Photoshop clipping mask to make a doughnut ~ Photoshop Tutorial

" if I were creating a clipping path of a donut, I would have a path around the outside of the donut and one on the inside of the donut (actually the same path, just 2 parts) and could save as a clipping path and everything would work fine. Now only the outer path activates. Any suggestions??

Clipping Path makes a Hole in the Doughnut

Using image clipping paths to create a hole

Assuming you've read our previous tutorial on clipping paths, now you want to cut a hole in that image so not only the background is transparent, but the "hole in the donut as well.

What you'll need to do is add your inside path, but make it "subtract from shape" so it knocks out the hole. This should tell you enough, but if it doesn't, just follow along...

Path to draw the outside

1) Create the Outside shape
In the interest of time for this demonstration, I'll be using the simple shape tool to draw our shapes. However, you'll probably be using the pen tool, or other selection tools to get a good, exact selection around the outside of your donut.

2) Draw it as a shape
Make sure the "Paths" option is turned on in the Options Bar. This will generate a Path in the Paths palette.

3) Path Area in the options bar can be selected so it designates a 'shape'

4) Name it. Once drawn, double-click the Path thumbnail in the Paths palette and give it a name.

Now create the inner hole

5) Subtract the "Hole" by using the same selection process, but this time outline the hole. Make sure you have selected the "Subtract from Shape" option in the Options Bar.

6) Select Both paths using the Select tool in the tool bar, and once (7) both are selected, you will see the thumbnail (8) now has the hole. If you wish, you can (9) "fill" the path (optional, if you wish) to confirm to yourself that you have indeed subtracted the hole. I'm going to fill mine with BLUE since I don't have a donut.

Now make a clipping Path

10) Again, using the Selection tool, (11) Select both paths.

12) Convert to Clipping Path by now moving up to the Paths palette and selecting "Clipping Path" ... now the name gets outlined in the Paths palette. (13)

That's really all there is to it. If you've created other layers with content, just get rid of those layers now, saving only the donut image and the paths and
Select: File > Save As ... and then select "Photoshop EPS"

As you can see in this screen, once the file is placed in Quark XPress, InDesign, Ready-Set-Go, or other desktop publishing programs that support clipping paths, the donut (like my blue "donut") will have NO background, and you'll easily see through the hole.

Clipping Path in InDesign

For assistance with image clipping paths, choose Help > Export Transparent Image. This interactive wizard helps you prepare images with transparency for export to a page-layout application.

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from the Editor:
I was delighted that day back in 1989 when Peggy Killburn called to ask if I could handle one more speaker in my "Great Graphics Tips & Tricks" session scheduled for the 1990 Macworld Expo. "Yes" was my response to her request to add Russell Brown to my panel. After all, we loved Adobe's young "Illustrator" program, and were quite anxious to try out their upcoming new product called "Photoshop." After seeing his demo, I was convinced Photoshop would be big. So the next month we added "Photoshop Tips & Tricks" to our regular DTG Magazine uploads to Compuserve, GEnie and AOL. The rest is history.
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