NEWBIE... just bought Corel Draw 12 [Archive]

jasondrummer98

02-25-2005, 04:13 PM

OK excuse my french but i'm lost like a whore at church...

I just bought a cutter and now have bought Corel Draw 12...

I was told from the Corel Draw website that it was all I needed to get started designing and cutting my own graphics...

but now I'm being told I have to buy a seperate program that would go onto Corel Draw 12 to actually do the cutting?

I'm also lost on the text part of Corel Draw... I assumed you would be able to easily do outlines and shadows.... but i can barely figure out how to make it type the text!

So if I do need this other program.... what program is the best to get? which is the most affordable?(and still functionable?)...

thanks

jason yarbrough
jason@farfromyesterday.com

exsigns

02-25-2005, 04:37 PM

i think it is possible to cut direct from corel draw but it will have so many limitations and difficulties it is not worh it. there is an unexpensive plug in tool such as "co cut" i belive, it shoud solve most of your problems. If you still want to cut direct from corel see if you plotter disk has some sort of the driver for the windows. you can install it and just "print to your plotter" from alsomst any software. Like my new graphtec plotter plug in allows me to "print (really cut)" from any soft such as illustrator, corel, etc...

jasondrummer98

02-25-2005, 04:45 PM

Ok ... I'm thinking about buying CoCut or Sign Tools 3... my question is will I be able to easily add outlines and inlines and such when I add this? because basically I can't find anywhere in Corel Draw you can even add an outline to text.

exsigns

02-25-2005, 04:50 PM

i think sign tools offer download of full working femo off their website for 30 days... google it!

Fred Weiss

02-25-2005, 05:36 PM

You can outline in Corel easily enough. You just need to know that they call it "contour". There is a rollup palette that you can open on screen that provides you access to the tools you will need. In my version, Corel 8, it is part of the View menu.

Royal Palm Graphics

02-25-2005, 05:47 PM

CoCut would be your best solution, however, you’ll still be doing all of your creating in Corel. I don’t have Corel 12 but I have 11. I can’t see buying into newer versions every year a program comes out with newer upgrades, especially Corel. Corel’s best versions have always proven to be their odd numbers for whatever reason.

In Corel 11 to get outlines to your text:
1) first type in what you want.
2) On the tool bar to the left is an outline tool. Click on that and a toll fly-out will appear. By rolling your mouse slowly over these tools a little message will appear telling you what each one of these tools are.
3) From there you will be able to select your outline.
4) By clicking on the “X” box in the color palette to the right will cancel whatever color that is within your letteing.
To cut text you will first need to convert all text to curves by right clicking on the text and selecting “converting all text to curves”.

Hoping that this is what your question was pertaining to.

GraphixCALC

02-25-2005, 05:51 PM

You can use either the OUTLINE or CONTOUR tool to achieve what you want. They both behave a bit differently. I use contours more than outlines. CONTOUR is part of the Interactive toolbar (i.e. Interactive Contour, Shadow, Blend, etc.). You will generally need to convert the outline or contour to curves prior to cutting, but CoCut does help you some in this regard. I have CoCut Pro and am not sure of what all is NOT in the std version (if that is what you are considering). I've heard Signtools is good, but have no experience with it. CoCut Pro is a good program, but it is more than your Corel cost.

geb

02-25-2005, 05:57 PM

I'm a signtools 3 user, and it allows you to create shadows and outlines. If you go this route, I would suggest looking on their site and downloaded a demo as mentioned before, and also make sure they have a driver that will run your cutter. A list of drivers is also on their site.

You hopefully purchased a book with your Corel, study the book, it will tell you how to do everything in Corel. I know it looks hard. It is. But the more you use and learn it, the easier it gets and you'll have a valuable tool for text and graphics, and much more if you enter into other Corel applications.

George

GraphixCALC

02-25-2005, 06:09 PM

BTW, what kind of cutter do you have?

