Another illustrator question

[meow]

This is what the company making a banner told me.. we need one shape that is the total union of all the shapes. inside this we need closed shapes for each of the cream squares(?)

also for the feather we need the shape for the exterior shape as a solid simple shape with another shape for the cream details

Here is a pic of what I need to union.. (I've posted it before)

Umm... I don't know what to do?? *really confused* Thanks in advance for your help [img]/emoticons/ibf-iamstupid.gif[/img]

[PrintDriver]

I understand this spec to mean they are making you a banner with cut vinyl sign lettering.
The screenshot you showed is not possible using a vinyl cutting plotter. Vinyl sign lettering can only be solid colors (with some very fancy exceptions) and you cannot do fuzzy drop shadows with it.

I thought you were going to have this printed. Grand format printing is the only way you will get the banner to look as you have posted.
You need to find a company that has a solvent ink printer that prints directly onto the banner material. If the banner is short term or inside, any grand format inkjet will do.

PD is a grande format digital print dude. His advice/opinions may not apply to the 4color/offset/web world of printing

[PrintDriver]

This is something like what they mean.
I don't think it's what you want.
Also, for that Feather you have in there, I can't tell if it's a clip art .tif or vector but you have to do the same thing. The feather shaft black outline and the black barbs of the feathers all need to be a single shape like the outlines of the squares I made. The cream color parts need to be filled, closed shapes on top of that black shape. If the shapes aren't closed, the vinyl plotter throws a nutty.

PD is a grande format digital print dude. His advice/opinions may not apply to the 4color/offset/web world of printing

[meow]

Thanks, I am having it printed, as a poster (that's just part of the image).
They also want to use that part of the poster image for a banner.

I think I kind of understand what I need to do now. Is there a way to see the outline of your work like that?

Thanks

Kat

[PrintDriver]

meow said...

Is there a way to see the outline of your work like that?

???
I showed you what the View>Artwork outline looks like in the center example.

For vinyl, think of the cutter as a stupid machine that follows every line you make. If a line crosses thru a shape, the cutter will cut your shape in pieces along the line. Also, a line is a line. It doesn't know what stroke thickness means. The trick is to outline all strokes and Unite together all the proper pieces into a single shape then stack them correctly. If you just get everything to be closed shapes and vector with fills but NO STROKE the sign guys will take it from there. Setting up for plotting and traps is part of the cost - but fixing bad art is a desktop charge.

Personally, I'd get the banner printed too. Why bother with sign vinyl for an image that wasn't created for it...?

PD is a grande format digital print dude. His advice/opinions may not apply to the 4color/offset/web world of printing

[meow]

PD said...

???
I showed you what the View>Artwork outline looks like in the center example.

I know, thanks, I just wasn't sure how find that option in Illy..

PD said...
Personally, I'd get the banner printed too. Why bother with sign vinyl for an image that wasn't created for it...?

Yeah I would too if I knew beforehand I'd have to do this, but my client wanted to do it this way (and failed to tell me until later on).

Thanks for your help, it's done now and the posters are up, the banner is on its way. [img]/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]