KLIC-N-KUT KNK Force User Manual
  1. Manuals
  2. Brands
  3. KLIC-N-KUT Manuals
  4. Cutter
  5. KNK Force
  6. User manual

KLIC-N-KUT KNK Force User Manual

Hide thumbs Also See for KNK Force:
1
Table Of Contents
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
Table of Contents

Advertisement

Quick Links

Download this manual
The KNK Force with SCAL5 User Manual
Do NOT read this entire manual... unless you want to.
•
Chapters 1 and 2 are very important in terms of setting up your Force to work with SCAL and learning the
ins and outs of cutting.
•
Chapters 3 – 10 are specific to SCAL and present every function in the software, many of which you may
never need.
•
Chapter 11 is for those owners wanting to perform print and cut applications.
•
Chapter 12 covers the dual head feature and how to best use Force accessory tools.
•
Chapter 13 covers the Force rotary tool.
It's not practical to print this entire manual because:
•
It's a waste of paper and ink if you only ever need certain sections.
•
The live links to videos, blog posts, products, etc. will not work.
•
User manuals are updated from time to time (this current UM is based on SCAL 4.060).
•
You cannot search on individual words.
Also:
•
Having the Table of Contents continuously viewable makes navigation easier. It's also useful to know how
to search for specific words or terms. Here is a link to a tutorial which covers how to do these two things:
How to Get the Most from your KNK
•
Note the green
videos will enhance your learning.
http://knkusa.com/
February 24, 2019
UM.
icons which link to videos related to the section in which they are located. These

Advertisement

Table of Contents
loading
Need help?

Need help?

Do you have a question about the KNK Force and is the answer not in the manual?

Questions and answers

Subscribe to Our Youtube Channel

Related Manuals for KLIC-N-KUT KNK Force

Summary of Contents for KLIC-N-KUT KNK Force

  • Page 1 The KNK Force with SCAL5 User Manual http://knkusa.com/ February 24, 2019 Do NOT read this entire manual… unless you want to. • Chapters 1 and 2 are very important in terms of setting up your Force to work with SCAL and learning the ins and outs of cutting.

  • Page 2: Table Of Contents

    1.06.1 Setting up the Cutting Mat ....................................12 1.06.2 Selecting a Shape for Testing ..................................14 1.06.3 Communication Test ...................................... 14 1.06.4 Test Drawing: Origin Point Mode ................................... 15 2. KNK FORCE: CUTTING ..................................17 2.01 W .......................... 17 EED TO...
  • Page 3 3.04 P ................................. 48 ROPERTIES ANEL 3.05 C ....................... 50 USTOMIZING THE ROPERTIES ANEL ORKSPACE 3.06 D ................................52 OCUMENT ANEL 3.06.1 Mat Size ...................................... 52 3.06.2 Orientation ....................................53 3.06.3 Units ......................................54 3.06.4 Show Grid ....................................54 3.06.5 Show Guidelines ......................................55 3.06.6 Workspace Alpha ..................................
  • Page 4 4.07.1 Exporting in SVG Format ................................. 85 4.07.2 Exporting in JPG, PNG, BMP and TIFF Formats ........................86 4.07.3 Exporting in FCM Format ....................................87 4.07.4 Exporting in PLT Format ....................................87 4.07.5 Exporting to SCAL2 ......................................88 5. SCAL: MANIPULATING AND COLORING SHAPES ........................... 89 5.01 B ................................
  • Page 5 5.17.1 Cutting to the Clipboard ................................. 122 5.17.2 Copying to the Clipboard ............................... 122 5.17.3 Pasting from the Clipboard ..............................122 5.17.4 Duplicating – Duplicate ................................123 5.17.5 Quick Duplicate ..................................123 5.18 A ....................................123 LIGNMENT 5.18.1 Align to Page ....................................
  • Page 6 7.03.3 Monochrome Trace of a Silhouette Image: Effects of Smooth ....................159 7.03.4 Monochrome Trace of a Detailed Image: Effects of Despeckle and Detail ................160 7.03.5 Monochrome Trace: Single Line Threshold and Blackout ..................... 162 7.03.6 Monochrome Trace: PNG Files and the Alpha Channel Option ....................
  • Page 7 9.06.1 Union ...................................... 217 9.06.2 Intersection ..................................... 218 9.06.3 Exclude ....................................219 9.06.4 Front Minus Back ..................................220 9.06.5 Back Minus Front ................................... 221 9.07 C ................................221 ATH AND 9.07.1 Clip Path ....................................221 9.07.2 Clip Mask ........................................222 9.08 D ..................................
  • Page 8 10.08 P ............................... 336 ETAILS AND EVERSE 10.09 L ..................................... 337 10.10 P ......................................338 IERCE 11. KNK FORCE: PRINT AND CUT ................................. 340 11.01 W (PNC)? .............................. 340 RINT 11.02 W PNC C ? ..............................341 HAT IS A ALIBRATION 11.03 C...
  • Page 9 ORCE OTARY ......................379 UGGESTED NGRAVING ETTINGS FOR ORCE OTARY APPENDIX A SCAL: KEY BOARD SHORTCUTS ..........................380 APPENDIX B KNK FORCE AND SCAL: TROUBLESHOOTING ......................386 B1 C ................................... 386 OMMUNICATING SSUES B2 O ................................... 387 PERATING SSUES B3 C ....................................

  • Page 10: Introduction

    1. Introduction 1.01 Please Read! Thank you for purchasing a KNK Force! Please read all of this section before using your new Force with Sure Cuts A Lot (SCAL). • Because the Force must first be set up to communicate with C3 (the program residing on the computer...

  • Page 11: Warranty

    1.03 Warranty • IMPORTANT! If your KNK Force is damaged during shipment or appears to be defective, then your dealer should be notified as soon as possible. If damages are reported later than three weeks after delivery, then it will be the responsibility of the owner to ship the damaged cutter back to KNK USA for repair.

  • Page 12: Support

    • If you run into difficulties with the operation of your KNK Force, 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 KNK dealer as soon as possible.
  • Page 13 Click here to open Document Panel Select Custom Size  A new window will open where you can set up the new mat and name it: Enter 15 for both W and H Check this box Name the mat Click on OK when done ...

  • Page 14: Selecting A Shape For Testing

    More on moving and manipulating basic shapes is covered in Chapter 5. 1.06.3 Communication Test • In Section 3.01.4, you installed the KNK Force in SCAL. To now open the Cut Settings window, either:  Go to Cutter> Cut with KNK Force ...

  • Page 15: Test Drawing: Origin Point Mode

    • If the Test Connection still fails after reloading several times, please contact one of the available resources listed on the first page. 1.06.4 Test Drawing: Origin Point Mode • It is important to learn where images will cut before you begin cutting. By using the test pen, you can experiment with settings and not risk cutting outside the material on the mat.
  • Page 16 Use these buttons or your keyboard arrows to move the head over the material Remove the current tool before clicking on Next • This process is essentially the same as how it is performed in C3 (refer to Section 2.06.3 of the C3 User Manual).

  • Page 17: Knk Force: Cutting

    • Your KNK Force comes with a 45° blade (red cap) and a 60° blade (blue cap). An optional 30° blade (yellow cap) is also sold. Use the following as a guide for choosing the appropriate blade for the material you are cutting: ...

  • Page 18: Understand The Cut Settings

    head to a different location, do so while the head is still in the up position (the first window of the Replace Tool process).  If the mat is used for setting the Z Origin when cutting, it’s not necessary to reset the origin when changing materials, as long as the blade holder remains positioned in the blade holder seat on the Force.

  • Page 19: Know Where Your Images Will Cut

     Always press your materials evenly to the mat. Think about using a brayer both before AND after cutting. Repressing the material after cutting can greatly aid in weeding the cut shapes from the waste.  When necessary, tape thicker materials to the mat to keep them from slipping during the cut. But remember that taping the edges is not the same thing as making sure the entirety of the material is pressed to the mat.

  • Page 20: Controlling What Shapes Will Cut

    2.02.1 Controlling What Shapes Will Cut • There are four ways to control whether a shape will be cut or ignored:  Show/hide shapes on the Layers Panel (refer to Sections 4.04 and 5.09) – anything hidden will not be sent to the Cut Settings window.

  • Page 21: Controlling Where Shapes Will Cut

    2.02.2 Controlling Where Shapes Will Cut • In the Cut Settings window is a Cut Mode option: • This was briefly covered in Section 1.06.3. Cut Mode has two choices:  WYSIWYG: Cuts the shapes where they are positioned on the Cutting Mat. Refer to Section 10.07.3. ...

  • Page 22: Determining The Cut Settings

    Because the rotary tool is always mounted on the left side, the Tool setting will always be 1 (left). It also will need the Blade Offset and Overcut set to 0 in the Cut Settings window. • IMPORTANT! Please read Chapter 13 before using the rotary tool in your KNK Force. 2.02.4 Determining the Cut Settings •...

  • Page 23: Cut Settings Details

    2.03.1 Tool and Replace Tool • Tool has two choices: 1 (left) or 2 (right) which correspond to the two heads on the KNK Force. Replace Tool is used to set the Z Origin when loading a tool on the side that is selected: •...

  • Page 24: Cutting Depth (Cd) / End Depth (Ed)

    • Some examples where more than one pass is recommended:  Cutting thicker denser materials, such as chipboard, where multiple passes allows the blade to progressively “carve” through the material  Cutting fibrous materials, such as fabric, where two or more passes ensure that all of the fibers have been cleanly cut ...

  • Page 25: Up Speed (Us)

    2.03.5 Up Speed (US) • The Up Speed (US) is how fast the blade or tool travels in the up position, moving from one location to another to begin cutting. The range of settings is from 1 to 40. • For most cutting applications, this setting can be quite high, ~ 35 –...

  • Page 26: Overcut

    Imagine a line On a blade, the Offset is the There is no passing through distance between the center of the Offset on a the center of the blade and the tip of the blade. pen. test pen or blade •...

  • Page 27: Blade Tension (Bt)

    2.05 Blade Tension (BT) • Inside the KNK Force blade holder is a large spring that is compressed as you turn the top of the blade holder clockwise and loosened as you turn the top counter-clockwise. For very thin materials, such as vinyl and thin paper, you need the blade to be “floating”...

  • Page 28: Performing A Cut With The Blade Holder

    • As covered in Section 1.08.2 of the C3 User Manual, there is a measurable scale along the plunger. The scale goes from 1 to 6 where 1 is the lowest tension. In the recommended settings table, there are Blade Tension settings to use with various materials.
  • Page 29 Always use the far left and far right pinch wheels with the cutting mat. (5) Verify that the pinch wheels are aligned under the gray rectangles. Wheels should be centered under the gray rectangles. (6) Set the Blade Tension on the blade holder based on the material to be cut. Refer to the table at the end of this chapter for recommended Blade Tension settings.

  • Page 30: Calibrating The Force S Sizing Resolution

    Z Origin is set with the blade tip touching the mat. (8) Input all of the cut settings. Refer to the recommended settings at the end of this chapter. (9) Click on Set origin. Set the XY origin at the lower right corner of the material (or where you need the origin to be).

  • Page 31: Performing A Sizing Calibration

    Calibration settings • To replace the defaults with the calibrations from C3: Enter the Belt resolution here. Enter the Wheel resolution here. • After making changes, click on Save in the lower right corner of the Cutter Settings window. 2.07.2 Performing a Sizing Calibration •...
  • Page 32 Feed the mat this direction into the Force Height Width • Because the Force is very accurate, only take note if the sides are slightly larger than 10” or slightly smaller than 10” because it will probably be so close that you cannot even measure how much larger or smaller than 10 inches it might be.
  • Page 33 New Y Resolution = Current Y Resolution multiplied by the desired value divided by the actual value = 1.0 *10.00 / 10.01 = 0.999 • Enter those new values into the Cutter Settings window and click on Save: Calibration settings Click on Save •...

  • Page 34: Settings Form For Cutting Materials On The Knk Force 1

    Settings Form for Cutting Materials on the KNK Force BT – Blade Tension; P – Passes; SD – Start Depth; CD/ED: Cut Depth/End Depth; CS – Cut Speed Material Type and Material Brand, Blade CD/ED Other Settings and Comments Thickness Source, Color, etc ©...

  • Page 35: Suggested Cut Settings For Various Materials On The Knk Force 1

    Suggested Cut Settings for Various Materials on the KNK Force These suggested settings are for initial test cut purposes. Other factors can influence settings such as dullness of the blade, condition of the mat, exposure to humidity, dye color, etc. Adjust settings, as needed.
  • Page 36 Blade CD / Material Color(s) Tested Other Comments Type C&C: Create & Craft; sold in UK; cut with Cardstock - C&C Pearlescent Bright Dark pink and "good side" face down thus mirror images if Burst : 250 gsm blue green needed;...
  • Page 37 Blade CD / Material Color(s) Tested Other Comments Type Cardstock - Worldwin Doublemates 90lb Brown, red Cardstock - Worldwin Doublemates 90lb Gold 2 passes at a lower CD gave cleaner cutting Cardstock - Worldwin Smooth & Silky Pistachio than 1 pass at a higher CD. Heirloom Dark Cardstock - Worldwin Treasures Blue, Black, both...
  • Page 38 Blade CD / Material Color(s) Tested Other Comments Type Double Sided Adhesive Sheets - Cuts through both top and bottom sheets and the Sookwang adhesive. Duck Tape Mustache Mirrored on both Dura-Lar - 5 mil PS = 20 sides Fabric - Cotton (quilting) White (Kona) PS = 20;...
  • Page 39 Blade CD / Material Color(s) Tested Other Comments Type HTV-Glitterflex Ultra- on the mat Silver 1.75 Cuts beautifully! Similiar to HTV style but is suppose to be "cut Iron-On Foil Sheets, Jean Trix; June Silver through" the backing with scissors and then Tailor Brand adhered;...
  • Page 40 Blade CD / Material Color(s) Tested Other Comments Type Paper - Drawing - 70 lb Extra white sulfite Pads from Paper - Patterned - heavy wt Michaels Paper - Testors Decal Paper White Transparent; Paper - Tracing - Mead Academie Great substitute for cutting tissue paper 0.003"...
  • Page 41 Blade CD / Material Color(s) Tested Other Comments Type Stencil Board Stencil Film, Blue - Grafix Brand; Blue Film Heavyweight Sticky Flock - on the mat Backing sheet off; pressed to mat This cut through the media and let you then Styrene - 0.03"...
  • Page 42 Blade CD / Material Color(s) Tested Other Comments Type Scraps on the KNK Mat. Colors tested: White, Oracal 651 - see Vinyl - Intermediate Cal - with the mat Orange, Lt Green, Dark Green, Royal Blue, Comments Black Vinyl - Intermediate Cal- no mat - direct Oracal 651 - see Direct from a roll.

