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Onyx Production House - getting started question

CES020

CES020

New Member
I'm new to printing, but have been sending printing out for a while. Finally broke down and got a printer as well as Onyx Production House v11. I know there's a lot to learn (more than I can learn in a lifetime, probably), but I'd like some input from you guys with experience.

I'm trying to do something really simple, figure out what settings need to be in Illustrator, best I can tell it's two areas, one is the document color mode and the other is under edit, color settings. That's where the working space and color management policies are located. What's the best setup for all those to create something that's going to make Onyx the happiest.

Also, when saving files from Illustrator, is it best to save them as a PDF, or should I rasterize them prior to saving them, and if so, rasterize them, then save to PDF? Which version PDF, if PDF is what I should be doing.

It's all new to me and instead of looking at printing from the outside in, I'm now looking from the inside out, knowing that I have a lot to learn, but I don't want to start with bad habits and end up finding that out after creating a ton of files. I'd like to learn the best practice(s) and try and head down that path from the beginning.

Thanks so much for the help, I appreciate any help at this point. I don't find much help on the ONYX site or documentation and hours searching online haven't gotten me very far either.
 
Bly

Bly

New Member
I use the default colour setup in Illustrator - SWOP, srgb - and work in CMYK and save as native Illy PDF.
Then setup your Onyx quicksets to use the same profiles for your input iccs.
 
CES020

CES020

New Member
Thanks Bly! Do you have it set to preserve embedded profiles in the color management policy part? What settings do you use there for RGB and CMYK?
 
Bly

Bly

New Member
Yes but it doesn't matter if they're embedded or not if the same profiles are selected in Illy and the rip.

Just use the Nth American General Purpose option in Illy colour settings, then use the same profiles as that in Onyx.
 
CES020

CES020

New Member
I hooked up our plotter to the computer the RIP is on and installed it all fine. I selected that I wanted to print and cut the job, just to try and figure out how this all works. The print job goes to the RIP queue, but when I open the cut server, it says there is no job there. It seems to be looking for something in the file that tells it to cut and I'm not sure what they is, since I've never used Onyx before. I'm used to normal cut vinyl, so it's always just send the eps file over or open a CorelDraw file and send it from there. Obviously with print and cut, it's looking for something different, but I'm not sure what.

How's that thing work? What do I need to setup or do to the file to make it ready for the cut server to be happy?

Thanks!
 
C

craftladies

New Member
To make something print and cut you need to set up your illustrator file properly. In illustrator in the colour swatches there should one called Cut Contour... or if there is not just take 100% M and create a new swatch called "Cut Contour" has to be like that for the rip to know what it is. Then you can just save the illustrator file and goto the rip. Click open, and on the right side it should save print production and cut I believe, and select the illustrator file you just created. When you go through all the presets in the rip there will be a spot that says cutting method. Usually when you dont need to cut something you would change this to none, that way your printer will not print the marks and it will save the ink. So if you want to cut it after it has printed change this to contour cutter I believe. If you can still see your 100% M contour cut in the preview then something went wrong, after you print the stuff, you bring it to your cutter, set it all up and it should appear in the cut server.
 
Bly

Bly

New Member
Also make sure the correct cutter is selected in your job before ripping.
It will then generate the rego marks and the data for cutting.
You also must select the same cutter in Cutserver.
 
B

bikecomedy

New Member
CES020 there are youtube videos that show you step by step both how to set up in install your Onyx rip profiles and how to setup and operate your contour cut.


[video=youtube;ivR6EDwSchM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivR6EDwSchM[/video]

here are some for contour cutting. I haven't seen these because I did not have resolvable trouble with contour cutting.

https://www.google.com/search?q=you...es_sm=91&espv=210&q=onyx+contour+cut+&tbm=vid

Like you, could not find answers that I needed on the ONYX website.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
CES020

CES020

New Member
Thanks Bikecomedy, I have been watching a lot of videos from a variety of places. The profile part is done and we're able to print. My cutter is setup, I haven't found a video that shows what onyx defines as a cut path. Does it have to be a different layer, with a solid shape, a vector outline? I don't see anything about what it wants in the file to make that cut file. I think I understand the work flow, I just don't understand what it wants to define the "cut" in Onyx from my graphics program. Previously, since all we have done was cut vinyl, it was easy, it cuts the vector outlines and it's done. This, apparently doesn't work like that and that's what I'm not understanding or finding. Can you clarify what defines the cut area out of Illustrator or CorelDraw so that Onyx sees that part as something to send to the cutter?

Thanks for the help!
 
CES020

CES020

New Member
Thanks Bikecomedy, I'm trying to use the cut server from Onyx, not cut master. We've been using cut master for years now. I'm good with that. I'm trying to understand how to cut from Onyx Cutserver.
 
CES020

CES020

New Member
I've already done that, I have it all hooked up and installed, I just need to understand how it's getting the information for cutting. Does it automatically just cut the outside of whatever shapes are there, or do you need to do something special in Illustrator to define the cut lines?
 
C

ColoPrinthead

Guest
CES020 said:
I've already done that, I have it all hooked up and installed, I just need to understand how it's getting the information for cutting. Does it automatically just cut the outside of whatever shapes are there, or do you need to do something special in Illustrator to define the cut lines?
Click to expand...
You need to make a cut path in your design that is a spot color Named "CutContour", it can be any color but it has to be a spot.
 
J

Jeff South Florida

New Member
You need to create a vector path named CutContour. Onyx will regognize this path. It will not print the color you assigned. It will then send the cut path to the cutter.
 
CES020

CES020

New Member
Perfect, thanks guys! That's exactly what I needed to know.

Bikecomedy, sorry for the confusion, I thought you understood I was trying to understand the cut server in Onyx, not cut master from Graphtec. I apologize if I wasn't clear on that, I do appreciate you trying to help.
 
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