How to Create Outlines in Adobe Illustrator

Mytour will show you how to create outlines around lines and text in Adobe Illustrator. Outlining lines and strokes ensures that the stroke thickness remains consistent when the vector graphic is scaled. For text, outlining it converts the content into vector graphics, allowing you to share the text on any computer, even if the specific font isn't installed, as it's now embedded in the outline.

Select a tool. The toolbar is on the left side of Adobe Illustrator. Use the Line tool to draw straight lines. For curves, you can use the Pen, Pencil, or Brush tools. Additionally, the Shape tool can help create shapes with surrounding lines.

Create lines or shapes. After selecting the tool, click and drag the mouse to create lines or shapes.

• To add a line around a shape, select the shape and click on the square color box in the top-left corner. Then, choose a color from the palette. You can also use this box to change the color of the line.

Click the Select tool (black arrow) at the top of the toolbar. This tool will help you select objects in Adobe Illustrator.

Select the line you want to outline. Use the selection tool and click on the line or shape to choose it.

Adjust the thickness and style of the line. Once you've outlined a line or stroke, you won’t be able to edit the thickness and style of the object. So, make sure you're happy with your drawing before proceeding with the conversion. To adjust the thickness and style of the drawing, you need to:

• Use the first dropdown menu next to “Stroke” to select the thickness for the line. You can also enter a point size into the dropdown field.
• Use the second dropdown menu next to “Stroke” to choose from different thickness profiles. This dropdown displays various thickness configurations. You can experiment with them to see the result. The thicker the line, the clearer the drawing will appear.
• Use the third dropdown menu to select a brush type. This menu includes various brush styles and lines. Click on one of the options to preview the result.

Select the line or shape. Once you're satisfied, use the Select tool to choose the line or shape.

• Before outlining the line/shape, you can copy and paste the object to a side of your drawing. This way, you’ll have an editable version of the object in case you want to make changes later.

Click on Object (Object). This option is located in the top menu bar. A dropdown menu will appear below the “Object” option.

Select Path (Path). This option is found in the lower part of the “Object” menu. A sub-menu will appear to the right.

Click on Outline Stroke (Outline Stroke). The line will be transformed into a shape, and you can edit it like any other shape.

• To change the line color after outlining the object, click the color square in the upper-left corner and pick a color from the palette.
• After outlining the line, you can add a border around the outline using the second color square in the top-left corner. This action is similar to adding a border to the original line.

Click on the Text option in the left toolbar. This option is represented by the letter “T”.

Create text. To add a text line using the Text tool, click anywhere on the canvas and begin typing. If you want to create a text box, click and drag to draw a box. Once the box is created, start typing your content inside it.

• Use the color box in the top-left corner to choose a color for your text.
• You can also use the color square to add a border around the text.

Click on the Select tool, represented by the black mouse pointer at the top of the toolbar. This tool is essential for selecting objects in Adobe Illustrator.

Select the text. Use the Select tool to highlight the text. This tool is represented by the black mouse pointer and is located in the left toolbar.

Edit spelling and font style. After converting text to outlines, you won't be able to make edits. Therefore, make sure the content is accurate and the font is set before outlining. Follow these steps to adjust the font style:

• Use the dropdown next to “Characters” to choose the font. This option is located at the top of the screen, below the menu bar.
• Use the second dropdown next to “Characters” to select the font style, such as: Bold, Italic, or Regular.
• Use the third dropdown next to “Characters” to choose the font size. You can also manually enter the size in the dropdown box.
• Click Characters at the top of the screen for additional options. This menu allows you to adjust leading, kerning, tracking, vertical scaling, and horizontal scaling.
• Use the icons with lines next to “Paragraph” to align the text to the left, right, or center.

Select the text. Once you are satisfied with the appearance of the object, use the Select tool in the toolbar to select the text.

• Before converting the text to outlines, it is advisable to copy and paste the object to another part of the artboard. This way, you will have an editable backup in case any changes are needed later.

Click on the Type (Type) in the main menu bar at the top of the screen. A dropdown menu will appear.

Click on the Create Outlines (Create outlines). The text will be converted into vector graphics. As vector graphics, the text will be displayed on any computer, even if the font is not installed on that computer.

• After converting the text to outlines, you can change the color by using the small color box in the top-left corner.
• If the font has a border, you need to follow the steps in Method 1 to create an outline for the border. Afterward, you can add the border to the newly created outline.