It takes a bit of playing around to get used to the controls, but it’s pretty intuitive.
The free trial version of Aku Shaper is the one I’ve used mostly. To date I’ve used two different programs for this process. I’ll then sit down with my laptop and, using a free board shaping application downloaded from the internets, I’ll set about conceptualising the outline, rocker curves and foil of the board. a 5’10” quad fish with a beaked nose and single to double concave bottom contours. They start in my head as an idea of the board I’d like to create – e.g. Designing the outline: So far all the boards I’ve built have been unique, one-off shapes. Feel free to cherry-pick any bits that you find useful.ġ. What I’m going to detail here is my process for creating a template. These days it’s much more likely that the design process starts on a computer screen and in many cases it doesn’t venture beyond the digital realm until the machine-shaped blank is ready for cleaning up.īut that’s not what I’m going to talk about here. In the “olden days” before the advent of computer aided design, shapers relied on some more analogue methods for creating their templates – bending and tracing flexible batons into aesthetically pleasing curves, combining existing templates to form new shapes, and others that I won’t go into detail about here. This is laid onto the blank down the centre and traced, then flipped and repeated on the other side to ensure symmetry (if that’s what the shaper is aiming for).
Your basic template is a full length rendering of the board’s outline, divided in half lengthwise. The proven vehicle for this stage of the process is the Template. Most beginner shapers have a reasonably good idea of the board they want to shape, but aren’t always confident about getting the shape from their head and onto the blank. Every shaper has their own unique process for building a board – from developing the concept of a board in their imagination, to getting it shaped, wrapped in fibreglass and onto the wave. Hit Yes or No to add logo.There are almost as many methods for shaping surfboards as there are shapers. To do this, simply search for your logo in the finder window that is given:
You will be asked to "add your logo" to the PDF form. Make a PDF file to send to friends/customers: All added information will print on both board info page and PDF print. Print Board Info Page: Add board info in the BOARD INFO tab. OTHER PRINT OPTIONS (BOARD INFO & PDF OPTIONS) *Add more slices to have more slices printed: Print slices using the Print Full Sized Slices feature. Tape profile prints together and cut out as normal to replicate an exact cross profile (rocker profile) of a design: You will be walked through the same print prompts (follow all previous steps.) Open a new board and navigate to the Print option: Additional Outline Template Tricks - Fiberglass Hawaii PRINTING A PROFILEįollow the same steps as before. The wide point and slices 1' from the tail and nose will be displayed along with the corresponding dimensions.Īlign the pages according to the numbers, tape together, and either use the paper template to trace an outline on a blank -or- attach the printed outline to a piece of masonite board and cut out a permanent outline to be used later. From there, your outline will begin printing. If you are ready to print, hit PRINT, and you will receive one more dialogue box explaining the amount of paper used and the orientation of the shape:Ĭlick OK to print and CANCEL to cancel the print. Next prompt will display your home printer settings (this will vary depending on the type of operating system you have) There are also several options to save the outline as a PDF or to email to someone: Set the smallest possible margins allowed, choose landscape or portrait depending on the size and width of your board.
To print an Outline, use the Print Outline Full Size option: You will receive the following prompt boxes to adjust your printer settings.
We offer several printing options (details highlighted at the bottom of this support article): *A shape must be saved first before it can be printedįrom this stage, Navigate to the Print option in the open toolbar: Start by opening a new shape or a saved shape.
Outline Printing Startup Guide on how to use the AkuShaper Outline/Profile printing features