News From the Nest-Spotlight on Learning: Vinyl Graphic
Spotlight On Learning
Multi Color Vinyl Graphic – self Directed Project
Presented by: David Liversidge
Subject: Vinyl Graphics 11/12
DRIVING QUESTION
How can we take a personally drawn, Anime cartoon style graphic done on a cell phone app into a cut vinyl graphic.
Process of creation on phone app ---> Export to intermediate file type ---> import graphic into Signlab ---> Vectorize ---> Edit (a lot of edits – hours of edits) ---> connect paths, group, order & layer, Organize layers for output ---> Cutout on vinyl cutter ---> Assemble… Hours of detail work and then finally an incredible piece of work.
TEACHER DESCRIPTION and / or REFLECTION:
The challenge for the student was about how to capture an image form one program and use it cross platform into tool path vector-based software and be able to create the graphic as a fully cut Vinyl graphic. The student started with their own creation on an app of their cell phone. The student has a passion for creating anime characters and was always “doodling” on this particular app. The problem is these are low resolution bit mapped graphics. So how to convert the image to a cut able image? First find an export filter that would allow us to import the image into Signlab. Then use the Signlab vector tracing features to produce the vector traced image.. then complete hour of node editing, layering connecting paths, grouping and ungrouping etc… Once the image was complete let the cutting begin., Using the vinyl cutter to cut out 25 layers of color, some layer pieces as small as 2 mm in size. Then the student needed to weed the vinyl and compile the image. In total about 14 hours of work went into producing these characters.
STUDENT REFLECTIONS:
It was a cool challenge. I am glad it was finally over. (***she was a student of very few words)