Illustrator Question - Mind gone blank!

[linziloop]

Hi guys, I've got myself stuck within Illustrator with something I know is really simple but my mind has gone blank, so much so I'm not even having any luck in google cos I don't know what I'm searching for! Haha!

Basically, to explain, say I have a rounded edge rectangle, and I want to put an exact copy of this rectangle over the top of it, only smaller, but keep the gap between the edges of the two rectangles uniform all the way around, how do i do it?!

I've done it before (without using stroke as I need to fill each rectangle with a gradient) but I can't remember for the life of me what I did.

I know one of you guys will

[djb]

What about adding a stroke to it and then outlining the stroke?

Object: Path: Outline Stroke

[linziloop]

What about adding a stroke to it and then outlining the stroke?

Object: Path: Outline Stroke

That's one of of doing it (thanks!) but I know there was another way where the two rectangles stayed intact rather than a stroke and a rectangle, and it's driving me mad not remembering. For now though, that'll do nicely :) I can't believe I forgot that, been a while since I've drawn anything in Illustrator, had my head down in a massive InDesign project for aaaages :icon_yawn:

[linziloop]

Actually, I do properly need to remember that method I mentioned, due to what I'm doing, I need a perfect copy of the original rectangle, made smaller inside the original, (so the same spacing all around needed) which I then need to chop in half. So, the outline thing is no good

[pcbranding]

Path> Offset path> Enter millimetre offset (positive or negative)
:)

[djb]

But if you outline the stroke and then release the compound path you end up with two rectangles with corners in proportion? Or am I not getting this!

Edit: Or what Paul said, which takes about half the effort!

[linziloop]

Path> Offset path> Enter millimetre offset (positive or negative)
:)

Aha! You STAR! That's EXACTLY what I was looking for, phew! Thank you!

[linziloop]

But if you outline the stroke and then release the compound path you end up with two rectangles with corners in proportion? Or am I not getting this!

Do you!? Ah right, ok, I'm not sure to be honest. Seems I have two perfectly viable options. Time to have a good refresher in Illustrator me thinks, can't believe how much you can forget in such a short time.