[Alisignart]

Hi,
Can someone please explain why a hairline is required to cut direct from corel when its not a vector (the hairline itself) as I want to cut straight from this program and this seems to make my task twice as long is there another way to cut without buying plot/cut program?

 

[lben]

My cutter came with a program, so I'm not sure how to answer your question. Maybe the cutter program adds that outline automatically or something.

 

[joeshaul]

I'm not sure what you're cutting, but with my vinyl printer/cutter (SP300) I always have to specify the cut path with a special spot color named CutPath. Aside from making programming easier, it's also designed to ensure that only what you want cuts gets cut and gives you a visual before doing so. Ever cut a script font without first welding the text? That's the type of thing it helps prevent.

If you explain in more detail what it is you're trying to do, there is likely a quicker way to do it. I.E. If have a whole bunch of vector shapes, say like a triangle, square, and circle, all overlapping each other a bit but only want to cut around the whole thing because you're transferring it to a shirt. This occurs pretty often when working with print/cut vinyl, or contour cut t-shirt transfers. Select em all, go to Effects, and click Create Boundary, this will create a new vector that goes all around the outside of your vectors. It does not however cut anything inside, so you will probably have to use combine or the other shape tools to create the needed shape if there's anything inside.

 

[LB]

Depends on what your cutting with and what that hardware device supports. For example, I have an Ioline plotter that recognizes a .plt file. I can send that plt I created in Corel to the Ioline control panel and cut from there. I use a vinyl cutting program ordinarily though. It prepares the artwork for cutting including adding outlines to text automatically. Vectors can exist without outlines. However, most machines, require those outlines to function as cutting or routing devices. I have a laser cutting and engraving machine, it will raster engrave a bitmap but given the vector command to cut, it requires an outline to define what is to be cut.

 

[Alisignart]

Hi
Thanks yes specifying the path is obviously why. I recently purchased a second hand roland cutter and there are no programs with it. So I cut straight from corel. A first for me. On another cut program I used I exported from corel my whole vectorised layout of usually a combination of colours some adjacent no hairline or anything to space objects apart or create space. You then cut either by colour or the welded/vectorised objects natural outline no outline added if you understand... hope I've expained that well enough. That way there is no "daylight" between certain artworks objects! That is why I am wondering why I need to use an outline 'straight from corel' when the object is an outline without colour removed or 'has fill' and when putting on an outline won't it create daylight!? I hope that explains better. The cutter also prints as well if that may aid in why this is needed however after reading other peoples writings it seems to be corel that needs this outline. I just thought it would be good to avoid having to do this so vinyls on signs cars etc., have no daylight and align together in application perfectly when required. Hmmm more experimenting and less perfection maybe called for. Ha ha.. Sorry I was just wondering why. . . and if there are others out there who just cut from corel and have noticed how there vinyls applicate and have worked around this or find it doesn't matter?

 

[LB]

I'm not familiar with print/cut machines. If your vector it converted to curves though, you do not need an outline added. The machine will probably treat it as something to cut. The laser (which is basically a print driver) recognizes all lines under a certain size as something to be cut and if the vector command is checked in the driver when the file is sent, it will cut those lines. Hope this helps.

 

[Alisignart]

Thanks Larry
I did briefly try coverting to curves,weldind and had a fill colour no outline and it wanted to print it. when there was no fill I couldn't see it in the print preview. So I shall have a look at what you said and in the meantime I shall use a hairline.

 

[Nick Horvath]

Hi
Thanks yes specifying the path is obviously why. I recently purchased a second hand roland cutter and there are no programs with it. So I cut straight from corel.

Do you have a Versacamm, and are you referring to the Cutcontour you need to outline your images with in Corel?

As for hairline, setting to hairline (.001 mm) is usually the way to get most vinyl cutters to cut directly from Corel. It's just how they read the cutlines.

 

[Alisignart]

Hi I have an old Roland cj 70 cammjet 1200mmplotter/printer and no cut programs only corel. I have not noticed any contour cut key? or heading where would I find that feature? Is it a plug in. At present I go to print and select Roland properties for telling it to cut by colour and thus the hairline.