Creating compound paths


    A compound path contains two or more paths that are painted so that holes appear where paths overlap. Compound paths act as grouped objects; to select part of a compound path, use the Direct Selection tool or the Group Selection tool. You can manipulate the shape of individual components of a compound path, but you cannot change appearance attributes, graphic styles, or effects for individual components, and you cannot manipulate components individually in the Layers palette.

    Use the Compound Path command to create paths that have holes where the original objects overlapped. When you define objects as a compound path, all objects in the compound path take on the paint and style attributes of the backmost object in the stacking order.

    Compound paths appear as <Compound Path> items in the Layers palette. You cannot show the contents of a compound path in the Layers palette.

    Note: If you want more flexibility in the compound path creation, you can create a compound shape and then expand it. (See Creating and adjusting compound shapes.)

To create a compound path using the Compound Path command:

  1. Select the paths you want to include in the compound path.
  2. Choose Object > Compound Path > Make.
  3. The resulting shape appears in the Layers palette as <Compound Path>.