Posted on April 30, 2019July 13, 2019 by silhouettesecretsplus — 3 Comments

Let’s Explore v4 – Selection Preferences

Did you know that you can change your Selection Preferences in the Silhouette software?

To open the Preference Panel, click on the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the Design tab or click on the Edit menu in the top right corner and choose Preferences.

Selecting an Object

There are several ways to select objects on the Silhouette design mat.

1. Click on the object to select it.
To select multiple objects at the same time, hold down the Shift key and click on each object you want selected.

2. Click and hold the left mouse button, then drag a selection box around all the objects you want selected.

3. Use the Lasso tool (Designer Edition & v4.2 feature).
Click the Lasso Tool on the left side and lasso the objects you want to select.

Selection box

One way to know the object is selected is a selection box appears around the object.

Measurements – on the left & bottom side of the object are the height & width of the object or selected designs as a whole.

Control Points – these points can be grabbed and adjust the scale of the design. Grabbing the corners of the design will scale it proportionally versus grabbing the middle control point which will only change one direction of the design.

Rotate – the green circle at the top of the design can be grabbed and the design can be rotated manually.

Preferences Panel Selections

Here are the different options under the Selection Tools in the Preferences Panel.

Selection Tools: When Drag Selecting

When the left mouse button is held down and a drag box is drawn across the objects on the screen, you can choose to have them selected by the drag box only touching the object or being fully enclosed by the drag box.

Touching the object:

Enclosed:

Notice that the glove is not selected because the drag box has not fully enclosed it.

Selection Tools: When Many Shapes Selected

Single Bounding Box

Notice that there is one large selection box and the measurements are of all the objects selected as one.

Multiple Selection Boxes
If I want to size the glove and know exactly what size it is while still having all the objects selected, then choose Multiple Selection boxes as the option.

Now, each object has the individual selection boxes around it and each has the measurements of that object. So I could grab one of the control points and enlarge the design while knowing exactly how big the glove is. This way I could make a glove 8″ and still have all the other pieces sized at the same time to keep the proportions correct.

Selection Tools: When Right-clicking Subsequent Shapes

New Shape becomes selected – the object that you right click on will be the selected object and the right click menu appears.

Original Shape Remains Selected – right clicking anywhere on the design mat, the original shape is still selected and the right click menu appears. So if the glove is the selected object, even if I right click on the stitches, the glove is still the selected object and the right click menu appears.

Notice how the menu appears on top of the stitches that I right clicked on, but the glove is still the selected object. This means that the features in the right click menu that are chosen will apply to the selected object – in this case, the glove.

Selection Tools: Selection Lasso style

The Lasso Tool is a new v4.2 feature that is available with the Designer Edition upgrade or higher. It is found on the left tool bar in the Silhouette v4.2 software.

The options for the Lasso tool include: touches or enclosed. To use this tool, click on the Lasso tool on the left side and then hold down the left mouse button and move the mouse on the design mat. A dotted line will appear that shows where the Lasso is.

Touches – the lasso tool selects any object that it touches.

Enclosed – the lasso tool will only select the objects that are completely enclosed by the lasso dotted line.

The Lasso tool can be very helpful if you have a lot of pieces of a design on the screen and only want to select certain ones in an area.

For instance, on this Paw Print Mandala design, if I want to select only the pieces that make up the inner half circle of this shape, I would set the Lasso Tool to Touches and then draw the lasso around the inner circle.

Instead of holding down the Shift key and then clicking on each piece, I can use the Lasso tool to select all those in the center very easily.

It is all a matter of personal preference and how you use the software.

What are my Selection preferences set at:

This is how I keep mine. I know I can change them at anytime by opening up the Preferences menu, choosing a new option, clicking Apply, and then OK.

I used it this week in sizing and cutting the glove for my Spring door decorations, as I wanted the glove to be close to real size.

I changed the Selection option of the When Many Shapes are Selected to Multiple Bounding Boxes & was able to see the size of the glove, instead of the size of all the objects selected together.

Spring flowers brings Solicitors and Softball in our neck of the woods.

Did you know the Preferences Panel existed? It is full of great choices and we will be exploring more of it in the future.

Designs used in this post are from the Silhouette Design Store:
Baseball Set by Studio Illustrado – Design #60502
Watering Can by Silhouette – Design #291326
No Soliciting by Jillibean Soup – Design #276179
Lori Whitlock Background Shapes – Design #42924
Baseball Hat by Snapdragon Snippets – Design #39347
Positionable Skeleton by Samantha Walker – Design #4828

Feel free to post your comments and questions 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.

Posted on April 24, 2019April 11, 2024 by silhouettesecretsplus — 37 Comments

Mastering Edit Points in Silhouette Studio: A Guide

Have you seen edit points pop up in Silhouette Studio before?
Do they intimidate you?
Well let’s see if we can change that.

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

What are Edit points?

Edit points are basically the data points the Silhouette reads to make a particular shape of the object. Each edit point has qualities on how it is supposed to act such as straight line, corner, curved, etc. and this is how a shape is made up.

