cut lines

[Cyclynn]

Hello, Good People... I am posting this thread in the Adobe section as well because it is a cross-software issue for me. I subcontract out all my digital printing. I create the files, then transfer them electronically to a wholesale digital printer. I used to work with a fella who apparently put cut lines on my work for me (since we didn't talk about it often). I am working with a different company now, and these guys are great to work with, but I want to provide ready to print/cut artwork for them. I am struggling with being able to provide cut lines when I want my prints contour cut. The project I'm working on now was created in a complicated manner, but I'm trying to get cut lines for them, and it just isn't working. I created the lettering in FlexiSign (12), and then imported it into Photoshop to get the beveled and chromed special effects I wanted. There are no cut lines on a Photoshop document, right? I have tried going back to the original vector work and creating a cut path. Then I import the Photoshop file (now and eps or ai file) into Flexisign, bundle it all up and send it off as an eps or ai file. They get it, and no cut lines. I am not too familiar with Illustrator, but my guess is that is where I need to be. These printers use CorelDraw (which I don't have) and Illustrator (which they don't use that often). Exporting from FlexiSign seems to lose something in the translation. Unfortunately for our relationship, that is my most comfortable program.I downloaded a cutline tutorial from Roland's website, but that process doesn't seem to work. Can someone help me, please?

 

[Dan360]

I'm not sure about Flexi, but in Illustrator; create a custom spot color named CutContour (can be any color, I use 100% magenta) and use that for your cut path, then you can save as a PDF without color conversion and it works just fine.

No cut paths in Photoshop

 

[SignShopGal]

Saving as a .eps file down as an Illustrator 8 version is a fall-back for me when I am bridging different software applications for cut paths and such.

 

[Enola]

This may be a dumb question, but did you open the art file you sent your printer to see if the cut path is actually there or not?
Could it possibly be hiding behind the photoshop artwork and they didn't select all in the artwork to see it was there.

Long shot, but hey, stranger things have happened.
You did mention the printer doesn't work in Illustrator much at all.

 

[Cyclynn]

I'm not sure about Flexi, but in Illustrator; create a custom spot color named CutContour (can be any color, I use 100% magenta) and use that for your cut path, then you can save as a PDF without color conversion and it works just fine.

No cut paths in Photoshop

Thank you! Ooo- I did that! I followed some guidelines that told me to do just that. I did... but then I didn't know what to do with the swatch. I don't think I know how to create the cut line. I think I did, but then the cut line was imperfect - it kind of bulbed out the corners, and I don't know how to make those repairs in Illustrator. Flexi is easy for that. I'm going to try to import the vector from Flexi into Illustrator and follow SignShopGal's advice about Illustrator 8. I'm running Illustrator CS4.

 

[Cyclynn]

This may be a dumb question, but did you open the art file you sent your printer to see if the cut path is actually there or not?
Could it possibly be hiding behind the photoshop artwork and they didn't select all in the artwork to see it was there.

Long shot, but hey, stranger things have happened.
You did mention the printer doesn't work in Illustrator much at all.

The first time he opened one it didn't have a cut file because it grouped them. Then he said there was one there. Then, somehow, we lost it all and I'm trying to recreate.

 

[Enola]

If not,
1)Create your artwork in Flexi. Flexi is where you will want to create your cutpath also. Now save that file.
2) Delete the cutpath and EXPORT the artwork to a photoshop file for your extra touches. Export the photoshop enriched artwork as a PDF to open later in Illustrator. (Close flexi. Do not save changes)
3) Open the flexi file again and delete the artwork, and export the cutfile as an EPS, to import into Illustrator. (close flexi. do not save changes)
4) Import the pdf artwork you created in photoshop into Illustrator, then Import the cutfile (or copy) that you exported out of flexi as and EPS file into the same Illustrator file as the artwork. Overlay and line up with the artwork. Now "Save As" out of Illustrator as a pdf for your printer.

This is the easiest way to accomplish the task if you're well versed in Flexi.
And, I'm a horrible explainer.

 

[Dan360]

I always make my cut path on a separate layer than the artwork so I can hide the artwork and look at the path/edit it.

Sometimes if your path has effects on it, it won't work properly when brought into other programs/printed. You have to go to Object>expand to get rid of those effects, just uncheck stroke because that will turn your stroke into a shape.

 

[Cyclynn]

I followed Enola's advice to the letter, and it worked perfectly! My printer was perfectly happy. Thank you to her, and to all who sent suggestions! You guys are great!