Whether you’re new to Adobe Illustrator, or a seasoned pro, with a program as complex as this it can’t ever hurt to take a moment to refresh your skills. Adobe Illustrator is the industry standard for graphic design, thanks to the seemingly infinite possibilities for creation and vector combination.
Since there are a wild number of combination techniques and even combinations of combination techniques, here we cover the most useful and easy-to-grasp methods of combining objects in Adobe Illustrator. To learn how to accomplish these, simply follow our tutorials below.
For all other information, and if you have any other queries, please see our FAQs at the end of this article.
Table of Contents
How to combine objects via Shape Builder in Adobe Illustrator
- First thing first, open Adobe Illustrator, start a new blank project, and add a couple of simple geometric shapes to the project on which to practice (say a circle and square, using the ellipse and rectangle tool respectively – CTRL/CMD + L and CTRL/CMD + M respectively)
- Now, to combine the objects as one, select them and use the ALIGN tool to ensure that they are level
- Next, switch to OUTLINE MODE to ensure you can be as accurate as possible in combining the objects. Click View > Outline (or CTRL/CMD + Y on your keyboard)
- Note: the colours of the objects will disappear and the objects will appear empty, this is just to aid alignment, the colour will return once you exit outline mode
- Note: the colours of the objects will disappear and the objects will appear empty, this is just to aid alignment, the colour will return once you exit outline mode
- Now, adjust the objects’ positions by selecting and dragging them into place. OUTLINE MODE allows you to be really specific with this.
- Finally, to combine the objects, select the SHAPE BUILDER tool from the toolbar (or via SHIFT + M keyboard shortcut), and then click and drag to highlight all of the objects you wish to combine. Once you release your click, the objects will be combined into one shape.
- Note: You can now exit OUTLINE MODE via View > Outline Mode (or CTRL/CMD + Y on your keyboard)
- Note: You can now exit OUTLINE MODE via View > Outline Mode (or CTRL/CMD + Y on your keyboard)
How to combine objects via Pathfinder in Adobe Illustrator
- First thing first, open Adobe Illustrator, start a new blank project, and add a couple of simple geometric shapes to the project on which to practice (say a circle and square, using the ellipse and rectangle tool respectively – CTRL/CMD + L and CTRL/CMD + M respectively)
- Now, reposition your objects until they overlap each other in the position you wish to combine them
- Next, having highlighted all of the objects you wish to combine, open the Pathfinder panel at the top of the programme
- You will be presented with 10 different options for combining your objects via the Pathfinder tool – have a play around with these by hovering your cursor over each to learn which tool is which
- You will be presented with 10 different options for combining your objects via the Pathfinder tool – have a play around with these by hovering your cursor over each to learn which tool is which
- Select the pathfinder tool you wish to employ, and it will be applied to your objects, combining them in the manner of that specific pathfinder tool.
- Here is a list of ten Pathfinder Tools and their various uses:
- Unite: combines the objects together (regardless of colour fill) to form one super-object
- INTERSECT: traces an outline of the space at which the objects overlap
- EXCLUDE: makes the area where objects overlap transparent, combining only the non-overlapping areas
- MINUS FRONT: uses the top-most object to cut out the object’s shape from the object underneath (i.e. create a donut by subtracting one smaller circle from a large one)
- MINUS BACK: does exactly the opposite of ‘subtract’, in effect subtracting the bottom object from the top
- DIVIDE: divides the objects into new shapes based on where their outlines bisect each other
- TRIM: removes the parts of an object hidden by another (slightly different to ‘subtract’)
- MERGE: does the same as ‘add’ but only combines objects of the same colour
- CROP: deletes any parts of the objects which fall outside the boundaries of the upper object, and simultaneously divides the remaining artwork into its component ‘faces’
- OUTLINE: divides overlapping objects into their component edges
- Unite: combines the objects together (regardless of colour fill) to form one super-object
How to combine objects via Group in Adobe Illustrator
- First thing first, open Adobe Illustrator, start a new blank project, and add a couple of simple geometric shapes to the project on which to practice (say a circle and square, using the ellipse and rectangle tool respectively – CTRL/CMD + L and CTRL/CMD + M respectively)
- Next, align your objects (if necessary) via the ALIGN tool at the top of the page, and then reposition your objects so that they overlap as you’d like the final shape to
- Lastly, having highlighted all overlapping objects, go to Object > Group (or use the keyboard shortcut CMD/CTRL + G).
- Note: the key difference between this combination method and that of ‘Shape Builder’ is that with ‘Group’ you can still interact with each of the original components, whereas with ‘Shape Builder’ you’re left with one single entity.
- Note: the key difference between this combination method and that of ‘Shape Builder’ is that with ‘Group’ you can still interact with each of the original components, whereas with ‘Shape Builder’ you’re left with one single entity.
And there you have it! Three of the most fundamental methods for combining objects in Adobe Illustrator are laid out for you in layman’s terms, so that you can master them and then apply them to your work.
For any additional information, or if you have any other questions, please see our FAQs below.
Frequently asked questions
Why would I want to combine objects in Adobe Illustrator?
Adobe Illustrator (or AI, for short) is the industry standard for graphic designers and digital artists the world over. Whilst other programs can perform similar functions, there’s really no substitute for the real thing. AI is inarguably the best software to use for graphic design since it gives the user more power and control over their project than any other software does, and allows them to go into greater detail.
One of the absolute fundamentals of graphic design is, undoubtedly, combining objects. In this field, when we say ‘objects’, we really mean vector graphics. In other words, geometric shapes (squares, triangles, rectangles, ellipticals, etc.), which are likely to form the basis of your project. Combining these shapes is the only surefire way to create the unique look you’re going for.
And what do we mean when we say ‘combining’? To hear it, you’re probably imagining just putting a square and a circle together to get a shape with an angular end and a rounded end. Certainly, that’s one of the possibilities. However, there are seemingly infinite means of combining objects on Adobe Illustrator. Combining can mean subtracting one shape from another, dividing one with another, overlaying, underlaying, bisecting, you name it! The only limit to what you can do is your imagination.
What is the most effective means of combining objects in Adobe Illustrator?
As we stated above, there are simply hundreds of different ways to combine objects in Adobe Illustrator, so much so that it would be impossible for us to cover all of them in one article. However, what we have done is researched the most effective and useful methods of object combining in AI, and presented them here for you to learn
With these tools under your belt, you can begin combining different methods, and slowly branching out into the world of combination effects. Learn the basics presented above, and you’ll have enough of a grasp of object combining in Adobe Illustrator to begin experimenting with the methods we didn’t cover in this tutorial.
