: How to merge two shapes and create a space between them I am trying to merge these two shapes in Adobe Illustrator, so that the black line makes a cutout through the grey rings of the target,

@Cofer715

You'll first want to use the Offset Path command, to offset your arrow by 2px (or whatever value you so please):



Giving you a second instance of your shape, at the newly specified size:



Then, you can place your new, wider, arrow into a group above your rings. Open the Transparency Window (Window > Transparency) and adjust the wide arrow's opacity to 0, ensuring that Knockout Group is selected.



This accomplishes the same thing as using the Pathfinder, with the benefit of being non-destructive. That means all of your shapes are still there, in their original configuration, and can be modified at a later date, if need be. This is most useful when working with text.

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