ACS -24UHF/Eagle User Manual

With mtc

Table of Contents

Quick Links

Download this manual

ACS-24UHF / Eagle with MTC User Manual

This manual is based on Make The Cut (MTC), version 4.6.1. Because of regular updates to MTC, we

recommend not printing this entire document, but rather read it on the screen or print only those pages you need

at any given time.

Features of this Online Interactive User Manual

pages, click on arrows, enter a page number, click or

swipe on the lower corners of the pages, or click on

triangles on right or left sides of pages.

Print: Select pages to print to your printer. It is

recommended that you do not print the entire manual

as it is updated every six months or so.

Thumbnails: Displays the thumbnail images for

all pages in the book.

Zoom: Zoom in and out, as needed. You can

also double click on a page to zoom in or out. Note

that while zoomed in, moving the mouse automatically

scrolls the page up and down.

Videos: This user manual contains numerous links to online videos. Click on these green Video icons

to open either a You Tube or Vimeo hosted video and learn the topic in that particular section of the manual.

Past experience has shown that watching videos can be extremely beneficial when learning software and

cutting applications

Where to Start



Thank you for choosing an ACS digital die cutter. Before using a blade in your new cutter, we suggest you

read Chapters 1 and 2 and watch the videos provided via links in these two chapters.



If you run into difficulties with the operation of your cutter, turn off the power and look for a solution in this

manual. Appendix B is a list of Troubleshooting FAQ's. If you continue to have technical questions or

issues, please contact your supplier as soon as possible.



For additional cutter support, please visit our Yahoo group at:

our forum at

http://knkusa.com/forums/

October 28, 2013

Turning Pages: To turn

Enable Full Screen: Click for Full Screen

mode. Press Esc or click on icon to return to regular

mode.

Bookmark: Table of Contents opens and you can

click on any chapter, section, or subsection to

immediately access.

Sound: Click to turn off or turn back on the

page flipping sound.

Search: You can search by any word(s) in the

manual. Click on the Search icon, enter the word(s),

and all pages with that word or words will be listed.

Click on a listing to be taken to that page.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Klic-N-Kut/

Table of Contents

Troubleshooting

Need help?

Do you have a question about the ACS-24UHF/Eagle and is the answer not in the manual?

