Cutting Master for Illustrator USER`S MANUAL
Contents
1. Page J Use Registration Marks Output Settings Options Number of marks Plotter Settings ia A3 C4 C Area Registration Marks C Media Loading Direction Normal Rotate Align Golumntsy y Rawls Distance between Blocks fo m MV Correct Auto Correct 1000 00 mm Update Preview C Size Specified 495 00 mm Valid Area Scalinats Hoo 6 x 11000 mm Rotate 0 J Send Registration Mark Conditions a Shape Pattern 2 Y 4600 TER Weed Border Margin 10 m Length 15 mm ENET Thickness 0 5 mm Iv Complete Preview M Tiling Overlap o mm About Repeat E Output to Plotter Restore Defaults Cancel OK Use Registration Marks Check this box to enable the functions of the registration marks page However the items that are normally displayed are disabled and cannot be changed These items include Scaling Rotate Weed Border Tiling and the optional Matrix Copy Optional items such as Use Document Origin remain enabled When Use Registration Marks is selected before clicking the Output to Plotter button move the pen within the readable range of the bottom left registration mark on the plotter medium The bottom left registration mark is the mark that is located at the bottom left on the Illustrator document The readable range is the green section shown in the drawing of the plotter displayed in the Cutting Master window 25 Number of ma2. 3 Cutting The following operation depends on the type of plotter you use lt When using a plotter that supports the Registration Mark Control command gt See 1 2 Features for details of the plotters that support the Registration Mark Control command e Select Cutting Master gt Settings in the File menu of Illustrator e Check the box for Use Registration Marks on the Registration Marks page in the displayed Cutting Master window e Load the print created above ready in the plotter Load the print in the direction indicated in the drawing of the plotter shown in the Cutting Master window e Move the pen cutter within the range where the bottom left of the registration mark is readable The readable range is the green section in the drawing of the plotter in the Cutting Master window e When the document is output the registration marks are read and then the printout is cut If the registration marks cannot be read retry reading while pressing the Correct Axis button of the plotter Cutting is started after the registration marks are successfully read lt When using a plotter that doesn t support the Registration Mark Control command gt See 1 2 Features for details of the plotters that support the Registration Mark Control command e Select Cutting Master gt Settings in the File menu of Illustrator e Make the following settings Scaling 100 Rotate None Weed Border OFF Tiling OFF Matrix Copy
3. Please contact Graphtec or your retailer with any questions you may have Please note that Graphtec assumes no responsibility for any liabilities arising out of the use of this manual and product CONTENTS IAU OQUCUON wiksdenakcrn stds pitabissedianetastiniuaderoctaes 1 Lal MAAPRO CUCU OM esc sune setae deicesiccisiee A E E O EE E T l L2 Feature Senee E E l Leos Sea Regue MENIS seriea a a TNA AA T N OS 2 LA PreCautiONS eee ree cee Re E A TE 2 2k Mita Tanti PIUSA SOU Dy AU eea a E a E 5 22 lt Anstalline the Windows Drive ersen e EEO EE 5 3 Basic Operations cccccccceceeseeeeeeeeeeeees 6 4 Function Detalls ccccccceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees 11 mk SCM MEASURE W MAON ea a a e 1 4 1 1 Cutting Master Window Items Always Displayed cccccccceeceeeeeeeeeeeeaeees 11 4 1 2 Cutting Master Window Output Settings Page uu eececcccceeecceceeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaees 15 4 1 3 Cutting Master Window Options Page cccccccssssseeeseseeeeeeceeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaeas 20 4 1 4 Cutting Master Window Plotter Settings Page cc eceeccccceeeecceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaeees 23 4 1 5 Cutting Master Window Registration Marks Page ccccccccccceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees 25 AD Modia Ty Pe LAS bonen rit asia ss cet a ndeaaein one aaaaats E ome ana aes ese aadaweee 29 AS Media CUNO Sasae e cs hecided oad viestle tania acaba Ss nodded advan alae SH eee 31 AA Folder SCUMIOS areas iudcoreseadansiapiactiqanlananen TEE E E EEE
4. Registration Marks function on the Registration Marks Page can be used When the checkbox has been selected a window similar to the following is displayed See 1 2 Features for details of the plotters that support the Registration Mark Control command Cutting Master E x i Please use the Position keys to move the pen tip within the readable range the green section of the drawing When this window is displayed check the location of the green section in the drawing of a plotter shown in the Cutting Master window and then move the blade tip within this area as instructed When using registration marks also refer to the description in subsection 4 1 5 Cutting Master Window Registration Marks Page Restore Defaults Displays a dialog box prompting confirmation Click OK to initialize all settings then displayed Cancel Discards all that you ve set and exits the Cutting Master window OK Saves what you ve set and exits the Cutting Master window 14 4 1 2 Cutting Master Window Output Settings Page Choosing Output Settings in the upper left section of the Cutting Master window displays the items shown below on the right side of the window Cutting Master Page Output Selection Output Conditions a All Plotter Options Plotter Settings Registration Marks Valid Area Scaling 2 100 x 1000 mm Rotate oo x Y 600 mm M weed Border Margin Iv Complete Preview
5. Tiling BYETIap lo Pe Edit List About Repeat fi Output to Plotter Restore Defaults Cancel OK Output Selection In this item set the target to be output You can choose All Select by Layer or Select by Color All All objects are output regardless of the layer and object colors in the current document Select by Layer You can specify whether to output each layer in the current document Select by Color You can specify whether to output each object line color in the current document Choosing Select by Layer or Select by Color allows you to specify whether to output each instance double clicked in the list The current document refers to the one positioned at the top of the currently open Illustrator documents immediately before invoking this plug in software Choosing Select by Color allows selections to be made with respect to the outline colors of objects in the current document Objects whose outline colors are unspecified are not displayed in the list and excluded from the target to be output The fill colors of objects are ignored When creating a new document in Illustrator 9 10 CS and CS2 you are asked to determine whether the object colors should be handled in RGB or CMYK In this plug in software the outline colors of objects are displayed in the list according to that specification Regardless of whether you choose Convert to RGB or Convert to CMYK from the Illustrator menu your spec
6. but numbers that cannot be set on the plotter should not be specified Some plotters cannot specify numbers 5 to 8 Speed Specifies the pen speed on the medium for cutting or plotting Available speeds range from 0 to 100 but the optimum setting will vary depending on the media and pen type Likewise the values that can be set will vary depending on the plotter For details see the plotter s user s manual Specifying 0 deselects the setting and the speed for the Cond No specified above is used Force Specifies the force applied to the pen for cutting or plotting This setting is only valid when specified together with Quality The value for Force can be set from 0 to 100 but the optimum setting will vary depending on the media and pen type Likewise the values that can be set will vary depending on the plotter For details see the plotter s user s manual Specifying 0 deselects the setting and the force for the Cond No specified above is used 31 Quality Specifies the pen acceleration for cutting or plotting Specifying lower values increases the quality This setting is only valid when specified together with Force Valid Quality settings range from 0 to 10 but the optimum setting will vary depending on the media and pen type Likewise the values that can be set will vary depending on the plotter For details see the plotter s user s manual Specifying 0 deselects the setting and the quality for the Conditio
