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writing solid letters
Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 9:20 pm
by cmargm
I am hoping that someone can help. I am trying to use SCAL to write something on the inside of a card using the Cricut ink cartridges. I have tried using Inkscape to make the wording, but when I do "object to path" to make the SVG (so it can be imported to SCAL) it makes the outline of the letters rather than the solid ones I want. When I import the file to SCAL, Cricut draws only the lines. Maybe I am asking for too much :<) but any thoughts might help me figure this out if it can be.
Re: writing solid letters
Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 6:23 am
by scraphappysue
You don't need to import
text into inkscape. Just type your wording into SCAL and weld it together or whatever and cut it. Hope this helps.

oops...or "write" it.

Re: writing solid letters
Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 6:58 am
by HeatherM
I don't have the markers, but I think if you make copies of your words and use different amounts of path inset to get letters of various thickness, the markers will make multiple passes around the letters to fill them in. Hope this is clear, my caffeine hasn't kicked in yet.

If you have a printer you can use, it would be easier to just print them. I have used inkscape to print images.
Re: writing solid letters
Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 9:03 am
by AnointedHands
cmargm wrote:When I import the file to SCAL, Cricut draws only the lines. Maybe I am asking for too much :<) but any thoughts might help me figure this out if it can be.
The cricut is not very good at what you are trying to do. It will only do the outline because of it's internal design...it will not cut or draw a solid line. You might try using a very skinny font so that when it does the outline, it will be so thin you can't tell.
HTH
Althea
Re: writing solid letters
Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 10:08 am
by HeatherM
This is what I had in mind, but I don't have the markers so I can't try it out.

- letter layers.jpg (34.27 KiB) Viewed 5411 times
Re: writing solid letters
Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 5:20 pm
by cmargm
Thank you for all your suggestions. I did try to print off the "H" (both on my printer and in SCAL) but it wasn't solid. All the single lines were there. I had a 'duh' moment after I asked my question, that I could just print it off using a word processor and then cut it to fit the card or do whatever I want with it. It certainly would take less time.
Re: writing solid letters
Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 5:22 pm
by cmargm
scraphappysue wrote:You don't need to import
text into inkscape. Just type your wording into SCAL and weld it together or whatever and cut it. Hope this helps.

oops...or "write" it.

Hi - I did try that and it still didn't write it as solid letter. It just wrote the lines, like it was a stencil. Thanks anyway.
Re: writing solid letters
Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 5:23 pm
by cmargm
AnointedHands wrote:cmargm wrote:When I import the file to SCAL, Cricut draws only the lines. Maybe I am asking for too much :<) but any thoughts might help me figure this out if it can be.
The cricut is not very good at what you are trying to do. It will only do the outline because of it's internal design...it will not cut or draw a solid line. You might try using a very skinny font so that when it does the outline, it will be so thin you can't tell.
HTH
Althea
I will give this a try and see how it works. Thanks.
Re: writing solid letters
Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 6:28 pm
by Tingha Treasures
I use the markers all the time and it does a lovely thin font you just need to pick your ,especially good are script and handwriting fonts.
Re: writing solid letters
Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 8:16 pm
by cmargm
Tingha Treasures wrote:I use the markers all the time and it does a lovely thin font you just need to pick your ,especially good are script and handwriting fonts.
Thanks for this information. I am trying some handwritten fonts now and they are being written OK but they are very jerky looking. Is that normal?