Every machine comes with its own built-in software.It’s only natural to wonder: is this really the best vinyl cutting software?Should I upgrade?Can it damage my machine if I use it, or will I be wasting my time learning how to use plotter software that isn’t completely compatible with my machine?I’ll go over all of this in a bit.In this review, I’ll go over the best vinyl plotting software you can buy today, along with some free software options.Whether you’re looking to design your own vinyl signs, stickers, or clothing, I’ll go over the best choice for you. Table of Contents.What’s the best vinyl cutting software?I’ll start with the software that’s used the most for vinyl cutters – all of the vinyl design software mentioned here is currently recommended.These options are completely safe to use and will not damage your machine.As new updates are released, I’ll update this article. Sure Cuts A Lot 5 reviewSure Cuts A Lot is one of the easiest to use programs for cutting. It supports combining fonts, importing your own shapes, lines, artwork, cut lines, as well as drawing your own.With Sure Cuts A Lot 5, they’ve brought a lot of the typical functionality you’re used to in Photoshop and other Adobe editing products into the SCAL workflow (easy to use guidelines, magnetic snapping, and masking).SCAL supports both TrueType and OpenType fonts so you’ll have lots of fonts that you can download for free and use.If you have pre-existing images that aren’t vectors, you can use its auto-tracing features to convert any shape into a cut image.
A few points to make are availability on different platforms, so are there Windows, Mac and Linux Versions?Is the app still being Developed; Make The Cut, while a very competent app, isn’t being actively developed for the foreseeable future, so compatibility issues could arise especially on mac with the release of Mojave. They don’t even tell people this at the point of purchase, which is very misleading and a bit morally skewed IMHO.What about Silhouette apps and their ecosystem.
You have to pay for the privilege of importing SVG. Still good apps but trying to tie you in to their system is a bit off for me and so I won’t buy their software, it stifles creativity.
Before you can get started with Sure Cuts a Lot 4, you’ll need to install your cutting machine.SCAL4 can automatically install the USB drivers for. You’ll need to install the driver before you connect your cutting machine to your computer.Under the “Help” menu, there is an option called “USB Driver Install.” This will give you a list of. If your machine is on the list, you can select it and click “OK” to install the drivers.If your machine is not listed, it doesn’t need a driver installed. Or, you need to install the driver manually from a disc or the manufacturer’s website. Setting Up Your Cutting MatSCAL 4 provides an on-screen, as a workspace for you to create and edit your designs.
There are several default sizes you can choose for your cutting mat, or you can create a custom size.You can set the size of the mat by selecting “Mat Size” from the “Cutter” menu or the “Document Properties” tab. Setting up the cutting mat is the first and most important step for getting started with Sure Cuts a Lot 4. My LibraryThe “My Library” menu allows you to choose shapes, fonts, and projects. You can choose from default shapes and fonts provided by Sure Cuts a Lot 4, or you can import your own shapes and fonts.
WorkspacesYou can create custom arrangements called “Workspaces.” These are windows, tools, and various other panels. There are two pre-defined workspaces available (“Basic,” and “Advanced”. But, you can also create a new workspace from scratch.You can select or create a new workspace from the “Window” “Workspace” menu. Creating DesignsThere are many options for creating new designs in Sure Cuts a Lot 4.
Sure Cuts A Lot Software
Whether you’re starting from scratch, or just editing a design you’ve imported, SCAL 4 makes it fast and easy. Here is a rundown of what you can do:. Text. Shapes.
Welding. Tracing. Paths. ShadowsAdding TextYou can add text to your cutting mat or design using the “Type Tools” in the tools panel.
There are several options for different types of text. This includes horizontal type, vertical type, type on path, and type on arch.“Type on Path” allows you to add text following a line that you create. The line can be anything from a wave to a box, to any other shape you can imagine.“Type on Arch” creates your text in an arch, which you can adjust to your desired size and slope.The default “Text Tools” option creates horizontal text. The “Vertical Text” is self-explanatory.Under the “Fonts” tab in “My Library,” you can specify the fonts and special characters you’d like to use in your text. Adding ShapesTo add a pre-existing shape to your cutting mat, go to the “Shapes” tab in “My Library.” By default, the shapes will go to the center of the cutting mat.Once your shape is on the mat, you can edit them using the “Selection Tool.” Once you’ve selected the shape, eight blue dots will appear. You can use it to move, resize, and change the angle of the shapeYou can also change the properties of the shape while it’s selected.
The “Properties Panel” allows you to change attributes like the size, color, and position of the shape. WeldingThe “Welding” option in Sure Cuts a Lot 4 allows you to merge several overlapping shapes or text into one single object.Simply arrange your objects on the mat so that they overlap. Select both objects at the same time, then check the “Weld” checkbox in the “Properties Panel.”Now if you click the “Preview” toolbar button, you can see how the shapes will cut.
The lines around the overlapping areas are removed so the won’t cut them. Tracing ImagesSCAL4 allows you to from other sources. Also, it automatically traces the image to create cutting lines. To open the “Trace Image” options, you can navigate to the “File” menu. Then, choose “Trace Image, or you can click the “Trace” toolbar button.
Drawing Your Own ShapesYou can use the “Drawing Tool” to draw your own shapes on the cutting mat. You can draw straight lines as well as curves. Editing ShapesYou can edit imported or self-drawn shapes using the “Edit Tool” in the toolbar. This will allow you to highlight the points you wish to change, then drag them around to reposition them.
Simplifying Shapes. The “Simplify” feature in Sure Cuts a Lot 4 allows you to reduce the number of nodes/points in a shape. This results in smoother curves and making it easier to edit the shape. Path OptionsThe “Path” menu provides options for combining two shapes together to create a new shape. There are several different methods of doing this.“Union” combines two or more overlapping shapes into a single, larger shape. Unlike the “weld” option, once the shapes join together, they create a permanent new shape, and can’t be separated again.“Intersection” will output the overlapping part of the two shapes, erasing everything else.“Exclude” does the opposite. It erases the overlapping part of the two shapes, outputting the rest.
Silhouette Cameo Cut Settings Chart
“Back Minus Front” does the opposite. It then erases whichever shape was in the front. And, leaving only the part of the back shape that was not overlapping with the other shape. RhinestonesSCAL4 allows you to create rhinestone templates.
While you have an object selected, navigate to the “Object” menu and select “Rhinestones.” You can then choose the size and spacing of the stones. Furthermore, you can preview how the design will look with the rhinestones. Shadow LayerYou can add a shadow outline layer to any object by choosing the “Shadow Layer” option from the “Effects” menu.Then, you can choose a standard shadow, a rounded shadow, or a shadow with beveled corners.
You can also select the size, and adjust the outlines and position. Other Menu OptionsYes, we’ve covered a lot of the basic settings and operations in Sure Cuts a Lot 4. Yet, there are still many more options you can change. Rather than going over every single menu option, we’ll just look at the most commonly-used choices.
Silhouette Cameo 3 Sure Cuts A Lot Pro
The Tools PanelWe have mentioned several tools already. Yet, there are still several more menu options available in the tool panel. “Knife” tool can create a cut line to separate an object into separate segments.The Properties PanelYou can adjust the settings for your cutting mat and any objects on the mat using the “Properties Panel.”. “Fill and Stroke” options will change how you fill your objects.