DS Update - October 09

Provocraft has released an update to DS.

The update page now has no Font Pack download option so I'm guessing all the new carts have been loaded into the regular DS update.

Changes are:

• Converts *.cut files to *.gypsy files.
• Can open and save *.gypsy files.
• Improved reliability of Cricut DesignStudio.

Here's the link: Design Studio update Oct 09

Ashlyn's Alphabet is now on DS

Download the new font pack from here: DS Update

The Update page still has the latest update as August 14, however the new file is dated August 25.

To avoid errors it's best to download the file to your computer - e.g. your desktop - (I created a download folder on my computer that contains all the DS updates) and run it from there.

Another new font update

Check out the update page http://www.cricut.com/cds/Update.aspx for new fonts. Some of these fonts haven't even been released for sale yet. Kudos to PC for letting us play with them before they're available.

Fonts in this update are:

A Childs Year
Everyday Paper Dolls
From My Kitchen
Picturesque
Serenade
Sweethearts
Winter Woodland
Hannah Montana
Jubilee
Life Is a Beach
Lyrical Letters
Simply Sweet
Spongebob Squarepants
Stand & Salute
Daisy Chain

My son REALLY wants me to get the Spongebob cart. He's already created a scene using DS and wants to cover his school books in these pics. (He's 10 and he TOTALLY know how to use DS. The mind boggles how they pick these things up so quickly).

DS Update - new carts have been added

Finally!!!

To download the new fonts for DS go to the Update page: http://www.cricut.com/cds/Update.aspx and download and install the 2nd option.

You only need to download the first option if you're not already running the Dec08 version of DS.

When will DS be updated to include the new cartridges?

Man, if I had a US dollar for every time that question has been asked at Cricut.com I could single-handedly fix the Australian recession.

The answer is.... no-one knows! Well, maybe Provocraft knows, but they're not telling....

Rumours have been flying since March that it's coming soon, but there's still no sign of it.

As soon as it's released I'll post here to let you know!

Quick Tip #2

Missing selection handles

Sometimes, even though you are clicking on the edge of your object you just can’t get the selection handles to appear around your object. Many people will tell you to close DS and reopen it and they’ll reappear. Well, yes they will... but there’s an easier (and quicker) way.....

Press the ALT key! Just like you use the ALT key to make the handles disappear, it will also make them reappear.

I don’t know why they go missing occasionally, but at least now you know how to get them back!

Quick tip #1

What cartridges can you cut with the Design Studio Trial version?

Depending on where you purchased your Cricut it may have come with different cartridges to what came with someone elses Cricut that they purchased elsewhere.

However, regardless of what cartridges came with YOUR cricut, there seems to be a "standard" cricut package and the carts that came with that package are the only ones that can be used with the DS trial version. They are:

Cricut Personal - George & Basic Shapes (that's one cart - not two).
Cricut Create - Don Juan
Cricut Expressions - Plantin Schoolbook AND Accent Essentials.

Updated info here: Cutting with the trial version

Quick tips

I thought I'd start a Design Studio Quick Tips series to get me back into posting on the blog. I'll focus on the questions that seem to come up most in the different forums I belong to.

Quick tip #1 will be posted SOON!

Narelle

Wow! Over 100,000 hits to my blog!

In honour of that achievement I thought I should stop being so lazy and post some more tutorials. Question is: WHAT DO YOU WANT TO KNOW???

If you have any burning questions that you'd like a tutorial on please leave me a comment and I'll do my best to help you out!

Thanks to all of you for reading my little blog so far!

Date errors in DS files

This tutorial has been moved to my new blog - here:

http://thenon-craftycrafter.blogspot.com.au/2014/02/cricut-design-studio-fixing-date-errors.html

Please follow me over there!

