Clipping Mask Manager

Clipping Mask Manager

Script for Adobe Illustrator

✦ Available exclusively on Patreon for Pro supporters.

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Description

Clipping Mask Manager is a powerful Adobe Illustrator script that simplifies the management and manipulation of clipping masks in your artwork. Whether you need to release clipping masks, remove clipping paths, delete masked content, or merge clipping paths with their masked objects, this script provides an intuitive interface with multiple processing options.

The script automatically detects all clipping masks within your selection (including nested masks) and offers four different release modes, along with customizable styling options for the released mask paths. A built-in preview feature highlights all clipping paths before processing, making it easy to verify your selection.

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Key Features

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Four Processing Modes:

  • Release and keep clipping paths
  • Release and delete clipping paths
  • Delete masked content (keep only the mask path)
  • Merge clipping paths with masked content using Pathfinder

Customizable Styling:

  • Add fill color with adjustable opacity to released mask paths
  • Add stroke color to released mask paths
  • Interactive color pickers for easy color selection

Preview System:

  • Highlights all clipping paths with a dashed blue stroke
  • Toggle preview on/off to verify your selection
  • Automatic cleanup when processing or canceling

Smart Detection:

  • Automatically counts clipping masks in your selection
  • Works with nested clipping masks
  • Handles complex group structures

Additional Tools:

  • Zoom to fit selection in window
  • Hide/show edges toggle
  • Helpful tooltips for all options

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Installation

1. Download the Circle Clipping Mask Manager.jsx script file.

2. Place the script in your Adobe Illustrator Scripts folder:

⮑ Mac: /Applications/Adobe Illustrator <Version>/Presets/<Language>/Scripts

⮑ Windows: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Illustrator <Version>\Presets\<Language>\Scripts

3. Restart Adobe Illustrator if it's already running.

4. The script will appear in File > Scripts > Clipping Mask Manager.

5. Alternatively, you can run the script without installation by going to File > Scripts > Other Script... and selecting the file.

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Using the Script

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Prepare Your Selection

  1. Open your Adobe Illustrator document
  2. Select one or more objects that contain clipping masks
  • You can select individual clipped groups
  • You can select multiple objects at once
  • The script works with nested clipping masks

Note: If no clipping masks are found in your selection, the script will display an alert message.

➊ Run the Script

  1. Go to File > Scripts > Clipping Mask Manager
  2. The dialog window will open, showing:
  • The number of clipping masks found in your selection
  • Processing method options
  • Released mask styling options
  • Preview and control buttons

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image gallery

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➋ Choose a Processing Method

Select one of the four processing modes:

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🅰 Release and keep clipping paths

  • Releases the clipping mask
  • Keeps all objects intact (both the mask path and masked content)
  • The mask path becomes a regular path that can be styled

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🅱 Release and delete clipping paths

  • Releases the clipping mask
  • Removes the mask path
  • Keeps only the masked content
  • Note: Fill and stroke options are disabled in this mode

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🅲 Delete masked content

  • Releases the clipping mask
  • Removes all masked objects
  • Keeps only the mask path
  • Useful when you only need the mask shape

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 🅳 Merge clipping paths

  • Merges the clipping path with the masked content using Pathfinder Crop
  • Creates a single unified shape
  • Note: Linked images and gradient meshes may not merge correctly

➌ Configure Released Mask Options (Optional)

Add Fill

  1. Check the "Add Fill" checkbox (enabled by default)
  2. Click the color swatch to open the color picker
  3. Select your desired fill color (default: black)
  4. Set the opacity percentage (0-100%, default: 50%)

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Add Stroke

  1. Check the "Add Stroke" checkbox
  2. Click the color swatch to open the color picker
  3. Select your desired stroke color 
  4. The stroke width is set to 1pt by default

➍ Use Preview and Additional Tools

Preview

  • The "Preview" checkbox is enabled by default
  • When enabled, all clipping paths are highlighted with a dashed blue stroke
  • Toggle off to remove the preview highlights
  • Preview automatically clears when you apply changes or cancel

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Hide Edges

  • Check "Hide Edges" to hide object edges/outlines in the document view
  • Useful for seeing your artwork without selection indicators
  • Uncheck to show edges again

 ➎ Apply or Cancel

  • Click OK to apply the selected processing method to all clipping masks
  • Click Cancel to close the dialog without making changes
  • Preview highlights are automatically cleared in both cases

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Zoom Button ✚

  • Click the zoom button to fit your selection in the window
  • Automatically centers and scales the view to show all selected objects

Best Practices

  1. Use Preview: Always check the preview to ensure the script detected all the clipping masks you want to process
  2. Test First: Try the script on a copy of your artwork first to understand how each mode works
  3. Nested Masks: The script automatically processes nested clipping masks recursively
  4. Undo: You can always undo the operation with Cmd+Z (Mac) or Ctrl+Z (Windows)
  5. Merge Mode Preparation: Before using "Merge clipping paths" mode:
  • Expand any appearances or effects
  • Rasterize or expand placed images if needed
  • Convert text to outlines if necessary
  • The script will attempt to handle these automatically, but manual preparation gives better results

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With Clipping Mask Manager, you have complete control over how clipping masks are handled in your Illustrator projects – whether you need to release, delete, merge, or restyle them. 

