Illustrator dealing with gradients and expanding a clipping mask

[jvanick]

I have an Illustrator logo that came from a custy that when I try to do my typical 'merge' to clean up overlapping paths/etc before making my underbase, when I click merge, it basically creates a black box that looks nothing like the image.

I've tried 'Expand', i've tried transparency flattener, I'm pulling my hair out here trying to deal with it.

anybody have any suggestions?

I've been unsuccessful googling, probably due to the fact I don't know what to google for.

Thanks!
-J

[3Deep]

Just a shot in the dark try clipping mask release or compound release someone might have use those.

[jvanick]

I think the issue is that a clipping mask is being created for those gradients... I can see the clipping mask, but if I release it, it becomes the big box...

how do you 'clip' the clipping mask?

[JBLUE]

Take your gradients and turn them to solid colors before you flatten the transparency. That way the objects that have gradients in them become their own object after the flattening. Then you can go in and redo the gradients using spot colors. Just copy the art and paste the copy off to the side so you can match the gradients when you recolor them. This also gives you independent objects that you can use for a base. This will keep Illustrator from trying to turn the gradient into a bunch of different slices in a gradient. If that does not help PM and I can look at it for you.

[1964GN]

I see a lot of this too. I size it, export to PS and SEP it there. Much easier on more complex art.

[jvanick]

gradients to solid colors worked great.

Re going into PS to Sep.. what's the easiest way to choke underbases in PS?
in Illustrator I make a new layer with the art, convert everything I want to choke to a single color, stroke it all with a .4pt stroke on the line, 'expand' my stroke, merge, and then delete.

it would be too cool if somebody had an illustrator action to just 'do' it...  maybe they do?

Thanks guys!
-J

[1964GN]

Create a new channel.
Select the colors you want to underbase.
Click: Select>Modify>Contract. Input how any pixels you want to contract and click OK.
Make sure your new channel is active and fill with Black

[Sbrem]

I also will routinely open in PhotoShop if it's too much of a pain in Illy, but I love the converting to solid colors tip, thanks.

Steve

[Sbrem]

gradients to solid colors worked great.

Re going into PS to Sep.. what's the easiest way to choke underbases in PS?
in Illustrator I make a new layer with the art, convert everything I want to choke to a single color, stroke it all with a .4pt stroke on the line, 'expand' my stroke, merge, and then delete.

it would be too cool if somebody had an illustrator action to just 'do' it...  maybe they do?

Thanks guys!
-J

you could try recording it as you do it, then save it. I've made a couple, but it's been awhile. Just have your ducks in a row so to speak, hit the record button, go through the routine and save it.

Steve

[JBLUE]

The only problem with taking it into PS sometimes is the banding that happens when pulling the color from the gradients that were made in Illustrator. Those can be a PIA sometimes. They are always hit miss but its my go to route a lot too.

[Dottonedan]

If you get any banding from the illy file into the psd file, you would have it if you went straight out of illy also. That banding is caused by the preferences set up in the illy file when it was created. It pertains to the number of steps used in a gradient. They have that as an option in older versions since back in the day, you needed a lot of memory in illy and memory was scarce. No so much scarce today. So I think it's higher my default or not even an option, just in high.  Now if converting Corel to illy, you may still see that banding either because of the conversation and setting in Corel.

Stroke your art in Photoshop (modify/contract based on the rez of the file. You should want to bring it in at 300ppi. Then modify by 2 pixels.  600 dpi then use 4.

[Wildcard]

I prefer Illy for all my artwork since i mostly do spot colour prints and I most frequently use the path>offset function to create a choke or trap. Just a few steps shorter than expanding a stroke and knocking it out.
The other offset path option is under the Effects>Path menu which keeps the adjustment editable until expanded.
Creating an action to run this step automatically is pretty simple and probably a worthwhile spend of time for anyone repeating this often, but for some reason I've never done it myself...

[Maff]

Yup, or you can just add a black or white stoke to your object to trap or choke.  Usually a .5pt works well, unless it's very small and then .25pt stroke

[Sbrem]

Take your gradients and turn them to solid colors before you flatten the transparency. That way the objects that have gradients in them become their own object after the flattening. Then you can go in and redo the gradients using spot colors. Just copy the art and paste the copy off to the side so you can match the gradients when you recolor them. This also gives you independent objects that you can use for a base. This will keep Illustrator from trying to turn the gradient into a bunch of different slices in a gradient. If that does not help PM and I can look at it for you.

I gotta save this. I usually just take it into PS and sep from there. I really should have doped it out for myself, it's so obvious now... Thank you sir.

Steve

[IntegrityShirts]

I prefer Illy for all my artwork since i mostly do spot colour prints and I most frequently use the path>offset function to create a choke or trap. Just a few steps shorter than expanding a stroke and knocking it out.
The other offset path option is under the Effects>Path menu which keeps the adjustment editable until expanded.
Creating an action to run this step automatically is pretty simple and probably a worthwhile spend of time for anyone repeating this often, but for some reason I've never done it myself...

I'm going to give this a shot and see if I remember to use this instead of adding 1pt of stroke to choke an underbase. Is there any advantage to this method? I noticed a miter limit setting on the offset path options.