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Tracing tips and Tricks — #7 Simple photographs

February 2, 2021 By Cindy Eckhoff Leave a Comment

So far in our series on tracing, we've covered how to do pretty basic traces. I highly recommend you walk through all those lessons first, starting here. From here on out, we begin the harder stuff so you need to have the basics down already. Today, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Designing, Silhouette Studio Software Tagged With: photo, photos, threshold, trace, tracing

Tracing Tips & Tricks — #6 Text and Potential Pitfalls

January 28, 2021 By Cindy Eckhoff Leave a Comment

Today we’re continuing in our series on Tracing. If you haven’t read the previous lessons, start here.  I could have included this in the last lesson, but it was getting pretty long so I thought you could use a break. We’re going to cover what to do … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Designing, Silhouette Studio Software Tagged With: Text, threshold, trace, tracing

Tracing Tips & Tricks — #5 Simple multi-color images

October 30, 2020 By Cindy Eckhoff Leave a Comment

Welcome back! If you haven't started with Lesson 1 of this series on tracing, you'll find it here.  So far we've covered when you need to trace, selecting images, what's in the trace panel and how to trace simple, solid shapes of 1 color. Today, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Designing, Silhouette Studio Software Tagged With: Compound Path, raster, simplify, trace, trace by color, tracing

Tracing tips & tricks — #4 Simple, solid shapes

September 23, 2020 By Cindy Eckhoff 4 Comments

So far in our tracing series, we've just been learning about the prep work -- the most important part of any project. (You can start with Lesson 1 here).  We've discussed file types and image selection and gotten an overview of the Trace panel. Now … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Designing, Silhouette Studio Software Tagged With: autotrace, png, threshold, trace, trace and detach, tracing

Tracing tips & tricks — #3 What’s in the Trace panel

September 10, 2020 By Cindy Eckhoff Leave a Comment

This is part 3 of the series on tracing -- creating cut files from things like photos and clip art. Be sure to read Lesson 1 on why and what to trace and Lesson 2 about choosing images before you read this one, as I will refer frequently to the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Designing, Silhouette Studio Software Tagged With: panel, trace, tracing

Tracing Tips & Tricks — #2 Image Selection

September 8, 2020 By Cindy Eckhoff 6 Comments

In this series (lesson 1 is here), I'm showing you how to take a clip art type image and turn it into a cut file for your Silhouette. This gives you a tremendous amount of designing flexibility. Lesson 2 is about graphic styles and how to choose … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Designing, Silhouette Studio Software Tagged With: raster, resolution, trace, tracing

Tracing Tips & Tricks — #1 Where to Start

September 4, 2020 By Cindy Eckhoff 4 Comments

Silhouette tracing

Today I'm beginning a series that's LONG overdue. It's about tracing -- how to turn an image such as clip art or a photo into a cut file. I've taught this as a class at the All Things Silhouette Conferences for years and am finally starting to do it … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Designing, Silhouette Studio Software Tagged With: clip art, images, jpg, photo, png, raster, trace, tracing, vector

Tuesday Quick Tip: when your design won’t resize proportionally

May 26, 2020 By Cindy Eckhoff Leave a Comment

This is one of those "what in the world is happening?" kinds of things. You use one of those beautiful Modify tools I'm always raving about, but the resulting shape won't resize the way it's supposed to. Or a design you purchase acts up in this way. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Silhouette Studio Software, Tips Tagged With: modify, proportions, Resizing, trace, tracing

Mask with printable fabric

April 24, 2020 By Cindy Eckhoff 3 Comments

printed fabric beard mask

So, yes, I'm still sewing masks. I had finished those for my extended family when my daughter let me know her boyfriend didn't have one. We talked over some ideas, and because she's a TOTAL goofball we wanted to do something fun. He's been growing a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Designing, Projects Tagged With: Compound Path, fabric, mask, print, Print and Cut, printable fabric, trace, tracing

Trademark and copyright for crafters

September 17, 2018 By Cindy Eckhoff Leave a Comment

I sit here on a Saturday afternoon watching college football, my favorite thing to do (besides crafting). The only bittersweet thing is that my son is no longer playing as he graduated last spring. I've made a TON of spirit items over the years and … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Tips Tagged With: college, copyright, law, legal, license, logo, mascot, patent, school, tracing, trademark, university

Point Editing: taming all those little black dots (Lesson 7)

June 29, 2018 By Cindy Eckhoff Leave a Comment

silhouette edit points for trace

Here we are in our final lesson on Point Editing. If you need to start at the beginning of this series, go here. In today’s lesson I’m going to give you a few tips on working with points on text, show you how to edit points to help when you’re … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Designing, Silhouette Studio Software Tagged With: closed, convert to path, crop, curve, curved, Drawing Tools, edit points, Fill, freehand, magnet trace, modify, open, path, point editing, points, polygon, raster, simplify, smooth freehand, subtract, Text, trace, trace and detach, tracing

Point Editing: taming all those little black dots (Lesson 6 Part 2)

June 20, 2018 By Cindy Eckhoff Leave a Comment

silhouette editing points

I hope you’re learning how much you can alter your designs in Silhouette Studio by editing points. If you haven’t gone through the previous lessons in this series, start here. Otherwise, this lesson won’t make much sense. In Part 1 of this lesson, we … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Designing, Silhouette Studio Software Tagged With: black dots, break path, edit points, join path, open design, paths, point editing, points, red dots, trace, tracing

Pancakes and Donuts: the key to understanding the difference between a grouping and a compound path

February 27, 2018 By Cindy Eckhoff Leave a Comment

silhouette pancakes and donuts

To truly understand using and creating designs in Silhouette Studio software, you need to have a good understanding of Groupings and Compound Paths -- how they are the same, how they are different and how they respond differently to modifications. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Designing, Silhouette Studio Software Tagged With: Compound Path, convert to path, craftsy, donuts, Fill, font, grouping, modify, pancakes, pattern, point editing, Print and Cut, scale, Text, trace, tracing, ungroup

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