Re: glyph outlines

[Jan Kula <jano.kula@gmail.com>]

Hello to everybody,

On 07/09/2012 10:00 AM, Jan Kula wrote:
> how to draw character outlines for plotter to cut the letters out of the
> plate in mkiv? mmakempy.pdf is over 10 years old, so the situation could
> change since then.
>
> Anyway, even if I stick to the above method, the minimal example
>
> \starttext
> \startMPcode
> graphictext "Test";
> \stopMPcode
> \stoptext
>
> doesn't work as expected in mkiv. *.mpy file is empty.
>
> In mkii error is issued during the run. Ignoring it finally produces the
> outlines, so it seems, everything needed is available (gs, pdftops,
> pstoedit). Anyway, mkiv way is preferred.

Here is the mkiv answer:

% define the spot color for the plotter
\definecolor[CutContour][c=0,m=1,y=0,k=0]
\definespotcolor[Contour][CutContour][p=1]

% here is the outline feature
\defineeffect[outline][alternative=outer,rulethickness=.25pt]

\starttext
\startcolor[Contour]
\definedfont[Serif at 50pt]

\starteffect[outline]
And here is the magic.
\stopeffect

\stopcolor
\stoptext

In this case CutContour is the name of the spot color, which is usually 
used in the industry. Anyway, the plotter can require different spot 
color name, or sometimes you can assign the color to be cut off the 
plate in the plotter software. Consult at your printing house :)

Jano



___________________________________________________________________________________
If your question is of interest to others as well, please add an entry to the Wiki!

maillist : ntg-context@ntg.nl / http://www.ntg.nl/mailman/listinfo/ntg-context
webpage  : http://www.pragma-ade.nl / http://tex.aanhet.net
archive  : http://foundry.supelec.fr/projects/contextrev/
wiki     : http://contextgarden.net
___________________________________________________________________________________