Cut vinyl directly from Adobe Illustrator 10

[Julie_Lynch@adobeforums.com]

I have a OILINE Classic Plus vinyl plotter for my sign making shop. I've heard and read that people can cut vinyl graphics directly from AI. I don't know if a third party tool is used to translate data from AI to the plotter. We are using Windows 2000 as our operating system. Does anyone know how to send images from AI to the plotter listed above? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[Philip_Peterson@adobeforums.com]

The vinyl cutters I've seen (which, admittedly, is just one littly bitty one) have a "cut" command inserted in the "file" drop down in illustrator 10.

I have no idea of oiline droppes a command in a simular place. I'd check that, or see if it can be selected as a printer.

[BobHill@adobeforums.com]

Julie,

We quite often have vinyl cutter operators posting here. Hopefully one of them will pop in with advice.

Bob

[Julie_Lynch@adobeforums.com]

Philip and Bob,

Thanks for replying. I do hope any vinyl cutting gurus do respond to this question. I don't see a cut command under the file menu. I have been experimenting with trying to make the cutter appear as a printer, but no success yet.

Thanks,

Julie

[Steven_Eyrse@adobeforums.com]

Julie see if your cutter has either a windows print driver on its' disk or if you can download one from your cutters web site. Then you use that to have the graphics program or any windows program feed to the cutter. Myself use a Mimaki CG ST60, they have drivers for it on their website and it lets me cut from AI , Corel , Word , anything that will " print " from a vector. Now if you can't find one on the disk or from mfg. do a search for HPGL . This is Hewlet Packards Graphic Language driver. Most cutters will work with it.

Steve E.

[Julie_Lynch@adobeforums.com]

Steve,

Thank you for your advice, I will see what I can find. I remember reading on IOLINE's web site that they don't create any drivers and that I would have to look elsewhere. I just found an HPGL windows driver so I will try it on my machine this weekend. I do appreciate you help.

Thanks again,

Julie