Making Frames some examples

[papasue]

I make almost all my frames with path/back minus front. Here are some of the ones I made.

Create your frame, add shape, select both, path/back minus front

basic.png (8.41 KiB) Viewed 6612 times

Make a shape, copy, paste, resize until you get the "border" you want, select both, path/back minus front

cutout.png (8.15 KiB) Viewed 6612 times

Frame as desired, create text with overlapping edges, path/union. Place text in frame, resize to overlap edges, path/back minus front

text.png (15.58 KiB) Viewed 6612 times

A few more steps on this one. back shape, shape inside with sides touching, select both path/union. Add another shape on top, select all path/back/minus front.

fancy.png (15.62 KiB) Viewed 6612 times

I hope you get some use out of this and make some fantastic frames.
Comments and or designs would be appreciated.

[dmeclips]

Great tutorials!! Thank you!

Even this newbie could follow along. I especially love the last one with the hearts.

These steps open up a huge variety of possibilities for shape-making.

The only thing that I had to add was to Weld for the frame with the word inside...a step that is probably obvious to the less newb.

Is there a way to center the concentric shapes atop one another for making the most basic frame shape. I'm not that good at eye-balling it and would like to perfectly center the two. (And perhaps a shortcut for it??)

In Illustrator I can select Arrange and Center...or something like that. In ecal (ver. 1.506) the Object/Arrange menu doesn't have this option.

The Union is new to me. Why is that used instead of Weld? I like the cleaner look of the Union shape v. the weld shape but the print preview seems to have the same (cutting) outcome.

Thanks again!! Great illustrations and instructions.

[dmeclips]

I was able to make this card using your tutorial. Thanks again.

http://goo.gl/QYTqdx

[papasue]

Yeah, thank you for sharing it. Did you use weld or union!

[dmeclips]

Mostly Union but I think I clicked Weld once in awhile...for good measure. Ha!

I'm still a little confused about the difference.

[craftedge]

Here is some information with regards to Weld and Union

viewtopic.php?f=18&t=41019

[nhagal]

"...Is there a way to center the concentric shapes atop one another for making the most basic frame shape. I'm not that good at eye-balling it and would like to perfectly center the two. (And perhaps a shortcut for it??)"

If you're using eCal2 - highlight both of the layers and click on the horizontal and vertical align icons on the MOVE palette. (the one with the crossed arrows) on the right side of the window. The box for To Page does not need to be checked. To keep the layers aligned, Object > Group (or Control +G for pc or Command +G for Mac)
In eCal1 - highlight both layers and click both the horizontal and vertical align icons. This will move the layers to the center of the mat. I generally group (using the same shortcuts as above) and move to where I want the cut to be.

[dmeclips]

Thanks, Jan. You made that very easy.

[dmeclips]

Here is some information with regards to Weld and Union

viewtopic.php?f=18&t=41019

Thank you. That was very helpful. I'll use weld when I want to be able to move the objects back apart. Makes sense.