the result.
That’s it! We have filled our shape with an image using the draw-inside method.
Method 3: Pattern Fill
Instead of filling your shape with a solid color, you can fill it with a pattern. Patterns are repeated vector images.
If you have created and added a pattern to the Swatches, you can simply select your shape and fill it with the pattern.
Let’s see how this works in practice.
Step 1: Create your shape. You can use the shape tool.
I used the shape tool to create a square shape.
Step 2: Go to the swatches panel and select Show Pattern Swatches to see the available patterns.
Step 3: Select your preferred patterns. Once you have selected your shape, fill it with your preferred pattern.
I filled my shape with an Illustrator preset pattern.
That’s it.
Final Thought
Filling a shape with an image adds a unique artistic flare to designs. You can achieve your desired result with any of the methods. Remember to use the clipping mask method to place your shape over the image. If you are using the draw-inside method, remember to resize your image accordingly.
Do you have any questions? Let us know in the comment section.