Questions and answers

Summary of Contents for ACS ACS-24UHF/Eagle

Page 1 Where to Start  Thank you for choosing an ACS digital die cutter. Before using a blade in your new cutter, we suggest you read Chapters 1 and 2 and watch the videos provided via links in these two chapters.
Page 2: Table Of Contents
ACS-24UHF R ............................ 31 ALIBRATING THE ESOLUTION .............................. 34 ETTINGS ORM FOR UTTING ATERIALS SUGGESTED CUT SETTINGS FOR VARIOUS MATERIALS ON ACS-24UHF ..................35 3. MTC BASICS ......................................37 3.01 M MTC S ..................................37 CREEN 3.02 T ....................................... 38 OOLBARS File Toolbar ..........................................
Page 3 Menu Bar ........................................... 39 Sel. Properties Bar ........................................39 Main Bar ............................................ 40 Layer Bar ........................................... 40 Tab Bar ............................................40 Page Bar ........................................... 41 Status Bar ..........................................41 3.04 V ....................................42 IRTUAL 3.05 Z ..................................43 OOMING AND ANNING 3.06 O MTC F...
Page 4 KNK Studio/ ACS Studio ......................................77 5. WORKING WITH TEXT ..................................78 5.01 T ................................78 EXT AND ONTS 5.02 O ..................................79 PENING ILES 5.03 A .................................... 79 ROUP Rotating Text ..........................................80 Splitting Text ..........................................81 5.04 C ............................
Page 5 Drawing Thin Lines ........................................143 Drawing Thick Lines ........................................ 144 Drawing with Other Line Styles ....................................144 7.12 D ) ........................ 145 ÉZIER URVES AND TRAIGHT INES Drawing Straight Lines ......................................145 Drawing Curves ........................................146 Combining Straight Lines and Curves ..................................146 Fat Path and Super Smooth ....................................
Page 6 SING THE UNCH 10.11 C ..................................223 ECORATING 10.12 A ................................223 DDITIONAL PPLICATIONS Wood ............................................223 Craft Plastic ..........................................223 ACS-24UHF S ......................225 UGGESTED ETTINGS FOR ARIOUS CCESSORIES ............................... 226 ETTINGS ORM FOR CCESSORY OOLS APPENDIX A KEY BOARD SHORTCUTS ............................. 227 APPENDIX B TROUBLESHOOTING ...............................
Page 7: Introduction To The Acs-24Uhf
Doing so can cause power fluctuations that, in turn, can damage the cutter.  Always turn off the ACS-24UHF when not in use. Leaving the cutter turned on for extended periods of time can possibly damage the machine. 1.02 Contents of Box Please verify that you have received the following items.
Page 8: Parts Diagram
DO NOT shake the cutter while it is operating. DO NOT cut any materials that have staples or other embellishments attached. DO NOT touch the cutter with a magnet. DO NOT allow small items to fall into the cutter. TURN OFF the cutter when not in use. 1.04 Parts Diagram Blade Carriage Blade Holder Seat...
Page 9: Control Panel
11. Offline Mode: moves mat forward; Online Mode: decreases cutting speed Online Mode Display v = cutting velocity, mm/sec f = cutting force (scaled from 1 to 200) Step 1: Turn on the ACS- 24UHF. Increase/Decrease A welcome message will Velocity (Speed) flash for a few seconds when cutter is first turned on.
Page 10 Step 5: In Online Mode, press the Menu button twice. Do not change these values. Instead, it is recommended Press again to turn off the that calibration of the ACS- Menu function. 24UHF be done from within the software. Refer to Section 2.10.
Page 11: Blades And Accessories
Testing Pen Holder:  The testing pen should be used until you are comfortable with the operation of the ACS-24UHF and know, with certainty, where images will cut. To assemble this testing pen, remove the top cap, slip the spring over the top half of the pen insert and then drop the pen insert into the bottom half of the pen holder.
Page 12: Mat (Carrier Sheet)
Additionally, the material being cut will be less likely to come unstuck from the mat. The installation of the front and rear tables on your ACS-24UHF is best done with two people. Each box contains 2 identical tables (front and rear) and 8 screws.
Page 13: Installation Of Your Acs Cutter And Software
Then tighten down but not too tight or you will risk stripping the threads. Repeat this for the other side of the ACS-24UHF. 1.09 Installation of your ACS Cutter and Software Registering Make The Cut IMPORTANT: Please read this section!!! ...
Page 14: Installing In Windows
KNK. Go to the following link to download the latest version of MTC: http://www.iloveknk.com/Support/Software/Make-The-Cut/MTC-Windows/  Then go to this link to download the plug-in for the KNK Maxx which will work with the ACS-24 UHF/Eagle: http://www.iloveknk.com/Support/Software/Make-The-Cut/Plugins/Maxx-Groove-Groove-e/  Install the software and plugin. Then open MTC. When asked if you wish to register or continue using the trial mode, enter the registration number that was provided when you registered.
Page 15: Connecting The Acs To Your Computer Under Windows
 You may now skip to Section 1.11. 1.10 Connecting the ACS to Your Computer under Windows  Place your cutter on a sturdy horizontal surface. If you have not yet done so, attach the bolt-on tables to the cutter (refer to the instructions in Section 1.08.) If you are not going to use the tables, then be sure to allow...
Page 16: Setup For Communication Test And Drawing
1.11.1 Setup for Communication Test and Drawing  Press an 8.5” x 11” sheet of paper to the mat. If your mat has NO adhesive, then use tape to firmly attach the paper to the mat surface. Note: do NOT use this method when you begin using the blade. You must spray your mat with adhesive so that when images are cut, they will remain attached to the mat.
Page 17 Indicates the direction the mat is fed into the cutter. In Portrait mode, arrow will point up on the screen. In Landscape mode, arrow will point to the left on the screen. More on the Virtual Mat is covered in Section 4.04 Select 24”...
Page 18: Communication Test
“Communication Fix” at this link: http://www.iloveknk.com/FreeVideos/Support/  If the Test Connection still fails, please contact your ACS Supplier for assistance or post at the Klic-N-Kut Yahoo group mentioned on the first page.  If the test succeeded, then try drawing your shape! First note the following in the Controller window: Force or Speed cannot be set here.
Page 19  To draw again, return to the cut window and choose a different origin. Practice moving the origin to different locations. This is how Knife Point mode works. If you want the image to draw where you have it on the Virtual Mat, then you need to switch to WYSIWYG mode and use the laser to set the origin versus the tip of the pen.
Page 21: Cutting
 The key to becoming successful at cutting is to do a lot of it! Those who shy away from using their ACS- 24UHF never get to the stage of mastering it. It’s very normal for new owners to be intimidated by their cutter.
Page 22: Set The Blade Length/Exposure Correctly
 The 45 blade (red cap) should be used to cut vinyl, paper, smooth cardstock, Dura-lar, Mylar, iron-on transfer, vellum  The 60 blade (blue cap) should be used to cut textured cardstock, chipboard, Grungeboard, stiffened felt, craft foam, rhinestone rubber, craft plastic, self-adhesive magnet, styrene, Magic Mesh, and Shrinky Dink.
Page 23: Adjust The Speed, Force, And Number Of Passes Based On The Material And Shapes
 Use the TEST button on the ACS-24UHF to perform test cuts. Do not proceed with your cut until the test cut is clean. When cutting intricate shapes, a test cut of an intricate image, such as a letter or a small portion of your rhinestone pattern, might be a better indicator of correct settings.
Page 24: Know Where Your Images Will Cut
Don’t Get Frustrated, Get Help!  Besides having your own ACS dealer as the first line of contact, there are many user forums, message boards, Yahoo groups, etc where you can post questions and get answers from other users, dealers, and Make The Cut experts.
Page 25: Force
Serial Port and Test Baud Rate Connection: Section 2.08 Force Setting: Section 2.03 Set these on the Control Panel of Speed the ACS-24UHF Setting:Section Cut Type: 2.04 Section 2.07 Multi-cut Setting: Section 2.05 Start: will initiate the cutting of shapes sent to...
Page 26: Speed
The cutting force ranges from 1 to 200 on the force scale. The maximum of 200 represents the 1500g of cutting force on an ACS-24UHF. To change the force (F), use the left and right “+” and “-“ buttons, while in Online mode.
Page 27: Multi-Cut
2.07 Cut Type  There are three modes in controlling where images will cut to the ACS-24UHF. They are called:  Knife Point: Moves the shapes to cut at the origin you have set on the cutter itself. Use the blade tip to set the origin for cutting.
Page 28 Landscape modes for the Virtual Mat. The shapes will cut in the same relative locations on the material. Use the arrow on the Virtual Mat as a guide to the direction to insert the actual mat or material into your ACS-24UHF. ...
Page 29: Wysiwyg
Place several scraps (large enough for the shape on your screen) on your mat in different locations, as shown below.  Insert the mat into the ACS-24UHF and then set the origin at the lower right corner of one of the scraps and cut the currently selected shape. ...
Page 30: Print And Cut
Print and Cut process, three printed registration marks are printed along with your images. The laser light is then set at each mark and the ACS-24UHF will then cut out your shapes based on triangulation. This is far more precise than WYSIWYG because it takes into account not only any misalignment of your printout on the mat, but also any errors in the printing.
Page 31: Important Checklist Before You Cut
8” square might cut 7-15/16” x 8-1/32”. Now this might be perfectly acceptable for the type of cutting you do. Therefore, it may not even be necessary to do this particular calibration. However, if you do want to make sure your shapes are cut precisely, the following procedure will allow you to calibrate your ACS- 24UHF.
Page 32 Cut Project With icon  Have the ACS-24HUF draw the square. Then take a ruler and carefully measure the two sides.  Click on the Cut Project With icon again, and click on a tiny wrench icon next to the Klic-N-Kut Model menu: Click on small wrench icon here ...
Page 33 Click on Resolution Calibration tab Click on small wrench icon here  This window now opens. Enter the dimensions on the screen (200 and 200) and then enter the measured width and height. Note the Width is the left-to-right dimension as you face the cutter and the Height is the up-and-down measurement.
