Add texture as Mask

[pentool]

1. Create a rectangle and add a fill color to it (this will be the background that will show through the mask)
2. Create a circle on top of this rectangle and assign a different fill color to it
3. Open the Transparency Panel (Panels > Transparency)
4. In the Transparency panel, for Mask (Mask dropdown), select Drawing. This will enter isolation mode.
5. While in Isolation Mode, import your PNG and place it over the circle.
6. Double click to exit Isolation Mode. Ta-da!

Check out the sample here:
0_1692237867588_png-mask.vstyler

[Boldline]

@pentool Thank you! this was a big help and it worked.

Now, if I want to use a vector grouping for the distress instead of a png, do I need to do anything differently? I tried it with a vectored distress grouping and wile it worked in theory, the mask left a non opaque result - see below:

[pentool]

You may have found the solution by now, but the process is the same as above.

...except in step #5, instead of importing a PNG for the mask, you either paste or create your mask in isolation mode (using whatever vector mask or design you have - making sure it's B&W). Then when you exit isolation mode, you have your vector mask.

(...eg, you create your desired vector mask pattern in B&W as usual on the artboard, then cut it, and paste it back in isolation mode...)

See attached document for an example.
0_1692270612143_vector-mask.vstyler

[Boldline]

@pentool Thanks again for the example. I am getting a slight opacity issue with the mask when I try it. What I figured out is that this happens with CMYK and/or spot colors. When I switched over to RGB for the black for the mask, it worked perfectly.

@VectorStyler is there a way to fix this so cmyk or pantone or spot colors can be used as a mask without getting an opacity film issue?
This is the result using spot color/CMYK:

This is when I switched to RGB - everything looks correct here - no opacity issue:

[VectorStyler]

@Boldline Send me the CMYK example file, I will try tor replicate the issue here.

[Boldline]

@VectorStyler just sent the file over to you with the issue. thanks!

[Boldline]

@VectorStyler I noticed that if the subject of the mask or the object doing the masking has a "transform" active in the shape effects panel. that will alter the way the mask is applied to the shape.

In this video you can see that the wildcat logo has a transform attached to it when I go ahead and make it the subject of a mask. When I add the mask, the results do not stay exactly where I put them. You can see it more clearly when i go back in and highlight the mask - it shows the result in a lowered opacity behind it and it's off. But when I use the "convert to curves" to "bake in" the transform, it works as expected
Here is the file itself if that helps

Here is that video - I show first the issue and then backtrack and bake in the transform and try again and it worked correctly

[VectorStyler]

@Boldline There are some transforming options in the Transparency panel menu that control how the mask is transformed.

[Boldline]

@VectorStyler Hmm I had not thought of that possibility. So when I look in there, am I better off using "don't transform"? What would be the benefits of using "transform shapes" or "transform mask content" ?

[VectorStyler]

@Boldline These control how the mask content is transformed.
I will have to test this, how it applies to this case.