Creating an outline around a shape creating by overlapping shapes

[karen102100]

Hi all,

I'm new here and to Illustrator (self taught).  This is probaby a very simple question to answer.  I created this logo below by first making a compound path to create the hole in the large circle, then overlapped the four circle shapes over it.  Somewhere along the way I added lines along the main circle and figured out the live paint bucket tool to get the circle in the four color quadrants.

Now I need to add a white outline around the perimeter of the entire logo for printing on dark blue - and also need to have the white outline appear along the inside of the main circle.

All the commands I have tried in pathfinder don't seem to be working - if I can get an outline it also goes around each of the four circles.  Hope I am explaining this clearly.  Thank you for your help!

[Doug A Roberts]

Group the structure -- this may not be necessary if it consists only of a live paint group at this stage. Select the group.

In the appearance panel, add a white stroke to the group. Drag it to a position below the group contents.

[karen102100]

Thank you for your quick response Doug.  However, when I do that it creates this:

I need to combine the shapes somehow to make one cohesive shape, then apply an outline.  I think the live paint groups may be messing it up somehow?

[John Mensinger · Accepted solution]

Karen,

Be sure to follow this critical final step:

Drag it to a position below the group contents.

[karen102100]

Thank you so much, this worked and yes the last step was important.

I really appreciate your help!

[Alison30907526i3yr]

Hi there, how would I go from this last step of having the outlines to creating those same shapes but without the white? Not sure if that makes sense, but I want to achieve something that looks the same (has the spacing) but without actual white. Thanks for your help!

[Doug A Roberts]

Once you've applied a stroke to the group, give the stroke only an opacity of 0.

Then in the opacity options for the group as a whole, tick the Knockout Group option.