Page 34: Settings Form For Cutting Materials 1
Settings Form for Cutting Materials Material Brand or Blade Material Type Blade Force Speed Spacing Other Comments Source Offset Passes © 2009- 2013 Sandy McCauley, All Rights Reserved...
Page 35: Suggested Cut Settings For Various Materials On Acs-24Uhf
Suggested Cut Settings for Various Materials on ACS-24UHF These settings should be used for the initial test cut. Adjustments may be necessary based on the condition of the blade, variations in the material, humidity, condition of the cutting mat, etc.
Page 36 Shrinky Dink: Regular Shrinky Dink: Blue Had to punch cut a few but Printable were fine. Sticky Flock Blue Remove both outer sheets and press well to the mat. Styrene .02 Blue Cut clean in 2; doesn’t give perfect results when cutting intricate detail.
Page 37: Mtc Basics
3. MTC Basics This chapter begins the Make The Cut User Manual and is based on Version 4.6.1. As noted on the first page, this is meant to be an online interactive manual. Refer back to that page for features to use while reading online. It is highly recommended that you do not print this entire manual.
Page 38: Toolbars
 Most of the bars and toolbars may be moved to different locations on the screen. Hold down the left mouse button on the gray dots along the left side of the bar or toolbar and drag. To position these bars and toolbars vertically, drag to the left or right edge of the screen.
Page 39: Magic Toolbar
Magic Toolbar  The Magic Toolbar contains the functions that are used in editing and designing: Select All: Flip: Split: Break Join: Boolean Join: é Shadow Rhinestone zier Warp: 3.09 3.15 5.04, 7.01 7.01 5.08, 7.01 8.07 8.05 8.12 5.08 Mirror: Rotate 90 Layer...
Page 40: Main Bar
Main Bar  The Main Bar has two tabs: Virtual Mat and Text and Fonts. The Virtual Mat tab allows you to set the size and visual appearance of the mat, as well as orientation, the appearance of shapes, snapping to grid, and Caret size.
Page 41: Page Bar
Page Bar  The Page Bar allows you to move shapes or layers to individual pages within the same project file. Each page will have its own tab and the pages can be renamed or deleted, as desired. Click here to add a new blank page.
Page 42: Virtual Mat
3.04 Virtual Mat Virtual Mat Settings: Creating a Custom Virtual Mat:  The Virtual Mat serves as a design area for the software, as well as to indicate, in some cutting modes, where the shapes will be cut.  To change the appearance of the mat, click on the Virtual Mat tab on the Main Bar: Select mat dimensions.
Page 43: Zooming And Panning
Portrait Landscape  Use a unique name for any custom mats you create. Repeating the same name, if you have the same dimensions, but a reversal of the W and H can cause the original mat to appear, even when selecting the newer version.
Page 44: Opening Mtc Files
3.06 Opening MTC Files 3.06.1 Opening a New File/Project  When you launch MTC, a new blank Virtual Mat will appear with a new blank project opened. At any time, another new project can be opened, in a new window, using any of the following: ...
Page 45: Previewing Thumbnails For Existing Mtc Files
 Click on any of the tabs and that project window will be displayed. You can scroll/tab through the projects using any of the following:  Press Ctrl+F6  Press Ctrl-Tab  Go to Window>Next Window.  All of the projects can be displayed at once, in separate windows, by choosing one of the various options under Window on the Menu Bar.
Page 46: Saving Mtc Files
Click on the these buttons to see other page thumbnails within the file  Zipped files will not show thumbnails of the file contents. Thus, you will need to extract zipped files first in order to have these thumbnails.  Hidden layers will not appear in the thumbnails.
Page 47: Opening Basic Shapes
3.08 Opening Basic Shapes  MTC has a rich selection of basic shapes available. To access the Basic Shapes library use one of the following:  Click on the Import Basic Shapes icon on the Import Toolbar or on the Node Mode Toolbar ...
Page 48: Moving
 The Caret will disappear while you have a shape (or shapes) selected but will reappear in the upper right corner of the last selected shape, once unselected.  If you wish to select all of the shapes on the screen, there are several options: ...
Page 49: Deleting
Deleting  To delete a selected shape, use any of the following options:  Press the Delete key  Press Ctrl-X  Right click on the screen and choose Delete from the menu  Go to Edit>Delete.  Located the shape on the layer to which it is assigned and click on the Delete Shape icon: ...
Page 50: Pasting From The Clipboard
 A quick way to make a copy of any selected shape(s), is to hold both the Ctrl and the Shift keys and then drag the selected shape(s) with your mouse.  To copy shapes to the clipboard, first select the shape or shapes and then use any of the following: ...
Page 51: Duplicating - Nested Duplicate
Increase Rows and Columns to fill Virtual Mat and change Spacing, as desired or as needed.  To create a single row of repeats, set the Rows value to 1. For a single column of repeats, set the Columns value to 1. To overlap the repeats, enter a negative number under Spacing. Refer to Section 8.06 for a tutorial on how this function can be used to create a border.
Page 52 Shape style for duplicates (choice of Rounded, Mitered, or Beveled), along with a Limit setting for the Mitered option. Click on Accept when done.  In order to create in-lines, instead of outlines, enter a negative number for Dupe Gap: Negative value Shadowing Versus Scaling...
Page 53: Duplicating - Rotated Duplicate
 Scaling by Height: is basically the same as Scaling by Width. Again, the circle is no different and the flower, being symmetrical doesn’t vary from the Scaling by Width option. But the rectangle is quite different: Adjust Color  There’s also the option to create a color gradient using the Adjust Color option.
Page 54: Undo/Redo
Click here Enter 9  If you want the shapes in a full circle, double the Rotate By setting. In this case, you would enter 36 deg (2 x 18). If you then want to overlap the circles, decrease the Offset Y to located them closer to the center: Change to 36 Decrease...
Page 55: Redo
 Go to Edit>Clear Undo History.  Limit the number of Undo/Redo steps stored in memory. To do this:  Go to Help>Advanced>Advanced Settings. Under Undo/Redo Buffer Size, check the box next to Limit Undo/Redo Size: Check this box  Upon checking this box, the following window will open: Enter the maximum number Click on Set of Undo steps to be stored...
Page 56  Ability to select, with one click of the mouse, all shapes assigned to a layer without selecting other shapes  Ability to hide or lock layers so that the shapes on that layer are not inadvertently selected, moved, resized, etc. ...
Page 57  Individual shapes are also assigned to their own layers within a layer. Notice below how the words “KNK” and “Zing” are individual layers within the Default Layer which displays both words together. Some of the same functions used for layers are available to be applied to the individual shapes within a layer. Change Shape Color (also Texture and Line Style) Click on thumbnail to...
Page 58: Resizing, Rotating, Slanting, And Warping
 To merge two layers, right click on the thumbnail for one of the layers and select Cut Layer. Then right click on the thumbnail for the other layer and select Paste Layer. Then immediately click on the Selection to New Layer icon.
Page 59: Rotating And Slanting
 Percentages can also be used in the dimension settings. For example, if you want to double the size of a shape, you can enter 200%: Starting Size Enter 200% to New dimensions show double the size shape is twice as large ...
Page 60: Warping
Drag a side to slant Drag a corner to rotate Rotated Square Slanted Square  Note that if you are using an earlier version of MTC, then refer to these two videos: Rotating raster images in MTC 4.2 or earlier: Warping ...
Page 61: Changing Texture
Option 2: Click in the window and then scroll up and down to lighten or darken Option 1: Select one of the Basic colors or one of the Custom Option 3: Enter the colors already RGB values directly (or created in the Hue, Sat, Lum) current project Click on Add to...
Page 62 Option 1: Select a texture already present in your project. Option 2: Browse computer to locate folder and file containing texture you wish to use. Settings for the texture include flipping, rotating, modifying the color, and offsetting the texture. Scale: scroll bar resize Texture Scale Paths: mark options to rotate and/or resize shape while resizing texture...
Page 63: Removing A Texture
Removing a Texture  If you wish to delete the texture from a shape, right click on the shape and select Change Color/Texture/Line and then select Remove Textures. Changing Line Style  The Choose Line Style window allows you to create dashed lines instead of solid lines, as needed. Similar to Choose Texture, the Choose Line Style provides the option to create a new style or you can pick a Line Style already in use in your current project: Option 1: Select a line style...
Page 64: Center Alignment
Center Alignment  There are three different centering functions. Again, with the shapes selected, right click and go to Align and Space>Align>:  Vertical Center (press V) aligns shapes vertically and positioned to the average vertical center of the group. ...
Page 65: Edge Alignment
Left (L) aligns the shapes along left side of purple bow Right (R) aligns the shapes along right side of blue ring Top (T) aligns the shapes along top edge of purple bow Bottom (B) aligns the shapes along bottom edge of pink heart Edge Alignment ...
Page 66: Spacing
Edge Bottom aligns the shapes along bottom edge of purple Edge Top aligns the shapes along top edge of pink heart Spacing  There are two alignment functions used to equally space shapes, either horizontally or vertically. After selecting three or more shapes, these functions can be accessed using any of the following: ...
Page 67  Press Ctrl+F  Go to Edit>Shape Magic>Flip.
Page 68: Importing And Exporting
4. Importing and Exporting 4.01 Accessing the Import Options  Go to File>Import and select from one of the available import options. Note the shortcut keys for the various file types: For all raster shapes Opens LD’s web site with access to user’s account and ability to import free Freely shared files from and purchased files...
Page 69: Importing Svg, Svgz From Your Computer
Each thumbnail MTC uploaded files indicates the File appear with a Virtual Mat Name, Category, background. Description, User ID, and Uploaded Date. SVG uploaded files appear without the Virtual Mat background.  Click on the thumbnail image and a larger preview window will open. Click on Download and the file will immediately import at the current location of the Caret.
Page 70: Importing Ai, Eps, Ps, Pdf
