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Steve Clarkson
01-09-2009, 3:01 PM
What is the best way to change text so that the inside of letters doesn't fall out when vector cut? I'm attaching a CorelDraw file that simply has the name "Amanda" spelled out in Cooper BLK with no fill. I used three rectangles to create an island of white for the middle of the first "A", but I'm hoping that there must be an easier way (regardless of the font) to accomplish this.

Any ideas?

Darryl Hazen
01-09-2009, 3:14 PM
Steve, try posting it in a lower version of Corel. I get an error message when trying to open it.

Joe Pelonio
01-09-2009, 3:17 PM
Is this for stencils? If so, your way is what I do if there is no stencil font that will work. There are many available free online though if you google "free stencil fonts."

Like this site:

http://simplythebest.net/fonts/stencil_fonts.html

Stephen Beckham
01-09-2009, 3:25 PM
Steve,

May not be easier - but - if you are doing what I do on occasion, I convert the text to curves. Break the curves apart. Then I take the inner lines and up their thickness to .5 or higher to raster them. Leaving the outer edges as hairlines allows the letter to be cut out, but the center would have an etched line so that you still have definition in the letter.

Not sure if that's what you wanted, but it's the way I make magnetic letters to hang on doors. You can also fill in the center black so that triangle is totally etched leaving a clean A the rest of the way around...

Sorry if that's not what you were asking...

The other Steve....

Steve Clarkson
01-09-2009, 3:31 PM
Sorry Darryl, here it is in v10.

Joe, I was hoping to find a way to basically make my own stencils, regardless of the font. I don't want to be limited by whatever stencil font that I have.....and in this case, I don't want it to look like a stencil.....in other words, I don't want letters like M and S to have lines cut through them.....I just want to find a relatively easy way (if that's possible) to get the inside parts of letters to not fall out when I cut them.......if that makes sense.

Steve Clarkson
01-09-2009, 3:35 PM
Hmmmm.....guess I didn't realize that there were two ways of looking at this........did I want the letters that fall out to be intact or did I want the holes that are left behind to be intact? Both actually!!!!! I know it would be two different ways.....but yes, I want to know how to do it BOTH ways!!!! Thanks for pointing that out.

Scott Shepherd
01-09-2009, 3:37 PM
Steve, just draw a little rectangle, then highlight the rectangles and the text, do "Arrange", "Shaping", "Front minus Back" and you're all set.

Steve Clarkson
01-09-2009, 3:51 PM
Scott, the problem there is that then the outline isn't closed so the letter won't fall out.....see attached....I did what you suggested to the A on the second line. That's why I was using three rectangles.....the other two were to close the loops.

Scott Shepherd
01-09-2009, 3:55 PM
Sure it is! Hold on, I'll check. I have someone coming in here in about 5 minutes. Let me try...

Scott Shepherd
01-09-2009, 3:57 PM
See example. Am I missing what you are trying to do?

Mike Mackenzie
01-09-2009, 4:08 PM
Steve,

I think the problem you are having is due to the font itself. That font is 2 lines one inside and one outside.

If you want to use this font then what I did was to draw a rectangle and then weld it to the character then I used the virtual segment delete tool and removed the excess parts of the rectangle.

The key is the font is a single line once it is done.

Steve Clarkson
01-09-2009, 4:25 PM
OK, just because it worked doesn't mean you're right.....

The problem was the font I had picked (Cooper BLK OUT).....so when I tried it your way, it didn't work. Then when I saw your example using Ariel, I figured out that the problem was the one font I had chosen.....I tried your way on five other fonts and it worked every time.

Thanks!

Steve Clarkson
01-09-2009, 4:28 PM
Thanks Mike....I did just figure out it was the font I had picked. But thank you for showing me how to do it on this one......I've never used the virtual segment delete tool before......I've now got another arrow in my quiver thanks to you!

Carrol Fleming
01-10-2009, 12:26 PM
I use another method to make stencils.

Change the font to an outline, convert to curves, and then use the erase tool to make a path to the center piece. I then use the shape tool to tweak the letter.

Hope this helps
Carrol

Steve Clarkson
01-10-2009, 12:30 PM
Thanks Carol.....I think that was what I was trying to do too.....