Posted on April 3, 2021January 4, 2022 by silhouettesecretsplus — 12 Comments

Software Upgrades My Favorite Features

Let’s Explore v4
Silhouette Studio Software Upgrades

Affiliate links may be present in the following blog post and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

I am seeing a bunch of new Silhouette user’s join us and there is so much information out there.
Today let’s talk about software upgrades.
I highly recommend this.
Don’t be overwhelmed by all the options though!
You do not have to learn it all at once, but if you upgrade it will be ready for you when you are ready to learn about it.

What is an upgrade?

A software upgrade is an code you purchase that unlocks additional features in the software.
It is a one time fee that can be active on up to 3 computers per code.

I highly recommend at least the Designer Edition upgrade for all of my students.
It makes life easier and saves you time and headache.
Just being able to open a svg file and cut is well worth it.

But I LOVE the Business Edition upgrade because it unlocks it ALL and I never have to question if some tool/feature is available to me.
Both are well worth the investment!

Don’t let the name “Business” edition fool you though – you do not have to have a business to use it or have it be useful. There are just some features that are helpful to those that run a business such as using multiple machines.

If you have the basic (free) software, you would want to purchase 1 of 3 options depending on what upgrade you want to go to:
Option 1 – Silhouette Studio to Designer Edition (highly recommend at least this)
Option 2 – Silhouette Studio to Designer Plus (unlocks a few more features – see below)
In all honesty, if you are upgrading to Designer Edition Plus, you might as well go all the way and unlock it all
Option 3 – Silhouette Studio to Business Edition (unlocks it all)

Now here is the important part, if you already have an upgrade, you only need to purchase the step up to the next level you want.

For instance, if you already have the Designer Edition upgrade but you want to go to Business Edition, you want to buy the Designer Edition to Business Edition upgrade. You do not need to buy the full upgrade. You would purchase the level that you need to go from to the level you want to be at.

Now, keep in mind, if you purchase the upgrades in steps it is no different than purchasing the upgrade all together, except that you will need to enter the codes in that same order if you install it on another computer or have to re-enter your codes for any reason.

What does each level of upgrade do?

Here are a few of my favorite features and the ones I find most might use in the software:

Designer Edition unlocks:
– Ability to open svg and pdf file directly in the software
– Rulers and guides can now be activated
– Additional Knife tools
– Additional Line Effects
– Trace by Color
– Magnet Trace
– Glyphs Panel
– Ability to create Rhinestone designs
– Warp Templates
And more…..

Designer Edition Plus unlocks all of the above and …..
– Flexishapes
– Ability to open some embroidery file types (PES, DST, EXP, JEF, and XXX)
– Puzzle Generator
– Conical Warp
And more…..

Business Edition unlocks all of the above and …..
– Import Ai/CDR/EPS Files
– Weed Line Feature
– Multi-cutter Support (I use this one all the time)
– Multiple Undo/Redo (one of my favorites)
– Export SVG, PDF, JPG
– Edition Toggle (this is great for those of us who teach, so we can see exactly what the students see in their version)
And more…..

Now, the list above is not the extensive list of all the features unlocked with each upgrade.
However, it is a list of the features I find the most useful in each upgrade.
For the complete comparison chart click HERE to go look at Silhouette America.

I want you to be successful and use your Silhouette software to the fullest!
The Vinyl Spectrum has the upgrades to Designer Edition, Business Edition and from Designer to Business at a great price.
These are digital codes, so are emailed directly to you after purchase.
Check them out HERE.
If you are in need of extra supplies too, I have been impressed with their super fast shipping too!

How to activate the upgrade

In the Silhouette software, click on Help in the top left menu. Then choose Upgrade and a pop up window will show up. Enter the information in the window and type the upgrade code exactly as you received it.
Make sure you are entering the codes in the order that you purchased them in.

For example, if you ordered Designer Edition and then the Business Edition upgrade later.
To activate it on a computer, you would need to enter it in that order.
First the Designer Edition code and then the Business Edition code.

If you purchased the Silhouette Studio to Business Edition code right off the bat, then you only have 1 code to enter.

If for some reason the digital codes are “out of stock” at one retailer, you can buy the upgrades from another retailer.
See my list of recommended retailers and sites HERE.
Yes! Digital codes do go out of stock too because it is all an inventory item.
The retailer has to purchase the codes from Silhouette America, just like any other product. So it’s not uncommon to see things go in and out of stock as more people buy it.

If you have question about an upgrade just let me know.
Comment below or post on my Facebook group at Silhouette Secrets with EllyMae.
I would love to see what you creating with your Silhouette machine!

Save this for future reference by pinning the image below.

Enjoy!

THANK YOU for your support! How can you help? Click HERE & buy a coffee.
Every little bit helps with the cost of running the site.

Or if you are looking for more in-depth, step-by-step classes, check out all of my online Silhouette classes on my Teachable site HERE.

Posted on December 21, 2020October 2, 2021 by silhouettesecretsplus — Leave a comment

Holiday decor with Silhouette

This year has definitely been an interesting one. I haven’t really felt like pulling all of the Christmas decorations out, but still wanted to do something.

While cruising on Pinterest one night, I saw this and thought it would be perfect for a bit different look on our buffet in our dining area this year.

Affiliate links may be present in the following blog post and as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

This is a Christmas village that is constructed out of black cardstock and the window inserts on printable vellum. So it was fairly easy to put together.
The file can be found HERE – on the Adventure in a Box website.
I purchased the full file so I was able to get right to the project instead of creating my own images.

Now, they hand cut all of the files, but I’m not much up for that. Since you can open PDF files in the Silhouette software directly with the Designer Edition upgrade or higher, you can bring it right into the Silhouette software to set up to cut for you.

