Many have discovered that Silhouette Studio is a great tool for designing print projects such as chalkboard art and other frameables. Silhouette Print and Cut enthusiasts also want to outsource their printing sometimes to save money or work around home printer issues. But its not immediately obvious how to get high resolution files saved out of Silhouette Studio so you can share them with others or have them printed remotely. I’ve prepared a series of videos to show how to do this.
For Windows to save for standard or large prints:
Staples, Office Depot, etc usually prefer PDF format while photoprocessors like Walgreens, Costco, etc. require JPG format (follow same instructions as in video but select JPG instead of PNG). If you are publishing a printable for home printing, PNG is the generally preferred format.
Important: New versions of PDF Creator do not support high resolution output. Please download version 1.7.3 from this link. Do not download this or any other software if your virus and anti-malware software is not active and up to date or if you are not familiar with safe downloading practices.
Note to Windows 10 users: PDF printing is built in, but you may need to activate it. To do this open the Control Panel and navigate to Programs > Programs and Features. Click on Turn Windows feature on or off in the sidebar and make sure that Microsoft Print to PDF is checked.
For Windows, to outsource your printing for print and cut projects:
PDF format must be used for print and cut. Any PDF printer will work. Be sure that you let the tech know to print at 100%, not fit to margins, etc.
For Mac, to save for standard or large prints and to solve the “grid problem”:
The above procedure would also be used for print and cut. All necessary software is built in to a Mac.
Thank you Kay! Once again you have provided valuable information in a clear concise manner that dosen’t scare me to death! ?
Thanks, Kay! I could have used this yesterday when converting a silhouette file for my Cricut explore. Those little grid lines came into illustrator as little paths I had to delete before saving to .jpg!
You can also use Object>Rasterize in Illustrator, then Live Trace and save as SVG.
I downloaded PDF Creator to my desktop then tried to install it. It ran and ran for five or six minutes and I finally forced a shut down. Now when I boot up my computer goes into a crazy stupor and after 3 or 4 minutes finally gets to my desktop. What can I do to stop this? Carol
Thank you so much – I’ve wanted a way to save my Studio files in another format for years. I really appreciate the info.
I use the SnipIt Program that comes with windows. In search bar type “snip” and it will show up. I pinned it to my task bar I use it that much. It will copy whatever you draw around and save as a jpg. I only wish it would print without saving. You can email without saving though.
I also use and recommend the Snipping Tool (windows Vista or later) but not for printables. The resolution from screen captures is fine for email or the web but for print work you need the higher resolution that virtual printing affords.
Thank you this is great however…after print it isn’t giving me a choice of formats just jpeg? I have desk top windows…any ideas please?
Can you see the whole window? You may need to move the dialog box up on your screen so you can get to all the options. If that doesn’t work, what version of PDF Creator are you using?
Awesome information Kay as everything you do! May I ask which font you used in the chalkboard demo.
When I save files, from places that break down each piece, like Miss Kate’s, I also save a picture with the SVG in my library. Is JPG or PNG better to save? Does it matter? If I had to trace later for some reason, does one work better than the other?
Thanks!
PNGs are better for tracing, but JPGs have smaller file sizes so its a tradeoff. Personally I use whichever one I have handy or is the most convenient to get via screen capture, etc.
Awesome. Thanks!
PNG files are lossless, meaning the compression step doesn’t lose any data — that’s why they’re larger. For pictures with lots of the same color, e.g. line drawings, PNGs are perfect. JPGs lose data when they are compressed (which happens when you save them). For photos it rarely matters, since most photos don’t need to be pixel-perfect, and they are much smaller filesizes, often up to 10x smaller. SVG is more like a script that tells the computer how to draw an image, e.g. circle here, line there, etc. Very small filesizes and resolution independent (zoom forever), but not what you want for photos.
Re. the “grid” that shows up in Preview on the Mac, I did some investigating and it’s not real! Whoever said that the Silhouette application writes out many small images was right. But there’s another interesting tidbit — Apple’s Preview is *much* faster than Adobe Reader at displaying PDFs. And why? Because it takes some shortcuts when displaying the data.
Want the gridlines to go away? Preview -> Preferences -> PDF –> shut off “Smooth text and line art”. 😉
Thanks for the preferences tip. As I mention in the video, the png export step is generally not needed, but was included as a precaution after several people reported that the gap lines were visible on outsourced prints.
I tried this on my Mac (multiple time), but when I open the new PDF file there is nothing in it. Please help!!
As mentioned in the video, objects will only appear in your PDF if they are set to print. This is done by filling them with color (Paint Bucket not line color) or by going to the line styles panel and checking the box that says “print Lines of Selected Shapes”
Thanks! It worked. Next question. When I save the file as a pdf, it doesn’t save the dimensions of my design. I’m trying to print the design and when I open the pdf, the image is there, but it doesn’t print to the size I designed it. Is there a way to do this?
Hi Kate. This is covered in the video as well. You need to set the size of your document and also be sure when you print that you print at 100% (no scaling, fit to margins, etc.)
Your videos and comments are wonderful! I don’t seem to have “export” as an option under FILE. Am I missing something? Thank you!
File> Export.. is an option in recent versions of Mac Preview. If you have an older version, you would use File>Save As… instead. If you are not on a Mac then make sure you watch the correct video for your OS.
