Spacing Ovals on Wizard

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Rick Granick

Rick Granick

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I have to duplicate an existing matting job using my Wizard 8000. It has 9 3.5x5.5 ovals surrounding a central 6x9.25 oval. I know how to evenly space rectangles in a grid, but is there any trick to quickly and evenly space a group of ovals around a central oval? Here's what I have to copy:
ovalgroup.jpg


Thanks.
:cool: Rick
 
Rick, I would start off with the star design. make a 9 sided start with the points sized to hit the center of the outer ovals. This will give you a pretty accurate location.

Edit: OK I just designed one so here is what I did. I started out using a mixed opening with the bottom opening as an oval and the top as a 9 sided star. Then I adjusted the reveal for the top mat to the distance from the center of the outer openings to the middle oval. I then used put guides at the points of the star. Next I added in the small ovals centered on the guides. Then just change the middle opening top mat back to an oval and cut.
 
You could try loading a CutArt as a reference tool. Under Openings, Click Add CutArt Opening. Go to Openings1 and select SchoolOval.WCA. Make it the size desired. Now you can place your Main oval in the middle and adjust the CutArt to fit around it, and use the existing satelite ovals to place the other ovals around it. When you are satisfied with the design, delete the CutArt and save the file.

FrameMakers: What a cool idea!
 
Paul, All I am using the star for is spacing. The #506 star will let you set the number of points.
 
Thank you so much. What a great idea using the star for a location device. I can't wait to try this. Matboards won't be in till Tuesday, but meanwhile maybe I'll practice on flaw board.
Thanks again!
:cool: Rick
 
Got everything designed on the screen- lookin' good so far. I'll do my practice cut tomorrow. Dave- I decided to go ahead and design it so that it is symmetrical vertically. Looks better than the original. The photos are individually dry mounted on pieces of matboard. These had been taped to the back of the mat with brown flatback tape. So I'll be shifting them a little bit anyway when attaching them to the new mat.

Aside from the regular cost for the type of boards used, what do you think would be a fair price for a mat design like this? I have about 25 min. in the design phase (not counting Grumble research ;)). (Normally I charge $4.75 per extra opening, of which there are 18 on this design, so that would be $85.50 plus regular mat charge.)
 
Little late to the party... LOL

I have also taken the center oval & incresed the reveal size to the distance that I want the smaller opening to be spaced away from the center oval.
Then just lined up the smaller ovals using that as a guide.
 
Rick, part of the design time is your leaning curve an is not fair to charge your customer for. The next time you do one of these it will only take minutes. I charge $5 for extra openings, but I would only add in for the 9 extras not 18 extras. Once it is designed cutting 2 mats is no more labor.
Just my 2 cents.
 
I generally charge $3 for each additional opening, but once you get past a certain number, it's better to just do a flat fee. Otherwise a 20-opening mat can be ridiculous. I also charge $7.50 for simple specialty matcuts -- an oval opening would qualify. If the mat cut is more complex, I would charge $12 or $13.

And save up those thin sheets that come packaged with sheets of suede matboard. You can use these for practice cuts. Just set the blade depth really low -- you just want to scratch the surface.
 
FrameMakers said:
...Once it is designed cutting 2 mats is no more labor....
Click to expand...
Guess I'm still thinking in "manual mat cutter" terms. That's why I was looking for advice. I think I'll go ahead and follow your lead on that. It will definitely cover my time and practice mat, plus I'm charging time for removing the photos from the old mat and remounting them to this one.

Paul, what depth setting do you use on those sheets?

:kaffeetrinker_2: Rick
 
Try a blade depth of 1 or 2. You want to score the sheet enough to see if your design is good, but not so much that you cut through the sheet (which is pretty thin, like 2-ply).
 
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