RachelM

Certain letters don't get cut

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I am using FlexiStarter with a Graphtec CE5000-60. All images (mainly text) are created in Illustrator, or in the past with CorelDraw. I drop the AI files into Flexi to cut them. So I have this problem with one of my designs. In the word 'grateful' it won't cut the e. Ok, it actually cuts out the little space in the middle but the outline of it is completely missing. I know it can't be the font that's causing problems because the e in that same font on that same design in another word gets cut just fine. Usually I just ungroup the image and pull the e out of the word and then after weeding, place it back into the design where it belongs. It works, but I'd prefer it work correctly because it's a script font, so it's obvious. 

I've just had another design do the same thing. Except its an i. The dot on the i is there but its bottom is completely missing. 

I'll try to attach an image in a comment.

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I use Flexistarter, without seeing the file and your settings hard to answer. Do you have auto weld checked?   Can you post the file? if it is not copyrighted. 

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Did you try to weld it in Flexi first, auto weld did not change anything in production manager, are you just cutting in flexi, from AI?

 

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I think you probably need to do a little more pre-cut preparations. Looking at your file all the script letters are overlapped and not welded together so they will cut into one another. If you are unfamiliar with AI the process would be to select any live text and expand it and then while still selected use the "Unite" option in the Pathfinder menu to weld them all together. If you needed to do any special kerning or moving of individual letters that would want to be done before the "Unite" (weld) operation. 

That process may have zero to do with your current issue. Other than the need to weld the file seemed ok when I opened it up. I would also maybe consider saving it off to AI version 8 which is an older legacy file format that is usually better for file transfer. There are lots of things in the newer versions of Illustrator that cause file conversion problems with simple cut files. 

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6 hours ago, mfatty500 said:

Did you try to weld it in Flexi first, auto weld did not change anything in production manager, are you just cutting in flexi, from AI?

 

I was just cutting in flexi, from AI. The only thing I do in Flexi is adjust the size. 

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5 hours ago, Wildgoose said:

I think you probably need to do a little more pre-cut preparations. Looking at your file all the script letters are overlapped and not welded together so they will cut into one another. If you are unfamiliar with AI the process would be to select any live text and expand it and then while still selected use the "Unite" option in the Pathfinder menu to weld them all together. If you needed to do any special kerning or moving of individual letters that would want to be done before the "Unite" (weld) operation. 

That process may have zero to do with your current issue. Other than the need to weld the file seemed ok when I opened it up. I would also maybe consider saving it off to AI version 8 which is an older legacy file format that is usually better for file transfer. There are lots of things in the newer versions of Illustrator that cause file conversion problems with simple cut files. 

I'll have to try the Unite option. 

As for the file version, I think a lot of these files have actually been saved to an older version, but not sure which one. (I purchased the business this year after doing their design work for the last five years, and a lot of the designs are from before I was there. ) It's not uncommon for me to never open the file up in AI, because I just drop it into flexi. And occasionally when I do open a file it will give me some line about legacy something that I've tuned out from seeing it so much, so can't recall the exact wording. Terrible I know. 

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I know nothing of Flexi, but can't you just do your layout in Flexi and not even need to deal with AI?

Like the the others have mentioned, definitely weld prior to cutting, because the results suck if you don't. That was a lesson I learned he hard way.

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1 hour ago, haumana said:

I know nothing of Flexi, but can't you just do your layout in Flexi and not even need to deal with AI?

Like the the others have mentioned, definitely weld prior to cutting, because the results suck if you don't. That was a lesson I learned he hard way.

I have hundreds of different designs that are available in multiple sizes. I design them and save them as AI files but also need to have the ability to save them as jpegs, gifs, etc. I don't know if Flexi has those capabilities. I know you can design within flexi, but I was under the impression that it isn't comparable to AI. Since I have AI for other purposes I also use it for designing. 

I don't usually convert my type designs to paths/lines and rarely have a problem. Occasionally there is a design that has an issue but then converting to paths works. In this case it was already in paths and still had problems.

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7 hours ago, Wildgoose said:

I think you probably need to do a little more pre-cut preparations. Looking at your file all the script letters are overlapped and not welded together so they will cut into one another. If you are unfamiliar with AI the process would be to select any live text and expand it and then while still selected use the "Unite" option in the Pathfinder menu to weld them all together. If you needed to do any special kerning or moving of individual letters that would want to be done before the "Unite" (weld) operation. 

Thanks so much! I welded it in AI and abra-cadabra! all is as it should be again. Now if I could quick catch up on wholesale orders...

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1 hour ago, RachelM said:

I have hundreds of different designs that are available in multiple sizes. I design them and save them as AI files but also need to have the ability to save them as jpegs, gifs, etc. I don't know if Flexi has those capabilities. I know you can design within flexi, but I was under the impression that it isn't comparable to AI. Since I have AI for other purposes I also use it for designing. 

I don't usually convert my type designs to paths/lines and rarely have a problem. Occasionally there is a design that has an issue but then converting to paths works. In this case it was already in paths and still had problems.

Gotcha! Yah, it's one thing to design just for you, but when you have to send out the file or share it with other apps, it gets to be more tricky.

Glad you found the solution! Thank you for keeping everyone updated (because we feel like we're on the rollercoaster with you :P)

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And that solved one problem but this morning I looked back over the cut I made last night. Not exactly sure what happened here other than it’s treating this i separate from the other parts of the word. Any suggestions? I think I’m never gonna win with this design. 

22DB636C-41E6-4D69-8671-E9959126C1C3.jpeg

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