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Vectorizing for Sign Shop-Vinyl Cutting
Many sign shops create their image using
single color vinyl cutouts that are pasted
together on a backing material to create the
artwork the customer has orders. Vectored
files or raster to vector converted files
are a must for this process, as it creates
smooth lines and contours that plotters are
able to read. Vinyl plotters read the wire
frame in a vector file converted from raster
files and translate that into motion of the
needle and it moves across the vinyl material.
What makes vector file, or raster to vector
converted files for vinyl cutting different
from regular vectored files is the way objects
are created. Graphics artist and designers,
when created vectored artwork from raster
files, are more concerned with how the artwork
looks visually and is not concerned with the
structure of the objects and how they are
created. Object can be created and placed
on top of other objects to created a desired
look, but since vinyl plotters look at the
wire frame of each object, overlapping will
create multiple cuts and excess of paths that
could potentially ruin the material. For this
reason, raster to vector artwork for vinyl
cutting purposes is created as single, solid
object without halftones and no overlapping.
Also, all outlines must be converted to curves
through raster to vector file conversion.
Otherwise, the plotter will read the outline
as a single path running along the center
of the outline. Converting outlines to curves
in a process called raster to vector file
conversion creates a new path that follow
the outside of the outline, make a solid object
that can cleaned and pasted onto the material
creating an outline around the artwork.
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