Illustrator Die Lines

[almaink]

U could always rasterize the sucker. Ya they could still alter it, but it would be a PITA.

[jezza]

U could always rasterize the sucker. Ya they could still alter it, but it would be a PITA.

Only problem with that is that your cutter should be set as a spot that over prints in the Attributes pallet of Illy, rasterising will not help, it will go to CMYK unless you set it up as a DCS, not ideal.

Have I not thought correctly? Late UK

[beck]

The thing with rasterizing it (or saving it as a PDF) is that it will only let me know if they built it to our die & NOT modified it.  Before I get it into our workflow, I still have to replace it with an Illy version.

I was thinking I'd be able to save time, but now I'm not so sure.  Either way, I'm re-opening it, checking, replacing.  I guess I just open & replace.  If they DID change it, it gets re-worked then.

The only advantage I see is in Preflight.  At least then someone up front will know that extra time will be needed (not that we'll get paid for it) and our Structure Dept. will kow they have to do a new design.

Thanks to all for letting me bounce this off you.

beck

[Vee]

If you have the ability to generate an Acetate of your dies, you could throw it over top of the proof you generate of the clients job before going to press. If you don't it might be worth out sourcing it. It would be a fast & easy way of seeing if the die is the same as what you have in the back doing the cutting.

What a shame you can't get it through there heads, they can't "just move it a little"
A tour of your shop may help too, if the see it in action it may make a little more sense to them..... I know probably a long shot.

Vee

[LoganBlade]

That is a great idea. I think even with out film he could possibly do it on a proofer. I run clear acetate on my hp5000 and he could then get a heavy backer and seal the ink between. Great idea for checking before it is on the die cutter. He could make one for every die when it is made and store with it.

[beck]

We do make "Die Sheets" (acetate) of every job, which gets laid on the printed sheet by our Pressmen.  Those Die Sheets get filed by our platemaker, then sent out with every set of plates, new or rerun.  The Die Sheet is supposed to by laid on the plates by our platemaker, which I believe does not always happen.

Long story short, I can't trust our platemaker or our pressroom to catch mistakes caused by a bad dieline.  I think it'll go back to us (Graphics) placing a fresh die line on all work coming in from our customers.  A pain in the a_s, but truely the only way to cover ourselves.

beck

[beermonster]

hi folks

packaging here and exactly the same issues

on EVERY job, we use the one up die supplied to ME from the cad room - this is because often cut-backs, flaps, tucks, postal locks - all manner of things can get changed between cutter guide being sent to customer and print

this we then KNOW is the correct die/cutter to USE, its placed over the top of their artwork and we can check the differences

yes - its a little time consuming, no dont use placed pdf's or such like. why? well if there's a change to the cutter, and cad need to have that, you can save down vectors elements to illy 3 eps and artios will open that - so it stays really accurate, but trying to vector placed pdf/images etc doesnt work, and cad will struggle to read it anyway - so dont do it. keep cutters as vectors

so - if our PRODUCTION multi up cutter is different from their one up cutter - in so much as it simply doesnt fit and is waaay out - then we have choices - send it back and get it re-worked (if time allows) or estimate a price and get that sorted first - then change the artwork

a pita - but it keeps us in a job