Seasoned Illustrator users love the Hide command. Use it when the object you want to select is stuck behind something else or when you need to select one object and another repeatedly activates instead.
A good opportunity to use the Hide command is when you’re creating text inside a shape. Follow these steps to hide a shape:
- Create a shape.For this example, you create an ellipse.
- Click the Fill color box at the bottom of the Illustrator Tools panel and then choose Window→ Swatches.The Swatches panel appears.
- In the Swatches panel, choose a color for the fill.In this example, yellow is selected. The stroke doesn’t matter; this one is set to None.
Clicking a shape with the Type tool converts the shape to a text area and converts the fill and stroke to None. To have a colored shape remain, you must hide a copy.
- After selecting a colored shape, choose Edit→ Copy; alternatively, you can press Ctrl+C (Windows) or ⌘ +C (Mac).This step makes a copy of your shape.
- Choose Edit→ Paste in Back or press Ctrl+B (Windows) or ⌘ +B (Mac).This step puts a copy of your shape exactly in back of the original.
- Choose Object→ Hide or press Ctrl+3 (Windows) or ⌘ +3 (Mac).
The copy of the shape is now hidden; what you see is your original shape.
- Switch to the Type tool by selecting it in the Tools panel or pressing T.
- Use the cursor to cross over the edge of the shape and change it to the Area Type tool.You use the Area Type tool to type text in a shape.
- When you see the type insertion cursor swell up, click the edge of the shape.
The type insertion cursor on the edge of a shape.The insertion point is now blinking inside the shape, and the fill and stroke attributes of the shape have been changed to None.
- Type some text.
Type directly in the shape. - When you finish entering text, choose Object→ Show All or press Ctrl+Alt+3 (Windows) or ⌘ +Option+3 (Mac).
The colored shape reappears with the text in the middle of it.
The hidden shape reappears behind the text.
