Some files sent by end users are not ready for production, especially for cutting, because they lack a properly defined cut contour. With PrimeCenter, you can automatically generate cut contours without needing a separate design tool. This eliminates the need to open and manually edit each file in design software.
Depending on your needs, you can create cut contours using one of the following functions:
- Create contour from PDFBox check/fix profile: Generate a cut contour based on the PDF box information. For non‑PDF files, the image border is used as the reference box.
- Create contour from page content check/fix profile: Generate a cut contour by analyzing the image content. This method works with any supported file format.
- Contour from PDFBox tool: Generate a cut contour based on the PDF box information. For non‑PDF files, the image border is used as the reference box.
- Contour from content tool: Generate a cut contour by analyzing the image content. This method works with any supported file format.
Info
Applying these functions successively will not remove existing content in the PDF. Each application will add an additional cut contour.
Prerequisites
Before configuring these functions to generate cut contours, you may need to learn how file processing functions are applied in PrimeCenter.
Contour from PDFBox
The organization of settings may vary between PrimeCenter versions.
📌 Creation method
Option available since PrimeCenter V3.1.
Choose when the software should generate a contour:
- Always: Creates a contour even if one already exists.
- If no contour is detected: Creates a contour only if there is no existing one matching a contour in the Cut contours list (formerly "Dictionary").
- If specific contours are not detected: Generates a contour only if the selected contours are missing from the file.
📌 Area & Adjustments
PDF Box
Choose the PDF box to use for generating the cut contour.
Contour name
By default, the contour name is CutContourAuto, but you can rename it to fit your workflow.
Warning
Make sure to add the contour name to your Cut contours list first (formerly "Dictionary"), otherwise, it won’t be visible.
Rounded corners
Apply a radius to round the contour’s corners.
Adjust the contour placement
- Adjust: Adjust the distance between the PDF box and the cut contour.
- Offset: Move the PDF box.
Adjust page size to contour
✅ Enable this option to automatically resize the PDF page to match the new contour, ensuring correct processing. It is recommended to keep this option enabled.
Contour from content
The organization of settings may vary between PrimeCenter versions.
📌 Creation method
Option available since PrimeCenter V3.1.
Choose when the software should generate a contour:
- Always: Creates a contour even if one already exists.
- If no contour is detected: Creates a contour only if there is no existing one matching a contour in the Cut contours list (formerly "Dictionary").
- If specific contours are not detected: Generates a contour only if the selected contours are missing from the file.
📌 Mode & Strategy
Mode
- Smart (default): The software automatically selects the best mode based on detected content.
- Visible Content Excluding White Areas: Generates a contour from visible content while ignoring unprinted (white) areas.
- Visible Content Including White Areas: Includes white areas in the contour but ignores transparent sections (e.g. if the file contains a transparency channel).
- All vector objects: Uses vector elements only to generate the contour, skipping raster rendering.
Rendering resolution
Select the resolution from the available options: higher resolutions improve accuracy but slow down processing.
Lightness tolerance
The Lightness tolerance allows you to adjust the difference between pixel values when rendering needs to include or exclude some parts (e.g. when the image is not sharp and slightly pixelated).
The higher the tolerance, the more areas are discarded from the shape.
- Low (Include All Pixels): Includes every pixel in the shape creation.
- Medium (Optimal Setting): Default tolerance, which is the optimal setting.
- High (Ignore Light Areas): Ignores light-colored pixels.
- VeryHigh (Ignore Very Light Areas): Ignores even lighter pixels.
Contour name
By default, the contour name is CutContourAuto, but you can rename it to fit your workflow.
Warning
Make sure to add the contour name to your Cut contours list first (formerly "Dictionary"), otherwise, it won’t be visible.
Adjust the contour placement
Adjust the distance between the image content and the generated cut contour.
Control which contours are created
-
All contours: Detects and creates both internal and external contours.
-
Only external contours: Restricts the detection to external shapes.
Curve mode
- Optimized (default): Balances accuracy and smoothness by combining polygons and curves.
- Smooth: Prioritizes smoothness, using only curves.