Get advice to help you create your t-shirt graphics. Discuss t-shirt design software, special effect techniques, or other topics related to creating a t-shirt design on your computer. If you'd rather hire a graphic designer to do the work for you, please post in our Referrals and Recommendations section here.
The words and the lightning bolt have been converted to paths and the cutter would cut out the exact shape I guess, but how would I get it to cut the black stroke (outline).
Do you have to convert the stroke to a path? <sheepish grin>How do you do that? </sheepish grin>
I should say that this is copy of a picture I found on the internet that I thought I could use as n exercise for my new cutter and to learn how to draw vectors in Corel Draw. I am actually using Fireworks, because even though I don't know it particularly well, I know it 1000 times better than Corel, although my goal is to become a Corel guru!
If you were to do it in CorelDRAW, you would remove the outline (stroke) from your image, then do a contour everywhere you'd like there to be a stroke.
The advantage of using the contour tool is that you won't need to go back and do back minus front on the outline if you just converted your outline to curves.
I'm sorry, I wouldn't have a clue how to do it in Fireworks.
If you need a more complete description I'd be happy to post one.
I have never used Corel draw, but maybe I can still help you. To do it in Illustrator I go to Object> Expand> Stroke or Object> Path> Outline Stoke. Maybe you can find some similarity.
Yes, in CorelDRAW it's similar, but for working with vinyl, I don't really like to use strokes as they're more involved than just using the contour tool.
Remember, this needs to be a vinyl-ready design, and when you convert your outlines (strokes) to curves, you're left with additional paths that you don't need. Using outline just gives you the outline, and nothing needs to be removed.
If you are just wanting the outline, it is easy to do. Select your object (if it is text, convert your text to curves). Apply your ouline and select Arrange> convert outline to object. Select everything, and click on the simplify button. Go to wireframe view and you should be able to see all of the cut lines. This will give you a "butt" of one color against the other.
If you are wanting a blank space in between your text/object, that is a diff story. Let me know and I will give you those instructions.
Last edited by KenS; February 23rd, 2008 at 07:51 PM.
Reason: Second thought
First, let me say that I am by no means a pro. I am also trying to learn the different ways to go about doing and accomplishing different tasks. I know nothing about Illy. I am a Corel X3 user.
I am in the process of trying to learn a new software for a project for the wife. The software is for her to make video tutorials for her work. So since I was playing with the software anyway, I thought that I would show you how to create your cut files in Corel X3.
This is non-scripted and unedited, but dont laugh to much. This is about 10 mins long, and would have taken only about 4-5 mins to actually do the design if I was just to sit down and do it without explaining the step or what I was doing. I am sure that most of this is similar in Illy, so I hope this helps you out.
How do you get a stroke to be a path? 
