Paths: Drawing Outside the Lines

At some point, editing vector paths is something that just about every Illustrator user has to come to terms with. However, there are times when performing some of these edits make sense as a Live Effect, which allows the paths to be updated easily. Specifically, three path functionsOffset Path, Outline Object, and Outline Strokeare available as Live Effects. You can find all of these effects by choosing Effect > Path and by then choosing the required function.

For the most part, these effects are useful when you apply them to Type objects. The Outline Object effect is particularly useful for using text in a way that normally requires the text to be outlined into vector paths. In addition, the Offset Path effect can be helpful when you're trying to create type effects in tandem with the Pathfinder effects, as described later in this chapter (see "What If . . . You Combine Offset Path and Pathfinder Effects on a Text Object?").