7. grouped objects in the document 2 Select Knife in the Illustrator toolbox and divide the drawing into a width that can be output on the plotter The knife can be used to specify divisions along straight lines by depressing the keyboard Alt key Select one part of the divided drawing to output After outputting replace the medium and output the other part The procedure is the same for dividing the drawing into three or more parts Note when saving that the document will be changed by this procedure To print and then cut round the print Print amp Cut applications involve a secondary process whereby a cutting plotter is used to cut round images or shapes output on a printer A cutting plotter equipped with a registration mark reading unit is required for Print amp Cut applications 1 Creating registration marks First of all create registration marks around the printed image as follows Save the document first e Draw a rectangle as a standard for creating the registration marks around the figure that is to be printed and cut e Select Cutting Master gt Create Registration Marks in the File menu of Illustrator with only the rectangle selected e Press the Create button on the displayed window Illustrator then creates registration marks Check the box for Align Document Origin with Registration Marks 2 Printing Print the document including the registration marks created in the step above with a printer
8. loaded here you can add to delete from or edit the list For details about the media list see Section 4 2 Media Type List 19 4 1 3 Cutting Master Window Options Page Choosing Options in the upper left section of the Cutting Master window displays the items shown below on the right side of the window Cutting Master Page Output Settings Options Plotter Settings Registration Marks f From the End Point o mm From the Origin Cross Gut Valid Area Scalingt 3 100 Matrix Copy gag 1000 ay Rotate jo x lz rows margin fio nnn Y J600 per weed Border Margin 10 mm ooo linetsy margin fio mm J Complete Preview Tiling Oyerlap 0 mm About Sort Objects None v M Use Document Origin ns Offset i J Output Selected Objectfs Output Hidden Layer s Feed Medium Repeat fi Output to Plotter Restore Defaults Cancel f Sort Objects Sets the order in which objects are output The display varies depending on whether you choose Flatbed Type or Friction Feed Type on the plotter setup page of the Cutting Master window For Friction Feed Type you can use all choices available For Flatbed Type you can use None Speed priority by layer or Speed priority All Irrespective of the settings you make below objects whose end points coincide are sorted for plotting with one stroke of a pen as much as possi
9. mode to check the lines that will be cut lt When Using the FC3600 gt The FC3600 settings that have been pre registered in the Media List are all conditions for use with the pen carriage They cannot be used with the tool carriage This software cannot be used to adjust the height of the tool carriage Please make the height adjustment at the plotter control panel When using this software to specify the cutting force for the FC3600 please note that the values that can be set differ according to whether the setting is for a pen or a tool Refer to your plotter user s manual for the appropriate values before making the setting If you wish to specify the cutting force separately for the X and Y axes please make the settings at the plotter control panel At this time make sure that no cutting force or quality settings have been specified with the software 2 setup 2 1 Installing Plug in Software 1 Start up Windows Install Adobe Illustrator if it is not already installed Insert the Cutting Master disk into the disk drive Select Run from the Start button menu Enter the drive name and SETUP EXE in Name in the Run window Clicking OK after entering the details starts up the Cutting Master setup program Follow the on screen instructions to set up the plug in NA BW WN Once the setup program finishes normally Cutting Master is added to the File menu in Illustrator 2 2 Installing the
10. printing Ifa RIP is not used use the editing function of Illustrator to create multiple images with registration marks before printing Multiple figures can easily be created at equal intervals by selecting all the figures bounded by and including the registration marks setting the travel distance in the window displayed when Transform gt Move is selected in the Object menu of Illustrator copying with the Copy button and repeating the process by holding down the Ctrl key and pressing the D key Cutting e Activate Cutting Master by selecting Cutting Master gt Settings in the File menu of Illustrator When copying a figure in Illustrator before activation select only the one block that is surrounded by registration marks and used as the original for copying e Check the box for Output Selected Object s on the Options page of the displayed Cutting Master window e Check the box for Use Registration Marks in the Registration Marks page e Load the print created above in the plotter Load the print in the direction indicated in the drawing of the plotter shown in the Cutting Master window e Move the pen cutter within the range where the bottom left registration mark is readable in the bottom left end of the block The readable range is the green section in the drawing of the plotter in the Cutting Master window e Check the box for Align in the Registration Marks page of the Cutting Master window e Specify
11. setting list For details about the Media Settings dialog box see Section 4 3 Media Settings Copy Pressing this button after selecting a medium from the setting list opens a Media Settings dialog box using the settings for the medium selected Change the media name in this dialog box and save it A new media name is then created _ For details about the Media Settings dialog box see Section 4 3 Media Settings Modify Pressing this button after selecting a medium from the setting list opens a Media Settings dialog box For details about the Media Settings dialog box see Section 4 3 Media Settings 29 Delete Deletes the media selected in the setting list Load Loads a media settings file in which the standard settings for each type of plotter used and each purpose of media use are saved This file is added to the media list 30 4 3 Media Settings Create or modify the output conditions for each media type Mame FCS 100 Outdoor winyl cond No 1 Line Type 1 Speed 20 cms ee Force fiz ca Ciuality E i a ae C 6 O ae a Cin eee e a Z E C 9 e o Pitch Size 10 TUER Restore Defaults LK Cancel Name The current media name is displayed here Any desired media name can be specified Media names of up to 27 characters single byte characters can be entered Cond No Specifies the plotter condition setting number Valid numbers range from to 8
12. the plotter in accordance with the settings selected lt Create Registration Marks gt Converts the selected rectangle in an Illustrator document into registration marks lt How to Print and Cut gt Registration marks are used to enable precise cutting of printed objects Click this menu item to display a PDF file that explains the procedure To output to the plotter Selecting Cutting Master gt Output to Plotter in the Illustrator File menu outputs the drawing in the Illustrator document to the plotter The output position will be to the right of and above the plotter origin The drawing is output so that if we imagine the smallest possible rectangle enclosing the entire drawing the bottom left hand point of the rectangle corresponds to the plotter origin The output size will be the size of the drawing in the Illustrator document provided that Use Document Origin Default OFF Rotate or Scaling have not been altered To output alphanumeric characters Only alphanumeric characters that can be converted to outlines can be output using this plug in and only the outlines are output Select the character to be output in the Illustrator document and use Create Outlines in the Illustrator Type menu The outlines created can be output in the same way as other objects To change the output position The output position can be changed by specifying the desired values in the Offset boxes on the Cutting Master window Op