SouthPaw

02-25-2005, 09:57 PM

Corel can cut directly to the plotter IF you have a Roland plotter. I think you need a bridge program for other cutters.

Corel's contour tool is what you'll need if you wish to output outlines to a plotter. The outline tool is for printed materials (wether professionally printed or printed via inkjet).

TerryStolmeier

02-25-2005, 10:28 PM

The most important question that hasn't been answered is what type of cutter you have?

If you have Corel, play with it. Get used to it. Read articles and the tutorials. It can do pretty much anything you want it to... if you know how.

Knowing what a vector graphic is and how they work is also very important.

jimdes

02-25-2005, 11:53 PM

As an experienced Corel user, I can comfortably say that you can send a cut to just about any plotter on the market today. Some legacy plotters need a little help in Windows XP but that's it for the most part.

You will want to install your plotter's HPGL driver if it came with one or download a generic HPGL driver from a site such as driverguide.com. In order to cut properly, you will need to have your outlines colored black and no fill color.

There are many threads in this forum about Corel Draw. You should take a few days and read them, most are very informative.

You do not need to install any more software than you already have. As you become more proficient however, you will want a software package that can accomplish the same effects you are creating now but in fewer steps. Your first choice would be the industry standard, Adobe Illustrator if you plan to make this your living.

You will need to use the contour effect to create outlines in Corel Draw because if you want to cut directly from Corel, you will need to use the outline feature for your cut lines. To create drop shadows, duplicate the feature you want to shadow, send it behind the feature you are duplicating and position the shadow the way you wish. To create cast shadows, you will need to employ the skew, rotate and angle effects in Corel Draw.

Corel Draw is a decent sign making program if it's something you already have and are proficient with but if you buy it with the intention of designing cut vinyl signs only, there are several programs better suited to your needs. Although I use Corel Draw Exclusively for my sign design, I would not recommend it for a beginning sign maker. Corel Draw has too many little quirks that make it difficult and cumbersome to work with. Consider a program like VinylMaster Pro, Signlab, FlexiSign, Omega or a similar program dedicated to sign design, you'll find those programs will handle vectors WAY better than Corel Draw and the text efects much easier to use.

Spend a little more in the beginning to avoid spending too much later.

OldPaint

02-26-2005, 01:49 AM

SignRover

02-26-2005, 04:09 PM

Proficiency in Corel is time well spent. We use it to create paths for plotters, cnc routers and a laser engraver. Learn it any way you can.

bones

02-26-2005, 09:34 PM

Corel 12 cutting direct to 24" graphtec here.... no bridge program.

yaahhh there is gonna be a learning curve for ya!:tongue:

Stick with it, its gonna be worth it in the long run.

Jeff

jasondrummer98

02-26-2005, 09:40 PM

My cutter is a Vinyl Master XY-300 .... my cutter came with a FlexiSTARTER program... which basically will do nothing... I've tried to cut from this program to just see how the cutter works... but I cannot get it to work... for some reason it says it can't find the port.... I also downloaded the Sign Tools 3 add on and i like the way it works... but again.. cannot get it to cut... it says its "printing" but then just says that for awhile and goes away... never does anything... my cutter didn't come with a driver disc... I did get a disc with an USB cord that I bought to add on to the 232C cable to make it actually plug in to my computer... I don't have the larger 25point parallel plug in on my computer... so I used the disc and it set up a port.... but still won't work... I'm past the program part i'm starting to figure out Corel a bit more now that I play with it a bit... but... the inability to cut is my problem now....

OldPaint

02-27-2005, 02:59 AM

it dont have a printer port..your not gona cut from corel!!!!

geb

02-27-2005, 07:34 AM

I don't see a driver on signtools 3 site for your cutter.

I know you just purchased a demo, but if you like the signtools program, don't buy it without talking to someone from signtools about your cutter being able to operate with one of their drivers. Like I said, I don't see a driver for your cutter, and you may just be wasting money if you decide to purchase it. Just a thought.

