Cutting shapes in Adobe Illustrator is an essential skill for creating logos, icons, illustrations, and clean vector artwork. Illustrator includes several tools that let you slice, trim, divide, and reshape objects in different ways. This guide walks through the Knife Tool, Scissors Tool, Pathfinder Trim, Pathfinder Divide, Shape Builder, and the Eraser Tool — along with shortcuts and practical tips to speed up your workflow.
Before you begin, remember this key shortcut:
Press V to switch to the Selection Tool — the black arrow — anytime you want to move or separate pieces.
Knife Tool
The Knife Tool lets you draw a cut directly through a shape. As soon as you release the mouse, Illustrator splits the shape into separate pieces.
How to use the Knife Tool
- Draw a cut through any shape.
- Illustrator divides the shape instantly.
- Hold Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac) for a straight cut.
- If the cut looks rough, use the Smooth Tool (Shift + S) and drag along the edge to clean it up.
- Press V to select and separate the pieces.
The Knife Tool is useful when you want to create custom cuts that don’t rely on anchor points.
Scissors Tool
The Scissors Tool is designed for precise cuts at specific points along a path.
How to use the Scissors Tool
- Select it with C.
- Click on an anchor point or anywhere along a path.
- Make a second cut to create a segment.
- Press V to move the separated pieces.
The Scissors Tool works best on paths, not filled shapes. It’s ideal for opening a circle, trimming a line, or cutting a path without affecting the rest of the object.
Pathfinder Trim
Pathfinder Trim cuts shapes using other shapes. It’s one of the cleanest and most accurate ways to slice geometric artwork.
How to use Pathfinder Trim
- Open the Pathfinder panel: Window → Pathfinder or Shift + Command + F9 (Mac) / Shift + Control + F9 (Windows).
- Place one shape on top of another.
- Hold Shift‑click the other shape, or marquee‑select both with the Selection Tool.
- Select both shapes.
- Click Trim.
- Ungroup the results using Shift + Command + G (Mac) / Shift + Control + G (Windows).
Trim is excellent for creating sharp, precise cuts in logos, icons, and other geometric designs.
Pathfinder Divide
Since you’re already in the Pathfinder panel, the next tool to explore is Pathfinder Divide.
How to use Pathfinder Divide
- If the Pathfinder panel is closed, reopen it: Window → Pathfinder or Shift + Command + F9 (Mac) / Shift + Control + F9 (Windows).
- Overlap two or more shapes.
- Select them or Shift‑click the other shape, or marquee‑select both with the Selection Tool.
- Click Divide.
- Ungroup the pieces using Shift + Command + G (Mac) / Shift + Control + G (Windows).
Divide breaks every overlapping area into its own shape. It’s similar to Trim but creates more segments, making it useful for more complex artwork.
Shape Builder Tool
The Shape Builder Tool is a fast, visual way to combine or remove overlapping areas.
How to use Shape Builder
- Create two or more overlapping shapes.
- Select them.
- Choose Shape Builder with Shift + M.
- These shapes aren’t grouped — they’re just touching. To clear your selection, Command‑click on Mac or Control‑click on PC anywhere on the artboard.
- Hover over the areas you want to merge or remove.
- Click to merge, or hold Alt/Option and click to remove.
- Press V to separate or move the resulting shapes.
Shape Builder is great for creating custom shapes quickly without opening the Pathfinder panel.
Eraser Tool
The Eraser Tool removes parts of a shape instead of splitting it into pieces.
How to use the Eraser Tool
- Select it with Shift + E.
- Drag across any filled shape or group.
- Illustrator erases the areas you draw over.
This tool is helpful when you want to carve out areas or create uneven edges.
A Quick Breakdown for Each Tool
- Knife Tool — Freehand cuts
- Scissors Tool — Precise cuts at anchor points or along paths
- Pathfinder Trim — Clean, shape‑based slicing
- Pathfinder Divide — Break overlapping shapes into multiple pieces
- Shape Builder — Merge or remove intersecting areas visually
- Eraser Tool — Remove parts of a shape for irregular edges
And remember: Press V for the Selection Tool anytime you want to move or separate pieces.