  • Page 43: Scal: Installation, Preferences, And Workspace

    3. SCAL: Installation, Preferences, and Workspace 3.01 Installing SCAL 3.01.1 Selecting and Downloading the Software • Sure Cuts A Lot 5 (SCAL) can be downloaded from the following link. Note that there are four choices - Mac or PC and then regular or PRO: http://www.craftedge.com/download/download.html •...

  • Page 44: Activating The Software

    • The software will run in DEMO mode until a registration is purchased. This mode will have the following limitations:  When cutting, horizontal lines will be added across the design  Digital shapes from the eshape Store cannot be downloaded ...

  • Page 45: Installing The Usb Driver

    If the cutter you are using connects via a USB cable, download and install the correct driver by going to Help>Install Driver. If you own a Klic-N-Kut, please go the following link to download the appropriate driver for your model: http://knkusa.com/resources/...

  • Page 46: Main Scal Screen

    Note that with some brands, such as KNK, adding multiple models may not give separate listings. While KNK Force and the KNK Zing Orbit show up separately, selecting both Maxx and Zing Air from the model menu only displays once as KNK. Some models will need to be separately selected later in the Cut Settings window.

  • Page 47: Library

    • Hovering your mouse over most of the screen icons will pop up the icon’s name and, in some cases, details about usage. • In order to better remember where major elements are located, note that the term “bar” is used when components are laid out horizontally (such as the Toolbar) and the term “panel”...

  • Page 48: Properties Panel

    • The SCAL Library provides a number of useful functions:  It contains a collection of over 300 pre-installed shapes, organized into 16 subfolders  It displays complete character sets for all fonts currently installed  You can organize your own shapes and projects into separate folders and view thumbnails for selecting ...
  • Page 49  Style Panel : contains properties pertaining to how selected shapes will be cut or printed. Refer to Section 8.01.  Text Panel : contains properties pertaining to how text will appear. Refer to Section 6.05.  Layers Panel : lists all shapes in the current project with options to organize, hide/show, lock/unlock and more.

  • Page 50: Customizing The Properties Panel / Workspace

    3.05 Customizing the Properties Panel / Workspace • In SCAL, the Workspace refers to the arrangement of panels and whether or not you want the Library to be open or closed by default. There are two versions already set up: Basic and Advanced. You can then make changes and name and save others, as desired.
  • Page 51 Drag up/down on the line between the two panels Do the same here • To close a panel, double-click on the bar on the right side: Double click this bar to close the panel below that bar • By default, the SCAL Library opens every time you open the software, start a new project, or open an existing project.

  • Page 52: Document Panel

    Custom workspaces will appear here • To rename or delete a custom workspace, go to Window>Workspace>Manage Workspaces and a window will open with Delete and Rename options: Options to Rename or Delete selected Workspace 3.06 Document Panel • The Document Panel contains settings for the Cutting Mat which serves as a design area for the software as well as to indicate, in some cutting modes, where the shapes will be cut.

  • Page 53: Orientation

     Click on the drop-down menu next to Mat Size on the Documents Panel  Right-click on the screen and select Mat Size  Go to Cutter>Mat Size • There are five options for setting Cutting Mat dimensions under Mat Size. There is also the option to create a Custom Size for a mat: Click here to create a custom mat...

  • Page 54: Units

    Portrait Landscape The black triangles show the direction the actual cutting mat should be fed into the cutter • There are three ways to change the mat orientation:  On the Documents Panel under Mat Size: Select Portrait or Landscape here ...

  • Page 55: Show Guidelines

    Check or uncheck • The grid lines can also be customized. For example, with this 12” x 12” mat, major grid lines are set at 6” and then minor grid lines are set at 1” (by specifying 6 Subdivisions be used): Minor grid lines Major grid line (slightly darker)

  • Page 56: Workspace Alpha

    • Details on adding, changing, and deleting guidelines is covered in Section 9.03. 3.06.6 Workspace Alpha • The Workspace Alpha setting on the Document Panel affects the opacity of filled shapes on the Cutting Mat: Workspace Alpha = 100% Workspace Alpha = 50% •...

  • Page 57: Show Reg Marks

    Current printer This rectangle indicates the part of the screen that will be printed. 3.06.9 Show Reg Marks • This option will show the registration marks that will be printed and used in a print and cut application: • The number of reg marks, their location, type, length, thickness, etc. will vary depending on the selected cutter in use, as well as properties that can be changed under Cutter>Cutter Settings.

  • Page 58: Show Template

    3.06.11 Show Template • SCAL5 has the ability to add templates to the Cutting Mat that are non-selectable shapes to aid in designing. Typically these templates are representations of actual objects onto which cut shapes will be applied. Here are several examples: ...

  • Page 59: Other Preferences

    3.08 Other Preferences • Under Edit>Preferences, you will find a number of other options, some of which you will probably never need to change. Others will be covered in later sections, as they pertain to the function involved. • For now, note the following preferences that do relate to the material covered so far. These should be self- explanatory based on their names: Note these options related to the Cutting Mat and the...

  • Page 60: Zooming And Panning

    3.09 Zooming and Panning 3.09.1 Zooming • To zoom in and zoom out, use any of the following methods:  Hold down the Alt key (Option key on a Mac) while rolling the mouse wheel  Access the Zoom menu on the Status Bar in the lower left corner of the screen ...

  • Page 61: Undo/Redo

     Click the Hand tool icon on the Tools Panel . Then drag the left mouse button. 3.10 Undo/Redo 3.10.1 Undo • As with most Windows applications, there is an Undo function to reverse the most recent steps performed. You can use any of the following to execute the Undo function: ...

  • Page 62: Help Resources

    • To add a page, either go to Page>Add Page or click the green icon on the Pages Bar itself and the following window will open: Change Name, if desired Change Color, if desired Click OK when done  Either accept the default Page number as the new Name or provide your own. The same with color – you can click on the default color provided and select a new color from the Color Picker window that opens.
  • Page 63  Go to Help>Help for access to a user guide  Click on the Help Panel icon on the Properties Panel to open the user guide to a section based on the currently selected tool  Go to Help>Forums to access the SCAL user forum ...

  • Page 64: Scal: Handling Files And Organizing Layers

    4. SCAL: Handling Files and Organizing Layers 4.01 Opening Files 4.01.1 Opening a New File/Project • When you launch SCAL, a new blank Cutting Mat will appear with a new blank project opened. • To open a new file (start a new project), any of the following can be used: ...

  • Page 65: Saving Scal Files

     Import from the Library (refer to Section 4.03.3) • In the first three options above, a window will open where you can browse to locate the file you wish to open: Browse to locate folder Mark this box to display a preview Click on the file and A preview of the file...

  • Page 66: Shapes Tab

    4.03.1 Shapes Tab • When you first open the Library, the Shapes tab will be selected. • In order to see all of the contents under this tab, drag the top of the window upwards until you see the following screenshot. Note the various parts of this window: Drag to expand window My Designs View...
  • Page 67 • You can toggle between the thumbnail view and a list view using these icons at the top Click here to change to list view • A search function enables you to see all of the shapes with a particular word in the name. For example, enter the word leaf and click on the search button: 1.
  • Page 68 Add File to selected folder Delete Folder Refresh Add Folder Click on My Designs  Add subfolders: The shapes in the above screenshot have been added to My Designs but not into subfolders. To create subfolders for additional organizing: Click on the Add Folder icon Right-click on My Designs and select Add Folder from the popup menu ...

  • Page 69: Fonts Tab

     Note that the Folder Name was changed to Force PNC Files before clicking on OK. The name will have a .lnk extension added indicating that it is linked to another folder on your computer.  To add files to a folder inside My Designs: Select the folder and do either of the following: ▪...

  • Page 70: Projects Tab

    Fonts tab Drag up to expand window Install a new font for Add to Favorites temporary use Font Selection Menu Name and Sample of each installed font Select a font to see its character set • Scroll the bar at the bottom to change the size of the lettering. To add a character to the Cutting Mat, left- click on it.
  • Page 71  Favorites folder – select any project, right-click, and select Add to Favorites from the popup menu  My Projects folder – virtually identical to My Designs folder (more information follows)  – for locating files with a particular word in the file name Search field and search icon ...

  • Page 72: Layers Panel

    Select the folder and do either of the following: ▪ Click on the Add File icon ▪ Right-click and select Add File from the popup menu A window will open where you can then browse to find the SCUT file to be added. You also have the option of selecting multiple files at once to import into that folder.

  • Page 73: Parts Of The Layers Panel

    • You do not have to worry about adding shapes to the Layers Panel. They will automatically be assigned to new layers as you add them. You will want to learn how to move shapes to new layers or combine shapes into the same layer, depending on the circumstances.
  • Page 74 • Layer Thumbnail: Each layer has a thumbnail showing the shapes assigned to that layer. Click on that thumbnail and all shapes on that layer will be selected. If you wish to add the shapes from another layer to the section, hold the Shift key and click on the other thumbnail. •...

  • Page 75: Creating Folders And Moving Layers

     Layer Color: Click on the current layer color icon and a Color window will open where a different color can be assigned. Again, this is only for making layers easier to distinguish on the Layers Panel and doesn’t change the Fill or Stroke color of the shapes themselves. •...
  • Page 76 Folder is empty New folder • Just as covered in the prior section, if you double-click on this new folder, you can rename it: Name the folder Click on OK • In the prior section, it was also noted that layers can be re-ordered using the Arrange option in the Layers Panel Options menu.
  • Page 77  If you drag a layer while moving it to the left, you will see a longer line with a closed black square. This means it will be added directly above that line: Long line with closed square: Asterisk layer will be relocated just above the Spring layer Layer being dragged upwards ...

  • Page 78: The Eshape Store

    Short line – layer will be added to folder above Yellow layer is no longer in this group folder  Repeat for the yellow shape inside the Flower1 folder. • Note: This was just one way to achieve this goal. Another way would have been to ungroup the Flower 1 and Flower 2 layers.
  • Page 79 • The eshape Store window will open and you can either sign up for a free account or log in, if you have already registered: Sign in or Register • Next, browse the site to find files of interest. After payment, the following screen shows your order number and a green Download Order button can be clicked to download the files you purchased: Click here •...

  • Page 80: Exporting To The Eshape Store

    If any files still need to be downloaded, they will be listed in this window for selection. After selecting files, click on the Download button.  Click on the top right icon in the Library window and select Sync Library. The same window will open and you can select any files not already downloaded.
  • Page 81 Start with Info tab Make sure you are logged into the store One of the project images Instructions Click here after entering info on all three tabs and proofing it Save current settings • There are instructions on the left-hand side. Important: Make sure all of the following settings have been completed before clicking on Upload: ...
  • Page 82  Additional images can be uploaded, such as the rhinestone simulation version shown. Other examples where more images are appropriate might include final versions of finished greeting cards, fold-up boxes, and detailed paper-piecing projects.  On Click: the default indicates Show Image. For videos, change this to Show Video from the menu. If you have a YouTube video associated with your project, choose YouTube video and the window changes to include the start of an embedded YouTube video link: Select Show Video...

  • Page 83: Importing Other File Formats

    Select HTML Click on Preview after adding file Click on Add to upload an HTML file • Once the desired choices and information are added for your file, check it all one last time. Then go back to the Info tab and click on Upload. Note that clicking on Done will save this informarion with your file for uploading at a later time.

  • Page 84: Importing Raster Files

    Browse to a folder Keep these boxes checked Select a file Preview of file contents Click on Open • You can also drag and drop any of the file formats directly onto the SCAL screen to import that file. • If the file is in SVG format, it can also be imported via the Library.

  • Page 85: Importing Fonts

     File>Trace Image (or click the Trace icon on the Toolbar): will import and auto-trace JPG, BMP, GIF and PNG files. Various options and settings can be applied to obtain the desired results. Refer to Section 7.03. 4.06.3 Importing Fonts •...

  • Page 86: Exporting In Jpg, Png, Bmp And Tiff Formats

    Select a Resolution based on the program which will be importing the file Check this box to include PNC registration marks Check this box if you pre-selected certain shapes for exporting versus exporting all Check this box if file will be of the visible layers of the file imported into Cricut’s Design Space software...

  • Page 87: Exporting In Fcm Format

    Export Settings Preview of image to be exported (note the drop shadow) Drop Shadow settings Click here to see effect of Click on OK settings if Auto Preview is not checked 4.07.3 Exporting in FCM Format • The FCM format is used by the Brother ScanNCut models. To export a project, go to File>Export and, in the drop down menu, change from SVG(* .svg) to ScanNCut (*.fcm).

  • Page 88: Exporting To Scal2

    Because PLT files are usually sent directly to the plotter or cutter, the settings are specific to the device. Thus, these settings will need to be determined based on that intended device. 4.07.5 Exporting to SCAL2 • If you still use SCAL2, you can send a file from SCAL5 to SCAL2 by going to File>Send to> Sure Cuts A Lot 2.

  • Page 89: Scal: Manipulating And Coloring Shapes

    5. SCAL: Manipulating and Coloring Shapes This chapter covers all of the ways to modify shapes. Note that while the singular term “shape” will be repeatedly used when describing various functions, it also refers to a selection of shapes. For example, resizing a selection of three shapes uses the same menu functions or mouse movement as a single shape.

  • Page 90: Circle And Oval

    5.01.3 Circle and Oval • After selecting the Circle shape , drag the left mouse button to form an oval. • Holding the Shift key while dragging the mouse will constrict the proportions, resulting in a circle: Freely dragging mouse Holding Shift key 5.01.4 Triangle •...

  • Page 91: Spiral

     The Star points setting can be used to change the number of points on the star. The Inner radius setting can be used to change the angle of the inner points: 8 Points 5 Points 4 Points, Radius: 10% Radius: 38% Radius: 47% 5.01.7 Spiral...

  • Page 92: Selecting

    5.02 Selecting • To select a shape, make sure the Selection Tool is indented on the Tools Panel . Then:  Click anywhere on the shape (along an edge or inside a closed shape): Click here, Or click here, along an edge. inside the shape.

  • Page 93: Advanced Selection Handles

    5.02.2 Advanced Selection Handles • While in the Selection Tool mode, the Tool Options bar indicates a setting called Handles. The drop- down menu offers another option called Advanced: • In Advanced mode, a selected shape will appear with six identical handles. However, each handle now has two functions, depending on whether the mouse hovers directly over the handle or is moved slightly away from the handle: Cursor indicates...