 Different programs use different DPI’s when exporting as SVG. While MTC will import the SVG at the DPI most commonly used, it is possible that an imported size will be different from the original (such as what happens with SVG’s created in KNK Studio). So, always check the size to see if it is appropriate for your needs before cutting.
Page 71: Importing Scut, Scut2, Wpc, Gsd
 There is also an Import Strokes and Fills menu with three options to Import Strokes Only, Import Fills Only or Import Strokes and Fills. Select the latter and then note if you have unwanted lines in your image. If so, then try one of the other choices, such as Import Strokes Only. 4.05 Importing SCUT, SCUT2, WPC, GSD ...
Page 72 Log in or Register Currently- Click to only show products you’ve already purchased. selected product Click on down arrow to open drop down menu of other products at Lettering Delights. Note that if you click on the Star icon above, only products you’ve purchased will be shown.
Page 73: Importing Raster Files (Jpg, Bmp, Png, Etc.)
 If you answer Yes, your Internet browser will open and you will be taken to this link: http://www.letteringdelights.com/clipart:arizona_grand_canyon_state-10057.html where you can again view the images in this collection, browse projects made with this collection, link to related collections, and, of course, purchase this collection.
Page 74: Exporting To Mtc Gallery
 Clicking on Backup will bring up a Save As window where you can browse your computer to find a locating for storing, such as onto a flash drive. Clicking on Restore will bring up an Open window where you can then browse to locate the backup file you created.
Page 75: Exporting As Eps/Ai Or Pdf
Select location for saving file Select image to export Click on Save when ready to export. Provide a file Options for Stroke Color and name Stroke Width 4.13 Exporting as EPS/AI or PDF  For either of these formats, first select the shape or shapes and then either go to File>Export or select the Export option from the drop-down menu (right click on selected image for Export option).
Page 76: Using Windows Copy/Paste
Option to save selected settings to reuse on future exported rasters Image to be exported Specifications for with optional the image drop shadow added Drop Shadow Settings Optional watermark added Watermark Settings Raster can be copied/pasted to other programs Raster can be printed and/or saved ...
Page 77: Inkscape
KNK Studio/ ACS Studio  In KNK or ACS Studio, select the shape or shapes and use Ctrl+C or Edit>Copy to copy the images to the Windows Clipboard. In MTC, use Paste in Place (Ctrl+Shift+V or the icon on the File Toolbar ) to import the KNK shapes at the original size.
Page 78: Working With Text
5. Working with Text 5.01 The Text and Fonts Tab  On the Main Bar in MTC, you will find a tab called Text and Fonts: Click on this tab to access Text and Fonts  The Text and Fonts tab is used for: ...
Page 79: Opening Font Files
5.02 Opening Font Files  True type (.TTF) and open type (.OTF) fonts which are already installed on your computer are ready to be used in MTC. However, unlike most other Windows applications, uninstalled fonts do not need to be pre- installed in Windows in order to be used.
Page 80: Rotating Text
 Press Ctrl+I. Vertical Spacing Rotation options to rotate letters for creating vertical text Alignment options Options for Splitting by Begin typing to enter text Lines, by Glyphs, by into window. Press Enter Spaces, or No Splitting key to start new lines. Click on Accept to enter Click Reset to erase text onto screen...
Page 81: Splitting Text
Splitting Text  There are four options in the Splitting drop-down menu:  No Splitting: Entire text is treated as a single shape: 1 shape  Split by Lines: Individual lines of text will be separate shapes: 2 shapes, one for each line of text ...
Page 82: Creating A Connected Letter Title
5.04 Creating a Connected Letter Title  Using the instructions from Section 5.03, type the letters of your title. In this example, you will want to choose Split by Glyphs so that individual letters can be moved to overlap one another, as desired: ...
Page 83: Incorporating Dingbat Shapes Into A Title
5.05 Incorporating Dingbat Shapes into a Title  A quick way to incorporate a shape into a welded title is to use any of thousands of dingbat fonts available from the Internet for free. In this example, a free font called 1 Bean Sprout DNA is being used for the title and the dingbat font, Wingdings, will be used for the shape.
Page 84: Fitting Text To The Outside Of A Shape
Weld the letters – undesirable result Type the letters Overlap the letters  Most crafters will just start looking for a different font… one with ligatures (extenders) that easily connect the letters to one another. However, many fonts with ligatures are script fonts and may not convey the desired look.
Page 85: Wrapping Text Half-Way Around The Top And The Bottom Of A Circle
 The lettering doesn’t fit. But not to worry! Begin to tweak the settings: Offset is used to move the starting location of the text. Now all three are Vert. Align moves the text arranged evenly inwards towards the center around the circle.
Page 86  Draw a circle and marquee-select the first of the text. Hold the Ctrl key while dragging the text into the circle, letting go of the mouse button first. The Wrap Objects to Path window will open: Do not check Repeat box as there will be no repeats in this case.
Page 87: Fitting Text To Paths
Second half of text is now Note the Vert. Align aligned along bottom of and Space settings are circle. identical to what was used for the top half. Click on Accept when done.  Click on Accept when done. Add other shapes, as desired. In this case the company named was added to the center: ...
Page 88: Open Path In Bézier Warp
Text will initially be wrapped around entire circle. But after adjusting Size & Position, text will Scroll these two settings to 25” to appear like this. fit text halfway around circle. Option to zoom preview image Option to save current settings Click on Apply when done.
Page 89: Creating An Overlay Title And Welding Text To Frames
 In this example, Manual Size was selected but you can also try Auto Size again, too! The Bézier Warp process is about experimenting and having fun with it! If you like certain settings, remember that the option to save settings (Presets) is available. 5.09 Creating an Overlay Title and Welding Text to Frames ...
Page 90  Resize the rectangle to be wide and thin so that the letters extend a little above and below it. Then resize and re-space individual letters, as needed, to overlap the rectangle. Remember to zoom in for a closer look at the overlap: Zoom in to verify the overlap and...
Page 91: Stenciling Letters
Overlay Title Title welded to a frame 5.10 Stenciling Letters  When creating a stencil, you want to keep the “waste” or “negative” of a cut. When using regular fonts, such as Arial, some of the letters, such as a “B”, “a”, and “e”, will not work because they have interior paths called child shapes.
Page 92: Open Path Fonts (Opf)
 Repeat the process with the other letters containing child shapes. If at any time something goes awry, use the Undo key at the top of the screen to back up a step.  Now when you cut the letters to create a stencil, all parts of the letters remain connected: Completed stencil ...
Page 93: Tracing
6. Tracing 6.01 Raster versus Vector  All graphics are either raster or vector and there is no third type. While you can often tell by the file format, even that isn’t always a good way to know for certain. For example, a PDF file can be made from either raster images or vector images and some PDF’s will contain both types.
Page 94: Finding Easy Images To Trace
6.02 Finding Easy Images to Trace  What qualifies as an easy image? The obvious answer is “an image which gives you the results you want!” But those who are new to the vectorizing process do not always realize which images are going to be easy and which ones are not.
Page 95  Option 3: Copy/paste an image from Window Explorer or from the Internet  The image will open in the Pixel Trace window. Note the following information in this window: Visualization Settings: adjust for personal preference only. These settings do not affect the trace. results.
Page 96: Pixel Trace Method
 If you decide to cancel your selection, just hold the Ctrl key and left click once anywhere on the preview.  If you choose to use the Scale function to resize your image before importing, then note that as you are sliding the bar, the new size of the image will appear: As the slider is moved on the Scale setting, the...
Page 97  As shown in the above example, the most detail was obtained with the lowest Threshold. Typically, this is not necessarily what you want in your tracing. The point is to experiment freely over the entire range of Threshold settings to see the effects of changing this important setting. At the same time, test the other available settings.
Page 98: Alpha Trace Method
Default values Background Color default is white  Next, click on the Background Color box and a window will open. Select a different color, for example, red: Click on another color from palette. Click on OK  The parts of the image that will be traced changes: Changing the Background Color to red is the only change...
Page 99 Resample Image and Despeck will be used just as they were in Pixel Alpha Threshold will be Trace. used just as it was in Click on the Alpha tab Pixel Trace, but probably won’t require as much change.  Use the Alpha Threshold in the same way that the Threshold was applied in the Pixel Trace method. You will most likely discover that less adjustment is required.
Page 100 Threshold is increased to 240 Blackout Path is marked to remove tiny interior paths.  However, if you switch to the Alpha Trace tab, the default of 127 immediately gives you, in this case, the outline you want: Alpha Threshold default value of 127 gives smooth outline of shape...
Page 101: Palette Trace
6.03.3 Palette Trace  The Palette Trace provides color tracing which is especially useful when designing paper piecing patterns. In this example, the following flower image was imported and will be vectorized:  With the Palette Trace, the most prevalent 16 colors in the image are identified and displayed. To switch to the Palette Trace method, click on the tab named Palette and the following will appear: Resample Image and Despeck will...
Page 102  Use Despeck to eliminate tiny unwanted paths and Resample Image to sharpen details or provide more curves to the image. Also, click on Apply Changes as you change settings so that you can see the effect of each change. Now, the parts selected to be traced will be outlined in blue and filled with green, just as we saw with the Pixel method: Resample, as needed...
Page 103 Image on screen now shows both the pink and green shapes. Mark the two green boxes after deselecting all of the pink ones. Click on Apply Changes.  Click on Import. Then decide if you wish to also trace the black shadow around the image or create one using the Shadow Layer feature in MTC (refer to Section 8.05).
