need some quick help....

[Rick007]

I am 90% completed with a pretty big project, and have sworn that I would figure this liast detail out, but after spending all day trying, I finally decided to let the pros on this board give me some instruction....

I have 9- 4"x10" glass panels that are part fo a display. These glass pcs have aluminum frames on the side with LED's inside. The led's will light the backside up where there is a logo that will "glow".

On the front I am using oracal 3510 (?) etch material to write down several inspirational words. The etch will have to have a hairline stroke in black, to "set it off". Verbage my customer used.

I have tried and tried and tried and have read several help books and forums to figure out cutting an outline. I do not have to prepare in Illustrator, but I am more comfortable with it than flexi, but I can navigate flexi enough to get the job doen with good instruction. Mason was kind enough to tell me before, but either I have forgotten a step or it is just not working. Can anyone help me out here? Just guide me...Please!!! I am begging!

[DRPSignsNGrafix]

If i'm reading this right. You need to select what you want to outline. Then cut just that color or, convert to curves and select the outline, then select cut.

[Rick007]

How do I select just the outline though?

[MobileImpact]

in flexi- select what you want outlined, go to effects and select outline. Your Design Central box shold come up which will allow tou to size the outline as well as pick your color.

Hope that helps,

Kevin

[joshGN]

2 ways...right click all the text and click seperate outline...

or if you use flexi to cut from, you can select which color you want to cut in the production manager...

convert to curves will work but it breaks EVERYTHING apart...whereas seperate outline, does just that..

also make sure on the outline tool that it fills in everything behind the text...so then you'll just layer the text right over the outline with no ridges..

[Rick007]

Ok, I did do the whole outline process, but when I cut the letters, they did not match up. Maybe I should try it again, but I am heading into crunch time, as the project is due tomorrow at 3:00pm. I called an established shop in town and he wanted to charge me 100.00 to cut on my supplied material, with me doing the weeding, masking and install...is that outrageous?

[joshGN]

Ok, I did do the whole outline process, but when I cut the letters, they did not match up. Maybe I should try it again, but I am heading into crunch time, as the project is due tomorrow at 3:00pm. I called an established shop in town and he wanted to charge me 100.00 to cut on my supplied material, with me doing the weeding, masking and install...is that outrageous?

they didnt line up? use registration marks if you have to...so the layer will line up perfect...

[Rick007]

ok, one last thing....anyone know of a different material I can use to mask. We have no clear mask, and we could not get to Alumapanels store today before they close...anything I can buy at say home depot or lowes?

[joshGN]

do you have any mask/tape at all? you dont really need clear...

[Rick007]

I have regualr mask, like 15 rolls in different sizes, but I cant see the 1st layer through the mask to make sure it is lined up right

[joshGN]

use registration marks.... they look like 4 pcs of a pie...pull 2 pcs on opposite sides off...like upper left and lower right....then cut those out with olfa knife or something and line up the layers...does that make sense?

[signage]

In flexi there is a button on the drawing tools for registration marks, use the triangle one place 3 to 4 outside of the graphics and outline, weed and mask, on the top layer cut the triangles out and use that to line up with the bottom one. If you can not find the registration tool draw the triangles and duplicate them and make one set the same color as he graphics and the outline!

[Flame]

I never used registration marks. Just lay it down wet, float it in place until it's lined up enough, squeegee, and pull the tape right off. Vinyl will stick to vinyl well enough there's not even any drying time.

I can see through regular tape enough to see just fine if I'm doing it wet. Just make sure to do it somewhat fast or else the fluid will eat at your tape and make it all mushy.

[Ken]

What Flamey said..
Ken

[grafxxx]

yeah..what ken said that flamey said

[Rick007]

Thank everyone for your help....I got it to work and will be posting finished product pics later today....Thanks again!!!!