Creating Bleed in Supplied Illustrator Files for Decals

[Stephenedwardgraphic]

We are supplied Illustrator files from some marketing companies that we make decals for. Just curious if someone has an easy way of creating bleed. Many times we will create our cut path and then offset the path and bring it in a bit. Problem is that on some graphics it doesn't look good (see attached sample). It makes different paths and blends not look correct.

These customers don't want a white border around the decal either. Looking for a quick solution so that we don't need to spend valuable time fixing the cut paths by hand...

Thanks in advance...

 

[Solventinkjet]

Select the outside path and then go to the Object Menu>Path>Offset Path. This will allow you to expand the paths however you want. Make sure you just select the outside path you want to expand. If you select everything, it expands everything and can mess up the look of the image. This doesn't work well with every file but it is useful to know.

 

[TimToad]

We are supplied Illustrator files from some marketing companies that we make decals for. Just curious if someone has an easy way of creating bleed. Many times we will create our cut path and then offset the path and bring it in a bit. Problem is that on some graphics it doesn't look good (see attached sample). It makes different paths and blends not look correct.

These customers don't want a white border around the decal either. Looking for a quick solution so that we don't need to spend valuable time fixing the cut paths by hand...

Thanks in advance...

I usually make a copy of the entire image, paste it, then with just the exterior edge objects selected, I weld them all together with the top left tool in your Pathfinder palette. This should give you an accurate, "outline" of the outer edge of everything in a single path. Then just Object> Offset Path it with a negative until its the size you want it. Using the scale tool doesn't always scale it proportionally.

 

[Stephenedwardgraphic]

Curious if anyone has a way of leaving the cut line where it is and expanding the artwork out.

 

[oksigns]

just as TimToad says essentially. Your copied outline will just stay as an outline, while you adjust the scale of the entire artwork- obviously grouped and hopefuly as a copy to not destroy the original

 

[Baz]

No easy way to make your bleed intersections perfect.
You can manually move points to the cutline. (opportunity to add a setup fee).
But even with that, if your printer/cutter is slightly off you will get the same results.

You could also ask for the designer who supplies you the artwork to include bleeds and cutlines.

 

[shoresigns]

I usually make a copy of the entire image, paste it, then with just the exterior edge objects selected, I weld them all together with the top left tool in your Pathfinder palette. This should give you an accurate, "outline" of the outer edge of everything in a single path. Then just Object> Offset Path it with a negative until its the size you want it. Using the scale tool doesn't always scale it proportionally.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but this is exactly the process OP described in his original post, which he said isn't working.

Another good approach I've found that doesn't require any manual editing is to make a copy of the whole image, send it to the back and then offset by about 1/16" or 1/32" if your cutter is accurate enough. Then put your cutting line on the exact edge of the original image. It works OK but it isn't perfect.

 

[Fred Weiss]

I agree with what has been posted. A decent solution is provided to those who have that ability to print spot white on clear. Use the welded outline of the vectors to fill with white as a base coat on clear and the original image exactly on top and outline the same vector a couple hundredths of an inch and make it the cut path. The result is the exact image without a bleed but with a decal cut that is barely noticeable.

 

[TimToad]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but this is exactly the process OP described in his original post, which he said isn't working.

Another good approach I've found that doesn't require any manual editing is to make a copy of the whole image, send it to the back and then offset by about 1/16" or 1/32" if your cutter is accurate enough. Then put your cutting line on the exact edge of the original image. It works OK but it isn't perfect.

I read it to mean that each object was being being copied and offset pathed and the results were not a clean singlular cutline. Sorry if I misunderstood, was just trying to help.

 

[myront]

In Corel I created a macro to make bleeds. Select all the shapes you need a bleed on then hit the macro. BAM! doesn't matter if they're all different colors either.

 

[Billct2]

But wouldn't the bleeds be on the "inside" of the selected objects too? That could mess up interior intersections.

 

[myront]

But wouldn't the bleeds be on the "inside" of the selected objects too? That could mess up interior intersections.

Not in Corel. The "bleeds" are actually an outside outline on the shape.

 

[Billct2]

I mean, if you add a bleed to a particular color wouldn't that bleed continue around the while color object selected? Like the black line here?