George

Fred Weiss

02-27-2005, 09:17 AM

It seems to me that the problem is that you do no have a working hookup between your computer and your plotter. Flexi should work for you as a bridge program to open files you create in Corel and output them to the plotter.

Most plotters connect through serial ports, not through USB or LPT printer ports. Serial ports (COM ports) come in both 9 pin and 25 pin varieties and are male plugs. LPT ports (printer ports) are 25 pin female plugs. If you don't have these ports on your computer, they can be added for $15 or $20. If you have a 25 pin but need a 9 pin, most computer stores sell adapters to accomplish the switchover for a couple of bucks.

You can easily determine what ports are available through your Control Panel > System > Device Manager as shown in the attached image. If you have a COM port, I'd recommend that you use it for your plotter. If you don't, I'd recommend you buy a COM card and add a COM port to your computer.

Gazzz

02-27-2005, 08:47 PM

Sign tools does nothing you can't already do in corel itself... You're pretty much paying for the use of predefined actions. Waste.

I've learnt corel and it took a good year.. i now use it to design signs, however things get cut from 'omega' (dedicated sign cutting program) through the import / export filters of the filetype EPS...

If you are spending the money to set up yourself, then grab an old version of a dedicated sign program and make life alot easier!

jasondrummer98

02-28-2005, 10:09 PM

Fred-
I do not have a serial port on my computer... I don't think... sorry i'm kinda slow on this... I have 3 USB ports... one plug in that has 15 holes... and thats it... my cutter came with a 232C cord that plugs into a port on the cutter that is EXACTLY the same as my 15 hole port... but the cord is a male/female cord.. and both the port on my computer and the one on the printer is a female... I bought an add on cord that plugs into that 232C cord with a male 15 point end... and then plugs into my USB port... but again this isn't working..

My computer doesn't show a "Ports" option under device manager.... its has a PCMCIA adapter inbetween "Network Adapters" and "Processors".... and if I expand the PCMCIA adapter icon it says "Texas Instruments PCI-1410 CardBus Controller".... this any help?

thanks for all the help
Jason

Fred Weiss

03-01-2005, 12:06 AM

I can't answer all the questions here and I'll be happy to stand corrected, but his much i think I can say for sure:

1. The only ports I know of with 15 pins is the video connection and some telecomm connections using RS422 connection as shown here.

http://www.arcelect.com/sd15-m.gif http://www.arcelect.com/sd15-f.gif

2. USB ports do not have pins. They look like a rectangle with a white strip running across and four flat connectors inside that you have to look hard to even see. Most boxes come with two USB ports located immediately adjacent to the round connectors for the keyboard and mouse.

http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/usb1a.jpg

USB connector on PC

http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/usb4.jpg

3. RS232 serial connections can be either DB-9 pin or DB-25 pin connectors as shown in these images.

http://www.arcelect.com/9_pin.jpg

http://www.arcelect.com/9_PIN_PIN_OUT.GIF

http://www.camiresearch.com/Data_Com_Basics/image30.gif

Bottom line is the standard way to hookup a plotter to a PC is with RS232 connections and cable. If you don't have a DB-9 or DB-25 port on your computer, you should add one or more by adding a standard Com Card available most places computers are sold. You should also identify the type of connector on your plotter since it will determine whether or not a serial, parallel or USB interface is appropriate.

Until you resolve this issue of being able to control your plotter from your software, you cannot begin to deal with your software and determine whether or not the Corel and Flexi combo you have will serve your needs and preferences.

Keep us posted.

Grady

03-01-2005, 10:53 AM

Use the contour option in Corel for your outlines...just make sure you separate the contour prior to altering the size of the design...If you don't the outlines won't change correctly with the text...convert all lines to point .001 and you will have no problems cutting out of Corel..I do it all day..

jasondrummer98

03-01-2005, 12:00 PM

OK so basically i need a DB-9. So just out of curiousity is there any reason that hooking the RS232 cable into a Serial to USB adapter and running it through my USB won't work? Its how I run my regular printer.

