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.

Black T-Shirt Choices

You can go with many different styles when choosing a shirt for your rhinestone customers. Of course, it depends on what kind of customers you are supplying. In general, though, the most common shirt is the women's black T-shirt.
A recent discussion on the T-shirt Forum gave me a start and I have compiled a list of brands and style that you might want to check out. Obviously these styles come in several color including black.

Gildan ultra cotton
http://www.cheapestees.com/gildan-g220l-ladies-cotton-tank-top.html

Gildan Soft Style (Several folks seemed to favor these)
http://www.catspecialties.com/Gildan-Soft-Style-Tee-P2574C66.aspx

Anvil
http://www.legendmg.com/silverscreen/products/details.html?details=true&webid=a-ic-68-or-001-000-000


American Apparel
http://www.americanapparel.com/6456w.html?cid=199


LAT
http://www.gotapparel.com/p-1632_12110-womens-ringspun-scoop-neck-t-shirt.aspx

HYP
http://www.clothingwarehouse.com/hy100-hyp-sportswear.html

Bella

http://www.crazyt-shirts.com/bella.htm#1001

Please note that I'm not endorsing any particular wholesaler. Shop around for the best price.

Mixed Media Designs

Many CrystalPress Users also own the Ioline Appli-K 300 for cutting applique' designs. By combining applique' and and rhinestones, you can create exciting, unique designs for many different markets. Mary at The Cat's Meow in Dallas, TX has done some great designs and has kindly given me permission to show them here. Since both the CrystalPress and the Appli-K use .PLT vector files, it is a simple matter to cut one layer of a design with the Appli-K while placing rhinestones on another layer. If you are curious about exactly how to do this in your software, contact us at Ioline and we'll show you how easy it really is.

The cool thing about the CrystalPress and the Appli-K 300 is that both these products really expand your product offering. You can make more kinds of products for more kinds of customers, and you can make products with a higher perceived value and a higher selling price.

Often, embroiderers say to me, "I am so busy now, how will I find the time to use these systems?" Maybe another question should be, "How can I make more money and spend less time doing it?" Making higher profit, more unique designs is one good way to do that.

Scanning artwork for the CrystalPress

Many garment decorators use CorelDraw(TM) or Adobe Illustrator(TM) as their design software. Most CrystalPress users have purchased our Ioline Design (TM) software which is useful for many rhinestone design tasks, but does not include the capability to scan artwork and "trace" that artwork into vector shapes that can be used to create rhinestone designs.

If you have Corel or Illustrator, you can use the tools in those programs to scan and vectorize "bitmap" logos and other artwork. If you have questions about using those tools, call Ioline @ (425) 398-8282

If you don't have either of those programs, you still have many choices. There are service bureaus that can vectorize designs into file formats that work with the CrystalPress. You can also purchase or download programs that will allow you to vectorize scanned artwork. This link will give you a pretty good list:

http://graphicssoft.about.com/od/bitmaptovector/Bitmap_to_Vector_Conversion_Tracing_Software_Raster_to_Vector.htm

Another program that has a great selection of graphic tools (including vectorizing bitmap images) is Inkscape, which can be downloaded here:

http://sourceforge.net/projects/inkscape/files/inkscape/0.47/Inkscape-0.47-3.exe/download

Understand that Inkscape is a sophisticated graphic design program, but there is no one who is "paid" to provide support for it. If you want a simple program or a program that has good tech support, you should be prepared to pay for it.

Here's the plan

I'm the National Sales Manager for Ioline Corporation. We are a manufacturer of plotting devices, based in Woodinville, WA. Recently, we introduced the CrystalPress, a software and hardware system that creates rhinestone "motifs". Motifs are designs that use "hotfix" rhinestones. These designs are heat transferred onto garments, making it easy to add "bling" to all kinds of clothing.

At Ioline, we are adding new features all the time and our users are finding new ways to use the features as well. I hope to use this blog to tell CrystalPress users how to get the most from their machines. As the saying goes, "I hope this helps." :-)