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How to Cut Your Own Handwriting in Silhouette Studio

Cut, Handwriting, Silhouette Studio

One of our many talented readers shared a Father's Day Silhouette project she made on our Facebook page and you all went crazy for it.  It was a picture frame that included a handwritten note from her late father...the note had been cut on vinyl and stuck on the glass.  Since many of you asked how it was done, I thought I'd share a tutorial on cutting your own handwriting in Silhouette Studio.

Not to get all sappy on you, but my ninth wedding anniversary is coming up so I thought I'd use the handwritten note my husband gave me (stuck on a mirror) when he proposed more than 10 years ago to demonstrate.   Plus, it's a two for one for me because I get to share a tutorial and make him a gift. Nothing like mulit-tasking!


So here's the note.


Awww...

I'm laughing now I as think about him, with a ring burning a hole in his pocket, scribbling on a sports notepad while sitting on a runway at O'Hare following delay after delay on his way from western PA to Fargo, ND to propose.  We were high school sweethearts, but had been long distance for five years at that time, so what was 10 more hours to wait.  It probably felt like an eternity.   Anyway, ten years, five moves and two kids later I still have that little note.

Please excuse me as I reminisce...back to why you're here.

So get your handwriting - a letter, a signature, a special card or poem, something cute your kindergartener came up with in class or whatever.  It's best to scan the paper directly onto your computer, but you could also take a picture with you camera and then upload it onto your computer that way.

Once it's on your computer, save it as a jpeg and drag it into Silhouette Studio.  Click here if you need a refresher on bringing jpegs into Studio.

Cut, Handwriting, Silhouette Studio, handwritten note

Now you're going to trace.  Click the Trace Window > Click 'Select Trace Area > Select around your handwriting > Uncheck high pass filter > slide threshold towards 100% until you get crisp solid yellow lines > Click 'Trace'

Cut, Handwriting, Silhouette Studio, trace,

Once you hit 'Trace' you'll get a red outline around all of your letters.

Cut, Handwriting, Silhouette Studio, trace

Now you can move the actual handwritten piece out of the way and delete it and you'll be left with a handwriting cut design.

Cut, Handwriting, Silhouette Studio, trace
 
If you need to group your cut design together so you can resize and move it around the page as you prepare to cut.

OPTIONAL: I wanted my design to cut on vinyl AND I wanted it on the inside of the glass picture frame. Since that means it will technically be flipped, I need to make the text mirrored.

Cut, Handwriting, Silhouette Studio, replicate, mirror right

Now I'm ready to cut the handwritten note on vinyl.  I went with black 651 so it kind of looks like a black sharpie on the frame.   Take it from me ... DOUBLE CUT if you have small handwriting...and slow your speed down to a 1 or 2. Even with this at 6" wide, each letter was so small that it was very difficult to weed. I think the double cut really helps make sure the letters aren't sticking to the negative space of the vinyl.

Then grab your transfer paper, press it down really well onto the vinyl handwriting and you can move it to wherever you want!

Cut, Handwriting, Silhouette Studio, vinyl, transfer paper

I put mine on the inside/back side of the glass of a picture frame...

Cut, Handwriting, Silhouette Studio, vinyl, glass

...and then I put the picture 'behind' the text.

Cut, Handwriting, Silhouette Studio, vinyl, picture frame

And that's all there is to cutting your own handwriting (or your soon-to-be fiance's handwritten love notes.)

Cut, Handwriting, Silhouette Studio, cut file




Note: This post may contain affiliate links. By clicking on them and purchasing products through my links, I received a small commission. That's what helps fund Silhouette School so I can keep buying new Silhouette-related products to show you how to get the most out of your machine! 

Thanks for coming to class today at Silhouette School.  If you like what you see, I'd love for you to pin it!


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4 comments

  1. This is the coolest idea!! Thanks for sharing your tutorial. PS - I love your story; My husband and I were high school sweethearts, too, and had a long-distance relationship while we were in college :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. SO excited to find this! I've been following your IG and come to your blog sometimes and I am SOOOOO ADD that I end up going from one post to another and get side-tracked before I read anything all the way through! I have been wanting to use MY OWN hand-writing (as soon as I think it's good enough) for making my sign stencils and I feel so overwhelmed thinking I need to buy these expensive programs and equipment to actually do all the things conjured up in my crazy head. I knew there had to be a way to do it with my Cameo! YOU my dear, are a life-saver and I cannot thank you enough for all the effort and energy you put into this blog to help gazillions of people out there that left their Portraits and Cameos in the box they got for Christmas 6 years ago (I may or may not actually be one of those people). If you ever wonder if this is your calling, just STOP IT and think of those of us that couldn't live without you....at least on a crafty and creative sort of level. God bless you Melissa!
    ~Missy

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  3. Just want to make sure I understand correctly - the black vinyl on backside of glass - so it is the back (sticky side) of the vinyl that is actually showing through the front?

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  4. I love the effort of people making education more valuable. Like critique essay examples are bets for students to take a look for better writing essays.

    ReplyDelete

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