illustrator · HeyBraza shows you
illustrator pathfinder minus front not working
HeyBraza catches the missing compound-path step that breaks minus front and points at the right pathfinder button.
pathfinder minus front is supposed to punch one shape out of another, but it deletes the wrong piece or does nothing when you have several shapes or live strokes. the fixes are compound paths and outlined strokes. here's the order that works.
or do it yourself
- 1remember the rule: minus front removes every shape on top from the single shape at the bottom - so the keeper goes underneath.
- 2cutting with several top shapes? select just those and run object > compound path > make (ctrl/cmd+8) so they subtract as one.
- 3outline any strokes first via object > path > outline stroke - pathfinder ignores live stroke width.
- 4select everything, open window > pathfinder, and click 'minus front' (the second icon in the top row).
- 5if pieces are left behind, expand the result (object > expand) and delete stray paths with the direct selection tool (a).
let HeyBraza do this with you
HeyBraza is a tiny on-screen guide that points at the right buttons and talks you through it, on windows and mac.
downloadcommon questions
why does minus front delete everything instead of cutting a hole?
your top shapes weren't a compound path, so each one subtracted in turn - select them and make a compound path first.
why doesn't minus front respect my stroke?
pathfinder only sees fills; run object > path > outline stroke to turn the stroke into a real shape before subtracting.