GeneK

On 1/1/2024 at 5:56 AM, Kevin Futter said:

I'm pretty sure it's just a once-only cost, and not an annual license.

Yes, definitely once only!👍

Gene K

On 12/27/2023 at 3:26 PM, PhilJ said:

The second run was slightly easier to peel so has been used in anger for the first time 🙂

Phil,

I always press a new mat against a T-shirt several times to tame the stickiness. You could also use a low stick mat, and if it's too anemic, tape the edges of the material to the mat with a few strips of masking tape. I do that when my mats lose the stick (before I re-spray the mat or just buy a new one). 

You could also try cutting without a mat as summarized here.  I don't normally do this because, among other reasons,  I usually use a  mounted full sheet from which I cut sections over multiple sessions. Save that mat/sheet, and use another mat for other projects that may arise. Cheap, cheap.

Gene K

21 hours ago, Mc65 said:

 ...  command and drawing tools,, yet I feel I need a guide to them, at least initially!

YouTube is great for such tutorials. For starters search on "Silhouette trace" for guides on using the Trace feature ...  and after you are comfortable with that, search for "Silhouette point editing" . 

Frustration will quickly turn into fun when you practice!!

Gene K

Paolo.

Looks like you narrowed it down to a "somewhat useable" trace, but you could still use more refining by going back to your original image (not the isolated pieces you made),  and using the Trace dialog options (Threshold, Despeckle, etc)  to refine the trace. That would give you a single line trace vice the double lines you created.

After the trace is made, you can reduce the number of nodes by using the Top Menu ...  Object/Simplify (Ctrl+J) . Then, overlaying the trace on your original jpg, you can further refine the trace by adjusting the nodes and adding or deleting others to get something like this (can even be further refined)

So here's the final trace (not scaled). Let me know if you'd like the Studio file.

Sounds like a lot of effort, right? So ..

One of the very best things you can do to use Studio effectively is to learn to use the drawing tools to trace. Takes an investment in time, but well worth the effort in the long run. The Studio Trace feature is getting better, but manual tracing is much easier,  quicker, and more precise.  

👍

Gene K

Nice start, Shawn. For the white outline, just draw another circle of the correct radius. The mask for white is sprayed first, and then the red mask applied over the white. For tips on lining the masks up, see the Tutorial section. on this site. I like the parchment paper method as shown here. There are many other similar videos on YouTube.

Gene K

The upgrade to the Designer Edition is currently on sale for $25. Good deal! 

https://www.silhouetteamerica.com/software/ss#upgrade

Gene K

Kevin,

If you are looking to move up from the Portrait 2-- Great deals abound on the Portrait 3 since the 4 is out. I sold my 3 and applied the funds to the 4 ... which I really like.

Gene K

I had the original Curio and really liked it, but it was overkill for my needs (as was my Cameo). Also, it was kind of clunky with the stacked bed arrangement. The new model, however, is MUCH improved in all aspects, and I would have gotten one but for the large footprint the machine with/without the ES mat requires.

There is no comparison of the the Portrait 2 to the original Curio  - never was ...  and is not now as regards the Curio 2 to the Portrait 4 (which I bought). Totally different classes as concerns diverse capability (as you said).  If you have the room and want stupendous capability, the Curio 2 is a great buy!

Gene K

I'm not familiar with the masking material you used, but the Portrait should certainly have done a sharper cut. In that regard, you can't set 1.5 depth on an autoblade (assuming you are using one), but in any event, you can/should play with the force/depth combination to dial in your particular material. For fine tuning, you can also "fiddle" with Line Segment Overcut, Track Enhancing, and Intelligent Path Technology (if you have a Portrait 4).

As for Oramask, it will lose some stick (and shrink somewhat) as it ages, especially if not stored properly, but it sounds like your Portrait is new, so I assume your Oramask is also new.  As for alternatives to Oramask, I've tried other  masking materials, and have found Tamiya the best (but I "stick" with Oramask).

Lastly,  I assume your blade is new ... and that you've checked that there are no cutting fragments in the blade holder.

Gene K

3 hours ago, Grunticus said:

Any scale. You can easily resize them in Silhouette Studio. 

Sure , but why not just  post the scale "for completeness" ... if the poster has the scale? 

Dan did in fact note that they are in 1/32! Thanks again, Dan.

Gene K

Nice tracing, Mikeja. 

Too bad Arma Hobby didn't give us a vector pdf ... which would have generated the cut lines.

Gene K

I came across this interesting playlist of ten videos today:

Great for beginners since he covers all the basics .... plus some.

