: Illustrator - Select and copy a section of a larger object Pretty basic concept. I have a large object, and only want a sub-section of said object. In PS I would just use rectangle tool to

@Caterina889

Fundamentally this just isn't how Illustrator, or vector applications in general, operate.

Think of vector artwork as pieces of construction paper. You can't simply erase part of a piece of paper. You have to cut it then remove the cut section. This is how you would remove part of an object or group of objects in Illustrator. Features such as the Pathfinder Panel and Shape Builder Tool can make this "cutting" easier. There are a great many tutorials for these features on the web if you search.

One other possible method would be to use a Clipping Mask to hide the portion of the art you do not want visible. This is often helpful if the artwork contains many pieces or is very complex and cutting would cause either a change in the overall appearance or be to difficult to perform accurately.


Simply draw a shape around the area you want to keep visible
Select that shape and the artwork
Choose Object > Clipping Mask > Make from the menu.

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