Accelerated Graphics
New Member
I have a pretty complex design someone sent me and need it to be contour cut with my Roland. I don't work with ill. much
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Putting on an outline in illustrator
- Thread starter Accelerated Graphics
- Start date
iSign
New Member
it would help to post the specific file you are dealing with. A lot of us use the "outline stroke" option in the flyout choices for "path" (under the "Object" menu)
You asked about "putting on an outline", but you said someone sent you the atrwork, so I'm guessing the outline already shows up in a preview of their artwork, but it's done with a stroke, so that the vector path for it isn't showing up.
I'm guessing that, because I deal with that on at least 80-90% of all the client provided artwork in the last 10 years.
You also said it's complicated, and I know all about complicated vector files that are built only to look good in preview mode, or in print. I just spent 3 hours fixing this top file into the one below, so I could cut sandblast mask. I used "outline stroke" a lot, but also half the tools in the "pathfinder" menu, ALL the concentration and patience I could muster, (and a few choice "designer" epithet's) to get me through this one:
Some of that time was increased because I had to make some decisions between what would be raised and what would be blasted. It was drawn as a 3 color job, so it wasn't an obvious choice in some cases... but lots of making copies of multiple contours & then trimming one with the other, pasting both back, them trimming the other with the one..
I'll tell you, on the really complex ones, I used to just get a good looking black line art on the screen in "preview mode (with all the un-resolved outline overlaps and strokes still hidden away) and I'd print it out, scan the print, and run the scan through streamline. It's a 5 minute way to do the 3 hour job described here... but for $200 banners instead of $2000 sandblasted signs... it's a trick worth remembering sometimes.
You asked about "putting on an outline", but you said someone sent you the atrwork, so I'm guessing the outline already shows up in a preview of their artwork, but it's done with a stroke, so that the vector path for it isn't showing up.
I'm guessing that, because I deal with that on at least 80-90% of all the client provided artwork in the last 10 years.
You also said it's complicated, and I know all about complicated vector files that are built only to look good in preview mode, or in print. I just spent 3 hours fixing this top file into the one below, so I could cut sandblast mask. I used "outline stroke" a lot, but also half the tools in the "pathfinder" menu, ALL the concentration and patience I could muster, (and a few choice "designer" epithet's) to get me through this one:
Some of that time was increased because I had to make some decisions between what would be raised and what would be blasted. It was drawn as a 3 color job, so it wasn't an obvious choice in some cases... but lots of making copies of multiple contours & then trimming one with the other, pasting both back, them trimming the other with the one..
I'll tell you, on the really complex ones, I used to just get a good looking black line art on the screen in "preview mode (with all the un-resolved outline overlaps and strokes still hidden away) and I'd print it out, scan the print, and run the scan through streamline. It's a 5 minute way to do the 3 hour job described here... but for $200 banners instead of $2000 sandblasted signs... it's a trick worth remembering sometimes.
Tparkin
New Member
I also have as issue when trying to do this...
I'll create an image in Corel, send to PS for effect, save as a .psd. Now I need a cut line. I'll send it into Ill. in layers and when I try to add a stroke or offset path it is grayed out. Not sure why but can't get it to work.
The create boundary in Corel works...as long as its a Corel file. When I bring in a psd or eps file, the boundary becomes a box around the image, so no help there.
Any suggestions?
I'll create an image in Corel, send to PS for effect, save as a .psd. Now I need a cut line. I'll send it into Ill. in layers and when I try to add a stroke or offset path it is grayed out. Not sure why but can't get it to work.
The create boundary in Corel works...as long as its a Corel file. When I bring in a psd or eps file, the boundary becomes a box around the image, so no help there.
Any suggestions?
I make a duplicate copy of everything. hide the original and paste the copy.
Select all
CTRL + C
Hide all (Ctrl+3)
Paste in front (Ctrl+F)
Then I ungroup and uncompound everything. (Ctrl+Shift+G, Alt+Ctrl+8) a couple of times to make sure everything is ungrouped, uncompounded. A quick merge of everything, then I move to offset path.
It looks longwinded but it only take like 5 seconds to do.
Select all
CTRL + C
Hide all (Ctrl+3)
Paste in front (Ctrl+F)
Then I ungroup and uncompound everything. (Ctrl+Shift+G, Alt+Ctrl+8) a couple of times to make sure everything is ungrouped, uncompounded. A quick merge of everything, then I move to offset path.
It looks longwinded but it only take like 5 seconds to do.
Tparkin
New Member
I've tried that, didn't seem to work either....I'm a bit Illustrator illiterate though. Here's what I'm trying to do...
I have a multi-layer file that was built in PS. I open it in illustrator for the sole purpose of adding a cut-contour path. The image open fine, but I can't figure out how to grab just the background layer and add a stroke or cut path to it. When I grab just the BG layer, all of my stroke, path, offset path options are grayed out. Even after making sure that the particular layer is not grouped, etc.
Is there an easy way to simply outline an existing layer from a PS image?
I have a multi-layer file that was built in PS. I open it in illustrator for the sole purpose of adding a cut-contour path. The image open fine, but I can't figure out how to grab just the background layer and add a stroke or cut path to it. When I grab just the BG layer, all of my stroke, path, offset path options are grayed out. Even after making sure that the particular layer is not grouped, etc.
Is there an easy way to simply outline an existing layer from a PS image?
vid
New Member
You're working with a bitmap image that has no vector data. You'll need to trace what you want to cut. You can do that in PS, AI, or CDR.
The easiest for me, would be to create and clean up the vector path in Photoshop --- renaming the path from "Work Path" to "Clip" and tagging it as a "Clipping Path". I'd then save the resulting image as an EPS file for CDR or AI to label it as your cut contour path.
If that's confusing, it's time to crack the manual.
