Craft Edge

So after not having any luck and still awaiting some professional help with my printer problem I have looked into other software.

The affinity design software prints everything perfectly but how do I go about doing a print and cut to send to scal5 pro to then cut with my SB. Every time I try to export it as an SVG it loses all its size and is around 5 times bigger.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Mel x

The way I do it is this:

(1) In SCAL, set your mat size to match your printout. Thus, I will change my mat size from what my cutter uses to 8.5 x 11 or to 12 x 12 depending on which printer. You can change it back later if you like, but with print and cut, it doesn't matter at all because you set the origin based on the lower right reg mark so your printout can be anywhere on the mat that you like.

(2) Go to File>Print and, from the printer menu, select Microsoft Print to PDF. Make sure you have the registration mark option selected.

(3) Click on OK and you'll create a PDF exported file as a result.

(4) In Affinity Designer, use File>Open to open that PDF file.

(5) Use File>Print to print it.

Now you have the correct image with registration marks to perform the print and cut from SCAL.

Yes I did try it that way. The problem I have is if I Design in scal and send to affinity to print the print out is still rubbish where as if I Design in affinity and print it’s perfect but then I have the issue of getting it back to the scal software in the correct size for cutting (does that make sense)

Plus you have the added issue of needing to have reg marks in the exact location that they need to be in SCAL, which would require setting up a template, such as a large empty rectangle that would then definitely locations for the registration marks. Then export from SCAL/import into Affinity to place around your designs before printing. You can certainty scale your imported SVG back to the proper size... that's not hard to do. But still, so much added effort for something that should be working.

Also, I'm enlisting the help from someone who has a lot of experience with various printers. Her first question was "what is the brand and model of this printer?"

Yeah as this is for business purpose I need it to be slightly more straightforward if I can.

The printer is a brother Hl-l5200DW but it’s also the same on my Samsung laser.

I printed the same font out from word to the brother and it was perfect.

I’m using an iMac so I rolled back from the latest Mojave update last night to Sierra and it still happened. I’ve plugged the printer into a USB port instead of using AirPrint and still the same.

All the drivers and firmware have been updated. The toner is branded brother. They have relatively new toner and imaging drum that were replaced at the beginning of November and were used on orders before Christmas before I started using the scal and SB.

I did try printing the same font from AI and had the same problem with it.

Oddly enough, even though svg files aren't raster images, they have associated dpi. Adobe Illustrator uses one, Inkscape a different one, and I think Affinity Design a different one yet. I know that it's different from Inkscape because I designed a couple of sewing patterns in Inkscape and then printed them from Affinity Design and I had to do something to make them the correct size. It's been long enough that I forget the steps. Sorry!

Anyway, the point is that you need to find out what the dpi is for Affinity Design and then set your SCAL import to that dpi. Once you do that, the files should import at the correct size.

Re-scaling is easily done but the issue is that she'll also need to have registration marks in very precise locations that will match where SCAL "wants them to be." SCAL doesn't just allow marks to be located where you choose to print them but rather at a specific outset distance from the boundary box around the shapes to be cut... which is something I'm sure you already realize. That means you need to create a template, such as a large rectangle, that will be exported from SCAL, imported into Affinity and then the design placed within that rectangle. Then the design can be printed from Affinity, the fake reg marks hidden or deleted, and the design plus rectangle exported from Affinity, imported into SCAL and scaled to match the original rectangle. This probably doesn't make sense based on me just typing it, but it seems the only solution at this point if the design cannot be designed within SCAL and printed. I do find it fascinating that Illustrator also isn't printing the designed without pixelation but Word can. Hmmm.

I think it's fascinating...but also hopeful, that AI is giving the same result because AI would have MANY more forums and experts than you'll find here in a cutter-exclusive community. I would go find an AI support group and post this issue there and focus on it being an AI issue but also mention that it's happening from another vector program but not from Affinity Designer.

Yes I thought about doing that. I’ll let you know if it turns anything up

Mel x