Page 104 Increase Resample Image. Then click on Apply Changes. Outline now looks complete!  Click on Import and answer Finish Tracing. On the Layers Bar, you will see the different layers of your image. However, there is no Show/Hide Layer icon on those individual layers. Thus you need to click on the Layer Options Menu and select To Each Its Own: While individual layers can be selected, you cannot...
Page 105: Color Trace
 Is the flower perfect? No. The blue arrows indicate where the image needs some tweaking:  There are easy-to-use editing tools to tweak the petals in this image. These tools will be presented in Section 7.11. 6.03.4 Color Trace ...
Page 106 An eyedropper icon is moved around the image This box indicates the color of the current pixel under the eyedropper.  When the desired color is selected, left click once to select it, click on Apply Changes, and the trace will be immediately made using current settings.
Page 107  Click on Import and the program will ask you if you want Continue Tracing or Finish Tracing. Answer Continue Tracing. Click on the Color box again and then pick another color. This time choose the green leaves: Tolerance is still set to The leaves and stem are both traced.
Page 108 Tolerance kept low. Stems are now traced.  Click on Import and now repeat the same process for the blue and pink flowers.  This leaves the yellow centers of the flowers. Click on the Color box to bring up the original raster for color selection.
Page 109  The inner circles where the color is a very pale yellow are not included. Increasing the Tolerance gradually reduces the sizes of those inner circles: Increase Tolerance to 40. Yellow centers expand with higher Tolerance  However, there’s an easier way to handle those! Just mark the Blackout Path box and they are instantly removed from the trace: Yellow centers fill in completely...
Page 110: Color Scans Trace
After selecting To Each Its Own from the Layer Options Menu, each color that was traced, will have those shapes on their own layer. Layer Options Menu  Locate the path that had the extra outside flower border traced and select that layer: Click on the layer preview...
Page 111 Resample Image and Despeck will be used just as they were in Click on the Color Scans tab. Pixel. Select the number of colors Option for changing how to be identified layers are constructed Option to remove internal paths from outline layer of image For PNG files, the Background Color can Option to convert to...
Page 112  Some of the settings will now be adjusted:  Based on how loose the tracing appears to be, the Resample will be increased.  Based on the excessive number of shapes, the Despeck setting will be raised to about 20. This will eliminate any tiny shapes that are not wanted.
Page 113  When you click on Import, you will be asked if you wish to Continue Tracing or Finish Tracing. Select Finish Tracing. Click on Finish Tracing.  Next, let’s have a look at the Layers Bar. Opening the trace layer shows that each of the 9 colors not only has those shapes joined together, but also have been named with the corresponding color: Even though Count was set to 15, only 7 layers/colors were traced.
Page 114 Seven layers  It also contains a layer called Silver Chalice and another called Golden Brown. Before separating the various layers, you can also just try deleting the ones you feel you don’t need. If you don’t lose anything visually, then you know you don’t need that layer. Just watch carefully in case it happens to be something small.
Page 115  Now, move the White layer aside so that you can edit out everything but the bee’s wings. Use Break so that individual paths can be selected: The only parts to keep are the four sections of the bee’s wings and a small section between the steam and leaf of the flower.
Page 116 Stack Scans not checked Stack Scans checked  While the Stack Scans function was developed for certain printing applications, paper crafters may find it useful for some paper piecing projects. For example, using Stacked Scans to trace a simple image of a basketball will eliminate the need to individually adhere all of the sections of the basketball onto a black background.
Page 117  Import the photo and select the Color Scans option. Because you will most likely be layering your cuts, mark the Stacked Scans option. Then start with a count of 2 and work upwards, comparing each trace to determine which is desirable. Remember that with increase in count, a new layer of cutting will be required: Count: 2 Count: 3 Count: 4...
Page 118: Manual Tracing
Count: 4 Count: 5  It is decided that the simplicity of the one with a Count of 4 looks better. But there are some touchups required: The background on the right doesn’t match the background on the left. White patches will be removed.
Page 119: Importing An Image For Manual Tracing
 Using the Draw Freehand Lines tool (Pencil Tool) (refer to Section 7.10): If you own a graphics tablet and enjoy freehand drawing, you may find this method workable for manual tracing. It’s not covered in this tutorial because it’s fairly simple to freehand draw lines and curves as presented in Section 7.10. But unless you have a very steady hand, your tracing will probably require considerable node editing if you want smooth curves in the final design.
Page 120: Manual Tracing Using The Bézier Curves And Straight Line (Pen Tool)
 One little additional tip: when manual tracing and editing, it can often be troublesome if you inadvertently click on and select the imported image. A way around this issue is to have the import image on one page and perform the tracing on another page. But first, you want to make the imported image visible on other pages.
Page 121  Before beginning the trace, take note of how many changes in curves and straight lines exist. This will help you understand where you will be beginning and ending paths as you trace: Trace will begin and end here moving counter- clockwise around the dress.
Page 122 4. Hold down the left mouse button here and begin to drag the mouse to fit the curve. 5. When curve is perfect, do NOT release left mouse button until you right click to end the segment.  Next, left click where the last curve ended, move to where curve will end, hold down left mouse button and drag to form curve.
Page 123: Flip/Mirror And Weld To Complete Symmetrical Shapes
 Finally, hold down left mouse button at top where initial trace began. Drag mouse to create the neckline curve. While left mouse is still held down and extended out to form the curve, right click to end the segment and then release mouse button. The final right click will close the shape and the dress will fill with color: 15.
Page 124: Editing
7. Editing 7.01 Separating and Combining Shapes Split  The Split function is used to break up combined shapes into individual shapes, but keep inner paths joined to their respective outer paths. Sometimes the outer paths are called parent shapes and the inner paths are called child shapes.
Page 125: Break
Bounding boxes now indicate a total of 8 different shapes. Break  The Break function is used to separate every path, every curve, and every line into its own individual shape.  After selecting a combined shape, the Break function can be accessed in any of the following ways: ...
Page 126: Layer
The grid is visible again inside One single bounding box the inner parts of the letters. around the entire word  Another reason to apply Join before cutting is to control the order of the cutting. A child shape, which is joined to a parent shape, will always be cut before the parent.
Page 127: Blackout
 This time, instead of getting two individual shapes, we end up with six (one for each parent path plus one for each inner set of child paths). The difference is that that two inner child paths inside the letter “B”, remain joined as one shape: The three parent paths are three shapes...
Page 128: Shape Magic Advance Part 1: The Simplify Functions
7.02 Shape Magic Advance Part 1: The Simplify Functions 7.02.1 Auto Simplify Paths  The Auto Simplify Paths function is an on/off feature which should be turned on when MTC is installed. Its purpose is to continuously reduce the number of nodes after other functions are applied, so that a design will cut smoothly and quickly to a cutter.
Page 129: Shape Magic Advance Part 2: Details
 Go to Edit>Shape Magic>Advanced>Smooth & Simplify.  The following window opens with settings which can be adjusted as desired. Adjustments will be reflected in the preview so that distortions of the image can be avoided: Option to show nodes Adjust these settings and note Preview of...
Page 130: Nodes On Mat
Numbers of Shapes, Segments, This is a step-by- Points, and step list of paths Nodes which make up the selected shapes. It Preview of forms a roadmap of image how the blade will travel when cutting. Nodes on Mat  The Nodes on Mat function is an on/off feature which will be turned off when MTC is first installed.
Page 131: Thin Paths
Observe the gaps between The gaps are due to the bounding box borders the control points on and the heart itself the Bézier curves  These gaps do not pose a problem except in some circumstances, such as:  If you are trying to align the top, left, or right sides of this heart with another shape or shapes. Because of the gaps, you wouldn’t be able to use the alignment functions from Section 3.15, with the exception of the bottom alignment.
Page 132: Fuse N' Weld
 Press Ctrl+Shift+K  Right click on the screen and choose Shape Magic>Advanced>Thin Paths from the menu  Go to Edit>Shape Magic> Advanced>Thin Paths. Fuse n’ Weld  The Fuse n’ Weld function is used to remove duplicate shapes in the same path and also join nodes together that are on top of one another.
Page 133: Shape Magic Advance Part 4: Tiler
Close-up Green arrow indicates direction of cut Hover cursor over outside line of shape to highlight it.  Reverse Paths can be accessed in any of the following ways:  Click on the Advance icon on the Magic Toolbar and select Reverse Paths ...
Page 134  Right click on the screen and choose Shape Magic>Advanced>Tiler from the menu  Go to Edit>Shape Magic> Advanced>Tiler.  The following window will open with a set of default settings: W and H of shape on screen Preview of shape Option to adjust W and H broken into tiles for cutting...
Page 135: Node Mode Toolbar
New Width: decrease slightly Revised preview Tile Width: increase slightly Only 4 tiles now Click on Accept  The individual tiles are placed on new Pages on the Page Bar: Original shape will still Four new pages are created to house the four tiles be on original page 7.06 Node Mode Toolbar ...
Page 136: Edit This Project Normally (Select Tool)
Edit this project normally (Select Tool): 7.07 Edit paths at node level (Node Edit Tool): 7.13 Draw freehand lines (Pencil Tool): 7.11 Draw Bézier curves and straight lines (Pen Tool): 7.12 Add basic shapes (Basic Shapes Tool): 8.02 Create spirals (Spiral Tool): 8.03 Create stars and polygons (Stars and Polygon Tool): 8.04 Erase sections of paths (Eraser Tool): 7.10...
