DSF

Hi all

Has anyone tried contour cutting a JPG image with Signblazer Elements?

I've uploaded a McDonalds logo to this thread as an example. The logo I will eventually be cutting is similar in design, but I won't have the JPG version of it until next week. So I want to have a practice on this one... I want to cut around the yellow and the black to retain the "shadow" effect.

I'll be printing onto a "D-Print & Cut Dark" transfer Paper from Dorotape and cutting on my Refine MH721 cutter.

Been trying for a few hours today, but cannot find any decent resources on the internet telling me how to do this...

Any advice from anyone who's succeeded with this? Is Signblazer the best contour cutting program? It's free, so that's a big bonus for me!

Cheers
Barry

found it one day.


step 1: you open your SignBlazer program.
step 2a: import your artwork (if it's done on a different program: eps, jpg, tiff) or
step 2b: just work your design within the SignBlazer
step 3: IMPORTANT: put a cut mask around your artwork (basically this mask is the cutting line)
step 4: from SignBlazer, you print your design into your coloured printer using your preferred medium and IMPORTANT: print it with registration marks.
step 5: feed the printed artwork into your LaserPoint cutter
step 6: on the SignBlazer Program you hit FILE....CUT A PRINT... and a windows pops up.
step 7: read the instructions (it will ask you to jog to the right so just align the laserbeam on the right registration mark)
step 8: hit next
step 9: read the instructions (it will ask you to jog to the left so just align the laserbeam on the left registration mark)
step 10: hit next
step 11: at this point just hit CUT.
....... it should cut right away.


here i the video. btw. is your version can do conour cutting mate?

Thanks Paul

I'll give that a try tomorrow. Yes, mine will do contour cutting. It's the optical eye version

sorry forgot to add what software version you have as not all of them can d it.

It's Sigbblazer Elements Paul.

yes but whats the relese number.

Sorry Paul - it's version 6.0.21.

I do have the options as mentioned above ("Cut Mask", "Expand/Outline/Inline" etc) but still cannot get this to work...

That video makes it look easy, but all they've done is write some text in Signblazer itself! I've followed the video and I can do what they do! But I can't do the same from a JPEG!

When I import my JPEG (e.g. the McDonalds logo above) and select "Expand/Outline/Inline" I get the message "Cannot perform this operation on a bitmap image". So I then tried converting it to monochrome and then vectorize it. Now when I select "Expand/Outline/Inline" again, it gives me the same message....

I'm sure this is possible, but cannot find the right options/methods to do it SIMPLY. I've tried using the POLYLINE and NODE EDIT tools in Signblazer and this seems to do the trick, but it's very longwinded.

yep you need to do it manualy with jpgs etc... draw outline around the image and then is ready to cut. this is only way if you wrking with graphics other then vector.

Thanks Paul! Is this same process also required for other cutting software, e.g. Flex?

yes. if you pic is jpg,gif, bmp etc is basicly squere. does not contain lines (curves) you need to draw around the area you want to cut. only shilluetes vector doeas not need that. regardless waht software.