Select all > Pathfinder > Divide ( create outlines of the Stroke first ). Probably old school, but should work. Just delete what was the stroke inside the state shape, while resting the stroke outside the state shape ( always work on a copy of your original artwork ). ... View more

Use caution when comparing Pantone ink colors on your monitor ( transmissive ) vs. printed out of whatever printer you happen to be using ( reflective ).  Just out of curiosity, what is the printer you are using?  What type of paper?  Is it a laser?  Inkjet?  Thermal Transfer?  Are you using a RIP?  Is it a contract proofer?  The only real dependable way to print Pantone spot colors is using a press that has the actual Pantone ink loaded ( not CMYK ).  Anything else could be a shot in the dark.    ... View more

I really cannot see the destruction, just really low res text.  Rasterizing really is not what you think it is.  Just print a miniature version of my procedures at 75ppi ( crop or size the file down to a printable size ).  You will see non-destructive, smooth and crisp elements. ... View more

"There really are no set rules that you need to follow."  Well, there are, but instead of "rules", there ar standards in place that practicianers follow.  In your case, you can think outside the box and see if there is a way to get what you want.  With printing, all files that come into the print vendor's prepress department will have to be RIP'd ( raster image processing ).  So, if you encounter a problem converting to PDF, odds are the RIP will encounter the same problem.  The problem may be caught before it goes to press ( in the proof stage ).  The fear is your file will go direct to the printer without a proof.  You simply have to ask if the print vendor will require a proof before printing.  If no, then I suggest you get one before the print vendor RIP's and then prints. ... View more

I also meant to suggest setting your file's Raster Effects to "High" or 300ppi before Exporting ( although having them at default 72ppi will just mean coarse effects vs. smooth effects ). ... View more

"My questions are: is the flattening in photoshop and reimporting back to Illustrator the best/safest way to achieve a high quality printed image?"   There really are no set rules that you need to follow.  However, your question's answer really depends on how the file will be output ( ultimately, printed ).  It sounds like your file is going to be printed grand format ( ceiling ) or at a minimum, large format.  Like Monika suggested, you should be working with your print vendor on file specs.  It also sounds like you are concerned about flattening and what a conversion to PDF will do.  There is another option ( which you may have already hinted at ) that you could consider.  Because the file will be ( or seems to be ) printed inkjet, large format, you could Export the file as a PSD using RGB.  I sense you may have to scale the file.  I typically use 25% file size to be output at 400%, so 300ppi @25% will output at 400% 75ppi.  When you Export out of Illustrator, your transparency and other raster effects remain intact in a PSD.  You will also have the advantage of assigning a ProPHOTO RGB tag to the file which will improve color.  You could try my approach as an experiment ( on a copy of the original Ai file ).  When you do, you should see that everything is intact as it is meant to be.  The PSD can then be Saved As > Photoshop PDF ( if necessary, but the vendor should be able to receive both the original Ai file and the PSD ).  You original question regarding conversion to PDF destroying your transparency and raster effects should not happen and could be linked to your PDF settings.  Adobe publishes a great resource titled Print Publishing Guide.  I recommend you buy it and study up on print requirements. ... View more

It depends on how your artboard(s) is built.  I typically avoid having anything fall outside the artboard.  But, if you do, then yes, the file will be larger than it has to be because those elements remain part of the file.  You have not mentioned whether your image files are linked or embedded and any raster effects if any.  So, if your PDF is "huge" and you want help trimming it down, then you will have to be a bit more descriptive in how your file is built and what it consists of.  For instance, if your file is 8x10" and you "Place" an image that is 16x20" @ 300ppi and you scale it down to fit and you embed the image then your PDF will be larger than it has to be ( scale the image in Photoshop and Place it @ 100% first, then "Link" the image file ).  ... View more

In your Trace options, choose hand drawn ( Black & White ), in settings, choose Edit and select "ignore White". ... View more

Maybe it is a Compound Path already.  Try putting a color rectangle behind your trace ( if you have not already ) and see if that area is Open or is White.  Optionally, you could just delete that rectangle ( White ) or use Pathfinder > Divide > delete section.  Whatever you do try, do it on a copy of the artwork just in case you have to resort back to the original at some point.  Also, do a Select > All and see if the Black are actually paths and not a fill ( just out of curiosity ).  "Different Groups" could mean fill vs. stroke, could also mean different colors ( although not likely ).  The error message is almost like a default for when Illustrator will not do what you want in the command.  I know it is tedious, but you could use the scan as a template and redraw using the Pencil tool.  No White unless you want it.  You could also try tracing without White included, so just the Black lines. ... View more