The edit points will come up on an object if you double click on the object or use the keyboard shortcut letter “A” with the object selected.

If you draw a circle, it is made up of 4 edit points.

A square also has 4 edit points but the type of edit point are different than the above circle.

By clicking on an edit point, you can see what property it has in the Point Editing Panel.

Why Edit Points Might Not Show

In order for the edit points to appear, the object has to be a single object and an ungrouped object.

For instance, if I type out text, it is not treated as a design. So the edit points won’t appear.

If it is converted to a path, the edit points still will not appear because even though it’s acting as a design, it is still grouped together. If the design is ungrouped the edit points will appear because all the pieces are now separate.

Or if the design is made into a Compound Path, then the edit points will appear.

Altering Edit Points

There are many ways to change the edit points.

By clicking on an existing point, it turns white, indicating that it is the point selected.

It will tell you what kind of edit point it is. This one is a corner. Grab the blue squares on either end and this will adjust the outcome of this edit point.

To select multiple edit points, hold down the Shift key & drag the selection box around all the points you would like to select. Then make changes to a group of edit points all at one time by moving or choosing a new property for those selected.

All edit points that are selected will show as white points.

Point Editing Panel

When the editing points are active, the Point Editing Panel should pop up or click on the Edit Points tool on the left side menu.

This panel has many options for how you can alter an edit point(s). The name of each tells you exactly what behavior it will have.
Each design you work with will react differently to what is changed.

Remember, edit points are the data points that your Silhouette software relays to your Silhouette machine to connect the cut.

The Cameo machine needs to hit every single one of those edit points in order to make the cut. Some files such as dxf files or traced images can have lots of edit points and this can make the Cameo sound odd when cutting. The Cameo is not broken, but has to connect each of those edit points to make the cut.

Simplifying Edit Points

Some files can have the edit points simplified without changing the look of the design.
For instance, this Leafy Mandala by Rhonna Farrer from the Silhouette Design Store has a lot of edit points when I first opened it.

In the Edit Points Panel, select Simplify.

You should notice less edit points in the design.

Leafy Mandal edit points simplified copy

In this case, the design did not change in the look at all, but the edit points are now much less.

The best way to learn how edit points act is to find a design and just play around with the different options.

While they can look intimidating when they pop up on the screen, once you understand their purpose and how they work, I think it makes it seems a lot less daunting when you see them.

Designs used in this post are from the Silhouette Design Store:
#MoreCoffee by Kolette Hall – Design #179647
Leafy Mandala by Rhonna Farrer – Design #215137

Feel free to post your comments and questions below or on my Facebook group at Silhouette Secrets with EllyMae.

Save this post 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.

Silhouette Classes

Never stop learning! Let me help you take the anxiety out of learning with Silhouette and get to creating faster! My Silhouette classes are heavily focused on software, so you can take the skills & techniques taught and apply them to many future projects!

shop classes

Silhouette step-by-step Classes by Silhouette Secrets+

Posted on April 18, 2019July 13, 2019 by silhouettesecretsplus — 3 Comments

Let’s Explore v4 – Designing with shapes Part 2

Last week, in Part 1 of Designing with shapes, we used the tools in the Silhouette software to draw an egg shape. Now, we will use those same tools to draw decorations for that egg.
Check out the previous post HERE to see 2 different ways to draw an egg shape.

I had 3 eggs from the Easter Eggs by Echo Park – Design #187432, but I wanted another option. So I drew the zig-zag design inside the egg and created it to match the other eggs.

Just like in the last post, we will go through 2 ways to create this – with the Flexi-shapes or by using the basic drawing tools.

First, let’s start by opening the egg file that we’ve created from Part 1.

In the original eggs, the design is offset internally from the outer edge of the egg.

Select the Egg design, click the Offset Panel, choose Internal Offset, and change the Distance to 0.80 inches.

The exact distance is a matter of personal preference, it will vary by the project you are creating.

We will be using the inner offset shape to create the design. Move the original egg shape off the design mat.

*Note: The line thickness of the designs has been increased to make it easier to see for the blog post.

Part 2 – Decorating the Egg

Drawing with Flexi-shapes

Flexi-shapes are a newly released feature with the v4.2 software and are available if you have the Designer Edition Plus or Business Edition upgrade.
*check out the end of this post for a coupon code for the upgrades too!

The Flexi-shape option is in the toolbar on the left side of the v4.2 software.

Select the zig-zag option. Click on the design mat to start the shape and then move the mouse to where you want it to end and click again.

Adjust the Flexi-shape by using the slider bar in the middle to increase or decrease the number of points in the zig-zag. Use the red dots to adjust the width of the the zig-zag.

Once you are happy with the design, right click and choose Convert to Path. This will change the design from an editable shape to a fixed shape.

Now, to fill the egg, either continue drawing more zig-zag patterns or copy and paste the zig-zag to fill the rest of the egg.

My favorite way to copy and paste is to hold down the Alt button on the keyboard and click and drag a copy away.

To space the zig-zag pattern evenly, select all the zig-zags & use the Align option – vertical spacing that is found either in the QAT (Quick Access Toolbar) or under the Transform Panel – Tab 1.