  • Page 94: Deleting

    Once the path is closed, As you drag the the shapes inside the mouse a path will path are selected appear • If you wish to select all of the shapes on the screen, there are several options:  Press Ctrl+A ...
  • Page 95 • With a shape selected, the Position & Size Settings on the Properties Panel indicate the exact location of the bounding box around a selected shape. Note that this location is how far the shape is from the top left corner of the grid on the mat and the red mark indicates which part of the bounding box is being referenced.

  • Page 96: Resizing, Scaling, Auto Fit

    Absolution Position: Relative Position: where to place the how far to move the shape on the mat shape in both an X and Y direction  Important: After applying a move in the Move window, click on OK and then re-enter the window if you need to make subsequent move.
  • Page 97 Drag this icon to resize width only. Drag this icon to resize height only. • If the Handles are in Advance mode, then drag a corner or a side when the cursor is directly over the handle. Again, holding the Shift key will resize height and width proportionately: Drag a corner to resize.

  • Page 98: Scaling

    5.05.2 Scaling • To access the Scale function, select one or more shapes and then use either of the following:  Right-click the selected shape and go to Transform>Scale  Go to Object>Transform>Scale • The following window opens: Select Percentage or Dimensions Click on Apply before clicking...

  • Page 99: Auto Fit

    5.05.3 Auto Fit • The Auto Fit function will resize a shape or selection of shapes to fit the boundaries of the Cutting Mat with a slight (1/16”) margin. It is accessed by going to Object>Transform>Auto Fit. • Example: Select a circle on a 12” x 12” Cutting Mat and go to Object>Transform>Auto Fit: ...

  • Page 100: Rotating

    5.06 Rotating • With the Handles set to Basic mode and the shape selected, dragging the top right icon will freely rotate the shape: Drag here Or drag here  Holding the Shift key, while rotating, will rotate the shape in 15 increments.

  • Page 101: Skewing And Distorting

    Click on OK Enter desired angle Or… click on Apply first to see rotation before accepting 5.07 Skewing and Distorting 5.07.1 Skewing • Shapes can be skewed either horizontally or vertically: Starting Shape Horizontal Skew Vertical Skew Both horizontal and vertical skew •...

  • Page 102: Distorting

    5.07.2 Distorting • The Distort tool is the 5 icon from the bottom on the Tools Panel. Select a shape and then click on the icon. The four corners of the bounding box will display small boxes: • The shape can now be distorted in countless ways by dragging any of the corners: •...

  • Page 103: Locking And Unlocking

    5.09 Locking and Unlocking • Locking a shape is normally done to prevent accidental selection and movement of that shape. • To lock a selected shape, use any of the following options:  Right-click and select Lock from the menu ...

  • Page 104: Grouping And Ungrouping

     Right-click and choose Select All, then right-click and choose Hide  Click on the Layers Menu icon and select Show/Hide>Hide All Layers • To unhide a single shape or a folder of shapes, locate the shape or folder on the Layers Panel and click on the unhide icon or double-click and check the Show option.

  • Page 105: Breaking And Merging

    Before applying Ungroup After applying Ungroup • Another example shows what happens when you ungroup a word. The individual letters of the word can now be selected: Before applying Ungroup: After applying Ungroup: clicking on any letter selects clicking on any letter the entire word selects only that letter ...

  • Page 106: Merge

     On the Layers Panel: Before applying Break Apart After applying Break Apart Icon changes from Text to Folder Seven individual shapes in the folder • Once you apply Break Apart, you have complete editing control over each individual shape within a design. But be careful! It’s also easy to inadvertently move an individual shape (especially the tiny ones) and you can risk messing up the design.

  • Page 107: Arranging (Ordering) Shapes

    • Note that if you apply Merge to shapes of different colors, they will all become one color because a merged shape is regarded as a single shape, even if the parts being merged do not touch: Before applying Merge After applying Merge ...
  • Page 108  Send Backward (or Lower Layer): Move selection down one level  Send to Back (or Layer to Bottom): Move selection to the very bottom • In the above example, the yellow triangle is selected and each option shows what would have changed if it had been applied: Bring to Front Triangle moves...

  • Page 109: Fill & Stroke: Fill

    • There are also shortcut keys (Windows version only) for these four Arrange functions:  Bring to Front - Ctrl+Shift+Up  Bring Forward - Ctrl+Up  Send Backward - Ctrl+Shift+Down  Send to Back - Ctrl+Shift+Down 5.14 Fill & Stroke: Fill •...

  • Page 110: No Fill

    Select Edit tab Uncheck this option Click OK when done • To select a type of Fill, click on the drop-down menu and select from the four options: Click here 5.14.1 No Fill • From the Fill menu, select None and shape will be empty. Note that this is not the same as having a white fill.
  • Page 111 Option 1: Select one of the Basic colors Option 3: Enter the Option 2: Locate the RGB values directly (or little circle and drag it HSL or CMYK) to a new location. To change to a new color group, click on the rainbow strip Note that a new Custom Color will only be saved and available in the current project.

  • Page 112: Pattern Fill

    5.14.3 Pattern Fill • From the Fill menu, select Pattern and then click on the color box to the right to open the following window where a pattern can be selected: These will activate if My Patterns is selected below With the Patterns folder Pattern folders selected, these seven default...

  • Page 113: Gradient Fill

    Select the Load Image tab Click here to load a raster file Uploaded image Pattern settings Click to see a preview of Click OK when done. the shape with the pattern  The selected shape now fills with the uploaded image: •...
  • Page 114 Linear Radial  To change colors, click on one of the markers, then click on the color selector box and choose a color from the Color Picker window. Repeat for the other marker. As with other color selections, you can choose a base color or create a custom color.

  • Page 115: Opacity

     The Position can also be changed after the shape is filled and the Gradient window is closed. On the Tools Panel is a Gradient tool. After selecting the shape, click on the Gradient icon and then drag the mouse across the shape to change the Positions and even rotate the gradient: ...

  • Page 116: Fill & Stroke: Stroke

     Lowering the Opacity can be applied to shapes filled with Patterns and Gradients, as well: Opacity: 100 Opacity: 70 Opacity: 100 Opacity: 70  If you want to decrease the Opacity for all shapes, the Workspace Alpha setting on the Documents Panel can be reduced from 100% to the desired level: Adjust Opacity here 5.15 Fill &...
  • Page 117  Color: Once Color is selected, click on the box to the right and the Color window will open. This is the same window that opened when Color was selected under Fill. As with other color selections, you can choose a base color or create a custom color. ...
  • Page 118 Switch to the new Pen Set  Again, click on the small icon in the upper right corner and you can begin adding pen colors with their respective color values or just scroll to create colors you like: Click on Add Color Click on OK ...
  • Page 119 • Width: Increasing the Width will make the Stroke thicker. The units are in pixels thus the same values give the same results whether your SCAL Units are set to inches, cm, or mm. Stroke Width: 1 Stroke Width: 10 Stroke Width: 20 Stroke Width: 20 Opacity: 100%...

  • Page 120: Stroke Line Style

    End Cap: Square – cap extends beyond end End Cap: Butt – cap ends at the line end 5.15.2 Stroke Line Style • One additional Stroke setting deserves its own subsection because it also affects how a shape will be drawn or cut by your cutter.

  • Page 121: Dropper Tool

    5.16 Dropper Tool • Shapes can also have the Fill, Stroke or both changed based on the settings for another shape. This is accomplished using the Dropper tool on the Tools Panel. • To use this function:  Select the shape to be recolored. In this example, it will be a yellow triangle with no Stroke: Select the shape to change ...

  • Page 122: Cutting, Copying, Pasting, Duplicating

    5.17 Cutting, Copying, Pasting, Duplicating 5.17.1 Cutting to the Clipboard • To cut shapes to the clipboard (copy to the clipboard and delete from the Cutting Mat), first select the shape or shapes and then use any of the following: ...

  • Page 123: Duplicating - Duplicate

     Go to Edit>Paste (Auto Fill) 5.17.4 Duplicating – Duplicate • The Duplicate function allows you to make multiple copies of a shape aligned in rows and/or columns, with the spacing you desire. To access Duplicate, first select the shape(s) and then use either of the following: ...

  • Page 124: Align To Page

    Click on Position & Size Choose between To Alignment icons Selection and To Page • The following three shapes, in their current relative positions, will be used to illustrate what happens when each alignment function is applied. Note that a small custom mat was created to facilitate screenshots: 5.18.1 Align to Page •...

  • Page 125: Align To Selection

     Align Top aligns shapes along the top side of the Cutting Mat.  Align Vertical Center aligns shapes through the center of the Cutting Mat.  Align Bottom aligns shapes along the bottom side of the Cutting Mat. Align Top Align Vertical Align Bottom Center...

  • Page 126: Distribute

    • With the shapes selected, the vertical alignment options are:  Align Top aligns shapes along the top side of the uppermost shape of the group.  Align Vertical Center aligns shapes to a horizontal axis through the center.  Align Bottom aligns shapes along the bottom side of the bottommost shape of the group.

  • Page 127: Distribute To Page

    Will be used for Will be used for vertical distribute horizontal distribute examples examples 5.19.1 Distribute to Page • Select the shapes and go to Object>Distribute and then make sure the Distribute to Page option is checked. In this mode, the two outermost shapes will align with the Cutting Mat and then other shapes will be evenly spaced from one side of the mat to the other, according to which additional option is chosen.
  • Page 128 • With the shapes selected, the vertical distribute options are:  Distribute Top: spaces shapes so that the top sides of each shape are the same distance apart:  Distribute Center Vertically: spaces shapes so that the centers of each shape are the same distance apart: ...

  • Page 129: Distribute To Selection

    5.19.2 Distribute to Selection • Select the shapes and go to Object>Distribute and then make sure Distribute to Selection is checked. In this mode, the two outermost shapes will remain in position and then other shapes will be evenly spaced, according to which additional option is chosen.

  • Page 130: Distribute To Selection Below

     Distribute Center Vertically: spaces shapes so that the centers of each shape are the same distance apart:  Distribute Bottom: spaces shapes so that the bottom sides of each shape are the same distance apart:  Distribute Space Vertically: spaces shapes so that the gaps between the shapes are the same. 5.19.3 Distribute to Selection Below •...
  • Page 131  Applying Distribute Left will move all of the circles to align with the left side of the red one. Applying Distribute Top will move all of the circles to align with the top side of the red one. Because the circles are all the same size, there is no spacing applied, only alignment: Distribute Left Distribute Top...
  • Page 132  Distribute Top: The same kind of new arrangement happened in this case as well, only in a vertical way. The red circle is still in the same location, but the top of the purple circle is now 2” higher than the red one and the other circles are evenly distributed, with the orange one first aligning with the red one: Location of Top Side 3”...

  • Page 133: Scal: Working With Text

    6. SCAL: Working with Text 6.01 Text Options • There are four modes for adding text to the Cutting Mat:  Type Tool: normal left to right typing of text  Vertical Type Tool: vertical aligned lettering  Type on Path Tool: text is aligned along the path of your choosing ...
  • Page 134 Click to change to a Text in current font: different font Click here to change to Option to view only those another font you have highlighted • You can expand this window and decrease the size of the fonts by scrolling the size bar to view mores samples.

  • Page 135: Temporarily Installing A Font

     At this point, as you left click any sample, it will be removed from the display, allowing you to refine your selection:  Once you are down to a single sample, you can then click on Change Font: After deselecting all but on sample, Change Font will no longer be grayed out Click on Change...

  • Page 136: Adding Text Options

     Click on the Load a Font File icon on the Text Panel  Open the Library, click on the Fonts tab, and then click on the Menu icon • Any font file with a format of .TTF, .OTF, or .OPF) can be opened and will be available until SCAL is closed. •...

  • Page 137: Four Modes Of Text

    Select a font Click on individual characters to add them to the Cutting Mat 6.04 Four Modes of Text 6.04.1 Type Tool • Hold down the mouse button on the Type Tool icon on the Tools Panel and select the top choice: Type Tool.

  • Page 138: Type On Path Tool

    6.04.3 Type on Path Tool • Determine which shape you want to use for the path. In the prior screen shot, ovals, spiral and a rectangle were used. But it could have been a square, triangle, or any other shape, even a curve path: •...

  • Page 139: Type On Arch Tool

    • In a similar manner, using Reverse Path can change how text is applied along a spiral:  After applying Text>Convert Text to Outlines: 6.04.4 Type on Arch Tool • With this function, text is typed as if it were following an imaginary circle. •...

  • Page 140: Text Settings

    Changing the Start Angle from 0 to 180: Changing Text from Outside to Inside: • When done, either press the Esc key or click on the Select icon on the Tools Panel. 6.05 Text Settings • The Text Panel offers an array of settings related to the creation and editing of text. To open, click on the Text icon on the Properties Panel: Click here to open...
  • Page 141 • The following is a list of the settings and how to apply them:  View: Controls which fonts show in the menu under Font: All: Displays all installed fonts plus any that have been temporarily installed during this session of SCAL Favorites: Displays all fonts you have assigned as a Favorite This Project: Displays all fonts currently used since starting this particular project during this...

  • Page 142: Other Text Editing

     Size: Approximate height of lettering based on an ascender and descender. For example, if text is set to 1.0 inches, then the height of the word “Baby” would be ~ 1.0.” However, the “B” typed by itself might only be 0.7” in height because there is no descender, such as the letter “y”. ...

  • Page 143: Creating A Connected Letter Title

     Apply Ctrl+Shift+G • Break: To break a selection of text into individual paths, apply the Break Apart function using one of the following ways:  Right-click and select Break Apart from the popup menu  Go to Object>Break Apart ...

  • Page 144: Incorporating Shapes Into A Title

    Drag this icon so that letter can only move horizontally. • Continue arranging letters as desired. Remember that you can customize freely to get the desired look. For example, in this font called 1 Bean Sprout DNA, the vowels tend to be a bit oversized compared to other characters in the font.

  • Page 145: Welding Titles In Imaginative Ways

    • In the Library, locate the turkey shape and click on it to add to the Cutting Mat. Resize and arrange to overlap with the lettering: • Go to Path>Union or press Ctrl+Shift+U to remove the overlap or mark the Weld option on the Style Panel: •...

  • Page 146: Stenciling Letters

    6.10 Stenciling Letters • When creating a stencil, you 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 147: Open Path Fonts (Opf)

    • Note that just one part of the letter could have been bridged instead of both the top and the bottom: • Unhide the rectangle and the stencil is ready to cut: Completed stencil 6.11 Open Path Fonts (OPF) • Besides TTF and OTF, a third type of font, Open Path Font (.OPF) can also be opened in SCAL.
  • Page 148 • To open the Knockout function window, select two or more shapes and go to Effects>Knockout: Enter a Gap size, if desired Click here to preview the Click on OK when done results of the Knockout • The Gap will create an offset between the top image and the bottom image. This is not only pleasing to the eye but also makes alignment of two layers of HTV easier to manage.

