Arc and Angle To me programming is more than an important practical art. It is also a gigantic undertaking in the foundations of knowledge. – Grace Hopper

Illustrator Compound Path

What is a compound path?

A "compound path" is an object made of two or more paths.

You may create a compound mask to:

• Add "holes" to a path
• When "creating outlines" of text and you want to preserve the transparent holes in some letters (like the middle section of an "O" "A" "R", etc.
• When applying a gradient across multiple paths

So, let's say you have some text and you want to "create outlines". If you have a black "O" on top of a red circle, you want the middle of the "O" to be transparent so that the red will show through. Illustrator lets you create your own compound paths.

How to make a compound path in Illustrator

It's very easy to create a compound path in Illustrator.

• Create a shape
• Create another shape
• Position one shape over the other
• Select the objects
• Go to Objects --> Compound Path --> Make

Done.