FYI

A cutting machine is a big purchase and can really enhance your ability to do crafts.  As it is such a big purchase, a lot of thought and research should go into it.  You should consider what materials you are looking to cut, how much room you can give the machine, if you intend to create your own artwork to cut, how capable you are at learning software, how much money you are willing to spend not only on the machine but the files for it, and of course if it does need to hook up to a computer, whether or not it is compatible with a PC or Mac.  There are many other considerations that we have not even begun to think about, so we encourage everyone to do the research themselves.  There are many talented crafters that share their ideas and knowledge on the web.  Check it out carefully.  

We've compiled a list of cutting machines and several variables that you may want to consider and emphasize that we create cutting files and do not have a suggestion of what machine is best for you.  We welcome any additional data that should be added to this table.  Please email us at support@inspiregraphics.com  if you see anything incorrect or that needs updating.

The difference between fonts and alphabets can be explained by describing the difference in the type of each file. Fonts (.ttf or .otf) are the same type of font file that already exists on your computer such as Times New Roman, Arial, etc. These fonts will be available for use within any system program that supports them, such as Microsoft Word, desktop publishing programs, and others.

An alphabet is in full-color and is made up of individual image files (.png). These image files can be imported, viewed, printed, and changed in a graphics editing software such as PhotoShop. You can download the .zip files of the alphabets which when unzipped will give you a folder with all of the individual graphics.

OTF (Open Type Font) are cross-platform (Mac and PC) fonts. They typically have a smaller file size which allows for a quicker download. They support expanded characters which allows for alternate characters and ligatures.

TTF (True Type Font) are similar to OTF fonts but they require separate files for each instance of the font. For example, a separate .ttf file is needed for bold, italics, or bold italics.

For most intent and purposes, it will make little difference to use one or the other file type when downloading fonts from LD.

When you purchase product from LD it will be made available just as soon as you complete the check out process.  It will also be available through your account in your "Downloads" area as well as your Order History.

Lettering Delights zips all it's product into zip files.  Zip files allow us to compress many items within different folders into one "zipped" storage folder.  

A .zip file is a commonly used file format that compresses files to make them easier to download. There are many programs available online that allow you to unzip/extract these files, some are trial based or require a purchase and others are free. Most every device comes with a free way to access your files that are "zipped". In Windows, right mouse click over the .zip file and you should have options to "extract" the file. On a Mac, doubleclick over the .zip file. Take care where you are extracting the file. As you "unzip" a file, you will be given an option of where you want to store it.

Many fonts have other characters available than the standard ones you see on an American keyboard.

It is important to note that accented letters are not recognized by all browsers and not all fonts include them. To enter the extended characters into text, follow these steps:

1. Note the number at the left of the required character.
2. Place the cursor in the text where the extended character is to appear.
3. Hold the [ALT] key down and, via the Keypad, enter "0" plus the number.
4. Take your finger off the [Alt] key and the character should appear.

Make sure your fonts are not zipped. If they are in a .zip folder, you must double-click the folder and extract the font first. Take careful note to where you save the font.

WINDOWS 8/7/VISTA

Select the font file then right-click. Choose Install.

The online alphabet tool has replaced the "Try Me Now" tool from the old LetteringDelights site.  It allows you to easily type with full-colored alphabets and save the image as one word or phrase to insert into a document or project. To access the online alphabet tool do the following:

1. Sign into your LD account.
2. Go to Downloads
3. If you have a lot of product, you will probably want to filter your downloads by file type.
4. Choose the alphabet you would like to type with
5. Click on the "Use Alphabet" button
6. Type in the Text Input Field.  Most of our alphabets have two cases but often rather than having a true "lower case" the second case will be a different version of an uppercase.  This allows you to have variance in color and style in words where there are repetitive letters like "banana".
7. Choose the resolution you want.  The bigger the resoultion, the bigger the file is.  If you are using the product online the smaller sizes will suffice.
8. Click "Download" when you are done and navigate to where you want to save the file.