FuneralRacer

MH871 cutting every image twice

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I've had it about a week, and pretty happy with it except...

 

It doesn't happen every time, but more often than not I que up some images to cut and the machine runs the blade over all the cut lines twice. Not a big deal on large images, but when there are small letters involved, they get ruined. How do I stop this from happening? Is it a setting on SCALP? 

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I wasn't able to find a viable reason for this, so I moved on to the next job. Cut 35 images in one go, no repetition in paths, cut just fine. Maybe it was a fluke?

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Okay, not a fluke. Did the same thing to me again. It gets part way through the job, then it will go over the same path again. Sometimes the same direction as the first time, sometimes in reverse. I'm stumped. I have wasted 2 yards of vinyl on a 15" x 30" design. I rebooted the computer, rebooted the cutter and redid the artwork without extra steps. Any clues? What am I doing wrong?

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In the cut screen , there is an option " multi-cut " . It has settings from 0-5 .You have that set to 0 everytime ?

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It sure sounds like you have two layers stacked. If they are exactly on top of each other you would need to move one in order to even tell you had the second below. Did you create the file in SCALP? I would poke around and see if you happened to copy and paste another on top of perhaps one of the design tools inadvertantly made a copy while performing another function like weld/merge. I would try selecting it and dragging and maybe ungrouping it to see if there is something hidden below. I haven't had any problem like you describe with SCALP. Have had it with SignCut. The ones I had problems with were compound shapes that I had used the merge tab (designs in Illustrator) on and it created a separate object in each hole (unfilled object). I am more careful when drawing now and remove them. I would recomend using some butcher paper and a pen attachment if you have it while playing with a problem file until you can get it found. 

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I do all of my editing in AI, then import the file onto the "mat", adjust scale and position, then cut. Other than making sure it will have a path with SCALP by clicking the preview button next to the cut button, I really don't use the features at all. I checked for layers as suggested and come up with nothing but the single image I imported. May look into the serial adaptor tomorrow. Is it safe to assume the adaptor can be had at any electronics store such as Fry's?

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Anything I have taken out of AI (created in AI) does the same thing. What I have found is (the best I can describe it) AI thinks white (or transparent to us) is a color and wants to cut it.

Try welding it, or maybe ungrouping it and see if there is something there that should not be. (as in white)

 

And that is my official best guess.

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If you are designing in ai then I will almost guarantee that you have unfilled paths. Here is the fix: in Illustrator before you save for the final time, open the layers panel and toggle open any compound paths you have made (particularly with the merge function). Look down the items within the path packet/group and you wil see some with no color. click on the specific item that has no color (use the layers panel to select so that you don't select the whole object) then use the select all items with same fill color from up on the top of the workspace and Illustrator should select any other invisibe paths then just push delete and your drawing should be cleaned up and ready to go. I use Illustrator CS5 and buttons and locations within other versions might be slightly different but I believe that all the above mentioned function have been available for quite a while if you happen to be running an older version of AI.

 

In my experience these invisible paths are a piece of cake to find in AI but I have a lot more trouble trying to find them in SCALP or Inkscape. The layers panel on AI is really the ticket. I use the merge function sparingly due to this issue. Often "Unite" or "minus front" will accomplish what your trying to do and won't cause this path problem.

 

Good luck

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I agree before you cut go to your panel and ungroup the design, this will separate layers. Delete everything but the top layer.

Most all designs are done with layering to give them depth, you can't see them but your cutter can.

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Whit I think he got it figured out by now this post was started in Feb of last year. You just got sucked into a TIME WARP!!!!

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FYI. In SCAL3P once UNGROUPED the layers will show up in the right with an eye for each layer of the graphic. You don't have to delete the layer. Just click and close that layer to the cutter. If the graphic has more than one color this is very useful. It's irrevelant to the age of this discussion as long as solutions are offered which helped anyone starting out. I learn a lot just reading. I am very new to vinyl cutting but have picked up many good ideas from new and old threads.

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