why is my plotter cutting same line twice in Illustrator?

[Martin Grimmer]

Warren,

After you have merged, do you click the ‘Expand’ button?

Can’t guarantee will work as I mainly use Flexi but perhaps worth a try.

Martin

[Warren Beard]

Hi Marts

No I don’t expand, had a look and it’s not the way.

The areas that have the double path are the areas like inside the e or d or b etc, the paths inside the letters are doubled and I don’t know why it does this or how to stop it, I always have to do it the long way and select each duplicated path and delete.

I suppose it might be one of the differences between using this type of software apposed to a sign specific software 😕

[Chris Wool]

dont get on with ill but that sounds like trim command in corel when you tell it to leave the new created path and the one you used to create it.

there mud clear
chris

[John Dorling]

quote Warren Beard:

Hi Marts

No I don’t expand, had a look and it’s not the way.

The areas that have the double path are the areas like inside the e or d or b etc, the paths inside the letters are doubled and I don’t know why it does this or how to stop it, I always have to do it the long way and select each duplicated path and delete.

I suppose it might be one of the differences between using this type of software apposed to a sign specific software 😕

BUMP!

I get the exact same thing in Illustrator and just like Warren the only reliable way I have found to sort it is to remove the top cut line manually. Anyone know how to prevent this happening, or an easy way of deleting multiple duplicated cut contours?

Thanks

John

[Alan Drury]

When I import ai files into Draw I often get 1 shape which has the fill and a duplicate which is the outline. I can get rid of this with macro which deletes duplicates but I would ensure that there is no outline (not sure of Illy terminology – stroke maybe) on your object before you go to cut.
Alan D

[Chris J Giles]

Can’t get this problem to appear for me in Illustrator CS3. Tried both the ‘Unite’ and ‘Merge’ functions on overlapping compound letters such as ‘a’ and ‘e’ but I only get the one path – as I would expect. Even tried it with stroked letters, am I missing something?

[Jeremy Howes]

Hi John,
Here’s my way of getting round this problem.

Type text (with colour fill) -> Create Outlines -> Merge -> Outline (also in Pathfinder) -> Select All -> Add stroke colour and weight and the problem should be solved.

I hope that this helps

Cheers
Jeremy

[Adriano Fantini]

When you do a cut path do you do it as an outline colour or a fill? If you do it as an outline..plotters software cut the line to the inside and outside of the selected coloured line. (it appears to be going over the same contour twice as often the cut paths are only a couple of pts) If you fill it only cuts the once. May not be the answer for you guys, but I know this as a cure for some plotting software

[TonyMoore]

This is a small glitch in illustrator.
Best way around it is to select each line once at a time and delete it, if it has a duplicate you will see it in the same place, do this until all duplicates have gone before exporting to a cutting software.
I get this a lot in omega.

[Jeremy Howes]

As Tony explained, this is a glitch within Illustrator which normally effects the ‘Eye’ or ‘Counter’ of a letter.
My method… after merging, select all of the particular text then go to Pathfinder and select ‘Outline’ – reinstate the stroke weight and colour.

I hope this helps
jeremy

[Jan Storgaard]

quote Warren Beard:

When you merge objects do you find that all the paths inside the outer most path end up with a double path on top of each other. This causes the cutter to cut the same line twice.

I am not sure if there is a way around this except deleting each path individually

Any body know what I’m talking about and has any ideas?

It’s CS3 by the way

Thanks

Warren

Upgrade – doesn’t happen in ai cs5.

[Warren Beard]

quote Jan Storgaard:

quote Warren Beard:

When you merge objects do you find that all the paths inside the outer most path end up with a double path on top of each other. This causes the cutter to cut the same line twice.

I am not sure if there is a way around this except deleting each path individually

Any body know what I’m talking about and has any ideas?

It’s CS3 by the way

Thanks

Warren

Upgrade – doesn’t happen in ai cs5.

That’s good to know, I presume you have it then, is it a worth while upgrade to rush out for (besides eliminating this small issue?)

cheers

Warren

[Jan Storgaard]

quote Warren Beard:

quote Jan Storgaard:

quote Warren Beard:

When you merge objects do you find that all the paths inside the outer most path end up with a double path on top of each other. This causes the cutter to cut the same line twice.

I am not sure if there is a way around this except deleting each path individually

Any body know what I’m talking about and has any ideas?

It’s CS3 by the way

Thanks

Warren

Upgrade – doesn’t happen in ai cs5.

That’s good to know, I presume you have it then, is it a worth while upgrade to rush out for (besides eliminating this small issue?)

cheers

Warren

Depends, really how much u use illy. I use it everyday and for anything. But there is loads of new stuff since cs3. The new perspective grid is awesome if you would like to make an image for the client in a 3d view (kinda)
Plz, go to adobes site and have a look, its f******** amazing.

http://www.adobe.com/products/illustrator/?promoid=BPDEG and click perspective drawing down the page…

Regards
Jan

[Warren Beard]

I’m one very happy bunny at the moment as I have just cracked this problem after years of frustration

Object > Flatten Transparency with Vector/Raster balance at 100, and Convert Strokes to Outlines checked.

only used this once so far but it seems to be working.

phew!

cheers

Warren

[Jeremy Howes]

Hello Warren,
Did the method that I suggested not work for you ?

Jeremy

[Warren Beard]

quote Jeremy Howes:

Hello Warren,
Did the method that I suggested not work for you ?

Jeremy

It didn’t when I tried it the first time when you posted it, now the one I posted doesn’t work and your one does 🙄

at least I have 2 options now and hopefully one of them will always work :lol1:

cheers

Waren

[Jeremy Howes]

Good to see you got it sorted.

Cheers
Jeremy