RMweb Gold JCL Posted June 7, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 7, 2012 I thought I ought to start this thread as my questions were taking over the thread about card rolling stock. I received my cutter a couple of days ago, and after initially having a very sticky printing mat, the stickiness subsided and I was able to pull the cut card off the mat with Allen's (Metalhip) suggestion of an artist's palette knife.. I printed an image of some windows, doors, signs and gable ends onto 110gsm card using a Canon MX870 all in one printer (matte photo paper, rear tray, ICM standard colour) using the printer's before cutting (with settings: blade=3, speed=3, thickness=33) and it was great. I wasn't convinced at the registration between the images and the cutting lines, but it turned out really well. The windows were *much* finer than I'll be able to do by hand, and the somewhat ornamented gable ends were very great as well. Below is a blurry phone photo of the cutouts. Overall, really cuffed that I managed to get one (hmm, sounds like an advert, I don't work for them!), and I'm looking forward to putting together Wainfleet signal box in 00 in the next week or so. As I was getting to know the software and process, my only niggles have been: - finding it really difficult reselecting the objects once you've drawn them - wishing I can lock the image I'm tracing so that it doesn't move when I'm cack-handedly trying to select objects. cheers Jason Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon A Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 As I haven't seen your previous threads, what brand of cutter and what drawing software please? Gordon A Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
L49 Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 I would really recommend producing your cutter artwork in a different artworking program such as Adobe Illustrator, Corel Draw, or Draw Plus. I tried using the silhouette software, and found it nigh on impossible to create the shapes I wanted to, or to build any complexity into the finished design. It will also make life easier for tracing another image. You could trace the outlines you want to on a separate layer, and then just export the layer to silhouette. It took me a few evenings to get the hang of it, but once there I wouldn't ever turn back! One other helpful hint if you are working in a design program and exporting the files: make sure nothing is 'grouped' on the artwork before you export it, and if you are drawing square or rectangle shapes, give them a 0.25mm or smaller rounded corner. It took me ages to work this out, and I kept wondering why different shapes I had drawn up weren't appearing on the finished cutterguide. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metalhip Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 Overall, really cuffed that I managed to get one (hmm, sounds like an advert, I don't work for them!), and I'm looking forward to putting together Wainfleet signal box in 00 in the next week or so. As I was getting to know the software and process, my only niggles have been: - finding it really difficult reselecting the objects once you've drawn them - wishing I can lock the image I'm tracing so that it doesn't move when I'm cack-handedly trying to select objects. cheers Jason Hi Jason, The Silhouette software is a bit clunky IMHO. I've found selecting cutting lines is a bit hit and miss,sometimes requiring several right mouse clicks to work and that annoying pop up menu tending to cover what I'm trying to select. It's easier to select by clicking the cutting line icon,the one that looks a bit like a dart or a pair of scissors,this highlights all the orange cutting lines,hold the shift key to do multiple selections. As regards the image moving,if you click the icon that makes everything page size you could well find that the whole image is selected,just hold the shift key down and click on a line using the right mouse key until you can see the whole image is no longer selected. The other reason for it moving is that the left hand mouse button is used and the image is accidentally dragged. If you've selected a cutting line and duplicated it,you can move it with the arrow keys,the more you magnify the image the finer the control is on moving it. Allan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold JCL Posted June 11, 2012 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted June 11, 2012 Hi Allan, I've been giving Inkscape a go. It lack some basics (such as remove all guides) but it's better than the software in the box! Thanks for your help there. Hi Gordon A, I'm using the Silhouette Cutter with the free Silhouette Studio 2.5.0. I'm doing print and cut. The method I have is: I've laid out my walls, windows etc in photoshop (other software such as the Gimp is available), then save it as a png file Import the png file into Inkscape. In Inkscape I trace over the png image using lines (boxes, circles etc don't work), and save as an AutoCAD format dxf file. In Silhouette Studio I then import the png file and resize it to it's original dimensions, merge the dxf file and resize that so that it covers the png file correctly I click on display registration marks, print from Silhouette Studio and then cut from using same software I'll also give the Serif free starter edition a go as well. That's it fairly briefly. If anyone has a better way then it'd be great to hear about it cheers Jason Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metalhip Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 Hi Jason, Seems like a lot of work to me,my method is........ 1.. Set things out in Photoshop using the guides on an A4 sheet so I keep within the Cameo cutting area 2.. Save it as an A4 PNG file 3.. Open it in the Cameo software,trace the cutting lines and then save it as a Cameo type file ready for cutting. Allan. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold JCL Posted July 26, 2012 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted July 26, 2012 Hi Allan Your method definitely works for me in the main. Some of the pieces to be cut are quite light in colour and so I've taken to outputting the cutting area as black, tracing that, then importing the colour version for printing and cutting, only takes a few more minutes. There is a certain amount of tidying up, and while I still think the software is clunky I've persevered and I'm much more accurate when selecting objects. Is it worth using this thread to provide a library of settings that will be useful for people cutting different thickness's and types of material? I've a poorly puppy so I'm fairly houesbound for a few days, so I'll probably get time to do some tests next week. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metalhip Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 A good idea I think. There's a software upgrade out,not sure what the improvements are though,it seems just the same. I've just ordered a new cutting mat so I'll post what Ive got as I do them on the new mat.My old mat is so battle scarred that it's hard to see if I'm actually cutting into the mat and I've sprayed it with cheap positional spray but I've overdone it a bit and it's too sticky. I find the cutter cuts 220gsm card okay,but if the mat isn't sticky enough the parts move about during cutting. Just got a new Samsung laser printer and I had to recalibrate the cutter,seems spot on now. Allan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold JCL Posted July 28, 2012 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted July 28, 2012 Hi Allan With regards to movement, I read that someone used double sided tape between the mat and the material in an area that isn't being cut - would that work for you? I'm still think that choosing the right thickness/blade combination is a dark art, but here are some test results that seem to work - your mileage may vary as they say: Styrene .010 styrene sp 5 th 30 blade 6 double cut - cuts cleanly .020 styrene sp 1 th 33 blade 10 double cut - score and snap - I ran it through the cutting process twice but I'm not sure if that's necessary .030 styrene sp 1 th 33 blade 10 double cut - score and snap Card 110lb card sp 3 th 33 blade 3 Canadian Post Shredded Wheat standard size cereal box - sp 5 th 33 blade 8 double cut Canadian Kellogs Cornflake Jumbo sized cereal box* - won't cut through even on the settings for the thickest card, would have to finish with a knife matt card (for matting pictures) 1.3mm thick - sp 1 thickness 33 blade 10 deep scoring, double cut - must finish with a craft knife * I don't know if the card is the same thickness in other countries. Jason If only it would go up to 11 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metalhip Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 Hi Jason, My new cutting mat arrived but I've not used it yet,as all the parts for a northlight engine shed are cut out and I'm building that at the moment. One thing I did find out was that cutting out twice rather that ticking the double cut box is quicker and seems to need less cutting blade exposed. I use card stock that comes in gsm rating and usually print direct onto the card and laminate together,okay for N gauge but might be a bit tedious for 00 and bigger,still better than manual cutting though I think. I print onto 160gsm card,and if I cut 220gsm card that is to be glued to the back of it I just print the registration marks on that and the same for any other lamination that will just be stuck together. One printed 160gsm lamination plus a plain 220gsm lamination gives me a 0.5mm total thickness and and I just double that for 1mm thick card. My settings at the moment are as follows,but might be altered slightly later as regards the thickness setting when I start with a new cutting mat.. Label.....................Blade= 1 ,Speed= 10, Thickness= 33, Single cut 75gsm paper.........Blade= 2, Speed= 10, Thickness= 6, Single cut 90gsm paper.........Blade= 2, Speed= 10, Thickness= 8, Single cut 160gsm card.........Blade= 3, Speed= 6, Thickness= 9, Cut twice 220gsm card.........Blade= 4, Speed= 5, Thickness= 14, Cut twice. These are somewhere near settings which I'll adjust them next time I laminate two sheets before I cut them......... 160gsm plus 220gsm glued together.......Blade= 7,Speed= 2,Thickness= 33, cut twice Allan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Siberian Snooper Posted December 29, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 29, 2016 Hi All Can anyone please help, I am not getting the 24" x 12" cutting mat option in the "Studio" software, any ideas? Thanks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Siberian Snooper Posted December 29, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 29, 2016 Hi All Can anyone please help, I am not getting the 24" x 12" cutting mat option in the "Studio" software, any ideas? Thanks. Panic over, I have now got a drop down box with the ability to scroll down, I didn't get this option earlier. Sorry for any inconvenience. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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