Page 137 Small green arrow indicates direction of cutting Option to show Properties of the size in inches, highlighted part of cm, or mm Move cursor over outside line the shape of shape to bring up properties  Likewise, when you hover the cursor over an outer side of the other star, the solid area of the star will fill with stripes and the properties of the outer star will be displayed.
Page 138: Slice Shapes And Lines (Knife Tool )
7.09 Slice Shapes and Lines (Knife Tool)  The Slice Shapes and Lines function (Knife Tool) is the 9 icon on the Node Mode Toolbar and can be activated by clicking on the icon or pressing F9. It is used to cut an existing shape or shapes along straight lines or freely drawn paths.
Page 139 Re-color flower  When using the Eraser Tool, all layers will be erased in the location where the eraser is applied. So, to avoid erasing the black layer when erasing the blue, the black layer needs to be hidden. Select that layer and press the Selection to Own Layer icon at the bottom of the Layer Bar.
Page 140: Inverse Erasing (Adding To An Image)
 In this last example, one of the petals sticks out a little too far and will be trimmed back. On the second erasure, the Ctrl key is held down so that the red line will be perfectly straight: Eraser Tool is used to Eraser Tool is used again, Petal extends too far Petal is smoother...
Page 141 Black layer moved to the bottom so that it is now behind the blue petals and green leaves. Black layer moved to the bottom.  Activate the Eraser Tool, again confirming that the Inverse Eraser box is marked. Then zoom in on the area where the black shadow was very close to the petal.
Page 142: Eraser Or Knife
The leaves are not welded to the stem.  If you realize this has happened, you only need to apply the Weld tool to remove the overlapped parts:  To prevent this, first select the shapes (in the case, the stem and two leaves) and apply the Join tool Then you can use the Inverse Eraser and the parts added will be automatically welded.
Page 143: Draw Freehand Lines
 If you are breaking up an image to create a paper piecing project, the Eraser Tool is the better choice: 7.11 Draw Freehand Lines  The Draw Freehand Lines function (Pencil Tool) is the 3 icon on the Node Mode Toolbar and can be activated by clicking on the icon or pressing F3.
Page 144: Drawing Thick Lines
 The Force Closed Path option can be marked so that, as you draw an image, the start and end will always be connected. For example, in this freehand drawing of a lightning bolt, the end of the line is always connected back to the beginning.
Page 145: Draw Bézier Curves And Straight Lines (Pen Tool)
Choose from Solid, Dash, Dot, Dash Dot, or Dash Dot Dot  There are five Dash Style options to produce even more designing capability, especially, when then combined with the seven different start and end cap options. Here are a few examples: 7.12 Draw Bézier Curves and Straight Lines (Pen Tool) ...
Page 146: Drawing Curves
Left click to start Move to 3 location and As you approach the As soon as the shape and then left click left click again. start, watch for the fills with color, left click at 2 location shape to fill. to end.
Page 147: Fat Path And Super Smooth
 Not to worry! Once the curve is complete, you can right click to end that curve and then left click in the same spot to begin a new straight line or another curve without disturbing the one just created: ...
Page 148 Hovering over a Selecting a segment Selecting a segment, with a green segment turns it red turns it green mat, turns the segment blue  A selected segment can now be “dragged” in the following ways:  Drag on the segment with your mouse to change the curvature in different ways: Drag a segment in any direction to transform into Upon releasing mouse button, different shapes.
Page 149  Insert Node: a node will be inserted wherever your mouse cursor is currently positioned on the segment and the segment is now split into two segments. Place cursor where Segment is split into two segments you want node added at location of new node.
Page 150: Node Editing
The top two segments will be Auto-smoothing is turned on: Auto-smoothing is turned off: dragged upwards sharp cusp is converted into sharp cusp is retained. a curve. Or… Node Editing  If you hover your mouse over one of the end nodes on a selected path, you will see it become encircled with a dotted red path.
Page 151: Applications For Node Edit
 Symmetric Node: The lines of the Bézier control points on either side of the selected node will become equal in length, resulting in a smoother transition: Two control point lines are now the same length  Delete Node: The node will be deleted and the two segments will become a single segment. The Bézier control points of the new segment will automatically adjust to try to recreate the previous path of the two segments: ...
Page 152: Reconnecting Broken Segments
Trace line doesn’t A node is added to follow shape here. break segment and segments are dragged inward.  Manual tracing: One of the quickest ways to manually trace a raster image is to simply click/click/click around the image and then use node and segment editing to move paths and nodes to more closely align with the original image and to adjust segments for smoother cutting.
Page 153: Using The Drag Freehand Lines (Pencil Tool)
 Join Node to Closest Node: if this is selected, a segment will form between that node and the nearest node and will appear perfectly straight but will still be a Bézier curve with Bézier control points to maneuver. Right click on end node and Ends are connected and the Bézier control points are select Join Node to Closest...
Page 154: Designing
8. Designing 8.01 Where Do I Start with Learning to Design?  MTC offers some excellent easy-to-use designing tools to assist you in creating whatever you can imagine! The best way to learn these tools is to focus on only one at a time, watch the related video, and pause the video after each step, to repeat what you are seeing.
Page 155: Create Spirals (Spiral Tool )
Your most recently used Basic Shapes are easily accessed Recently Used shapes appears at the top of all categories instead of Your Shapes 8.03 Create Spirals (Spiral Tool)  The Create Spirals function (Spirals Tool) is the 6 icon on the Node Mode Toolbar and can be activated by first opening the Node Edit toolbar (or pressing W) and then clicking on the Spiral Tool icon or pressing F6.
Page 156: Create Stars And Polygons (Star & Polygon Tool)
 With a Divergence of 1.0 (default) the distance between the turns is the same. If the Divergence is less than 1.0, the distance decreases as the number of turns increases. With a Divergence larger than 1.0, the distance increases: Divergence: 1.0 Divergence: 0.5 Divergence: 3.0...
Page 157: Star
on the Stars & Polygon Tool icon or pressing F7. This function allows you to create customized stars and polygons. Star  Once you are in this function, you create a star by holding the left mouse button and freely dragging your mouse to create a star to the size you desire.
Page 158: Polygon
 Dragging the inner corner handle up or down also changes the thickness, but not the size of the star. Dragging the handle left or right rotates the interior of the star. It also creates a far wider spectrum of design possibilities: Drag up Drag down...
Page 159  If you need to move the polygon, hold the left mouse button down anywhere on the shape (except on top of the handle) and drag to another location. If you inadvertently draw a new polygon while trying to adjust the current polygon, press the Delete key to remove it.
Page 160: Shadow Layer
8.05 Shadow Layer  The Shadow Layer function allows you to create an outline or an inline of any shape including, of course, text. After selecting the shape or shapes, the Generate Shadow Layer window can be opened in any of the following ways: ...
Page 161: Corner Join Option
Blackout applied Blackout not applied Corner Join Option The Corner Join controls the style or shape of the shadow at the corners. There are three choices: Observe how the shadow fits the serif of the letter Mitered Beveled Rounded  The Miter Limit affects how far the shadow layer extends at the corners: Inset Shadow ...
Page 162: Weld Tool
8.06 Weld Tool  The Weld tool removes the overlap between two or more selected shapes. After selecting the shapes, it can be applied in any of the following ways:  Click on the Weld icon on the Magic Toolbar. ...
Page 163: Designing A Wreath
Designing a Wreath  In Section 3.10.6, it was shown how to arrange a shape into a circle pattern using the Rotated Duplicates function. This feature opens up a world of designing possibilities. In this tutorial, we’ll create a wreath using the following flourish found in the Wingdings font that comes with Windows: ...
Page 164: Boolean Join
8.07 Boolean Join  The Boolean Join menu contains five welding options but it can only be applied to two selected shapes at one time. If you have more than two shapes, then just apply the Boolean Join to any two at a time or, in most cases, you can either use the Weld (Ctrl+W) function or the Join (Ctrl+J) tool first to reduce your multiple shapes down to two and then use the Boolean Join function needed to complete your design.
Page 165: Wrap Objects To Path
 Make a third copy of the heart and set aside. After arranging the first two hearts on top of the text, select them both and apply a Join (Ctrl+J), so that they will now be one shape. Thus, you now have just two shapes for the Boolean Join: the text and the joined hearts: Two bounding boxes, The text forms one shape.
Page 166: Warp Objects To Path
 In order to get equal spacing and for the images to overlap for welding, begin tweaking the Vert. Align and the Space settings. The Space setting is actually changing the Spacing setting you originally entered by some percentage so that you can visually achieve equal spacing of the repeats around the circle. If the spacing entered were positive, then a larger Space value will, logically, increase the spacing between the objects.
Page 167 an example of the difference in what you would see if Warp is not applied versus applied with the same shape, same repeat, same path: Note how the keys bend/warp to hug the shape of the curve Fit a key to a curve Warp: Off Warp: On ...
Page 168 when the Stretch function is applied. In the following example, the border created in Section 8.06 will be stretched to fit around a circle:  After entering the Wrap Objects to Path window, Repeat is checked and increased first. Then, Warp is turned on: Turn on Turn on...
Page 169: Live Edit Window
Increase St. Extend to 50% Spacing is now the same as between the other borders.  Upon clicking on Accept, a popup window provides the option to weld the repeated borders. Responding Yes, followed by deleting the circle, yields the final scalloped frame: 8.08.3 Live Edit Window ...
Page 170: Auto 4-Point Warp
 At this point, the object can be edited as if you were using the Edit Paths at Node Level tool presented in Section 7.13. Curves can be re-shaped, nodes can be dragged to new locations and added or deleted. In this case, the inner portion of the Broad 2 shape will be edited to be more “pointy”...