There are "alternate" ways to do many tasks in Studio other than as shown in this series (of course). For example, instead of Copy and then Paste, merely click on object, then press Alt key to drag a copy to a new location. That feature is particularly handy to place and cut a new copy of an object close to the original -- saves material. 

Gene K

The forthcoming new Silhouette machines (Portrait 4, Curio 2, and Cameo 5 )will have an optional static Electricity Technology mat that MAY work with small lettering/numbers. BUT the additional $100 COST MAY BE A DEAL BREAKER to many. Good details here. Portrait 4 and ET mat  may work for me - total cost still high at $300.

Gene K

BTW,  the latest version of Silhouette Studio has a much improved trace function.

Edit: It appears that the ES mat for the Portrait will be/is appropriately smaller for the Portrait than the other ES compatible Silhouette cutters. I will get one for the new Portrait 4 I just acquired. No details or price available yet.

MiloMinder,

I posted the "Miss Virginia" lettering as a new, less "wavy" svg that can supplement your svg file if one wants.  Note that the lettering is different on each side of the airplane - "straight" lettering on the left side, and italics on right.

Gene K

Thanks, MiloMinder.  Yes it's certainly useable in other machines. For example, the .dxf file imports directly into Silhouette Studio as a cut file (I have Designer edition, but will work in Basic also).  For other plotters and cutting machines, there are many sites/apps that will convert the dxf to other vector formats such as svg so that your file can be used.

For others: as MiloMinder stated,  MIss Virginia is "wavy",  and that's because it (apparently) was scanned and then converted to vector format -- meaning it's composed of literally hundreds of nodes. Yes, at a small cut size it appears OK**, but the cutting machine will be doing a heck of a lot of teeny tiny zig zags. It's  possible to machine or manually simplify the trace, but that process normally results in some distortion. It takes more effort, but manual tracing would produce much smoother and truer results.

Gene K

** Thanks again .... I didn't do the math to figure out the scale.

Edit: I just saw in the LightBurn file that you posted that it's 1/48. 

Thanks, Mike.

I just posted this in that LSP thread:

I've stored and used small rolls of Oramask 810 inside my house (normal heating and cooling) for many years without a problem. 

Gene K

The blade is dragging the Oramask off its backing while it's cutting, as suggested. Woody has some great pointers.

When the outside edges are cut, the Oramask is well tacked down around the cut, but when the inside edges are cut, there is not much stick to anchor the Oramask against the drag of the blade, so the cut shape is pushed, especially around sharp corners. You can avoid some of that by selecting Line Segment Overcut in the dialog box where speed, force, etc is set -- it's under "More", as is Track Enhancing (which may also help). However, on very small text, Overcut could cut too far into the mask, actually cutting pieces off.

If the problem persists, the best bet, I think, is to cut the inside and outside as separate masks and then layer them. 

For very small text, decals are the way to go.

Gene K

22 hours ago, denders said:

That would mean that the material you're cutting has to go under the rollers. 

Not judging by the picture:

I'm assuming the optional electromagnetic mat's "suck" would be limited to light material - I can't see it holding, for example, cardboard cutting. Will be interesting if we can cut masks on it. I routinely cut tissue, so will be getting that mat. Probably expensive ... .

Gene K

6 hours ago, zaxos345 said:

...  the machine i found is lightly used and almost 1/3 of the price of the new one ... .

 I understand, so Good luck!

The new Portrait 4 will "only" cost a reasonable $200 here in the US. Unfortunately, it sounds like Silhouettes cost more in Europe ... for whatever reason.

Gene K

The new batch of Silhouette hardware (Cameo, Curio, Portrait) is scheduled for "Fall 2023". Read about it here.

After trials and tribulations with my Cameo 4, I purchased a Portrait 3 ... which suits me perfectly for masks. However, the added capabilities of the Cameo 5 will cost me a reasonable $350. 

Gene K 

John,

I assume you mean Portrait 3 and not Cameo 3 - correct? (You said "cameo portrait 3")

The Portrait 3 is great for vinyl masks, but not sure what you mean by "enough power". The machine easily cuts vinyl, and if wanted, the carrier also.

Since the Portrait is relatively inexpensive, I would buy a new machine (which comes with a warranty and no risk of unknown problems) rather than take a chance on a used one. You'll be liking and using the machine for a long time! 👍

Gene K

On 9/9/2023 at 4:38 PM, Dan_103 said:

Scaled for different sizes

What scales?

Gene K