"one colour per design "... why RGB?  How many designs are there?  ... View more

How many colors are to be printed?  One?  How is the online vendor printing the shirts?  Heat Transfer?  Silkscreen?  Inkjet?   "As i understand it all printing ends up going to CMYK "... not t-shirts, but again, depends on how they are printing the shirts.    "The logo has cut out sections so needs to have a transparent background"... the design is already transparent unless you specifically apply a White or Black behind it.  So, JPG will work.  You really have not explained what the design consists of or the method the online vendor is using.  I'd like to know that before I make a solid recommendation. ... View more

Even if the print vendor opens to the artboard size, the artwork should still be read 9.25w x 1.5h; I know of no RIP that you would preset the size before opening.  The vendor may not have "constrain" size set upon input.  So, if your artboard is 12w x 5h, the artwork should still retain its original 9.25 x 1.5 size. ... View more

Not sure, but it was reported that Adobe Apps would only recognize OpenType fonts at some point.  Are your fonts TypeOne Postscript or True Type?  That might explain it.  Otherwise, look for Apple's Fontbook app and see if the fonts have been loaded there or check your System > Fonts and see if they are there, too. ... View more

I agree with Larry.  Close the Paths. ... View more

Before you do anything, get permission in writing that you can, indeed, modify the existing logo ( if you have not already ).  "TM" stands for trademark.  "R" stands for registered trade mark.  Technically, you must be registered with the U.S. Copyright Office in order to use the "R" designation.  So, get that in writing, too.  Also, you should be working with the original artwork ( should be a vector file with "live" text ).  With that, it should be a snap to make the necessary revision. ... View more

One more thing.  The output resolution I mentioned earlier is 2740ppi.  You will get a smoother dot if you use 5480ppi.  And, in order to generate a dot large enough to image on a silk screen mesh, 35lines per inch is a good screen frequency.  Sorry, I wasn't sure based on your initial post, that you were up to speed, sounds like you are.  Feel free to post any more questions you might have as you proceed. ... View more

Another important consideration is moire pattern in the gradients.  To minimize this, you would assign an angle when creating the 1-bit halftone screen in Photoshop.  There is a way to determine the angle based on the mesh of the silk screen you plan on using for the printing.  It could be 75 degrees, 15 or 0 degrees.  In fact, you may want to do a series of angles, such as 90, 45, 75, 15, 0, etc., print films say around 6" x 6" of each and place them on top of a silk screen and see which combinations produce the least amount of moire.  On top of that, you have the shirt's sewing pattern that affects the screening, too. ... View more

If the garment is Black, then yes, you would have to knock out everything that is Black so the shirt shows through.  Obviously, if the shirt is dark Gray, and you want the dots "Black", then you would need to create a channel for the Black only.  So, first you have to convert your artwork to CMYK, either in Illustrator or Photoshop.  In Photoshop, when the file is CMYK, you split the Channels so you get 4 Grayscale separations.  You can duplicate one of the channels and invert it for the White.  Also, you can name the channel(s) anything you want using Plastisol reference color names.  Or, leave them CMYKW and assign each on press a particular Plastisol ink.  The artwork you sent as a sample looks very rough.  Is that a screen shot or a digital camera pic? ... View more

Followup.  Question number 2.  That design appears to have been already printed ( see halftone dots in Blues ).  In order to get the White, you need to do either a flash or a flood using White undercolor.  So, the actual inks you use to print the shirt will probably be three: 1. White, 1. Black, 1. Blue.  "Lady Wolves" lettering has a blue gradient inside it.  "Basketball" has another blue gradient.  There are other methods of printing, such as inkjet or thermal transfer which may be easier. ... View more

