Clipping Mask, Pathfinder or Compound Path?

Question

I'm sorry for such a generic title, but I couldn't figure out a title that would make sense with what I am trying to do.

So I am a novice when it comes to illustrator, but I am trying to cut out the middle portion of my logo. The white rectangle is what I am trying to remove from various layers of my logo, the pink is just a generic background (image 1)

I've tried all that I can think of, but the best I can do is get the middle of the "s" cut out (using exclude on pathfinder, image 2), but my colors get all messed up.

Answer 1

To cut some parts of your vector logo/letters, simply select the letter and the white rectangle above them, and use the "divide" in the Pathfinder tool, instead of using "exclude."

Then delete the white parts. It shouldn't mess your colors and gradients, or not too much if you used simple gradients.

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Using the pathfinder tool is the best way to get rid of some parts of your vector illustration for good and do a clean job. There's no going back with the pathfinder tool and it's perfect to prepare final logo files or vectors you don't want to see modified anymore.

The clipping mask is more often used if you need to "crop" images that were imported in your Illustrator file or complex groups of vectors, but it doesn't actually "erase" anything, it "hides" it. And it can be modified and removed at any time.