printable dashboard tutorial | Julie Kinneeveauk

I was browsing through the Silhouette Design Store to check out Felicity Jane's latest offerings in printable planner stickers, when I stumbled upon a printable that made my heart leap!  I knew immediately that it HAD to grace the front of my planner!

While it's technically designed to print and frame, I wanted to resize the image into A5 so it could work inside my planner. I'm not super savvy when it comes to Silhouette Studio, so Jeana, the creative mastermind behind Felicity Jane walked me through the process, and I'm here to share it with you today!  Keep in mind, I'm a newbie at this software, so forgive me if I share TOO many steps, but you can gloss right through if you're a pro!

First and foremost, I want to mention that you don't actually have to own a Silhouette machine to purchase and print this design. I downloaded the software for FREE from their website (click here) so I could access the design and print it at home.  Because a dashboard doesn't involve technical cutting from a machine, I'm good to go!  In fact, I've recently done this with Felicity Jane planner sticker printables, as well.  As long as the design is simple and I can get my little scissors around the pieces, I'm still in the game! (At least until Santa brings me a Silhouette, haha).

Once you have the software and have purchased the design, simply open the file in the Silhouette Studio.  You'll see there are two sizes, a 5x7 ready to print on the white background, and an 8x10 off to the left.  To get the best quality for an A5 size, we'll want to shrink the 8x10 versus enlarge the 5x7, so go ahead and delete the 5x7 image. The two items might be selected together, so first click anywhere on the white background, then point and select the smaller image before deleting so both won't disappear.  Ahem. Might have learned that the hard way. (wink). I also selected the red 5x7 rectangle and deleted. 

Next, click on the 8x10 image to select it.  There's a "scale" icon on the tool bar up on the top right.  Click that. Make sure the "Lock Aspect" box is checked. Type in "8.27" into the height, then click "Apply". (The width will automatically be calculated).

Next you want to draw a new red rectangle. First click on the photo of the rectangle in the tool bar on your far left top.  Smile if you're enjoying my technical directions. After, you start a rectangle (any size will do for now), you'll need to go back to the "Select" tool (top button on the far left toolbar).

Still in the "Scale" window, uncheck the "Lock Aspect" box. Select the rectangle you've created and now type in the measurements you'd actually like your dashboard to print. If you want yours ever-so-slightly larger than an A5 page, simply increase each of the measurements.  Standard A5 size is 5.83" x 8.27".

You'll notice that the design is still a little larger than your rectangle. To center the design onto an A5 page, you need to change from the "Scale" window to the "Align" window (top right toolbar). Make sure both the rectangle and the design are selected, then click "Center".  Personally, it slowly breaks my heart to think of trimming off ANY of that floral, so I opted to free-hand my centering. (drag it myself until desired image is reached).  With both items selected, drag it all over to the white background.

Next step: remove registration marks. As the photo below shows, there's a Registration Marks button in the tool bar.  Click it, then under Style, select Off.

Click to highlight (select) the red rectangle in the position you'd like to crop the image, and make sure the image is selected as well.  In your toolbar on the top right, select the Modify tool, then click "Crop".  Voila!

Now the fun part! Print this beauty by selecting "File" and "Print". Want me to run you though that step again?  Haha. Kidding. I opted to print mine on a nice, thick, white 100# cardstock.

You'll need to trim your new dashboard with scissors or using a paper trimmer.  I also pulled out my 6-hole punch and quickly punched because I. Could. Hardly. Wait. to see this in my Filofax.

Sigh.  

I highly recommend laminating this item.  In the past, I've run my dashboards to FedEx Office and used their equipment.  I am the proud new owner of a personal laminator, so I whipped this one up at home.  I also backed it with a gorgeous pattern from the current Felicity Jane Kit, That One Day, because a plain white background is unnecessary in a world of pretty papers.  Oh, and I may have scattered some gorgeous Felicity Jane planner stickers in this shot...

Thanks for hanging with me through this process!  Now that I know how to resize these printable frame files, I'll be watching for new designs to pop up in her Silhouette store! Because dashboards need to be freshened up every now and then!  Enjoy!