How To: Fix Double Cut Lines in Adobe Illustrator

In this video we take a look at double cut lines in Adobe Illustrator, caused when Illustrator converts strokes to outlines. This can cause issues when using a file to cut on your cutting plotter as the printer will see the outlines of the stroke and cut both lines. They will be so close together, it will appear that it is making the same cut twice. It isn't. Watch this video to find out why it is doing it, and how to fix it.
In this video I am using Adobe Illustrator CC (Latest Version), and I cover flattening the transparency of your artwork to ensure that you don't experience the dreaded double cut.
I hope you find this video interesting and take some tips from it. Please do consider subscribing :)
#doublecutlines #flattentransparency #convertstroketooutlines

[@tomyaxley5632]

This has been doing my head in for ages, the phantom double cut! Thanks so much for this, it has worked a treat for me. Absolute legend. Subbed!

[@joyboxcustomprint]

You're very welcome!

[@drewdegrado9253]

thank you so much kind Sir. I communicate with are graphic designer on how i cut things on are wide format. And now i can teach them how to send me the graphics so im not the one only one stuck with this issue. time to teach graphics department to send me correct cut lines

[@joyboxcustomprint]

Glad it was helpful for you. You may still have to repeat the process your end but much less clearing up than you likley had before 👍

[@azizqassim3883]

Sir.. this video helped me clean my calligraphy pieces so well.. thank you very much.. it is really annoying to see laser machine or plotter double cutting lines.. I followed your instructions and it worked great.. many thanks..

[@joyboxcustomprint]

You are very welcome, happy to help :)

[@nemethgabriella]

thank you i ducked up sooo many imes after this video i learned it and i will never forget this thing!!!!!!!

[@joyboxcustomprint]

Thank you, you're welcome :) Don't forget to subscribe!

[@joyboxcustomprint]

Hope you found this video helpful - If it has helped you in anyway please consider subscribing ✔️

[@joyboxcustomprint]

Thanks for watching!

[@MonikaBeitlová]

Life-changing :D, thanks so much!

[@joyboxcustomprint]

You're welcome :)

[@techpunkvlogs]

true for me too!

[@fightforpeace4450]

Big thanks, u really helpful. Do u know that I spent the whole day trying to fix this problem! Unfortunately, I can't till I see your video. Really appreciate that 🙏

[@joyboxcustomprint]

You're welcome - happy to help. Don't forget to subscribe!

[@dellydomika]

finally!! THANKS a lot! I was drawing with my brush and I always draw beyond the line and when I hit expand apperance and then divide because I want to delete that tip it makes more cuts and it was double work for me. Im saving this tutorial

[@joyboxcustomprint]

Hey, you're welcome! Glad it was of some help to you :)

[@techpunkvlogs]

oh man.. ur great.. thanks so much.. i thought my plotter was nuts... i have the ce7000 with the auto feeder! spent a bomb and this is what i got most of the times.. such a relief i found this video .. subbed.

[@joyboxcustomprint]

Hey, happy to help! It is a very common issue. Thanks for the sub 😀

[@mtbtomfoolery]

Very helpful - this fixed my issue! thank you :)

[@joyboxcustomprint]

Glad it helped!

[@shaunm2208]

Thanks bud i needed this

[@joyboxcustomprint]

You're welcome Shaun, don't forget to subscribe if you haven't already :)

[@avelinileva]

Thank you so much for this! :D

[@joyboxcustomprint]

You're welcome! Don't forget to subscribe :)

[@ShaniceSelina]

THANK YOUUUU!! OHMYGOD

[@joyboxcustomprint]

You're welcome @SHANICESELINA 👍

[@Archeagle]

thank you man. I got sooooo many problem when i cut small text... it was painfulllll.

[@joyboxcustomprint]

Glad it helped! Don't forget to subscribe 😀

[@Archeagle]

@@joyboxcustomprint yes sir. i just did

[@breannakelly-watt7968]

Thank you!!

[@joyboxcustomprint]

You're welcome 😀

[@SuperRealimpact]

Thanks Mate!!!

[@joyboxcustomprint]

You're welcome, happy to help :)

[@FrankCornelissen-i7i]

Even after doing this, still double cutcontour lines. Any more ideas? I only see 1 line when doing ctrl + y.

[@joyboxcustomprint]

Have a look in the layers panel and expand all. You might literally have a duplicated cut line. If not, clear the cut lines and start them again. Good luck 👍

[@FrankCornelissen-i7i]

I already did this. Started over 100 times. Still double cutlines while there is only 1 curcontour.

[@techpunkvlogs]

@@FrankCornelissen-i7i instead, can u do a offset path and try? i mean dont draw an object cut line.. just use offset path method and try.. luv to hear back the results

[@chrislambe1974]

If your cutline stroke was being path outlined either side which gives you a double cut which can happen when receiving files from a customer sometimes this can be version compatibility issues which automatically does this or the way the file was saved then select the cutline and go to compound paths and release this will separate the two unfortunately the stroke which was in the middle won't be there but you can select one of them then go to path offset path and either minus or plus the offset to find the center of the original stroke weight delete the other two make that path a clear fill and create a CutContour swatch as discussed below and that will work also because what you are stating in the video won't work if the file was saved in the wrong way and created a double filled stroke if you get me

[@joyboxcustomprint]

👍

[@verascheve5242]

*Solution for drawn paths* The solution shown in the video did not help me at first when applying this to drawn paths which you want as cutlines. Unchecking the ‘convert all strokes to outlines’, will actually result in the opposite behaviour and turn your path into an object (stroke changes to fill). After hours of frustration, I have found the solution: Select the path which you wish to turn into a cutting line. Remove the stroke, and select a fill colour. Now apply the ‘flattening transparency’ tool, by unchecking the box ‘convert all strokes to outlines’ and click OK. Now, remove the fill and apply the desired stroke swatch again. Goodluck!

[@joyboxcustomprint]

Always good to hear peoples workarounds, nice one!

[@LaserTemplates]

Thank you! I drew a path with the brush tool and spent so much time trying to figure this out, thank you for the excellent solution.

[@chrislambe1974]

This tip will help for print and cut on any wide format printer/cutter from illustrator all you need to do is create two layers one for print and one for your cut have all of your artwork on one layer for print then create a new layer for the cutline always have your artwork layer below the cutline layer the cutline layer fill should be clear but a colored stroke it can be any color the trick is to have the stroke in front of the fill in the color palette then go to the swatches palette click on the 3 lines to the top right then click new swatch which is at the top call the swatch & this is the important bit CutContour exactly as I have typed it no space between the Cut & Contour and the C's must be capital and the rest lower case then below that is the Color Type drop down menu select spot color and that's it...Any wide format printer RIP software should pick this up as a print & cut file

[@joyboxcustomprint]

I'll give that a try 👍

[@chrislambe1974]

@@joyboxcustomprint I don't think the stroke weight or color matters just the process of creating a SPOT color swatch with CutContour as the swatch name with the Cs Capital as typed no space let me know how you get on...