Not cutting colors right

[skarekrow 1,842]

You've probably seen/read these?

http://wiki.inkscape.org/wiki/index.php/Installing_Inkscape

http://www.inkscapeforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=884

http://www.rightnowintech.com/2012/08/how-run-inkscape-on-os-x-mountain-lion.html

http://xquartz.macosforge.org/landing/

 

Wish I could be more help... never tried to install it on the mac I had.

[Wildgoose 4,200]

Live trace is tricky with Illustrator especially if it's a color image. You can dial down the color count sometimes and get what your looking for but it will do some weird stuff sometimes and you have to go in there and root around and clean it up a lot. I didn't see your original file but if the jpg images are reasonably simple then why not hand trace the thing? That's real basic stuff that you have already spent more time back and forth on here than it would take to just draw. 

 

Load your original jpg image into AI, reduce the opacity to about 50% and lock it so you won't accidentally grab it while working then use the pen tool and start around the outside and trace it by hand. You will get a cleaner image and learn a new skill at the same time. The parts that have inner openings you can trace after the outer then select them both and use the "unite" or the "subtract the top object" option in the pathfinder menu and it will create a compound shape. You can also just select both and hit <Command+8> and it will make it a compound shape that way too. There are about 8 ways to get to the same place and all of them are ok. I don't use any fill or outline color when I trace, I fill it after I get done. I also hide the bounding box in the view menu so that annoying thing isn't around there all the time. You might also go into your preferences and set the selection setting to select object by path only so that you aren't selecting things by mistake.  

[iamandy 20]

Live trace is tricky with Illustrator especially if it's a color image. You can dial down the color count sometimes and get what your looking for but it will do some weird stuff sometimes and you have to go in there and root around and clean it up a lot. I didn't see your original file but if the jpg images are reasonably simple then why not hand trace the thing? That's real basic stuff that you have already spent more time back and forth on here than it would take to just draw. 

 

Load your original jpg image into AI, reduce the opacity to about 50% and lock it so you won't accidentally grab it while working then use the pen tool and start around the outside and trace it by hand. You will get a cleaner image and learn a new skill at the same time. The parts that have inner openings you can trace after the outer then select them both and use the "unite" or the "subtract the top object" option in the pathfinder menu and it will create a compound shape. You can also just select both and hit <Command+8> and it will make it a compound shape that way too. There are about 8 ways to get to the same place and all of them are ok. I don't use any fill or outline color when I trace, I fill it after I get done. I also hide the bounding box in the view menu so that annoying thing isn't around there all the time. You might also go into your preferences and set the selection setting to select object by path only so that you aren't selecting things by mistake.  

I'm trying to teach myself the concepts of the pen too. Thanks for the tips!

[iamandy 20]

Have you ever had one of those, "well I'm an idiot moments?" I had one this morning. Im not sure if It was a dream or what but I saved the file as an .svg instead of an .eps and the file worked properly, go figure! I'm still working on the pen tool, but this project is now in the bag!

[Wildgoose 4,200]

I am surprised that it wouldn't work just as a regular .ai file. You might try downsaving to illustrator 8. This is the file format that seems to be perfect for SignCut Pro.

 

Another pen tool tip. Don't get too worried about the initial placement because you can go back and manipulate things until you are happy with the results. This is true for live trace items too. Use the white selection arrow and you can select individual nodes to fix. If you push the + key it will change your pen tool to add a node if you need another in a certain area and the - key will remove a node. If you push <shift+C> it will give you a pen attachment that looks just like > and you can change any of your nodes functions from a corner to a smoothing etc...(all these additional pen functions are available from the tool pallet too.

 

AI is challenging to learn but about 75% of the stuff in the program is for print and web design so once you pick through it and figure out the stuff that applies to simple vectors it's not that hard.  

[iamandy 20]

Sign cut won't accept the ai files. I'll try that with one of my other projects today. Thanks for the tips!

[skarekrow 1,842]

SignCut is most happy with svg files.

[iamandy 20]

SignCut is most happy with svg files.

thanks for that!

[skarekrow 1,842]

For me, using SignCut, Illustrator, and Inkscape, svg's were the only logical answer.

The format is also viewable with browsers and can be gmail'd without zipping them up.

 

edit.... I added ghostscript to my PATH and now Inkscape works fine with eps format.

[rich18 2]

Corel should seperate and cut that ( or anything else ) with ZERO complication. I have used it exclusively since 1993,  and buying another program is NOT needed.

 

I cut DIRECTLY out of Corel , in my sign business,  using the MH MK2 driver ... no other anything and have no complications at all.

 

I am not quite certain what mistake you are coming up with but I suggest you go to VIEW , then WIREFRAME .

 

If you do that with EACH color ... you are pretty much guaranteed to find you have a 2nd cut that you were not expecting , or aware of, in one of them. 

 

It is likely there WITHOUT a fill or a black outline, so you are not seeing it without the different VIEW  setting.

 

Hope that solves your problem.

 

Richard

[skarekrow 1,842]

Did you get it straightened out, Andy?

[iamandy 20]

I think so. I started saving things as .svg. I didn't change the file in any other way and it cut correctly. It has recently turned in to a moot for the time being as my new CE6000-60 shipped today! But, for the sake of finding out, I'm glad I figured out a solution. 

[MZ SKEETER 4,708]

congrats on your purchase.  You will love it.