How do you edge cut text in inkscape? I would like to make garden stakes

edit thanks to Cora and Evansd2 I have figured this out! My stakes are 1.5" x 9.5". Here is the file for the GF community, I have it in my ETSY store, but free to help others get started as I have been helped. Thanks! :smile:
Gardenstake

I would like to learn how to do this, can someone tell me what it is called or direct me in learning this.
I can move the letters, but i cant figure out how to get the text as the cut path. any help is Greatly appreciated!

GardenstakesS

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Yes! You have to make sure your text is converted to path - then you select “difference” in the path menu. A “gotcha” I found is that you have to select each individual letter than select difference.
Just did this over this weekend :slight_smile:
This video might help you :slight_smile: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5la2ecROXaI

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thanks so much! i was trying to difference the whole word like in knockout text and linked offsets! You Rock! :slight_smile:

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you have no idea how much of a headache i was giving myself - cheers! :slight_smile:
(evidently i do things the hard way… but thats how we learn… right hahahaha)

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Soo, there are much more efficient ways to do this. I’ll do a quick one and show you how I’d tackle it.

Also, I posted some garden stakes that are a different design but are dead simple.

I have white acrylic in stock that I want to use, that is why the edge cut is what I am after. I don’t want to paint them and have the paint flake off in someone’s garden. likely bad for the Etsy shop review :slight_smile:
I got to here, so it will be cut out, just not the letters only…

any thoughts?

OK so it’s trivial.

Start by adjusting your stake shape and typing up your text. Here’s my take on it:

Select your text and do Object->object to path. You’ll now have an outline of your text, but each letter is a separate path and grouped.

Ungroup them Object->ungroup. Then do a Path->combine, and they’l be one path object. (which you can verify here by looking at the bottom of your screen it should say "one object of type path selected)

Here it is in node view mode so you can see it’s one path.

Now just select both the outline and the text and do Path->union.

Done!

The whole thing is like 6 keystrokes. You should spend more time selecting your font (http://wordmark.it) than actually doing the path manipulation, it’s a really simple thing once you know the steps.

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Thank you so much, I am only a few weeks into learning inkscape and still working through tutorials. i appreciate your write with screenshots!

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omg you just saved me so much time!

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I’d make the text bigger! I personally like the solo-text cutout without a border - it makes it easier to see from afar! I’ve been setting up my shop, too - and I’ve been “vetting” my friends on facebook to see which designs they like the best… :slight_smile:

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I think I Got it! - sweet!
i may adjust so it is not so much of a dagger shape…awesome!

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Previously, in three lines:

Putting the text into a box makes them more durable if cut from paint stirring sticks…

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I would put the text flush to the wall to give it a bit more stability - overall, looks good!
And flush to the edge, but that’s just me! You could also round the corners of the shape
Daggers also come in handy for vampires!

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This is a really common thing to get tripped up by. You’re not the first nor will you be the last. One of inkscape’s quirks.

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evansd2 I hope you can help… :slight_smile: I’m looking for a way to essentially create two layers for a cut file where I can select engrave.
Essentially, I’d like to cut out the owl & stick as a whole, and engrave the lines of the owl to give it some depth. Also, is there a way to union objects based on selection order? You can see here when I unioned the fish to the stick, it unioned over the fish instead of removing the top part of the stick.
Screen Shot 2020-05-05 at 10.39.14 AM

Thanks in advanced for you help!

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It’s a case of multiple copies.

Select the owl and the stick

EDIT: oops, working too quickly - Copy and paste in place a new owl/stick. You’ll have two right on top of each other.

Break apart the new copy.

Union.

Now you have a solid shape that is your outline. Turn off fill and add stroke.

Now kill the black filled stick you have leftover (from the first set). You should have an engravable owl inside a stick/owl outline, which I think is your goal.

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you are simply AMAZING

thank you thank you thank you

@Cora I just updated my instructions to be a bit more clear. sorry about that, I was in a hurry and on my phone. You might want to re-read what I wrote, it’s a bit more explicit now.


Your instructions got me to where I needed :slight_smile:

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Cool.

Often with Inkscape and vector booleans it’s a matter of finding the way that clicks in your brain. There are lots of ways to do what you were asking, this is my brute force method. Seems pretty effective for stuff like this.

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