# Signcut not displaying image from Illustrator



## Evo777 (Oct 17, 2009)

When I create an image - for example a simple number - in Illustrator and then export to SignCut, does anyone know why it freezes up? The image does not display in SignCut although I'm able to view it in "Preview Cut" and see the cut process. 

Then after a few seconds, the program freezes up and if I don't shut it down from the windows taskmanager, my computer freezes up eventually as it seems to be using up a ton of my memory.

The steps I take:


Open a new document in Illustrator
Hit text tool and create the number
Then I export the image to signcut (without saving first)
I was able to make a few cuts without any problems but this issue keeps popping up. I restarted the computer, shut down and restart both programs, save in eps then open directly from signcut all without any success.

I'm using win7 64bit with cs3 but I doubt it is an OS or software version as I was able to export fine a few times following the same process. 

Thanks


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## Evo777 (Oct 17, 2009)

Sorry - clarify: I mean "Send to SignCut" from Illustrator.

I don't actually "export"


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## Evo777 (Oct 17, 2009)

Oh same thing occurs when I Effects>Export>Send to Signcut from Inkscape.


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## Nvr2Old (Oct 14, 2009)

I am using Signcut Pro with a USCutter Laserpoint 24. I had a few issues in the beginning, but most are all worked out now. What version are you using?


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## Evo777 (Oct 17, 2009)

I was using Signcut 1.05. I just updated to 1.07 and it seems to have fixed the issue I was having.. for now. 

Hope nothing else happens. Must have been Signcut's issue since both Inkscape and Illustrator seems to be sending the image without a problem to Signcut after the update.


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## Nvr2Old (Oct 14, 2009)

Evo777 said:


> When I create an image - for example a simple number - in Illustrator and then export to SignCut, does anyone know why it freezes up? The image does not display in SignCut although I'm able to view it in "Preview Cut" and see the cut process.
> 
> Then after a few seconds, the program freezes up and if I don't shut it down from the windows taskmanager, my computer freezes up eventually as it seems to be using up a ton of my memory.


I have also noticed Signcut does not like certain files. I have incorporated a few work arounds and so far I have not had any more problems. 
When I create a file in Ai, I always preview it in outline mode before I send it to Signcut. This way I can be sure everything is in line art format. Go to the view menu and select outline. If there are any non vector images, they should show up here. ie, When using the text tool in Ai, the text is in non vector format. View it in outline, and the file still looks just like text, (no outlines) instead of line art. To remedy this, select the text with the direct selection tool. Then go to the object menu and choose expand. This will draw lines around your text. Then go back to the view menu and select preview. Now you can see the text still looks the same, but is in line art format. 
Since I started checking my art before sending to Signcut, I have not had any more problems with freezing or program crashes.


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## Evo777 (Oct 17, 2009)

Nvr2Old said:


> I have also noticed Signcut does not like certain files. I have incorporated a few work arounds and so far I have not had any more problems.
> When I create a file in Ai, I always preview it in outline mode before I send it to Signcut. This way I can be sure everything is in line art format. Go to the view menu and select outline. If there are any non vector images, they should show up here. ie, When using the text tool in Ai, the text is in non vector format. View it in outline, and the file still looks just like text, (no outlines) instead of line art. To remedy this, select the text with the direct selection tool. Then go to the object menu and choose expand. This will draw lines around your text. Then go back to the view menu and select preview. Now you can see the text still looks the same, but is in line art format.
> Since I started checking my art before sending to Signcut, I have not had any more problems with freezing or program crashes.


Wow thanks! This could have been the issue. I'll start doing this. Thanks again!


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## tgoeltz (Aug 7, 2007)

After creating text in Illustrator I have to click on the arrow selection button before exporting to SignCut, otherwise it will not display the text. I do not have to convert all text to outlines as long as I remember not to export while I still have the text tool selected.


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## Evo777 (Oct 17, 2009)

tgoeltz said:


> After creating text in Illustrator I have to click on the arrow selection button before exporting to SignCut, otherwise it will not display the text. I do not have to convert all text to outlines as long as I remember not to export while I still have the text tool selected.


Yes, good point. I've tried this as well. Highlighting the text with the arrow selection button and also clicking elsewhere on the canvas and not highlighting the image.

Now that you mentioned it, I think the issue first occur when I did not do this - create text and send to SignCut without hitting the arrow selection button. Illustrator then gave me a warning regarding no outline or something like that. SignCut then opened without any buttons or image displayed and promptly froze after a few seconds. Good point.


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## TheFoundry (Jul 31, 2012)

Signcut is garbage, I have it and it works about half the time. Go graphtech


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## Snorth (Apr 26, 2018)

Hi all
Completely new to all this and have bought a vinyl cutter with the Signcut Pro 1 software, 
We are completely stuck !!!
as we can’t send imagages from anywhere to sign cut 
It keeps saying image not found, tried from coral, adobe and Inkscape 
Please can could someone point us in the right direction as to what we are doing 3 days and late nights of this and it’s driving me around the bend
The only thing I can cut is the signcut logo on signcut lol


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## Snorth (Apr 26, 2018)

Hi all
Completely new to all this and have bought a vinyl cutter with the Signcut Pro 1 software, 
We are completely stuck !!!
as we can’t send imagages from anywhere to sign cut 
It keeps saying image not found, tried from coral, adobe and Inkscape 
Please can could someone point us in the right direction as to what we are doing 3 days and late nights of this and it’s driving me around the bend
The only thing I can cut is the signcut logo on signcut lol


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## dcbevins (Jul 31, 2011)

Snorth said:


> Hi all
> Completely new to all this and have bought a vinyl cutter with the Signcut Pro 1 software,
> We are completely stuck !!!
> as we can’t send imagages from anywhere to sign cut
> ...


If you do just a basic export then import does the design show in SignCut? If so it is likely the plug in for "Send to SignCut." You don't need "Send to SignCut," it is just very convenient. Export-Import should always work. If not, something very basic is wrong.

SignCutPro 1 don't have plugins for CorelDraw 2017 or 2018. You have to go to SignCutPro 2. Not sure about what the cutoff for recent versions of Illustrator may be.


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## whelk (Sep 21, 2015)

I found that if any of the layers in Illustrator contain bitmap graphics - even if the layer is hidden, it simply will not export to Signcut.

Ordinarily you wouldn't want bitmap images sent to Signcut anyway, but if you do it by accident and you don't realise.... wasted a lot of time figuring this one out myself. :/


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## nobody111 (Sep 2, 2021)

Evo777 said:


> When I create an image - for example a simple number - in Illustrator and then export to SignCut, does anyone know why it freezes up? The image does not display in SignCut although I'm able to view it in "Preview Cut" and see the cut process.
> 
> Then after a few seconds, the program freezes up and if I don't shut it down from the windows taskmanager, my computer freezes up eventually as it seems to be using up a ton of my memory.
> 
> ...


*The answer is STUPID BUT SIMPLE*

Sign cut can only understand 256bit colours so your shape must be filled/stroked with for example full black (HASH# 000000)


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