Sorry I'm kinda lost completely on this... but i'm starting to understand it a bit more. Thanks alot for ALL your help.

Jason

Greg

03-01-2005, 12:19 PM

If you're using an external modem IT might be using your only COM Port.......

Fred Weiss

03-01-2005, 12:44 PM

So just out of curiousity is there any reason that hooking the RS232 cable into a Serial to USB adapter and running it through my USB won't work?

Only that it isn't working and you haven't been able to get it to work like that. Since DB9's have worked so well for years and your software and hardware will almost certainly recognize that kind of hookup, it would seem to be the easiest way to resolve your hookup problems.

thomas barth

03-01-2005, 01:15 PM

"Ok ... I'm thinking about buying CoCut or Sign Tools 3... my question is will I be able to easily add outlines and inlines and such when I add this? because basically I can't find anywhere in Corel Draw you can even add an outline to text."

Did anyone mention that text needs to be converted to curves? After kerning is finished, press ctrl-Q. The text will now be a shape and the "effects" options will work.

jasondrummer98

03-01-2005, 06:11 PM

I've been playing with Corel some and i've gotten pretty good with the contour... it works pretty good...my problem is when I do more than one outline I can't seem to get the middle outline(s) to change color.

I'm going to get a DB-9 COM CARD tonight... hopefully that will solve my port problem...

Greg

03-01-2005, 06:36 PM

The long and the short of it is that color selector on the contour tool doesn't work the way you expect it to (at least not the way I expect it to).

Just "Break" the contour and color each contour separately.

jasondrummer98

03-01-2005, 09:28 PM

I went this evening to get a DB9 COM Card... and apparently... laptops cannot take these cards according to the "GEEK SQUAD" at Best Buy... who actually at first had no idea what I was talking about... and apparently I cannot add a serial port to my laptop.... Basically he told me I have to buy a PC to do anything.... although he said the adapter that I'm using to run the 9point cable into my USB should be working... someone please tell me I don't have to buy a new computer just to run this cutter!!

jimdes

03-01-2005, 09:46 PM

I knew I kept my legacy machines for a reason, Hah

Fred Weiss

03-01-2005, 10:14 PM

No but you might need to hire someone at the local level to make it work. Had you mentioned that you're using a laptop, I never would have suggested a COM card.

jasondrummer98

03-01-2005, 10:24 PM

yeah sorry bout that... I honestly didn't think it made a difference. WOW this is a learning process!!

Fred Weiss

03-01-2005, 10:41 PM

http://www.allcompu.com/myicons/devil_pointing_right_md_wht.gif The devil's in the details.

jasondrummer98

03-02-2005, 01:09 PM

OldPaint

03-02-2005, 04:19 PM

1st off... there aint no easy type a line and cut right now sign programs! you can forget the idea of buying a plotter, sign program and you IS A SIGN MAKER!!
old 50's song TIME! is what its gona take either with COREL or any other program. so resign yourself to these facts.
figured i needed to say it again. you bought corel, you bought a plotter and you are going into the sign business....just like that.
well now its down to the rubber meetin the road.....and aprently you dont have the KEYS TO START THE MOTOR..... sorry but you needed to do some "pre-learning" as to what you are atempting to do here.
1. before you bought the plotter you shoulda found out if it had a connection for both com & printer port.
2. you shoulda told the plotter seller you intended to use a laptop!!
3. to cut from corel you need a plotter with a printer port/usb connection. if plotter dont have printer port connection you need a cable that will go from a USB to printer port.
4. home work, home work, home work.
5. can you return plotter?
6. can you return corel 12?
7. i would then get a part time job at a sign shop or find someone local who will teach all the "details" you need to know before you sink $3-4000.00 into equipment and programs.
this is not a "turn key-type-a-line" operation...you do need some background knowledge....with out it is like entering a martial art contest......and only watched the movies...and never taking a lesson.

