I just started using Inkscape for my vinyl business. I really like it so far but I'm having a couple issues.
1) I use a Roland cutter with Roland's Cut Studio software. I can't get Cut studio to accept my files from Inkscape. I found the cut studio extension for Inkscape andd I installed it according to the directions. Cut studio shows up in my extension list but it isn't high lighted for me to select it. Anyone know why or what I'm not doing correctly?
2) I created some text with an outline and then used the filters to make really pop. I'm wanting to separate it now so I can cut it in order to apply the whole design to a window but I can't figure out how to do this. I tried using trace bitmap but it won't do anything. Any suggestions?
If an extensinon is grey, it means that there is a missing dependency. Sometimes this is an external program, but sometimes it's because the extension is old and needs to be updated.
For an outline, you can try using "Object to Path" on a duplicate. There's not a way to turn filters directly into shapes that I'm aware of.
Filter effects aren't ever going to work in cutting vinyl. Filters add raster elements that are not vector but use pixels. Remove all the filter effects and try again. Start with a simpler test. Draw a rectangle or circle. Convert it to path. Don't use any filter effects. See if that works.
I had thought Cut Studio was a plugin for Illustrator or CorelDraw. Is this not the case? Is Cut Studio stand alone? I know other Roland software like Versaworks expects imported vectors to use the spot color "CutContor" to represent cutting lines. I am not sure if Cut Studio is the same. If it is, it is problematic as Inkscape can't assign sport colors. If Cut Studio is a plugin for Illustrator or CorelDraw and your using one of those, import the artwork from Inkscape into one of those and see if you can assign the spot color. This is true if Cut Studio is looking for that designation, but I am not sure.
Hello Martin, thanks for the info. I'm not sure if the extension is old or not. I found someone on YouTube using it and I downloaded it from the website they recommended. I'll try object to path for an outline.
Phiscribe, thanks for the info about filters. I'll have to find a different way to get the vinyl to cut so I can stack it to get my design. I know it can be done because I've had the lettering on my truck done this way before.
Cut studio is a stand alone software but it's made to be used primarily with illustrator or Corel Draw but I don't have either of those. I've seen others use Inkscape with it so I was hoping to as well. Currently I save my designs and open them in GIMP. Then I export them as a jpg and import there image to cut studio. It works pretty good although sometimes it can have the jagged edges like a jpg does. Oddly enough text cuts really good and most of my images cut a smooth edge. I don't know... I'm just getting started in this so I'm learning on the fly. Nothing like on the job training. Lol
Jpeg is the most evil of formats. Except for photos, never ever use it for logos, designs, text etc. Use PNG if you must use a raster. Although starting with Inkscape you should never need to generate any sort of raster to make your machine cut as it should be able to take the vectors directly.
I can't the software for the cutter to accept any format from Inkscape. One time I took a jpeg to Inkscape and vectorized it. Then opened back up in GIMP and saved it as a different format and it cut really good but I don't remember what format that was. Lol.
I know this is a bit old but I'm having the same issue: We just got a Roland BN-20 printer/cutter at work and we want to use Inkscape. Then I have to use Roland VersaWorks to import the image, print and cut. The problem is that VersaWorks is finnicky and only accepts a few formats but I believe EPS is a vectorized format. The others are JPG, PS, TIFF and a few others but does not accept Adobe, CorelDraw, PNG and so on. So if I stick to EPS, everytime I load the image in VersaWorks, double-click it then chose the Cut Controls option and select "Cut image boundaries", it always shows the cutting line as a big square around the image rather than where I need to cut.
So in Inkscape, just for testing, if I make a circle, then I highlight-it, click on Path-> Trace Bitmap -> Colors (also tried Edge Detection), then I click OK and close the dialog box. Then I highlight my circle then click on the second icon in the left pane which is an angled black triangle with a line and 3 purple squares. Then on my circle, I see a bunch of gray squares which to me I believe it confirms that this is a vectorized image. From this point, I figured that I'd only have to do Save As, chose .EPS format and click OK.... but when I load it in Versa Works, it still sees the background on the image and that's where it wants to cut rather than cutting the circle.
Using Inkscape with Cutters/Plotters Please Help
Inkscape.org
I just started using Inkscape for my vinyl business. I really like it so far but I'm having a couple issues.
