Laser cutting vector lines twice

[Don Sims]

I have searched the forums and have searched google and I have not come up with an answer yet. I am using Flexi 8 to do my design work and when I send the work to the laser, it always cuts the vector cutline twice. Not a big deal with plastics, but wood gets burned. Has anyone out there had this issue? Help!

[Dan Hintz]

Are you sure there are not two vector lines in the file? That's quite common when someone does a cut-n-paste job in a file, leaving double (or more) or the same image...

[Mike Null]

It's actually far worse with other file types. CAD for example--people have found as many as twenty layers when importing into Corel.

See if you have an object manager feature in your software and delete the extra lines from there.

[Don Sims]

Are you sure there are not two vector lines in the file? That's quite common when someone does a cut-n-paste job in a file, leaving double (or more) or the same image...

Most of my artwork is original and I create and engrave in flexi. No importing or exporting. Here is what I do....

I make a white layer for the background so everything is within the size to engrave. That white back ground has a stroke of .001 for the cut line. The next layer has a small circle with a stroke of .001 to cut a small hole. Next layer has the same thing in a different place and then the top layer has text. This project is a simple name tag and the strokes always cuts twice.

As soon as I get out to the shop, I will send one of my files to show how it is set up.

[Gary Hair]

You could solve that problem pretty easily by using Corel, any special reason you are using Flexi? It's pretty much overkill for a laser.

Gary

[Don Sims]

Actually, I have a thermal vinyl printer/cutter, a solvent ink printer/cutter, an impact printer and the laser. I like to do it all in one program. The only time I have to vary from that is if I need to use photoshop to fix artwork or change an image for laser engraving. Sometimes I use photograv, but most of the time, I can get it done in photoshop. I just don't like to import export a lot and when there is one program that can do it all..... why not.

I just pulled up an old file that I needed to cut out some plastic and noticed it was cutting single paths. I also noticed that every layer in the file was a compound path. I just might have solved my own problem.

And to think, this was supposed to be a hobby.

[Don Sims]

I thought I had it, but no. Funny, I have 2 compounded paths. The first one is white color with #2 color stroke and it cuts once. The second path also has a white color with a #3 color stroke and it cuts twice. http://www.makingitdigital.net/link/cutout.zip