The Pathfinder panel for heavy lifting
If the situation does not allow for simple addition or subtraction of combined elements, then it might be time to use the advanced properties of Pathfinder. Pathfinder was in Illustrator long before the Shape Builder tool, but I would now recommend the Shape Builder tool as a primary option and Pathfinder as a secondary option when needed. It allows for more unique options for blending multiple objects.
As Figure 4.29 shows, the Pathfinder panel is divided into two areas: Shape Modes and Pathfinders:
Figure 4.29 – The Pathfinder panel
To illustrate this tool, we will use a sample image made up of several shapes and show the results of each method. This artwork will be used to run through all Shape Modes and Pathfinders, and then I will share the results from the two categories:
Figure 4.30 – Original
Figure 4.31 shows the results after applying each of the shape modes:
