How to cut text outline and text shadow as one

[coppercricket]

I want to cut this file in vinyl in the colors shown and want the black outline around each letter to cut as one with the black shadow behind each letter. When I send to Signcut it sees the outline as separate from the shadow. I've tried a few different things but nothing seems to work. Does anybody know how can I fix this?

[Retta]

I think I know what is happening. You want to cut the color then cut the black shadow for the back. But there is an outline on all the letters. Open in Inkscape and select the whole design. Down in the left corner you will see fill and stroke. Right click on stroke and select remove stroke. This will take the outline off.

Hope that is what you wanted.

[coppercricket]

Actually I do want the black outline around each letter. I will then cut the colors and overlay them onto the black.

[rachellann]

which porgram are you using ? are you using inkscape?

[rachellann]

are you cutting by color ? if not I think you'll need to ungroup the shadow and put it on its own layer right now everything is grouped not sure if it will show in what I saved but import it and make sure your layers panel is open you migh need to copy it to one labeled colored layer and one shadow layer

[coppercricket]

I am using Inkscape and yes, I intend to cut by color. I am at work right now so I can't try anything until later.

[rachellann]

if you are planning to cut buy color then the thin black outline you have around the letters themselves will also cut seperate you may have to change that to the same color as the colored as it see it as two seperate cuts when cutting by color.

[Gigi]

Ok - I think I am getting what what you are saying. You want the black line to show as your shadow is offset - right?? The problem is, unless you do a print and cut to preserve the black line around the letter and then cut the shadow layer out of black, I dont know how you would get the black to show when you offset the shadow unless you create an outline of the letter in black and weld it to the shadow outline so you would get the black all the way around. Does that make sense to anyone??

What Rachellann is saying is that with the way it is showing now, your letters will cut twice because you have the stroke and fill both showing - so one has to go or your letters will cut out twice. I think we are talking about two different things??

[Retta]

Okay - let me take another shot. If you want a mat around your colored letter. Duplicate the letter - color it a different color. Lower it behind your original letter. while still selected go to path - outset and keep doing that until you have the size outline that you want. This can be colored any color - and will cut on a seperate piece of paper from your original letter. If you still want your shadow. Make sure this is a different color from this mat - as they will cut over each other if you have them the same color. So you can then cut your shadow layer out also. The color of the selection can be different than the color of the paper you cut it out of.

Is this what you wanted. But, like Gigi said - if you want it to cut with the colored letter, then you will have to do a print and cut I believe.

Hope that helps.

[Gigi]

Retta - you made it easier. She already has shadow letters, so she could just duplicate the offset ones and put a shadow directly behind the letter (to outline it) and then use the second to offset - right?? I was trying to figure out if she could weld the two?? Maybe it would be easier to keep them separate.

You made it clearer for me - thank you!!That's the only way I could think to have an outline all the way around the letter AND offset some of them. It's a cute file!

[Retta]

Once in a while I get it. If she wanted to weld the shadow and the mat - that would be doable by putting the two together, colored the same time and do a path - union. Then it is only one cut out of black. I just didn't do that step. Thank you Gigi.

[Gigi]

Yep - got it! It took me a while to wrap my brain around it!!
Thank you!

[Angel135612]

I have tried to take the outline and the shadow and weld them together, but there is something that isn't allowing it to happen in Inkscape. I think that is her problem, she has tried to do the Path Union, of the outline and shadow, but it isn't working. I have tried different things and no matter what I do, it doesn't want to do the Union so that the black can be cut out of one piece of vinyl, then layer the colors over that.

[Retta]

You have to take the outline stroke off. Make a duplicate of the original letter. Change the color and do a path - outset. Do this until the outline is the size around the letter you want. Then change to the shadow layer color - this same piece. Place exactly where you want it. Pu the shadow layer exactly where you want it too. Then select only the outline and shadow pieces. And do path weld

[Retta]

Not weld but union. Do not have things grouped.

[Angel135612]

Retta, I did try doing all that, and still couldn't get it to work, but I couldn't spend a great deal of time working on it. (It could also be that things were grouped, as I didn't think to ungroup anything, I couldn't get it to work, and I didn't have time to spend more time trying to work on it).
Perhaps she will be able to get it to work for her. I hope she is able to get it to do what she is wanting to do.. would love to see a picture of it when it is all finished.