Optimizing / combining a sliced up vector file for vinyl cutting

[GoPengo@adobeforums.com]

I am a novice Illustrator user in need of getting some banners made. I used Illustrator CS to modify a Clip-Art file that I had. The image was saved as a vector file.

The problem is the image looks great printed on paper, but areas that look like one continuous black body are actually many smaller pieces overlayed on each other. This is causing the vinyl cutter to slice up the body into tiny pieces, which makes it difficult to transfer to the banner.

Is there a way to combine all the pieces of my vector file together into one continuous line, or do I need to retrace the artwork by hand?

Thanks,
Pengo

[Scott_Falkner@adobeforums.com]

First, select all and expand, which will convert any strokes to fills. Next, select all the black outline shapes and unite them with the Pathfinder tool. Do the same with the inner white parts. Keep moving up (layer will be useful here) until all parts are correct.

To proof, make the whole thing a compound path. If it looks right like that, then it'll cut right, too.

[James_Talmage@adobeforums.com]

Don't overlook the Merge Pathfinder. Using it in combination with Expand is a godsend for this purpose. Of course, it depends upon the artwork, but often all you have to do is select the whole thing, apply Expand... with both the strokes and fills options checked, followed by Merge. Merge combines the contiguous areas of same-colored fill, removing those unwanted cuts.

JET