Dave Grundy gave me some tips on cutting a large graphic with Corel and it works, but is a bit time consuming and some what scary when cutting a 4'x8' word. I was wondering if there is an add-on or simple program that I could use just to cut with. Tile won't work since it doesn't provide a cut line at the joining edges of the graphic.
Maybe I just need to use Dave's method a little more so I'm not so CHICKEN to mess up that many feet of vinyl.
Thanks for any advice.
Brian
------------------ Brian Keence K&B Signs 2220 Lake Tekawitha Rd Pacific, MO. 63069 (636) 257-3679 brian@kbsigns.com ******************** It's clear as mud now!
Posted by brassring (Member # 1768) on :
Brian, I design everything in corel 9, and I have a 24 inch Lynx plotter from signwarehouse.com they also sold me a Signlab shortcut that if I customize my toolbar in corel, I can select what I want to cut, click on the icon on my toolbar and it automatically opens signlab and pastes my design in. I can then cut by color or any other function a cut screen would give you. It works great.
------------------ Rich Litzenberger RICH DESIGNS Emmaus,PA brassring@netzero.net "People have more FUN than anyone"
Posted by Jack Davis (Member # 1408) on :
Brian, I remember Dave giving the process for cutting "large" and thought it was pretty simple. Try this: Draw the Graphic and size it over a page that is the largest size of vinyl that your cutter will accomodate. On a Roland 24, it is 23.99 by length. Add a line across the graphic just at the edge of the cut where you will need to seam together. Move the graphic over the paper to get your max cut.....cut.....move the graphic down and add another seam line....cut......repeat. You don't really have to seperate the graphic into tiles unless you want to save the file for multiple jobs. If I remember correctly, Dave explained it like he was going to save the file for repeating by pretileing it. I have not used any other programs for cutting, but I assumed that the only other feature that they could contain was a tile feature allowing only one print command. Remember its as simple as place graphic, add line to top, cut, move down, add line to top again, cut. Saves me 2000.00. Bronzeo
------------------ Jack Davis 1410 Main St Joplin, MO 64801
Posted by Rick Sacks (Member # 379) on :
Sure sounds complicated! I use a sign program that makes it all so simple. Why not draw it on paper prior to putting vinyl into your cutter? Get ir right on paper, then just switch material. Seems like a safer way to do the set up. You can still re-use the paper for another pattern.
------------------ The SignShop Mendocino, California "Where the Redwoods meet the Surf"
Oh, for the faith of a spider! He begins his web without any thread.
Posted by Daniel Craig (Member # 971) on :
I have been using CoCut (www.summadirect.com), in conjunction with CorelDRAW, way back since CorelDRAW 3. Yes, one can cut directly from CorelDRAW, but CoCut allows you to tweak your settings and preview the final product before cutting. It also works within CorelDRAW; no exporting, copying, or pasting required. It is a define time-saver and increases overall productivity.
------------------ Daniel Craig Greensboro, NC dcraig@rhbarringer.com
Posted by Jack Davis (Member # 1408) on :
I guess I must have been a little confusing with my post. The method that I use takes maybe an extra 30 seconds per 46 inch width design. Not a lot of time to save big bucks on a cutting program, I save disc space, extra files if the cutting program requires it. I use Roland, which works very well with Corel and this dilema. The sign progs may be fine, but cost a lot. I had a friend, to give me his flexi 6.5, and I can't see any reason to use it at all. I can do the 2 or 3 piece cut in Corel while the program is trying to open, and I only have one file. Perhaps if I had a larger shop with several people using the system, I would own a great sign program, but my hardrive ( the one attached to my shoulders) is getting a little full of new program learning. JMHO. Bronzeo
------------------ Jack Davis 1410 Main St Joplin, MO 64801
Posted by Steve Eisenreich (Member # 1444) on :
A friend of mine just bought a Summa T750 pro with all the upgrades (OPOS)and he only really knows CorelDRAW 9 so he bought CO CUT 9 Pro this is going to be a big help for him and it should be well worth the expense.
------------------ Steve Eisenreich PC Bytes Cold Lake, Alberta pcbytes@telusplanet.net
Posted by Laura Butler (Member # 1830) on :
We just did this exact method today and it worked great. We were doing a bus a few months ago and had to cut wavey stripes 16+ feet long. Corel 9 and my PC-60 did it fine.
