Tenfour86

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Posts posted by Tenfour86

  2. Posted

    i always install my fonts into my font folder within the windows system and signblazer sees them i think scalp will do the same

     

    ^Correct

     

    Fonts are usually installed to a windows system folder.  If every program were to store fonts individually, this would take up enormous amounts of space on your hard drive.  To solve this, any program that uses fonts is able see and use them out of that central folder.  If you're curious where this is, open file explorer and search your PC for "fonts."  It should be the first folder it returns in the search.

     

    When you download a font to install, it will most likely be a file with the .TTF extension.  This stands for True Type Font.  It's the most commonly used font extension out there.  Double click to open it.  You should now see a window pop up with a preview of the font.  It usually says something like "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. 1234567890," and will show various sizes.  Click on "Install" in the upper left corner of the window.  Follow whatever prompts it gives you to complete the install, and you are good to go.

     

    This is how Windows works.  I have no idea how Mac handles this, but if I had to guess, it would be the same or similar.

     

    There are other types of font extensions and specialized programs out there that work differently, but 99% of the time this will be the way to install fonts.

    • Like 1

  3. Posted

    It will be a 3 color design so the background will not match the black borders.  I feel as if the borders give it depth.  Also it will be a magnet for my vehicle so the price of the 3 color design wont hurt as much due to a maximum amount of 2 magnets.

     

    In that case, keeping the outlines definitely makes sense.

    • Like 1

  4. Posted

    Unless the background is going to be a different color, I'd get rid of the text and center box outlines.  Doesn't make much sense to me to have a thick black outline for objects on a black background.

     

    I'd also suggest adjusting your vertical spacing so you have the same amount of empty space between your phone number and the center box as you do between the bottom text and the center box.

  10. Posted

    You could try using contact paper.  The cheap stuff from the dollar store.  I've played around with it in the past.  Definitely not the ideal transfer tape material, but it kind of works okay.  It has a lower tack than app tape, but is usually still sticky enough to remove vinyl from its backing.

     

    Or, try taking your transfer tape and sticking it to some fabric before using it to load it up with some fibers/dust to reduce the tack.

    • Like 1

  11. Posted

    Yes, there is a plug-in for corel and SCALP to work together.  As far as I know, it just cuts out the step of having to export to a separate file and then import into SCALP.  You click on "send to SCAL" in corel, and it automatically opens SCALP and imports your graphic.

     

    http://www.craftedge.com/download/download_extras.php

     

    Scroll down towards the bottom of the page for the corel dropdown menu

     

    Pay particular attention to the versions of corel and SCAL you are using.  I use corel X7, but the plugin for X7 only works with SCAL 4.  Unfortunately, I have SCAL 3, so it won't work for me. 

     

    Looks like the plugin for X6 can work with either SCAL 3 or 4.

  15. Posted

    I'd love to either make or buy a cabinet next.  If nothing else, it saves on clean-up time.  I've seen photos where people have made them out of old 55gal drums.

     

    I'm definitely careful about what gets put in it.  I prefer not to shred the lining of my lungs like KYSIGN says.  I've found that "black blast" from Menards works pretty well and it's not really much more expensive than a bag of silica sand.  It's made from coal slag.  According to the MSDS the silica content is below detection levels, but I stick to using a respirator anyway.

     

    Sandblasting by far isn't the worst thing I've been around I suppose.  I spent seven years in the Air Force and two of them were working in close proximity to nukes, so I had the distinct pleasure of being irradiated and exposed to other fun hazardous materials regularly.

    • Like 1

  16. Posted

    Build a sandblaster of course!

     

    post-94061-0-76672400-1442042220_thumb.j

     

    Had an old, out of date, propane cylinder that was just going to get recycled anyway, so I decided to make something useful with it.  A friend used it to sandblast his tractor, so that's how it ended up Farmall red.  Now I just have to find an excuse to try etching some glass.  The laser can do it well enough, but it takes forever to raster anything of decent size.  I'm thinking a stencil will go way faster.

    • Like 4

  21. Posted

    I find that getting things to scale is more trial and error than anything.  Making paper templates when possible is a good, cheap way to test fit things.  You can get close by taking measurements, but even the slightest curve of a surface can throw your measurements off a bit.

     

    If your wheel looks like the one you have pictured, the flat surface that you want to apply your decal to is a bit more complicated than drawing in two dimensions.  There is an outer circle that constitutes the outer diameter of the flat spot and there is an inner circle that constitutes the inner diameter of the flat spot.  But if you lay the wheel down on the ground and look at it from above, there is a difference in height between these circles also.  The three dimensional shape that this makes is called the frustrum of a cone.  Basically a cone with the pointed end chopped off.

     

    post-94061-0-04435200-1440761197_thumb.j

     

    I think you may be trying to draw the shape on the left and are finding that it doesn't fit.  The shape on the right is a 2d verson of the 3d shape you are looking for.

     

    post-94061-0-48669600-1440760739_thumb.j

     

    Here is a great site that helps you lay out a frustrum for 2d drawing.  It uses millimeters, so you'll have to do some converting if you are using inches.  http://craig-russell.co.uk/demos/cone_calculator/

     

    Can you post the two diameters of the circles and the difference in height between them?

  22. Posted

    Checked out your website Threader.  Just trying to tell it like it is.  There's nothing unique there.  It's all clipart and copyright/trademark graphics that are floating around everywhere on the net.

     

    If you're looking to be a successful business, you need to find your niche.  Vinyl cutters are a dime a dozen.  Anyone can (and everyone does) make decals like yours.  That market is saturated.  What are your other interests or hobbies?  Chances are they have use for vinyl decals.

     

    Even just talking to people and mentioning you have the capability to do something can elicit ideas and possible business opportunities.

    • Like 1

  24. Posted

    Try using a hair dryer or heat gun and a new, clean paint roller.  Heat the vinyl up a bit to make it pliable and roll over it with the paint roller using firm pressure.  This will help push the vinyl down into the wall texture where it doesn't want to stick.

     

    I haven't tried this technique myself, but I've heard from others who have done it.

     

    I'm familiar with the painted glassfabric walls you're talking about though.  I was stationed in Germany for a few years with the Air Force.  From what I remember, it was tough to stick anything to that type of wall in general.

  25. Posted

    If you're really interested in generating svg maps here's a website for you to check out.  https://www.openstreetmap.org  Its kind of like google maps but is structured around the svg format.  Best of all it's "open data".  The developer just wants you credit them using "© OpenStreetMap"

     

    I've only played around on the site a few times.  There's a wiki page that has all the instructions you could ever want and/or pray you never had to read in it's entirety.  Getting a download to turn out the way you want is rather experimental unless you really know what you are doing from my experience.  Corel doesn't seem to like importing large svg files, so it might just be the program I'm using making things difficult.

     

    Here's some of Tulsa I was able to generate.  It's not pretty.  more of a wireframe map.  The site seems to like making small pieces out of large objects when it generates your map, but supposedly there are other rendering programs you can use in conjunction that don't do this as much.

     

    I have the vector if you're interested.  It's a little too large to attach here.

     

    post-94061-0-40233700-1440007903_thumb.j