Stuck with illustrator

[mountaindr3wz 0]

I tried making this a layered decal with registration marks and its not coming out the way I'd like. Its easy when I make the stroke a certain width but when I'm converting it paths its a whole different story.  If anyone can help out that would be much appreciated. 

 

The finished logo should be green in the inside with a gold outline. 

 

Caduceus_clip_art.svg

[skarekrow 1,842]

Like this?

Caduceus_clip_art_2.svg

[skarekrow 1,842]

Not sure what was going on in there... You were right there, though...

[Wildgoose 4,200]

The best way to avoid having that kind of problem is to avoid using any stroke color. You are better off to select the whole thing and make it a compound path <command+8> mac or <ctrl+8> on windows and this will make the whole thing one object. Group won't work right. Once you have it as one object then use the object>path>offset path to make an offset that will outline it like you want. Depending on your version you may have options to preview the offset before deciding on how much to offset.

 

Another tip: Keep your eye on the objects in the layers panel if you are doing multiple operations like those above. Often when a multi-object compound shape is manipulated Illustrator will return it to a grouped state instead of leaving it as a compound shape. I think it does this because in ALL THINGS Illustrator will never assume anything and this ultimately give more control but you may have to re-do the <command+*> thing again. Kind of sounds like a lot of work but once you understand whats going on it's no biggie.

 

You CAN make your strokes colored but then you have to expand them and illustrator will stick the original object about half way into the stroke even if you had the stroke set to the outside of the object to begin with (not sure why that is but it's annoying) so if you can avoid the stroke work you are better off. Some designs are nearly impossible to do the other way and you end up with strokes and if you do I usually copy and past a second version right on top of the first then lock one of the two and play with the other.

[skarekrow 1,842]

That's some good info there, Goose. Thanks!

 

Illustrator is powerful but can be a real pain.

[Wildgoose 4,200]

Take a look at the difference between that one and this one. I am not sure what way mountain wants the final product but here is a different version sone the other way with just two color layers. I saved this down to Illustrator 8 cause I'm not sure what version you got there mountain I don't like saving to SVG files so it's AI

Caduceus 3.ai

[Wildgoose 4,200]

That's some good info there, Goose. Thanks!

 

Illustrator is powerful but can be a real pain.

No argument from me on that. Although once you get used to it it all seems to make sense in some weird way. 

[skarekrow 1,842]

Right, Goose... Your black layer is meant to be on top where the yellow on my version is meant to be topside.

Yours has more adhesive surface area for bonding, as well.

[darcshadow 1,627]

I don't like saving to SVG files so it's AI

Just curious, why not?

[sluggo2u 32]

Goose and Krow,

 

You guys obviously know Illustrator better than I do. I'm a self taught hard head.

 

I'm not where I can jump in Illy and put these methods to practice so I'm going from memory here. If you don't mind, I'll describe how I'd do it and maybe you can tell me if I'm working too hard.

 

I would start with the green, outline it, move the outline to the outside edge then outline stroke. Once that is done I would direct select the inner path of the outline and delete it, filling the outline with whatever color it was stroked. Finally, I would send it to the back, group them so they don't move and consider it done. The end product is that the outline is completely filled behind the green and the green just gets registered over top of back layer. Both layer have maximum adhesion as well.

 

I do know this about Illy, If you have things grouped and try to do -front, -back type operations it will drive you mad.

[Wildgoose 4,200]

sluggo -  That will work and other than having to go back in a remove the inner object you are getting to the same place. I do it that way sometimes myself on simple designs. 

 

The secret on the minus front or minus back operation is to make sure the group gets converted to a compound path then it works perfectly. This is also a better way to do offset paths on lettering. If the group of letters is just a group of letter it goes about the offset different than if its a compound path and for vinyl work it does a better job and saves a step of having to go in there and unite all the individual letters and it is more intuitive about the overall outline it creates when it is a compound path. This little known thing is one of the single most aggravating things for someone who doesn't know the rule.  

[mountaindr3wz 0]

everything worked out perfectly! thanks everyone. Indeed there is a large learning curve to illustrator but it seems all worth it. 

[Wildgoose 4,200]

Just curious, why not?

Mostly because I can't see whats in there in the thumbnail version when going back looking for things and I prefer to work in the native AI format, seems to have a few less issues although not as many as converting to eps does.