Offset path not working on this object

[Justin33884204u3k2]

I work with digital transfers, and usually I have to apply a fill over the artwork followed by an offset path by -0.005in. Then I delete the outermost stroke and leave the smaller object there.

Something close to the "th" image on here.

But sometimes when I apply the offset path, I don't get that smaller object "inside" the original.

In this case I'm referring to the "u." When I apply the same offset, both objects are basically the same size. 

Is there another measurement I ought to be using? The "u" shapes are smaller than the "th", so I imagine that coould be the issue but I get the same results with the same measurments. :S 

Any ideas would be very much appreciated, I tend to have to manually make the yellow shapes thinner which ruins the workflow here.

Thanks so much!

[Monika Gause]

Please share the file.

[Justin33884204u3k2]

Hi Monika,

Here's the file I'm  working with. 

The bits with "Charles County" and "of" are the problem areas here.

Normally I would copy the text from the "ARTWORK" layer and paste it in place in the "UNDERLAY" layer.

That's when I change it to Pantone 100U and apply the offset which doesn't work on the text I mentioned.

Thanks 🙂 

[Monika Gause]

The width of the stem of the u is just 0,0064 in. So applying that offset would make the shape invisible.

[Justin33884204u3k2]

Any tools other than the offset path that would help then?

[Monika Gause]

That is very small type - I would talk to the printing service.