Preparing your art files for cuts

The art file setup is crucial to the production of special shapes, lettering and more. You must set up Cut lines and Bleed to guid our CNC machine. Setting up cut lines with beleed ensures that the Cuts are precise, and that important elements in your artwork are not cut off. Here are a few tips to start!

• Always use CMYK color mode

• Submit full-scale 1:1 vector files: PDFs or AI files are our preferred formats

• Please note - Art files with special, halo, kiss cut, or exact cut options are assumed to be 1:1 and will not be scaled. Your art files will print as is "unedited."

Cut set up Instructions - Adobe Illustrator

Below are the step-by-step instructions for adding the cut line for each of our Special Cut prodcuts. Select your favorite cut stlye below for easy to follow instructions.

Cut Styles

Special Cut

This option is for custom shapes, including drill holes, sizes and particular drill hole placement.

Step 1: Adding the cut line

1. With the Direct Selection Tool, select the outer line of your artwork. For our example, we've used the unique shape of a diamond. Whatever your shape. It would be your background image. Select, copy, and paste to back (Command C, Command V is the shortcut for this step on a mac). Set the STROKE to 2 pt thickness, with NO fill color.

2. Change the stroke color to any bright color that is visible and NOT in the color of your artwork.

3. Drag your STROKE COLOR into your "SWATCH LIBRARY" and then click on "NEW SWATCH." (See 'image A & B')

4. Change the 'Swatch Name' to CUT (See 'image C')

5. Change the 'Color Type' to SPOT COLOR (See 'image C')

6. Make sure the 'Color Mode is set to CMYK and Press OK (See 'image C')

Step 2: Adding the bleed

1. Your artwork now has the CUTLINE; you will find this version of the artwork to set up the BLEED.

2. Select your background just as you did for the cut line. You will copy and paste. The example shown is a blue diamond with a black stroke. So, our BLEED will need to be black to match the stroke.

3. Add a stroke to the duplicated background layer. An example stroke is green to show the thickness 'f the 'troke. We set the stroke to 10 pts.

4. Select that image, and select Object > Expand. Make sure your settings are set to 'Stroke' and click OK.

5. After the stroke has been expanded, select Pathfinder > Unite. Once this unites the expanded parts, ensure the final piece color is your background color. The example is shown in black.

6. Select the duplicated background and align it with the original art with the CUTLINE from Step 1. Select Object > Arrange > Send to Back.

Halo Cut

This option is for unique exterior shapes that traditionally include a boarder.