Let’s take a look at how that is done.

Make sure you are using the PDF file for this design. I used the png images for the silhouette parts and it was not the same size as the PDF file silhouettes, so they were a little bit big for the cutouts of the houses.

First, like I said above, you will need at least the Designer Edition upgrade or higher to open the pdf file.

Download the file, save it to a safe place, and then unzip/extract the file.
Next, in the top left corner of the software choose File > Open in the Silhouette software and choose the PDF file.

When you open a PDF file, it will give you a couple of options. I always try the
“Import as vector” first because in some cases, depending on how the file was created, it may open up with cut lines already done. The only way to know is to open as a vector and click on the Send tab to see if the cut lines are there.

If the PDF file has more than 1 page to it, you will want to choose which page to open first.

In this case, the first 3 pages are instructions, so we don’t need those at the moment. They can be handy for assembly if you need them. I chose Page 4 and then click on Import in the bottom right corner to open the file.

Now, use the Basic Trace, increase the threshold until it turns as smooth of yellow on the black as possible.

Now click Trace and then move the original design away. Since the original design does not have “score” lines to fold the building on for it to stand up, I added those in myself.

Using the Line Drawing tool on the left side, hold the Shift key down and draw a line that almost touches from one end to the next. I didn’t want the score line to cut edge to edge, so I made the line a little bit smaller.
Next, on the Line Style Panel on the right side, change the Style of the line to a dashed line. This will act like a score line and not be fully cut through and the cardstock can easily be folded on this line. Adjust the line between the outer cut lines as needed.

Select the entire design and the score lines and then right click and choose Group, so the entire design moves as one piece. Using the Transform Panel – Rotate Tab, rotate the design 90 degrees on the page.

Fill it with color to see what it will look like when cut. Now, save the design.

You will do this for all of the pages with the house designs.
Then I cut each out of black cardstock.

Next, we will open the next page of the PDF file for the silhouettes in the windows. Using File > Open once again, choose the PDF file, then page 5, and choose open as a vector.

This is how it will open up.

Next, using the Draw Rectangle tool on the left side, draw a rectangle around each of these window images. We do not need all of the black grid lines to print, only the images.
Make sure to give yourself some clearance around the images so there is area to add glue to.

Now, select the entire design and drawn rectangles.
You can either hit Ctrl+A to select all on the page or left click and hold the mouse button down and drag it across the entire design touching each object you want to select.
Then open the Modify Panel on the right side and choose Crop.

Now, let’s use the Transform Panel – Rotate Tab to turn the designs to work with a little bit easier.

Now, save this file.

I then opened up all of the silhouette files and cropped the images down. Then copied and pasted them all onto one design mat. And then we can set this file up as a Print and Cut project. I would suggest saving each Print and Cut page as a new design, just in case you have to go back and recut the pieces for some reason.

For tips on setting up a Print and Cut projects, check out this Print and Cut Basics post HERE.
I recommend printing using all of the defaults for the print and cut, for the best results.

Once you have the page setup with the registration marks, print each page on printable vellum. I used this I found on Amazon HERE.
I printed using the photo quality for matte paper. Printing at photo quality allows the ink to be laid down on the paper at a slower rate and allows it to dry better when working with specialty papers.

The first 2 pages I cut with had no issues what so ever and then the 3rd page would not cut correctly. I ended up printing it 5 times, just trying it over and over.
When I should have done this little trick in the first place.
Place white paper underneath the registration marks in each corner. This allows the optical eye a better chance at picking up only the registration marks printed and not other interference. Make sure the white paper is cut large enough that it would be the same size as the cross-hatched area for best results.

Keep in mind that the Silhouette optical eye is just a laser that turns on when you have registration marks on your page. This laser eye is looking for black marks on the page. However, it’s just a laser eye, it will pick up any black marks on the page. This includes the Silhouette grid lines if the paper is translucent or clear. This is also why the cross-hatched area around the registration marks is so important! And why, for the best results you should not have your design or cut lines in the cross-hatched area. As I said, it worked for the first 2 pages, but it didn’t like that 3rd page.

And that little trick was all it took for it to pick up the registration marks and cut accurately. Again, this is only something that might need to be added if the paper you are using is translucent or clear.

Once it’s all cut out of the black paper and the printable vellum, I used a bit of Scrapbook tape runner adhesive to glue it to the backside of the black cardstock, folded the score lines, and set it up.

I added some tea lights behind the designs to let it shine through and I have a new piece of holiday décor in our dining room.

Supplies used:
Christmas Village file – Adventure in a Box
Black Cardstock
Printable Vellum
Scrapbook Adhesive tape runner
Tealights

Whether you create the same file, design your own silhouette images to fit in the Christmas Village, or follow the same techniques as I used above for another project; I hope you will share that on my Facebook group here
Silhouette Secrets with EllyMae.
If you have questions feel free to post below or on the Facebook group too!

Save this for future reference by pinning the image below.

Enjoy!

THANK YOU for your support! How can you help? Click HERE & buy a coffee.
Every little bit helps with the cost of running the site.

Or if you are looking for more in-depth, step-by-step classes, check out all of my online Silhouette classes on my Teachable site HERE.

**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.

Posted on December 11, 2020October 27, 2021 by silhouettesecretsplus — 14 Comments

Reasons svg files are not opening in Silhouette

There are several reasons that a svg file may not open directly into Silhouette Studio.

*Affiliate links may be present in the following blog post and as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.*

1 – To open svg files, the Designer Edition upgrade or higher is required to “unlock” this feature.

Getting the upgrade is the easiest way to open svg files direct and retain their svg properties.
The svg file is usually the higher quality cut file compared to a dxf, a trace, or outside conversion programs.

Where do you find the software upgrades?

The software upgrades can be found at an authorized Silhouette retailer. I suggest Swing Design or Silhouette America.

After you purchase the upgrade and receive the code, enter it under Help > Upgrade in the software and it will be active.
As you can see in this photo, my Upgrade option is grayed out because I have the highest level of Business Edition. This will show at the top of the software or under Help > About Silhouette (PC) or About Silhouette (MAC).

2 – The folder you are accessing the svg file from is not unzipped or extracted.

When you download files, they usually come as a “compressed” file. This is so that it can download faster. If files are not “compressed” or “zipped” it would take FOREVER to download as they can be large file types.

Extracting a downloaded folder

The first step to opening a .svg is to download the file from the source. Most files will come in a zipped (compressed) folder and this will need to be unzipped/extracted first. This will depend on your computer system but for me on a Windows PC, I right click on the folder and choose Extract All. Or select the file by clicking on it once and choose the Extract button at the top of the folder.
MAC users if you double click on the folder, it should unzip the folder.

You can tell this is a compressed folder because it says at the top of the window and has a zipper on the file icon.

You will not be able to access the full design files unless the folder is unzipped/extracted.

Once you click the Extract All button, it will give you the options to choose where to save the Extracted file to. Select where and then click Extract.

Now, the folder can be fully accessed.

3 – The default program on a computer, especially Windows computers is set to open in a web browser.
You will see it as a web browser icon next to the file name.
This will be whatever web browser your computer is set to. For instance, on a PC I use Google Chrome but Microsoft Edge or Internet Explorer are other ones you may see.

Windows updates have a tendency to revert this back when they process.
You will need to change this back on the computer, for it to show accurately.

If you open the svg file first in a web browser and then copy it to the software, you lose the svg properties. Changing it to open correctly is what I would recommend.

The computer will use the default program to open any file type when you double click it.
What does this mean?
You will most likely have to change the default program that the computer uses to open .svg files with a double click.

Here is how to change the default on your computer.

Changing the default program for .svg files on Windows

Right click on the .svg file name and choose Properties.

Under the General Properties tab, next to the “Opens with” section, click on Change.

Now, find the Silhouette program and choose it as the default. Scroll down to the bottom and choose More Apps if you do not see it in the list.

You may need to keep clicking to look further on the computer programs.

Once you find the Silhouette Program keep on clicking into the folder, then choose Silhouette Studio for the default to open .svg files.

NOTE:
where the Silhouette Studio program can be found is dependent the software version you are using.

Versions of Silhouette Studio that are older than v4.3
will be found under the C: Program Data (x86)

Versions of Silhouette Studio higher than v4.3
the software is found under C: Program Data

Once you have set the default to use the Silhouette software to open a .svg file, then you will see the icon next to the file name change to the Silhouette icon.

And when you double click on that file, it will then open up in the Silhouette software.

NOTE: Save these instructions as you may need to do this again after a Windows update!

4 – If you have purchased a software upgrade, is it still active?

There are rare times where a software upgrade deactivates on a computer, for instance a Windows update may wipe it out.

The software upgrade would need to be activated again by entering the upgrade code under Help > Upgrade again.

New computer owners will also need to activate the software upgrades on the system when they install the software to the new computer. It is NOT automatic!

What if you do not remember the upgrade code?

Go to the Silhouette Design Store HERE

Click on the person icon in the top right corner for the Account Settings.

Then scroll down and click on the Silhouette Studio Keys and click on it. This will show all the upgrade codes you currently have registered to your account.
NOTE: you will need to enter the codes in the same order that you purchased in. For instance, if you bought Designer Edition first and then Business Edition later, you need to enter the codes in the same order.

If you get an error code that it is already active, you may need to contact Silhouette support to have the codes reset. The codes can be active on up to 3 computers, but if you hit the 3 install limit and it is not active on more than 3 computers, they can reset the code for you.

Opening a .svg file in Silhouette Studio

Now that the downloaded file is fully accessible, it can be opened in Silhouette Studio. Again keep in mind, that you must have the Designer Edition upgrade or higher in order to open a .svg file in the Silhouette software.

As with a lot of the tools and features, there are several ways you can open files in the Silhouette software.

1. Use File and then Open in the Silhouette software.

Then choose where the file is located and click OK. Or double click on the file and it should open in the Silhouette software.

2. Drag and drop the file from the Computer folder.

With the Silhouette software open on the Design tab, open the My Computer/Windows Explorer folder where the file is saved.

Now grab the .svg file by left clicking the mouse and holding the mouse button down, then drag the file on to the design mat of the Silhouette software.

The design will show up on the Silhouette work space where you drag it to.

3. Double click the .svg file to open directly in the Silhouette software.
If you have already set the default program on your computer to open svg files with the Silhouette software, then you should be able to double click the file and it will open in Silhouette Studio.

Hope this helps get you going with svg files!

If you have further questions, or something does not look quite right, please post on my Silhouette Secrets+ Facebook group and we can start troubleshooting why it is not working for you to extract/unzip the folder.

Save this for future reference by pinning the image below.

Enjoy!

THANK YOU for your support! How can you help? Click HERE & buy a coffee.
Every little bit helps with the cost of running the site.

Or if you are looking for more in-depth, step-by-step classes, check out all of my online Silhouette classes on my Teachable site HERE.

**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.

Posted on April 28, 2020April 28, 2020 by silhouettesecretsplus — 7 Comments

Let’s Explore v4 – Patterns, Print Bleed & Show/Hide Library

It is so hard to just show one feature in a post. This post started out as a one to show you how to add patterns to your designs so that you can print unique creations and use digital papers. But, then it morphed.