13. the preview using the Update Preview button Rotate Rotates the area enclosing the drawing to be output If Use Document Origin is checked the area enclosing the drawing to be output and the origin of the Illustrator document is rotated Note that the output origin may be about 0 5 to 1 mm out of position when rotated This setting is also reflected in the plotter image and preview window Weed Border Margin Outputs a frame to facilitate the weeding of cut media Using this function eliminates the need to create a frame in Illustrator documents When Weed Border is selected a frame is output along with the drawing when you output the drawing to the plotter The frame here refers to a rectangular shape representing the area that encloses the drawing to be output The frame is expanded in the vertical and horizontal directions by an amount equal to the size specified for Margin When multiple drawings are to be output a large frame is output that includes all the drawings and not just individual drawings This setting 1s also reflected in the preview window When changing numeric values use the Update Preview button to update the preview When using this function the drawing is output so that the lower left position of the frame overlaps the plotter origin Therefore note that the drawing output position differs from when no frames are specified Selecting Assign by Layer or Assign by Color as an output condition outputs the fra
14. 33 A RESTON MarK Ser a A A 34 5 Error Messages cccscceceecetseeteeeeseeaeees 36 1 Introduction 1 1 1 2 Introduction Cutting Master is an output plug in that enables the use of a Graphtec cutting plotter from within Adobe Illustrator on a Windows based PC It also allows object lines or character outlines in Illustrator documents to be output to a Graphtec cutting plotter Only objects that can be converted to outlines in Illustrator Features Cutting Master includes the following features Easy connection and high speed data transfer via USB enabled Smooth curves can be created using the plotter s Bezier curve generation function An origin can be specified in Illustrator for precise output positioning Output using dotted or dashed lines enabled Just the selected object can be output Output in separate layers or separate colors can be specified Output conditions can be automatically selected by layer name or color Allows set details to be saved to a file and loaded as required Supports a sorting function for controlling media movement A Weed Border cutting function enables automatic output of a border to facilitate weeding of the cut media Any drawing exceeding the plotter s Valid Area can be output in multiple pages using the Tiling function Output conditions can be managed by media name Multiple copies of a drawing can be output using the Matrix Copy function Registration marks can be
15. O S640 Cutting Master for Illustrator Win OPS640W UM 158 USER S MANUAL GRAPHTEC software Usage Agreement Graphtec Corporation Graphtec hereby grants the purchaser and authorized User the User the right to use the software the Software in accordance with the terms and conditions specified By its purchase and use of the Software the User hereby accepts and agrees to abide by the terms and conditions set forth herein 1 Copyrights All copyrights relating to the Software and accompanying printed materials such as manuals shall be retained by the individuals or organizations indicated in the Software or printed material 2 License The User may use the Software on one computer at a time 3 Copying and modification 1 The User may copy the Software for backup purposes In that case the User should label the copy with the same copyright notices as apply to the Software 2 The User may not modify combine amend or otherwise adapt the Software by any means including disassembly and decompiling 4 Third party use The User may not transfer assign or otherwise dispose of the rights relating to the Software or its use to third parties 5 Warranty 1 Should the Software not operate correctly due to physical defects in the Software storage medium contact your dealer The product will be exchanged free of charge in the case of a physical manufacturing defect 2 Graphtec only guara
16. OPS640W UM 158 September 2 2005 Ist edition 02 GRAPHTEC CORPORATION
17. Windows Driver Open Add Printer in Printers in the Windows Control Panel and install the driver using the Wizard For details refer to the Readme txt file in the respective OS folder of the Windows driver 3 Basic Operations Once the plug in has been set up Cutting Master is added to the File menu in Illustrator allowing Settings Output to Plotter Create Registration Marks and How to Print and Cut to be selected from this submenu Most of the operations required for this plug in are performed using these four menu items E7 Adobe Illustrator File Edit Object Type Select Filter Effect wiew Window Help few SUL o RGB Preview ENA Mew From Template Shift Ztrl M Open Chrl o Open Recent Files l A Close Cel N P Save Chris ES Save s shift 2trl 5 Save a Copy Alk Cerl 5 Save as Template 2 EF Save for Web alk Shift Ctrl s al P Save a Version i Revert Fl IEN Wi Place Pg Save For Microsoft Office y Export Ea E Cutting Master i Scripts j Gutput to Plotter Document Setup Alt Ctrl P Create Registration Marks Document Color Mode i How to Print and Cut File Info JH VEPSiOns w Li Print Ctrl F Exit Ctra lt Settings gt Opens the plug in setup window For details on these settings see 4 Function Details lt Output to Plotter gt Outputs to
18. abled in normal operation If registration marks were created when this function was disabled the box was not checked move the origin of the ruler in the Illustrator document so that it is aligned with the standard point of the bottom left registration mark before performing a cutting operation 34 Create in 5 mm Increments When the size of the standard rectangle is not a multiple of 5 mm creates the registration marks after increasing the size of the rectangle until it becomes a multiple of 5 mm Distance between Standard Points Displays the distance between the registration marks when the registration marks are created with the current settings Intermediate Registration Mark Creates intermediate registration marks for use during segment area correction Use this function when cutting extremely long designs as a guideline designs that are longer than 3 m If Area has been specified for Number of marks in the Cutting Master Registration Marks Page segment area correction 1s performed during the cutting operation The Intermediate Registration Mark function can only be used with plotters that are capable of performing segment area correction Do not specify this setting for any other plotter models See 1 2 Features for details of the plotters that are capable of performing segment area correction Media Feed Direction Using the Illustrator document design as a reference specify the direction in which the media is g
19. aster Window Output Settings Page Feed Medium Sets how the media should be handled after the plotter has completed output The display varies depending on whether you choose Flatbed Type or Friction Feed Type in the Cutting Master Window Plotter Settings Page 21 lt For Friction Feed Type gt If the Feed Medium checkbox has been selected you can choose From the End Point or From the Origin and specify the feed length You can also choose to perform cross cutting by selecting the Cross Cut checkbox The From the End Point From the Origin selection and the feed length specification are only effective when using roll paper If you select the Feed Medium checkbox when using roll paper the plotter operates in the manner described below From the End Point Paper is fed by the specified length with respect to the maximum X position used at output and the origin is moved to the X position at which the plotter completed the feed operation The Y position of the origin is not moved From the Origin Paper is fed by the specified length with respect to the origin and the origin is moved to the X position at which the plotter completed the feed operation The Y position of the origin is not moved Cross Cut If the Cross Cut checkbox is selected the paper is cut off from the roll after it has been fed This setting will be ignored for models that do not have a built in cross cutter If you select the Feed Medium checkbo
