Cut Contour in Photoshop

[Kyle Blue]

I am wondering if anyone knows of a way to make a Cut Contour in Photoshop. I've tried making a clipping mask and naming it CutContour but that did not seem to work. I thought I'd ask all you smart people before dedicating any more time to this problem. Thanks.

 

[Fred Weiss]

If you can get a selection made, you can then convert it to a vector workpath in the Paths palette. That can then be exported out of PS as "Paths to Illustrator" in the AI format. Alternatively, you can hand trace the desired path using the Bezier Pen tool and export that.

 

[ucmj22]

I would select what you want, make a new layer, and make it a black fill. Then copy the fill layer in to illustrator and live trace, change to no fill and CutContour stroke. then place the original image behind it in Illy and save as .eps

 

[Kyle Blue]

Sorry I should have clarified what I'm trying to do. I want to eliminate the step of having to bring a PS file into Illustrator just to have to put a cut contour on it. If I could make a cut contour in Photoshop, then I would be ready to print and would not have to go though the whole rigmarole.

 

[qmr55]

Sorry I should have clarified what I'm trying to do. I want to eliminate the step of having to bring a PS file into Illustrator just to have to put a cut contour on it. If I could make a cut contour in Photoshop, then I would be ready to print and would not have to go though the whole rigmarole.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think you can create a contour cut in Ps. You need to make the path/s then export the paths to illustrator.

 

[Kyle Blue]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think you can create a contour cut in Ps. You need to make the path/s then export the paths to illustrator.

That seems to be the case, but I'm not willing to give up on it yet. It just seems to me to be an unnecessary step.

 

[jc1cell]

Did you try making the contour layer a smart object? Not sure if it's a solution. Just throwing that out there.

jc

 

[J Hill Designs]

the questions is does PS have the ability to export spot colors?

 

[Kyle Blue]

Did you try making the contour layer a smart object? Not sure if it's a solution. Just throwing that out there.

jc

Good idea, tried it and failed. I thought that might work. I'll keep at it.

 

[ucmj22]

I wonder if you create it in a spot color channel....?

 

[Fred Weiss]

I think you issue rests with the software you are using to receive the file for production. For example, did you know that a flattened JPG saved from Photoshop will have any workpaths in it still present?

Here's a circle filled from a selection in Photoshop. The selection was then modified by contracting it and then converting that selection into a workpath. The JPG file was then saved.

Next I open the JPG in Omega Composer version 3 (a couple of years out of date) and it asks me what I want to do about the workpath. I tell it Okay and the workpath in the JPG file is brought in as a clipping path. From there I can leave it alone or release the clipping path and use it is a contour cut path in Omega.

The same might work with your software as well.

 

[ucmj22]

I think you issue rests with the software you are using to receive the file for production. For example, did you know that a flattened JPG saved from Photoshop will have any workpaths in it still present?

Here's a circle filled from a selection in Photoshop. The selection was then modified by contracting it and then converting that selection into a workpath. The JPG file was then saved.

Next I open the JPG in Omega Composer version 3 (a couple of years out of date) and it asks me what I want to do about the workpath. I tell it Okay and the workpath in the JPG file is brought in as a clipping path. From there I can leave it alone or release the clipping path and use it is a contour cut path in Omega.

The same might work with your software as well.

thats pretty interesting. I wonder if that would still work if the image was flattened prior to saving as jpg..

 

[Fred Weiss]

thats pretty interesting. I wonder if that would still work if the image was flattened prior to saving as jpg..

It was flattened. In fact, nothing I did was ever on anything other than the locked background.

 

[Kyle Blue]

I think you issue rests with the software you are using to receive the file for production. For example, did you know that a flattened JPG saved from Photoshop will have any workpaths in it still present?

Here's a circle filled from a selection in Photoshop. The selection was then modified by contracting it and then converting that selection into a workpath. The JPG file was then saved.

Next I open the JPG in Omega Composer version 3 (a couple of years out of date) and it asks me what I want to do about the workpath. I tell it Okay and the workpath in the JPG file is brought in as a clipping path. From there I can leave it alone or release the clipping path and use it is a contour cut path in Omega.

The same might work with your software as well.

Interesting, I'll give it a try.