Font, Shadows and Real dial size help...

Someone asked about creating a shadow for an item. They wanted to know if they are cutting at 4" for they need to make the shadow larger. I would love to quickly explain this.... I will also tell you what real dial size is, in the process.

First real dial size, what is it and when to use it.

The Cricut is automatically set with real dial size OFF. What this means is that your Cricut will AUTOMATICALLY make your items proportional to your finished size image.

So if you are making Mickey Mouse, I always cut my characters at 4" otherwise the eyes and everything is WAY TOO SMALL. I cut them all at 4" because I will cut a full sheet of each piece. I then keep them in a baggie labeled. So the next time I want one of them, I already have many of the pieces needed. Instead of putting each color of paper each time, and cutting only one from it, then I end up with paper with missing pieces and then they get caught on each other in my scrap drawers.... so I just cut a full sheet of it and then throw the little bit of scraps away.

I used crazy colors for the tutorial I will refer to each layer by the color.

Here is the finished die cut....

Here are all of the individual colors. I have the size set to 4"

The cricut knows to make each item proportional to the finished 4" size. You dont have to do anything, it does it on it's own.

Now this is Real Dial Size ON.... instead of proportionally. The cuts each item at the REAL size.

This is helpful if you want a title or image to be large. In this example if I wanted the star at 4" it would do it. But if I wanted the words at 4" to use for a title or something, I would have to turn REAL DIAL SIZE ON. Then it will cut in the REAL size that I want. Each item here is 4" so you can see how different it is

Here is how i would cut the images out and use a full sheet of card stock and have some of the die cut ready for the next time I need it.

Do you have trouble with adhesive on the tiny little pieces that the cricut cuts??

Here is what I do.... I FLIP the image (s) cut it and while it is still on the cutting mat, I apply my adhesive with a tape runner. Then I remove the excess paper around the words then I just use my tweezers and pick up the small pieces already with adhesive on them.

Here is the images flipped

Here are the words with the shadow feature on the cartridge. But what if your cartridge does not have a shadow?

If it does not have a shadow feature...... here is what most people do.... They cut the words at 4" and then again at 4 1/4" but as you see below it doesn't work very well....

If it does not have a shadow and you don't want it to look weird.... Cut 2 of the image out at the SAME SIZE. Then the bottom of the two images, move slightly left or right and then slightly up or down. Depending on which direction you want the shadow to show.