Text align stroke outside greyed out

[rite_oak]

On my text, I need to align the stroke on the outside but it is greyed out. How do I get it to not be greyed out?

[rite_oak]

The Setting I need is greyed out.

[Larry G. Schneider]

Outlining the type works as does Efferct>Offset Path which has the advantage of keeping the type live.

[rite_oak]

Not helpful.

[apfotos]

Didn't work for me.  I have live text. it's greyed out.  I changed it to outlines, and it's still greyed out.

[admina17868338]

[abuse removed by moderator]

[cmpan1]

On text, you need to do this in the 'Appearance' panel. This way you can still maintain 'editing' your text too.

[Barb Binder · Accepted solution]

Clarifying the tips above

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As you are figuring out, Rite-Oak, you can't re-align the stroke on live (editable text). If you are willing to commit to the type being in final form, you can select it and pick Type > Create Outlines and you can align the stroke to the outside using the button you pointed to in the first screen shot. Once the type is converted to outlines, you won't be able to edit the text though.

1. To keep the type live (and editable), select the text and choose Window > Appearance:
   
   
   
2. Click the fx button on the bottom row and Path > Offset Path. In the example below, I set the offset to 1 pt to move it outside of the text.
   
3. If you want to modify the offset, click the orange underlined Offset Path in the Appearance panel and not on the fx button again.

[rite_oak]

Thank you Barb for your concise answer, it was very helpful. When I click on "Offset Path" to edit the stroke, I do not see an option to edit the color. Currently mine is set to default white. Thanks in advance.

[Monika Gause]

You can't edit the color because the description is not complete.

1. Select the text object

2. open the appearance panel

3. add a new fill using the buttons in the appearance panel

4. move the fill below the "Characters"

5. Change the color to whatever you like

6. apply Effect > Path > Offset path only to that fill, not to the text object.

7. Read everything you can find about the appearance panel.

[AbstractSG]

Thank you @Monika Gause, your trick helped

[astronauticalvelociraptor]

what if it's not text and just a line?

[admina17868338]

[abuse removed by moderator]

[herman.dod]

I've created outlines for my text, still greyed out. You know of anything that owuld cause this?

[apfotos]

It doesn't work on every font.  If you change the font, try again and it should work.

[Scott Falkner]

In the Appearance panel drag the Stroke below the fill, then make the stroke twice as thick. The stroke is still centred on the text outline, but half of it is obscured by the fill. You could instead add an offset path effect to the text of half the stroke width. Both of these will work on live text.

[Sumberdana]

You can make it to Compound Path on menu Object > Compound Path > Make.

Then align stroke can be ouside.

Hope this helpful

instagram : @soemberdana

[apfotos]

It doesn't work on every font - if you change the font, it should work - that happened to me.

[Gavin Joseph]

Hi - New to illustrator and just found this post.

I bypassed the issue by duplicating the text layer, putting it underneath and increasing it until it was bigger than the original.

[Doug A Roberts]

You could do that, but the appearance panel options detailed in this thread are probably more suitable in most cases.

[Lime3498448780cq]

All the solutions here are for text. What if I encounter this issue on illustrations?

We outline object 'align to outside' and sometimes it will not let us, why? 

[Doug A Roberts]

What kind of objects? Can you show an example?

[Monika Gause]

Most often this happens on open paths.

[Kalsers]

Sometimes even if the text or object is qurved Align stroke to outside is greyed our.

It can be because path is not joined or have some gap:

You need to do Object -> Path -> Join

[Monika Gause]

If it is an open path that should stay open, then you can use a width profile.

If it is text, then you can either use a graphic style or you can use the Offset path effect