BannerJohn

Great tutorial and works like a charm! 2 questions though...sometimes the text runs together.In flexi I have the option of increasing distance between lettesr...anything like that in Inkscape? Also...can you do a shadow the same way,and if so,what steps are different?

I see people posting day after day with this problem and that problem...and to be honest I have never had any problems cutting. Not ever. I use Flexi,and I wouldn't know how to change the 'offset' if I had to. I've never had problems with cutting in any way. Occasionally I have to adjust the blade a bit to account for thicker or thinner vinyl. I've tried trial versions of Signcut,SignGo,WinPc...and one cut was all it took to convince me that Flexi(at least with my plotter....not a US cutter brand,btw) is the best out there. I've only got the starter version and need to use Inkscape for some things (again,never a problem..Inkscape works everey time for me). One thing I have noticed with Inkscape,and this applies to the expensive corel programs too,is that an image vectorizes best if you convert it to black and white first. You can get Flexi Starter on ebay for $99 and well worth the money to me. Just my 2p worth.

You shouldn't have to restart the computer,just Flexi. It loads the fonts on start-up. The rest of the advice is spot-on. Oh,I bought a DVD with 50,000 fonts on ebay for $8 incl ship that has saved my butt a bunch of times. Here is the link: http://cgi.ebay.com/50-000-True-Type-Fonts-Collection-on-DVD-FREE-SHIPPING_W0QQitemZ190090949438QQcategoryZ26254QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem Worth every penny! But if you don't want to wait for the DVD.here is also 50,000 fonts that you get via digital delivery: http://cgi.ebay.com/Comprehensive-50-000-FONT-DVD-adobe-macromedia-fonts_W0QQitemZ270097950223QQcategoryZ80341QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem Good deal either way. Trust me on this one.

I do a LOT of magnet work. I go through a 24 inchx 50 foot roll every month,and it's mostly 12"x4" bumper stickers. You do the math,that's a LOT of cutting,and here's how I get a perfect cut every time. I cut on a table that has an overhang. I have a nice heavy straight edge,and I put my material close enough to the edge of the table that I can clamp down one end of the straight edge with a c-clamp. I hold the other end down with my left hand and cut. Straight clean cut every time. I use a utility knife...exacto blades sometimes wobble or bend. I am right handed so I always make sure I am cutting on the right side of the straight edge. My straight edge is only 36 inches but you can get a 'drywall square' at Home Depot that is 4 feet,it works great. Just my 2p worth

Nice job,that. I have a regular banner customer who specializes in selling barn stars.Next time around,maybe I'll work a trade..get myself a barn star for the house. I had never thought about doing what you did.

In Flexi it will only cut what is highlighted.If nothing is highlighted,it will cut the entire job.

When you have Inkscape open,click on help. There is a very detailed manual right there. Or there is in the latest version (4.5) anyway.It shows you step-by-step how to do things.It even actually shows you what to click on.

I use the starter version of Flexi and it does almost everything I need. I use the free INKSCAPE for vectorizing,Flexi imports .eps and cuts with no problems. I use Corel Draw and Corel Trace on the rare occasions I need an outline or contour.There's probably a way to do this in the latest version of Inkscape but I've been so busy I haven't had time to look into it. I Tried Signcut,and artcut, and didn't like them at all. Maybe because I'm used to how easy Flexi is to use. You can buy the FlexiStarter on ebay for $100. I made that back the first day. Just my 2p worth.

www.mumpowersignsupply.com has a full line of supplies and their prices are lower than most I"ve tried.They are local to me (almost..15 miles) but they ship. Personally,I get most of my vinyl on ebay, I've never had a bad experience and I use a LOT of vinyl. I keep all the basic colors in stock,buy 2-3 rolls at a time of every color. My business is banners but I do stickers,corolpast as well...I get good deals on vinyl that maybe has sprocket damage (no problem with friction feeders) or maybe one end is dented(again no problem for me) I pay average $12 per 12"x 50 YARD roll plus shipping. Very happy so far. For 15 inch and wider,I just watch for deals or buy from Mumpower.

I almost never do a dry application,especially on vehicles or other hard surfaces. Too many bubbles no matter how careful you are. The hinge method has been suggested here... I often combine the 2...hinge and wet.Just do the hinge,apply the app fluid to the first side,squeegie it down,then do the second side. It works for me. BUT for a large graphic,personally I would devide it up. I use china markers (office depot has them) to make reference lines. The lines rub off with a bit of soapy water and a lot of rubbing but come off very easily with a TINY amount of WD40 on a sponge. Thats just how I do it,nobody told me,I just tried a lot of ways and that worked best for me. Oh,AFTER I figured this all out I bought a DVD on ebay,sign making...has some good tips and about 3 hours on Vehicle graphics. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=007&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWN%3AIT&viewitem=&item=170076588699&rd=1&rd=1 well worth 12 bucks,if you only learn one thing you didn't know.

are you adjusting the setting in Inkscape before you save as an .eps? If not,you need to adjust until you get the clearest,most defined image that you can.It also helps to have a very large,clear .bmp or other image to begin with. Although I use Flexi ,I assume signcut works the same way and I never have any problems doing an .eps. Hope this helps,maybe someone who is more familiar with signcut can add to it. My advice would be to save your money and get Flexi...you can get the starter version for under $100. Well worth it ,to me.

How about some sort of news or comment on the 100 or so of us who bought the plotter on ebay yesterday,only to have our bid cancelled today. I was just dumb enough to go ahead and pay last night. Who did I pay to?Who has my money?

True to his word,my money has been refunded.What service! Thanks!