20. ator Turn on the display of the layers to be output A Graphtec Plotter Driver could not be found The Windows driver has not been installed This plug in software outputs via the Windows driver Windows driver must be installed Windows driver is included on the floppy disk or CD ROM provided with Graphtec plotters except for some older models The latest driver version can also be downloaded from the Graphtec website For details on installing Windows driver refer to the Readme txt file in the respective OS folder for Windows driver The specified Graphtec Plotter Driver could not be found The Windows driver used previously has been deleted This plug in software outputs via the Windows driver Reselect the output destination for Output to in the Cutting Master window Plotter Setup page Install Windows driver if it is not already installed in the system Windows driver is included on the floppy disk or CD ROM provided with Graphtec plotters except for some older models The latest driver version can also be downloaded from the Graphtec website For details on installing Windows driver refer to the Readme txt file in the respective OS folder for Windows driver No media files could be found The media list has been completely deleted The default media folder or media folder in the Folder Setup window has been changed to a folder containing no media files No problems will be caused if Assign by La
21. ble None The output order is not changed Speed priority by layer By recognizing the layers to which each target object belongs objects are sorted in order of pen movements in each layer beginning with the object with the least pen movement Each layer is output in order of Illustrator s layer palettes Speed priority All By ignoring layers all target objects to be output are sorted in order of pen movements beginning with the object with the least pen movement and are then output Restrict media movement by layer By recognizing the layers to which each target object belongs objects are sorted in order of media movements in each layer beginning with the object with the least media movement Each layer is output in order of Illustrator s layer palettes 20 Restrict media movement All By ignoring layers all target objects to be output are sorted in order of media movements beginning with the object with the least media movement Use Document Origin When unchecked the drawing is output so that the bottom left hand point of the area enclosing the drawing corresponds to the plotter origin When checked the drawing is output so that the origin of the Illustrator document corresponds to the plotter origin maintaining the actual position of the drawing from the document origin Note that areas to the left of or below the plotter origin will not be output _ Here Document Origin refers to the Ruler origin in th
22. created in Illustrator documents using the Registration Mark function Control of the registration mark unit settings and registration mark reading functions can be specified for plotters that support the Registration Mark Control command 1 The cutting of multiple duplicated images arranged within the registration mark reading area can be specified for plotters that are capable of handling print and cut in alignment applications 2 High accuracy cutting of a pre printed long length design long length print and cut application can be specified for plotters that are capable of performing segment area correction 3 Plotters that support the Registration Mark Control command FCS5100A Series FC7000 Series CE3000Mk2 Series Craft ROBO Pro2 2 Plotters that can handle print and cut in alignment applications FCS5100A Series FC7000 Series CE3000Mk2 Series Craft ROBO Pro2 3 Plotters that are capable of performing segment area correction FC7000 Series 1 3 System Requirements Compatibility has been verified for the following operating environments Applications Adobe Illustrator for Windows 8 0 1 9 0 2 10 0 3 CS CS2 CPU memory operating system monitor resolution number of displayed colors As with the Illustrator versions above Plotters FC7000 series CE3000Mk2 series CE3000 series others 1 1 Please refer to the README TXT file for the Graphtec plotters that can be used with Cutting Master This plug i
23. cuments have an outer border this will be closed as outline data if divided before outputting Objects will not be closed if they are not closed before dividing Similarly it may not be possible to close a shape correctly if the data contains numerous overlapping objects or intersecting lines If the Weed Border function is turned on sections adjoining the page will be cut using straight lines A drawing output separately on multiple pages is output sequentially toward the top of the preview window with the page that includes the origin considered page 1 Any pages on the right side are also output sequentially from the bottom page upward after the plotter has output the top page in the column that includes the origin The Tiling Overlap functions cannot be used simultaneously with the Matrix Copy function When using divided output select Plotter or Set now for the Output Conditions About Displays the version and copyright information for the plug in Repeat Specifies the number of cuts to be made at the same location Depending on the type of material cutting it once may not be sufficient Use this function to specify additional cuts if required 13 Output to Plotter Displays a dialog box prompting confirmation and outputs the drawing to the plotter under the conditions you set Cutting Master x i Output to Platter LPT 1 3 If your plotter 1s a model that supports the Registration Mark Control command the Use
24. e Illustrator document Offset Specify to output with an offset from the origin specified for the plotter Negative values can be specified but areas to the left of or below the plotter origin will not be output When changing numeric values use the Update Preview button to update the preview Output Selected Object s When checked with any object selected in an Illustrator document only that object becomes the target to be output When no objects are selected all displayed objects become targets to be output When unchecked all displayed objects become targets to be output regardless of whether any object is selected in an Illustrator document This setting overrides Output Selection settings made in the Cutting Master Window Output Settings Page The objects not meeting the conditions of this setting are not displayed in the Output Selection list of the Cutting Master Window Output Settings Page Output Hidden Layer s When checked objects on hidden layers are output in addition to those on layers displayed in the Illustrator document Note that objects on hidden layers will all be treated as not selected so they will not be output if there are objects selected with Output selected object s checked This setting overrides Output Selection settings made in the Cutting Master Window Output Settings Page The objects not meeting the conditions of this setting are not displayed in the Output Selection list of the Cutting M
25. eate Registration Marks is selected from the File menu in Illustrator while a rectangle is selected in an Illustrator document Registration marks are marks for alignment that are used to align the printed results of a printer with the cutting positions by a plotter When you click the Create button in this window registration marks are created based on the selected rectangle and the rectangle is deleted The registration marks are created in a new layer Registration Marks shape M Intermediate Registration Marks Pattern 1 Pattern Media Feed Direction Vertical Horizontal Length 15 mimi Thickness jos mm If Align Document Origin with Registration Marks W Create in S mim Increments 500 mmo interval Distance between Standard Points Left Right 1000 mm a Bottom Tope 495 mm l Cancel Shape Select the pattern for the registration marks The registration marks are created so that the four corners of a standard rectangle are aligned with the standard points angles of the registration marks regardless of the pattern selected Length Set the distance from the standard point angle to the end of the line for the registration marks Thickness Set the thickness of the lines used for the registration marks Align Document Origin with Registration Marks Align the origin of the ruler in the Illustrator document with the standard point of the bottom left registration mark Keep this function en