  • Page 149: Title Crawl

    Top image extends beyond the Much of the image is lost edges of the lettering Image is sized smaller so that most Better result of the helmet is over the lettering • Note that the Knockout function isn’t just for text. It can be used on any vector shapes. Because it is so popular with lettering, its presentation in this chapter seemed appropriate.

  • Page 150: Applications Using The Sizing Function

    Angle: -45 Angle: -25 Angle: -145 Height: 1.0 Height: 4.0 Height: 2.0 • Multiple lines of text can have Title Crawl applied to create the famous Star Wars “in a galaxy far far away” effect: 6.14 Applications Using the Sizing Function •...

  • Page 151: Sizing Letters For Welding Inside Rectangles

    Fixed Height Proportional Fixed Height • You now the option to choose whichever result suits your needs. 6.14.2 Sizing Letters for Welding Inside Rectangles • A second application for the Sizing setting would be to even out upper-case letters when applying Path>Front Minus Back.

  • Page 152: Scal: Tracing And Drawing

    7. SCAL: Tracing and Drawing 7.01 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 153: Finding Easy Images To Trace

    7.02 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 154: Trace Function

    7.03 Trace Function HYPERLINK Images used in this tutorial can be downloaded at: "http://iloveknk.com/Images/" http://iloveknk.com/Images/ 7.03.1 Trace Settings • To begin the tracing process, open the Trace Image window using one of the following ways:  Click on the Trace icon on the Toolbar ...
  • Page 155 • Image Settings Mark this box if imported file is a PNG with a transparent background Choose from three modes: Monochrome, Color Layers, or Single Color Increase Contrast, if needed to control what is included in trace Increase when a more precise tracing is needed Ignore tiny specks in the imported image...
  • Page 156 Tracing of image if Original image only blue is selected Tracing of image if each Original image Colors separated color is selected Tracing of image if Original image only pink is selected Original image Tracing of image if each Colors separated color is selected ...
  • Page 157 • Output Settings Sharp or smooth curves Use to filter out small specks Prevent double line tracing Use to remove child shapes Apply Break Apart when Include the original image multiple paths are traced  Smooth: Adjust according to type of image. For example, decrease (make sharper) if tracing a shape with sharp corners like an envelope template.

  • Page 158: Monochrome Trace Of A Colored Image: Effects Of Contrast

    Select Crop Drag the black squares on this box until only the image(s) you wish to trace are inside the box  Edit Mode: Draw Mask This option allows you to add or subtract parts of the image you want to include or exclude from the trace.

  • Page 159: Monochrome Trace Of A Silhouette Image: Effects Of Smooth

    Monochrome is selected Contrast is at default of 127 Single trace line • Let’s experiment with the Contrast setting to fully understand how it works on an image of this type. Note that as you drag the Contrast scroll bar, the original image disappears so that you only see the trace lines: Contrast set at 5 Contrast set at 75 Contrast set at 100...

  • Page 160: Monochrome Trace Of A Detailed Image: Effects Of Despeckle And Detail

    Use Smooth to change the sharpness of the trace lines • To soften the outline of the cat, zoom in on that area and then increase the Smooth setting until a desired result is obtained. In the following screenshot, the Smooth setting is increased from 75 to 85. Remember to click on Update Preview after every adjustment to settings: Click here to zoom in...
  • Page 161 Despeckle • Since Despeckle is simply an on/off option, it makes sense to try it first when you see a lot of tiny unwanted shapes being included in the trace. For example, with the following clipart image of an angel fish, tiny specks surround the image in the Preview: ...

  • Page 162: Monochrome Trace: Single Line Threshold And Blackout

     Even with Detail set at 0, there are still shapes of a certain size in that particular image that will be included in the trace. Again, there are editing tools that can be used in case more of the small shapes need to be removed.

  • Page 163: Monochrome Trace: Png Files And The Alpha Channel Option

    With Blackout unchecked With Blackout checked  However, if the T-shirt had internal details, such as a pocket, then Blackout could not be used as the entire pocket would have been ignored. In this situation, Single Line Threshold is the better choice: Preview of trace with Preview of trace with Original image...

  • Page 164: Monochrome Trace For A Print And Cut Application: Effect Of Resample

     Smooth: In some cases, it might be necessary to decrease Smooth to get a tighter fit for a print and cut application. Alternatively, you can also create an Inset after the trace, when needed. Refer to the Inset Offset option in Section 8.05. 7.03.7 Monochrome Trace for a Print and Cut Application: Effect of Resample •...
  • Page 165 Print + Cut Cut (layer can only be cut, not printed) and the other will be assigned as Print + Cut Print (layer can only be printed, not cut). Click on OK and the following layers appear: Cut Layer Assignment Print Layer Assignment •...

  • Page 166: Resample Versus Smooth And The High Pass Filter

    Select Monochrome Resample is changed to x 4.0 Preview • If you compare the Preview in both cases, there doesn’t appear to be a difference in the trace. However, if you select the Print + Cut Cut layer on the Layer Panel and change the Stroke to a bright color and then zoom in closely, you can clearly see places where the x 4.0 Resample resulted in a tighter fit: X 1.0 Resample X 4.0 Resample...
  • Page 167  The purpose of the Smooth setting is to make the trace less angular or more angular. Thus, the Smooth setting would probably be set high when tracing something like a stuffed toy but set very low when tracing something like a box pattern with lots of right angles. •...

  • Page 168: Color Layers Trace

     Thus, in this particular example, increasing the Resample had a more desirable outcome than decreasing Smooth.  Another setting, called the High Pass Filter, can even further sharpen a tracing. When it was applied in this same example, note the remarkable improvement in detail: ...
  • Page 169 • The Max Colors setting shows the current number of identified colors. Below that are icons of these colors. Note that white (or whatever has been used for the background color of the graphic, will also be included in the count. If you do not see those color samples, click on Color layers a second time. •...

  • Page 170: Single Color Trace

    • A useful application for the Color Layers trace option is converting a photo (or another image) into a contoured cut project. Thanks to Leslie Merriett for sharing this on the KNK & Zing Users group: Original Photo Color Layers Trace After darkest layer Max Colors: 7 expanded to fill...
  • Page 171 • Mark the option for Prompt to continue tracing. After you import each color to the Cutting Mat, the Trace Image window can be kept open to trace the next color. • In the screenshot, the initial color identified was a shade of green. In the Preview, you can see how many parts of the flower were included as being in the range of that shade.
  • Page 172 • Once you are satisfied, click on OK and you will be asked if you wish to continue tracing. Answer Yes: Click on Yes so that Trace Image window remains open and another color can be traced. • Click on the color box next to Single Color. A message will pop up indicating you are to click on another color on the Preview: Click on this box •...
  • Page 173 • You now have several options for completing the trace which involves adding a final outline/shadow layer to the flower:  Continue to use Single Color, click on the part of the image that is black, mark the Blackout option: ...

  • Page 174: Draw Mask Function

    7.03.11 Draw Mask Function • In the Output section of the Trace Image window, under Edit Mode is a Draw Mask option which can be used to erase or add to a trace. With some images, finding the trace optimum settings can be tricky. You’ll end up with some parts not quite traced and, perhaps, other parts not needed.
  • Page 175  Drag the mouse along the image where the fishing line wasn’t trace. A pale green path appears: Tool is dragged along here… …and then along here  Click on Update Preview. The added paths will be automatically welded to the part of the fishing line that was traced: •...
  • Page 176  Drag the mouse across the image of the bird and the green shading indicating a traced image will begin to be erased. Continue until there’s no longer any green: Continue until all of Drag mouse to the green inside the erase the green bird is removed ...

  • Page 177: High Pass Filter Application

    7.03.12 High Pass Filter Application • The High Pass Filter setting is used to improve the tracing of photographs and other challenging images. The setting ranges from 0 to 20. Improved Detail • In the following example, the first image is with High Pass Filter turned off. The subsequent images show what happens as the High Pass Filter is set a 0, 1, 10, and 20.
  • Page 178 • However, with too high of a setting, new tracings may also begin to appear: • At this point, you can try adjusting the Contrast. However, if you are satisfied with most of the trace lines, you can then use the Draw Mask function, from Section 7.03.11, to erase these extra unwanted lines and to fill in any areas within the image.

  • Page 179: Draw Functions

    • The best monochrome tracing without using the High Pass Filter required tracing in stages: one to get an overall outline, another to get the internal details of the rose, and a third to get the internal details of the leaves.
  • Page 180 Left click to start and left Move to a 3 location and Move to a 4 location and left click again. click at a 2 location left click again. Move to a 5 location and left click again. Continue clicking until you are ready to end. Click Esc or the press the Enter key.
  • Page 181 • As you drag the mouse, you’ll see that you have full control over how long this line will be, as well as where the control points are positioned. Remember to just keep pressing the left mouse button. Experiment with longer and shorter control lines, as well as rotating the line to bend the curve in a range of different ways: •...

  • Page 182: Freehand Drawing

    7.04.2 Freehand Drawing • The Freehand tool is accessed by clicking on the 6 icon on the Tools Panel. This tool is used to freely draw thin lines with your mouse or, better yet, a graphics tablet. • In the Tool Options, there is a setting called Freehand smoothing. Increase that setting if you want the software to reduce “shakiness”...

  • Page 183: Manual Tracing Of An Imported Image

    • Note that if a path drawn with the Brush tool crosses itself, the overlap will be removed: Overlaps automatically removed 7.05 Manual Tracing of an Imported Image • Sometimes the quality of an image will fail to yield a good auto-trace. It could be that the image is too small or too detailed.

  • Page 184: Manual Tracing Using The Draw Tool

    7.05.2 Manual Tracing Using the Draw Tool • Make sure you have read Section 7.04.1 to learn how to comfortably and successfully use the Draw Tool. • Now, the best method for tracing a symmetrical image is to only trace one half. Then you can make a copy of it, mirror the copy, and weld the two together to create a perfectly symmetrical shape.

  • Page 185: Editing The Trace

     Once you’ve reached the next to the last node, click as close as possible on the first node and the shape will close and fill with color (based on the color currently assigned on the Fill & Stroke Panel Move as close as possible to the first node Click a final time and the closed...
  • Page 186  Then click again on the neckline path and you will see Bézier control points. This means you can now drag the middle of the path inwards to form the neckline: Drag the curve Control inwards points  Alternatively, the Bézier control points can also be dragged. This is useful if the curve isn’t symmetrical. Here are a few examples of how that curve could be altered: Drag upper control Drag lower control...

  • Page 187: Using Symmetrical Mirror To Complete The Trace

    7.05.4 Using Symmetrical Mirror to Complete the Trace • The final step to complete the dress involves making a mirror image copy and then welding it to the original.  Select the dress and go to Effects>Symmetrical Mirror. Increase Center X or drag the black rectangle to the right and click on Update Preview.

  • Page 188: Scal: Editing

    8. SCAL: Editing This chapter covers functions that are used to modify shapes in SCAL as well as prepare shapes for cutting. For functions used in designing, refer to Chapter 7. 8.01 Simplify • The purpose of the Simplify function is to reduce the number of nodes. This can be important when cutting small vector shapes in which clustering of nodes in tight locations can sometimes lead to poor cutting.

  • Page 189: Split Path

    • To see the effect of Threshold, uncheck the Show Nodes box. Make sure the shapes haven’t become distorted as a result of applying the current Threshold setting: Uncheck this box Compare this image to the one on the left •...
  • Page 190 The left side of this paneled door will be separated and made dashed so that the door can be folded to open instead of being cut out  Select the shape and click on the Shape Tool icon on the Tools Panel. The nodes will appear on the shape: ...

  • Page 191: Close Path

    Left side won’t cut at all Left side will cut dashed Left side will be scored separately IMPORTANT: Use this function cautiously. In some cases more than one break can occur on a closed path. 8.03 Close Path • The Close Path function can be applied to any open shape, other than a straight line, to join the start and ending nodes with a straight line: •...

  • Page 192: Path Offset

    8.05 Path Offset • Path Offset creates an outline or inline of a shape and will delete the original upon clicking on OK. Note that if you want the original, either make a backup copy or use the Shadow Layer function presented in Section 9.05.
  • Page 193 • Checking the Inset Offset box creates an inline instead of an outline: Inline version Inline appears as Check this box a black line • A practical example of using Path Offset is when you have a font that is too thin to cut at the size you need. Applying a very small Offset can make the difference in whether or not text can be cut at certain small sizes.

  • Page 194: Eraser

    Select the Cut layer only  Open the Path Offset window. Set the Offset to a small size, such as 0.03”. Be sure to mark the box for Inset Offset. The result is a cut line which will eliminate that white border around the image: Zooming in on the image shows the cut line is now inside the boundaries of the printed image...

  • Page 195: Knife And Crop

    Keep closed paths Keep closed Keep closed paths Keep closed checked paths unchecked checked paths unchecked  Inverse: when this option is marked, the Eraser will “add to” shapes. This can be used to fill in holes connect broken paths, serve as a brush tool, etc.: Inverse erase is used to Initial trace left this part of complete the path to better...

  • Page 196: Using Knife

    8.07.1 Using Knife • The Knife tool always makes a straight line cut. Starting outside the shape, click and hold the left mouse button and drag across the shape at the desired location for the cut. When you release the mouse button the cut will be applied and one shape can be moved away from the other: Cut line was released here...
  • Page 197 IMPORTANT: If left unchecked, only the marquee- If checked, the marquee-selected part of selected part of the shape will be retained. The rest of the selected shape will be retained, as well that shape and every other shape on the page will be as all other shapes on the page.

  • Page 198: Which Cutting Tool To Use

    8.08 Which Cutting Tool to Use? • Having so many cutting functions to use can make it difficult to know which one to use in a particular instance. Experience will be your best guide, as well as testing them out. But a summary of the functions is presented in this section and this may prove to be helpful when selecting which tool to try first.
  • Page 199 • No shapes need to be preselected. Just hold down left mouse button at any location and then drag the mouse to a new location. The Tool Options provide the following information: Starting location Angle formed by the on the screen W &...

  • Page 200: The Shape Tool - Path And Node Editing

     Angle: This is the angle of the Distance line relative to the X axis. In the first measurement of “a”, the angle was 0 because it was a horizontal line. On the other hand, if the mouse had been dragged from the right side to the left side instead of the other way around, the angle would have read 180.