Narelle ♥

Resetting the Cricut

Here's the info from Cricut.com on how to reset your Cricut:

TECH SUPPORT NOOK - Reset Process
If your machine freezes, experiences power problems, cutting issues, or anything out of the realm of normal Cricut behavior, this reset procedure is a good place to start the troubleshooting process. Nine times out of ten, this will resolve the issue:

- First, turn your machine on with no cartridge loaded. Then you are going to roll all your gray dials (the two on the left and the one on the right) down to their lowest setting.

- Then you will want to grasp the green/gold cylinder blade assembly and use it to pull the entire gray carriage car unit (the one with the Cricut bug on it) along its track to the other side of the machine. Back in the cave where the gray carriage car usually sits there is a red button. Press that button and hold it down for about three seconds. Let go and then move the gray carriage car back into place.

- This next step will sound a bit odd, but many times it can fix your little "bug". You're going to roll all your dials all the way up and all the way down three times--three times for each dial.

- Then you are going to hit the "Cut" button and turn the machine off. Let the machine sit for a few minutes (15-20), load a cartridge, turn it on, and try a practice cut.

If this does not solve your problem, give us a call toll free at 1-877-727-4288 7am to 6pm MST Mon-Fri (make sure you are by your machine) and someone here will walk you through some troubleshooting tips and determine if a replacement machine is needed.

Forgot to back up!

So I was sick of how my blogged looked and decided to pick a new template. Did I make a backup of the blog? No, of course I didn't. (What could possibly go wrong???)

So, I change the template, save and lo and behold - all my gadgets were gone. All the links to other sites and blogs. My page counter, my followers.... everything!

I've managed to get most of it back, but still need to add the sites/blogs. Some of them I have no idea of the addresses.

And to make matters worse - I still hate the look of the blog!

Vertical Welding

There are two ways to create vertical welding.

• Placing all your letters/pictures all in one object box. Using this option allows you to move/resize etc the whole word at once.
  
• Making each letter/picture its own object. Each letter must be moved/resized individually
  

Here is how you do it the first way:

• Select a cartridge. This example uses the Base Camp cartridge.
  
• Type the word you want to weld. I have used the word BASE
  
  
  
  
• Using your mouse select the A. The outline will turn red.
  
  
  
  
• Using the Nudge buttons in the Properties box move the A down and to the left until it is under the B.
  
  Make sure the top of the A is just slightly overlapping the bottom edge of the B.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Select the S and again using the Nudge buttons move it down and to the left so that it is under the A and the top is overlapping the bottom of the A.
  
  
  
  
• Select the E and Nudge it down and to the left so it's under the S and its top is overlapping the bottom of the S
  
  
  
  
• Tick Welding in the Properties box
  
  
  
  
• At this point you can increase/decrease the size of your word by using the bottom right sizing handle.
  
  
• To check that the word has welded correctly open a new page in your design by clicking the New Page button.
  
  
  
  
• Click the Preview button.
  
  
  
  
• You should see something like this:
  
  
  

And now to the second way of welding vertically.

• Type the word BASE. After typing each letter press the Enter key. That way each letter will become its own object.
  Notice how there is an object box around each individual letter.
  
  
  
  
• Select the B
  
  
• Select Welding from the Properties box
  
  
  
  
• Select the A. Using the Free move handle (top left) move the A underneath the B. Make sure it is slightly overlapping the bottom of the B
  
  (Hold down the ALT key to make the handles disappear. This makes placing your object much easier.)
  
  
  
  
• Click Welding in the Properties box
  
  
• Select the S and move it underneath the A. Check that it is overlapping the bottom of the A
  
  
• Click Welding
  
  
• Select the E and move it underneath the S. Check that it is overlapping the bottom of the S
  
  
• Click Welding
  
  
• Open a new page in your design to check the welding by clicking the New Page button
  
  
  
  
• Click the Preview button
  
  
  
  
• If any of the letters are a solid colour, it means that Welding has not been selected.
  
  
• If you need to adjust the overlapping of any letters, go back to the page with the design on it and adjust as necessary.
  

Here is the word BASE done both ways. They look pretty much the same. The difference is that the first one is easier to resize/move.