Let’s Explore v4 – Pixscan project

Pixscan Project

I get an email from my husband asking if I can make him a phone cover out of some skull vinyl he has found online.

Well, of course, challenge accepted!

I order the vinyl and sat down to cross this off my to list. I wanted to get it done because sometimes the projects that are closest to us always seem to get pushed down the list. This time I wanted it to be first on my list.
Take some time, create something for yourself, a loved one, or a friend.
Enjoy what you can create!

Now on to the project!

I grabbed my Pixscan mat for the Cameo and took a photo using my old Iphone 6.

Next, I emailed myself the photo and when it asked what size I wanted to email, I chose “Actual Size”. If the photo is compressed when it’s sent, then it may not be read by the Silhouette Software.

After I download and save the file, I then clicked on the Pixscan Panel in the top right corner of the Silhouette Software.

Choose Load Pixscan Image from File and find the location the file was saved when downloaded.

Once the photo pops up, I get a notice about no Calibration Profile.

I just click on “Continue without calibration” and the photo will load onto the Silhouette Studio design mat. Now you should see the Pixscan mat on the screen.

Now that the Pixscan mat is in the software, there may be several ways to get the cut lines needed.

Trace

With a basic Trace, I can trace the outer edge of the phone case.

I increased the Threshold until the edges turned solid yellow and then chose “Trace Outer Edge”.

Now, in this photo I have increased the line thickness so you can see the cut line better. You will notice that the right side of the cut line is not perfectly aligned with the bottom edge of the phone. That is due to the shadow and it traced around the shadow. This can easily be moved to the edge of the phone.

If you double click on the cut line, the Edit Points will pop up and you can see that there are more than are really necessary. Anytime you have a trace you will find that it adds edit points. These can be simplified in the Edit Points Panel by either clicking on “Simplify” or deleting unnecessary ones.

For more information on Edit Points, check out this post HERE.

I mentioned above, that there may be several ways to get the cut lines needed. What works best is going to depend on what image you are working with. The Trace did a good job getting the outer edge of the shape I needed for the outer cut line of the case. However, I need to cut the 2 circles out of this for the back of the phone and the Drawing Tools will do the job here.

Drawing

On the left side are the Drawing Tools. I will need the Draw Ellipse Tool and will hold down the Shift key to draw a perfect circle for the 2 objects I need it for.

And I now have the cut lines for cutting vinyl to apply to my husband’s phone.

Since I am only needing the shape cut out and not cutting onto a specific media or stamped image, I can copy this shape and paste it onto a new design mat to cut it.

I do not need to cut directly on the Pixscan mat in this case. However, you could if you have an image such as a design on a scrapbook paper that you want to cut out or a stamped image and want to cut it directly on the mat, like in this post explaining the Pixscan Panel.

I use the Reveal option on the Page Setup Panel to measure where the design will fit on my cutting mat and then cut my materials down to size with a paper trimmer. Then I am only applying the material to that section of the cutting mat and I save the adhesive on the other areas that it is not applied. This is one way that I can get a Silhouette cutting mat to last a long time.
For other tips on Getting the Most out of the Silhouette cutting mat check out this post HERE.

It’s ready to cut! Click on the Send tab, choose my Vinyl Glossy Material and click on Send at the bottom.

And remember the old saying “Measure twice cut once” or you end up with a piece of vinyl that wasn’t quite long enough. But it’s just a little vinyl and I put a 2nd piece on the cutting mat and cut again. It happens to us all at one point or another.

Now it’s ready to apply the Oracal transfer tape and put it on the back of the phone.

Here is a quick video on how I apply the Oracal transfer tape. I have used this for years both personally and in my classes and my students have no issues with it.

And now by using the Pixscan mat, my husband has the custom phone cover he requested. He has a clear phone protective case on it, so that will protect the adhesive vinyl even more.

Keep in mind that each object or design that you are working with may be different in what is needed to accomplish the goal. I used the Trace Panel and drawing tools to get the shapes I needed for my cut lines. A different object may need another tool or a combination of tools too!

The best way to learn is to play, play, play!

Feel like this is something you might use?
Grab one at Swing Design or Silhouette America to play (I mean test).

Have you used the Pixscan? I would love to hear how!

Feel free to share your projects, questions, or comments below or on my Facebook group at Silhouette Secrets with EllyMae.

Enjoy!

**This post may contain affiliate links. What that means is that I may receive compensation if you purchase through the links I have provided. The price you pay for the product or service is not higher but I may get compensated for sharing.