Using Effect/Pathfinder/add

[TonyPuryear]

I'm having problems with Effect/Pathfinder/Add.

I make a group out of two simple shapes that have white fill and black strokes. I hit Effect/Pathfinder/add, and now there's a combined shape with a black stroke, but it's got a TRANSPARENT fill. I've done this operation successfully a lot in the past (I'm doing lettering for a comic. I'm making word ballons with stems.) Why can't my combined shape keep the white fill from its constituent items?

Any suggestions?

[Mike_Gondek]

Us pathfinder palette option-click Unite instead. the option will keep this a live effect, so you can with direct select tool move your objects independaently.

[mjbelt]

Re-created you're simple shapes and found everything worked fine.
Double clicked and used isolation mode to edit the shapes.
Try deleting your preferences and try again.