nastyhabitsracing

how to cut .ai ????

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Still kind of a rookie at this. I can take a lot of logos and images off the internet and vectorize them on inkscape then paste them into signblazer, size it, then cut it. now im having an issue. I REALLY NEED HELP ASAP!!

 

I had a local decal shop scan a set of snowmobile graphics for me and vectorize them so all I would have to do is upload them into signblazer.....

 

 

well I guess its not that easy huh?

 

well it turns out they saved the file in .ai. I think they forgot I told them I wanted it in .eps (I think that's what I want? lol) then saved it to a disc for me.

 

so I can't import it into SB because an error comes up and closes SB

so I tried importing it into inkscape and hitting "PATH" then "TRACE BITMAP" like I do with any other logo. but it doesn't make a new image for me to move over and delete the original.. it just does nothing. and on top of that, only one of the 3 files will open in inkscape, the other 2 just make inkscape stop responding.

 

SOOOOO my bottom line question is (if yall can answer it before I go ask them for help) is:

1: what file extension should my graphics place save the graphics under?

2: what are my steps to getting it to signblazer?

3: is there a different software I should try to prepare it for signblazer? maybe one with a free trail?

4:should I abort signblazer?? ahah

 

sorry if none of this makes sense.... its been a long day!!

 

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There are a few things going on here -- let's take them one by one.

 

#1 -- A file saved as .ai means it is a vector.

Importing it to Inkscape will result in a vector graphic appearing, and thus, you cannot convert it to paths because it's already in that state.

 

Also, Inkscape might choke on the .ai file, for a variety of technical reasons (depending on how the .ai graphic was done to begin with in the Illustrator program)

 

Next, #2. -- When saving as .eps from Illustrator, make sure it's in a version 8 or earlier. SIGNBLAZER cannot handle later/current versions. It is what it is.

 

Now, #3. --- Check out IRFANVIEW (and GhostScript extension) which allows you to view .eps files.

From there, you can copy-paste into Signblazer, and vectorize right within SBE.

 

Lastly, #4 --- Do what smokey said. There are members here with Illustrator who should be able to sort this out easily.

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AI doesn't absolutely mean it's a vector, although since they say they vectorized it then it should be. I get AI, EPS and CDR files quite often that contain raster (jpg) images. On the same note more than once I've gotten PDF's that were actually vector files. The file designation has nothing to do with what type of information is in the file it is a designation about the type of program or format that was used to save it.

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Good info, jaybird, I stand corrected.

 

Hopefully nasty comes back here with his files, or goes to his graphics source and has them save as .eps version 8, which would solve his issue.

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people send me files to new to open all the time and I thought I was upgrading to corel x3 to solve that, guess x6 is in my future.

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If it opens in Inkscape (as a vector), then just copy-paste into SBE.

 

Anyway the opening post states "only one of the 3 files will open in inkscape, the other 2 just make inkscape stop responding."

 

And as for those two files -- The simple solution is to rename their file extension from ai to pdf so you can successfully open them in a pdf reader, like Adobe Acrobat Reader, or any other pdf reader.

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Yeah I have noticed also that a lot of my native AI files are too big to upload. If they started life out with a big jpg image then for whatever reason the program tends to stay fairly big. Doesn't seem to cause me any problems until I want to upload something here on the forum and I end up copy pasting into a new virgin file to get it done. Kinda weird. 

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Yeah I have noticed also that a lot of my native AI files are too big to upload. If they started life out with a big jpg image then for whatever reason the program tends to stay fairly big. Doesn't seem to cause me any problems until I want to upload something here on the forum and I end up copy pasting into a new virgin file to get it done. Kinda weird. 

Zip it with a compression program like WinZip or 7 Zip and you may have more luck uploading.

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I'll try that but either way its still a bunch of extra work just to show something off. 

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well first off, thank you all for such the quick responses and help. I have been super busy and havn't tried this project until tonight.

 

 I was able to work it out with the graphics shop to get it to work, now hopefully its all the right size!

 

I am cutting two colors, then layering them on the snowmobile. the graphics place saved the graphics to two files, one file has one color and the other file has the other color. each file has like 5 pieces to it, but its all coming in as one image. my question is: how do I separate the individual parts so I can cut them seperatly!?

 

thanks again!!!

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You should be able to ungroup them,   then select the file you want.     I have many .ai files,, that may have 50+ designs on them,  This is what I do.

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Look at the top of the Signblazer screen where it says ARRANGE.  see if it has UNGROUP there.    ( I just saw  Signblazer on Youtube and was looking at the words on the top of the layout screen. )

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The real problem I see here is the logo you are working on is a trademark and we will all get in trouble if we start up and downloading protected logos. I'm sure a moderator is going to come along any minute and let y'all know. 

 

Maybe you could start over with an original graphic and we can teach you how to do what you want to learn then you can decide if you want to risk making illegal copies on your own. 

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No file was posted and it should stay that way. I haven't talked to anybody else about it but I personally don't go into peoples homes to police what they do. A jpg is a picture and although I wouldn't personally bring it up on here for risk of a tongue lashing from my fellow members it is really none of my business. Glad to see you're looking out for your fellow forum members and trying to steer them to the light of creating their own work since in the end this is what most of us strive to do. Oh and to the OP, what Mzskeeter said arrange and ungroup or something very similar. I don't have Signblazer installed in this pc so I can't look for you.

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LOL! No problem here, I'm not a forum Nazi and I have made all sorts of stuff for myself that would get me in all kinds of trouble if I tried to market it. I was mostly making sure the new guy thought about what was about to be uploaded.

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I agree and it's good practice to upload original work but we all start somewhere. I got called out last summer when I posted a pic of the front of my store with questionable samples on my door so I know to mind my p's and q's when posting certain things but all in all I think we have a pretty nice forum on here and I wouldn't be surprised that if they still have problems somebody will step up and walk them through it. If you really want to see people get bent out of shape start correcting grammar and spelling lol.

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True that! I hope I didn't come across as a posting snob. I have done a couple real cool projects that I can't post any pics of and I've told the recipients that I have no idea where that came from and... WOW cash just fell in my pocket?!

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You'd be surprised at some of the awesome work people on here do that they'll never be able to post about. It's the litigious world we live in, right or wrong.

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not sure how. heres a picture of whats goin on, I want to separate each piece:

Go to arrange on the top of SB select split objects. Move what you want moved then you will need to go back to arrange and combine objects.

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Jey yur rite..speling and gramar polece like to monetor and git on peeples baks about mispeled werds all the time.

Dryves me incane.

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We used to have a great member here and at vf - had a ton of great info but his constant nagging and correcting of grammar and spelling caused an end to his stay at both forums.  was too bad but his OCD was his downfall, very tallanted individual

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