Can someone explain the logistics of the graphix advantage (gerber) import habits? When starting from a sent file, it will not import into gerber. I have also used the scan to bring it in, but, no luck. I don't have Omega, and I tried having someone with adobe scan it with streamline. Although I don't know the adobe program, I have it and am working on learning it. When the file was sent from one of the letterheads, it did open in adobe illustrator as a vector file, but would not allow itself to be exported as any file format that my gerber would read. I know that to export a file of corel clipart in adobe 7 is the only format that it will read as the exported file, so I tried this on my new file. I know this because I brought some corel clipart into it this weekend in ai.7 as an ai file, eps file, dmx file, cmx, too and they all opened and were ready to cut. It was checked and tested by a friend who is a graphic designer with heavy adobe illustrator and photoshop skills. He came to help me last weekend. I have corel 8 and that is supposed to work, but, it's not in this case. Last night I was reading on the post from a week ago and I took the advice to trace in adobe first and export as eps, which I did,( manually with the trace tool, and it did import into Gerber and was ready to cut (vector). But, the drawing was sloppy of course since I was not good with the tool. Should I have done the automatic trace? I don't know that one, couldn't find the way to do it. Is that the answer? Adobe files that were scanned and exported to me in a lower version always worked in the past and I had absolutely no problem import/cuttng them in composer. Last fall, I had Jay Allen's shop digitized a logo for me from the company business card. It only opened as a messed up jagged cross-lined file. They said they spent an hour on it, and I was frustrated and curious, as I had a rush job. Some of you remember that. But, it was the fact (I finally found out) that I needed Omega to open it. My vinyl distr. that sells gerber plotters now realized that it was to have Omega. That was the first I ever heard of that. I highly doubt that we are looking at an Omega problem, but I am open for suggestions! Do I need the patch online? Where would you go from here?
[ September 17, 2003, 04:27 PM: Message edited by: Deb Fowler ]
-------------------- Deb Fowler
"It's kind of fun to do the impossible - Walt Disney (1901-1966) Posts: 5373 | From: Loves Park, Illinois | Registered: Aug 1999
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Deb, Graphix Advantage will cleanly import and AI or EPS file but no higher than version 3. If you have Illustrator, just open the file and do a Save As. The dialog that follows the naming of the file provides you the opportunity to select which version you want the file saved in.
If you are trying to use Streamline to autotrace a file that is already in vectors you aren't understanding it's purpose. Use Streamline to do a clean autotrace of a bitmap. Use Illustrator or CorelDraw to cleanup a poor quality vector. Whenever you use Streamline, open the resulting file in Illustrator and resave it back to Version 3. If memory serves me correctly, Streamline saves in Illustrator 5 format which is too high a version for Graphix Advantage.
-------------------- Fred Weiss Allied Computer Graphics, Inc. 4620 Lake Worth Road Lake Worth, FL 33463 561 649-6300 allcompu@allcompu.com Posts: 427 | From: Lake Worth, Florida | Registered: Feb 2003
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When the filters were written for Graphix Advantage, I don't think Illustrator Version 7 existed. Trust me, save back to version 3 if you are dealing with a vector Illustrator file.
If not, send it off to Viking Arts and for a few bucks they have it back to you the next day cleanly vectorized. Just make sure you instruct them to provide it in no higher than version 3.
-------------------- Fred Weiss Allied Computer Graphics, Inc. 4620 Lake Worth Road Lake Worth, FL 33463 561 649-6300 allcompu@allcompu.com Posts: 427 | From: Lake Worth, Florida | Registered: Feb 2003
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The auto or manual trace was what my attempt was in adobe, upon receiving the file. I don't have streamline.
A separate attempt was by another letterhead of only using streamline. I didn't mean to confuse you. He was using it properly. Thank you for your time, Fred!
-------------------- Deb Fowler
"It's kind of fun to do the impossible - Walt Disney (1901-1966) Posts: 5373 | From: Loves Park, Illinois | Registered: Aug 1999
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Deb, Sounds like you are getting close, but not really understanding what each program does and how they interact.