Page 171 Resize mode: will NOT Rotate/Slant mode: will Warp mode: WILL work! work! NOT work!  To activate the Auto 4-Point Warp function, hold the Ctrl key and the left mouse button while dragging the shape or shapes onto the quadrilateral. In this case, the selected shape is text. As soon as the cursor icon changes, release the mouse.
Page 172  The Reverse Warp Point Order mirrors the image:  The Adjust All and Adjust Each settings allow you to move the text from the original boundaries of the quadrilateral: Adjust All: Adjust All: Adjust All: -50% Top only: 25% Bottom only: -25% Left only: 15% Right: 15%...
Page 173: Conical Warp
8.10 Conical Warp  The Conical Warp feature can be used for shaping designs to fit around conical shapes, which are tubular shapes in which the top is a different diameter than the bottom. What makes this feature especially fun to use in designing is the incredible 3D simulation, as you will see in the Tumbler Wrap example which follows below.
Page 174: Lattice
 Before clicking on Import, click on the Rolled View tab. You will be able to drag your mouse across the screen to rotate the tumbler and view from virtually any direction:  If you wish to save this image to your computer, double click the image while in Rolled View and a window will open with the option to save as a .png file.
Page 175: Rhinestone Design
Settings which will alter the appearance of the A preview of how the lattice lattice will appear in the selected shape Click on Apply & Preview On Mat to see how the current settings actually look on your selected shape. ...
Page 176: Rhinestone Outline
 Press Ctrl+K  Right click on screen and select Shape Magic>Rhinestone  Go to Edit>Shape Magic>Rhinestone.  There are some very specific guidelines to follow when designing a rhinestone pattern:  The shape needs to be sized before applying the rhinestone circles. If you wait until afterwards and then realize that you want your overall design to be twice as large, then resizing will make the circles twice as large and the spacing twice as large, too! So, before accessing the Rhinestone feature, decide on the overall size you wish to use.
Page 177: Rhinestone Fill
 It is recommended that you mark the Delete Original option while previewing your design on the screen. However, before clicking on Accept, remove the mark. You may need to recreate your design at some point and having the original shape will be beneficial. ...
Page 178: Texture Snapshot
 With symmetrical rhinestone designs, consider using the following process to perfect your design:  This heart outline is clearly not symmetrical: Right half of heart is not symmetrical with left half  Delete the right half and position the upper and lower circles to the desired location: Right half is deleted and then circles tweaked to positions...
Page 179: Creating A Gradient Texture Fill
A paper piecing snowman where After applying Texture Snapshot: exterior cutline with a texture fill there are 17 individual shapes Creating a Gradient Texture Fill  The Nested Duplicate function can be used to create a gradient color texture for any given shape. Decide which color you wish to use for the main shape, for example yellow.
Page 180: Jigsaw Puzzle
Enter duplicate count Mark Adjust Color box For a spectrum of colors, enter 10 (= 360 / 36) Click on Preview Click on Accept when done.  The Rotated Hue function is used for this application. For a spectrum of colors which begin and end with the same color, the degrees are calculated by dividing 360 by the number of duplicates.
Page 181: Notes Window
Columns use double the number to 8 Rows and 12 Columns (or 1.5 times to 6 Rows and 9 Columns). Note how the pieces would look if a rough proportion were not maintained. The pieces would cut into one another: Instead of following the dimensions of the puzzle, the numbers entered for Rows...
Page 182 Click on the Notes tab Enter the text here Click here to change which font is used and the color, size, and style of the text.  If you choose your own font and then share the file with someone else, the Notes will only show up in that font, if the recipient has that same font installed on his/her computer.
Page 183: Design Contest Tutorials
To save a file, first highlight the name by clicking once. Then click on Save File to save the highlighted file to a location of your choice on your computer. 8.16 Design Contest Tutorials  In October 2011, a contest was sponsored by KNK USA. The challenge was to take existing designs or shapes and transform them into new shapes using various functions in MTC.
Page 184  Rotate the tail to line up with and overlap the whale body. Apply the Weld tool:  Lock the Aspect Ratio and resize the triangle size to about 1.1”. Insert nodes on each side as shown. Then drag top node to the left: Drag top Insert a node Insert a node about...
Page 185: Designing A Flower By Laury Vaden
Designing a Flower by Laury Vaden  This colorful flower is made from just a few Basic Shapes: Circle, Swirl, Heart2, Tear, and Wavy 2.  Set Snap Position to No Snapping. Choose one of the non-contrast mats such as the standard green mat. ...
Page 186  Click on the flower and apply a Copy and Paste In Place to create a duplicate. Double click on the duplicate until the shape is in the Rotate mode. Then slowly rotate the copy by dragging the corner icon around until the copy lines up with the spaces of the original: ...
Page 187  Join the Circle and the lattice by selecting both and applying the Join function. To remove the tiny cutouts, press F8 to activate the Eraser tool. Check the Inverse Eraser box and set the Size to 1. Then erase the little cutouts that you do not want.
Page 188  Color: Set the mat to Contrast on the Virtual Mat tab. Make sure each shape is on its own layer, then move the layers up or down so that the center of the flower is on top. Change the colors of the two sets of petals and the center: ...
Page 189  The Basic Shape Swirl is an open path/single line shape which needs to be converted into the spiral that will be cut out. It also has a few too many turns for the flower:  Use the Node Edit Tool to delete nodes at the start and at the end of the Swirl to reduce the number of turns ...
Page 190  Select the flower stem, the leaf and the leaf stem and click on the Weld icon.  Add three circles and resize two to be progressively smaller. Position them on the stem as shown below. Select the stem and the little circles and apply Join: ...
Page 191: Print And Cut
Because the laser is manually installed into a small hole inside the blade carriage, the distance from the laser light to the tip of the blade will vary from one ACS-24UHF to the next. Also, you will want to use the...
Page 192: Pnc Procedure Part 1: Setting Up And Printing
same blade holder with all of your PNC applications, as the distance can also change with larger or smaller diameter holders.  The distance is measured in mm in an X direction and in a Y direction: Tip of blade Laser dot X Offset Y Offset...
Page 193: Landscape Mode Option
Notice that the arrow is pointing upwards on the screen. Make sure your arrow is also pointed upwards! Later, when you print the arrow and place the paper on the mat, the arrow will be pointing to the right as you insert the mat into the ACS-24UHF. ...
Page 194 Check these three options Set to 0 as this does not apply Check this option if you want ACS-24UHF to the an outline only of the arrow printed (to save on ink!) Option to change color of the image outline Click on OK when done ...
Page 195: Portrait Mode Option
After printing, place the printout onto the mat, in the same orientation you see in the main window and insert the mat into the ACS-24UHF. As you are facing the ACS-24UHF, the printout should be on the mat in a...
Page 196 Next, go to File>Print Options and mark the following boxes: Check these three options Set to 0 as this does not Check this option if you want ACS-24UHF apply to the an outline only of the arrow printed (to save on ink!)
Page 197 Information about your current printer settings are shown here. Green dashed lines indicate the part of the screen that will be printed. Four registration marks should appear at the corners of the bounding box.  Go to File>Print Preview and you will be able to see the arrow plus the four registration marks which should be aligned with the boundaries of the arrow: Click here to print.
Page 198: Pnc Procedure Part 2: Aligning And Calibrating
After printing, place the printout onto the mat, in the same orientation you see in the main window and insert the mat into the ACS-24UHF. As you are facing the ACS-24UHF, the printout should be on the mat in a...
Page 199 Make sure the laser has moved to within an inch or less of the registration mark indicated by the flashing red dot shown above. Note: this will be the upper right reg mark as you are facing the ACS-24UHF since your printed arrow should be pointing to the right (as shown on the previous page).
Page 200: Adjusting The Laser Offset
This dot will now be flashing red Again, click on these arrows or your keyboard arrows until laser is on the reg mark corner. Once the light is centered on the reg mark dot, click here or press Enter on your keyboard.
Page 201: Print And Cut Tips
values until you get there. After adjusting by 1 mm, you will need to adjust by 0.5 mm and even smaller to get it perfect.  You may find that one side is aligned but the other is not. For example, the cut line may be perfectly aligned with the print line on the lower side of the arrow but maybe 0.5 mm above the arrow along the upper side.
Page 202: Pnc With A Contour Shape Larger Than The Printed Image
Multi-image PNC in Landscape mode Multi-image PNC in Portrait mode 9.06.2 PNC With a Contour Shape Larger Than the Printed Image  In Section 9.01, two other PNC applications were shown. In one case, an outside contour will be cut. In the other, an alternative shape is added, such as the tag shape shown below.
Page 203: Pnc With A Contour Shape Smaller Than The Printed Image
Image within the tag shape with only the tag as the cutline.  The cutting process proceeds as described in Section 9.04.  In both cases, regardless of the color of the outside shape, the resulting shape is white and will not show up on the printout.
Page 204 Original imported image An interior scallop is to be added and cut.  Since anything outside of the scallop will not be needed, that part will be eliminated. This is done by first arranging the scallop over the image and then moving the scallop layer to its own layer and to the bottom on the Layers Bar: A scallop shape is added and aligned,...
Page 205: Pnc With A Contour Shape Overlapping The Printed Image
 Click elsewhere on the screen so nothing is selected. Then click on the image and drag one image away from the other: New scalloped This original can version now be deleted.  The original can now be deleted and the scalloped version duplicated (if desired) and the PNC process conducted, as normal.
Page 206: Pnc With An Inset Cut Line
 A print preview shows that only the original graphic will be printed. Note how the registration marks are printed based on the large white rectangle:  After printing, proceed with the usual process. 9.06.5 PNC with an Inset Cut Line ...
