PixScan Help

mom I'm pretty sure I followed the tutorial on the Silhouette School blog when I got my mat - although it does use an older version of the software.

www.silhouetteschoolblog.com/2014/09/silhouette-pixscan-tutorial-for.html

www.silhouetteschoolblog.com/2014/09/silhouette-pixscan-tutorial-taking-it.html

There's also this video from Silhouette

www.youtube.com/watch?v=19VoNFEgKsQ

I recommend really good lighting for taking your photo(s). My house uses energy efficient lights, and even using my high quality cameras, the software wouldn’t accept the photos unless I took them outside on a bright, sunny morning.

I could never get it to work consistently. Just when I thought I had it down it would mis-cut an entire sheet of stamped/colored images. I gave up trying...too frustrating

Good advice! Now I have to think about the steps involved.  

When you say about the 1 inch square, you mean because when you import the scanned image it may resize in the software? 

And to reuse the file, then you would do the cut first, stamp second method?

Do you know of any step by step tutorials on this? 

I’m doing this from memory, but I will try to give you detailed directions.

First, the scan:

You need a colored cardstock 1 inch square to scan near your stamped images because the resolution it scans at depends on your settings. I prefer to scan at a higher resolution such as 300 dpi, so it comes in huge, but it will give me a nicer image for print and cut. Even when I scanned at 72 dpi, it didn’t always come in at the right size, anyway.

I open the scanned image into my Silhouette software, then I create a once inch cutting square off to the side and “fill” it with a different color than the cardstock square. If my scan came in huge, I use the corner of the selected image (the scan) to drag the scanned page of images down to a smaller size. I eyeball it at first, trying to get the cardstock square to about the same size as the Silhouette cutting file square. Because I make the cutting file square AFTER I bring in the scanned image, that colored cutting file will be at the front, so I can position it right next to my scanned image cardstock square. I carefully adjust the scanned image till the two squares match.

Next I will do my trace of the scanned stamped images to create the cutting file(s). I can do an offset after tracing if I want a thin border. If I am going to also make stamp blanks, it is best to have a slight offset. If I do the offset, I need to remove the original trace cutting line.

Once I have my cutting file, I can add registration marks, make sure that my scanned and traced images are within those marks, and save it. I now have a print and cut file that I can use over and over.

For the “cut first, stamp second,” method, I want to create a separate file. I start with the print and cut file that I just created, but I eliminate the registration marks and the scanned images. I can duplicate the cutting files to make more if I want, and I usually make sure that the cardstock is covered, with one exception: I have one stamp blank for each stamp that has at least 1/2 to 1 inch of white space around it, with NO other stamp blanks crowding it. We’ll call this a stencil. You need one stencil for each different stamped image blank.

Once the stamp blank page is done to my satisfaction, I do a “save as” for the file with a slightly different name so that I don’t accidentally overwrite my print and cut file.

I cut as many stamp blanks as I want, usually from white or cream colored cardstock. I keep the stencil(s) after removing the stamp blanks, but throw the rest of the outline scraps away.

To use the blanks, you need a stamp platform. I use magnets to fasten one of the stencils to the base. I place the stamp, image side down in the stencil* (see note below), close the lid to pick up my stamp, and raise the lid. I remove the stencil, and replace it with a piece of scrap paper, which I tape to my base. I ink the stamp, stamp it onto my scrap paper. Next, I position my stencil over the image so that the image fits perfectly within the stencil. I use the magnets to hold it in place. I add a stamp blank to the stencil. It will fit perfectly. The stencil will hold the stamp blank in place. Make sure the magnets are not so close to the stamp blank that they interfere when you stamp. Ink your stamp, close the lid, press onto the blank, then raise the lid. The blank often sticks to the stamp. Use your fingernail to flick it off without smearing the inked image. You should have a perfectly stamped and cut image.

I use the “cut first, stamp second” method a lot. If you need a video of the process, I think someone linked one in an older thread. I can try to find it and link it here. There may be a video for making your own print and cut files, but I just figured that out on my own.

*You do not necessarily need the stencil in place to position your stamp, but it helps me to make sure I am not putting the stamp too close to the edge. If too close to the edge, my stencil may not fit.

Let me know if my directions need clarifying.