ISO a Keeshond

[CricutLuv]

LOLOL, ok, call me a little " thick" here, but I'm feeling like I am missing something. How do I cut the initial shape if it's not a basic shape, in order to put my printed image under it, such as the Keeshond. I would *really* like to figure this out. I have spent SOOO much time trying to calibrated this Expression of mine with no success. I can hardly wait to get a machine that I am able to do this with. Also very intricate cuts. Thank you all very much! This Keeshond project is a mini album I'm going to donate for a rescue fundraising auction. I'm so excited to get this figured out & get started!

[Penny Duncan]

You would need to create a shadow image of it if you're wanting to have the background layer to be the same shape......Meaning what you'll want to do is stamp your image.....then scan that stamped image and bring it into your graphic program you're using and then made a shadow layer of it.....If I'm not mistaken you're probably using SCAL2 and I'm not sure they have the Image trace feature in that program.....so you would need to make that shadow shape in another program......for instance Inkscape if you know how to use that program.......I've done several tutorials on tracing a JPEG image.......

Once you have the shadow shape created then you'll save that as an SVG format and import that into SCAL to cut that out...does that make sense??????

[CricutLuv]

Hi Penny, how are you? I also have another program besides SCALE 2. I won't name it, figuring it would not be appreciated having the other named here. However, it does have the trace feature. My images are not stamps so stamping isn't an option. But I could attempt print, scan, trace. Going to give this a try. I really want to get this process figured out, because I have an image in my mind as to how I want the front of the mini album to look. I would love to be able to go out right now and get a new machine that will not only allow me to do PNC, but to simplify the process as well.

[Louise-Paisley]

Your options..

If you want no background to the subject then use a graphics editor like photosho, PS Eliments, or the free Gimp to erase the background leaving just the subject on a white background.

Next import that into SCAL and use the pen tool to draw a cut line around it.

Now you can use the print and cut in SCAL3 if your machine supports it, or use the hinge method if it does not..

Hinge method..

Print the picture from SCAL onto the paper or card you want to cut it from.

Place a blank sheet of paper onto the mat and tape one edge in place with painters tape.

Put that in the machine and cut the cut lines. If possible do not remove the mat completely from the machine for the next steps..

Lift the cut paper carefully keeping the taped side in place - use the tape as a hinge.

Put your printed sheet UNDER the cut out sheet and position so the printed image is visible in the hole in the cut sheet..

Now cut again to cut the image out. If you can do it with your machine hinge the cut sheet out of the way when you send it in to cut again.

[gj1]

You can use Paint that comes with your computer, and the Crop, Select, Free Form cutting tool...draw a outline beyond the image, click cut, and then open a new window and hit paste. Take the eraser and erase the little bits around it...
This is really very easy and you probably have the program Paint installed. Save the file and open SCAL2 and use the TRACE feature, change the top number to 90 and select okay..your outline is on the mat...I change the color to none for just the red outline and went to File and Place and brought my Paint cropped image in and it is ready to do the cutting process, which has been described.

[Louise-Paisley]

My bad, I though trace was a SCAL3 addition with the laser point print n cut..

Having said that, I don't like the trace feature, seems a bit hit and miss to me, sometimes it works and others I just cannot seem to get a decent outline no matter what I do.

With laser P&C I often don't crop the background at all, I just draw the cut lines in with the pen where the image would be cropped and print & Cut.. Its so accurate it works very well that way and you have a bleed area in case you get the laser alignment slightly wrong

[gj1]

That is very cool...but the requesting poster can get her job done with the machine and program she has. I have never had a problem with the trace feature in my scal....I can always achieve an outline by changing the top number, only, most of the time...and, occassionally, I have to depeckle, and increase that number.

[Penny Duncan]

Hi Penny, how are you? I also have another program besides SCALE 2. I won't name it, figuring it would not be appreciated having the other named here. However, it does have the trace feature. My images are not stamps so stamping isn't an option. But I could attempt print, scan, trace. Going to give this a try. I really want to get this process figured out, because I have an image in my mind as to how I want the front of the mini album to look. I would love to be able to go out right now and get a new machine that will not only allow me to do PNC, but to simplify the process as well.

Well if I can help you in anyway just let me know!!! That program does a GREAT job with tracing for sure!!!!!

[Louise-Paisley]

That is very cool...but the requesting poster can get her job done with the machine and program she has.

The instructions posted (hinge method) will work with any machine :-S

[Penny Duncan]

Yep it sure will........it's a quick way also if you don't have a laser too!!!