Another Illustrator Question

[CarolinaCabinet]

First of all, let me apoligize but I do not see answers to these questions in my AI tutorial, I guess they are more sign-people questions that designers do not normally have. but...

How do I create a contour cut with bleed in Illustrator. I know on something with a solid color I can just select the object, go to Object, Path, Offset Path. Then I turn the original into a cutline and the new outer will serve as the print and bleed. However, this methodology doesn't work when the graphic has multiple colors next to one another, because whichever color is in the front, the bleed is going to show on top of the others. Also, it creates a cut line throughout, instead of just the outer edge of the graphic.

I know I'm stupid, I'll say it so you don't have to.... please.... but can you guys help me out??? I gotta get a good AI book.

PS- anyone know a AI book that covers signmaking questions?

 

[iSign]

well, the easiest way is if the "information" going on at the edges is excess information, and you can afford to create a cut line slightly smaller than the artwork. Then you just print it as is... and the inline path you create for a cut will give you that bleed effect.

Post up some pics of the actual project if you want more specific instructions.

 

[CarolinaCabinet]

Well, I'm not allowed to display their name but imagine 3 blocks that are overlapped graphics and are different colors. This is only printed 1 inch tall so the cutting has to be very precise... If I use offset path in AI then the bleed of the red block will cover some of the viewable area of the blue and yellow. In programs like Signlab you can just click Contour Cut, choose how much bleed you want, and it creates a cut path just around the outer edge. How do I do that here in AI. I want the cutline to only be around the edge silhouette created by the blocks shape as one. And the bleed only needs to be on the outside edges as well, not where the shapes overlap.

 

[Fred Weiss]

To create a bleed cut, try these steps:

• Duplicate the image on a new page
• Convert all strokes to outline paths
• Change all fills to a single color
• Select all and execute a merge command in pathfinder
• Edit the result to remove all unwanted remnants

Assign it a unique fill or stroke so you can locate it easily later. Copy and paste it back to the original workspace and center-center justify it to the original image. You now have the cut path without a bleed.

What you do at this point depends on the nature of the artwork, what you are trying to accomplish and the production size of of the finished piece. Your options are:

• Offset the path a small distance to the inline side.
• Leave it as an exact fitting cut path with no bleed.
• Duplicate the cut path and assign a stroke in a color suitable for surrounding the image to create your bleed (black or gray for example) and then use the original cut path as your contour cut.

 

[HaroldDesign]

Bleed

It sounds like you need bleed that extends from the image intersections outward at a 45 degree angle. Offset your paths for bleed, then using the smart guides (command U) add and subtract points from the appropriate images to get the 45s. Hard to explain, but it results in bleed that meets at the corners at a 45 rather than one shape taking the bleed width along the other's border. I'll think of a better way to explain...

 

[HaroldDesign]

Use the 45s for bleed. Duplicate your images and fill them all the same color. Open your pathfinder tool and click merge icon. You now have the path to name CutContour and snap onto your image perimeter.