jasondrummer98

03-03-2005, 12:18 AM

I didn't buy this to go into sign making business... I bought this because we own a race team that consists of 4 cars and 2 trailers that need lettering... now around my parts they will charge you upwards around $500 per car to letter a race car... and $800 or better to do a race trailer... so thus its actually me spending a couple grand to save our team money in the long run.... from what i've found out lately this is a very profitable business... but unfortunatly i have 2 businesses of my own that take up more than enough of my time. I'm just looking for help... not a critic.

Fred Weiss

03-03-2005, 12:47 AM

Let me guess ... you also bought this cutter used so you're not getting support from whomever you bought it from in getting yourself setup either.

Now you tell us you only acquired all this so that you wouldn't have to spend the bucks with someone who has acquired the experience and successfully gotten him or herself in a position to provide you with solutions to your needs.

I see a certain irony here Jason. Do you? :rolleyes:

OldPaint

03-03-2005, 01:01 AM

jason, i bought my 2nd plotter from a HOOTERS CUP racer. they did the same thing, and found out in the long run you are futher ahead to find a good sign person who is resonable and they will save you from the agrivation and spending your time learning all there is to know how to operate the plotter and work the program.
yes, you might save your team money...if you had the knowledge already in place to do the vinyl cutting. now the next problem your going to run into is VINYL COST. this again is a problem for the uninformed. say you by a 15" x 10 yard roll of vinly to do your race car. now your thurs nite and your lettering and you run out of the vinyl you need....now you got a real problem....so fri you try to get a roll shipped to or delivered so you can finish the lettering....then you screw up the cut....and it will stick to its self and you need tranfer tape......buy the time your figure your time to learn how to do this, buy all the equipment, buy all the needed vinyl and tranfer tape, then you got the time spent in cutting, weeding and taping and then applying....the $500 per car is gona be a bargain!!!!!!!! like i said "1st off... there aint no easy type a line and cut right now sign programs! you can forget the idea of buying a plotter, sign program and you IS A SIGN MAKER!!"

Scott Reynolds

03-03-2005, 01:07 AM

ALAS! I have finally gotten my cutter to cut... well sort of...

I can transfer my Corel stuff over to Flexi and cut from Flexi... but...

for some reason the cutter doesn't do anything but cut a TON of lines in the vinyl ... it never actually cuts the lettering out that I asked it too... any thing I'm doing wrong here?

Sounds like the servo bearing fluid is getting hot. The best thing for that is to get a spray bottle with some water and do a test cut while spraying water in the back of the ploter. This should quite the bugger down...

:Big Laugh

Fred Weiss

03-03-2005, 01:18 AM

Jason .... please do not follow LV's advice .... he's yanking your chain. :signs101:

Scott Reynolds

03-03-2005, 01:25 AM

Chain? It was his leg...... but really, plug it in and dunk it in water, that will fix it.....

jasondrummer98

03-03-2005, 12:13 PM

Scott Reynolds

03-03-2005, 02:13 PM

Everyone here knows what your doing wrong........ but if I called chevy and said give me the codes to unlock my computer in my 2004 truck, over the phone, for free, they would tell me to go pound sand.

Fred Weiss

03-03-2005, 03:32 PM

Jason, there are two issues at play here.

1. You weren't happy with what you felt you would get from a job planned by any of the locals you know about. This is called creative control. You could have resolved that as an issue by just purchasing CorelDraw and creating your own layouts, select a sign company and have them produce and install the graphics.

2. You weren't happy with what the price was for the installed job. You could have cut out the installation portion of the cost of the job by ordering RTA vinyls (Ready-to-Apply) from most local sign companies and any number of jobbers and out of town sign companies.

Had you done both these things, you would have no problem finding jobbers for a cost of around $4 a square foot for your designs and you doing the install. Pretty good coverage with overlays and such would probably come out to 50 square feet or so ... which translates to $200 in RTA from your designs and with you doing the installs.