Let me try to help...   "1) will RIP software print gradients? I've heard on numerous You Tube videos you have to change the gradient to a halftone, so if that's the case is the film that's got the gradient on it, for example a yellow color, will the film print a yellow gradient/ or a yellow halftone if this makes any sense?"   - Screen printing is really quite complex.  So, yes, the RIP will "generate" a gradient, however, you need a RIP that will print separations as "halftones" and send that to you as film positives ( which are then used to make the actual individual screens for printing on garments}.  There is another way, too.  You could export the artwork as a .tiff file and open it in Photoshop.  More on this in answer number 2;   "2) I made a design (stupid me) that I don't even know how to print and it makes me nervous, I am going to submit that here. PLease tell me how this will print. Theres a bunch of offset paths, and when i click on it there are millions of lines, and it scares me! LOL. What do I do to make this a better file to use for print?"   - You could export the artwork as a .tiff file and open it in Photoshop.  It gets a little tricky because you should size the artwork before Export out of Illustrator.  Open the .tiff in Photoshop ( if you have it and you should ) > Go to Channels > Split Channels ( you should get 4 CMYK channels: 1. file.cyan; 2. file.magenta; 3. file.yellow; and 4. file.black ) > these should be Grayscale files. In your design, if it prints on dark, you will need a flash White underprint channel, to get this, you will duplicate one of the Channels and Invert it.  Consult with a local source to help you with this because it is pretty complex manipulations and there will be some additional retouching, I'm sure.   Getting back to your artwork.  In Photoshop, open the Cyan channel > you should see a grayscale version of the separated cyan colors > go to Image -Mode = Bitmap > Resolution = Input - whatever your original file is, Output - 2540ppi; Method = Halftone > Halftone = Frequency - 35lpi ( for mesh of silk screen ), Angle - 75 degrees ( or whatever is suitable for the mesh of the screen and the channel itself ), Shape - Ellipse.  In these steps, you are bypassing the RIP and doing the halftones yourself, but they still need to be output onto clear film for generationg the silk screen(s).  Since you have chosen a field which you have little to no training, no education that we know of, perhaps you may want to get that before venturing into screen print design and prepress.  ... View more

Since the ellipse is Black, it is not necessary to blend mode the gradient ( the Black in the gradient will simulate transparency ). ... View more

Icicles are very different than ice crystals.  You really need to have a design established befroe you render the artwork in Illustrator.  If you are etching, there may be some limitations on what you can logistically do in your artwork because of the production of the etch itself.  There are many approaches to what you can and cannot do, but first on the list is determining what you plan to do for a design.  That, my friend, is completely up to you or someone you hire to design for you. ... View more

Yes and no.  Once you "outline" the font(s), they become artwork.  As such, your logo now is your property.  One of the reasons Adobe does not allow distribution is because your client really does not own the license to your font(s) and it becomes a legal issue.  So goes for your logo.  Typically, you own the rights ( unless you are working as a work-for-hire free lance designer ) to that logo.  Copyright laws allow you, the owner, to distribute your logo ( made for your client ) under certain circumstances where you have stipulated somewhere in your contract with your client, limited use parameters.  I recommend you study copyright information available through the U.S. Copyright Office, Washington, DC or consult with an attorney.  The Graphic Artists' Guild can also help, they have a very helpful handbook covering Graphic Design operating procedures ( graphicartistsguild.org ). ... View more

You could create a "Path" using Photoshop.  In Ps, select the black, invert selection > Save as a Path.  Select the Path, copy then paste in Illustrator. ... View more

One of my speciaalties is hand lettered logo design.  What I do is create the lettering in pencil and paper.  Then, I scan the image and Place it on a Layer in Illustrator.  Then, I create a second Layer and name it "Artwork" ( first Layer is named "template" ).  On the Artwork layer, I use the Pencil tool, the Pen tool and redraw.  There are other elements like circle and rectangles that help speed things up and are based on the design.  There is always a considerable amount of anchor point manipulations that are part of the work, but you can get away with very few anchor points vs. vector automation techniques. ... View more

It may be some kind of fringe case of a font licensing issue.  Not saying it is, but some fonts are not allowed to be copied or circulated outside of your computer.  I hope I am wrong, but licensing has gone to a whole new level. ... View more

"2 objects (jpg) each 250mb"...  what size is your document?  Are those image files scaled down?  Or are they coming in at 100%?  Make sure, and I would recommend, to create a new document ( sort of start over ) and Save As ( under a new name ) with Link Image Files selected.  Double check the un-embedded image files' size, make sure the resolution is appropriate for where the file is going and you Place the image files at 100%.  The previous file, eventhough you un-embedded the image files, they may still be embedded and or are linking to the original file ( that's why I suggest you create a new document ).  ... View more