Halloween is a season full of creativity, color, and fun design projects. Whether you’re an artist, a hobbyist, or a plotter enthusiast, creating your own Halloween poster with a pen plotter can be a rewarding experience. In this tutorial, we’ll walk through the full process of making a Halloween-themed poster using Inkscape, SVG images, and the UUNA TEK 3.0 Pen Plotter. You’ll learn how to use extensions, manage layers, switch pens for different colors, and add customized text. By the end, you’ll have a professional-looking artwork, perfect for decorating your home, office, or event.
Step 1: Preparing the Halloween Design
The first step is to gather a Halloween-themed SVG image. SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) is ideal for pen plotters because it allows for precise paths and scalable designs without losing quality.
You can either:
- Download free Halloween SVGs online (pumpkins, haunted houses, bats, ghosts, etc.).
- Use AI tools to generate unique SVG graphics.
- Create your own illustrations directly in Inkscape.
In this example, we’ll use an SVG that includes Halloween text, a pumpkin face, and a haunted house. Open the file in Inkscape, the free and powerful vector design software that works seamlessly with iDraw and UUNA TEK extensions.
Step 2: Adding Color to the Text
To bring your design to life, we’ll start by coloring the “Happy Halloween” text. Select the text and fill it with an orange color to capture the Halloween vibe.
Next, we’ll add hatch fill shading to the letters:
- Select the text object.
- Go to Extensions > iDraw Utilities > Hatch Fill.
- Adjust pen tip size and fill angle. For example, set a 45° angle to create diagonal lines.
The hatch fill will automatically fill the hollow parts of the letters with fine lines, giving the design a handcrafted effect that looks great when plotted with real pens.
Step 3: Filling the Background Shapes
To fill areas outside the text (such as the poster background), you need to combine paths:
- Select the outer outline and the text paths.
- Go to Path > Combine to merge them into a single shape.
- Apply Hatch Fill again via the iDraw extension.
This way, the hatch fill applies only to the background area and avoids overlapping with the text itself.
Use the same approach for other design elements like:
- Pumpkin eyes and mouth.
- Haunted house windows.
- Bats and ghost shapes.
Each filled element adds depth and variety to your poster.
Step 4: Organizing Layers by Color
For multi-color pen plotting, it’s important to separate different colors into distinct layers. This makes it easy to control which lines are drawn with which pen.
1. Create new layers for each color:
- Stroke (outlines)
- Orange
- Black
- Green
2. Select the paths you want to move, right-click, and choose Move to Layer.
3. Repeat until all design elements are organized by color.
The result is a clean, structured SVG file, with each color ready for plotting.
Step 5: Preparing the Plotter & First Drawing Pass
Now it’s time to let the UUNA TEK 3.0 Pen Plotter do its magic.
- Install a black pen in the plotter.
- On your computer, keep only the Stroke layer visible and hide the others.
- Before starting, lower the pen so it touches the paper and makes a tiny reference dot. This dot will serve as your alignment marker when changing pens later.
This first pass will plot the entire outline of your design.
Step 6: Using the UUNA TEK Plotter Extension
In Inkscape, open the plotting extension:
- Go to Extensions > UUNA TEK 3.0 Plotter.
- Choose your cache directory.
- Click Apply to send the file to the plotter.
The plotter will begin tracing your outlines with precision, creating the skeleton of your Halloween poster.
Step 7: Switching Pens Without Losing Alignment
When switching colors, consistency is crucial. Here’s how to do it correctly:
- Before removing the pen, mark its height with tape or a small notch.
- Insert the new pen at the exact same height.
- Tighten the screw to lock it in place.
- Align the pen tip with the reference dot created earlier.
This ensures the new pen matches the previous drawing, preventing misalignment between colors.
Step 8: Drawing Each Color Layer
Repeat the plotting process for each color:
- Hide all layers except the target color (e.g., Orange).
- Send it to the plotter using the UUNA TEK extension.
- Switch pens as needed.
Continue until all layers are complete—orange for text, black for outlines, green for decorative elements, etc.
Step 9: Adding Customized Text with UUNA TEK Software
For the finishing touch, you can add text to your poster. We recommend using UUNA TEK’s custom software, which supports:
- Multiple fonts.
- Text transformations.
- Handwriting effects.
This makes it easy to add a message like “Trick or Treat”, your family name, or event details. Unlike regular fonts, the software simulates natural handwriting for an authentic look.
Final Result
After completing all layers, your Halloween poster will be a vibrant, multi-colored design with crisp outlines, shading, and text. The combination of Inkscape + SVG + UUNA TEK 3.0 Pen Plotter allows you to achieve professional results at home.
Whether you’re creating decorations for your Halloween party, artwork for social media, or personalized cards, this workflow shows how powerful and versatile pen plotters can be.
Why Use a Pen Plotter for Halloween Art?
- Unique handcrafted look – Unlike printing, every line is drawn with real ink.
- Customizable colors & pens – Use gel pens, brush pens, or metallic markers.
- Scalable output – From A4 posters to large banners.
- Creative flexibility – Combine SVG graphics, hatch fills, and handwritten text.
With the UUNA TEK 3.0, you can easily switch between drawing and writing, making it perfect for Halloween projects and beyond.