When I download PDF Creator, what shows up in my printer selection is PDF Architect 3. If I select this, none of the options showing in your video appear. Do you know why PDF Creator is not showing up?
Sounds like you downloaded and/or installed PDF Architect, instead of PDF Creator. Make sure you click the link indicated and decline any optional installs.
I have a Mac and have saved my silhouette file as a PDF to my desktop. When I try to upload it to walgreens photo it will not allow me to choose my PDF. How can I send out for external printing? Thanks
Follow the steps in the video to export the pdf as png but choose jpg from the pulldown instead.
Hi Kay,
I was able to save it as a png. However, it does not have a transparent background. How can I save with a transparent background?
Unfortunately, you can not export with a transparent background. You would need to open it in a photo editor, etc and remove the background there.
Hi Kay, Thanks for the tutorial! I downloaded version 1.7 like you suggested but it also automatically intalled pdf architect and when I go to “print” mine looks different than yours in your video. It also gives me way less choices of things to print to. It only lets me choose pdf, png, jpeg, and tiff. Do you know what I did wrong? I just saw on your video that one of the settings was SVG but mine did not have tha tlisted.
Make sure you are choosing PDF Creator from the printer list, not PDF Architect. You may even want to uninstall PDF Architect. If you are using PDF Creator and don’t have the SVG option, then you didn’t get the right version.
Despite following the steps of your video, lines still appear in my images (I have a MAC). This is very strange as I was using these same steps months ago with no problem at all, and now I can’t seem to find a solution. I cannot get these darn lines to go away! Any ideas? I’ve followed your steps exactly, and even done them in reverse order just to see if that may work. I’ve double and triple checked all of my settings. Still, nothing.
Alex
The only time I have ever had this process not work is when I accidentally get the before and after files mixed up. You should not see the lines once you open the .png file. If you see the lines when you are printing, you might want to run a nozzle check.
I am having the same problem. The lines just won’t go away 🙁
Hi Kay, I followed your instructions but I am not sure where I am going wrong. I want to be able to print invitations I made within the silhouette program at Walgreens etc but I cannot save the file as a 4×6 to print. When I had the file printed it was smaller than 4×6 and it showed a lot of the photo paper. I hope I’m explaining this correctly. any ideas?
Be sure you are choosing 4 x 6 as the page size in both the virtual printer and in the Silhouette software.
it doesn’t give me the option to print 4×6
Then you will need to use a custom page size as shown in the video.
For whatever reason I don’t get an option as a custom size when I am doing Print Page set up. It just has a bunch of options like A3, etc. I’ve looked over the entire list and there isn’t one for custom size. Any tips on what to do?
It will say “Postscript Custom Size” in version 1.7.3. Not sure about newer versions. Barring that, pick one with the same aspect ration if possible. 8 x 10 for a 16 x 20, for instance.
Hi Kay, I have a question re png images. I saved it with transparent background, but when I import into design studio, it shows a “box” around the image, as if there is a background behind the image (but you cant see it). I tried to trace and detach, which it does remove the background but my trace on the image disappears, so I have to go back again to trace it (double work). I also tried to crop the background out, but I can seem to get it to work properly. Its the same thing, I crop it and the trace on my image disappears. Please help!
When you do a trace and detach, the trace isn’t disappearing, its just merged with the image. If you turn on the cut preview you will see that the trace line is there.
Omg youre a genius!!! I feel so dumb lol
Do you have PDF Creator Plus? In your video I see the option to save as a SVG but that is not showing up in the free version I downloaded.
No, I have 1.7.3 as shown in the screen capture. The new version has removed the SVG option. Be sure to get the older one.
Hi Kay- Thank you so much for this information. I was trying to design things in Silhouette and have them printed elsewhere, but had no idea where to start, as far as saving to be able to email or save to a thumb drive. Total rookie. The one question I have, after reading through all of these, is about the post script custom size paper. Like a previous poster, I have the postscript custom size as a clickable option, but then nothing pops up for me to put in a paper size. Any suggestions as to how I can put it in there somehow. I tried choosing one with similar ratios, but none of mine have numbers. (Some do say A4, etc).
Thanks for your time and effort.
I would suggest you check with tech support at PDF Creator and see if they can help you. I’ve not experiences that issue and don’t know a workaround.
Thanks so much for this video but I still am confused when it comes to printing something larger than what I can do on my Silhouette. I tried making my design 16X20 in Silhouette but the whole thing doesn’t show up when I try to print with PDF Creator. I have tried many different things and I’m just not getting it!
As explained in the video, you have to change the page size in both your virtual printer settings and in Silh Studio. If you can not make your page 16 x 20 I recommend you make it 8 x 10 instead and then print it at 200%.
Thanks for this video, but if I use “sketch” design I can’t to save it to pdf … 🙁
Yes you can, just be sure to fill text with a color or for shapes, increase the line thickness to greater than zero.
I am trying to save as a 5×7 and it keep cutting off a portion of my file. Help!
Make sure you change your PDF page size to match as shown in the appropriate video.
I am. I have followed the video exactly. Do you have to have the designer edition for it to work? Thanks!
No, you do not need Designer Edition. Be sure you have doublechecked the page orientation and that you have set all of your objects to print. If none of that works, you can always use a letter size page and then crop your png or jpg in an image editor when you are done.