Illustrator Text Contour Cut

[acothran]

Good morning. I have an AI text file that was sent to me by my client. It is their text logo w/ a gradient fill and a stroke (first pic, blue path). I am supposed to print/cut the logo. Being new to Illy, I have a question about lining up my contour cut line and the stroke bleed of the text. I created my cut line (green line pic below with red path) through copying, removing fill, changing stroke color for reference, and offsetting the path.

I am using a Graphtect FC8000 and Cutting Master 2 through Illy. I would like to increase the black stroke on the logo to make sure I have a bit of wiggle room on the cut. If I increase the stroke on the logo, it changes it on the inside as well (stroke set to center) covering up more of the fill. If I change the stroke to outside it changes the look as well. What is my best way to give myself a bit of bleed on the black stroke without changing the look of the customer's logo?

Thanks for your help and Happy St. Patrick's Day.

Allen

 

[The Vector Doctor]

Convert the stroke to an outline. Once you have done that you can now contour the path to the desired amount. It is called offset in Illustrator

 

[acothran]

Convert the stroke to an outline. Once you have done that you can now contour the path to the desired amount. It is called offset in Illustrator

Eric, thanks. I did convert the text to outline (actually the submitted file was that way). To make my contour cut path, I created an offset path. My options at this point, from my limited knowledge, are:

1. Reduce the offset path to more inside the stroke. It gives me room for error on the cutter but will cut off too much stroke and alter the look of the graphic.
2. Place a black background/rectangle behind text and have plenty of bleed but that waste ink.
3. Go through each graphic (about six different) and change all of the logo stroke placement to outside. This will work but will take a while to make sure I keep the look of the client's original files.
4. Figure out an easier way that I'm not aware of, hence my asking for help.

Allen

 

[iSign]

maybe make a copy of all the stroked outlines. Keep the original in front at it's current stroke width, encroaching the correct amount on your gradient fills behind it.

Paste the copy of the outlines in back of the gradient fills & then increase the stroke width of the copy

 

[acothran]

iSign - That's a good work around. Didn't think of that. Thanks.

 

[tanneji]

Eric, thanks. I did convert the text to outline (actually the submitted file was that way). To make my contour cut path, I created an offset path. My options at this point, from my limited knowledge, are:

1. Reduce the offset path to more inside the stroke. It gives me room for error on the cutter but will cut off too much stroke and alter the look of the graphic.
2. Place a black background/rectangle behind text and have plenty of bleed but that waste ink.
3. Go through each graphic (about six different) and change all of the logo stroke placement to outside. This will work but will take a while to make sure I keep the look of the client's original files.
4. Figure out an easier way that I'm not aware of, hence my asking for help.

Allen

Convert the STROKE to an outline. Select the path and go to "Object" menu and then "Expand". click ok and that will make the stroke a solid. Then you can add another stroke on to that and in the stroke dialog panel on the right, you can click to have it only show up on the outside of the path. That should do it.

 

[acothran]

To everyone, thank you for the help. I was able to get my graphic, cut line, and bleed just as I need it. Thanks again.

Allen