1) I use a Roland cutter with Roland's Cut Studio software. I can't get Cut studio to accept my files from Inkscape. I found the cut studio extension for Inkscape andd I installed it according to the directions. Cut studio shows up in my extension list but it isn't high lighted for me to select it. Anyone know why or what I'm not doing correctly?
2) I created some text with an outline and then used the filters to make really pop. I'm wanting to separate it now so I can cut it in order to apply the whole design to a window but I can't figure out how to do this. I tried using trace bitmap but it won't do anything. Any suggestions?
I appreciate any help.
Hi R. Welcome to the forums.
If an extensinon is grey, it means that there is a missing dependency. Sometimes this is an external program, but sometimes it's because the extension is old and needs to be updated.
For an outline, you can try using "Object to Path" on a duplicate. There's not a way to turn filters directly into shapes that I'm aware of.
Filter effects aren't ever going to work in cutting vinyl. Filters add raster elements that are not vector but use pixels. Remove all the filter effects and try again. Start with a simpler test. Draw a rectangle or circle. Convert it to path. Don't use any filter effects. See if that works.
I had thought Cut Studio was a plugin for Illustrator or CorelDraw. Is this not the case? Is Cut Studio stand alone? I know other Roland software like Versaworks expects imported vectors to use the spot color "CutContor" to represent cutting lines. I am not sure if Cut Studio is the same. If it is, it is problematic as Inkscape can't assign sport colors. If Cut Studio is a plugin for Illustrator or CorelDraw and your using one of those, import the artwork from Inkscape into one of those and see if you can assign the spot color. This is true if Cut Studio is looking for that designation, but I am not sure.
Hello Martin, thanks for the info. I'm not sure if the extension is old or not. I found someone on YouTube using it and I downloaded it from the website they recommended. I'll try object to path for an outline.
Phiscribe, thanks for the info about filters. I'll have to find a different way to get the vinyl to cut so I can stack it to get my design. I know it can be done because I've had the lettering on my truck done this way before.
Cut studio is a stand alone software but it's made to be used primarily with illustrator or Corel Draw but I don't have either of those. I've seen others use Inkscape with it so I was hoping to as well. Currently I save my designs and open them in GIMP. Then I export them as a jpg and import there image to cut studio. It works pretty good although sometimes it can have the jagged edges like a jpg does. Oddly enough text cuts really good and most of my images cut a smooth edge. I don't know... I'm just getting started in this so I'm learning on the fly. Nothing like on the job training. Lol
Jpeg is the most evil of formats. Except for photos, never ever use it for logos, designs, text etc. Use PNG if you must use a raster. Although starting with Inkscape you should never need to generate any sort of raster to make your machine cut as it should be able to take the vectors directly.
I can't the software for the cutter to accept any format from Inkscape. One time I took a jpeg to Inkscape and vectorized it. Then opened back up in GIMP and saved it as a different format and it cut really good but I don't remember what format that was. Lol.
Hi,
I know this is a bit old but I'm having the same issue: We just got a Roland BN-20 printer/cutter at work and we want to use Inkscape. Then I have to use Roland VersaWorks to import the image, print and cut. The problem is that VersaWorks is finnicky and only accepts a few formats but I believe EPS is a vectorized format. The others are JPG, PS, TIFF and a few others but does not accept Adobe, CorelDraw, PNG and so on. So if I stick to EPS, everytime I load the image in VersaWorks, double-click it then chose the Cut Controls option and select "Cut image boundaries", it always shows the cutting line as a big square around the image rather than where I need to cut.
So in Inkscape, just for testing, if I make a circle, then I highlight-it, click on Path-> Trace Bitmap -> Colors (also tried Edge Detection), then I click OK and close the dialog box. Then I highlight my circle then click on the second icon in the left pane which is an angled black triangle with a line and 3 purple squares. Then on my circle, I see a bunch of gray squares which to me I believe it confirms that this is a vectorized image. From this point, I figured that I'd only have to do Save As, chose .EPS format and click OK.... but when I load it in Versa Works, it still sees the background on the image and that's where it wants to cut rather than cutting the circle.
Any idea?
Thanks!
Ben