skener

signs onto cone shaped items

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Hi Happy New Year to everyone. Is there a simple/easy way to get text to fit onto cone shaped items, for instance a bucket? Just tried to do a bucket with horses name in vinyl but when i came to stick it on it sort of runs up because of the shape.Tried a google but mainly comes back about arcing text. I suppose i could do one letter at a time but that's a bit hard trying to keep them all spaced/aligned correctly, just wondered if anyone had an easy option i could try.

 

Thanks,

John.

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There is a fairly simple way to do this.

 

Lay your bucket on it's side on top of a piece of paper.  Use a pen/pencil to draw an arc across the paper that follows the top edge of the bucket.  You'll end up with a curved line like this...

 

 

post-24492-0-73545600-1388614392_thumb.p

 

 

Then scan that, or take a digital picture and bring it into your design software.  Then apply an Envelope to your design and arch the top and bottom of the design to match the arc you traced.

 

In this example, the green text is pre-arched and the pink text shows what it looks like after the Envelope is applied and arched.

 

 

post-24492-0-75091400-1388614447_thumb.p

 

 

No math required...

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Thanks for your replies, going to get my bucket and use that brilliant!!! thanks again,

John.

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Another method is to wrap your item in paper and trim off the excess top and bottom. That will give you your total area of the bucket with the curves on top and bottom. Scan that and your good to go.

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Here's an online template maker for making templates for labels and such, shaped as a trunicated cone.

http://www.ideogram.nl/boxmaker/template.php?template=cone

 

Just enter the radius of the top and bottom, enter the height of the object and it will produce

a template in either svg or pdf format. You can then save and open the template in Inkscape or other vector

editing software and create your decal right on the template and have it acurately conform to your conical glass, bucket, whatever.

 

Additionally, here's an easy read on how to do the math to create the template manually;

http://mathcentral.uregina.ca/QQ/database/QQ.02.06/phil1.html

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Is there an easy way to do this in SignBlazer or Inkscape? Best I see is in SignBlazer is the distortion and the Arch option. Is there a better option that I'm missing in either of the programs?

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In Inkscape, Import/ Open the newly created svg template and put your text/ graphics on it and save as a svg or eps vector file.

Ready to cut.

 

Or did you mean "an easy way to create the template from scratch in one of those two programs" ? If so, the problem lies in the math needed to convert the arc lengths and radius angle to produce a flattened pattern. That's what the calculator that I posted a link to does. Simplifies those math formulas and outputs a flattened vector template. From there you can make your 'label' that will accurately wrap around a conical object.

 

As much as I wish it would, the process mentioned of tracing around the lip of the object will not yield an accurate template.

So, as far as I can tell, it's either trial and error or manually working out the numbers or the online calculators to create a usable template.

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In Inkscape, Import/ Open the newly created svg template and put your text/ graphics on it and save as a svg or eps vector file.

Ready to cut.

 

Or did you mean "an easy way to create the template from scratch in one of those two programs" ? If so, the problem lies in the math needed to convert the arc lengths and radius angle to produce a flattened pattern. That's what the calculator that I posted a link to does. Simplifies those math formulas and outputs a flattened vector template. From there you can make your 'label' that will accurately wrap around a conical object.

 

As much as I wish it would, the process mentioned of tracing around the lip of the object will not yield an accurate template.

So, as far as I can tell, it's either trial and error or manually working out the numbers or the online calculators to create a usable template.

 

If you're trying to create a label that wraps completely around the cone and butts perfectly up against itself, then yes.

 

If you're trying to arc a line of text so that when you apply it to a tumbler, bucket, martini glass, etc., it looks straight - then my method works well enough for most people.

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You're likely right, OW... The trial & error is probably good enough for most.

There are many occasions though where it may not be possible to wrap paper around the object.

 

Additionally, The template that is created from the measurments and brought into a vector program for customization need not have

text or graphics wrap all the way around (360 degrees). You are able to make them any length you choose.

The template just shows the outer boundries.

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Is there an easy way to do this in SignBlazer or Inkscape? Best I see is in SignBlazer is the distortion and the Arch option. Is there a better option that I'm missing in either of the programs?

Sorry, wasn't clear in my question. Once I have the template, is there an easy way in either program to distort the text/graphic to match the template?

 

The best way I've found so far in SignBlazer is to put the graphic on the template, then do an inline on the template so that the top curve touches the top of the graphic. Then do another inline of the template so that the bottom curve touches the bottom of the graphic. Then select the graphic and do a manipulate/distortion, choose the Arch option and adjust the nodes so that they line up with the inlines of the template.

 

As for the math, it's not all that complicated and a simple spreadsheet can give you all the numbers you need to draw one yourself. And unless you are wanting to wrap all the way around, all you really need to calculate and draw are the two circles.

Inverted Truncated Cone.zip

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I'm at a lost to help with SignBlazer instructions. In Inkscape, Create a path, Text > Put on Path, for starters.

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Yeah, used that before but it only works for text. The is a tool that kind of works for graphics but it is a pain to use.

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Perhaps saving template as png (raster) or pdf opening and customizing the graphics in photoshop? Then vectoring afterwards?

 

Distorting effects and tools are easier (and more variety of them available?)  for me in Raster based software.

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I forgot about that option. I played around with it once before but it would not do what I was wanting so I forgot about it. I'll have to take another look at it.

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The program http://www.make-the-cut.com/ does all the work for you when doing conical warp.  You also can cut from this program as well as design, import/export, pixel trace, and many more things. Also, the program is free to try but will cut an X on your work until registered.

 

I do not sell or distribute Make the Cut, I am just a very happy customer  ;D

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I relooked at the inkscape pattern on path. Took some tweaking of the settings and a little learning curve and I was able to get to work. Now that I know what I'm doing the next time it will be easier.

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