Vinyl Cutting
Preparation
General Imaging can prepare computer files to your specifications or can accept your Macintosh and Windows platform files.
File Formats
The VINYL system outputs from vector art (line) files like FreeHand and Illustrator. General Imaging prefers Macintosh formatted files, but can convert Windows files when neccessary. CorelDraw and AutoCAD files generally require significant amounts of cleanup to be usable by the VINYL system. Bitmap (paint) files cannot be cut by the VINYL system and require conversion to a vector format to be usable.
Typefaces
The VINYL system cuts letters based on their outlines. Letters supplied as a font must be converted to outlines before they can be cut by the VINYL system.
Miscellaneous
Ideally, you should produce your artwork (files) at full size in either MacroMedia FreeHand or Adobe Illustrator. You can use Quark XPress or PageMaker to set type for a sign, but these files will ultimately be converted by General Imaging to FreeHand for cutting.
Do NOT use strokes on your paths. The VINYL system follows the contour of the path not its stroke. In other words if you put a stroke on a path, the edge of the stroke must be traced and outlined for your project to be cut as you want.
The final art This would cut a square in the middle of the cross which would pull away during weeding or leave undesireable lines running through the cross.
The final art There is a heavy stroke on the path. When cut it would leave a cross like in the center above instead of the desired "stroked" cross.
Creating outlines for VINYL cutting
should be like this --
one continuous
non-overlapping path.
should be like this -- two continuous non-overlapping paths that are the outside edges of the stroke.
Large Format Color Printing | Pre-Press and Fine Art Color | 3-Dimensional Figures
High Resolution Film and Paper | Scanning | Typography | Desktop Publishing