Once the zig-zags are spaced how you like, right click and choose Group.

Now, make a copy of the entire design and move it off the design mat. This way there is an original to go back to if needed.

Select both the egg shape and the zig-zag shape, open the Modify Panel, choose Crop.

Group all the pieces together before clicking off the design.

If there is a stray part of the design that you see, delete that before grouping.

Move the original egg shape back and then use the Center Align tool to center the zig-zag on top of the egg.

You have just created your own design to cut out of any colors you want using the Flexi-shape option.

Do you want to get the vinyl lined up exactly?
Check out this post – Layering Vinyl – to find out more on using layering marks.

Using the Drawing Tools to create the egg decoration

For those that do not have v4.2 or the Designer Edition Plus or Business Edition upgrade, let’s use the drawing tools and make the egg decoration.

Start with the inner offset egg shape.

On the Page Setup Panel – Tab 2, check the Show Grid & Snap to Grid options.

Choose the Draw Polygon tool on the left side. Click onto the design mat and start drawing the zig-zag shape. With the Snap to Grid option turned on, it will snap the points to each grid spacing as you move the Polygon tool.

Continue drawing the polygon until you get back to the starting point and then connect the dots.

Once the polygon shape is closed, changes can be made by double clicking on the shape and bringing up the edit points. Each of these points can be selected and moved. To select multiple points at the same time, hold down the Shift key and click on the points or left click on the mouse and drag the cursor across the edit points to select any that are enclosed in the selection box.

Turn off the Snap to Grid & Show Grid options under the Page Setup Panel – Tab 2, if you choose to. I prefer to design without all the distraction of the lines, unless I need something to be exact and then I turn them on.

Make copies of the zig-zag pattern and fill the egg.

Select all of the zig-zag designs, then use the Vertical Spacing Alignment tool to space the design evenly vertically.

Group the zig-zag pattern together.
To group the design – select all the zig-zag designs, right click and choose Group or use Ctrl + G as the keyboard shortcut (Command+G = MAC).

Now, make a copy of the entire design and move it off the design mat. It is always a good idea to have a copy of the original of any design or font to go back to, in case you have to start fresh.

Select both the egg shape and the zig-zag shape, open the Modify Panel, choose Crop.

With all the pieces selected, right click and choose Group.

Move the Original egg shape back onto the Design mat and use the Align Center tool to line the egg with the pattern.

And that is how I created my own chevron patterned egg for the door decor.

While I could have just found another egg design to buy, drawing my own means it is my own creation. The Silhouette software is such a powerful graphics program, you are only limited by what you know how to do. The more you use these tools, the quicker it will become to create your own designs.

I would highly recommend upgrading the software to the full Business Edition upgrade to have the full power and all the features that the Silhouette software has to offer.
I think it is a great investment and I love not having to question if something is available to me.

Use my code SECRETS10 to save on the Software upgrades from Swing Design.

*Prices in photo above are current as of 4-17-19

Want to know what features are unlocked with each upgrade?
Check out this comparison chart at Silhouette America HERE.

I love being able to customize and change things around. My kids love that I can create different scenes for them, birthday gifts, or almost any other thing they can imagine.
They are already thinking up ideas on how to decorate the skeleton after Easter.

What designs can you think to create today?

Feel free to post your comments and questions below or on my Facebook group at Silhouette Secrets with EllyMae.

Enjoy!

Posted on April 9, 2019April 17, 2019 by silhouettesecretsplus — 3 Comments

Let’s Explore v4 – Designing with shapes

In October of 2018, I put up a vinyl skeleton on our front door. After Halloween, my kids & husband asked me to leave it up because they thought it would be fun to decorate all year long.
They tell me the ideas that they would like to accessorize the skeleton with and I cut and apply it from vinyl.

While I was cutting the eggs for the door, I had 3 shapes from the Silhouette Design Store but I wanted a fourth egg with a different design.

With the Silhouette software and the tools in it, you can create pretty much anything you can imagine.

Part 1 – Drawing the Egg

Let’s start with the egg shape.

Now, the easiest way would be to use the Flexi-shapes with the v4.2 software. But, we will discuss both ways.

Drawing with Flexi-shapes

Flexi-shapes are a newly released feature with the v4.2 software and are available if you have the Designer Edition Plus or Business Edition upgrade.

The Flexi-shape option is in the toolbar on the left side of the v4 software.

Check out all these shapes!

Click on the oval shape and then click and drag the mouse on the design mat.

To adjust the shape after the original drawing, grab one of the white circles and move it. The shape will adjust as these points are moved.

Once the shape is to your liking, right click on it and choose Convert to Path.

Now, that is one way to get an oval shape.

Using the Drawing Tools to create shapes

For those that do not have v4.2 or the Designer Edition Plus or Business Edition upgrade, let’s use the drawing tools and draw an egg shape.

Since the egg is wide at the bottom than at the top, I am going to use 2 shapes.
First, on the left toolbar, select the Draw Ellipse tool.

Hold down the Shift key and drag the mouse to draw a perfect circle.

