Adobe Illustrator: Put objects together - how it works

With Adobe Illustrator you can create professional vector graphics. But simple tasks such as putting objects together are also possible with little effort. We show you how to do this.

Merge different objects in Adobe Illustrator

If you want to merge shapes and objects, Illustrator has its own tool. Here's how to use it:

1. First open Adobe Illustrator and draw the objects you want to combine into a large shape later. In our example, we created three circles.
2. Select all objects that you want to merge. This works for example with the key combination [Ctrl] + [A] or with the selection tool.
3. Now look for the "Shape Creation Tool" in the tool bar and select it. Alternatively, you can use the key combination [Shift] + [M].
4. Run the tool over your objects. The respective area is marked with a black and white pattern.
5. To join objects together, click on a first surface with the tool and drag the mouse further into the next surface that you want to add. The black and white pattern now appears on both surfaces.
6. As soon as you release the mouse, the selected areas are connected.

This practical tip is based on Adobe Illustrator CC (2015). We'll show you how to convert a Photoshop document into a vector graphic in the next article.