Un-expanding an expanded stroke

[Jonathanlyon]

I expanded several strokes and then I added them together to make a shape. Then I save it. So I can’t undo it. 
i need to backtrack to the original un-expanded strokes for editing.  
How can I accomplish this?

thank you. 

[Hangman]

Hi @Jonathanlyon and welcome to the fourms...

If you've saved and closed you document after expanding the strokes and merging them together, unless you had Save history with document selected from the File menu then you won't be able to revert your lines back to their previous state...

If you haven't closed the document, you should be able to go backwards using the history panel but you will lose any steps you made to your artwork after you expanded the strokes and merged them...

[Jonathanlyon]

Is there a way to make the “lines” in the resulting shape skinnier? So they look more like skinny lines?

[Andreas Scherer]

12 minutes ago, Jonathanlyon said:

Is there a way to make the “lines” in the resulting shape skinnier?

You can use the Contour Tool and “pull left”.

[Hangman]

You could remove the 5.5 pt stroke from the merged lines but to make them look skinnier but you would have to manually move nodes to nake them look truly skinner... depending on the artwork in question, you may find it quicker to start from scratch and recreate the lines and then make a duplicate layer in the layers panel before expanding the strokes and merging them so you can go back to the copy if you later decide you need to change something...

[Hangman]

13 minutes ago, Andreas Scherer said:

You can use the Contour Tool and “pull left”.

You can, though you will likely end up with some effective non uniform lines weights where the lines change direction...

[Old Bruce]

I would use two strokes, one aligned to the inside and the other centred. Both Strokes will be set to either the background colour or best set to Erase blend mode.

I include a file.

 

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