Using Bitmaps as Guides

This video tutorial will show you how to use a bitmap image to create a vector layout that can be used to create a rhinestone design in the CrystalStudio software. This will demonstrate tools and methods that help make a symmetrical design.

Using the Color Selection Tools in Ioline Design

The Color Selection Tools give you more ways to control your stone selection design options in Ioline Design

A few of the Basic Design Tools in Ioline Design

This post will show you how to use a few of the design tools found in Ioline Design

Ioline Design Features for the Crystal Press

Minimum Spacing Settings for Ioline Design

When setting the minimum spacing between stones in Ioline Design (under "Rhinestone Spacing" in "Fit Object To Path"), different stone sizes have different minimum spacing measurements as follows:

6ss = .10
10ss = .14
12ss = .15
16ss = .18
20ss = .21
30ss = .27

Using Line Fonts to Match Lettering

CrystalPress designers often want to convert lettering or logos into a single line of crystals. There are a couple of ways to do this, depending mostly on whether you also have access to CorelDraw or some other design program (Adobe Illustrator or Inkscape). Today we going to compare using a "centerline trace" in Corel/AI/Inkscape to using Ioline line fonts to "trace" a design

If you have one of those programs (in addition to Ioline Design), you can scan the design and then do a "centerline trace". A centerline trace will, essentially draw a line down the middle of the letters or shapes (more or less). However, it it is more often "less". The centerline drawn will usually need a lot of editing and will sometimes be jagged or crooked. The screen capture below shows the difference between a centerline trace and lettering created by modifying a line font. The upper "IOLINE" was centerline traced.

The lower "IOLINE" was created by selecting a font that was as similar as possible to the original font, then modifying the line font characters to match the original characters. Notice that the centerline trace is a little rough while the line font is nice and straight.

Tracing an original design with a line font first involves importing the lettering or log as a bitmap. You will then use that bitmap image underneath the line font as a guide to shaping your rhinestone "lines". You could also use a photo or scan of an existing design and import that into Ioline Design.

When using the line font, the lines that make up each character are often separate "strokes" or lines, so they can be individually re-sized to match the font you are "tracing". After typing in the letters in Ioline Design (below the original lettering), re-size the letters to match the original text, select the lettering, then click on "Arrange" and then "Text to Graphics". You can then drag individual letters over the original text and re-size or modify them to match the original text.

The Orlando ISS Show

I'm just back from three days at the Orlando ISS Show. We spoke to quite a few folks interested in the CrystalPress although the show attendance was not so great. Just to show it's the little things that count, though, I found a very handy tool. A rhinestoner (there must be a better name for us than that) told me she uses "Serger Tweezers" to move and replace stones. I found a pair at Colman & Company's booth and I took this shaky photo. One of the key things about these tweezers is that they have a ribbed surface between the pincers and an angled tip, so it's easy to grasp stones and place them accurately. We are looking into offering these at Ioline, but you might want to shop around in the meantime. Be sure to ask for a pair that has the ribbed inner surface and angled tip. It really makes a difference.