No plotter to buy and get working, no vinyl and transfer tape to inventory, no mistakes to eat or time wasted. Just a $350 purchase of CorelDraw.

OldPaint

03-03-2005, 04:03 PM

the lowest price plotter is just like buying the lowest priced motor parts for your race engine.....(i got 15 yrs workin for NAPA, i know good motor parts, the store i worked at had the biggest machine shop in the area and built many race motors and the guy i worked for used to build race motors for paul newman)so if you can return this plotter.....get you $1795.00 back, return corel draw $200.
now you got $2000. ive done many race cars...with a brush and vinyl(paint is my favorite)call me and i will cut your numbers for $4 sq. per color. meaing you want a 20" tall number x 24" wide will cost you $16 each....now you want a shadow for the number it will be another $16 and if you want a single line seperation color it will add a another $16 so a 3 coloered number will cost you $48 each!!!
3 numbers will be $144 dollars.... you apply them. now hows that sound? for the $2000 i can cut weed, tape, and send you enough vinyl to do about 10 cars......you got that many?
the trailer now might take a lot more ....all i need is how high how wide...you deal with rivits, screws, pop rivits, creases and all other sheet etal irregularities.
if you dont want to do this ....still return that chineseplotter....find a ROLAND CM-24 $1500 BRAND NEW has printer port and com port connection.....keep your corel and cut right from it after you learn it. your choice....look here on ebay.... http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=46741&item=3876591761&rd=1 notice the "interface" serial or com......this will do anything you chinese cutter will do....plus cut from corel.

TerryStolmeier

03-03-2005, 08:17 PM

I'm sorry if this is off topic... but I about fell out of my chair with the advice LV gave. The second one was a great kicker!

LV - If you really do have a 2004 Chev with trouble codes, get ahold of me and I'll get you the information. I have access to pretty much any GM service documentation.

Jason - If you really want to still do this, I'd suggest returning the plotter and picking up one that supports USB. May I suggest Summa?

jasondrummer98

03-04-2005, 03:05 PM

Thanks for everyones advice.... I actually finally got my cutter working by the ole theory of if something doesn't work right... press a bunch of buttons till it does... and what do you know... it works fine now... believe it or not after a bit of adjusting it cuts very nicely... I also cussed at it and its Chinese/Canadian makers... it might not have helped make it work.. but made me feel better... although i'm still not sure what i clicked on or off to make it work.. ha ha

Graphic Language

03-04-2005, 03:49 PM

Hey Jason... don't let 'em get you down... We actually have one of these cutters. We take it with us when we go mobile (I don't want to risk screwing up an expensive cutter at a dusty MX track) and it's works fine with a USB to serial adapter (although we don't use the one that they sell with it). We use a USB-to-Serial with a Toshiba Laptop and WinXP Home SP2.

Believe me, I know how it is to deal with the people that sell it... we had a cutter go bad on us (it would quit picking up the blade between cuts) and the hoops we had to jump through to get it replaced were insane... I won't be dealing with them anymore.

Dunno if this is what you tried, but the USB to serial adapter will make a comx port (not sure what your adapter will be com3 com4 com5 etc). You then need to configure your software to send it's output to that com port. If your software won't support the serial port it picks (some don't like serial ports above com4) you will have to go into the Hardware Device Manager and play with the adapter settings and get it to take a lower com port number.

As for cutting from Corel.. I've done it, but it's not the best solution... IIRC, we used a Windows Graphtec CE1000 driver for it (I may be wrong as it's been a while)... not the problem here is that that cutter defaults to starting on teh right side.. but this Corel/Graphtec driver cuts from the left... you can set it to home the cutting head to the left, but I can't find a way to make it remember that (if you reset it, turn it off or unplug it, it'll return back to homing on the right). We do our design work in Corel, export to eps and then import into the software that came with it.

