Converting vector clipart to cutter ready

[agile4]

Hi all,

I'm a newbie, so be gentle.

Is there a tutorial out there on how to convert clipart like Corel clipart, etc to make it ready for the cutter? I'd like to eventually learn to take a photo and turn it into a silohette(sp?)

I am primarily going to do one color until I learn to do multi's.

Tom

[doublesky]

Hmmmm.... are you trying to turn a bitmap into vector?
Sounds like you should read up on vector vs. bitmap images, and then try to learn the basics of corel or illustrator by getting a book (I love the illustrator WOW book). It's not that easy to convert a photo image into a cuttable image... unless you've studied vectorization.
If you have true corel clipart, which is vector, it should be cuttable as is though.

[signage]

Welcome to the forums from PA...

If the clip art is a vector you should be able to cut it! If it is Raster you will need to convert it to Vector or send it to the Vector Doctor to convert it for you!

[OldPaint]

ill be GENTLE......and say it this way, most of CORELS CLIPART IS VECTORS!!!!! .cmx, .cdr. is a VECTOR FORMAT, no need to convert.
doing a photo to a silohette................is best done in COREL TRACE or ADOBE STREAMLINE.

[SAS]

Don't know about a tutorial, I'm sure there is do a google search. You can start with auto-trace in Corel then start cleaning up the nodes on simple clip-art but photos are a hole different ball game.. I use eric @ vectordoctor.com he is better and faster then me.

[Rhino]

I agree with signage. Contact The Vector Doctor (http://www.signs101.com/forums/showthread.php?t=35258) to help with conversions until you get the hang of it.

[gabagoo]

What I want to know is ...who are the geniuses out there who make vectored clipart files that are never complete..ie shapes over shapes and same colour lines intersecting each other? Is that how they teach them in vector college?

[learned the hard way]

While most of Corel's clipart is already vector clipart, much of it is not ready to cut. Most of the color clipart was designed for print, so it has many, many overcut lines. Best advice I can give on making Corel clipart ready to cut is ungroup the image, remove as much detail as you can do without, and then start welding the rest, so you wind up with a single color graphic that isn't too difficult to weed.

As far as making a photograph cut ready, that is a different operation, as mentioned above. It involves converting a bitmap image into vector lines and curves that a vinyl cutter can "read". There is a tool in Corel for this, again mentioned above. You can probably learn to do a simple silhouette pretty quickly, but more detail requires more time and practice.

[OldPaint]

that is mostly ILLISTRATOR built vectors. the way they work is layers, where as what you need to when you cut is a SINGLE LAYER, NO INTERSECTING LINES. some of corels clipart is this way, but not all of it.
i have ARTS & LETTERS EXPRESS and it does layers also.
good CUTTER READY CLIPART is usually available from places like fred & john deton...

[gators2001]

All you need to know about converting to vector is The Vector Doctor

[rcook99]

IF you want to learn Corel, go to advanced artists.com and buy the Power Training DVD's. You won't be sorry and they are well worth the money. I am in no way connected to this site but do have the DVD set. Use the link below to get to there site,
http://www.advancedartist.com/2008MayPowerTraining.htm

[signage]

I have to agree on the advanced Artist DVD's and one other note look at the clip art in wire frame (view>wire frame).

[Bill Modzel]

Live Trace in Illy CS3 does a pretty decent job. It has a preview and some fine
tuning controls.

[agile4]

Thanks for all the response. I am well versed in the differences between vector and raster based artwork.

I am still learning Corel and will play with trace some more.

I also need to better learn how the weld feature works as I always seem to have problems with it coming out the way I expect.

If you want to do a color design, do you use the color sep print feature to cut the different colors of vinyl?

[Lunatic Taskbar]

Welcome from Nova Scotia