Illustrator - How to round corners of image lines

[pjmc84]

Hey guys, new member here.. just signed up a few minutes back infact.

I have a quick question for any Illustrator gurus here;

Let's say I have 4 special image lines merged into a solid rectangle, and I want to round out the corners to make it look like a rounded rectangle, how would I go about doing this?

If I need to manip in Photoshop first, please let me know... any help is appreciated

Thanks

[CkretAjint]

Draw a rectangle around your picture. Select the rectangle, go to Effect > Stylize > Round Corner. Select the corner radius you want. Place rectangle on top of your image, scale to edges of image. Select both your rectangle and image, then go to Object > Clipping Mask > Make. Trash your 4 single lines....

BLAMO! ;)

[Danger_Mouse]

You could also use the rounded rectangle tool (double click it to adjust corners), and then do the clipping mask over the image.

[Typically]

You could also use the rounded rectangle tool (double click it to adjust corners), and then do the clipping mask over the image.

that's the way i would do it too

[hewligan]

The effect is usually a much better option.

1) If you later need to scale your rectangle to a different aspect ratio, bad things happen to your rounded corners if you used the rounded rectangle tool. It's fine if you use the effects tool.

2) If you later want to change your corner radius, you can with the effect. With the rounded rectangle tool, you're stuck with what you originally created.

More editable == more good ;)

[CkretAjint]

http://www.blog.spoongraphics.co.uk/tutorials/illustrator-quickfix-change-the-size-of-a-rounded-rectangle

;)

[Danger_Mouse]

The effect is usually a much better option.

1) If you later need to scale your rectangle to a different aspect ratio, bad things happen to your rounded corners if you used the rounded rectangle tool. It's fine if you use the effects tool.

2) If you later want to change your corner radius, you can with the effect. With the rounded rectangle tool, you're stuck with what you originally created.

More editable == more good ;)

Good points, I totally didn't consider the distorting factor...Agreed more editable is more good. :D

[Optimusdinkus]

Less clicks = guuud

[hewligan]

http://www.blog.spoongraphics.co.uk/tutorials/illustrator-quickfix-change-the-size-of-a-rounded-rectangle

;)

Yeah, I know that, but as Optimus said, "Less clicks = guuud." And, while that's a perfectly straightforward option when you only have one object on your page, even with the best of layer organisation, it can become... interesting... when you have a few hundred.

[Typically]

oh sweet! that was always a pain in the ass

[CkretAjint]

Tis true. but having options is always nice. Just like in Photoshop there is more than 1 way to skin a cat. As always, only you can analyze your situation and not the best path to take for achieving your goal. ;)

[pepsiqueen]

So i have been using the rectangle with the round corners effect applied to it for a long time now. For some reason i have a new file and now i have rectangles, which i apply the rounded corners to, and for whatever reason the round corners are not showing up. it still looks like a regular rectangle, even though the appearance panel says it has rounded rectangles. I have tried all kinds of different radii. Can anyone think what might be the problem?

[pepsiqueen]

So i have been using the rectangle with the round corners effect applied to it for a long time now. For some reason i have a new file and now i have rectangles, which i apply the rounded corners to, and for whatever reason the round corners are not showing up. it still looks like a regular rectangle, even though the appearance panel says it has rounded rectangles. I have tried all kinds of different radii. Can anyone think what might be the problem?

CORRECTION
the rectangles have rounded corners, but when i use them as a clipping mask AI clips to the full rectangle instead of just the extents of the rounded rectangle. driving me crazy, of course.

[hewligan]

CORRECTION
the rectangles have rounded corners, but when i use them as a clipping mask AI clips to the full rectangle instead of just the extents of the rounded rectangle. driving me crazy, of course.

Yeah, unfortunately you do have to expand the effect to be able to us it as a clipping mask.

[longboy]

You can actually apply the rounded corners effect to a clipping mask as well (as an effect, and leave it that way until it's final).

[hewligan]

You can actually apply the rounded corners effect to a clipping mask as well (as an effect, and leave it that way until it's final).

You can? How?

I just tried it again, and as far as I can tell, clipping masks completely ignore round corners effects and take their shape from the actual object path. But then I might be misunderstanding something here...

[longboy]

OK, I just did it (to make sure I'm not crazy) and here's what I did. I just applied the rounded corners effect after making/applying the clipping path to the placed image.

1. Place image
2. Draw rectangle to be clipping path
3. Shift-click on image
4. Select "Make clipping path"
5. Effects > Stylize > Round Corners (insert radius amount)
6. Done

Or am I completely missing something?

[hewligan]

No, I was.

I was applying round corners and then making a clipping mask. That doesn't work.

You made the clipping mask then applied round corners. That does work.

I guess that makes sense, in a way...