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Fonts for Silhouette Cutter


Cheetah11

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Hi Everyone

 

Since I got the cutter for Christmas I have been learning the intricacies of the software and it is progressing well apart from one problem. It does not like all True Type fonts , especially the RAF Standard font. Using the font converters  available on the internet has proved unsuccessful. Has anybody run into the same problem or have a solution ? I have printed the letters in Word and the imported it as an image, but it seems to distort the letters. Any suggestions ?

 

Regards

 

Nick

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I did run into a little bit of that initially, but after I picked up the "designer edition" software for my Silhouette Portrait (not because of any font issues, but because I wanted the ability to import/export Vector/AI/EPS format as well as their nesting feature)  I no longer seemed to have any font issues. I have used multitude of fonts, but not had any issues with the standard Windows  *.TTF fonts getting imported into the Silhouette software. 

 

As far as Im aware, any TTF font should be able to be imported into Windows (no clue on anything  converted in apple, as I wont touch anything made by that company) as any font type should be, then the Silhouette software just picks up on what font Windows contains. 

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What you really need to do is to convert fonts into vector objects.  The cutter has no problem with that.  That's what it's designed to do.  

 

 

Not necessarily, as if you have a base stock Silhouette Portrait cutter like mine, they do not come OOB with the ability to import/export Vectors. As I noted above, in that case you need to upgrade to the "Designer Edition"  Silhouette software. 

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It's been like 3 years since mine's been out of the box, but I don't recall buying any software upgrade, and I was able to cut from an Illustrator file when I bought it.  Unless my memory is failing...

 

 

I was never able to import/export Vectors with my OOB Silhouette Portrait. Part of the laundry list of "additions" for the Designer addition software above and beyond the normal included software is the import/export of Vector format files. Unfortunately, the OOB software will also not allow the import/export of .pdfs either. 

 

The following is a list of features included with the Silhouette Studio Designer Edition software and some helpful tutorial videos for more information.

***Note: Some of these features are available in older versions of Silhouette Studio Designer Edition Plus; however, tool icons, display, and user interface may differ from the videos below:

To have access to all of these features, please first ensure you are using the latest version of Silhouette Studio, which can be updated here, and have the Designer Edition upgrade applied in your software.

 

I agree though, it probably should have been included in the OOB software release, although I get why they didnt. 

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Hi Brian and Jennings,

 

Thanks for the reply

 

I suspect I will have to get the Designer Edition to solve the problem. What is strange that of the 3 aircraft fonts I found all are .ttf (true type fonts) and two work perfectly(USAF and German WW2) and one does not even display in the font selection window (RAF modern font). The RAF .ttf font works perfectly in Word and as a .pdf file, but not in the Sillouette program.

 

Nick

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Hi Brian and Jennings,

 

Thanks for the reply

 

I suspect I will have to get the Designer Edition to solve the problem. What is strange that of the 3 aircraft fonts I found all are .ttf (true type fonts) and two work perfectly(USAF and German WW2) and one does not even display in the font selection window (RAF modern font). The RAF .ttf font works perfectly in Word and as a .pdf file, but not in the Sillouette program.

 

Nick

Did you make sure you unzipped it? I only ask, as the only time I had that issue was when I tried to insert the TTF directly from the zip, as opposed to unzipping it first then inserting it where it needs to be.

 

Strange.....just reread your post, and if it works in Word, it should work in Silhouette

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Some font ttf files are well designed and should cut (or lase, or etch, or cnc etc...) perfectly well. Others, especially poorly designed ones, maybe prepared by scanning botmap originals, will be so full of superflous nodes and curves, they will give you plotter a real nightmatr to cut neatly.

 

You can always create your own fonts too, Coreldraw for example had all the tools you need to design vharacters and export them as a ttf font. It isn't particularly straightforward but it works. You can do cool stuff like create standard designs, stencil designs, national markings, anything really, and have the available as a single chatacter in your own ttf font file.

 

Or you could just save them as ai or cdr or dxf files and import them directly.

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As far as Im aware, any TTF font should be able to be imported into Windows

 

I have the Designer upgrade and they won't import into mine.

Google RAF fonts and find them in another format. You're

going to have to use the trace function once in Silhouette anyway.

 

https://www.silhouetteamerica.com/faq/solution/using-external-images

 

Or you could use the Pixscan function to import a printed image

from your scanner or phone.

 

https://www.silhouetteamerica.com/pixscan

 

hth :)

Edited by mmaben
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Hi Everyone,

 

thanks for all the replies and suggestions. I have no experience with drawing programs, so it is not feasible to get a CAD  or similar program just for one font. The time to learn the software will just take too long.

 

I have been playing with a different option and on the computer screen it looks a lot closer to what I need. The RAF font works perfectly in Powerpoint as well, and the file options to 'save as', is just so much more. I generated the letters as large as possible in Powerpoint and the saved it as a "machine independent GIF" file.  I then imported the file into the Silouette program and shrunk it to the right size. This seems to import without all the distortion of a JPEG into the Sillouette program. The proof of the pudding will be when I am home tomorrow and actually cut a mask. If it is not satisfactory, I will try some of the different file formats. I will keep you updated.

 

Nick

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I have the Designer upgrade and they won't import into mine.

Google RAF fonts and find them in another format. You're

going to have to use the trace function once in Silhouette anyway.

 

https://www.silhouetteamerica.com/faq/solution/using-external-images

 

Or you could use the Pixscan function to import a printed image

from your scanner or phone.

 

https://www.silhouetteamerica.com/pixscan

 

hth :)

I wonder, does it have anything to do with the OP sys one is running?

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LSP should open a sub area for those who wish to share their files (for silhouette printing masks) on a voluntary basis as a reposit for others who then can download a required file either for free or for a 1$/€ donation to LSP.

Just thinking outloud here! I have always wanted to get one of these cutters and use it to make my own masks - I just don't have time right now to learn the software...

Cheers

Alan

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I'm still running good ol' Windows 7  :rolleyes:

 

 

 

If it's in there, it should work.  :thumbsup:

 

 

Yep me too. That is curious indeed. I probably havnt tried the right (or wrong in this case actually) font that wont import. So far *KNOCKS ON WOOD* I havnt had any issues importing TTF fonts yet.   

 

Although I havnt really DL any British fonts yet, only WWII German and American.

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