  • Page 201: Moving A Path

    8.10.1 Moving a Path • Sometimes a path needs to be extended without resizing the rest of the shape. For example: let’s say you need to extend the right section of this shape by a few inches: Extend the right section to here ...

  • Page 202: Reshaping A Path

    • If the shape is made up of straight line segments, versus curves, you can also drag the segments with your mouse instead of using the keyboard arrows. Note that it can be a bit tricky getting the cursor in the perfect spot to start dragging.
  • Page 203 Top node only Left side nodes All three nodes selected selected selected The dots along the path are Bézier control points which are not linked to one another. You can freely drag either or both to create curves: Bézier control Separately drag the control points points to reshape the left side...
  • Page 204 When the newly formed shape is selected again, the Bézier control points appear in a straight line and the image appears the same as with Smooth Node status. However, when you now move one control point, the other will not only maintain that straight line, but also the same length. And the curves on both sides of the selected node will change: Bézier control Bézier control points stay...

  • Page 205: Examples Of Smoothing Curves

     The path can now be dragged with the mouse: Drag the curve itself with the mouse • You will recall that when a node is in either Smooth or Symmetric mode, adjusting one Bézier control point will automatically affect the other one and the curves on either side will change. To avoid this, hold the Alt key while dragging the control point and the other control point will remain in place: ...

  • Page 206: Applications For The Shape Tool

    nodes while in the Shape Tool mode. Select a node or marquee-select a group of nodes and press the Delete key on your keyboard: Press the Delete key and Marquee-select the jagged curve is smoother nodes to delete • Based on such a drastic change, it’s worth noting that deleting smaller numbers of nodes at a time is usually advisable to avoid losing the original structure of the shape.
  • Page 207  Manual tracing: As shown in Section 7.05, one of the quickest ways to manually trace a raster image is to use the Draw Tool and simply click/click/click around the image and then use the Shape Tool to create curves and move nodes to more closely align with the original image. ...

  • Page 208: Scal: Designing

    9. SCAL: Designing 9.01 Where Do I Start with Learning to Design? • SCAL 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 and play with settings. You aren’t going to break anything in the software by experimenting and you never know what you might discover! 9.02 Project Info •...

  • Page 209: Guidelines

    Rhinestones Tab Total number of circles/stones Page Colors used Number of circles/stones in each color Diameter of the circles for that color • Note: When changing tabs, such as from Colors to Fonts, always take note of the Page number. It will not automatically update to the page you were just checking.

  • Page 210: Templates

    • This window serves three functions:  Ability to delete guidelines: Select a guideline on the left and then click on Remove. You can also remove all of the horizontal guidelines and/or all of the vertical guidelines using the buttons shown. ...
  • Page 211 Search for a template by name Click on thumbnail to select a template Zoom tools Tools for adding Current template custom name templates Template folders Image of current template Position of template on Cutting Mat Option to rotate Mirror or Flip options Click OK Change Fill...

  • Page 212: Template File Settings

    Name of selected mat template Larger thumbnail appears when mouse cursor is over image  Templates can be displayed either with a thumbnail image or a list view: Thumbnail List view view  You can assign templates to a Favorites folder for quicker access. To do that, right click on a thumbnail image and select Add to Favorites.

  • Page 213: Importing Your Own Templates

    • To replace the template, reopen the Mat Template window and select a different template file. • To remove the template from your Cutting Mat either uncheck the Show Template option on the Document Panel or return to the Mat Template window and click on Remove button. 9.04.3 Importing Your Own Templates •...

  • Page 214: Shadow Layer

    • IMPORTANT! As mentioned before, when an SVG file is imported, its file format changes to SCALMAT. This is important to note because this is where a significant difference lies between the Mat Template window and the Library. Referring back to Section 4.03.1, it was noted that you can import an entire folder at one time into My Designs in the Library.
  • Page 215  The Layers Panel shows the addition of a new Shadow Layer: • Type controls the style or shape of the shadow at the corners. There are three choices: Shadow Shadow (Rounded) Shadow (Straight)   Note that the first choice, Shadow, also has a Miter setting which should work in the same way as Miter affects the Stroke (refer to Section 5.15).
  • Page 216 Shadow has no Fill Check this box • Blackout Shadow can be used to remove any interior shadow lines, leaving only a single outset: Interior is filled Check this box • Print +Cut Outline creates a shadow with a Fill and Stroke both set to None. The shadow will be invisible unless you hover the mouse over the shadow: Shadow is invisible unless you hover your mouse over it.

  • Page 217: Boolean Operations

    Variance: 1.0 Variance: 0.75 Variance: 1.25  End color: If the End color is chosen to be different from the original Color, a gradual transition between the two colors will be created. This can be used to create some beautiful designs for a print and cut: 9.06 Boolean Operations •...

  • Page 218: Intersection

    Start with 2 circles Align the circles to Apply Object> Merge create an eyelet  Select this new shape and use Object>Duplicate to open the Duplicate window: Increase Total Columns Use a negative Horizontal Spacing to overlap the shapes. Click on OK ...

  • Page 219: Exclude

     Select the pattern and flower and apply Path>Intersection:  Recolor the spare flower white with a red Stroke. Then center the pattern with the spare flower. Perfect for a print and cut! 9.06.3 Exclude • The Exclude operation subtracts the intersection of two shapes from both of the shapes. The color of the new shapes will be that of the upper shape.

  • Page 220: Front Minus Back

     Add the pattern from Section 9.06.2, without the spare flower shape. Arrange the pattern so that it will cut from the front of the card:  Select the card and pattern and apply Path>Exclude: 9.06.4 Front Minus Back • The Front Minus Back operation subtracts the intersection of two shapes from the front (or upper) shape, leaving only that front shape: With a Fill color: before and after Front Minus Back...

  • Page 221: Back Minus Front

    or when a Fill color is added:  Arrange the greeting on the front of the card designed in Section 9.06.3. Select both and apply either Object>Merge or Path>Exclude so that all internal shapes are cut before the outside card base: 9.06.5 Back Minus Front •...

  • Page 222: Clip Mask

     Select both shapes and go to Object>Clip Path>Set Clip Path  Select the two layers and, on the Style Panel, change Clipping from None to Path: • Unlike other path functions in SCAL (Union, Intersection, Exclude, etc.), the original two shapes are still intact.
  • Page 223 • As with Clip Path the die cut shape is placed on top of the other image: Arrange heart Apply Clip Mask A heart will be the die cutter shape. over photo A photo will be the upper shape. • To apply Clip Mask to selected shapes, either ...

  • Page 224: Duplicate Rotated

    9.08 Duplicate Rotated 9.08.1 Duplicate Rotated Settings • The Duplicate Rotated function allows you to make duplicates arranged in a circle or partial circle pattern. • To access Duplicate Rotated, first select the shape(s) and then use either of the following: ...
  • Page 225 Original Circle Original Circle Last circle Last circle Direction: Counter-Clockwise Direction: Clockwise Does it matter which Direction is used? Most likely, it would only matter for display or possibly in a print and cut design.  Rotate has two options: Evenly and Custom. With Evenly selected, the copies are distributed evenly circle.

  • Page 226: Using Duplicate Rotated To Design A Wreath

    9.08.2 Using Duplicate Rotated to Design a Wreath • Begin with a desired shape. In this example, a shape from the Library’s Swirls folder will be used. • Select and go to Object>Duplicate Rotated. Begin increasing Total Copies and the Rotate V Offset until a desired overlapping pattern is obtained: Wreath is formed Begin increasing...

  • Page 227: Object On Path

    Frame is formed Increase V Offset until the four corners look perfect • Click on OK and then apply Path>Union. 9.09 Object on Path • The Object on Path function can be used to align repeats of a shape along the path of another shape: •...

  • Page 228: Designing A Scalloped Oval

     Start Offset: This is the distance from the left side of the path to the location of the first shape: Start Offset = 0.5” Start Offset = 1.5” Start Offset = 0  Repeat: Choose Count if you want to specify how many copies to place along the path. Choose Fill Path length if you want the program to automatically fill in the number of repeats that will fill the path using the spacing you enter: Repeats: Count 10...
  • Page 229 Shape to be repeated should be above the path shape • Select the shapes and open the Object on Path window using Effects>Object on Path. Begin by marking the Auto Preview option so that all changes will be immediately reflected. Then choose Fill path length so the shapes will be distributed over the entire path.

  • Page 230: Warp A Shape To A Path

    After clicking on OK After applying Break After deleting inner scallop, Apart, select inner scallop apply Merge and a Fill 9.09.2 Warp a Shape to a Path • The Object on Path function can also be used to stretch a shape to fit a path. For example, let’s start with an arrow (from the Library’s Arrows) and a spiral (refer to Section 5.01.7): •...

  • Page 231: Remaining Settings

    Arrow remains straight Arrow bends to fit spiral Warp to path: Off Warp to path: On  Stretch to path length: causes the arrow to be elongated so that it starts and ends at the same locations as the spiral: Arrow remains Arrow bends to fit spiral same length...
  • Page 232 • Select the design and go to Effects>Wrapper. The following window will open: Enter Top and Bottom Diameters, as well as the Height of the Tumbler, along the actual surface. Add Template will create the cut line for the tumbler X Offset will move the design left or right on the template.

  • Page 233: Lattice

     Adjust the X Scale and/or Y Scale to resize the design, if needed. If you want to scale proportionately, mark the Keep Proportions box: • After clicking on OK, the fill color returns to the design and the project is ready for completion: 9.11 Lattice •...
  • Page 234 Choose Normal, Horizontal or Vertical Settings which will alter the appearance of the lattice Change type of lattice fill Click on OK when done. Click on Preview After clicking on Preview, selected shape will display lattice based on current settings ...
  • Page 235  The Angle setting will skew the lattice shape while the Rotate setting will simply rotate the overall pattern: Angle: 0 Angle: 45 Angle: 0 Rotate: 0 Rotate: 0 Rotate: 45  Inverse is used to create a kind of negative lattice. An example will follow later in this section: Inverse not checked Inverse checked •...
  • Page 236  Align the latticed heart in the center of the ring and weld using Path>Union: Remove Fill from ring After applying Set Fill to red again to make overlap easier Path>Union to see • An example of when Inverse would be checked is when you want a lattice aperture cut from the front of a greeting card: ...

  • Page 237: Rhinestones

     Select all and go to Object>Merge. The card is complete: • If you have a shape that has the Lattice effect applied and want to remove it (even after the file has been saved and re-opened), select the shape and go to Object>Remove Effects. 9.12 Rhinestones •...

  • Page 238: Rhinestone Outline

     When selecting a font to use, be leery of “fancy fonts.” You want the lettering to be readable after it is converted to circles. When in doubt, have someone who doesn’t know the words you’ve used attempt to read the rhinestone design on your monitor or from a printout of the design. If they cannot easily decipher the words, then try a more basic font.
  • Page 239 Slight adjustments needed Preview of design • The preview shows that the spacing is off a bit at the top of the “D” and the “S”. There is an option which can be used to make adjustments. Check the box next to Adjust spacing to fit path and additional settings will appear: Check this box Additional setting...

  • Page 240: Rhinestone Fill

    9.12.3 Rhinestone Fill • Another option in the Rhinestone window is Fill shape with stones. Instead of outlining the shape, the image will be filled with circles in horizontal rows. In our prior example, the same letters will now appear like this: Check this option Lots of gaps appear with...

  • Page 241: Editing Rhinestone Designs

    9.12.4 Editing Rhinestone Designs • Before editing, make a backup of the design created by the Rhinestone function. As was mentioned earlier you can resize rhinestone designs but if certain editing has occurred, you might or might not get the results you want after editing.

  • Page 242: Adding An Outline To A Rhinestone Design

    • Click on OK and the simulation will return. But you will now be able to individually select stones and move them or delete them. • The following list shows the most common functions applied when editing rhinestone designs:  Use the Zoom functions (Section 3.09) to move in close for easier selection of individual or small groups of circles ...
  • Page 243 Switch to mm here • For the following example, a swirl design from the Library is added to the Cutting Mat and sized for a T- shirt. The same settings for SS 10 stones will be used - the circles will be 3.4 mm in diameter and the spacing will be 0.5 mm.

  • Page 244: Using Purchased Rhinestone Fonts And Designs

    • However, additional editing is needed to improve the overall look. After removing some of the circles, the final design is ready to cut: • If the stones are not the same size, the average should be used, plus the spacing: Shadow Size = (Size of circle for smaller stone + Size of circle for larger stone) / 2 + Spacing ...
  • Page 245 • Enter text using the same method with any font. This was presented in Section 6.04.1. In this tutorial, the phrase “Irish at Heart” will be typed out in a rhinestone font called Dreamer: • If the circles seem too close together, set the Stroke to None on the Fill & Stroke panel: •...

  • Page 246: Jigsaw Puzzle

    Select Percentage Enter calculated Scale Click on Apply and then OK Mark Keep Proportions • The text is resized. You can then select a single circle and verify the new size is what you need (3.4 mm in this example) or within several hundredths of a mm. •...
  • Page 247 Preview based on current settings Enter desired Width and Height (can be changed later, if needed) Roundness of the 4 corners Enter desired Columns and Rows Variance: select randomly Click here to see a preview based on current settings. Click on OK when done •...
  • Page 248  Select the shape and, on the Fill & Stroke Panel, select Pattern from the Fill menu: Select Pattern  The Pattern Fill window will open. Click on the Load Image tab and then click on the Load Image button to browse and find the image you want to use. It will then appear on the right side and can be selected: Select Load Image tab Click on Load Image...

  • Page 249: Rotate

    9.14 3D Rotate • The 3D Rotate function is used to rotate a shape along the X, Y, and/or Z axis. To access this function, select a shape and go to Effects>3D Rotate. In the following example, text will be used to show the effects of the settings: Rotate along the 3 axes, as desired...

  • Page 250: Extrude (Scal Pro Only)

     Perspective: This is where the fun begins. Combining this setting with another rotation provides the 3D illusion. Here are examples: X: 0 Y: -50 Z: 0 X: 0 Y: 50 Z: 0 X: 50 Y: 0 Z: 0 X: -26 Y: 26 Z: -20 Perspective: 65 Perspective: 65 Perspective: 100...
  • Page 251  Depth: Adds the actual 3D effect by increasing the extension of the extrusion: X Offset = 0.35 X Offset = 0.35 X Offset = -0.35 X Offset = -0.35 Y Offset = 0.35 Y Offset = 0.35 Y Offset = -0.35 Y Offset =-0.35 Depth = 0.25 Depth = 0.5...

