Convert a black-and-white PDF/AI to clean lines without intersections

Forum|Forum|6 years ago
October 29, 2019
3 replies
2134 views

Is there an easy way to convert a black-and-white PDF/AI to a file with 'clean lines'?

A black-and-white file can look 'clean' at first glance, but if you type CRTL+Y in Illustrator, you see al the hidden lines. Most of the times there are a lot of duplicated/intersecting lines. I need these lines to be cleaned up to only the outlines of all the (merged) black objects. This is necessary to import them in the engraving software we use further in the proces. With intersecting or duplicated lines, we can not use the files, this will give corrupt files. At this moment it costs too much time to clean them up by working with the pathfinder.

Download sample file to clean up here

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Monika Gause

Community Expert

Please upload a sample file.

R

RositaAuthor

Participant

Sample file to clean up

Monika Gause

Community Expert

Thank you. That was simple.

You need to outline all text and outline all strokes.

Then select all and use the pathfinder "Merge"

Then select all white or invisible objects. Best would be to create an unfilled unstrokes object and select > Same > Fill&stroke. Same goes for the white.

Delete those objects.

C

chrisl41501719

Participating Frequently

This is cool. The original is a positive space image, the finished state is a negative space vector. In other words, you have black lines on the original (positive space) but the lines are changed to geometric shapes.

This is worth a try at least.

Open in Adobe Acrobat, go to the Flatenner tool, and try clicking the box "Convert all strokes to outlines". Hit apply.