Path corners should closing neatly

Question

I watched some Illustrator videos and also searched the net. Also here in the forum I looked something, but don't really know what to look for.

Maybe you can help me solve my problem.

I would like to draw with paths more often, but I always have the problem that I can only join two open path ends. But what if I want to create a shape. In the following example I want to create this drawing, but the corners always protrude. I just can't get the corners together neatly.

I've found this tried on, but I don't get it right and I think it's just only a similar problem in another case.

https://community.adobe.com/t5/illustrator/how-to-draw-creating-a-path-from-a-point-without-having-the-stroke-corner-pointed-out/m-p/11972003

Also this will not work for me:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/illustrator/join-paths-while-preserving-all-lines/m-p/9366769

Can you help me?

Hint: If I want to add the ai file I get always the following message. This is why I cannot uplad the ai file.

Correct the highlighted errors and try again. The attachment's form.ai content type (application/postscript) does not match its file extension and has been removed.

Jacob Bugge · Accepted Answer

MP,

If you wish to have a sharp corner (otherwise, you can just switch to Round Join, which corresponds to Round Cap), always have the outermost edge as a/the continuous path. This means that you have to break up some (other) closed paths and rejoin/have some open paths.

Referring to the top right part of your screenshot, you can, Smart Guides being your friends:

1) Cut the top object (which the arrow is pointing to) at the rightmost and bottommost Anchor Point (Scissors Tool) and hide the new open 2 segment path between them;

2) Move the 4 segment squiggly by one of the end Anchor Points to snap, then Join;

3) Show the hidden 2 segment path;

4) Move the 1 segment path up to snap;

5) Group the whole thing.

It is impossible to have 3 segments of the same path meeting in 1 Anchor Point, so you have to choose which path segments to form the closed path from.

For sharp corners that will always be the outermost ones (as in the other threads), sorry.

Concerning AI documents, it is impossible to upload those so if needed you have to upload to own/external website and post a link.

But your screenshot shows the issue very clearly.

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