Expert: Amy - 2/5/2005

Question
Amy:

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
* Skill Level:  Beginner in Illustrator.  Self-taught
* Software:  Illustrator 10
* Hardware:  PC
* Current Skill Focus: Making Logos with Pen tool

WHAT I AM TRYING TO ACHIEVE:
I am trying to figure out how to put a contrasting color "Outline(s)" around an Illustrator object WITHOUT changing the size of the original object (constraining the original "pre-outline" size).

WHAT I HAVE TRIED (AND WHY THIS ISN'T GETTING THE RESULT I WANT):
What seemed the obvious thing to do was to simply select the outline of the object and increase the stroke weight and then make it another color.

Although this is the general "look" I am going for, the reason it is not acceptable is 1) Because increasing the stroke weight reduces the "inner/fill" area dimensions smaller and 2) This wouldn't solve how I could add a "second" outline if needed.  

I WANT TO MAINTAIN THE ORIGINAL OBJECT SIZE/SCALE AND “ADD” AN OUTLINE(s) "OUTSIDE" OF THIS (to clarify, I DO want the outline to still come in contact with the fill are- i.e., no gap between the outline and the originally filled object).  I realize by making an outline on the "outside of the path" will make the overall dimensions larger in each direction.

FOR EXAMPLE:
For simplicity sake [more for me than for you:)], say I have drawn a "Rectangle" shape using the toolbox.  It is 4" in height and 6" in width and "filled" in with Blue color.  

Now I want to add a 1/8th-inch Red Outline all the way around the "outside" of the line.  The final result would be a maintained 4"x6" blue rectangle plus the 1/8" red outline all around the perimeter for a "total" combined end dimension of 4 1/4" Height by 6 1/4" Width (as mentioned before, increasing the stroke weight both decreases the Blue fill area size- BAD, while also increasing the total object size- IN THIS CASE, NOT A ISSUE FOR ME).


QUESTION:
What is the best method to achieve the desired Outline or multiple outlines if required (by multiple, I mean for example I then wanted to add a second outline, say 1/8th inches think in green outside the red one, etc.)?

Amy,

I hope I was able to explain this well enough without overdoing it.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Tom


Answer
Hi Tom.

I wanted to answer this briefly even though I'm on vacation and forgot to change my Expert settings to reflect that fact.

The secret you're looking for is Object>Path>Offset Path. You need to select your square and increase its path's size by half the stroke weight, basically.

Here is the answer I gave to a woman who wanted to make a 50pt square:

Make one square, filled with blue, size of 40pts with a 10pt red stroke.

Select it and choose Object>Path>Offset Path and enter "5pt" in the offset box and click okay. 5pts is equal to half of the stroke width and a positive integer here offsets the square's path away from the center instead of inward. If you were to enter -5pt it would become a smaller square.

Now there are two squares on the artboard, so select the innermost one and delete it and the remaining one should be right on the money as far as size and stroke width. The stroke width will still be 10 but the filled area will now be exactly 40 pts, resulting in a box that's slightly larger than the one you began with.

Tom, I hope you are able to apply these directions to your 4.25 x 6.25 box.

Let me know if I haven't been clear or if you can't apply them to your situation.

-Amy