Today we will talk about 3 features in the v4 software.

Adding patterns to your design to create unique projects
Print Bleed
Show/Hide Libary feature

What are patterns used for?

Patterns can add a unique element to your creations that you can print out.

You can access patterns under the Fill Color Panel – Patterns Tab located on the right side.

Filling a design with a pattern can open a whole new world of possibilities. I have these card pieces on my design mat and I want to fill them with one of the new digital pattern that’s available at Sparkleberry Ink called Choose Happy Digital Pattern Collection.
With everything going on right now, these patterns were released to bring out a little bright color and happiness. I saw them and knew I had to create something with them.

Select the objects you want to fill with the pattern and then in the Fill Color Panel – Patterns Tab (Tab 3), choose the Pattern you want to fill it with. And watch the magic happen.

I set up my page to do a Print and Cut and then printed a 12″ x 12″ page with my Canon TS9521C printer.

I use the same steps each time that I set up a print and cut project and have great success with it. It is one of my favorite things to do.
Find more information on print and cut check out these posts:
Print & Cut Basics
Print & Cut Tips
How to Print & Cut Larger with Silhouette

Adding patterns to the Silhouette library is a Designer Edition upgrade feature. Find out more about the Pattern Fill Panel HERE.

Print Bleed

Something that is new in the v4 software is a feature called Print Bleed.
What this does is it will bleed the outside edge of your design color out away from the design. This helps when you are doing a print and cut to eliminate a white border that you may have around the design.

The Print bleed can be found in the v4.4 software on the Page Setup Panel – Registration Marks Panel.

In previous versions of v4, the Print Bleed is found on Tab 1 of the Page Setup Panel.

Once the Print Bleed option is checked, then you can adjust the distance you want the bleed to have from the design. However, something to note here is that the print bleed does not show up on the design screen and it applies to all objects on your screen.

As each design is different, it can also affect designs differently. For instance, a design that is made up of different parts that are all individual pieces and colors, it will bleed all of those colors of the individual pieces. Print bleed works well on a single object, a graphic file, or print and cut design.

I printed 3 different patterns from the Sparkleberry Choose Happy Digital Patterns Collection and then I picked one from the Silhouette Design Store called Arrows Background Paper by Miss Kate Cuttables – Design #296677.

This time when I added the pattern I used a different method though. On the Design tab in the bottom left corner, there is now a Show/Hide Library option.

Click on this little folder and the Library will expand out from the left side, so you have a split screen and can see both designs in the library and on the design mat at the same time.
Of course, your screen size will determine if this is a suitable feature for you to use or not.

Select the object on the screen and choose one of the patterns from the Patterns folder in the library and it will fill with that pattern.
This will work for adding other designs to your current design mat in the software too.
(Sometimes you may notice it will add an extra pattern piece, you can just delete what you don’t need.)

In the Advanced Options of the Fill Color Panel – Patterns tab (3rd tab), you will find options for panning the pattern, rotating it, or scaling it as well.

Sometimes I find it hard to see the little patterns that show up in the Patterns Tab on the Fill Color Panel. They are not well organized and the pattern photo is small, so using the Show Library split panel can be an option to make it easier to find a pattern you are looking for.

Go big or go home, right? When I cut out papercraft projects that have several pieces to them, I tend to make extras. I can set these pieces aside to assemble at a later date or have extras on hand. In this case, I cut the pieces to make 6 each of 4 different pattern designs. So I have 24 cards that I can now send out to friends.

Once the file is set up in the Silhouette software is it just a matter of loading and unloading the cutting mat each time and I just started making piles for each set of cards.

A couple hours later and I had all the pieces to assemble these cards. About half way through I had the thought that I could hook up another machine and then cut from multiple machines at the same time to make it go faster. But, I was enjoying cutting with the Cameo 4 and didn’t go that route.

But it’s an option – check out how to use multiple Silhouette machines at the same time HERE.

Now here is the really fun part!

Flip card video

I love being able to create custom designs with my Silhouette and make the cutting of all the pieces go so smooth. I embellished these cards with a few stamps from Close to My Heart and they are ready to send off.

What are you creating with your Silhouette today?
I’d love to see it over on my Facebook group at Silhouette Secrets with EllyMae.

Save this for future reference by pinning the image below.

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.

Posted on April 2, 2020April 1, 2020 by silhouettesecretsplus — 2 Comments

Let’s Explore v4 – Software upgrades

Let’s Explore v4
Silhouette Studio Software Upgrades

Affiliate links may be present in the following blog post.

Software upgrades are on sale right now over at Swing Design. So let’s explore a little bit about them.

What is an upgrade?

A software upgrade is an additional purchase that gives you a code to unlock additional features in the software.

Do I need it?

That is all going to depend on each individual user. I highly recommend at least the Designer Edition upgrade for all of my students. It makes life easier and saves you time and headache. It is well worth the investment!

Which one to I get?

First, that depends on how far you want to go. Like I said above, I highly recommend the Designer Edition upgrade for all students. But, I love the Business Edition because all the features are unlocked and you never have to question if something is available to you.

Next, you have to consider if you already have an upgrade. There are different levels and you want to make sure to buy the correct level.

If you have the basic (free) software, you would want to purchase 1 of 3 options depending on what upgrade you want to go to:
Option 1 – Silhouette Studio to Designer Edition (highly recommend at least this)
Option 2 – Silhouette Studio to Designer Plus (unlocks a few more features – see below)
Option 3 – Silhouette Studio to Business Edition (unlocks it all)

Now here is the important part, if you already have one of the upgrades above, you only need to purchase the step up to the next level you want.

