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Participant
January 19, 2023
Question

once I create outlines for a text,

  • January 19, 2023
  • 4 replies
  • 327 views

Ok when I create a text, then I click create outline for the text.  It is breaking the letters into seperate parts.  ex: T is broken up where every line crosses.  How can I connect them to make it just one solid T.  Thanks

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4 replies

Anubhav M
Community Manager
Community Manager
January 27, 2023

Hello @Oliver28018460mqej,

 

Thanks for reaching out. I hope the suggestions shared by Kurt, Randy, and Kevin helped answer your queries.

Feel free to reach out if you have more questions or need assistance. We'd be happy to help.

 

Thanks,

Anubhav

Kevin Stohlmeyer
Community Expert
Community Expert
January 19, 2023

The easiest way is to use the Shape Builder tool to combine the shapes.

Pathfinder can give inconsistent results when dealing with Compound Paths.

https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/using/creating-shapes-shape-builder-tool.html

Before:

 

After:

 

 

Randy Hagan
Community Expert
Community Expert
January 19, 2023

Sometimes, the construction of letterforms in a font will intersect, and creating outlines will inadvertently cause those broken parts.

 

You can try to fix it this way:

 

  • Save your Illustrator file. That way, if things go wrong, you're just a command away from returning to the baseline
  • Get your Hollow Arrow/Direct Selection tool
  • Select each of the separate parts, away from the stroke of the forms or any anchor points. Use the shift key to select all the parts. Zoom into the character if need be, to make it easy to select each part
  • Go to your Pathfinder panel and select the Unite option to merge the multiple parts into one cohesive drawing of a letterform

 

Often, this will get you past your issue. If not — since you saved it before you started, right? — you can use the File>Revert menu command and all you will have lost is the time it took to conduct this experiment.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Randy

 

 

Kurt Gold
Community Expert
Community Expert
January 19, 2023

Can you perhaps share an Illustrator file that contains your original type object and the broken result? Also, clarify what kind of Outline command you actually used.