I need help with cut lines, please!

[Cyclynn]

Hello, Good People... I am posting this thread in the Adobe section as well because it is a cross-software issue for me. I subcontract out all my digital printing. I create the files, then transfer them electronically to a wholesale digital printer. I used to work with a fella who apparently put cut lines on my work for me (since we didn't talk about it often). I am working with a different company now, and these guys are great to work with, but I want to provide ready to print/cut artwork for them. I am struggling with being able to provide cut lines when I want my prints contour cut. The project I'm working on now was created in a complicated manner, but I'm trying to get cut lines for them, and it just isn't working. I created the lettering in FlexiSign (12), and then imported it into Photoshop to get the beveled and chromed special effects I wanted. There are no cut lines on a Photoshop document, right? I have tried going back to the original vector work and creating a cut path. Then I import the Photoshop file (now and eps or ai file) into Flexisign, bundle it all up and send it off as an eps or ai file. They get it, and no cut lines. I am not too familiar with Illustrator, but my guess is that is where I need to be. These printers use CorelDraw (which I don't have) and Illustrator (which they don't use that often). Exporting from FlexiSign seems to lose something in the translation. Unfortunately for our relationship, that is my most comfortable program.I downloaded a cutline tutorial from Roland's website, but that process doesn't seem to work. Can someone help me, please?

 

[txwrapper]

Cyclynn,

Get your effects/artwork/print files completed in Adobe/Photoshop first. Finish it with a thin magenta line in Illustrator/Flexi. If you get your printer that artwork and let them know what the magenta line is (pretty standard) they then should be able to convert to contour cut in whatever software they are using.

 

[Tim Kingston]

Save your work as a flattened .PSD file with the a transparent background and transparent areas for the areas you want cut out ( Holes) , full print size, desired print resolution. Import the file to Flexi, select it , Select from the upper menu "Effects", "Contour cut", adjust the cut in the panel and click the check box. In this case I would also re-select the artwork,then "Effects", "Separate Contour Cut", select just the cut file path, select "Cut ", then "Paste Over". Select the artwork again and group it. Export as an .EPS at the original resolution. Sounds complicated but it's not really. Also you can export paths from PS, if they are still vector, select the the path, export paths to Illustrator. Also, you can convert a selection in Photoshop to a Path. Sometimes I use that method if I have a complex subject such as wispy hair and using the mask options in Photoshop you can get a smoother, more precise path than using some of the vector smoothing options, in my experience.