Using CS4, can't merge line segments

[jjaccoma]

Hi I'm building a logo with custom drawn lettering. I'm mainly using the line segment tool rather than the pen tool to create my letters. So for example, my A is three line segment paths, pretty simple. Now what I want to do is join those paths into one. But I can't figure out how to do this, making a compound path out of the three doesn't help, the pathfinder panel options like Unite and Merge give me error messages. I can't join the end points either because they're directly on top of each other and I can only select one at a time.

Can anyone help me out here? I guess I should really get the latest version of Illustrator.

[Bill Silbert]

If you upgrade to Creative Cloud then you could use the shape builder tool. For more information about how this tool works see: How to create shapes using the Shape Builder tool in Illustrator .

[jjaccoma]

Oh thanks Bill I'll check that out, I actually watched a tutorial on the shape builder tool and it seems awesome but then I realized cs4 doesn't have it.

[rcraighead · Accepted solution]

It sounds like you are building the "A" with stroked paths instead of a filled path. In that case you can only join the lines at the top, not the horizontal bar (since there are no matching anchor points).

To join 2 anchor points that share the same X/Y coordinate you can use the "Direct Selection Tool" (hollow arrow) and "click-n-drag" across the two points, then hit "J" to join them together.

In AI CS5 (and maybe CS4) you can select two paths with the "Normal Selection Tool" (solid arrow) and hit "J". AI will automatically join any overlapping points or add a line segment between to two closest points, to form a single path.

When constructing an "A" with three strokes the cross bar will always be a separate line segment since AI only joins anchor point at the end of a line segment.

[jjaccoma]

Yeah that's exactly what I'm doing, just three stroked line segments. I kind of figured it would be impossible to join the horizontal bar, so I'll just make it a separate peice and then create a compound path. I figured it out now as I was typing this, I had been trying what you suggested over and over again but the problem was that when I dragged across the two overlapping points there was a third rogue point that must have gotten accidentally created? I didn't see it in my layers panel because it was further down the list.. That must be what was giving me the error although I don't necessarily see why it should have been. Oh well, thank you for your answer rcraighead.

[rcraighead]

Glad you figured it out. I should have mentioned the potential of a "rough" point. Very easy to do.