  • Page 252: Barrel Distortion

    9.16 Barrel Distortion • The Barrel Distortion feature will warp a shape by narrowing or thickening the middle part of the shape: • In the following example, text will again be used to show the effects of the settings. To open the Barrel Distortion window, select the text and go to Effects>Barrel Distortion: Increase or decrease to apply the Barrel...

  • Page 253: Bulge

    9.17 Bulge • The Bulge feature allows you to apply various expanding or shrinking distortions to a shape. These distortions can be applied to the top side of the shape, the bottom side, or both. They can be applied to the left side, the right side, or both.
  • Page 254 Top Offset = 1.0 Top Offset = 2.0 Top Offset = -0.5 Bottom Offset = 0 Bottom Offset = 0 Bottom Offset = 0 Top Offset = 0.0 Top Offset = 0.0 Top Offset = 0.0 Bottom Offset = 1.0 Bottom Offset = 2.0 Bottom Offset = -0.5 •...

  • Page 255: Canned

    Left Offset = 1.0 Left Offset = 1.0 Right Offset = 1.0 Left Curve = 50 Left Curve = 90 Right Curve = 75  Or just have some fun with it: 9.18 Canned • The Canned effect will curve lettering as if it were wrapped around a cylinder (can) and viewed at an angle: •...

  • Page 256: Wave

    • The Diameter of the cylinder can be increased or decreased, as well. A larger Diameter, applied at the same Angle, will lessen the roundness, while a smaller Diameter will increase it. Angle = -30 Angle = -30 Angle = -30 9.19 Wave Diameter = 3.0 Diameter = 7.5...

  • Page 257: Bridge Warp

    9.20 Bridge Warp • The Bridge Warp function will transform shapes into the following styles: • For this example the following text will be used: • To open the Bridge Warp window, select the shape and go to Effects>Bridge Warp: Check this box if you want straight effects versus curved Option to have both top and...

  • Page 258: Drop Shadow

    • With these same settings, note the difference if the Straight Warp setting is marked: Top Offset = 0.3 in Top Offset = 0.6 in Top Offset = 1.0 in • In a similar way, when Bottom Offset is increased the bottom is warped: Bottom Offset = 0.3 in Bottom Offset = 0.6 in Bottom Offset = 1.0 in...
  • Page 259 • For this example the following shape from the Library will be used: • To open the Drop Shadow window, select the shape and go to Effects>Drop Shadow: Drop Shadow offset and insets Change the color of the shadow Option to have overlap removed from the shadow Click OK when done Check this box to have the...
  • Page 260 • The Inset option can be used to create a gap between the original and the shadow, similar to the Knock Out function in SCAL: X Offset = 0.5 X Offset = 0.5 X Offset = 0.5 Y Offset = 0.2 Y Offset = 0.2 Y Offset = 0.2 Inset = 0...

  • Page 261: Qr Code

    9.22 QR Code • A Quadratic Response Code is a machine-readable optical label that contains information about the item to which it is attached. They have become quite commonplace in product advertising. One can download free apps for smart phones and tablets to scan these codes with a camera to obtain that additional item of information about the product.

  • Page 262: Symmetrical Mirror

    9.23 Symmetrical Mirror • The Symmetrical Mirror function creates a symmetrical copy of a selected shape and welds that copy onto the original. • For example, when tracing symmetrical images, the resulting trace may not appear perfectly symmetrical when can then appear unbalanced and unappealing. For example, here is a trace of a vase from a photo: ...
  • Page 263  Zoom tools can be used on either or both of the Input and Output views to more accurately position the mirror and to verify the resulting shape is what you need it to be.  Add Center Line: This will add a single line at the location of the mirror. This line might be needed as either a cut line or a fold line, depending the application for the design.

  • Page 264: Scal: Output

    10. SCAL: Output 10.01 The Style Panel • The Style Panel has various settings that are typically, but not necessarily, applied for the purpose of cutting and printing:  Set a contour cut (Shadow)  Remove any interior shapes (Blackout) ...

  • Page 265: Preview

    Refer to last part of Section 10.06.3. • Tool: for cutters with more than one head, such as the KNK Force, choose if the layer should be executed by the left side or by the right side.
  • Page 266 Any lines assigned as Any lines assigned as Cut appear in red Pen appear in blue Check this box for a Check this box to show the Print Preview: refer to Stroke for that shape Section 10.03 Option to show registration marks in the Preview Option to show the printing boundaries:...

  • Page 267: Printing

    Registration mark Printer border Preview options for printing  NOTE: If you mark the option for Show Print + Cut registration marks and they do not appear: Verify that you have set up a cutter (refer to Section 3.01.4) Verify that the layer(s) with cut lines are not hidden on the Layers Panel In the Cut Settings window, verify that you have not marked the option for Cut selection only 10.03 Printing •...
  • Page 268  Print outlines only: Only vector shapes will be printed. Imported raster images (.JPG, .PNG, .BMP, etc.) will not appear. If you’ve applied a Fill to shapes including colors, gradients, or patterns, then those will not appear either.  Print registration marks: If your application is a print and cut, then you will want to check this option. Note that If you have not yet set up a cutter (refer to Section 3.01.4), then registration marks will not be sent to the printer.

  • Page 269: Weeding (Scal Pro Only)

    Option 1: Switch to Landscape Option 2: Rearrange the shapes under File>Print Setup 10.04 Weeding (SCAL PRO only) • Weeding is an important function for those who do vinyl applications. When removing the waste vinyl from around the cut shapes, it’s very helpful to have extra cut lines. This way you don’t end up trying to weed out large pieces at one time.
  • Page 270 example are also shown. Note that once you select an option, you can click at the desired location on the preview image to add the cut line or lines: 1 or 5: Add horizontal or vertical weed cuts between shapes and outer weed border 2 or 6: Add horizontal or vertical weed cuts inside the shapes (this is used for applications such as glass etching where the outside “waste vinyl”...

  • Page 271: Tiling (Scal Pro Only)

     In the following example, a design that is 40” wide and 36” tall cannot be cut on a cutter that only has a maximum 15” wide cutting range (such as the KNK Force or Zing Orbit): • To open the Tiling window, select the shape and go to Effects>Tiling:...
  • Page 272  Columns and Rows: Under both of these you have the following choices: Evenly spaced: Enter a number and that many columns (or rows) are created, all the same width. For example, you could enter 3 columns and 2 rows: Select Evenly spaced and then 3 Columns and 2...
  • Page 273 Select Custom Custom lines are added.  To delete any of the lines, click on the Delete icon and then click on the line inside the Preview window.  Overlap Columns and Overlap Rows: If you want an overlap created so that each tile slightly overlaps with an adjacent one, check the box and then enter the desired overlap: Check Overlap Columns and/or...

  • Page 274: Cut Settings

    When you are ready to execute a cut (or draw), the cut window can be opened using either of the following:  Click on the Cutter icon on the Toolbar  Go to Cutter>Cut With KNK Force (or select the model you have added to SCAL) • The following window will open: Cut Order control Cut Settings tabs: PRO version...
  • Page 275 Address used for C3 small movement  Cutter Settings, which can also be accessed by going to Cutter>Cutter Settings, opens a new window with additional settings relevant to that model. For the KNK Force: Sizing Calibration: Registration Mark Refer to Section 2.07 settings for print and cut Refer to Section 11.03.5...
  • Page 276 Cutting/Drawing Settings: As mentioned earlier, this section will vary considerably from one brand/model of cutter to the next: Click here to change out a Select Tool (1 or 2) tool on the KNK Force Select a Preset of suggested settings Add a new Preset...
  • Page 277 Offset is too low: Offset is too high: bubbles corners are rounded appear at the corners ▪ Adjust Blade Offset, as needed, using 0.1 increments in order to get perfect corners.  Overcut is related to Blade Offset in that it isn’t needed when using a pen, embosser, engraver, and so forth, because the tips of those tools are aligned with the center of the tools themselves.
  • Page 278 Portrait orientation Shapes will cut in the upper left corner of the actual mat, just as shown in the screenshot of the Cutting Mat Cutting Mat in SCAL is set to Mat is fed this direction Portrait orientation Using the same WYSIWYG cutting mode, but having the Cutting Mat orientation set as Landscape, the Preview changes indicating the shapes will be cut in a landscape position: Shapes will cut sideways (landscape-style) if you...

  • Page 279: Presets

    10.06.2 Presets • Presets allow you to save your settings for a particular material or blade type. To do this, enter the settings you wish to save. Then click on the “+” to the right of <Custom Preset>: Enter settings and click here: Enter a name Select which settings to...
  • Page 280 • To access Cut by Color, click on the Cut by Color tab in the Cut Settings window: Click on this tab Select either Cut all colors or Cut each color separately Colors in project Option to Check All or Uncheck All colors listed •...
  • Page 281 The Preview shows where the shapes will cut and shows that The yellow shapes the yellow ones are excluded are turned off  The cut is executed and the red, orange, and lilac shapes are cut. Then the same procedure can be used for the remaining yellow shapes: Only the yellow shapes are...
  • Page 282  However, before sending the project to the cutter, take note of any colors that might have shapes that need to be moved. In this example, the thin red lettering “Jurassic Park” would cut through the background red circle, hence it needs to be moved away: ...
  • Page 283  And the process continues until all colors have been cut. • In Section 10.01, Color Layer Alignment was mentioned as one of the options under Cut Line Type on the Style Panel. In applications, such as the one just presented, it can be tricky aligning the various colors after cutting.

  • Page 284: Tiles (Scal Pro Only)

    Triangles appear here Alignment triangles are not in the menu  Then, as each color window opens, the triangles will appear in the Preview for that color: White shapes are sent to cut Triangles plus white shapes appear in Preview 10.06.4 Tiles (SCAL PRO only) •...

  • Page 285: Extras (Scal Pro Only)

    Select Tiles tab Click here to reopen the Tiling window Preview of the tiles- The one outlined in green Partial menu of tiles with corresponds to the one their dimensions highlighted in the menu  Cut Tiles: Mark this option first so that the menu and preview appears. ...
  • Page 286 Select Extras tab Check this box first to then activate other settings Mark this option to use Cutting Mat dimensions or enter actual size of material Mark Auto fit or enter Enter desired Spacing for desired numbers of The Preview will update both Columns and Rows Columns and Rows as settings are changed...

  • Page 287: Cut Order (Scal Pro Only)

    10.06.6 Cut Order (SCAL PRO only) • The Cut Order function provides control over the order in which shapes will be cut on your cutter. To access this function, go to the Cut Settings window and, in the upper right corner, click on Cut Order: •...
  • Page 288 Start closest to origin – The first shape to cut will be the one closest to the cutter’s origin based on where the blade drops down to cut that shape. Start farthest from origin – The first shape to cut will be the one farthest from the cutter’s origin, again based on where the blade drops down to cut that shape.

  • Page 289: Layers (Scal Pro Only)

    Cutting a thick or dense material whereby you might want the first few passes to be at a lower pressure, followed by a heavier pressure for the last few layers.  Using a rotary tool in the KNK Force whereby you want to engrave parts of the design before fully cutting out outside of the design. •...
  • Page 290 Preset for Preset for these these settings settings  On the Style Panel, select each pair of layers and assign the required Preset to that pair: Preset Preset assigned… assigned… … to … to these these layers layers  Order the layers so that those cutting with the kiss cut blade holder are at the top and the layers with the more-exposed blade holder are at the bottom: ...

  • Page 291: Controlling Where Shapes Will Cut

    Set Order to Front to Back Note the cutting order shown by the green lines  Click on OK to close the Cut Order window. Now click on the Layers tab and the following window will open: Mark this box Choose Separate jobs ...
  • Page 292 • There are 4 available Cut Modes when cutting to the KNK Zing Orbit:  WYSIWYG – Shapes will cut relative to their position on the virtual Cutting Mat  Origin Point – Shapes will cut to align with the origin set before cutting ...

  • Page 293: Origin Point

    • IMPORTANT: All three Cut Modes are based on setting an XY origin on the cutter. On the Zing Orbit, this origin is set by moving the blade tip to a chosen location on the mat grid or on the material, depending on the application or your preference.
  • Page 294 Feed the mat this direction into the cutter Indicates Portrait mode Shapes are cut to align with the origin you set on the cutter Origin set here Location of shapes in SCAL Where shapes will draw or cut on the material ...

  • Page 295: Wysiwyg

    • Also, note that the material can be located anywhere on the cutting mat because you are setting the origin on the material itself. It is usually advisable to set that origin just a little way inside the corner of the material so that you do not inadvertently cut off the edge.
  • Page 296 Feed the mat this direction into the cutter Indicates Portrait mode Shapes are cut in the same location on the actual mat as positioned on the SCAL custom Origin set here Location of shapes in SCAL Where shapes will draw or cut on the material This corner corresponds to the origin on the actual mat ...

  • Page 297: Center Point

    Feed the mat this direction into the cutter Indicates Portrait mode Shapes are cut in the same location The Cutting Mat is on the material as now letter sized to positioned on the match the material SCAL custom mat Origin set here Where shapes will draw or cut on the material Location of shapes on the screen This corner corresponds to...
  • Page 298 • Shapes can be located anywhere on the virtual Cutting Mat. The shapes will be moved and centered around the origin you set on the material. While in the other two cut modes, the origin is typically set just inside the lower right corner of the mat or material, with Center Point mode, you want to set the origin in the center of the material or mat: Center Point - Portrait Feed the mat this direction into the cutter...

  • Page 299: Path Details And Reverse Path

    The center of the bounding box Bounding box around the shapes  Also, note that the material can be located anywhere on the cutting mat because you are setting the origin on the material itself. If you need the centering to be perfect: Measure the material with a ruler to determine the center and mark the center with a pencil dot Use the alignment pin in the blade holder to set the origin.

  • Page 300: Line Fill

     Go to Path>Reverse Path 10.09 Line Fill • The Line Fill function creates a line or hatch fill pattern, typically used for engraving with an engraving tool. It can also be used for coloring in shapes with a pen or embossing some materials with an embosser. •...

  • Page 301: Pierce

    10.10 Pierce • The Pierce function creates holes for punch tools. This can be used to create Pergamum designs and paper embroidery patterns. • To access this function, select a shape and go to Effects>Pierce: Enter desired spacing between holes Click here to manually Click OK when done update the preview...

