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What is the difference between a path and a compound path in Illustrator?

Last updated on September 24, 2022 @ 6:46 pm

Illustrator has two types of paths – a path and a compound path. A path is a series of individual vector points.

A compound path is a path that is made up of several path segments. Here’s a quick overview of the differences:.

Paths:

Paths are easy to edit. You can move, resize, and reshape them without affecting the vector shapes that make up the path.

PRO TIP: When creating a compound path, it is important to note that the objects within the compound path will still remain as individual objects. This means that if you move or change one object within the compound path, the other objects will not be affected.

Compound paths:

Compound paths are more complex. When you create a compound path, Illustrator first creates a path segment for each path point.

Then, it connects the path segments together. This can be a time-consuming process, so compound paths are usually only used when you need to create a detailed path.

Madison Geldart

Madison Geldart

Cloud infrastructure engineer and tech mess solver.