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Clipping Mask Manager

Version: 1.0.1

Updated:

Download Clipping Mask Manager

  • 1.0.0 – Initial release.
    1.0.1 – Cleaner implementation of ‘Hide Edges’ option.

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    Tested on MacOS:

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    • Adobe Illustrator 2023 (27.0)
    • Adobe Illustrator 2024 (28.1)
    • Adobe Illustrator 2025 (29.0)

  • Supported Versions:

    • Compatible with Adobe Illustrator CS6 and later, including Adobe Illustrator CC versions.

    Operating Systems:

    • Works on both macOS and Windows platforms.

  • End User License Agreement (EULA)

    Last Updated: 21.12.2024

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    This End User License Agreement (“Agreement”) is a legal agreement between you (“User” or “Licensee”) and Samolevsky.com (“Licensor”) regarding the use of the Adobe Illustrator scripts (“Software”). By downloading, installing, or using the Software, you agree to be bound by the terms of this Agreement.

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    1. Grant of License

    Licensor grants the User a non-exclusive, non-transferable, and revocable license to use the Software in accordance with this Agreement.

    • Free Software: If the Software is provided for free, you may use it for personal or commercial purposes without payment, subject to the restrictions outlined in this Agreement.
    • Paid Software: If the Software is provided for a fee, you may use it only after payment has been made in full.

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    2. Usage Rights

    You are permitted to:

    • Install and use the Software on devices you own or control.
    • Use the Software in your personal or commercial projects, subject to compliance with this Agreement.

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    3. Restrictions

    You may NOT:

    • Reverse engineer, decompile, or otherwise attempt to discover the source code, underlying ideas, or algorithms of the Software.
    • Reuse, incorporate, or integrate any portion of the Software into any other software, product, or project, except as expressly permitted by the Licensor in writing.
    • Resell, redistribute, or share the Software, whether in its original or modified form, without prior written consent from the Licensor.
    • Claim ownership of the Software or its underlying code.
    • Use the Software in any way that violates applicable laws or regulations.

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    4. Ownership

    The Software and all intellectual property rights therein remain the exclusive property of the Licensor. This Agreement does not transfer ownership of the Software or any intellectual property rights to the User.

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    5. Disclaimer of Warranties

    THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED “AS IS”, WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE LICENSOR BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES, OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT, OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.

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    6. Limitation of Liability

    To the maximum extent permitted by law, Licensor shall not be liable for any damages, including but not limited to direct, indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages, arising out of or related to the use or inability to use the Software.

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    7. Termination

    This Agreement is effective until terminated. Licensor may terminate this Agreement immediately if you breach any term of this Agreement. Upon termination, you must cease all use of the Software and destroy any copies in your possession.

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    8. Updates and Support

    Licensor is not obligated to provide updates, support, or maintenance for the Software. However, updates may be provided at the sole discretion of the Licensor.

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    9. Governing Law

    This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without regard to its conflict of law principles.

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    10. Entire Agreement

    This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between you and the Licensor concerning the Software and supersedes all prior or contemporaneous understandings regarding such subject matter.

    By using the Software, you acknowledge that you have read this Agreement, understand it, and agree to be bound by its terms.

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    For any questions or concerns regarding this Agreement, please contact us at hello@samolevsky.com

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Required Software

Adobe Illustrator

Learn more

Adobe Illustrator is a professional vector graphics software developed by Adobe Inc. It is widely used by designers, illustrators, and artists for creating a variety of digital artwork, including logos, icons, illustrations, typography, and complex design layouts. Illustrator is known for its precision and scalability, allowing users to create high-quality graphics that can be resized without losing clarity. Its features include powerful drawing tools, customizable brushes, advanced typography options, and seamless integration with other Adobe Creative Cloud applications. Illustrator is a go-to tool for creative professionals working on projects for print, web, and multimedia platforms.

  • 🅰 Locating the Scripts Folder

    To install a Clipping Mask Manager.jsx script in Adobe Illustrator, you need to place it in the correct directory where Illustrator
can recognize it. Follow these steps to locate the Scripts folder:

    1. MacOS:
      Open Finder and navigate to:
      Applications/Adobe Illustrator <Version>/Presets/<Language>/Scripts
    2. Windows:
      Open File Explorer and navigate to:
      C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Illustrator <Version>\Presets\<Language>\Scripts
    3. Replace <Version> with your Adobe Illustrator version (e.g., 2025).
    4. Replace <Language> with your language folder (e.g., "de_DE" for German, "en_US" for English).

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    🅱 Installing the Script

    1. Copy the Script File: Copy the Clipping Mask Manager.jsx file to the Scripts folder located in the path above.
    2. On some systems, you may need administrator permissions to modify the Scripts folder.
    3. Restart Adobe Illustrator: To refresh the scripts menu, close and reopen Adobe Illustrator.

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    Explore our complete guide to mastering Adobe Illustrator scripts.

    1. Open Adobe Illustrator and ensure a document is active.
    2. Go to the top menu bar and select File > Scripts.
    3. If the script is installed in the Scripts folder, it will appear in the dropdown list.
    4. Click the Clipping Mask Manager script to run it.
    5. The Clipping Mask Manager script will execute, and any dialog boxes or results will appear based on the script’s functionality.

    ☻ Before running any scripts, it’s strongly advised to save your work — especially when working with complex or large documents.

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