I’ve been meaning to write this post for a few weeks, ever since I saw a logo design for a message series at our church. The series is called “Life in Pieces,” with the word “pieces” looking like a puzzle. There’s a bit of separation between the pieces so that you can see a bit of white between them. Today, I’m going to show you how you can do that with any word (or design). It doesn’t just have to be puzzle shapes — it will work with any shapes that nestle right into one another. Here’s an example:
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Start with the right kind of puzzle design
For this to work, we need closed pieces. Some of the designs in the Silhouette Design Store are like this, some are not. Let me show you some examples.
Closed pieces
…and this one…
…and this one are made up of closed shapes.
I can tell because I am able to fill the pieces with color individually and they don’t look odd (you’ll see that below). I moved a couple of pieces in each one so you can see that better.
Open pieces
This one is open. It has rectangular background, then only open paths for the separating lines. Notice how I can’t fill the pieces with color. In my Quick Access Toolbar, I had a purple fill selected but the pieces are still without a fill color. And notice how the pieces don’t have outer edges.
If I get into point editing mode on it, you can see the red dots that indicate open paths.
(That particular design has other flaws as well, so I don’t recommend it).
This one is also open. When I first fill it with color, it looks like my pieces have all disappeared. Actually, it’s just that there’s a background square at the top of the order. I moved that to the side here so you can see.
Great! It looks like I have regular pieces because they LOOK separate. But when I ungroup the pieces again, I see that they are grouped with another square. Once I move it out of the way, I see this:
See how the pieces don’t fill correctly? That’s a sure-fire indication of an open path. You’ll also see that the outer edges on this one are missing as well. When I start moving around what’s left, you’ll see that it’s just 4 lines with bumps in them.
Why you need closed pieces
Open shapes may cut fine out of normal material. But that’s not what we’re doing here. With those open shapes, we could not create an offset and we could not use the Modify tools. Those both work only with closed shapes. If you already own one of these designs, you can use point editing to turn them into closed shapes. But for the $1 it will cost you to buy one with closed shapes, it’s probably not worth your time.
When working with Modify tools, it’s best not to work at a tiny size as some options create distorted pieces when the elements are too small. Work at the full width of the page to design, then resize later.
Create an internal offset of the puzzle pieces
Now that we’ve got the right kind of puzzle design, we’re going to create an internal offset.
- Select the set of pieces (so all of them).
- Zoom in enough to be able to see the distance as you create the offset.
- Open the Offset panel.
- Select “Internal Offset.”
- Move the amount around until you have as much of a gap as you want. Keep in mind that you only want HALF the amount of your space between the lines of the offset and the lines of the original. This is going to create an offset on both sides of the original line and then we’re going to get rid of the original pieces. That means the space between the offset lines is the space that will be between the pieces on your word. I recolored my offset lines in black so you can see them easier, but the offset will be created with the same line colors as your original.
- While everything is still selected, group all the offset pieces together.
- Move your original off to the side of the Design area. That’s in case you need to start over.
- Fill your offset pieces with color. You’ll then see the gaps. I also recommend raising the transparency, as it will help in the next steps.
- I also recommend keeping the set of pieces grouped. If by chance you want to give each piece a different fill color for whatever reason, be very careful to not move them as you do it. Then regroup them.
Add designs and make copies
We’re going to need multiple copies of the offset puzzle pieces. Make at least one for every letter or shape you’re going to work with, then make a couple of extras. Pull them off to the side.
It’s best to work with only 1 letter or design at a time, at least while you’re learning the technique. I’m going to type out one letter. I prefer a thick font, so I’m using this one. I’ve filled it with a color and raised the transparency so I can see through it to the puzzle pieces. Resize the letter until it fits just inside the borders of the puzzle pieces. Then send it to the back of the order.
Make copies of your letter too, so that you font and size will be the same when you go to your next letter. I keep an original of everything to the left of my mat and all my copies to the right. That helps me remember to not use my originals. If your word uses the same letter only once, you only need to type if once (as in my “E.”) By using different colors of material when you cut them you can get them to look different if you like.
Make the puzzle pieces
Zoom to where you can see the letter fills your screen mostly. I just find it helpful to see more closely. Move your puzzle around over the letter until the breaks are where you want them. In other words, watch out for tiny bits of pieces that wouldn’t look like a puzzle piece. You may need to resize the puzzle or the letter. IF YOU DO — remember to use those to replace your originals and make new copies.
Now there’s just one step left. Select your puzzle piece set and your letter. Open the Modify panel and select “Crop.” What that will do is keep only those portions that are shared by at least 2 pieces. In other words, it will save only portions of the letter that are covered by a puzzle piece. The parts of the letter between the pieces will go away, creating your gap.
There you have it! Before you go on, group the pieces of that letter together. Then, just repeat that for every letter or shape.
You can cut the pieces from different colors of material. Or, cut it once out of each color you want to use. If you have 5 colors, you’ll wind up with 5 complete sets to use.
To keep the pieces from moving as you recolor them individually, use Layers (Designer Edition and up). You can lock pieces in place by putting them in a layer and then locking it. You can purchase Designer Edition here. And don’t forget to use my code SMART for 10% off.
Another option for puzzle pieces with gaps
There’s another way you can do this without the Offset and Crop, just for cutting. It just depends on what you’re doing and what makes the most sense to you.
Take your original puzzle and put it over your design. Keep it UNFILLED (it will act differently if you have a fill in it). In the Quick Access Toolbar or Line Style panel, raise the line thickness to the amount of gap you want to have.
Now go to the Send area. Select the puzzle piece set ONLY and choose “Cut Edge” in Simple Mode or Autoweld in one of the advanced modes. That will make it cut on both sides of that thick line. Cut it, then weed away the material that was in the gap.
I don’t prefer this method, as you can’t move the pieces independently and I think it wastes material. But do whatever works for you.
More about puzzles
Now that you’ve learned the technique, you can do it on many types of designs. Start with solid designs or those with mostly thick areas, as you’ll see the pieces best and it makes full pieces rather than tiny slivers. The main thing to watch for is a design that is all on one level, not one where you glue pieces on top of one another. Here are a couple of examples:
Technically, you could just lay your puzzle template design over the word or other design you’re making without going through the extra step of using Crop. After you cut, the gaps between the pieces will be part of the background you weed away. I just find it makes it easier for me to see it before I cut.
If you want it to appear as if your pieces are all from the same puzzle pieces side by side, use a larger puzzle template such as this one or this one. Notice how, for example, the piece at the upper right edge of the “P” is continued on the “I.”
In a future post, I’ll show you how to create your own puzzle pieces or puzzles in several ways. Stay tuned!
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