Choose the Draw Ellipse tool again and draw an oval.

Select both the circle and the oval, using the Transform Panel – Align Tab to align the horizontal centers.

Then right click and choose Weld.

Next, double click on the welded shape and this will bring up the edit points. By deleting a few edit points we can change the shape of this design.

Alter the edit points to achieve the desired effect.

Still not the exact shape or as symmetrical as you’d like? Take it one step farther.

Open the Page Setup – Panel Grid Options.
Move the oval shape so that the top bounding box is centered on one of the grid lines.
Click on the Knife Tool on the left tool bar.
Make sure the Solid option is selected in the Quick Access Toolbar at the top left.

Hold down the Shift key and draw a line from the top to the bottom on the grid line with the bounding box.

Select the right side of the oval and delete it.

Open the Replicate Panel. Select the left side of the oval and choose Mirror Right.

Select the right side and press the left arrow key 1 time. This will move the design slightly so it is overlapping the left side of the oval.

Select both sides, right click and choose Weld.
The weld option can also be found under the Modify Panel on the right side too.

Now you have a symmetrical shape.

This can be done with all kinds of designs. You can create and draw anything in the software by breaking it down into basic shapes or using the Flexi-shapes.

How about a heart? Draw your own with 2 circles & a square and then edit using the same techniques listed above or use the Flexi-shape if available.

Or a flower?
Draw an oval and use the Advanced Replicate Panel to replicate and rotate the oval.
I chose 8 copies and 30 degrees for the rotation.

In the next blog post, we will take a look at how to create shapes to decorate the egg.
Part II – Decorating the Egg Shape

What will you use the software to draw and experiment with today?

Feel free to post your comments and questions below or on my Facebook group at Silhouette Secrets with EllyMae.

Enjoy!

Posted on April 2, 2019May 31, 2019 by silhouettesecretsplus — 9 Comments

Let’s Explore v4 – Warp Templates

The warp templates area new to the v4.2 software release. They are available with the Designer Edition upgrade or higher and a version higher than v4.2.279 of the Silhouette software.

To update the Silhouette software version, I would highly recommend going to the Silhouette website and downloading the update direct from there.

Before updating the software version, I would highly recommend making a backup of the library. You can find more details on the Silhouette library for versions before v4.2 in this post – Let’s Explore v4 – Silhouette Library Tips.

Warp Templates

The warp templates are found under the Warp Panel on the right side. Depending on your screen size, you may have a pop out menu or you may see the full list of panel icons on the right side.

In the left photo, you will see the fly out menu for a smaller screen and on the right side, you will see the full panel list expanded. Again, this is dependent on screen size.

There are 6 different options for Warp Templates.

Here are the first 3 on the left side of the Warp Panel.

And here are the 3 templates from the right side of the Panel.

The templates can be used as is or you have even more options to customize the text.

By grabbing and moving the points, you can edit the text even further.

Another tool that would come in handy here is the Snap to Grid feature. Most times when I use the software, I like the freedom to move my design freely and in small increments.
With the Snap to Grid option, it will move to the next grid space measurement that you have selected. This can help in aligning the points of a warped shape.
For instance, if you move the left bottom point and you want to make sure that you move the right bottom point so it’s perfectly aligned.

Open the Page Setup Panel – top right icon. Click on the 2nd tab at the top to bring up the Grid Options.

Check the box next to Show Grid and Snap to Grid. Now, when the orange points are moved, they will snap to the grid spacing.

I love letting the software do the work for me!

At this point, the text can still be changed by double clicking in it to get the text cursor.

When you are satisfied with the changes to the text, then choose the Release Warp option and it will change it take it out of the Warp edit.

Notice that it separates each letter and you will need to group the design back together for it to move as one object.

If the changes are not what you had in mind, choose the Restore Original Shapes option and the text will revert back to the original design.

And there is more!!!

Grab the slider on the right side of the panels and it reveals more Warp Template options.

So much fun to play with all the options available to you in the software.

Now, what are some ideas that you can think of to create Word Art with these Warp Templates?

Feel free to post your comments and questions below or on my Facebook group at Silhouette Secrets with EllyMae.

Enjoy!

Posted on March 26, 2019July 13, 2019 by silhouettesecretsplus — 7 Comments

Let’s Explore v4 – Text to path

Text to path

*created in version 4.2 of the Silhouette software

Let’s explore how to take ordinary text and make it more interesting by adding it onto a path. The most common way I see this used is when you want the text to form to a circle or oval shape.
But why stop there? You can add text onto so many other paths.

Let’s take a look at how to do this.

Click on the Text tool on the left side, then click on the mat to get a text cursor and type out the text.

Next, I fill my text with color using the Fill Color Panel on the right side. This helps to see the text better and select the object easier.

Then, click on the Text Style Panel on the right side and change the text style.

Now, draw the shape that you want the text to snap to. Let’s start with an oval, since this is the most common shape I see users try to use.
Note: I have increased the Line thickness so that you can see my shape easier.

Double click on the text and a control point will appear in the bottom left corner.
Note: if the text has been changed in any way, such as welding or converting to path, it is no longer editable text and this will not appear.