26. er the shape length and thickness of the created registration marks are sent to the plotter This function should be enabled in normal operation 28 4 2 Media Type List Use this list to manage the media files in which you saved the output conditions Mame Cond Mo Speed Force Quality Line Type Pitch FLS100 Outdoor vinyl 1 Solid Close FLS 100 Fluorescent film 1 Solid FS 100 Hi reflective film 3 23 1 Solid FLS1O0 Indoor vinyl 1 Solid F 57100 Clear film 1 Solid FILS 100 Reflective film 1 Solid FLS 100 Thick substrates 1 Solid Create Copy Modify Delete Load Settings list Media names media file names and the settings saved in those files are displayed in list format The media files initially displayed in the setting list after setups are provided as an approximate guide for your reference The settings displayed here are not guaranteed to be appropriate The actual optimum settings differ with the make type and purpose of use of each media used The settings also change due to abrasion of the cutter blade and other changing conditions Determine optimum settings by using the trial plotting function available on the plotter then modify settings in or add settings to the list Create Launches a Media Settings dialog box allowing you to make media settings Click OK to exit the Media Settings dialog box A new media file is then created You cannot create media using an existing media name in the
27. ification is not reflected in this plug in software 15 All Illustrator 8 documents are handled in RGB With Illustrator 8 color information for drawings not selected may appear in the Output Selection Select by Color color lists but this may be ignored as it does not affect the preview or output Output Selection Output Selection Select by Color Plot Layer Mame Flot R amp EE Yes Layer 1 Yes O24 145051 Yes 029014 130 Output Conditions In this item you set output conditions You can choose Plotter Set now Assign by Layer or Assign by Color Plotter All drawings are output under the conditions set in the plotter Set now Specify Cond No Speed Force Quality Line Type and Pitch Size before you output drawings Regardless of the layer and object colors in the current document all target objects to be output are output under the conditions set here For details about Cond No Speed Force Quality Line Type and Pitch Size see Section 4 3 Media Settings You can do without specifying Speed Force or Quality In such case set the value 0 for these parameters What is then set on the plotter side is applied 16 Output Conditions Lond No Speed eo Ooms Force Ss Cauality r Line Type 1 Solid Pitch Size hoo Load Add to List Assign by Layer Assign by Color Assign by Layer allows you to assign media files one for each layer A
28. ile in which the parameters were saved You cannot edit the media list that is loaded here Add to List This button is displayed only when you chose Set now as an output condition A dialog box is displayed allowing you to specify a file name When you specify a file name the Cond No Speed Force Quality Line Type and Pitch Size parameters that you set are saved to a media file Assign Media Type This button is displayed only when you chose Assign by Layer or Assign by Color as an output condition It allows you to change media file assignments First select the layer or color whose assignment you want to change from the assignment list Next press this button to display a media list Select the media you want to change from this list and click OK To restore assignments to the default settings select Default media type from the media list You cannot edit the media list that is loaded here Default Media Type This button is displayed only when you chose Assign by Layer or Assign by Color as an output condition The layers and colors marked in the assignment list are output according to the media file settings selected here If there are no media files in the media list a Not set message is displayed In such case all drawings are output under the conditions set on the plotter side For details about the media list see Section 4 2 Media Type List Edit List Loads a media list In the media list
29. me with default settings 12 When you use framing along with Use document origin consider the frame margins in Illustrator documents when specifying the origin If the frame protrudes leftward or downward from the origin the protruding portion 1s not plotted Tiling Overlap Use the Tiling function to separately output a large drawing or text outline which exceeds the medium you are using on multiple pages When Tiling is selected Valid Area 1s used as the page size Any part of the drawing that exceeds that area is output to the next page A dialog box is displayed during output prompting you to set media over again for each page In this dialog box verify the media resetting and origin position Specifying other than 0 for Overlap overlaps pages by an amount equal to the specified width at output Use this function to create overlapping portions for positioning purposes while cutting When multiple pages are output multiple black frames representing the valid area are displayed in the preview window Moreover specifying any value other than 0 for Overlap displays the overlapping valid areas by an amount equal to the specified width When changing numeric values use the Update Preview button to update the preview If the Weed Border function is turned off all the shapes on each page are closed The closing operation is performed taking into account the inclusion relationship Note that if objects to be output on Illustrator do
30. n No specified above is used Line Type The line type to be output can be selected from the list of solid lines dotted lines dashed lines 3 types dotted dashed lines 2 types and double dotted dashed lines 2 types Solid lines should be used for normal cutting Pitch Size This is only available when a line type other than solid is selected Lines other than solid are formed from the repeated specified patterns Pitch size specifies the length of the pattern 32 4 4 Folder Settings Set up folders to manage the media setting files used in the media list etc Default Folder OK E Program Files 4do0bes Mlustrator 10on2000E Plug ins Cutting m Cancel Master Default Settings User Folder E 4Program Files 4do0bes lustrator 10on2000E Plug ins Cutting a Select Master Settings Default Folder Set the folder here containing the media setting files that are displayed by pressing the Load button in the Media List dialog box Press the Select button to choose a folder from the ensuing list You normally need not modify the default media folder User Folder Set the folder here containing the settings of the Media List dialog box Press the Select button to choose a folder from the ensuing list Use User Folder to differentiate the media list for each purpose of use You normally need not modify the user folder 33 4 5 Registration Marks This window is displayed when Cutting Master gt Cr
