Contour Cut Lines in adobe?

[Banners Signs Etc.]

I know this may sound like a dumb question, but what is the best way to "contour" outline some vector art for print and cut?
We are using adobe cs4

I got the print and cut part, its the outlining that is stumping me.

It would be wonderful if I could just click the stroke up to where I want it and have a path for the plotter but it doesn't seem that easy.
What am I missing, do I need a plugin or am I using the wrong product (illustrator)

at my previous job we just used flexi's contour cut option Spoiled

:iamwithstupid


Update
Answer below Jhill or myself

 

[MikePro]

it is that easy.
i just set my stroke, in illustrator, as a Spot Color named "CutContour" and I have my Onyx rip setup to recognized the "CutContour" prefix as a cutpath.

doesn't matter what CMYK values you give it, its the name that matters.
although I give it a 0-0-0-0 value and always send it to the back of the bottom layer.

 

[J Hill Designs]

i think he's asking HOW to make the cut line...

 

[Bobby H]

Cut contour options depend on the printing/cutting software you're using.

We use Roland VersaWorks for our 54" VersaCAMM printer/cutter. Roland has a couple of color swatches that can be dropped into Illustrator CS4:
Roland Color System Library.ai
Roland VersaWorks.ai

On Windows, the two files are copies to this folder:
C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Illustrator CS4\Presets\en_US\Swatches

The "VersaWorks" named swatch merely has a pink colored square. Apply that to the outline of any object and VersaWorks will cut it (if contour cutting is chosen in VersaWorks).

One thing I don't like about the Roland's Cut Contour stuff, it tends not to work whenever the art has any clipping masks in it. Some other Illustrator-based effects can also disable contour cutting in VersaWorks. Sometimes I'm forced to rasterize the art either in Illustrator or taking it into Photoshop and then placing it back into Illustrator. It gets rid of the offending object and allows the cut contour function to go through. But the file size is much bigger.

 

[The Vector Doctor]

If you are talking simply about contours, I do these all the time for customers. You must trace around the edges of the graphic by hand if you want the most accurate results. It can be done in Photoshop as a clipping path using the pen tool or in Illustrator using the same pen tool. It requires zooming in to see the details properly and for accuracy. Some will use the contour as is or add a slight contour/offset. If you choose to offset a bit then you don't have to be as accurate and may be able to get away with doing a very quick trace

Here is just but one example

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=154297444664144&set=pu.107364042690818&type=1&theater

 

[J Hill Designs]

if its all vector, copy everything, then 'pathfind' it all into one shape, offset path, delete the pathfind part, but leave the offset path, then paste original art back into place

edit: or yeah, draw it

 

[Banners Signs Etc.]

Thanks for the help, but I don't have a print cut printer...
I think Jhill above has it but this is how I found out

Here's what I found out if anyone else needs help

Select Everything
Group it
Create offset Path
Use the preview to see where you want your cut line
create the blob offset path
click the pathfinder tool "unite"
Change it from fill to stroke
voila you have your cut line
release compound paths to clear any holes in it.

rinse and repeat on your new cut line if you want a perf cut line

 

[MikeD]

select the path, goto "Object" > "Path" > "Offset Path." then you can enter an off-set value. Say your background is a circle and you need a .25" bleed. Select the circle, give it an offset of .25" and then reselect the original and clear it's appearance and assign it as your cut... I am primarily using Wasatch, so I made a graphic style in Illustrator that applies the proper stroke weight, mitre limit and stroke color swatch.
You can take it a step further and record those steps into an Action with a hot key; then select the path and hit the hot key and you're done.

if you don't already have a path to offset, you can do the "Copy" "paste in front" "Pathfinder: combine" method mentioned above.

If it's raster and you dont have a path, use auto trace and then combine. Sometimes an image needs a little clean up in Photoshop prior to auto tracing.

Hope that helps!
Good luck!