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schweizercomics
schweizercomics
Participant
April 26, 2026
Answered

Outlining shapes to connect them creates unexpected "open" patterns

  • April 26, 2026
  • 3 replies
  • 32 views

Hello! Apologies if I’m not using the correct terminology.

I’m using illustrator to create the files that I use with a laser cutter, and in order to minimize superfluous cutting I use “outline" in the pathfinder window to connect pieces. I’m encountering an issue that I’ve never encountered.

 

Outlining two of the shapes creates no issues, but if I outline three it changes what seems to count as inside and outside of an otherwise closed shape. The cutting software can’t cut saying that (paraphrasing) the file includes shapes that aren’t closed.

I thought that maybe if I opted not to align the side edges, maybe that would circumvent the problem, but it didn’t:

One thing that might be of note: the stroke is aligned to “center” on all three shapes in the stroke window, as are the cap and corner, but once I outline it the cap and corner stay centered and the stroke alignment moves to “inside” alignment (the left box).

I can work around this by creating batches of two pieces with a little bit of space in between, but I’d love to understand why this is going wrong for me and how to fix it for the future. Any help would be appreciated!

    Correct answer schweizercomics

    Thanks so much, Bobby! I’m not familiar enough with the scissor tool to have had much luck with it, but using your as a springboard I did merge the pieces and add single lines in between (pretty easy to line them up). I’m baffled as to why this shape is creating issues, but I think that this solution will work as a work-around. Thanks so very much!

     

    3 replies

    B
    Community Expert
    Bobby HendersonCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    April 27, 2026

    I think the easiest way to solve the issue you're describing is by using the path editing tools rather than pathfinder operations.

     

    Just to keep things organized you may need to work with more than one copy of the three objects. A second "backup" copy would be saved in the same position on another layer.

     

    I'd combine the three objects together into one compound object using the Make Compound command. Next, I'd use the Scissors tool to split open the paths in the two locations where the straight line segments overlap. Use the Direct Selection tool to select the appropriate anchor points and then click the Scissors tool button. Then I'd delete those straight line path segments. Using the Join command (Ctrl+J) the spots where the path segments are broken open can be joined together so you have one solid object. Using the copy of the objects on the other layer you can deconstruct them so you'll have single copies of the line segments as needed.

     

     

    schweizercomics
    schweizercomicsAuthorCorrect answer
    Participant
    April 27, 2026

    Thanks so much, Bobby! I’m not familiar enough with the scissor tool to have had much luck with it, but using your as a springboard I did merge the pieces and add single lines in between (pretty easy to line them up). I’m baffled as to why this shape is creating issues, but I think that this solution will work as a work-around. Thanks so very much!

     

    Tina_Irvine
    Community Expert
    Tina_IrvineCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    April 27, 2026

    Hi ​@schweizercomics,

    I’m wondering if the spacing has anything to do with it. In your first graphic, where you choose to outline only two of the shapes, it appears those two shapes overlap before you outline them, whereas the third one doesn’t. You may have to zoom in quite a bit to check.

    I would try the alignment tool, to ensure all of the spacing is equivalent distances, and if it’s still giving you the white middle when outlining all three, try overlapping each of them slightly. The final option is to remove the white area with direct selection arrow (white arrow) and fill it in manually.

    schweizercomics
    schweizercomicsAuthor
    Participant
    April 27, 2026

    Thanks, Tina! I’ve checked to make sure that they’re aligned - both with the tool, and zooming in as far as it’ll let me (64000%) - and all of the horizontal touching lines are in the exact same space. 

    Overlapping them to do the outline creates two lines, which is what I’m hoping to avoid by connecting the pieces in the first place. 

    I’m unable to select the white space; the file acts as though it doesn’t exist. I can only select the “new” lines that have created the weird half-in/half-out color (see pic)

     

    Ton Frederiks
    Community Expert
    Ton FrederiksCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    April 26, 2026

    ​@schweizercomics You may want to join the two open middle shapes

    schweizercomics
    schweizercomicsAuthor
    Participant
    April 27, 2026

    Thanks, Ton - that hasn’t worked, it still leaves the open white areas.

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