31. n outputs via the Graphtec Windows driver Windows driver must be installed Windows driver is included on the floppy disk or CD ROM provided with Graphtec plotters except for some older models The latest driver version can also be downloaded from the Graphtec website 1 4 Precautions This plug in software is for outputting data to a cutting plotter Cutting plotters can only handle line data so this software outputs only exterior lines even for objects that include polygonal areas created using Illustrator This plug in can only output text fonts that can be converted to outlines using the Create Outlines function in Illustrator Properties in Illustrator documents such as Stroke Weight Line Type and Line Color are not included in the output results The line type output can be selected in the plug in settings Moreover output conditions can be selected by line color With Illustrator 9 and later versions special effects functions are provided that enable the outer aspect of the drawing and the printed results to be altered These special effects however do not directly alter the shape of the drawing and therefore cannot be reproduced in the lines used for cutting An example of the functions referred to here is the Zig zag function that can be specified by selecting Illustrator s Effects menu gt Distort amp Transform gt Zig Zag Use Illustrator s Outline view mode to check the lines that will be cut To
32. ntees the storage medium under the above situation 3 Graphtec provides the Software on an as 1s basis Neither Graphtec nor the supplier guarantees the performance or results that may be achieved using the Software and accompanying documentation Neither Graphtec nor the supplier gives any explicit or implicit guarantees regarding the infringement of a third party s rights arising from the use of the Software or accompanying manuals their commercial performance or their suitability for specific purposes Neither Graphtec nor the supplier assumes any responsibility for incidental secondary or special damages resulting from the use of the Software or accompanying manuals under any circumstances including cases in which the possibility of that particular damage arising is indicated to the User by the retailer Moreover neither Graphtec nor the supplier assumes any responsibility for claims from third parties Registered Trademarks The company names and product names described in this manual are registered trademarks of their respective owners The Cutting Master software and this manual are copyrights of Graphtec Corporation Notes on this Manual The contents of this manual may not be copied in part or whole without permission The details and product specifications in this manual are subject to change without notice The greatest effort has been taken to ensure the clarity and accuracy of the information in this manual
33. oing to move for cutting The registration marks are created in the specified direction Step Specifies the interval at which the intermediate registration marks are placed The optimal value varies according to factors such as the quality of the media and the media feed accuracy of the device used to print the design Normally specify an interval of at least 1 m in length In general 1f the specified value is smaller than the width of the medium in the cutter movement direction the accuracy will not be improved Moreover the larger the number of intermediate registration marks the longer it will take for registration mark reading when cutting is performed Create Creates the registration marks based on the settings and erases the standard rectangle The registration marks are created in a new layer and are locked CAUTION Do not move the Illustrator document origin after registration marks have been created 35 o Error Messages No output objects found No vector data exists in the document including when text is not outlined Convert a graphic object containing text into outline format The Output selection setting in the Cutting Master window Output page is set to Select by Layer or Select by Color and no layers or colors are set to be output Plot No Set the layers or colors to be output to Plot Yes Deselecting the Output Hidden Layer s checkbox of Cutting Master hides all layers in Illustr
34. optional OFF Use Document Origin optional ON e Compare the print with the Illustrator document Load the print in the plotter so that the documents bottom left registration mark Point 1 Origin 1s at the plotter s bottom right when the plotter is viewed from the front e Ifthe shape length or thickness 1s inconsistent with any of the plotter settings change the settings of the created registration marks to ensure consistency e Read the registration marks with the plotter e When requested by the plotter enter the distance between the registration marks e Cutting starts when data is output from the Cutting Master To print and cut in alignment Printing and cutting in alignment means arranging multiple duplicated printed images bounded by registration marks and cutting while reading the registration marks sequentially This process 1s used for the mass production of stickers and suchlike To print and cut in alignment a plotter that can handle print and cut in alignment applications is required See 1 2 Features for details of the plotters that can handle print and cut in alignment applications l Creating registration marks Create registration marks around the printed images using the operation given in the previous section Save the document first Printing in alignment When using a RIP for printing arrange the multiple printed images with registration marks by using the allotment function of the RIP before
35. reproduce a special effect such as the Zig Zag function described above in the lines used for cutting go to Illustrator s Color window select None for Line and then select Expand Appearance from the Object menu Please note that some of the special effects cannot be reproduced Do not use this plug in in conjunction with other manufacturers plug in software When using this plug in software set the plotter Command settings to GP GL The drawing origin may shift about 1 mm in error depending on the settings Line widths drawn using the Brush tool in Illustrator 8 may be irregular If drawings created using the brush tool are not recognized by this plug in software reset the line width for the drawing using the Illustrator line type window and restart the plug in software Drawings made using the Illustrator Blend tool cannot be output If you use Illustrator s Type tool to draw text but do not convert the text to outlines using the Create Outlines command the text will not be output Furthermore there are times when the rectangular frame enclosing the text string may also be output Even if you use the Clipping Mask Illustrator 9 Illustrator 10 Illustrator CS and Illustrator CS2 or the Mask Illustrator 8 function to hide part of or all of the drawing the entire drawing including the hidden lines will still be output by the Cutting Master plug in Use Illustrator s Outline view
36. rks Set the mode for reading the registration marks Top Lef t Point 3 Bottom Right Point 2 Bottom Left Point 1 Origin For 2 or two registration marks the bottom left and bottom right registration marks of the document are read For 3 or three registration marks the bottom left bottom right and top left registration marks of the document are read For 4 or four registration marks the bottom left bottom right top left and top right registration marks of the document are read For Area the bottom left bottom right top left and top right registration marks of the document are read The Align Distance between Blocks function cannot be used when Area has been specified Specifying a small number of registration marks speeds up the registration mark reading operation while the reading of several marks enables a higher degree of correction Note The Number of marks Area setting can only be used with plotters that are capable of performing segment area correction Do not specify the Area setting for any other plotter models See 1 2 Features for details of the plotters that are capable of performing segment area correction Media Loading Direction Select Normal or Rotate Load the medium by referring to the drawing of a plotter shown in the Cutting Master window Align Distance between Blocks When multiple images bounded by registration marks have been printed the reading of registration marks and the c