------------------ Laura Butler Vision Graphics and Sign 560 Oak St. Lapeer, Mi 48446 810-664-3812 visiongraphics@tir.com
"Anything thats comes from my shop, comes from the right brain."
Posted by Andrew Gourvelos (Member # 1425) on :
Our SignTools add-on for Corel Draw has a tool called Panelling that does exactly what you are after. The Panelling tool splits large text or graphics automatically and you can set an overlap thickness if you wish. Panelling is one of 25 tools that come with the package. For more information www.asigns.com/SignTools.htm
PS. I can email an .avi file that shows the Panelling Tool in action if you wish.
------------------ Regards Andrew Gourvelos
A Signs
Posted by Brian Keence (Member # 1867) on :
Thanks everyone for replying. This topic prompted my wife and I to create the "Step by Step" that is listed in another topic.
Andrew: - We have been reading about your "SignTools" and we are a bit interested.
Thanks!
------------------ Brian Keence K&B Signs 2220 Lake Tekawitha Rd Pacific, MO. 63069 (636) 257-3679 brian@kbsigns.com ******************** It's clear as mud now!
Posted by Mike O'Neill (Member # 470) on :
It's a tool ... it's only a tool ...
We were a print shop before expanding into vinyl & signage in 1994, and have been using Corel since about 1991. When I bought my plotter in 1994 I looked at the "Hi-end" software that was available at that time and being already proficient with Corel I realized that from a design point of view Corel was miles ahead. We bought at that time the most basic 'signmate' software that was offered with the roland cutter, since then we have done ALL design & Layout with corel and we export the file to signmate as an .ai or an .eps file to cut. In other words we use signmate only as a glorified print (cut) driver. Works Great.. Having said that, I have to say that we enjoy having signmate, I can't see cutting without it. Corel does many things very well, and since version 6 (~dog) we have been able to design in 1:1 for just about any size sign without scaling, however signmate handles vinyl separations beautifully and easily, tiling is easy and efficient (yes, we know corel can panel, it just can't poll my plotter to know what size vinyl I'm using at a given moment to know what the panel size is, (and keep ME from screwing up (again)). I'm stuck on Corel, there isn't another package out there that comes close to giving you as much bang for the buck. And I even appreciate the fact that updates come out so often (18 - 24 months) because they are usually worthwhile, and they keep the price of the upgrade affordable, $200cdn or so. I've recently had a chance to have an indepth look at SignLab v5.03 (It came with an engraver (phoenex 1212) I just bought, and while I find that it has certain features (multiples, text autoformat, serialization, definable attributes for each vinyl) that I wish Corel had, it is extremely limited and cumbersome to use as a design tool. I will probably end up continuing to use corel for design & layout, I will use signlab only as the engraver 'driver', (I will eventually plug a vinyl cutter into it, gotta try).
I suggest using Corel for design, but it does benefit by having a dedicated cutter plug-in of some sort.
"The best things in life aren't things" Art Buchwald
Posted by Brian Diver (Member # 1552) on :
When I decided to get into the biz, I couldn't afford all those hi-end programs and decided to use Corel 9. I ended up purchasing a few "tools" from www.smartdesigns.com (actually digital art solutions) at the BIG show in Ahaheim. I got the summa cutter and co-cut pro which works pretty slick. I just designed a 4' x 16' banner to full size and stick the vinyl in the cutter and let it go. It will tile (panel) in a variety of ways to save material, segmentation, etc. It's worth taking a look at.
------------------ Brian Diver PDQ Signs Everett, Wa
(425) 252-6110 briandiver@excite
Posted by Adrienne Pereira (Member # 1046) on :
Good timing, I had this delema today trying to cut all the elements of a 4x8......when I got to one part, the biggest I realized it was wider than my plotter's cutting capabilities so had to figure out how to do this. I called Ron Percel. He told me to pull the box tool around half of the graphic, then do the same with the bottom half...I think it worked, I have it cut and masked...if I understood Ron correctly it should work. Adrienne
------------------ Adrienne Morgan Splash Signs www.splashsigns.com "Rainkatt'
