SVGSQUAD
Well, if you are still not very clear about what a cutting file is, I will explain that they are designs that have an extension of .svg or .dxf so when uploading them to the design program of your cutting plotter you will find them separated into layers and this it will facilitate any adaptation.
However, when we do our projects to personalize, we look for many ideas to inspire us, and then we define how we want our project to look. This is where the challenge begins.
Do you know what a cut file is? And do you know the benefits of creating your cut files?
Well, if you are still not very clear about what a cutting file is, I will explain that they are designs that have an extension of .svg or .dxf so when uploading them to the design program of your cutting plotter you will find them separated into layers and this it will facilitate any adaptation.
However, when we do our projects to personalize, we look for many ideas to inspire us, and then we define how we want our project to look. This is where the challenge begins.
Sometimes we find ourselves with the problem that a particular theme is not available for download or that the options we see are simply not to our liking.
It is just at that point where there are not enough free resources on the internet for the development of certain themes, characters, dies, etc, and more when it is an extra personalized project that needs exclusive design features.
I know that it is usually a bit frustrating not finding the exact resources you need to make one of those personalized crafts and I know that when we see the inspiration photos on Pinterest they make us think that designing yourself projects to cut on plotters is something easy to achieve, and it is true! You just need to identify the correct tools.
By being clear about the tools and materials that are needed, you will be able to obtain results with the WOW effect you want.
Before continuing to talk about the benefits of creating your cutting files, I want to highlight the different files that exist for working with cutting machines, as there are options that can help you with simpler projects.
File types available to build projects on cutting plotters .
- JPG: it is an image compression format, both in color and in grayscale, with high quality. it is the quintessential format for photographs. But depending on the quality of the image, we can convert it into functional files within our cutting plotter.
- PNG: It is a format that supports the transparency of the background. So it is ideal for creating shapes and silhouettes on our cutting machines. In addition, I recommend this type of file to work on print and cut projects.
- SVG: The acronym SVG stands for (Scalable Vector Graphics) in other words, they are designs that maintain their proportion regardless of the number of times its size is increased or reduced. This allows quality graphics to be obtained.This format is perfect for different cutting plotters since SVG files contain separate layers or layers that allow them to be manipulated independently for perfect cuts.
- DXF: Saves the drawings, strokes, or lines, it allows us to export them to the different cutting programs for their manipulation as silhouettes.
Here is a comparative table between Cricut and Silhouette with the types of files that you can upload on each of these platforms.
Ultimately, SVG is the format that I particularly prefer to use, since when loaded into the machine system they are automatically in layers with all the assigned colors, so you can go directly to produce. It is the format par excellence to create 3D dies and stationery.
Now, if you are interested in creating your cutting files, because you feel limited in the program of your cutting machine, you can make them from any of the vector design programs that exist, however, the most famous design program is Illustrator from the Adobe company and it’s the one I use!
Illustrator is a program that you can use on MAC or PC, with which you can create multiple types of projects, this program is used to illustrate cartoons, create logos, cards, among other things. It has a monthly cost that will depend on the plan you select
