Illustrator help

[dpoul34]

I'm quite new to the digital process. I was given a Macintosh, all pre-press graphic software, and was just expected to know how to use them all. Although I have gained some insight into Adobe Illustrator (CS3) for prepping artwork for output, my abilities to alter artwork from an artist's standpoint is very limited.

I have a 2 color carton which once stripped, will be 12 up on a sheet. The cartons are nested amongst one another in the die. The artwork I have has spot black and an overall of 109 yellow, which is a square layer on top of the carton.

How do I alter the yellow so that it follows the outline of the carton and bleeds 1/8".

 

[PDL]

Carton Layout and Workflow

Carton Layout and Workflow

In Ai you may try making a copy of the dieline placing it on top of the artwork layer, scale it to your bleed size, then select the new bleed size dieline and the artwork together. Go to the Object menu and make a clipping mask.
However, if this form of packaging is the bulk of your work you may want to take a look at some of the EskoArtwork products. A good place to start - link here -> Plato for Cartons - EskoArtwork
Also check out our DeskPack plugins for Ai, link here -> DeskPack - EskoArtwork

Good Luck - peter

 

[dpoul34]

It must be dummy day, cuz I can't figure it out. I did however manage to scale the box a little larger as desired, but pasting it on top of my artwork, the new scale disappeared. Could you explain the process a little further?

Also, since my yellow already covers everything, is there a way to neatly erase from the existing image to create this bleed instead of one big yellow square? All I know how to do is erase by freehand, and that leaves jagged outlines.

 

[rich apollo]

Another method:

1 Select the die
2 Copy (Command+c)
3 Paste Behind (Command+b)
4 Go to the Object menu>Path>Offset Path
5 Enter 1/8 inch
6 Fill with color
7 Make sure your dieline overprints

 

[dpoul34]

Great - I have now learned how to paste in front or back and that does make a difference. Now don't laugh, but how do you fill something with color? I know, I need Illustrator classes.

 

[oxburger]

"window>swatches" will open your swatch list.

to add color to it, either open "window>color" and add a CMYK value to it and then drag the swatch to your swatch list

or open "window>swatch libraries>color books>pantone solid coated" (or uncoated or metallic depending on what you need) to open up your spot colors and drag the swatch you need to your swatch list.

another handy feature is "help>illustrator help".... will guide you through the basics.

 

[mschilling]

When you have time try youtube, there are plenty of tut's there like this YouTube - Sessions - Illustrator Basics: Creating Curves

 

[PreStressed]

It's also worth looking things up in the help menu in Illustrator.
There's quite a bit of info in there.

 

[beermonster]

hi

i'm packaging here - and do this all day long

bleed - does it really HAVE to be exact - no not really.

here's how i'd do it - i'd use a mask if you're not too familiar with illy - it's non destructive as in it doesnt change anything. masking simply hides what you do not want leaving what you do want

firstly, you have to make sure your cutter guide is set to overprint - thats critical

so - you have your artwork - on layers i presume. make a new layer (layer pallette>new layer)

lock your artwork layers, but make sure you can see the cutter.

on your new layer start to draw around the outside of the cutter - estimate the bleed needed - have a look at the multi up and judge what you need - you may think say on some panels or flaps that you need to get a bit tighter - use your judgement

when you get all the way round the outside of the cutter join up the points to leave a shape. fill and stroke with "nothing"

now unlock all other layers, select all - and press apple key and the number 7 to "make mask"

and there you go - it should be masked. proceed to step up - add marks, station numbers, ink/varnish free areas as required

ok - there's things in there ya dont know yeah? how to draw - "points", masks, fills - strokes, overprints - use the help feature to search all these words and you'll get there

good luck

 

[Grnofslt]

Here's a thought, we could tell you how to do this and how to do that all day and you would never really know how to use Illustrator. There are soem web sites that are pay sites, i.e. Lynda.com where you for a price can watch some very good tutorials on how to use Illustrator. The tutorials go everywhere from the total basics and essentials to more advance things. When the company I work for bought Illustrator, I joined Lynda.com and have been glad I did ever since. I have learned a lot, and have been able to apply many of the features of Illustrator into our typesetting. Check them out and see for yourself.

 

[Lukas Engqvist]

I have lynda account too, great to watch a lesson or two when waiting to get missing hi res logos for "finished" work. It is good both for keeping me up to speed, but also for learning how to explain things to customers.

 

[dpoul34]

Thanks for the info. i do subscribe to a few sites and try to do all my classrooms in a book. The unfortunate part in my position is that aside from prepress, I am a working shop manager that aside from supervising has to spend much time on machines. It's a tough spot for me to be in, but from all your advice have learned many things.

 

[Lukas Engqvist]

I fiind the classroom in a book is too slow for me. A much more inspiring book that works well as a reference and Ideas book is Sharon Streuers Illustrator wow book. It also has some wonderfull basic lessons such as Zen of the pen.