ILLUSTRATOR..how to shift or remove upper 1/4 of a letter?

[DEFECT]

Im trying to design a file to be CNC'd on a die for letterpress. But what I'd like to do is kind of **** up the text. Think for example of laying a line accross a word. Maybe its 1/4 the height away from the top. Now I want to take everything above that line and delete it, or shift it to the right or left. What is the best way to do this considering I need a nice vector file for CNC'ing later on?

Thanks a ton

[PrintDriver]

Convert your text to outlines.
Draw a line.
Use Pathfinder. Set the options so divide deletes unfilled/unstroked parts.
Select line and text. Use Pathfinder > Divide.
Double check that you only have letter parts. CNCs are stupid machines. They'll follow anything in the file.

[DEFECT]

Hmm...

Okay followed that process but the line just disappears when I click divide.

[PrintDriver]

Is your text converted to outline?

[PrintDriver]

You may have to select your text and create a Compound Path so all of it gets cut.

[Kool]

If you have CS3 or 4 you can just use the eraser while holding down the shift key so it is straight. It will close the paths behind itself.

[PrintDriver]

The smallest eraser is 1 point.. That leaves quite a gap.

[DEFECT]

Is your text converted to outline?
Thanks I think I made some headway..

Now the paths arent closed. Is that what youd expect?

[PrintDriver]

They should be closed shapes.. They may be grouped but they should be closed.
You sound like you are using the scissor tool.
Pathfinder is a palette.
Window> Pathfinder.

[Kool]

The smallest eraser is 1 point.. That leaves quite a gap.

True, it would only work for the deleting option. Use the knife tool then, it doesn't leave any gap at all.

[PrintDriver]

Hmm...never used the knife. Can you tell it where you want it to cut with numbers or is it an eyeball thing? (my CS3 is at work. ;))

[Kool]

It's not particularly precise, you do it with the mouse.