The Selection tool (black arrow icon) allows you to choose objects in groups. Using the Direct Selection Tool or Node Tool Now you can easily remove gaps within objects. In Inkscape, click the object and then go to the Path menu and choose Break Apart. Illustrator will then fill the gap back into the original object. In Illustrator, simply click on the object and then right-click and choose Release Compound Path.

Let’s say you have an object with a cutout or hole in it and you want to remove its gap. Click on a grouped object and then go to the Object menu and select Ungroup. In Inkscape, the process is exactly the same. To ungroup elements in Illustrator, simply click on a grouped item, go to the Object menu and choose Ungroup. This means if you attempt to move an item, for example, other items might move along with it. To keep objects together within a vector image, an author may group certain pieces together. Now you can edit those layers and the elements within them. Then look in the Layers panel for any layers that are locked, designated by the lock icon.

In Inkscape, go to the Layer menu and open the Layers palette. Then click the lock icon next to each one that you want to unlock. Look for any locked layers (indicated by the lock icon), or look at the thumbnails to find the specific elements and corresponding layers you want to unlock. Checking for Locked Layersĭepending on how an author creates an image, certain elements may be in their own layers and locked, and therefore uneditable.

The tips covered in this article will help you to master some of the common tasks new users may face when downloading and working with stock vector files in both Illustrator and Inkscape. Here at Vecteezy, we offer millions of vectors that can be downloaded and incorporated into your own work.

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