How to outline or expand stroked text?

[YouKnowWho...]

Hello.

I use Ai to create cut files for my Cameo cutting machine. The font I want to use is too thin so I have applied a stroke to the text to make it thicker. However, when I expand or outine the text, it doesn't expand to the outside of the stroke but only to the original text. This is a problem considering the Cameo reads lines for cutting rather than colors, if that makes sense. I need to cut it at the edge of the stroke not the edge of the original letter. Is there a way to expand it to include the stroke?

Thanks in advance.

[Monika Gause · Accepted solution]

Expand the stroke as well and then unite the two.

Object > Path > Outline stroke

then Pathfinder panel.

Next time don't use a stroke for that, but Effect > Path > Offset path. Then Object > Expand appearance.

[YouKnowWho...]

I knew there was a simple solution...thanks!

[Mike_Gondek]

After you outline the stroke use pathfinder palette >> unite to make only one path for cutting.