37. set here is applied to the Offset Step Size Feed Length Valid Area Pitch Size for line type Margin for framing Overlap for Tiling and Margins for Matrix Copy setup items 23 Flatbed Type Friction Feed Type Selects the type of cutting plotter to be used Folder Settings Displays a Folder Settings dialog box allowing you to set up the folder to manage the media list For details about the Folder Settings dialog box see Section 4 4 Folder Settings Save Load This button lets you save settings you ve made in this plug in software to a file and load those settings from the file when necessary 24 4 1 5 Cutting Master Window Registration Marks Page All the items in the Registration Marks Page are functions that control the registration mark reading unit in the plotter A registration mark is the alignment mark that is used to align the cutting positions on a plotter with the printed output of a printer Note The functions on this page can only be used with plotters that support the Registration Mark Control command For all other plotter models ensure that the Use Registration Marks checkbox is unchecked See 1 2 Features for details of the plotters that support the Registration Mark Control command When Registration Marks is selected in the page switching box at the top left corner of the Cutting Master window the following items are displayed on the right side of the window Cutting Master
38. ssign by Color allows you to assign media files one for each color in the drawing Initially all media files are assigned to indicate that drawings are output under the media file conditions specified in Default media type Use the Assign Media Type button to change assignments Assign by Layer can only be used when Select by Layer is specified for the target to be output Assign by Color can only be used when Select by Color is specified for the target to be output Media files are setup files in which such standard parameters such as Cond No Speed Force and Quality are assigned for each type of media When using divided output select Plotter or Set now for the Output Conditions 17 Output Selection Output Conditions Select by Layer JAssign by Layer Plot Layer Name Media Type Name F_S100 Clear film Yes Laver 2 Default j Assign Media Type CIS GION IM Ste TP FCS 100 Outdoor vinyl Output Selection Output Conditions Select by Color JAssion by Color Plot R G B Media Type Mame Yes Ozz 145051 F 51000 Clear film Yes Of9014 130 Default j Assign Media Type CE eT He ote yee FCS 100 Outdoor vinyl 18 Load This button is displayed only when you chose Set now as an output condition A media list is displayed Select a media from this list and click OK The Cond No Speed Force Quality Line Type and Pitch Size parameters are loaded from the media f
39. stance correction and correction at the four points are operations that adjust the coordinate system of the plotter according to the printed results so that the printing positions and cutting positions are as closely aligned as possible These operations usually improve the cutting positions To ensure higher precision when adjusting the cutting positions it is recommended that you use a precision guaranteed ink jet plotter or suchlike instead of a printer 2 Generally laser printers are less precise than ink jet printers In particular distortion may occur when using sheet paper with a laser printer due to paper skew Accordingly it is difficult to obtain good results when using such a device for printing and cutting Auto Correct When registration marks are created with the registration mark creation function provided with Cutting Master the distance between the created registration marks 1s automatically set as the distance in the data in the box for entering numerical values Size Specified Manually enter the distance between the registration marks in the document in the numerical value input box This function should be used when registration marks are not created using the registration mark creation function in Cutting Master or when you wish to change the distance between the registration marks Send Registration Mark Conditions When registration marks are created using the registration mark creation function in the Cutting Mast
40. the number of blocks to be printed in the Align text boxes x indicates the number of blocks in the horizontal direction of the Illustrator document and y the number of blocks in the vertical direction The distance between the blocks 1s the length of a blank area between the blocks When the document is output the registration marks are read and then the print is cut When the output is complete for one block the system reads the registration marks for the next block and cuts the print If the registration marks cannot be read follow the instructions displayed on the plotter panel 10 4 Function Details 4 1 4 1 1 Cutting Master Window This window is displayed by choosing Cutting Master then Settings from the File menu of Illustrator Cutting Master i Output Selection Output Conditions Page A All Plotter uf Options Flotter Settings Registration Marks Valid Area Scalingt 38 100 3 m 1000 nm Rotate E i eoo a Weed Border Mlargin fio minh z ae ea Cr E I Complete Preview Tiling weran fa nainn AE About Repeat i Output to Plotter Restore Defaults Cancel OK Changing pages The items shown in the upper left section of the window allow you to change pages You can choose Output Settings Options Plotter Settings or Registration Marks When you change selections the items on the right side of the Cutting Master window change to match what
41. this item and so that the distance between the bottom left and top left registration marks is aligned with the numerical value of y in this item The distances are read with the registration mark reading unit Correction of the vertical and horizontal distances For Number of marks 4 Correct the coordinate system within the range between all of the positions bottom left bottom right top left and top right read with a registration mark reading unit and all the positions bottom left bottom right top left and top right in the data calculated based on the numerical values of x and y in this item taking account of distortion Correction at four points For Number of marks Area This setting is effective when cutting a design that is extremely long in the media feed direction as a guideline a design that is longer than 3 m Intermediate registration marks are used as boundary points for dividing the design up into multiple areas 4 point correction is then performed for each area This function enables even more accurate correction of media skew or other alignment problems that occurred when the design was printed segment area correction Load the design in the plotter so that the intermediate registration marks are in the plotter s media feed direction Intermediate registration marks in the cutter movement direction will not be read Unlike drafting units few printer types guarantee precision in the dimensions for the printing position Di
42. tions page Note that drawings cannot be output to the left of or below the plotter origin Even if negative offset values are specified only the area of the figure to the right of and above the plotter origin will be output To change the output size The output size can be changed by entering different numeric values for the Scaling function available in the Cutting Master window To rotate the output The drawing to be output can be rotated by using the Rotate function available in the Cutting Master window The rotated drawing will always be output to the right of and above the plotter origin The drawing is output so that the bottom left hand point of the rectangle enclosing the entire drawing after rotation corresponds to the plotter origin provided Use Document Origin has not been altered To output outlines with thick lines Outlines with thick lines can be created using the following procedure Save the document first 1 In Illustrator select the line to be output in the outline 2 In the Illustrator Color window set Fill to None 3 Select Object gt Path gt Outline Stroke from the Illustrator menu The outline will be created with thick lines The outline created can be output in the same way as other objects Note when saving that the document will be changed by this procedure To output outlines of overlapping objects Overlapping objects can be combined using the following procedure Sa