The options are:
Option 1 – Designer Edition to Designer Edition Plus (personally I would just go to Business)
Option 2 – Designer Edition to Business Edition
Option 3 – Designer Edition Plus to Business Edition

So how do you activate the code?

For example, if you ordered Designer Edition and then the Business Edition upgrade later. To activate it on a computer, you would need to enter it in that order. First the Designer Edition code and then the Business Edition code.

If you purchased the Silhouette Studio to Business Edition code right off the bat, then you only have 1 code to enter.

Software Upgrade Details

What do each of the upgrades offer?

To see the full comparison chart, click HERE to go directly to the Silhouette America website and see the full chart. Click on the video camera icon next to each feature to see a short demo.

But, lets briefly name some of the features I find the most useful in each of the upgrades.

Designer Edition unlocks:
– Ability to open svg and pdf file directly in the software
– Rulers and guides can now be activated
– Additional Knife tools
– Additional sketch effects
– Trace by Color
– Magnet Trace
– Glyphs Panel
– Ability to create Rhinestone designs
– Warp Templates
And more…..

Now, the list above is not the extensive list of all the features unlocked with each upgrade. However, it is a list of the features I find the most useful in each upgrade.
For the complete comparison chart click HERE to go look at Silhouette America.

I am all about making a Silhouette user save time and frustration in working with their software AND getting the best cut possible. I would highly recommend at least the Designer Edition to all users, for the ability to open a svg file, as that is generally the higher quality cut file when you compare it to a trace or dxf file.
Check out this post – Let’s Explore v4 – How to open a svg

If you have question about an upgrade just let me know. Comment below or post on my Facebook group at Silhouette Secrets with EllyMae.

I would love to see what you creating with your Silhouette machine!

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.

Posted on March 25, 2020 by silhouettesecretsplus — 14 Comments

Let’s Explore v4 – Knife Tool

The Silhouette Studio software is jam-packed with Tools and features that can be used to design with. One of those is the Knife Tool.

In the Silhouette software, Tools are located on the left side panel and Panels are located on the right side.

The Knife Tool is located on the left side of the Silhouette v4 software.

Keep in mind that the knife and eraser tool are changing a lot of data when they are in use. There are many factors that will affect what a user sees when using these tools. These could be the design being changed, the computer processing power, the version of software a user has, etc.

A user may need to be patient with their computer when they are using these tools as the computer processes the change in data. If a design is “complex”, then there may be other options to alter the design versus the knife or eraser tools, such as Releasing the Compound Path and deleting. Keep in mind, that each design might react differently.

Knife Tool

Tutorial written in v4.3.372

Let’s take a look at a circle shape and how the knife options work with it. I used the drawing tools on the left side to draw a circle and then replicated it on the right side and filled it with color using the Fill Color Panel.

Tip: holding down the Shift key on the keyboard will make the Knife (or line drawing tools) cut in a straight line either vertically, horizontally, or at a 45 degree angle.

Solid Option

With the Solid option chosen, the shape will be cut and create 2 solid images.

Each piece is now independent of the other and can be moved.

Outline Option

With the Outline option selected notice that the unfilled shape reacts differently than the color filled shape.

A shape with no fill, will cut apart the design and leave the shape open. It is cutting a closed shape apart and making it 2 open paths.

Open paths react differently than a closed path. Open paths can be found by double clicking on the line of the design and bringing up the Edit Points.
If there are any red dots, that means it is an Open Path.

What you see above, is 2 semi-circle lines that have been cut from a circle. Open Paths cannot be filled with color and will only cut from 1 red dot to the next red dot.
It will not connect the cut.

If a shape is filled with color, then it reacts differently when the Knife – Outline option is used. It will result in 2 closed shapes.

Knife Set Tools

Each user with the basic (free) Silhouette software has access to the basic knife function as shown above.
If a user has a software upgrade such as Designer Edition, Designer Plus, or Business Edition there are more knife options available.

With the software upgrades, there are several more fun options for the knife tool.

Let’s take a look at a couple of these options.

Notice that the unfilled shape behaves differently than the color filled shape. There are open paths on the unfilled shape and you do not see the knife design. But, the filled shape the knife tool creates the shape according to the design option you have chosen.

Auto Apply or Apply

Next on the knife tool bar is the options to either Auto Apply the knife option when the mouse button is clicked or to manually choose Apply to have the knife finish. This gives the user the chance to decide whether they want the knife selection before it starts the process of changing the data.

This is all a matter of personal preference. However, if Auto Apply is chosen, then you do not get the chance to adjust the knife selection before it applies to the design.

Some of the knife tool options have an additional slider that appears when you draw with it that can adjust the shape of the chosen knife.

Preferences

Under the Preferences, there are options for how a user wants the Knife Tool to act. After Using the Knife can be set to “Continue Using Knife” or “Choose Select“.

If it is set to “Continue Using Knife“, then you will need to click on the Select Arrow in the top left corner when done with the knife to turn it off.

Check out more Preference options in this post
Let’s Explore v4 – Preferences – Tools

Do you use the knife tool?

Save this for future reference by pinning the image below.

I would love to see what you create!
Feel free to post 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.

Posted on February 18, 2020February 17, 2020 by silhouettesecretsplus — 1 Comment

Let’s Explore v4 – Etching photos with the Curio

Etching photos with the Silhouette Curio

I love my Curio! So much that I now have 2 of them, just in case.
This little machine amazes me all the time!

Check out this post – Silhouette Inspiration – to see a few more Curio etched projects.

Today I am going to share my “secret” to etching photos with the Silhouette Curio.

How is this possible? Just taking the photo by itself and trying to etch it doesn’t turn out well. Photos are made up of so many different aspects that you can’t just fill it with an emboss fill and call it good. It would just turn out like a big etched blob. It might work for a silhouette of a person, but not to capture the essence of the photo itself.

