You can convert the stroke of a selected path into a closed path. The resulting path creates the illusion of a path with no fill and a stroke that takes on the same attributes as the original object's fill.

This is a picture of the feature being described.

NOTE

Expanding the stroke of a path that intersects itself can produce interesting results. If the original path contains a fill, the intersecting portions of the path will not contain a fill after the stroke is expanded.

To expand a selected object's stroke:

  1. Select Modify > Alter Path > Expand Stroke to open the Expand Stroke dialog box.
  2. Set the width of the resulting closed path.
  3. Specify a corner type: miter, round, or beveled.
  4. If you chose miter, set the miter limit, the point at which a miter corner automatically becomes a beveled corner. The miter limit is the ratio of miter corner length to stroke width.
  5. Select an end cap option: butt, square, or round. Then click OK.

    A closed path in the shape of the original and with the same stroke and fill attributes replaces the original path.