Desperately need help with designing process for Motocross/Bike Templates.

[ProVogue]

Hi Everyone,

I am having a really rough time with designing motocross graphics on templates bought from motosportstemplates.com. The individual template parts of the bike they send me are in a "group" ... At this point I am having issues from - successfully getting a clipping mask to work, separating the template pieces in the file so I can move them around, And figuring out where my cut line should be on the template (Is it safe to have the cut line around the edge? Wont that not leave enough room for error on the cutter?). I don't want to ramble too much on here but I am looking for someone who can help. There are no classes or resources I can find to help me - I'd pay someone to create a video of themselves designing from start to finish - (NOTHING ON YOUTUBE)

I am designing in Adobe Illustrator, printing on a Roland through Versaworks.

Thanks!

 

[ProPDF]

The templates on that website are not that great so when you figure out the design part expect the possibility of poor fitment.

 

[City Sign Princess]

pm sent

 

[Sign Works]

No YouTube because these are very basic operations. In Illustrator Ungroup objects and the paths provided should be your cutline. I generally just create an outline / offset path about 1/8" out from the cutline path for artwork bleed or mask.

 

[ChaseO]

I typically use the file they send as the cutline and then add a .1" contour as a bleed for my designs. The trouble I run into sometimes is when I'm trying to make the graphics carry from one panel to another, making them line up since they are grouped, but not always in relation to how they fit on the bike. And yes, they are not always the best fitting, but usually you can hand trim them to fit if needed.

 

[ProVogue]

Getting a little further

Thanks for the help so far everyone. I got some help from someone from here - but I am still stuck with something. If ANYONE can read my steps and just tell me what I might be doing wrong.

1. First I am opening the file and then I change all the templates to black
2. Then I lay my design on top in a new layer
3. I copy the template and then paste on top of everything in another new layer
4. I select all and click "Clipping mask" > "Make"
5. Now, I need to be able to select each piece of the template (with its design) to move it around and save it separately but it will not let me do that. If I try "release compound path" everything goes blank.

Tips for this are greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[GAC05]

This would work in Corel - when you un-compound a clipping path the masked design is copied to each piece so they can be rearranged.
In AI you could un-compound your clipping template and clip a copy of your design into each piece.
Wouldn't be to bad if you copied the design to the clipboard and pasted it back in to the base layer each time to fill a piece.

wayne k
guam usa

 

[peavey123]

Seems like just some general illy tutorials would help you out. not motocross template specific ones.

Thanks for the help so far everyone. I got some help from someone from here - but I am still stuck with something. If ANYONE can read my steps and just tell me what I might be doing wrong.

1. First I am opening the file and then I change all the templates to black ...try pink dude...lol
2. Then I lay my design on top in a new layer - Assuming your design is all grouped, ungroup the design it once it's been positioned & placed this will help in the next steps. (shift+ctrl+G OR right click . ungroup)
3. I copy the template and then paste on top of everything in another new layer - once pasted duplicate the layer then go to OBJECT > PATH > OFFSET PATH offset 1/8th inch for your bleed
4. I select all and click "Clipping mask" > "Make" Make your clipping masks individually for each piece you want to be able to move around using the outlines you offsetted in step #3
5. Take the template layer that was not offset & make that your cutlines.

Let us know if you need anything else. What bike is the design for? I just put my suzuki drz400sm away for the winter..so sad..