Well, it’s really not a “secret” at all. But, this is what I do.
I followed a technique that Kay Hall with Clever Someday composed and put into an eBook – Etching Photos on Acrylic with the Silhouette Curio.

This past week I had a lesson with a student and she asked me about etching photos.
This is what I told her, “While I can teach you all about etching acrylic on your Curio, I highly recommend you grab this eBook and read it. In fact, I recommend that you read it 2-3 times before you even try to follow it.”
And that is what I would recommend to all of you reading this. I can etch acrylic with the emboss fills pretty much in my sleep – in fact, there are nights that is all I “think” about when I’m sleeping. But, this etching photos technique uses the sketch fills and gives an amazing finished project. It is a technique that has many steps, but if you follow it exactly, you will end up with a stunning project.

Now, keep in mind each photo you etch is going to turn out differently. I know it’s not the answer my students want to hear when I say, “Each design is going to act differently.” This is true for fonts, designs, photos, tracing, etc.
Why?
Because they are all made up of different elements. There is rarely a 1 click button to have something magically turn into something amazing. It is a process and it takes some time to go through that process. Skipping steps rarely leads to a good result.

How do I do it?

Blog post written in v4.3.370
Affiliate links may be present in the following blog post and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

I open the eBook every single time and follow it step-by-step. If I don’t, I know that I will miss a step and it won’t turn out.

So let’s take a look at the photo first. I opened the photo in Silhouette Studio and then scaled it down to fit on the Curio mat.

Like I said above, each photo is going to be different. In this photo, I don’t want the extra background to be etched, just the people in it. So I used the Magnet Trace feature to draw around the people and “extract” them out of the photo.

Magnet Trace is a Designer Edition upgrade feature in the Silhouette Software. As you can see in the photo above, the edges are not smooth around the photo. But, we can change that. I love the Magnet trace for extracting photo because even after I delete the background, it retains the memory of the photo. So I can use the Edit Points feature and adjust the edges around the part of the photo that I want to clean up.
If the tool has traced or placed an edit point too far in on the photo, I can move it out and it still “remembers” what the photo looked like. It is very forgiving and I highly encourage you to play around with it. It takes some practice but can come in quite handy.

Each of the little gray dots is an Edit Point. I can delete or adjust the points until I have the desired edge around my photo.

After I have “extracted” my photo, I then cropped it down by drawing a square around the section of the photo I wanted & used the Modify – Crop feature to capture only the section I want etched. Then I enlarged that section of the photo to fill the acrylic blank area.

Now that my photo is ready, I open the Etching Photos onto Acrylic eBook and follow the directions. I do highly recommend that you read the book from start to finish 2-3 times before you even try to follow along in the software. While it may not make sense completely when you are reading it those first few times, it will make a whole lot more sense when you sit down and try to follow the technique in the software.

The more you do it, the more comfortable you will get.

Once you click on the Send button, a timer shows up in the bottom right corner of the Send tab. However, it is rarely accurate, especially with etching projects. Sometimes it’s less, but more often than not, it’s more time. This project said it would take 20 minutes & 59 seconds to etch and it actually took 32 minutes.

The top of this is the etched photo and the bottom is etched into a Silhouette metal etching sheet using the Emboss fills.

I think the longest etching project I’ve done is around 3 hours. This is why I love that with the Business Edition upgrade to the software I can use multiple machines at a time. So I can set up a project to etch and still cut with my Cameo or start another project on my 2nd Curio.

For more information on how to use multiple machines at the same time, check out this post – How to Use Multiple Silhouette machines.

Don’t have a Curio? Here are a few places you will find them:
Amazon
Silhouette America
Swing Design

Want to get started etching with the Silhouette Curio?

First grab some acrylic blanks from Craft Chameleon and then a Silhouette etching tool.

Then, if you are a beginner with the Curio here is what I recommend to start:

1. Let’s Explore the Silhouette Curio

2. Beginner Curio Etching Metal

3. Want an online etching class? Check out the 1 hour Basic Acrylic Etching with the Silhouette Curio class on my Teachable site – HERE.

I show you the steps I use to set up an acrylic etch from beginning to end.
Here is the course curriculum from the design file to the full etching video course.

and then once you feel comfortable with the etching process and your Curio

4. Grab the Etching Photos onto Acrylic with the Silhouette Curio by Kay Hall

5. Want personalized lessons? To be able to ask questions in real time to an instructor? Set up an in-person or online lesson.
More information HERE – Online Lessons & Classes.

6. Join us at the All Things Silhouette Conference in November to learn more about All Things Silhouette – from software to machines to hand-on project classes.

7. Check out the “Let’s Explore v4” series HERE for more in-depth software information including all about the Emboss Panel, which is the key to the Curio and etch fills for more projects. Etching on photos is the only thing I use the sketch fills for, otherwise the Emboss Panel is the main focus with the Curio.

I really feel that the software is the key to it all. You learn how to do things in the software that will translate over to all kinds of projects in the future.

I would love to see what you create!
Feel free to post on my Facebook group at Silhouette Secrets with EllyMae.

Save this for future reference by pinning the image below.

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.

Posted on February 11, 2020May 10, 2020 by silhouettesecretsplus — 10 Comments

Let’s Explore v4.3+ – Glyphs

If you have downloaded a v4.3 software version or higher, then you may see a few changes that have been made to a couple screens. A few icons, a few new options, etc.
We discussed the new Page Setup Panel look in this post a few weeks back – Let’s Explore v4.3 – Page Setup Panel and today let’s look at another change.

While this is not a big, big change. You may notice in some tutorials that the when referencing the glyphs panel, the icon has changed. That’s it – just the icon.

