In this series, we’re talking about 7 different ways to use your own raster images as a fill pattern for your shapes. In our first lesson, we talked about using drag and drop to copy an image you saved on your computer into the Silhouette library. Method #2 is similar: we’re still going to save the image into a regular library folder, but we’re going to get it there by a different process — file import.
Tutorial Level: Intermediate to Advanced
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Method #2: Add the image to regular library folders with file import
This method is very similar to Method #1 and it works the same in all levels of the software. Here are some key details:
–You can only do 1 image at a time.
–The image goes directly into the Local User>Library>User Designs folder. But after it imports, you can move it to a different regular folder if you prefer.
–Even if a shape is selected, importing the pattern to the library will not automatically fill that shape.
And here’s the process:
–Save the image to a folder on your computer where you can find it.
–Go to the Design area in Silhouette Studio. You don’t need to have your library open, because this process will open it for you.
–In the upper left drop down menu, go to File>Library>Import to Library. Make sure you choose that one and not Import Library, which is what you use when you’ve saved your entire library to move it from one computer to another (and you don’t really need to do that any longer since we have the Cloud).
–Navigate to the folder where you saved your raster image.
–Select the raster image. Remember, you can only do 1 at a time. If you want to import multiple images, use a different method.
–Click OK at the bottom.
This will open your library with the Local User>Library>User Designs folder showing and you should see that raster image in that folder now. As before, you can move it to another regular folder if you like, either in your local or user name library. And you can name it, add keywords, etc. You add it to a shape or open it as its own page, just as you did in method #1.
Here’s a video showing this method in action:
Use method #2 when…
…you want to keep the pattern handy in your library but not in your Pattern Fill panel. It can take a long time for this panel to open in your software, so keeping fewer patterns in here helps. Plus some folks just don’t like scroll through so many options in the panel.
…you only need to import 1 image.
Up Next
Next time with Method #3, we’ll talk about putting a raster image into your patterns folder in the library and why that makes a difference.
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