Page 207  Select the desired Shadow Width using a negative number so that an inset is created. Note that this is typically less than 0.03”. Select a Corner Join option and refer back to Section 8.05 for reference. Click on Accept when done. Set desired Shadow Width using a negative number so that an inset shadow is created.
Page 208: Print And Cut Without Printing From Mtc
Original images should be top layer One rectangle is Inset shadows placed around all of the images and Surrounding rectangle their insets.  The rectangle layer must be turned on for both printing and cutting. Because the inset shadow layer is hidden behind the original images, it can also be left on for printing.
Page 209: Pnc Applications With Existing Images
9.07.2 PNC Applications with Existing Images  With MTC, it is even possible to do a print and cut with no printing involved at all! Two such situations are: (1) Cutting out shapes that have been drawn or stamped by hand and (2) Cutting out printed images from a magazine, calendar, newspaper, etc.
Page 210: Applications
10. Applications 10.01 Cardstock and Paper Selecting Cardstock  White core cardstock does not yield the same cutting quality as solid color core cardstocks. You may wish to reserve those for embossing or other paper crafting needs.  Some cardstock brands or types simply do not cut well. Use those for something else besides cutting intricate shapes.
Page 211: Chipboard
 The material itself may be subject to tearing, especially on intricate cuts. Try a different cardstock.  If the cardstock has spots that didn’t completely cut:  Try increasing the blade tip height (not exposure) and/or the cutting force and verify the cardstock is will adhered to the mat.
Page 212: Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting  Some chipboard will produce a lot of “crumbs” during the cut and this can build up inside the blade holder as well as build up around the cut lines causing interference with the blade during the second pass. For this reason, some users will use canned air to blow the crumbs away from the surface between each pass.
Page 213: Applying Vinyl
 If you store your vinyl in a warm location, the adhesive can be affected and that can then affect the cutting. Also note that some vinyl colors have a tendency to pull away from the backing sheet more easily than others.
Page 214: Iron-On Transfer
 For cutting force, it will depend on the fabric. For cutting force, it will depend on the fabric. Refer to the table at the end of Chapter 2 for recommended settings. 10.05 Iron-On Transfer Types of Iron-On Transfer  There are a number of different kinds of vinyl available at KNK USA: ...
Page 215: Adhering Iron-On
Adhering Iron-On  Use a hot dry iron (cotton setting) and with steam turned off.  Use a fairly firm surface…. Not a highly cushioned ironing board.  Insert a cloth between the layers of a shirt in case adhesive melts through to other side ...
Page 216: Weeding And Brushing In Rhinestones
 Peel off the backing sheet first and press the rhinestone material to a clean sticky mat. Brayer firmly to make sure the rubber has excellent contact with the mat.  Set Multicut to 2 times, again to aid in weeding the cut circles. Use a 60 degree blade for cutting and a force of about 75 for the green rubber and 60 - 70 for the flocks.
Page 217: Extra Tips On Rhinestone Applications
Position your material on the cutting mat accordingly.  The Sakura Quickie glue pens work well in the ACS-24UHF. They will fit into the Zing Pen Holder, as well as directly into the blade holder seat (if alignment with cutting isn’t needed).
Page 218: Adjusting For The Difference In Diameters Of Tools And Blade Holders
 The following video shows how to use the Zing pen holder and the blade holder for an aligned “draw and cut.” This same method will work with the ACS and other KNK models:  The following video shows how to use a glue pen and the blade holder for an aligned “draw and cut.” This...
Page 219: Embossing And Scoring
 The layers to be drawn (glasses, inner circle, and outer rectangle) are showing on the Layers Bar and the layer with the cut line is turned off: Hide the layer to be cut  Set the origin using the laser and select WYSIWYG for the Cut Type. Turn off Blade Offset and then set the appropriate Force and Speed.
Page 220: Engraving
 Remember to turn off the Blade Offset setting when scoring or embossing but turn it back on when you get ready to cut.  When embossing paper or cardstock, it is recommended that you use the Shadow Layer function to create a very small outline and inline, say 0.01”.
Page 221: Project: Engraving A Dog Tag
Refer to the Suggested Settings table at the end of this chapter or force and speed settings on various materials. Note that you can engrave on materials that cannot be cut on the ACS-24UHF, such as jewelry charms, dog tags, and trophy plates.
Page 222: Using The Punch Tool
 After the hole is cut in the chipboard, do not lift the pinch wheel levers! This is important. You can go offline and use the up/down arrows to move the mat so that the cut circle can be removed. Then the actual dog tag is placed inside the cut hole.
Page 223: Cake Decorating
Templates from thin chipboard to use as patterns when cutting thick layers of gum paste  Icing sheets can be cut on the regular ACS-24UHF mat, although it’s a good idea to have one dedicated to cake use only. The same is true for the blade holder and blade.
Page 224 without the plastic snapping. If you prefer, you can also create fold lines by cutting dashed lines. These also are very strong and can be folded dozens of times before weakening.  PET-G comes in 0.015” and 0.02” thicknesses with protective sheets on the front and back to protect it from scratches.
Page 225: Suggested Acs-24Uhf Settings For Various Accessories 1
Suggested ACS-24UHF Settings for Various Accessories Important: Remember to turn Blade Offset back on after using accessory tools and before cutting with your blade again! Speed Material Tool Force Surface Other Comments (Cut/Up) Passes Copper Engraving 36g Copper -Taped to mat...
Page 226: Settings Form For Accessory Tools
Settings Form for Accessory Tools Application/Material Tool Force Speed Surface Other Comments Passes...
Page 227: Appendix A Key Board Shortcuts
Appendix A Key Board Shortcuts Shortcut Icon Description Menu, Other Location Standard Functions Ctrl+N Open a new file/project File>New or Tab bar Ctrl+O Open an existing .mtc file/project File>Open Ctrl+S Save a file/project File>Save Ctrl+Shift+P Print File>Print Ctrl+Z / Ctrl Y Undo last action / Redo last action Edit>Undo / Edit>Redo Ctrl+F6...
Page 228 Shortcut Icon Description Menu, Other Location Duplicating Shapes Ctrl+C Copy to clipboard Edit>Copy Ctrl+V Paste from clipboard Edit>Paste Ctrl+Shift+V Paste in Place from clipboard Edit>Paste in Place Ctrl+Shift+drag Create a duplicate of selected shape(s) Ctrl+D Create duplicate copies of selected shape (s) Edit>Duplicate Cutting/Deleting Shapes Ctrl+X...
Page 229 Shortcut Icon Description Menu, Other Location Layers Window Icons Move this layer up / down On any given layer Layer is visible / hidden On any given layer Set color, texture or line style for this layer On any given layer Layer is unlocked / locked On any given layer Delete this layer...
Page 230 Shortcut Icon Description Menu, Other Location Exporting Ctrl+Shift+L Open "Add Basic shape" window File>Export>Sel. T o Basic Shapes Ctrl+Shift+S Open "Save SVG as" window File>Export>Sel. T o SVG File Open "Upload" window to upload as SVG file to MT C Ctrl+Shift+W File>Export>Sel.
Page 231 Shortcut Icon Description Menu, Other Location Output Ctrl+Shift+C Open controller window for current default cutter Cut Project With>current default sel. Cutter Ctrl+Shift+E Show preview of cut shapes Cut Project With>Cut Preview Ctrl+Shift+P Print File>Print Reverse Paths (change direction of cut on selected Edit>Shape Magic>Advanced>Reverse Paths shape) Node Editing Tools...
Page 232: Appendix B Troubleshooting
Unplug the ACS-24UHF from your computer. In MTC, go to Help>Advanced>Download and Install FTDI D2XX Drivers. Once the drivers have installed, reboot your computer. When your computer has finished restarting, reconnect the ACS-24UHF to your computer. You should get a pop-up that will finish the installation.
Page 233: Operating Issues
____________________ Sometimes, while the ACS is turned on, but not cutting, there’s a faint whistling sound being emitted.  This is due to what is called "micro stepping." It is a high pitched noise caused by idling between 2 veins on the encoder, but shouldn’t be of concern to the user.
Page 234: Cutting/Drawing Issues
 Make sure you raise the pen in the blade holder seat on the ACS-24UHF before tightening the front screw. The blade holder seat needs to be able to drop the pen down when it reaches the spot to draw the shape.
Page 235: Software Issues
You may need to change a setting which allows programs not download from the Apple Store to be installed. Refer to this link: http://knkusa.com/resources/ ____________________ MTC will not accept the registration number on the CD that came with my ACS-24UHF.
Page 236  The Activation Pin is the number on the CD envelope. This number needs to be used for registering your copy of the software at the web site shown in Section 1.09. Once you register, you will be given a Registration Number to then use in MTC.
Page 237  The last version that was auto-saved should be available in the folder specified here: Help>Advanced> Advanced Settings. Uncheck and recheck the box next to Enable Automatic Saving and the settings window will open. Check the location for your backup file shown by Auto-save Path. ____________________ When I import vector files into MTC, I lose the individual colors.
Page 238 ____________________ My raster image isn’t showing up when I print it for my print and cut.  Two possibilities: Check the Layer Bar and make sure it is not being covered by another layer. Also, go to File>Print Options and make sure you do not have Print Wireframe Only checked. ____________________ I am trying to use Boolean Join but it is grayed out.
Page 239: Acknowledgements
Acknowledgements Please send an email to sandy@iloveknk.com if any errors are found in this manual or if you have suggestions for additions or changes. I would like to thank the following people for proof-reading this manual. Without their assistance, this manual would be riddled with typos! I also greatly appreciate their suggested changes to make things clearer, more consistent, and more accurate: Ann Hunting...

ACS -24UHF/Eagle User Manual

Introduction to the Acs-24Uhf

Cutting

Suggested Cut Settings for Various Materials on Acs-24Uhf

Mtc Basics

Importing and Exporting

Working with Text

Tracing

Editing

Designing

Print and Cut

Applications

Appendix A Key Board Shortcuts

Appendix B Troubleshooting

Quick Links

Troubleshooting

Need help?

Questions and answers

Summary of Contents for ACS ACS-24UHF/Eagle