If you are using a version of Silhouette that has the fancy A as the icon, check out this post – Let’s Explore v4 – Glyphs and Spellcheck.

Glyphs with Updated Icon

Tutorial written using Silhouette Studio v4.3.356
Affiliate links may be present in the following blog post.

Glyphs are any special characters that are an addition to a font file. These can include swirls, fancy letters, or shapes.

The Glyphs Panel is a Designer Edition upgrade feature. With the Designer Edition upgrade active on the Silhouette software you should see it as the 2nd tab at the top of the Text Style Panel.

The glyphs icon is the only thing that has changed in this panel at the moment. As we all know, changes happen. It’s better to know they are there than to be surprised someday in the future.

1 – Text Search bar – Just like on Tab 1, the name of the font that is selected will appear in this box or you can highlight it and type a name in the box and it will select that font.

2 – Glyphs – This area is where you will see the glyphs of the font that you are using show up.
Note: sometimes not all the glyphs will show up here and you will need to access those through Character Map (PC) or Fontbook (Mac).
It just depends on how the font was created.

3 – Recently Used Glyphs – This handy feature shows the ones you have recently accessed.

4 – Icon size – Those little icons can be hard to see. Change the size of how the Icons appear in the glyphs panel. And when you hover over a glyph it magnifies it as well.

How do you use glyphs?

There are 2 ways I use glyphs.

1 – Type out the word you are using. Highlight the letter you want to replace and then click on the glyph icon one time to replace that letter with the new glyph.

2 – Double click on the glyph icon and it will add it to the top left corner of the design mat as an individual “letter”. You can continue to click on the glyph icons to add more or just click off of it to keep the design as a separate text box.

I use this second way most often when I am using Dingbat fonts that are a bunch of designs all in one font file or if I want to add a swirl onto the end of a letter.

Glyphs can be so fun to play with and add a little extra creative flair to your designs. Each font file will vary in the glyphs it may have. Some have just a few and others have lots.

I used the font called Bohemian Script by Typia Nesia – Design #296014 and it has a glyph count of 213.

Keep in mind the larger the number of glyphs, the longer it will take to load that font in the text style panel. Be patient with your computer as it processes the data.

I’d love to see how you are using glyphs in your projects!
Feel free to post on my Facebook group at Silhouette Secrets with EllyMae.

To save this for later reference pin the image below to Pinterest

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.

Posted on December 17, 2019December 13, 2019 by silhouettesecretsplus — 6 Comments

Scanning & Tracing in Silhouette Studio

Silhouette & School Projects

*this post was created using v4.3.353 of the Silhouette Studio software

My daughter came home from school and said, “Mom, I have homework and it says to do it as a family.”

Permission granted. Silhouette to the rescue!
Note: affiliate links may be present in this post

The hardest part of this project was getting my 6 year old to decide what she wanted to disguise the gingerbread man as.

We went shopping in the Silhouette Design Store for disguises. She thought about a reindeer, an elf, Santa, a boy elf, a girl elf, and about a hundred other options. Guess what she settled on? A reindeer – the very first choice. Of course!

Of all the designs we viewed in the store, she chose one that I had already collected in my library. Santa & Friends Photo Props by Kolette Hall – Design #35760 was perfect.

Sometimes picking out the design is the longest part of a project.

But, once she settled on the reindeer she said, “But he won’t have a costume on the rest of his body.”

Well, we can fix that.

I took the Gingerbread man page, slipped it into my scanner and clicked scan. This saved the file to my computer as a PDF document. Then my little one was amazed when I used File > Open and found the PDF file and it opened up in my Silhouette software.
To open a PDF file, the Designer Edition upgrade or higher is required.

Once the design was in my Silhouette Software, I used the Basic Trace feature to trace around the outer edge of the Gingerbread man.

I increased the threshold on the trace to get the design to show as much yellow on the outer edge of the design and keep it as smooth as possible.

Keep in mind that each design you work with will be different and there is no magic number for the threshold or adjustments to the features under the Trace Panel. Adjust it until you feel you have the best yellow around the area you want to trace as you can get.

Then, I clicked on the Trace Outer Edge because I only needed the outside edge of the Gingerbread Man.

Now you may notice a few extra things traced. This will depend on the image you are tracing. These artifacts should be removed or they will cut with your image. Again, each design you trace is going to react a little different. This image is a photocopy of a design, so it picks up the little shadows and such on the paper.

Right click on the design and choose Release Compound Path. Now, you will see each artifact in this design is now broken into separate objects.

While all of the pieces are selected, hold down the Shift key on the keyboard and click on the main part of the Gingerbread Man. This will deselect him and all the other artifacts will remain selected. Press the Delete key on the keyboard and the artifacts will be no more.

Next, I told my daughter I was going to cut his head off. She gasped and then started laughing.

I double clicked on the Gingerbread Man to bring up the Edit Points. These little gray dots may look intimidating when they show up, but they are very useful.
Check out the “Let’s Explore v4 – Edit Points” post for more information HERE.

The first thing I noticed is that there are a lot of edit points. This can happen on any object you trace. In the Edit Points Panel, click on the Simplify option and see if it helps decrease the edit points without changing the shape of the design too much.

Again, each design is going to vary in how it reacts.

Keep in mind a few things when you trace. First, it traces each design around the edges of the yellow that you have on the screen when you do a trace. This means if the image is pixelated, then will trace all those pixels.
And, each of those edit points is a data point that the Silhouette machine has to hit when it is cutting. It is how it tells the machine how to cut around the design you send to it. If there are a lot of edit points, it can sound odd cutting and take a long time as it makes it’s way connecting all those dots.

