Question: I Converted My Text to Outlines in InDesign CS: Why Did My Stroke Disappear?
When using InDesign CS, you might find yourself in a situation where you have applied a stroke to type and you now want to convert that type to outlines. However when you do that, your stroke seems to disappear. Yet this is not the case.
Answer: When you apply a stroke to a box (and type that is converted to outlines is a box effectively) you can choose whether your stroke will be external, centered on the edge or internal related to the edge of the box.
When you apply a stroke to type, it can only be external. By default, when you apply a stroke to a box, InDesign will center your stroke instead of having it external like you have it for your type. So it looks like your stroke is disappeared but in actual fact is there.
Here is how you handle it:
- Once you have converted your type to outlines go to your Stroke Palette. If it isn't open then go to Window > Stroke. Now you have your palette with all of its options.
- About half way down the palette you will see an entry that says Align Stroke and three sqaures. The first one will center your stroke, the second one will create an internal stroke and the third one an external stroke. If you click on the last one, your stroke will reappear and will look like when your outlines were originally type.