Grab the control point and drag it to the object you want it to conform to.

When the text snaps to the shape, a slider bar will appear on the left side and the text can be adjusted.

Moving the slider up on the bar, moves the text out away from the shape.

Moving the slider down on the bar, moves the text inside of the line of the shape.

Make any additional changes to the text, such as increasing the character spacing, etc.

If you have a script text, right click and choose Weld.

This will weld any overlapping letters and then release the font from the shape.
Now, keep in mind that the text is no longer editable once it is welded. Make a copy and pull it to the side if you want to keep the original text to go back to.

Each font style is going to look different and you may need to adjust the character spacing on the Text Style Panel to make it overlap so it welds.

If the text is not overlapping, right click on the text and choose Convert to Path.

This will release the font from the shape.
Now, the text is a design and no longer editable text.

This is an important step, especially if you are cutting the design from HTV and need to flip the image before you cut. If the text is not converted to a path, it will not flip correctly.

Now, if that ever happens, you know why and how to fix it.
Make sure to convert to path or weld before you flip the design.

Now, let’s play with some shapes.

In the newly released v4.2 software, there are Flexi-Shapes on the left tool menu. I chose the star and then changed the points to 5.

I have increased the Line thickness again, so it can be seen better.

Now, type out the text.

If the text does not fit on one line, grab the teal slider bar on the right side and move it farther right, until all the text is on one line.

Now, grab the control point that appears in the bottom left corner of the text box and drag it to the shape. Move it around the shape until you have it how you like.

Each font and shape will vary in what looks better or if it splits words, etc. Play with the character spacing, the text size, and more until the desired look is achieved.

Want the text on a wave?

Use the Draw Curve Shape tool on the left side and draw your wave.

Type out the text, grab the control point in the bottom left, and drag to the wavy line.

When it’s positioned how you like, right click and choose Convert to Path. Now, the line can moved away.

Now, what can you think of to create with the Text to Path feature?

What about adding to a pre-made design to personalize it?

Or inside a banner?

A design for a card or a sign on a wall?

Each one of these shapes works a bit differently and you will need to play with it to see how the Text to Path snaps to the image.

Don’t forget to make a copy of the design before right clicking on the image and choosing Convert to Path.

I would love to see what you create with this feature!

Designs used in the examples are from the Silhouette Design Store:
Heart Arrow by Sophie Gallo – Design #177769
Hot Air Balloon by Rhonna Farrer – Design #182992
Banner by American Crafts – Design #19529
Banner by Skyla Design – Design #267349
Basic Banner by Silhouette – Design #141887
Baby Footprint Heart by Studio Illustrado – Design #198883

Feel free to post your comments and questions below or on my Facebook group at Silhouette Secrets with EllyMae.

Enjoy!

Posted on March 19, 2019July 14, 2019 by silhouettesecretsplus — 2 Comments

Let’s Explore v4 – Image Effects

Image Effects Panel in Silhouette Studio v4

Did you know there are a lot of options to change the Image Effects
in Silhouette Studio v4?

Under the Image Effects Panel on the right side, there are many options that include:
– Grey Shade
– Colorize
– Contrast, Brightness & Saturation
– Gamma
– Invert
– Sepia
– Tint
– Shadow

Let’s take a look at what each of those options means.

Grey Shade

Select the design by clicking on it and then move the slider to the right or increase the numbers to adjust the grey in the photo.

Here is the original graphic at 0% grey shade

As the number is increased, the colors are muted and turn grey.
Here is at 50% grey shade

And here is 100% grey shade, which turns the entire image black and white.

Colorize

Increase the slider to change the colors in the design. There are so many options with this and you can alter the image to your liking.

Look at the difference in this image with only changing the Hue to 50%.
Wow – I kind of like that!

How about Hue at 70%

So many ideas! You could change your craft room colors anytime you want and have the same graphic for decor, just by changing the Image Effects.

Contrast, Brightness, & Saturation

Adjust each one of these from zero for many different effects.

If you don’t like what the result is, click on cancel and it will revert back to the original design. If you love the look, click on apply to keep the changes.

Gamma

This slider starts at 50.

Decrease the gamma to get bolder colors.

Increase the gamma to get lighter colors. This reminds me of a watercolor effect.

Like what you see? Click the apply button to keep the changes or cancel if you want to revert back to the original colors.

Invert

This effect flips the colors. So if the design was a white background, increase the invert will change it to black.

That is pretty neat!
Click the apply button if you like it or cancel if you want to start again.

Sepia

Adjust the strength to change add a brown look to the colors.

This reminds me of an antiqued look.

Tint

Change the red, green or blue colors to achieve different results.

Shadow

Add a shadow to the design. Below I added a shadow to the text in the middle.
The shadow feature is available in the Designer Edition upgrade or higher.

There are so many option such as adding a shadow, changing the color of the shadow, pan the shadow, releasing the shadow, or choosing to cut around the shadow.

Adding a shadow is a great feature for Print and Cut projects!

If you release the shadow, it then becomes a stand alone design and can be cut.

