Am using FlexiPro 7.6 and am hoping there is an easy way to do this....I need to fatten up a font...I thought I was doing this by increasing the stroke width, but the inner red text line stays the same thickness no matter what I set the stroke width at? Don't quite understand this , yet, obviously. Then, I thought if I added an outline, I could cut the outer outline without cutting the main text, can't find a way to do that either....anyway...maybe someone can help? Am trying to use University Roman BT Bold on a small sandblasted sign and it just ain't fat enough, but this is the style that the customer wants. Would hand draw/cut it, but that defeats my whole purpose of buying a vinyl cutter capable of cutting sandblast stencil. Also, is there a special transfer tape made just for blast stencil....and do you weed first, then transfer or transfer first, then weed to avoid stretching the stencil?
Posted by Tim Whitcher (Member # 685) on :
Can't give you a "step-by-step" since I'm not familiar with Flexi, but I usually just create an outline, then group and delete the original font. Maybe someone with Flexi will chime in.
Posted by Dave Correll (Member # 100) on :
what you need to do is create your outline then select the text and outline and in the menu under effects...at the bottom of the pop-up window is "separate outline" Do this then you can select just the outline. You can also right click the text and outline and get a simalar pop-up window.
when we cut blasting mask, we weed like ordinary vinyl and use regular transfer tape. The trick is to flip the mask after you tape it and squeegee it again then pull the backing off carefully while it's still flipped.
Good luck!
Posted by Joe Crumley (Member # 2307) on :
Beth,
Dave has the process right.
I'd give a caution with this font as it doesn't fatten up very well. A little goes a long way.
I'm Emailing you a photo of a sign with a deliclate font to show you how we deal with this kind of situation.
Joe
Posted by David Harding (Member # 108) on :
We always weed our sandblast mask after it has been applied. For us, it is easier to keep it from stretching and distorting that way.
I recently had to fatten up some University Roman BT Bold for a sandblasted sign. I did the bolder stroke in Corel because just adding an equidistant outline will distort the relationship between the horizontal and vertical strokes.
In Corel, I added an outline and in the outline dialog box, changed the nib shape to 25% height and even rotated it slightly counter clockwise to make it more parallel to the angled top serifs, keeping them relatively delicate. Doing a 25% height nib adds a greater percentage to the vertical strokes than the horizontal and keeps the integrity of the font more intact. Control Shift Q will convert it to curves. Delete the text and the inner portion of the outline and you have a more true to form version of bolder copy.
I'm about to go to a meeting. Since I thoroughly confused everyone, I'll try to post a step by step tomorrow.
[ August 16, 2005, 07:57 PM: Message edited by: David Harding ]
Posted by David Harding (Member # 108) on :
Here is a step by step on how to fatten up a thick and thin font without totally destroying the integrity of it. On the other hand, my integrity for posting this...
The following graphic shows University Roman BT in normal and various thickened modes.
Aesthetic fonts have a precise relationship between the vertical and horizontal strokes. Just fattening it up all the way around changes the proportions between those strokes and kills the beauty of it.
The following shows the Corel outline tool dialog box with an equidistant outline, the least appealing option:
The following shows the Corel outline tool dialog box with a distorted outline, which adds more to the vertical strokes than the horizontal, thus keeping more in line with the natural shape of the letters:
The following shows the Corel outline tool dialog box with a distorted and angled outline, thus keeping the angled top serifs more delicate. Note that angling the outline adds a little more heft to the horizontal strokes, although we still have pretty good definition between the vertical and horizontal:
You can also use similar techniques to add thick and thin strokes to curved swooshes and lines you may create.
This doesn't tell how to do it in Flexi but you can convert the outline to curves in Corel and import it into Flexi (that's what I do). I don't know enough about Illustrator to know if this technique will work with Illustrator.
[ August 17, 2005, 09:33 PM: Message edited by: David Harding ]
Posted by Dave Grundy (Member # 103) on :
Thanks David!
Nice explanation on how, and why, to do something that I had never considered previously.
We learn something new every day EH?
Posted by Bruce Bowers (Member # 892) on :
That Harding dude is one heck of a guy!
WTG, Dave!
Posted by Lotti Prokott (Member # 2684) on :
Wow, thank you very much, Dave. So simple and yet I never knew this.
I'll bump this up, so others won't miss your tutorial.
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