43. tting Master Page Output to Output Settings a Graphtec FC7000 on USBOO1 Options Registration Marks zl Step Size Dim Unit mm Plotter C Flatbed Type Friction Feed Type Valid Area Scaling 8 100 x 1000 mm Rotate boo iS o i f Weed Border Margin i us Folder Settings j ili QOyerlap z mm V Complete Preview M Tiling ap E fi Save Load About Repeat fi v Output to Plotter Restore Defaults Cancel f Output to Select the Graphtec Windows driver to be used from among those installed in the system The Port set for the driver selected is used as the output destination If the Graphtec Windows driver has not been installed in the system Graphtec driver not found will be displayed and the Output to Plotter button will be disabled If this occurs install the Windows driver The Windows driver is included on the floppy disk or CD ROM provided with the plotter The latest driver version can also be downloaded from the Graphtec website For details on installing the Windows driver refer to the Readme txt file in the respective OS folder for the Windows driver Step Size Specifies the unit size GDU for the position data sent to the plotter This setting must match the plotter setting The plotter setting must also be changed if this setting is changed For details on plotter operations see the plotter s user s manual Unit Select mm or inch The unit you
44. utting operation are repeated according to the number specified in this item x indicates the number of blocks in the horizontal direction of the Illustrator document and y the number of blocks in the vertical direction The distance between blocks refers to the travel distance to the next block ignoring registration marks 26 This function cannot be used when Area has been specified for Number of marks Correct This function controls all of the alignment functions using registration marks Set the distance between the registration marks on the Illustrator document in the associated box for entering numerical values The set numerical values are sent to the plotter at output Keep this function enabled in normal operation If this function is disabled the registration marks are only used for positioning and axis alignment When this function is enabled the following correction is carried out using the registration marks For Number of marks 2 Scale the coordinate system on the plotter up or down so that the distance between the bottom left and bottom right registration marks which are read with the registration mark reading unit is aligned with the numerical value of x in this item Correction of the horizontal distance For Number of marks 3 Scale the coordinate system on the plotter up or down so that the distance between the bottom left and bottom right registration marks is aligned with the numerical value of x 1n
45. ve the document first 1 Select all the objects to be identified as overlapping 2 Select Unite in Combine in the Illustrator Pathfinder window The overlapping objects are combined as a single object The outline is output when the combined object 1s output Note when saving that the document will be changed by this procedure To output a drawing that exceeds the plotter width Tiling Character outline data can be output by cutting out and closing the shape of the boundary specified by the plotting area using the Tiling Overlap functions in the Cutting Master window However it may not be possible to close the shape if the data is extremely complex e g data created by combining a number of objects or character outlines data with curves edited using the Illustrator Direct Selection tool and data with numerous overlapping objects or intersecting lines In such cases the Weed Border function should also be used If divided drawings are output in conjunction with the Weed Border function the boundaries of pages within the border are cut with straight lines It is also possible to divide and output drawings using the Illustrator Knife tool To divide a drawing in Illustrator before output First of all in the Cutting Master window Options page set Use Document Origin to OFF and Output Selected Object s to ON The following procedure divides the drawing Save the document first 1 Cancel the grouping for any
46. x when using sheet cut paper the pen carriage is moved to the standby position after the plotter has output all the drawings and the plotter prompts you to change media after feeding the paper through to the end lt For Flatbed Type gt Only the Feed Medium checkbox is displayed When this checkbox is selected the pen carriage is moved to the standby position after the plotter has output all the drawings and the plotter prompts you to change media Matrix Copy Check the box to do an output of an arrangement of multiple figures When this checkbox is selected the target drawing to be output is copied for x rows in the horizontal direction rightward and y lines in the vertical direction upward before being output You can specify arrangement intervals in both the horizontal and vertical directions The range specified for Valid Area 1 e black frame in preview window limits the total output size derived from copying Multiple copies of the target drawing to be output are also displayed in the preview window according to this setting When changing numeric values use the Update Preview button to update the preview The Matrix Copy function cannot be used simultaneously with the Tiling Overlap functions 22 4 1 4 Cutting Master Window Plotter Settings Page Choosing Plotter Settings in the upper left section changing pages of the Cutting Master window displays the items shown below on the right side of the window Cu
47. yer and Assign by Color are not used in Output Conditions If Assign by Layer or Assign by Color is used either create or add media in the media list Alternatively change the Default Folder or User Folder to the original folder used when Cutting Master was first installed in the Folder Setup window 36 The selected media type name already exists Overwrite A media type name saved previously was selected when a media type was added to the media list Selecting Yes overwrites the selected data saved in the media list Selecting No changes the data to be added before it is saved in the media list Selecting Cancel aborts the adding of the media type name The file type does not match This file could not be loaded An attempt was made to load an incorrect settings registration file Only settings registration files saved using this plug in can be used Specify a file saved using this plug in software Too large Please re specify the Matrix Copy plotting area Matrix Copy is improperly set Matrix Copy can only be used in a specified plotting area Valid Area Confirm that the settings you made are correct A file operating error has occurred An attempt was made to output to or save settings over the file currently being used by another application Assign the file another name before you output or save it a The specifications etc in this manual are subject to change without notice
48. you ve selected Cutting Master Window Items Always Displayed Valid Area Specifies the size of the black frame displayed in the preview window Use this size as an approximate guide to determine the output size This setting does not affect other functions or plotter operations except tiled output or when using Matrix Copy When entering numeric values here use the Update Preview button to update the preview Complete Preview Changes the method by which the preview window is displayed Normally leave this item selected while in use Deselect this item if dialog box response slows down to update the preview window as when outputting drawings in fine detail Preview Window Displays an outline of the drawing or text to be output using blue lines A black border encloses the range specified in Valid Area The lower left position of the black border is always the origin specified by the plotter The blue lines and red borders change display position or size as offset and scaling settings change Use the Update Preview button to update the preview for confirmation Update Preview Updates the preview window as you set Scaling Enlarges or reduces the document drawing size within a range of 25 to 400 The value specified 1s applied equally in both horizontal and vertical directions Thus for 25 the area will be reduced to 1 16th This setting is also reflected in the preview window When entering numeric values here update
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