Expand Text Question

[Guest]

Hello,

Ai newb here.  So I am practicing making a logo and this is what happened when I fill the selection.  I don't know why the inside of the "R" is filled. 

I started by typing "RGD" and then I expanded it so I can manipulate the individuals letters so I can connect them.  However, as you can see I did something to cause the "R" to fill completely rather than leave the background appear through the inner shape. 

I've attached a picture of my window and expanded layers.  I appreciate the help!

[S_Gans]

The cutout in the middle of the R is called a Compound Path. All letters with holes in them a, b, d, etc... are compound paths we don't see, but when we change them from editable text, we UN-Compound the path. to make it a hole again, select the R and the little D path,  and go to Object>Compound Path>Make.

[Bill Silbert · Accepted solution]

Before you can follow S_Gans' advice you will have to make sure that the inner part of the "R" is actually "above" the inside of the "R". To do so select just the inner part and then do a Command (Mac)/Control (PC)-X. Then select the rest of the "R" and do a Command (Mac)/Control (PC)/F. The inner part will reappear and then you can select both elements and make the compound path with Object>Compound Path>Make.

[Monika Gause]

https://forums.adobe.com/people/Bill+Silbert  schrieb

Before you can follow S_Gans' advice you will have to make sure that the inner part of the "R" is actually "above" the inside of the "R". To do so select just the inner part and then do a Command (Mac)/Control (PC)-X. Then select the rest of the "R" and do a Command (Mac)/Control (PC)/F. The inner part will reappear and then you can select both elements and make the compound path with Object>Compound Path>Make.

For a compound path it doesn't matter which one is on top.

What does matter is that there is just one object for the counter.

[Doug A Roberts]

the stack order might matter if there were more objects and the non-zero winding rule was used.

[Bill Silbert]

https://forums.adobe.com/people/Monika+Gause  wrote

For a compound path it doesn't matter which one is on top.

Respectfully, Monica, although you can certainly make a compound path from scratch without the stacking order mattering, I have found in the past that in situations such as rgddesign posted—where something which had been a compound path in the past but wasn't acting as one anymore—that the stacking procedure I posted had been the way to fix it. Thankfully, it appears to have worked in this case.

[Doug A Roberts]

you could create such a situation by creating three objects, stacking them so that the largest is on top, creating a compound path, then deleting one path.

you could solve it by either reversing the path direction of one of the remaining paths, or changing the fill rule to even-odd.

[Jacob Bugge]

rgddesign,

Regardless of stacking order and winding rules, you can select the R (ClickDragging), then use Pathfinder>Minus front, and failing that Pathfinder>Minus back; depending on version, you may need to press Alt/Option to get a Compound Path rather than a Compound Shape.

[Guest]

Thank you all for the feedbak.  I used a combination of S_Gans and Bill Silbert's recommendatiobs and it worked.  Thank you both.