Wow! This software is amazing! I learn new things every time I play with it!

So here is the original image.

And here is the final image. I changed several things in the Image Effects panel until I had the look I liked.

And then I printed on my new Canon TS9521C printer that I am in love with.

My original plan was to print it on cardstock and put it in a frame. But, then I saw the Silhouette Printable Cotton Canvas and thought I’d give it a go.
I love it!

There are just not enough hours in the day to play with all the cool features in the Silhouette software!

The designs I used in today’s post are Painted Floral Square by Loni Harris – Design #139088 and Craft the Life You Love Phrase by Kolette Hall – Design #262129.

Pin this image to save for later.
Find me on Pinterest HERE!

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

Enjoy!

Posted on March 13, 2019June 17, 2020 by silhouettesecretsplus — 16 Comments

Let’s Explore – The Curio – Getting started

There is this little Silhouette machine called the Silhouette Curio that came into my studio and has quickly grown to be another favorite tool.

Now, I have to admit that the first day I opened the box, I did holler upstairs to my husband and say something like “I think I made a mistake. I don’t get this machine.”
But, at that point and time there was not much out there to tell you how to get started with it.
Now, the more I use it, the more I love it!!!

So I thought I’d share a few tips to get you started with it.

Silhouette Secrets+ – Curio tips

Platforms

The Curio differs from the Cameo in that it uses a platform system to accommodate thicker materials. The Curio has a clearance of 5 mm and the platforms are added or taken away from the base to bring the height up or down as needed.

This machine comes with a 8.5 in. x 6 in. base and platforms labeled 2, 2, 1, 1 = cutting mat, and 1 = embossing mat.

The platforms are stacked on the base for a total number of 6 to reach the height for the machine to work.
Each material that is used will vary in the number of platforms needed to use with the machine.

For instance, if you have a thin material under 1 mm, you would use a total platform stack of 6. This would be for materials such as cardstock, adhesive vinyl, heat transfer vinyl, or the Silhouette metal etching sheets. These are thin materials and need all the platforms in to reach the height needed to perform the task.

What I can tell you from lots of testing is that each material you get will be different and testing is the very best answer.

For example, I get my acrylic for etching from Craft Chameleon and it is 3 mm thick. I get a good etch using a platform stack of 2+1+the cutting mat and the Silhouette etching tool. If you add this up, it equals a total of 7. Yes, that is more than 6, but my etch comes out well.

Every material and brand of material will vary in what works best. Testing is the answer.

Curio must be recognized by the software

With the Silhouette software open, plug the Curio in to the computer and turn it on.

Next, click on the Send tab in the top right corner.

Then gently load the base in the Curio machine and push the Load button. When the base is loaded you should get a message that a new machine has been plugged in and the Emboss Panel will then be unlocked for you.

You will see at the bottom of the Send tab that the Curio now shows Ready instead of Syncing.

With the v4.2 software version, the Emboss Panel will not unlock the first time a Curio is plugged in until you have loaded the base in the machine. This is how it recognizes that a new Curio has been plugged in.

Curio base position

The Curio machine is unique in a way that the machine can be paused and unloaded in the middle of a project and then be reloaded and continue in the exact place it left off. This is if the Curio base is loaded into the machine correctly.

There is a notch on the side of the Curio base.

This notch must be loaded into the machine past the front of the machine in order to orient the blade into the correct starting position.

How far past the front? There is no magic area, just past the front of the machine. I always push mine in so it is well inside the machine before pushing the Load button on the side.

Emboss Panel

Once the Curio is recognized, the Emboss Panel in the software is unlocked. This allows you to fill designs with different patterns and fills.

The Emboss panel is where I do most of the designing for etching. Each user will vary in what they like to use as an emboss fill. I prefer a tight etch and often use the Cross hatched fill with a small spacing. Check out this post on the Emboss Panel for a detailed explanation of the entire panel.

Test the materials and have fun!

There are so many options in creating with this machine and you will learn so much from just playing with it.

Here are a few projects I’ve created with the Silhouette Curio.

These acrylic coasters are from Craft Chameleon and etched with the Silhouette Etching tool. The Silhouette Etching tool is not typically in the original Curio purchase, unless it is a special bundle. So you will need to order that separately.

Above is a leather bracelet that I designed and tooled with several tools in the Silhouette Curio. The Curio did not cut clean through the tooling leather, but it cut most of the way through and then I could use scissors to cut the rest.

This is a Silhouette metal etching sheet and what I recommend for a beginner to start etching with and practice. I would suggest creating smaller designs and using the entire sheet to practice. It is double sided too, so more bang for your buck!

Check out this virtual demo table on my Youtube channel of many Curio projects I’ve done HERE.

Need a little more help getting started with the Curio?
These classes and tutorials may help:
Beginner Setup & First Cuts on Cardstock & Vinyl online class HERE
Beginner Metal Etching tutorial HERE
Basic Acrylic Etching online class HERE

Don’t have a Curio yet, but are in the market? Here are 3 places to shop for one:
Silhouette America
Swing Design
Amazon

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!

