Hello, Janet here with a pretty project using this week's featured product - Silhouette Printable Glitter Sticker Paper. It has a fabulous glittery finish and is fantastic for printables. I've turned a cut file into a printable using a technique I like to call 'Colour Picking' which I'll describe in this post.
The Make a Wish file was free in the Silhouette Design Store at the time of writing this post. I found it on the first page of the Project section. I can't promise that it will still be free by the time you read this, but let's hope it is.
It is a very pretty and delicate dandelion design, designed to be cut to fit a 8.5" x 11" frame. Once I'd downloaded and opened it, I realised that the pieces would be too small to cut successfully from paper once I'd reduced the size to fit my frame which was 6" x 8". I decided that I'd be better off printing it, and thought that the glitter sticker paper would be ideal. However, the file pieces would need to be coloured. I'll show you the method I used for arranging the file and colouring the unfilled shapes using the colour picker. Of course, this method should work for any cut file, provided that there are not too many pieces, or colours.
STEP 1: Arrange the File Pieces
It isn't strictly necessary to do this first, but I wanted to check that the design would fit my frame as well as look well balanced within it. Firstly I ungrouped the pieces and moved the centre pieces and stem into the correct positions. I then drew a rectangle of the required size of the printable, selected all the pieces, and reduced the size to fit the rectangle (remembering to leave some additional space around the design for the overlap of the frame's inner edge). The media is US Letter sized, so I also set my page size to letter at this point.
Note: It isn't necessary to set this up as a Print & Cut if you are prepared to trim the design manually (just a rectangle, so a trimmer or even ruler and knife would work). I did use Print & Cut to cut around the design (the grey line shown here), but if you have a trimmer it isn't necessary, and you will have bigger scrap pieces to use on another project.
STEP 2: Import the Coloured Picture
I've found the easiest starting point to colouring the design is to replicate the original. This is done by picking the colours from the completed project picture provided by the designer. To do this, import a copy of the picture onto your virtual mat. The actual method with vary by computer and operating system, but take and save a screen shot (usually larger if you access the store from the web rather than through the software), open it in the Silhouette software and copy it into the same tab as the open design. Increase it's size to something you can see the individual colours in, and it should look something like this.
It might occur to you to crop the picture and to print it as it is, but the resolution is likely to be too low, and it would probably look way too blurry when printed.
STEP 3: Make a Colour Swatch (OPTIONAL)
To keep track of the colours I like to make a colour swatch. This isn't necessary, but the if you adjust the colours later (as I did), you'll find it easier to keep track of the relative shades and colours. Simply draw a rectangle and make a column of them (open Replicate panel, select rectangle, click 'column of 4' until you have enough boxes). I identified seven different colours so made a column of seven, and then replicated all of them to make a second column for adjusted colours (Replicate panel, select column, click Replicate Right).
You might find it useful to use the block another time, either blank, with colours, or both. In which case copy it, now or later, to another tab, and save the file to your library (File > Save As > Save to Library, type a suitable name, click OK).
STEP 4: Colour Picking
Depending on whether you have made a swatch box or not, pick colours from the picture and fill the boxes, the design, or both. Firstly, open the Fill panel and move it closer to the picture. These are the steps involved:
- Click the box (or shape) you want to fill,
- Click the Picker tool in the Fill panel,
- Click on the area of the picture that you want to lift the colour from.
Before colouring the file, it is a good idea to select all the pieces in the file of the same colour together. Just click on each one while holding down the shift key on your keyboard, then right mouse click, and select Group.
STEP 5: Refining the Colours
When the entire file is coloured, select all the pieces, and remove the red lines (with pieces selected, open Line Style Panel, select Line Colour tab, click on the crossed-hatched square, and the red lines become clear).
To make the colours show up on the silvery background they may need to be changed or just darkened. I do this by adjusting the slider on each colour in the advanced tab.
Some of the colours will need reselecting from one or more of the fill colours in Fill panel. It is really a matter of trial and error and personal preference.
STEP 6: Preparing for Print
Ensure that the box around the design, which will be your cutting guide, is dark enough to see on the silvery media.
Select US Letter in File > Print Page set up, and the design is ready to print. If you want to be certain that everything fits and looks right, print the design first on a piece of scrap paper trimmed to letter-size.
Your printable is now ready to print (File > Print, choose some enhanced print quality for more saturated colours in the print dialogue box, then Print).
This is how the printable looked before trimming (remember Print & Cut isn't necessary).
STEP 7: Finishing the Project
It just remains to trim the design and pop it into the frame. I prefer the look without glass over the design, so placed the glass part behind, rather than in front, of the design.
That's it, the project is complete.
This technique works for all sorts of cut files and could be printed on many different media. Here are some other projects which use the Colour Picking technique. I hope you'll try it.
|
|
Bye for now,
DESIGNS USED:
|
PRODUCTS USED:
| 
|
|
|
A very detailed tutorial Janet, thank you. A lovely result.
ReplyDeleteFaith
Thank you Faith.
Delete