Adding a cutline around text combined with dropshadow

[avonwizard]

Hi, I'm looking to create a line of text with a drop shadow that includes a cut line around the letters including the drop shadow as one unit. I'll be sending this to a Roland printer.

I've created the drop shadow using the Effects drop down and Expanded the appearance. I can't find a way to combine the shadow with the letters to give it the cut contour stroke.

Thanks,

Randi

[Monika Gause]

Make a duplicate of the text and the shadow.

Lock or hide the original so you don't change it

Outline the text

Select text and shadow and hit unite in the pathfinder panel.

In case the drop shadow is softened, this will not work.

[Ray Yorkshire · Accepted solution]

Maybe make a copy of text with the drop shadow

and  for the copy, open up  the effect  from the Appearance panel and change the  blur to zero

then  outline, expand, pathfinder unite etc

and use that to generate the offset path outline,

  and  finally replace with the original text and drop shadow

[Kurt Gold]

Can you at least show a screenshot of your text object?