Inkscape<<<<<----->>>> SCAL

[pigtailpat]

Hi guys -

I know this seems like a stupid question, but it has been so long since I worked in vectors.......

Is the link between inkscape and SCAL native, or do I have to download and install a plugin for SCAL to do that? I do not remember what I did or didn't do.......

I'm at the point of trying the lettering I need for my quilt label. I want to try penning directly on fabric in this instance. I don't know if it will work (because of the brush tip of the sharpie pen). I bought a hard tip special textile pen (called an edding pen), which might work better - but I only have 1 pen and it is not easy to get (I should have bought more...). So I will experiment with the sharpie and move to the edding pen if necessary. I will practice first with paper, and then move to fabric. I am following the tutorial I found on the machine gothic font, and did a little practicing on the software side in inkscape, and it is not bad. Once your letters are edited, and you do the simplify command, you have a pretty nice, clean single line font. I just hope it works for pen work. Dawn taught me awhile ago, when I did a project with the hershey font (and I sweated bullets with that one - yes people pun intended), clean is best. Most of tomorrow will be for the label. My binding is constructed, so now it is label time.

I will post my latest quilt when it is all finished. Not sure if I can post the label turnout as it is too personal. Maybe I can edit the photo to take out the personal part.

Pat

[Gigi]

Here is the page with all of the plugins for Corel Draw, AI and Inkscape - just choose the version of SCAL and platform and you should be good to go. I believe in Inkscape it shows up under Exports - Send to (that is my memory and I rarely use Inkscape so hoping the brain is working!

Just download and install. There are a lot of single line fonts you can use straight from SCAL and save yourself some editing.

I would think it might be challenging to get a clear font on fabric unless it is really stiff, but have not tried. Will be eager to hear how it goes.

Good luck!

[pigtailpat]

My plan is to starch the fabric with 100% sta-flo (a liquid starch). When it is used at 100% strength, the fabric becomes board stiff, and should be pen-able and cut-able after that. I am also hoping that because there is a layer of starch that the ink has to go through, it should help control the bleed. With text, my experience has been there is always editing involved to make it a smoother pen experience. It will take me a bit of time inside inkscape, and then I will send to SCAL via the plugin. I couldn't remember if a plugin was required, and I'm pretty sure I never installed it, so thanks for the reply (I will look for the plugin).

When I am ready for the actual pen work, I will begin with paper and regular pens to make sure my file is OK, and then graduate to the real stuff. I am very low on the sta-flo stuff and it is hard to get (my local walmart doesn't carry it). So I have to be frugal with how this is implemented.

Will let all know how this goes. If it becomes too hard for me to accomplish, I will hand write, and tackle it some other day when the time factor is not a big deal (I have a birthday deadline).

Pat

[Gigi]

pigtailpat
I had copied the link but never pasted it My bad
http://craftedge.com/download/download_extras.php Just scroll down to the Inkscape and choose as noted before.

I was worried about the bleeding as well and wondered if making it stiffer would help. My fingers are crossed for you. Good luck!

[pigtailpat]

Gigi -

I am here to tell you it WORKS! I didn't do the final yet. I just did testing. I did the machine gothic font, and I followed the steps as outlined in the tutorial I found (recently posted in another thread). I also individually simplified the letters, and where I had to, smooth nodes after simplification. I did my testing on the gazelle, because I hadn't yet installed the new gussets for the cougar tables (I broke 2 gussets in moving the cat around for reorganization of my sewing space). I did the .svg import way from inkscape and brought it into SCAL (and I bought the SCAL version that gives me cut by color - I am SOOOOO GLAD TO HAVE THAT BACK - YAY!!!!!). I did the WYSIWYG, which I never really fully understood in SCAL, but because this is pen work and I am working in stages, I have to use WYSIWYG. For the final, I'll just use alot of fabric. My test was done with UNSTABILIZED muslin (because I am sooo low on sta-flo - did not want to waste on a test). I did two tests, one with sharpie pen (the regular sharpie pen - which has a hard fine tip), and the other with the brush tip sharpie stained pen. I did not try yet the edding pen. I then washed my test piece which is drying. The regular sharpie pen washed right out (which is what I don't want - this is a quilt label and is meant to be permanent). The sharpie stained did not bleed and even though a brush tip, worked. I used the lowest force on the gaz, and as penny said, probably will use 5 on the cat when I get gussets reinstalled. I may do one more test with the edding pen to see how I like the look of that pen after washing, but time is not on my side. Because the fabric was unstabilized, there was minor movement of the fabric and letters were a tiny bit uneven. This will be taken care of on the final, which will be like paper after 100% sta-flo.

Even with the tiny unevenness, the lettering looks STUNNING, and it looks way better than what spoonflower would have done for me, and costs me nothing as I have everything already. This is the way I will be doing ALL of my quilt labels in the future, it will be done via pen work and the machine gothic font in inkscape to be sent to SCAL. I don't have an inkjet printer to print on fabric, and this looks way nicer. The editing on the inkscape side really helped for a very smooth pen execution. I may use this technique also to make entire quilt blocks from lettering and quotes, it is simply amazing. I just have to master how WYSIWYG inside SCAL to get a predictable location for where the work will be executed.

From a very excited,

Pat
(who simply MUST reinstall gussets soon)

[Gigi]

Great to hear Pat.

Let me see if I can help you with the WYSIWYG and the label. Obviously it is going to cut or write where it is on your mat.

For the ease of centering on the label, lets say your label is 2"x3". You can make your mat that size (easiest!) Center your lettering on the virtual mat that is now the same size as your label, put your pen at the lower right hand corner of the label using WYSIWYG and draw. It's all about the positioning of that origin at the corner of your label. Make sense?


So glad it is working for you on the fabric!

[pigtailpat]

Gigi - thanks for that tip. I will try that for my final. In further testing, I found it is better to lay the ink down from the pen 2 times (do a multicut 2), and a double application of the ink holds up better for washing. The initial test with a single layer of ink is already fading. There is some bleed to the back of the fabric, but I want the letters to remain after washing. I will be putting on a backing on this label fabric, so the bleed can be camouflaged to some degree. So I have to go out on errands, and my real media has been dunked in my sta-flo and is drying in the sun. Will come back to this later, now I got to do my day chores.

Pat

[Gigi]

You are welcome. And often going over the pen twice works better in a lot of things. Hope this all comes out the way you want. It sounds like an amazing keepsake gift for sure.