Best way to 'import' PDF vector to edit for cutting

[tsmart 0]

Hi

So the client sends me their logo in a 'pdf' document !

Looks fine, it is all pretty much custom like bright green graffiti style text, with a nice grey shadow in rear, all text is selectable in adobe reader like you would on a webpage with your cursor

I import this pdf into my flexi sign 8.6 and and the amount of work it actually requires is a pain so much unmasking, uncompounding, separating, welding etc to be done for each shadow and letter ! Honestly it would be quicker to export that as an image and re import for vectorizing.. Each letter has almost 3 peices of layers and outlines in it and they are not even joined.

Where in the PDF they are just a text, and just a shadow, can't it be imported just like that?

Has anyone ever come across an issue like this and what is the best way to sort it all out?

Cheers

[mark-s 1,126]

Probably meant to be printed.

Might do like you said export as a JPG and vector.

mark-s

[tsmart 0]

Ok what is a good format to export to image file? Ive used high quality bmp and tif, but both inexported image have lots and lots of jaggered edges where as in the flexisign import it is all smooth and straight curves, any good ideas for exportation format via flexi?

Cheers

[drakesis 1]

Ok what is a good format to export to image file? Ive used high quality bmp and tif, but both inexported image have lots and lots of jaggered edges where as in the flexisign import it is all smooth and straight curves, any good ideas for exportation format via flexi?

Cheers

If you can get away with it, outsource to a printer who can take just the PDF and do a print / cut......

[roxanneupnorth 106]

Are the items embedded in the PDF vectors?....

Sometimes I do a screen print and paste the result into Photoshop.....Crop it....Cut and Paste it in to Illustrator....Then see what you can do with Live Trace.....

This does not always produce a good result so some times you just need to send the file out or you waste too much time....

[tsmart 0]

the items in the pdf are vectors yes, but are all in many peices and layers, it just needs a massive cleanup and organizing so to say, this is only when it is imported into flexi. Even when imported it all looks fine as is, all is vectorized and is perfectly straight smooth curves, it is when you select the objects you see all these layers being selected, and think to yourself, why on earth does one solid object or a letter for instance have so many layers when it is just 1 solid color!? lol.....

does not need any vectorizing at all..... I could try the screen print trick, but the artwork is rather long and would not come out that good once i stretch it only to width of screen..

drakesis, could you explain more on send to printer that can take take pdf and then print cut.. I didn't quite understand .

Thanks

[roxanneupnorth 106]

I would open the file in Illustrator, enlarge it quite a bit, rasterize it and then do a live trace....No if there are a lot of colours this may not work...But I often use this method to clean up files where there is a large number of paths....

[tsmart 0]

ok cheers i will probably do that then sounds like the way to go