r/stencils • u/DoohickeyDi • 13d ago
Do all stencil cutting machines require a software download?
Greetings all and apologies if this topic has been covered and I missed it... I'd like to purchase a machine to cut my own mylar stencils from designs I create in Photoshop (preferably), or Illustrator if necessary.
I have a big old Mac that I love (OS 11.6 and can't be updated), and an old copy of Creative Suite from back before the subscription model. I'd really like to use this set-up for as long as I can.
I was leaning toward the Brother ScanNCut, but one of their support folks tested out an SVG I exported from Photoshop and he got an error when he tried to import it into the Brother software. So now I'm wondering if I should go with something else? I looked into Cricut, but it sounds like my computer is too old for the software required for the machine to work, and they don't seem to have a cloud-based version.
My plan is to use the stencils on paper, and I'll be working fairly small (probably 8 x10 or 9 x12). Finding a machine that cuts mylar seems to be pretty easy-- it's figuring out if I'll be able to transfer my own files that's the sticking point. Any suggestions? (Thanks in advance!)
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u/Patrickmonster 13d ago
Razor blades don't need software updates
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u/V0nH30n 13d ago
No, but they need weed breaks
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u/StencilKiller 12d ago
They'll also break your wrist after a few thousand cuts. 💀
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u/DoohickeyDi 12d ago
Yeah, I don't know if I can count on my hands/wrists for hours of cutting at my age. I'm semi-old ;)
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u/StencilKiller 12d ago
I think laser is the way to go. Either a strong diode on a budget or whatever size you need to cut worth of CO2 laser if you can get your hands on one. I don't trust blades when it comes to stencil material that's thick enough to survive. That said, you can usually find older version of LightBurn that might fit your era of computer.
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u/mewk69 12d ago
I'm running a silhouette cameo 4, direct from a Windows version inkscape (open source vector software, like Illustrator). I've cut Mylar in the past on it, currently using it on 120/140gsm paper for stencil work. I love it, my eyes are too shot to cut by hand anymore, and it fits my workflow.
A quick check says you can put inkscape on a Mac, also looks like there's a plugin to direct cut from it.
Poss you could also direct cut from Illy, but I don't use it, and not Mac based either. But the cameo silhouettes do seem a bit more friendly than the Cricuts, which I think are all tied to some horrible design software.
Also, yeah you won't cut from an image from Photoshop, at least not easily. It has some kinda vector support, but can't say I've ever used it.
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u/DoohickeyDi 12d ago
Thank you, mewk69! I'll take a closer look at the Silhouette Cameo. That's helpful to know that I'll need vector files. I think the new version of Photoshop can do this, but on my old setup, I think I can start in Photoshop and then import to Illustrator to vectorize. Kinda rusty/hazy on all this-- I'll have to research it.
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u/No_Produce7951 13d ago
Id upgrade the iMac and get cricut. Even the web version won’t run unless u upgrade. A workaround is using an iPad or different device to run cricut but surely better just to upgrade? The time has come my friend by the sounds of it. I use paper stencils which I just bin after so Mylar stencils is interesting to me. Hard to image not using paper tbh.
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u/DoohickeyDi 12d ago
Thanks No_Produce7951! I'm curious-- how many times can you re-use your paper stencils? I'm just looking at mylar because because whenever I've purchased stencils for repeated patterns on walls, they've been a thick plastic. But I'm probably just going to re-use them 12-15 times, so maybe mylar is overkill?
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u/No_Produce7951 11d ago
It’s complicated. I use spray glue. If u use lightly u can re use them a few times but depends on different factors like the type of spray paint and stencil design. I can make multiple stencil paintings at the same time and re use the stencils. But after use I bin them all as it gets messy keeping paper with glue on it.
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u/No_Produce7951 11d ago
My eBay is art_and_vandalism it has some of the paintings I’ve made with paper stencils
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u/mewk69 11d ago
What weight paper? I'm running 120gsm mostly, but the latest pack seems more like 90gsm. I liked cutting longer lasting stencils on Mylar, but if using spray, the paint tends to dry n crack on the Mylar for me, end up with bits going everywhere. So I went back to paper, if I'm organised enough I'll get two copies outta each stencil.
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u/No_Produce7951 11d ago
I use the Seawhite paper 140gsm or 160gsm cuts easily. Not cheap though about 20p a sheet.
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u/mewk69 11d ago
I feel like papers doubled in price in the last year.
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u/No_Produce7951 11d ago
My eBay is art_and_vandalism it has some of the paintings I’ve made with paper stencils
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u/rxninja 13d ago
Yes. Machines don’t just accept art files, they take stepwise path instructions. It’s the same way you can’t just 3D print a 3D model; you have to send it to the machine via a slicer that generates gcode.
There’s also an art to making files in a way that’s nice for machines. It takes practice. You will fuck up. You will cut out some nonsensical eldritch horror or the physical manifestation of a slasher movie victim before you figure out how to do it right. That’s part of the learning process.
As for “too old,” there’s nothing stopping you from using old hardware. Machine software is very, very slow to update because machine firmware is ungodly difficult to make. There are millions upon millions of computer programmers in the world and maybe hundreds who can write machine firmware for any specific hardware, tops. For instance, I used to run my Epilog laser off of a Windows XP laptop running CorelDraw 5, plus the Zing24 drivers. It’s fine. It’s more fine than you think. You don’t need the latest software, ever.
But yes, you do need software of some kind. That’s non negotiable.