Outline issues

[BillyFahey]

Whats the best way to unite all of these objects and outline as a whole?   When grouping and using the stroke option, it comes out as shown in the right image. I have tried to duplicate and unite to get a blank version but it keeps the sqaure which can be see in the stroked right picture. Any help would be great, thanks.

[Monika Gause]

Trouble is the rectangle in it. So applying this via the appearance panel is not an option.

So basically, you make a copy of everything (via the layers panel. Put that duplicate on a new layer and lock the original layer. And then expand strokes and outline text and see that you can get rid of that rectangle whatever it is. A clipping mask?

Then unite all the shapes using the pathfinder panel and apply the stroke

[BillyFahey]

The thing is, there isnt a rectangle?  Also I chose the option expand, strokes. Then created outline, but im quite confused with  the process, still cant  figure it.

[Kurt Gold]

Can you share the Illustrator file (.ai)?

[BillyFahey]

Sure. Whats the bestway on here? a link from an external sharing site?

[Kurt Gold]

Yes, using a file sharing provider and posting a (public) link here is recommendable.

This way all participants may have a look at the file.

[BillyFahey]

Thanks.

Can be downloaded via this link, https://gofile.io/d/SyXb63

[Kurt Gold]

Thanks for sharing the file.

Unfortunately, the entire compositions are somehow poisoned by numerous (often useless) clipping paths. The thing that looks like a rectangle on your screenshot is actually a (pretty superfluous) compound path.

A lot of clean up work would have to be done in case you are still looking for a reasonable (quick, possibly a single click) way to apply one single outline to the illustration. Of course, there may be some tricks to get a quick result, but at least this evening I don't have the time to offer some adequate approaches.

If the illustrations were properly done, the outline could be made with one single click (graphic style).