Posted on March 6, 2019July 14, 2019 by silhouettesecretsplus — 1 Comment

Silhouette Spring Retreat 2019

This past weekend I had the opportunity to teach at the Terri Johnson Creates Silhouette Spring Retreat. This was an intermediate level retreat and not only did the attendees learn lots of new things, but I learned from both the attendees and my colleagues as well.

But, do you know what the most important part about the entire weekend was?
The people!

We had a fabulous time learning, creating, and laughing through the entire weekend!

The time goes so fast and the hardest part for me is getting photos of things.
But, here are a few I managed to snap before it was over.

Every single time I tell myself that we need to take photos on the first day when we are all refreshed and every time it is always on that last day after we have been learning new things and staying up late chatting.
The first day there are many new faces, but by the 3rd day so many new friendships have been formed. I almost think, even if we look tired, those are still our best photos and there are finished projects to show as well.

The first class I taught was how to create a Faux Rhinestone scatter with Siser Holographic HTV & Siser Red Glitter HTV that was applied to a black apron.

For this design we started with a Silhouette Design Store file – Crafting is Cheaper than Therapy by Sweet Afton – Design #206867 and created several offsets using the Offset Panel. Then we used the Rhinestone Panel, which is available with the Designer Edition upgrade or higher to create our rhinestone pattern.

This project was very interesting to create and took quite a bit of testing to get the scatter to be random instead of a set pattern.

Thank you to our sponsors for this Faux Rhinestone scatter project!

Siser Holographic Rhinestone HTV was provided by Heat Transfer Warehouse,
Siser Red Glitter HTV was provided by Heat Press Nation
Silhouette Design Store file was provided by Silhouette America, Inc.

The next project I taught was a card in a box project. Every user comes from a different background, so for many cutting paper was something new for them.
I started as a papercrafter with the Silhouette, so I always love to pass on my tips and tricks for working with paper to others.

For this project, I showed the attendees how to open and work with a paper piecing file from the Silhouette Design Store. We used the Happy Birthday Balloons Card in a Box by Suzanne Cannon – Design #256894.

They used the Fill Color Panel, Replicate Panel and the Reveal mat option on the Page Setup Panel to position this design and cut multiple colors out on one cutting mat at the same time.

I use this method for almost all projects whether it is cardstock or vinyl. I find that it saves time and also saves the adhesive on my mat. Since I am not putting down a full sheet of material on top of the mat and then peeling it off, the adhesive remains sticky longer in the areas not used as much.
For more tips on extending the life of your cutting mat, check out this blog post HERE.

This was the first pieces that we cut.

And this is how it was set up on the Silhouette virtual cutting mat in the software.

After cutting the white and blue pieces of the design, we moved those off the mat and positioned the other pieces onto the mat, using the grid revealed on the Page Setup Panel.

Then we placed the colored cardstock on the mat in the same locations as it shows on the software and sent a second mat through to cut.

Now, all the pieces are cut in only 2 times loading into the machine and this fabulous card is ready to assemble.

We used Close to My Heart cardstock and patterned papers to complete this project. When cutting cardstock, the quality of the cardstock makes a big difference. I love using the Close to My Heart brand or the Michael’s Recollection cardstock. They both cut very well.

A big thank you to Silhouette America, Inc., for providing the Happy Birthday Card in a Box file for the attendees.

And the third project I taught was the Silk Screen with the new
Silhouette Silk Screen Starter kit.

We used a free cut file from Cutting for Business called Blessed Are Those Who Do the Dishes and applied it to a hand towel.

Thank you to Silhouette America, Inc. for the Silk Screen and Christine with Cutting for Business for allowing me to use her file to teach this class.

I started working with the Silhouette silk screen kit when it was first released in Fall of 2018 and just like anything else, it takes practice. I encourage you to try it out and keep on trying with it. I love that the screen is HTV and is reusable, just wash and let it dry. Then when needed, assemble it back in the frame and apply your paint.
I am making a list of ideas for Christmas gifts this year.

And finally, I do have to share with you the shirt I made to wear on the first day of the event. If you have followed me for any time or see me post on Facebook, I troubleshoot a lot when users post an issue and the first question I ask is
“Can I see a photo of your blade installed in the machine?”.
While that might be annoying to some, it is one of the most important things to start with any time there is a cutting issue. I was talking with Terri at Terri Johnson Creates one day and she said, “You need a shirt.”, so I create one and used the Silhouette Printable Heat Transfer for Dark Fabrics.
It turned out great! I’ve made several more shirts with this product and am loving it!
And this photo is taken after it was washed and dried, no special treatment.

And guess what, I fixed a few gaps in blades this weekend too!

So a tip for any user, always start with the blade. No matter which Silhouette blade you are using, if there is a gap in it, it can create cutting issues.
All blades need to sit with the lip of the blade flush with the housing.

The weekend was fabulous and even though you may feel tired by the end of the weekend, it is a refreshing tired and I get a sense of renewed energy being around other Silhouette users.

