Curves for cutting are turned into double lines (curves without fill?)

[Maxi85]

Hey guys,

I'm in desperate need for help. I need to create a cutting line around a cropped image that will later be printed and cut out. I tried the following: 

1. create a new layer above the one that contains my object.
2. draw the outline of the object with the pen tool on the new layer
3. define a global color (100% magenta with overprint) and assign it to the curve.
4. export as PDF

The guy from from the printing company returned the files, saying the curve I created doesn't work because it isn't a single line but rather two and that would make the cutting machine cut double. He thinks the outline is a area rather than a path/curve. As far as I know I can turn off the color of the filling of the pen tool, but i cannot disable the area itself. 

Am I using the wrong tool? I would be super glad if you could help me solve that problem. 

I attached files that were returned to me, that show "the problem". But I don't really understand it.   

 

SDU-freigestellt neu mit Affinity erstellt.pdf

[joe_l]

37 minutes ago, Maxi85 said:

He thinks the outline is a area rather than a path/curve.

I opened your PDF in AD and it is a path. I opened the PDF in Illustrator and it is still a path. So I wonder where the images are coming from clearly showing an area? Is the line to thick with 1 pt? I usually make contour / cut lines much smaller, which worked so far. 🤔

[Maxi85]

Hey joe_l,

 

thanks so much for taking your time to check on my topic. I guess I could try to decrease the width, but I also think that it's about the "nature" of the curve, so probably the two lines would just be closer together and still behave as an (smaller) area. A vector shouldn't have such borders as shown in the images I attached. So I guess something maybe my tool selection (pen tool) is wrong. 

I'm new to print stuff, but I guess creating a cutting line for printing company is quite common, so I wonder why I have this issue at all. I hope to find a solution, as the deadline for the project is approaching 😑  

[thomaso]

57 minutes ago, Maxi85 said:

Am I using the wrong tool?

No, Pen Tool is perfect for cutting contour. Actually the cutting software would ignore the stroke width but uses the path only.

If both screenshots come from the print provider it appears the curve of your PDF was ignored but another got created.
Compare the nodes in both files, they are obviously two different shapes:

[Maxi85]

Hey tomaso,

 

thanks for the reply. The difference is due to the fact, that I sent him one file first and after he reported the "two-line-problem", I made another attempt in a new file. I attached both files here in the forum. So the difference in the shape is on me. 

 

[thomaso]

Another guess: The PDF screenshot is titled with "freigestellt mit PSD erstellt".

This makes me wonder whether the image.tiff initially contained any paths in PSD, which possibly may be seen / used by the printer's software?

[Maxi85]

Hey tomaso,

 

sorry again. That's due to the fact, that I tried PSD as well, to see whether that would solve the problem, but got the same result. 

[joe_l]

14 hours ago, Maxi85 said:

I made another attempt in a new file.

I am a bit clueless without the Affinity file here. Silly question: Did you use Expand Stroke on the path? The only reason I can imagine why a path should be turned into an area.

[MickRose]

17 hours ago, joe_l said:

I opened your PDF in AD and it is a path. I opened the PDF in Illustrator and it is still a path.

I opened the file in Acrobat and it is a path (which should be cuttable). Are you sure the file uploaded to this forum is the same file sent to the printer? If it is, then I wonder if the problem is with the printing company. Also, perhaps the printing company need the path to be a specific colour.

[Maxi85]

Hey guys,

 

here are the Affinity Designer file, the exported EPS and PDF. I tried the same approach as before. Maybe you can spot the problem. But I'm slowly beginning to think MickRose might have a point here and the problem is with the printing company. 

2_affinity_forum.pdf 2_affinity_forum.eps 2_affinity_forum.afdesign

[joe_l]

3 minutes ago, Maxi85 said:

Maybe you can spot the problem.

No, I can not. The path is a path is a path is a path in all three files. 🤷‍♂️

[Maxi85]

Ok. Thanks so much for your efforts guys. 🙏

[joe_l]

1 minute ago, Maxi85 said:

Ok. Thanks so much for your efforts guys. 🙏

No problem. Are there any recommendations from the printing company regarding the cut contour? Thickness? Does it have to be a spot colour (what I would assume, but in your file this is not the case)?