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Old 09-10-2008, 09:37 PM
diandwill diandwill is offline
Steel
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Deer Park, north of Spokane, WA USA
Posts: 66
Default Laying out a bracelet with microsoft publisher and a photocopier

As a working jeweler and engraver, I have been laying out bracelets with dividers and a straight edge. The designs work but can be uneven and there are scribe lines. One day, while using Publisher to do my jewelry appraisals, I discovered some of the features, and now lay out ALL my tapered bracelets this way. I am no computer whiz, and have taken pics of the monitor to show the ideas.
I used 16ga Sterling, as I knew I was going to pierce the bracelet. With a stippled background, 18ga could be used as well as saving several hours of sawing time, and with a bracelet former that domes the piece as it bends even 20ga could be used.
To start, open publisher, and chose blank page and full page. At this point, scroll the screen up to the top of the page and adjust the image to show seven inches on the ruler across the top. Make sure the wizard screen is open on the left side.
Click on the oval tool from the menu on the left side. go to the blank page and left click, drawing the line down and over. If you hold shift it will form a perfect circle. Adjust the size to the maximum width of your bracelet, in my case 1 1/4". As I am making a six in. bracelet, I center the circle on the 4 of the top ruler, so my bracelet will run from the 1inch to the 7inch. I also put the top of the circle at 7/8" so the bottom is 2 1/8" on the left side ruler (because my circle is 1 1/4 inch.
Then going to the straight line tool at the left hand tool box, I click on that, then click at the top, center of my circle, and extend to the left to the 1" mark and move on the end of the line down 1/8"-1/4" to form the taper. If you want a border, you can do a second line inside that one by the margin of your border.
I then use the circle tool again, and add an oval on the end, to form the curved end of the bracelet. This can be as gentle or as severe as you like.
This is where it gets easy, or fun or whatever.
Go to edit, at the top menu of the page, and click "select all". Then click on copy, and finally "paste. The leg of the bracelet with the center circle and the end oval will show up. DONT TOUCH THEM!!
Go just above the screen and find the two tone right triangles. Pick the one that will horizontally flip the pasted image. You will get a mirror image. Move that up until the circles align and you have 1/2 of your bracelet.
Go back to the edit menu and do the select all, copy and paste, and you have the entire side duplicated. Use the mirror triangles and reverse that image, then move the image until the center circle lines up.
At this point the basic tapered bracelet is laid out. There are extra lines etc., but don't worry about that. Go to File at the very top, and save the bracelet as it can be used over and over.
At this point a click select all, copy and paste and make several bracelet forms, an inch apart., then I print the page.
Attached Images
File Type: gif tutorial1.gif (8.2 KB, 68 views)
File Type: gif tutorial2.gif (3.2 KB, 49 views)
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File Type: gif tutorial10.gif (8.6 KB, 40 views)
File Type: gif tutorial11.gif (3.9 KB, 23 views)