photoshop and illustrator question

Hi, I have 2 questions actually. How do I draw a donut shape in illustrator with the center hole transparent, so that you can see the background? I'm not sure how to do this with the clip mask tool.

also, what is the best way to import a photoshop image with transparencies into illustrator? I've been doing it with png files, but I'm thinking that's not the proper way to do things. Thanks!

i haven't touched illustrator in a while, but i could never get the cliping masks to work when i wanted to. another way to do it is the subtract-from-shape method using the pathfinder:

• draw doughnut shape
  
• draw center hole as a new shapw
  
• select doughnut layer, shift+click hole layer
  
• open pathfinder
  
• subtract from shape button (should be 2nd from the left if i remember correctly)

hopefully i remembered that procedure right. if not, i'll open up illsutrator tomarrow and get the order right.

as for importing photoshop files, i've never had to, but i know illustrator can open a psd document, and i think it resrves the transparencies, but i don't know how editable the photoshop layers are in illustrator.

I don't think they stay editable but you should be able to just save out a PSD with transparency (i.e. a single layer PSD with a certain shape on that layer) and place it in illustrator with no probs.

chris

actually the donut thing I figured out. I used the 'make compound path' or something like that, feature. But yea, thanks guys