To keep up with events by Terri Johnson Creates, make sure to follow her blog HERE. There are still spaces left at the moment (it has sold out every time – so don’t wait too long) for the All Things Silhouette Conference in June in Peachtree City, GA outside of Atlanta, GA. It is the largest Silhouette conference in the U.S. and a great opportunity to learn from so many in the Silhouette Industry!
Find out all the details here – June All Things Silhouette Conference.

And new this year, there is a Pre-Day event with more hands on classes!
Join us for the Ultimate ATS Package!

Here is a short video showing a glimpse of the ATS conference – I get excited every time I see it.

https://vimeo.com/312305252

You can also check to see if there is a Terri Johnson Creates Licensed Instructor in your area that may host retreats, workshops or even one on one classes.

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

Enjoy!

Posted on February 26, 2019July 14, 2019 by silhouettesecretsplus — 1 Comment

Creating designs in Silhouette Studio v4

This week let’s take a look at how to create your own design in the Silhouette Studio software using basic shapes and text.

We will create an overlay that could be cut out of cardstock or other materials. I most often see these at trade shows cut by big, fancy laser cutters.
But, why can’t you create your own?
You can!
With just a few basic shapes and tools, you can open up so many doors.

Let’s Explore how to create this overlay in the Silhouette Studio v4.

Start by drawing a square using the Draw a Rectangle Tool on the left side.

To draw a perfect rectangle, hold down the Shift key while drawing the shape.

Do not worry about drawing an exact rectangle dimension.
Use the Scale Tab (2nd tab) located under the Transform Panel on the right side, click on the lock to lock the Aspect so that the dimensions of the object change proportionally. Then type 12 inches in the width and hit enter.
Since the lock was closed, the height will automatically change keeping the proportion of the design.

Select the Square by clicking on it and then choose the Center to Page option. This is found in the QAT (Quick Access Toolbar) or under the Transform Panel – Align Tab.

Now, draw 2 more rectangles and resize them using the Transform Panel – Scale Tab to 3.8″ x 5.8″ and 4.8″ x 6.8″.
These are the sizes for a 4″ x 6″ and 5″ x 7″ photo, the overlay will overlap the photos by just a little bit when it sits on top of it.

Make a copy of the 3.8″ x 5.8″ rectangle and move it to the bottom left side.
My favorite way to make a copy is to hold down the Alt key and drag a copy off of the design.

Make another copy of the 3.8 x 5.8″ rectangle and move it to the top right corner. Resize this rectangle using the Scale Tab to 3.8″ x 5.8″.

Next, use the Transform Panel – Align Tab to align the rectangles.

Select the top right and bottom right rectangles, choose Align Right.
Select the top left and top right rectangles, choose Align Top.
Select the top left and bottom left rectangles, choose Align Left.
Select the bottom left and bottom right rectangles, choose Align Bottom.

For the next step, select all the rectangles including the 12″ x 12″ rectangle.
To select everything on the page, left click and drag the cursor across all the objects or on the keyboard hold down the Ctrl + A buttons.

With all the rectangles selected, click on the Fill Color Panel and fill it with black.

Now, what you have created is 4 rectangles on top of the 12″ x 12″ rectangle.

We are going to take those 5 separate objects and combine them into 1 object by making a compound path.

With all 5 rectangles selected, right click and choose Make Compound Path.

This combines those 5 objects into 1 layer.
Check out this post on Compound Paths for more information.

With those basic shapes you have created the overlay base.
You can create any combination of layouts you want using any shapes you want for the overlay.

Now, let’s add a few more things to this.

Click on the Text Tool on the left side, then click on the design mat to get a text cursor and type “Paris”.
Click off of the text to deselect it and then back on it once to select it.
Open the Fill Color Panel and fill the text with black.
Then open the Text Style Panel on the right side and choose the Text Style you prefer.

Each text style you choose may be different. I chose LW Kaylee’s Script by Lori Whitlock. Resize the text to your liking.
Because of the slight angle of the text from left to right, I also rotated the text to sit straighter on the frame. This is a personal preference and each user may vary in what they like.

Move the Paris text so it overlaps the bottom section on the top left rectangle.

Next, let’s add one more element to this. I have an Eiffel tower image from the Silhouette Design Store by Samantha Walker – Design #41675.
From the Silhouette library, double click on the image and it will add to the design mat.
If it does not and opens onto another design mat, either copy and paste it to the previous work space or go back into the library and right click and choose Merge.

Click on the Eiffel tower to select it, then using the Fill Color Panel, fill it with black.
Then resize it to your liking and place it in the bottom left rectangle overlapping at the bottom.

And now the final step. Select the overlay background, the Paris text and the Eiffel tower design and right click and choose Weld.

Keep in mind that once you weld or change text in any way, it is no longer editable text, so you might want to make a copy or use the Sticky Note feature to make yourself a note on the Text Style used. For more information on Text tips, check out this post HERE.

And we have now used basic shapes, text and a design to create a overlay.
Click on the Send tab and it will show us how this will cut. It will all cut as 1 piece except the dot of the i, since it was not overlapping any other piece, it does not weld to the frame.

What will you create today?

Check out the video of creating this overlay here:

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

Enjoy!