Now, that I have fewer edit points, I can move the edit points, delete the ones not needed, and adjust their directional nodes to bring the neckline down on the reindeer costume.

And there is our reindeer/gingerbread man body.

Next, we discussed that reindeer have a white stomach. I tried using the Line Drawing tool – Draw a Polygon to draw my own ruffly white belly, but I just wasn’t feeling it.

But, the Santa beard from the Santa & Friends Photo Props was ruffly. I copied it from my other file and pasted it into this design.

I then held the Shift key down and drew my knife across the beard to cut the mustache off. I selected the mustache and deleted it. Then I double clicked on the beard to bring up the edit points and deleted the ones in the center as those are not necessary.

To select multiple edit points at the same time, hold down the Shift key and drag the mouse across all the ones you want to select. This will select multiples at a time and you can then adjust or delete them.

Now, let’s add this to our reindeer.

I used the bottom middle bounding box to elongate the white of the belly.

Next, I wanted the neckline to match with the brown reindeer part of the costume. Select both the brown and the white of the reindeer and make a copy. Drag this copy off the design mat. Select the brown and white reindeer on the design mat again and open the Modify Panel and choose Crop.

The new shape has taken on the color of the bottom layer. Change the color back to white using the Fill Color Panel and you have 2 pieces that will fit back together.

Want to see how it will look as a finished design?

This is what is commonly referred to as a “mock up”. Taking the design you have creating and layering it on top of the original photo.

We cut all the pieces out of cardstock and my 6 year old helped with each part. She enjoyed taking the mat off the cardstock.
Tip: To help the cardstock to release from the mat, flip the mat over and peel the mat away from the cardstock. This will help the adhesive release, keep the paper from curling, and keep the adhesive on the mat.
Check out this post “Tips to Get the Most out of the Silhouette Mat” for more tips.

Then my daughter used her scissor skills to cut out the gingerbread man and I asked if she wanted to go find a glue stick to attach the pieces and she says, “Mom, can you just use your good glue?” I had to laugh at that as I pulled out my Scrapbook Adhesives EZ Tape Runner. Of course, I’d much rather use that than a glue stick.

Check out this video below to go through the same steps I have walked through above.

And we had our cleverly disguised Gingerbread Man that we created together. I am amazed at the Silhouette software all the time. While I am no designer, once in awhile I may have an idea or two. And you never known when you will want to take a Santa beard and turn it into reindeer fur.

So for a recap of the tools used in the Silhouette software:
– Basic Trace
– Release Compound Path
– Edit Points
– Line Drawing Tool – Draw Polygon
– Knife Tool
– Modify Panel – Crop
– Fill Color Panel

It didn’t seem like that many as we worked through the project, but we covered a lot. The best way to learn is to continue to create and do things in the software.
All of the above features are linked to detailed posts in the “Let’s Explore v4” series. When you get a chance take a look and then play with something new that you learned.

I would love to see what you create, feel free to post 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.

Posted on November 1, 2019November 1, 2019 by silhouettesecretsplus — Leave a comment

Designing in Silhouette – Split Name Shirts

Today I’m going to share some shirts I made a few weeks back.

Some times it just feels good to sit down and make a few projects just because.

My daughter started on a new softball team this Fall season and I needed a few shirts. Red is not usually in my wardrobe, so new shirts were in need of some sprucing up. Libby Ashcraft with Libby’s Loft had just posted a Retro Words tutorial and it was one of those must-do projects. It is also extremely popular right now and the method she shows can be done with any bold font that you choose.

Check out Libby’s tutorial HERE on how to create this Retro Words.

I love that it uses several tools in the software such as: Offset, Guides, Knife tool, Align tool, Replicate Panel, Cut by Fill Color, and more.
Click on each of the words above for more information on that tool.

And I couldn’t just create my coaches shirts that were naked on the back, so it was perfect timing that these designs hit the Silhouette Design Store at the same time I was creating this project.

Don’t Stop When You’re Tired by Lori Whitlock – Design #302756
I did change the #Football to #Softball and it worked perfectly!

It’s How Big You Play by Lori Whitlock – Design #302758

And the favorite by everyone this season was this one.

If At First You Don’t Succeed by Lori Whitlock – Design #302764

The coaches and parents sure loved these shirts and I received a lot of compliments on them.

Sometimes, you just have to put everything else aside and just make a few projects for yourself! I hope that you have some time to play with your Silhouette machine soon!

Have you created this effect for yourself or others?

I would love to see your projects feel free to post on my Facebook group at Silhouette Secrets with EllyMae.

Enjoy!

Let’s Explore v4Silhouette Studio Software Upgrades

Affiliate links may be present in the following blog post and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

What is an upgrade?

What does each level of upgrade do?

How to activate the upgrade

**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.

**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.

Where do you find the software upgrades?

Extracting a downloaded folder

Changing the default program for .svg files on Windows

Opening a .svg file in Silhouette Studio

**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.

What are patterns used for?

Print Bleed

**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.

Let’s Explore v4 Silhouette Studio Software Upgrades

Affiliate links may be present in the following blog post.

What is an upgrade?

Do I need it?

Which one to I get?

So how do you activate the code?

Software Upgrade Details

**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.

Knife Tool

Tutorial written in v4.3.372

Solid Option

Outline Option

Knife Set Tools

Auto Apply or Apply

Preferences

**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.

Etching photos with the Silhouette Curio

How do I do it?

Want to get started etching with the Silhouette Curio?

**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.

Glyphs with Updated Icon

How do you use glyphs?

**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.

Silhouette & School Projects

Let’s Explore v4
Silhouette Studio Software Upgrades

Let’s Explore v4
Silhouette Studio Software Upgrades