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1. Re: Need a little help with my logo regarding cutting it out
JETalmage Jul 9, 2011 12:24 PM (in response to simpson246)If your cutter-driving software (Dr. Stika) actually cuts when all you give it is a raster image (you said BMP), then that software is, in effect, trying to autotrace a vector path around the artwork. The plotter is driven by HPGL paths, not by pixels.
The way to make it possibly better might be to use a vector drawing program's auto-tracing program (Illustrator's name for this feature is LiveTrace), because that would at least give you control over the settings of the autotrace program.
But autotracing almost always yields substandard results. The right thing to do (especially for anything that passes as a "logo") is properly redraw the artwork as vector paths.
JET
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2. Re: Need a little help with my logo regarding cutting it out
simpson246 Jul 9, 2011 12:33 PM (in response to JETalmage)thank you for the reply.
How would i go about tracing it?
does it trace it automatically?
many thanks
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3. Re: Need a little help with my logo regarding cutting it out
JETalmage Jul 9, 2011 12:39 PM (in response to simpson246)To have Illustrator try to trace it for you automatically, see LiveTrace in online help.
To instruct you on how to do it properly, by deliberately and inteligently re-drawing it with the drawing tools is impractical for an online forum, and impossible without seeing the image we're talking about.
JET
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4. Re: Need a little help with my logo regarding cutting it out
simpson246 Jul 9, 2011 12:42 PM (in response to JETalmage)ill give it a go with autotrace, thanks.
Would colours matter with this?
Although logo is black and white
thanks
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5. Re: Need a little help with my logo regarding cutting it out
JETalmage Jul 9, 2011 12:50 PM (in response to simpson246)Any vinyl cutter I've ever worked with cuts paths, not bitmaps. (Some can print raster images, but I have never used one that tries to auto-cut raster images without there being provided a vector path to follow.)
So if you are drawing paths for the plotter to cut, the cutter should be able to cut the paths regardless of what color they are. The vinyl, of course, is what determines the color of the results. Some cutters which also print may require you to use a particular Swatch name for the cutting path, to distinguish it from vector content that will be printed, but not cut. But as far as I can recall, the Rowland Stika (at least the original one) was just a cutter, not a printer.
You need to see the documentation for your device. You have not stated whether you are importing an EPS file from Illustrator, running a plug-in driver for your device within Illustrator, or what.
JET
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6. Re: Need a little help with my logo regarding cutting it out
simpson246 Jul 9, 2011 12:54 PM (in response to JETalmage)sorry il try and ewxplain a little more.
I have the logo opened in illustrator and was having trouble opening in my cutting sofrware.
So i went
File>Export>Save as type>Bitmap>Color Model>Bitmap
Then on dr.stika, click import and import the file created.Then i had the logo opened in stika which i cut and found the problems.
thanks
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7. Re: Need a little help with my logo regarding cutting it out
JETalmage Jul 9, 2011 12:57 PM (in response to simpson246)In Illustrator, draw some paths with the vector drawing tools.
Save as Illustrator. In the Save Illustrator dialog, select Illustrator 8 as the version.
See if your cutting software can open or import that file and cut it.
JET
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8. Re: Need a little help with my logo regarding cutting it out
simpson246 Jul 9, 2011 1:05 PM (in response to simpson246)thanks for the help, much appreciated.
Sorry but ive never actually drawn anything on illustrator so how would i draw the paths? :/
sorry and thanks
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9. Re: Need a little help with my logo regarding cutting it out
Jacob Bugge Jul 9, 2011 2:28 PM (in response to simpson246)Simpson,
so how would i draw the paths?
As implied by James in post #3, it depends on the actual artwork: there is a number of tools, and each tool will be best/obvious, convenient/usable, and silly/unusable, for different tasks.
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10. Re: Need a little help with my logo regarding cutting it out
simpson246 Jul 9, 2011 2:34 PM (in response to simpson246)Seems ive got it sorted
When i was importing the design from illustrator, in the rasterize option, the color mode is set to bitmap and then theres resolution options:
It was on Screen 72ppl so i chose the highest which was 300ppl.
Seems to be more detailed and after cutting it out again, it cut the entire design out rather well
what ya all recon?
Will that have affected it in the way i expected it too?
thanks
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11. Re: Need a little help with my logo regarding cutting it out
Wade_Zimmerman Jul 9, 2011 3:39 PM (in response to simpson246)Yes of course it would and there may actually be `the option to enter a custom setting like 400ppi 600ppi if necessary.
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12. Re: Need a little help with my logo regarding cutting it out
simpson246 Jul 9, 2011 3:42 PM (in response to Wade_Zimmerman)thanks for the input.
If there is a custom box, what number shall i put? 400, 600? or higher?
thanks
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13. Re: Need a little help with my logo regarding cutting it out
Wade_Zimmerman Jul 9, 2011 3:55 PM (in response to simpson246)I would try 600ppi.
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14. Re: Need a little help with my logo regarding cutting it out
simpson246 Jul 9, 2011 6:24 PM (in response to Wade_Zimmerman)thank you, i would do that.
So in future as im looking to purchase aload of vehicle graphics like flames etc, there not likely to come in bmp or the special .stika format.
Would i have to export them from illustrator then import them into dr stika and then to cut them?
many thanks
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15. Re: Need a little help with my logo regarding cutting it out
symbolized_bar_code Jul 11, 2011 9:20 PM (in response to simpson246)What other file types can you cut besides bmp? My guess is that you have some better options. Most cutting softwares can import eps files, I would read through the manual to find out or contact the mfg if you dont have it. You definitly want to do this before you buy any vehicle graphic packages. Chances are any packages wont be coming as bmp form, but as some form of vector files.




