Flip a tooling half pattern?

[Somawas]

I have a half pattern. Traced it on tracing film. Scanned the pattern. Flipped it in P-Shop. It's smaller than the original.

So, do I just flip the tracing film? I thought I wasn't supposed to put the pencilled side on the leather.

What do I do?

[Mike Craw]

If it's not too big, put it in one of those acetate document protectors you can get at an office supply store and trace right through it.

Mike

[Storm]

Easy peazy! Take the scanned image into Photoshop. Expand the size of your canvas to a little more the twice the width of the first. Now drag and copy the first image over and flip it. Bring them together. Crop off the excess on the side. Now figure out how big you want the finished size to be and go into image and resize the entire thing. If the finished image is too big for your printer then cut it in half and print the two halves out seperately. You will then have matching flipped images that are exactly the same size. You will have to retrace but the end result should be better.

What I usually do is the same thing but with my tracing paper sketches and drawings. Get it all together before going into tracing on film. Used to have access to a large laser jet that would take a double matter mylar. That was sweet. From Photoshop straight to tracing film.

Edited December 1, 2009 by Storm

[bex DK]

You can also flip over the traced pattern and retrace it backwards.... or make a photocopy of it flipped you can use to trace the flip onto the same tracing.

Personally I prefer GIMP to Photoshop, but that is irrelevant.

[JRedding]

Just flip the half-pattern you already have and trace the other side, the little bit of pencil that will transfer will be so minimal by the time you've tooled it out you'll likely not be able to see a trace of it, if it shows or just plain bothers you just clean it with a little oxolic acid or lemon juice when you're done and there won't be a trace.

Edited December 4, 2009 by JRedding