  • Page 302: Nest

    • If you have a shape that has the Pierce effect applied and want to remove it (even after the file has been saved and re-opened), select the shape and go to Object>Remove Effects. • If you are unable to get an even pattern, then try using the Rhinestone effect instead. Refer to Section 9.12 and enter the smallest rhinestone circle size available: SS000.
  • Page 303  Area Width and Area Height: Enter the dimensions of the material from which you will be cutting so that the nesting will arrange the shapes within that available area, if possible.  Spacing: Enter the minimum distance allowed between shapes. ...
  • Page 304  This could also have been caught while still in the Nest window by carefully checking the Preview and zooming in, as shown above. • Nesting isn’t restricted to identical shapes. In this next example, Christmas shapes are to be cut from red and green cardstock: ...
  • Page 305 Ungroup not checked: Ungroup checked: shapes are not nested shapes are nested  The process is repeated for the green shapes, again making sure there are no other hidden layers and that the Ungroup box is checked before applying Update Preview. End result: two pages with the red shapes nested on one and the green shapes nested on the other:...

  • Page 307: Scal: Output

    10. SCAL: Output 10.01 The Style Panel • The Style Panel has various settings that are typically, but not necessarily, applied for the purpose of cutting and printing:  Set a contour cut (Shadow)  Remove any interior shapes (Blackout) ...

  • Page 308: Preview

    Refer to the last part of Section 10.06.2. • Tool: for cutters with more than one head, such as the KNK Force, choose if the layer should be executed by the left side or by the right side.

  • Page 309: Printing

    On the Cutting Mat: The rounded rectangle is assigned to Cut on the Style Panel The text is assigned to Pen on the Style Panel In the Preview Options window: Red and blue lines Show Cut Lines indicate Cut and and Show Draw Pen assignments Lines are both...
  • Page 310 • Print selection only: This is one way to control what is printed. You will need to select the shapes to be printed prior to entering the Print window. Alternatively, you can hide layers on the Layers Panel that you do not want printed.

  • Page 311: Weeding (Scal Pro Only)

    10.04 Weeding (SCAL PRO only) • Weeding is an important function for those who do vinyl applications. When removing the waste vinyl from around the cut shapes, it’s very helpful to have extra cut lines. This way you don’t end up trying to weed out large pieces at one time.
  • Page 312 1 or 5: Add horizontal or vertical weed cuts between shapes and outer weed border 2 or 6: Add horizontal or vertical weed cuts inside the shapes (this is used for applications such as glass etching where the outside “waste vinyl” is actually kept and the shapes themselves are weeded out) 3 or 7: Add horizontal or vertical weed cuts in between shapes and outer weed border and also inside and between shapes...

  • Page 313: Tiling (Scal Pro Only)

    • In the following example, a design that is 40” wide and 36” tall cannot be cut on a cutter that only has a maximum 15” wide cutting range (such as the KNK Force or Zing Orbit): • To open the Tiling window, select the shape and go to Effects>Tiling:...
  • Page 314  Columns and Rows: Under both of these you have the following choices: Evenly spaced: Enter a number and that many columns (or rows) are created, all the same width. For example, you could enter 3 columns and 2 rows: Select Evenly spaced and then 3 Columns and 2...

  • Page 315: Cut Settings

    When you are ready to execute a cut (or draw), the cut window can be opened using either of the following:  Click on the Cutter icon on the Toolbar  Go to Cutter>Cut With KNK Force (or model you have added) • The following window will open:...
  • Page 316 Cutter Settings Cut Settings tabs: Zoom icons for PRO version Preview Connection Settings Preview Cut Mode Settings Cutting/Drawing Settings Print and cut mode: Chapter 11 Set the origin Execute the cut...
  • Page 317 Click here to activate a small movement  Cutter Settings, which can also be accessed by going to Cutter>Cutter Settings, opens a new window with additional settings relevant to that model. For the KNK Force: Print and Cut Sizing Calibration: Refer settings: Refer to Section 2.07...
  • Page 318 Cutting/Drawing Settings: As mentioned earlier, this section will vary considerably from one brand/model of cutter to the next: Click here to change out a Select Tool (1 or 2) tool on the KNK Force Select a Preset of suggested settings Add a new Preset...
  • Page 319 Marking this setting will cause the cutter to pause between colors so that the tool can be changed out, if desired. Detailed instructions on utilizing both heads on the KNK Force are presented in Chapter 12.  Print+Cut: Clicking on this button opens the Print and Cut window. Refer to Chapter 11 for detailed instructions on calibrating the camera and performing print and cut applications.

  • Page 320: Cut By Color (Scal Pro Only)

    Portrait orientation Shapes will cut in the upper left corner of the actual mat, just as shown in the screenshot of the Cutting Mat Cutting Mat in SCAL is set to Mat is fed this direction Portrait orientation Using the same WYSIWYG cutting mode, but having the Cutting Mat orientation set as Landscape, the Preview changes indicating the shapes will be cut in a landscape position: Shapes will cut sideways (landscape-style) if you...
  • Page 321  Turn on and off colors to be cut without the need to show/hide layers on the Layers Panel or pre-select shapes to cut. In fact, you don’t even need to ungroup mixed-color groups.  Cut all of the colors at once or have the cutter pause between colors, thus permitting the change out of materials •...
  • Page 322  In the Cut Settings, make sure WYSIWYG mode is selected and you have the other settings selected. Then select the Cut by Colors tab and click on the blade icon next to the yellow shapes to hide those from cutting: The Preview shows where the shapes will cut and shows that The yellow shapes...
  • Page 323  Choosing the option to Cut each color separately is logical because: The shapes are arranged on top of one another The size is so large that the individual colors cannot be placed on the cutting mat to cut all at one time ...
  • Page 324 The black layer was dragged to the top to cut first  Upon selecting Cut, the following window opens: Color to be cut Preview of shapes to be cut from this color Option to skip this color Cancel cutting all colors Click on Cut to proceed ...
  • Page 325 Registration shapes  The layer is seleted and the Cut Line Type for this layer is changed to Color Layer Alignment: Select this option  When the Cut by Color tab is then selected, the registration triangles are not in the menu. However they do appear in the Preview: Triangles appear here...

  • Page 326: Tiles (Scal Pro Only)

    White shapes are sent to cut Triangles plus white shapes appear in Preview 10.06.3 Tiles (SCAL PRO only) • In Section 10.05, you were shown how to use the Tiling function to split a design that is too large to cut based on the limits of your cutter: •...

  • Page 327: Extras (Scal Pro Only)

    Select Tiles tab Click here to reopen the Tiling window Preview of the tiles- The one outlined in green Partial menu of tiles with corresponds to the one their dimensions highlighted in the menu  Cut Tiles: Mark this option first so that the menu and preview appears. ...
  • Page 328 Select Extras tab Check this box first to then activate other settings Mark this option to use Cutting Mat dimensions or enter actual size of material Mark Autofit or enter Enter desired Spacing for desired numbers of The Preview will update both Columns and Rows Columns and Rows as settings are changed...

  • Page 329: Controlling Where Shapes Will Cut

    Landscape – Shapes will cut 90 clockwise to the orientation you see on the Cutting Mat • There are 3 available Cut Modes when cutting to the KNK Force:  WYSIWYG – Shapes will cut relative to their position on the virtual Cutting Mat ...

  • Page 330: Origin Point

    Select WYSIWYG or Origin Point here • IMPORTANT: Both Cut Modes are based on setting an XY origin on the cutter. On a Force, this origin is set by moving the tip of the blade (or pen or tool), on the left side of the dual head, to the lower right corner of the mat grid or the material.
  • Page 331 • Shapes can be located anywhere on the virtual Cutting Mat. The shapes will be moved and aligned to cut with the origin you set on the material. As mentioned earlier, the origin is set using the position of the blade tip (or other tool installed on the left side).

  • Page 332: Wysiwyg

    This corner aligns with the origin in Landscape mode Bounding Box around the shapes This corner aligns with the origin in Portrait mode • Also, note that the material can be located anywhere on the cutting mat because you are setting the origin on the material itself.
  • Page 333  WYSIWYG – Portrait – Cutting Mat Method Feed the mat this direction into the cutter Indicates Portrait mode Shapes are cut in the same location on the actual mat as positioned on the SCAL custom Origin set here Location of shapes in SCAL Where shapes will draw or cut on the material This corner corresponds to the origin on the actual mat...
  • Page 334  WYSIWYG – Portrait – Material Method Feed the mat this direction into the cutter Indicates Portrait mode Shapes are cut in the same location The Cutting Mat is on the material as now letter sized to positioned on the match the material SCAL custom mat Origin set here...

  • Page 335: Center Point

    10.07.4 Center Point • This is a mode not available with all cutters in SCAL. It was needed for use with the Orbitizer but can also have other useful applications, such as cutting a shape from the center front of a greeting card. •...

  • Page 336: Path Details And Reverse Path

     Note that the alignment is based on the center of the bounding box around the shapes: The center of the bounding box Bounding box around the shapes  Also, note that the material can be located anywhere on the cutting mat because you are setting the origin on the material itself.

  • Page 337: Line Fill

     Right-click and select Path>Reverse Path  Go to Path>Reverse Path 10.09 Line Fill • The Line Fill function creates a line or hatch fill pattern, typically used for engraving with an engraving tool. It can also be used for coloring in shapes with a pen or embossing some materials with an embosser. •...

  • Page 338: Pierce

     Keep Original Outline: Usually a good idea in case you want to revise your pattern later on. Also, when working with lettering, having the outline improves readability: • For more information on using an engraver, refer to Section 12.06. 10.10 Pierce •...
  • Page 339 • If you have a shape that has the Pierce effect applied and want to remove it (even after the file has been saved and re-opened), select the shape and go to Object>Remove Effects. • For more information on using a punch tool, refer to Section 12.07.

  • Page 340: Knk Force: Print And Cut

    11. KNK Force: Print and Cut 11.01 What Is a Print And Cut (PNC)? • The print and cut process involves printing an image from your design software to any printer you own and then, with the aid of a camera and electronic eye on the Force, having the image or images cut out with perfect precision.

  • Page 341: What Is Apnc Calibration

    11.02 What is a PNC Calibration? • In order to get precise PNC results, you must tweak the camera calibration. This is nothing more than determining how far away the camera is located relative to the tip of the blade. Because the camera is manually installed, the distance from the center of the camera to the tip of the blade will vary some from one Force to the next.
  • Page 342 (3) Inside the Basic Shapes folder from the downloaded zip file, you will find the following two files interspersed with the other files: (4) Use File>Import to open whichever one matches the printer paper you’re using, i.e. A4 or Letter. Move the imported shapes so they are roughly centered in the document area: (5) Because this calibration file was created for calibrating in C3, it contains a registration mark layer not needed in SCAL.

  • Page 343: Entering Settings And Printing

    Click here to open Fill and Stroke Click here to window open a color menu. Change to Color The arrows will now have a thin black line border. (7) Go to File>Print Setup, select the printer you plan to use, paper size, and Orientation: Select your printer Choose Portrait Verify paper size...
  • Page 344 Click here Reg mark settings (3) You can modify the settings for the reg mark size, line thickness and offset from the image to be cut. The latter one, Mark offset, should be changed from the current setting to 0.03 cm so that the reg marks will be as close as possible to the printed image.

  • Page 345: Setting The Registration Marks And Cutting

    (7) To print the arrows with the registration marks, click on Print: Select your printer Print 4 or 5 copies Make sure this box is checked. Click on OK to print the calibration sheets (8) After printing, click on the Calibrate Camera button. It is highly recommended that the calibration numbers be entered and adjusted in mm.
  • Page 346 2. Insert the mat into the Force with this triangle pointing away from you. 1. Place the printout onto the mat with the arrows pointing to the right. (2) Click on Next and the head will move towards the upper left registration mark. You will then either click the onscreen direction buttons or use the arrow keys on your keyboard to move the tip of the blade approximately over the corner of that registration mark.

  • Page 347: Adjusting The X And Y Camera Offsets

    (5) If you cannot see the corner of a reg mark in any of the projected camera images, note which direction the camera needs to move and then click on Prev at the bottom. In the following example, which occurred at the top right registration mark, you can tell that the camera needs to move down, as only the top line of the reg mark is visible: Reg mark is just barely...

  • Page 348: Preparing An Actual Print And Cut Application

    (3) Go back to the calibration window (Cutter>Print + Cut>Calibrate Camera). Modify the X and Y Camera Offset settings. Again, switch to mm before entering new numbers. Start with at least 1 mm adjustments (like shown above). Click on Apply Changes before leaving this window. (4) It’s a good idea to keep track of prior values so that you’ll know which direction to change for subsequent calibration tests.
  • Page 349  Read and complete the steps in Sections 11.03. The manual calibration for the camera needs to be completed before attempting to do automatic PNC applications.  Record your camera calibration settings! It is very common for those settings to resort to defaults during software updates and if you use other cutters with SCAL.
  • Page 350 Manual PNC Auto PNC • Note: the reg mark thickness and size adjust to create smaller thicker marks for Auto PNC. It is recommended that you use the sizing that is set, because the camera’s ability to auto-detect the marks is somewhat sensitive.
  • Page 351 (9) You can now click on the arrows or use the arrows on your keyboard to move the blade holder so that it is approximately over the lower right reg mark (not the upper left which is used with manual PNC): (10) Click on Next and the camera will project an image so that you can see the reg mark.

  • Page 352: Print And Cut Tips

    (11) The camera will now identify the lower mark, then the upper right mark, and finally the upper left mark and then cut out the shapes. 11.06 Print and Cut Tips • When tracing imported images, the trace lines will not necessarily be perfectly aligned with the image. This can result in tiny bits of white appearing in certain spots, suggesting the PNC wasn’t accurate.

  • Page 353: Printing Apnc Project From Outside Of Scal

    • If you have a symmetrical shape and or symmetrical layout for your PNC project, make sure it will be obvious how to place the printout onto the cutting mat. You might want to add some kind of identifier, such as a small arrow or a letter “A”...
  • Page 354 For Mac owners: Go to File>Print and mark the option for Print registration marks. Click on the PDF button in the lower left corner and, in the popup menu, select Save as PDF: (7) In the design software, import the PDF file. Make sure the imported cut lines are properly aligned with the shapes to be printed so that the registration marks will print in the correct location.

  • Page 355: Knk Force: Dual Head Applications

    • One of the best features of the KNK Force is the ability to use two tools at one time. Because the blade holder seats on the Force are fully adjustable, one can insert a wide range of pens, markers, embossers and other tools.

  • Page 356: Setting Up A Dual Head File

    Tool offset calibrations • If you have two tools already calibrated in C3, then reverse the signs and enter the same values in SCAL. For example: In C3, the blade holder (left side) and embosser (right side) were calibrated to have the following offsets, entered under Settings>Machine Settings: These same values would be entered this way in SCAL, but with a change in the signs.

