How to create an object that's shaped like a ring?

[jasminka]

Hi,
Sorry, this is an absolute beginners question, but I couldn't figure it out:
I've got two paths which build a ring object (I mean a simple circle with a hole in the middle...). But whenever I want to color it and click on a swatch the full circle gets colored, so it is kind of ignoring the path which forms the hole in the middle.
How can I do that?
Thanks a lot,
Jasminka

 

[Saltbagginsam]

Once you have your two circles selected (by holding shift while selecting the inner circle), go to the pathfinder menu and click on the Subtract From Shape Selection button. That should convert your two cicles into one ring shape. Pretty much like the Punch feature in Freehand.

 

[askIllustrator]

ctrl+8 (command+8 on Mac) with both circles selected converts them into a compound path which gives you the exact same results as the formentioned pathfinder meathod