2

enter image description here

I have some vector shapes with a white fill and a 0.3pt white stroke.

What I want to do is expand the shape to the extent of the outside edge of the stroke.

To put it in kind of visual terms, what I'd want to see in the image above is the blue selection line on the border between the white and the pink.

I hope I've explained it well enough. If not, please ask for clarification.

6
  • This worked, although it gave me a bunch of shapes inside the one I wanted, so I'll just go through and delete them. Thanks. Jun 30, 2014 at 11:57
  • 5 seconds of googling "expand + illustrator" should have solved this …
    – tim human
    Jun 30, 2014 at 12:00
  • google.com.au/… Jun 30, 2014 at 12:35
  • This Google search returned no useful results when I searched it before posting this question. Although, the top result in the search is now this post. But without your original comment (which I'm assuming you deleted) that containted the answer. Jun 30, 2014 at 12:37
  • 1
    @timhuman if the comment you provided answered the questions, then post it as an answer with a screenshot of where the OP can find it. OP.. If you did do a search then you should include that in your question so people will know you did try to put effort in finding out.
    – user9447
    Jun 30, 2014 at 12:58

2 Answers 2

8

A little late to the party here, but here's the way I would do it

Object > Path >Offset Path

You can adjust the size of the offset (which is basically expansion of the path) and preview it to fine tune it.

Hope this helps future users!

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  • What is the difference between "Object" > "Path" > "Outline Stroke" from the other answer and your "Offset Path"?
    – Mensch
    Sep 14, 2015 at 12:55
  • 1
    @Kurt less operations and fever point artefacts
    – joojaa
    Sep 14, 2015 at 13:27
  • @joojaa Thanks, wouldn't it better to add that to the answer?
    – Mensch
    Sep 14, 2015 at 13:31
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Object > Expand Appearance then merge with Pathfinder.

Alternatively:

Object > Path > Outline Stroke

3
  • Thanks, but Expand Appearance is greyed out :/ Jun 30, 2014 at 11:54
  • then try Expand... first.
    – Vincent
    Jun 30, 2014 at 11:55
  • Expand Appearance is still greyed out. Expand... gives me the same result as tim human's method above (i.e. lot's of shapes inside the one I want), which is good enough for my purposes. Jun 30, 2014 at 12:00

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