  • Page 357: Entering Settings

    • The next step is to assign one of the layers to the right side. Select either layer and then open the Style Panel. Change Cut Line Type to Draw (Pen) and change Tool to 2 (right): Select Draw (Pen) Click here to open Select 2 (right) Style Panel...

  • Page 358: Adjusting The Tool Offset Values

    Select the right side Change to Pen Verify that Draw draw lines is selected Uncheck this box, unless you want cutter to pause between tools. Enter other settings based on the material you are using. 12.02.4 Adjusting the Tool Offset Values •...

  • Page 359: General Guidelines When Using Accessory Tools

    12.03 General Guidelines When Using Accessory Tools • The Force accessory tools include the following: embosser, engraver, and piercer (aka punch tool). These guidelines also apply to other accessories, such as miscellaneous pens, markers, glue pens and other brands of tools that will fit into the Force. The Force rotary tool is covered in Chapter 13. •...

  • Page 360: Engraving

    For deeper and/or thicker engraving, consider purchasing the KNK Force Rotary Tool. • You can engrave on materials that cannot be cut on the KNK Force, such as jewelry charms, dog tags, and trophy plates. ...

  • Page 361: Using The Punch Tool

    12.07 Using the Punch Tool • Force Punch/Piercing Tool can be used for creating decorative designs (such as pergamano and other parchment arts) or for creating small holes for paper embroidery. • To protect the mat and the thin punch, it is recommended that a thick soft material be used as a cushion between the paper/cardstock and the cutting mat.

  • Page 362: Settings Form For Force Accessory Tools 1

    Settings Form for Force Accessory Tools Application: Drawing, Embossing, Debossing, Scoring, Engraving, Punching, etc. Tool: Pen, Glue Pen, Embosser/small end; Embosser/large end; Engraver, Piercer, etc Surface: Mat, Foam over mat, Shelf liner over mat, etc. Settings: P – Passes; SD – Start Depth; CD/ED: Cut Depth/End Depth; CS – Cut Speed; PS – Plunge Speed Material Type, Brand, Application Tool...

  • Page 363: Suggested Settings For Various Force Accessories 1

    Suggested Settings for Various Force Accessories Settings: P – Passes; SD – Start Depth; CD/ED: Cut Depth/End Depth; CS – Cut Speed; PS – Plunge Speed Material Application Tool Surface SD CD/ED CS PS Other Comments Paper Drawing Test Pen Sharpie: ultra Use a low PS to protect delicate tip;...

  • Page 364: Knk Force: Rotary Tool

    13. KNK Force: Rotary Tool Much Different Tool! Much Different Approach! The following is a MUST READ! • Safety First! Please read Section 13.01 before using the rotary tool. • Unlike with the blade holder, there is no spring which offsets the downward movement of the rotary tool.

  • Page 365: Important Safety And Operating Considerations

    Replace bits once they become blunt or dull. Return to conservative settings when testing new bits. • Again… Always keep body parts clear of the rotary bit. The KNK Force is capable of quick and sudden movements. Coming into contact with the spinning rotary bit can cause serious injury.

  • Page 366: Settings For The Rotary Tool

    • The included bits may vary. The following photo shows a typical kit with an explanation of how the bits should be used: 1, 2: These two thin and fragile bits are included for working with PCBs (drilling tiny holes for housing components). Do not use them with thick dense materials.

  • Page 367: Determining Settings For Cutting A New Material

    Section to Typical Range for Rotary Setting Description Read Tool Use Cutter>My Cutter>KNK Force Since the adaptor for the rotary tool only works on the Tool 2.03.1 1 (left) left side, the Tool should be set to the left Number of repeats to perform on a shape before Multi-cut (aka Passes), P 2.03.2...

  • Page 368: Cd/Ed Calculator

    • The default for Surface Height is 300 but that value can be changed to any whole number between 0 and 670. With a setting of 0, the head is at its highest location along the Z axis; with a setting of 670, the head is at its lowest.

  • Page 369: Pen Test For Verifying Cd/Ed Before Cutting

    Use left side for mm; right side for inches Follow these instructions, step-by-step. Click on Update after making any changes 13.05 Pen Test for Verifying CD/ED Before Cutting • A safe and relatively easy test will help you adjust the CD/ED so that you will cut through your material but not cut through the mat.
  • Page 370 (3) It’s best to use the left side seat for this test. If you already have the rotary tool mounted, remove it, so that a pen can be installed. Do not use the test pen or any other type of pen that requires significant downward pressure for ink flow.

  • Page 371: Attaching A Drill Bit To The Rotary Tool

    (11) Insert the pen so that the nib is touching the top of the material. If you are worried about ink marking the material, place a thin piece of aluminum foil or plastic wrap on the material first. But do not use anything thicker than that: (12) Tighten the front screws and click on Continue so that the left side raises and returns home.

  • Page 372: Attaching The Rotary Tool To The Knk Force

    13.07.1 Attaching the Adaptor to the Blade Holder Seat • Turn off the KNK Force and make sure the rotary tool is not plugged in. • Move the Force head to the left a few inches to allow more room for installing the tool.

  • Page 373: Inserting The Rotary Tool Into The Adaptor

    • Reinsert the two front screws so that they pass through the adaptor and through the blade holder seat. Hand tighten those screws: 13.07.2 Inserting the Rotary Tool into the Adaptor • Place the material to be cut or engraved onto the cutting mat. It’s usually a good idea to tape down materials along the outside edges with masking tape to prevent slippage.
  • Page 374 Shaft lock faces forward • Move the mat so that the Z origin will be set over the top of the material. • Slide the rotary tool straight down until the tip of the bit touches the top of the material. If the bit cannot reach the surface, remove the rotary tool, press the shaft lock, loosen the collet nut and slide the bit out for more exposure.

  • Page 375: Engraving

    Turn on the power to the rotary tool here. 13.08 Engraving • IMPORTANT! Do not attempt to use the smaller thinner drill bits for engraving! • With engraving, the CD/ED is how deep you want the engraving to be. In general, that number can be relatively low.

  • Page 376: Cutting

    13.09 Cutting Demo: Cutting a vinyl record Demo: Carving a Speedball Stamp Block 13.09.1 Things to Keep in Mind • IMPORTANT! If you haven’t read Sections 13.03 – 13.05, then go back and work through them. It is very easy to ruin a cutting mat and even damage the surface of your Force if you have incorrect settings. •...
  • Page 377 Curve is so thin, a breakage could occur here  The solution is to thicken the shape in the design software. You can use either Path>Path Offset (refer to Section 8.05), Effects>Shadow Layer (refer to Section 9.04) or the Style setting on the Style Panel (refer to Section 10.01).

  • Page 378: Settings Form For Force Rotary Tool 1

    Settings Form for Force Rotary Tool Material Type and Material Brand, Source, Application SH SD CD/ED CS Other Settings and Comments Thickness Color, etc Type © 2015- 2019 Sandy McCauley, All Rights Reserved...

  • Page 379: Suggested Engraving Settings For Force Rotary Tool 1

    Suggested Engraving Settings for Force Rotary Tool These suggested settings are for initial test cut purposes. Note that Z Origin should be set on top of the material you are engraving. P – Passes; SD – Start Depth; CD/ED: Cut Depth/End Depth; CS – Cut Speed; US – Up Speed; PS – Plunge Speed; LS –...

  • Page 380: Appendix A Scal: Key Board Shortcuts

    Appendix A SCAL: Key Board Shortcuts Shortcut Icon Description Menu (m:) and/or Icon (i:) Location Main Screen and Project Functions m:File>New Project Ctrl+N Open a new file/project i:Toolbar m:File>Open Project Ctrl+O Open an existing .scut file/project i:Toolbar m:File>Save Project Ctrl+S Save a file/project i:Toolbar Ctrl+Shift+S...
  • Page 381 Shortcut Icon Description Menu (m:) and/or Icon (i:) Location Importing and Exporting m:File>Import Ctrl+Shift+I Import a file i:Toolbar Ctrl+Shift+E Export a file (save in a different format) m:File>Export m:File>Trace Image Ctrl+Shift+T Open Trace Image window i:Toolbar m:Window>Library Ctrl+1 Open the Library window i:Toolbar m:File>eshape Store Open the eshape store window...
  • Page 382 Shortcut Icon Description Menu (m:) and/or Icon (i:) Location Text and Font Icons Open Text Panel i:Properties Panel Bold i:Text Panel Italic i:Text Panel Reload installed fonts list i:Text Panel Add font to Favorites i:Text Panel Type text i:Tools Panel Connect interior shapes to the outside i:Tools Panel Library...
  • Page 383 Shortcut Icon Description Menu (m:) and/or Icon (i:) Location Manipulating and Coloring Shapes (continued) Ctrl+Up (or right click>Arrange>Bring Bring selected shape up one level m:Object>Arrange>Bring Forward Forward) Ctrl+Down (or right Send selected shape down one level m:Object>Arrange>Send Backward click>Arrange>Send Backward) Ctrl+Shift+Down (or right Send selected shape to the bottom m:Object>Arrange>Send to Back...
  • Page 384 Shortcut Icon Description Menu (m:) and/or Icon (i:) Location Layers Panel (continued) m:Layer>Delete Current Layer Right click>Delete Delete the selected layer i:Layers Panel m:Layer>Add Layer Folder Create a new layer i:Layers Panel Open Layer Options Menu i:Layers Panel Designing Tools Alt+U (or right click>Path>Union) Weld selected shapes to remove overlap m:Path>Union...
  • Page 385 Shortcut Icon Description Menu (m:) and/or Icon (i:) Location Editing Tools (continued) Right click>Path>Reverse Path Reverses the direction the path will cut m:Path>Reverse Path Right click>Path>Object to Path Remove the text, rhinestone or lattice status m:Path>Object to Path Close shape by adding a straight line between Right click>Path>Close Path m:Path>Close Path the start and ending nodes...

  • Page 386: Appendix B Knk Force And Scal: Troubleshooting

    Appendix B KNK Force and SCAL: Troubleshooting B1 Communicating Issues I am trying to set up the connection for my Force and it has flashing white lights. It never reaches the stage of a steady light.  Most likely, the SD card has become unseated from the computer inside of the Force. Turn off the Force and unplug it.

  • Page 387: B2 Operating Issues

     The third possibility is that the micro SD card needs to be re-flashed with the software. Go to this link: http://knkusa.com/c3-installation-guide/. After the card is reinstalled and you are back in C3, check the status. You will most likely need to update to the latest version of C3. ...
  • Page 388 ____________________ The start and end of a closed shape are not matching up.  If the gap is very small, verify that you have an Overcut set (refer to Section 2.03.10).  For wider gaps, make sure the two outer pinch wheel locations are being used AND the pinch wheels are clearly centered under the grey rectangles above the pinch wheels.

  • Page 389: B3 Cutting Issues

    B3 Cutting Issues I’m using the recommended settings, including the Blade Tension, but my cuts are too deep! I’m even cutting all the way through vinyl!  Most likely, while setting the Z Origin, you are inserting and tightening the blade holder at the wrong step.
  • Page 390  Confirm the settings for that material, including the Blade Tension. ____________________ My cut is clean in some places but not in others. Why am I not getting consistent cutting?  Make sure your material is pressed firmly onto a clean and sticky mat (assuming you are cutting a material with no backing sheet, such as paper or cardstock).

  • Page 391: B4 Software Issues

    ____________________ I’m using the embosser and blade holder for a score and cut application. I’ve carefully calibrated the offset for the two tools, however when I cut the project, the cut lines are not aligned with the score lines.  Using aggressive settings when scoring can cause the cutting mat to skew, resulting in cut lines no longer properly aligned with the score lines.

  • Page 392: Appendix C Scal: Map And References

    Appendix C SCAL: Map and References C1 Screenshot of SCAL Screen Below is a screen shot of the main screen in SCAL identifying ONLY Bars and Panels. Menu Bar Toolbar Properties Panel Tool Options Document Panel Page Bar Note: There are other Tools Panel panels accessible on the Properties Panel...

  • Page 393: C2.2 Toolbar

    C2.2 Toolbar • The Toolbar is located at the top of the screen, just below the Menu Bar. Import another Paste from Cut to clipboard: Trace a raster file type: clipboard: Open a saved 5.16.1 import: 7.03 Access eshape 4.06 5.16.3 file: 4.01.2 Store: 4.05...

  • Page 394: C3.2 Properties Panel

    C3.2 Properties Panel • The Properties Panel is located on the right side of the screen and contains 6 subpanels and a Hints access: Document Panel: 3.05 Position & Size Panel: 3.04, 5.01 Fill & Stroke Panel: 5.13, 5.14 Style Panel: 10.01 Text Panel: 6.01...

  • Page 395: C4.2 Preferences: Edit Tab

    C4.2 Preferences: Edit Tab Click on Edit 5.05 5.03 5.03 See below See below 5.04.1 See below See below See below Restore original Click on OK when done defaults, if needed • Keep objects on mat when dragging: With this option checked, you cannot drag shapes beyond the outside borders of the Cutting Mat.
  • Page 396 Fill: Gradient Fill: Color Fill: Pattern  Note that even though the shape appears to be closed, it is not. If you were to cut this shape, it would still be attached to the outside material.

  • Page 397: Appendix D Knk Force: Additional Information

    Appendix D KNK Force: Additional Information D1 More about Z Origin • If you refer back to Section 2.06.3 of the C3 User Manual, there is a table of different situations and whether you use the top of the material or the top of the mat for setting the Z origin. The following information will help you understand why it matters and how it affects depth settings.

  • Page 398: D2 Calculation Of Depths In Multi-Pass Applications

    • Another situation involves cutting rolled materials which have a backing that is not cut. These materials (vinyl, HTV, rhinestone flock, etc.) can be cut on the cutting mat or cut by directly inserting the materials into the Force. Here are the factors which will directly affect the Cutting Depth needed: ...
  • Page 399 Nuts inside KNK Force groove • A few tips on installing:  Identify which guide is the left side and which is the right. Refer to photo below.  Slide the left nut to the far-left side and right nut to the far-right side. ...

  • Page 400: D4. Test Cutting A Material Using The Force Blade Holder

    D4. Test Cutting a Material Using the Force Blade Holder • Choose a small shape: a r ing works well as you can lift up cut shape and easily Set a BT of 0.5 for thin materials or 1.0 check to see if mat has cut lines from inner circle. for thicker.

  • Page 401: D5. Test Cutting A Material Using The Force Rotary Tool

    D5. Test Cutting a Material Using the Force Rotary Tool Go to Cutter>Cutter Settings and Open a file with a small Following Pen Test, up- Go to the Online Calculator note the current value for Surface test shape. Perform the and enter the Surface date settings for rotary tool Height.

Table of Contents