In GA6.2, you can import a black and white or color bitmap and digitize right over it. That would include tif, jpg, pcx, and bmp formats. You "place image" under the file menu. You can throw away the tif, pcx, or similar bitmap image after manually vectorizing.
or
In GA 6.2, you can import a one bit black and white bitmap and use the raster to vector tool right in Composer (under Edit). That creates a vectorized image. You can throw away the tif, pcx, or similar bitmap image after vectorizing.
or
In Illustrator, you can place a bitmap, and vectorize over it with the pen tools. Assign everything black with no strokes and save as AI 3 or lower. Import that file (wherever you save it on your hard drive) using the AI import filter in GA 6.2. Remember, you must fill all shapes with a color or they won't import. Black is my choice, but it doesn't matter.
or
In Steamline, open a bitmap, convert it to outlines and Save ART as "filename.ai". Import the file you just saved in GA as Illustrator AI.
Note: Bitmaps are usually tif, pcx, jpg, or bmp and are created normally with a scanner or camera, but also can be saved by most programs such as Photoshop and Corel.
I have had no problems saving and importing files all the way down to AI version 1.0 in GA 6.2. Omega will save an Illustrator file in version 6.0 but will open all versions from 6.0 and down. I know 3.0 works because I do that a few dozen times a day right now. Also, remember that GA 6.2 does not support long file names so you must save in eight characters with the AI extension.
Lastly, if someone gave you a very small bitmap image (such as something coming off the web), it will not be of sufficient size to get a good vectorizaion from. That might be causing the choppy edges. I like to scan at about 400 dpi black and white for auto-vectorizing...600 dpi on some images.
I know all the processes above work in GA 6.2, so it appears you are just not doing one of the steps correctly. You DO have to IMPORT AI files and not try to OPEN them.
Good luck, Mike Jackson
-------------------- Mike Jackson Golden Era Studios Jackson Hole, Wy www.goldenstudios.com/ Posts: 390 | From: PO Box 7850 | Registered: Nov 1998
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Hats off to you and thank you, Mike, Gary, Phil, Ray, Doug, Fred,and everyone that has been helping me with this. I have the immediate problem solved and am cutting the logo. I figured out that it did save very well with adobe after adobe streamline was applied. The mistake was a misunderstanding about the corel 8 file only being able to open with the ai.7
This is very considerate of you to take your time, as I know you probably have little time for yourselves. I want you to know that this probably is the most important post that I have derived pertinent information that I desperately have needed for a while. For the most part I didn't have all my ducks in a row to piece things together so I farmed out my logos until this time, as I am sincerely ready to learn and am able to absorb.
I hope this post encourages and informs others that use these types of programs,as this is very valuable information that needs to be copied and stored for future reference, and on paper too, in case something happens to my hard drive. Thanks, thanks, thanks! Now I feel I can join the "big guys" and not send my images out. I am now looking into purchasing adobe streamline also. Have a wonderful evening/day! If I can help anyone with anything, please let me know. As letterville is a good investment, this is one of those experiences, have a great day. (but, then, don't let me tell you what to do!)
[ September 17, 2003, 09:22 PM: Message edited by: Deb Fowler ]
-------------------- Deb Fowler
"It's kind of fun to do the impossible - Walt Disney (1901-1966) Posts: 5373 | From: Loves Park, Illinois | Registered: Aug 1999
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Deb, Just to make certain you understand, YOU ALREADY HAVE A GOOD RASTER TO VECTOR UTILITY in GA 6.2. You don't "need" Streamline if you can place a bitmap in GA. The bitmap does need to be a 1 bit bitmap...solid black and white. Streamline might convert a grayscale image. I'd have to go check that, but I never need to do that. If doing a raster to vector process on something I have to scan, I just set the scanner to 1 bit black and white output. If I have a grayscale image from another source, I use Photoshop to change the mode to bitmap.
Nice to hear you are able to do this process now.
Mike Jackson
-------------------- Mike Jackson Golden Era Studios Jackson Hole, Wy www.goldenstudios.com/ Posts: 390 | From: PO Box 7850 | Registered: Nov 1998
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