Ya, it's kind of a cheap cutter and others are much better with beter features, but ours has paid foritself a few times over now and keeps our other cutter back in the shop.

Bryce

Tim N

03-06-2005, 01:37 AM

I'm not sure where some of you are located but in a small community such as the one I live in The following quote is very true.
(I honestly wouldn't have bought this thing if there were decent graphics guys around here... there are mainly sign guys who think they know what looks good on a race car... which is mainly a very bland 2 color lettering job... then charge you $500... I'd pay that if I felt it was a $500 job.. i've seen alot of the work people have posted on this site and it makes the stuff around here look like a kid with a magic marker did it... )

There may be only 2 or 3 choices for vinyl graphics, and they are so covered up in signs that they are not interested in doing a race car or charge an arm and a leg for a very poor job. How about paying $130 for 3 number 9's, single color white, 20" x 22" each, cash and cary, done in oracle 651. This is the reason I decided to look into it. I do realize now that I will need at least a couple more years and some training before I even think about trying to do it professionaly.
I wonder why some sign makers get so defensive and disturbed about a guy wanting to do a couple of race cars a year when the guys around here don't want anything to do with them?

OldPaint

03-06-2005, 03:10 AM

defensive? well you aint in florida....we got mothers, grandfathers, wifes, uncles, inlaws & outlaws....all doin VINLY GRAPHICS FOR RACE CARS.....and givin the work away just to get thier name on the race car!!! there is my gripe.
i had a shop on the main drag to our local 1/2 mile asphalt track.
i put a banner out on the road: STOCK CARS LETTERED HAND PAINTED $125.00!!!!!! and got no takers...so dont tell me how stock car guys want to spend money for lettering.....THEY DONT!!! and the excuse that no sign guys want to do your car OR CHARGE YOU A LOT OF MONEY... aint the reason either. i been at this for most of my life, ive seen the day when guys where happy to get their cars lettered in 2 weeks ....from the time they called me, till i did it. they were glad to pay me...now i will agree with you that most dont do good work on stock cars...BUT ITS YOUR WALLET that limits my ARTISTIC CAPABILITIES!!!!!! and you getting a plotter and cuttin your own letters....just adds more people with a plotter.....just to save themselfs some money and without some talent, your wont look any better then those you say do crappy work!.....and like i said before you cant letter a stock car in 3 numbers, 3 colors, and 2 sponsors BIG LETTERS in vinyl.....i dont care who you are.....and do it as fast as i do FOR $125.00 IN 3-4 HOURS tops with my little old brush.....and 30 years of painting experiance!!!!!!!!
was i too defensive?????

Tim N

03-06-2005, 12:24 PM

If you were in my town, from now till May you could not get ten minuites to yourself if you offered that deal. I would have been first in line, and most people would be more than happy to wait two weeks I know I would.
(i had a shop on the main drag to our local 1/2 mile asphalt track.
i put a banner out on the road: STOCK CARS LETTERED HAND PAINTED $125.00!!!!!! and got no takers...so dont tell me how stock car guys want to spend money for lettering.....THEY DONT!!!)
This quote is 100% B.S. stock car guys are more than happy to spend money for lettering if someone will do the job and do it right. You a have your tire kickers and lowlifes as well as anything else but for a majority that spend all year and a ton of money on their cars this is a drop in the bucket. I agree that hand lettering is a real art, and one I hope to learn. I'm sure you do great work I was not questioning that.
Another thing to consider is alot of racers want more than one set of graphics to take with them. Kind of hard to take a set with you when they are painted.
I also have no intention of giving away lettering to (get my name on a car) anyone. If I was looking to save money by buying a plotter would I have spent $6000 so far and counting and signed up for spring classes at my local community college? I know I am not much good now but I am learning every day and hope to get to the point someday that some of you are. I will be in need of a career change soon and decided that I won't work for someone else again and need a job I enjoy ,I enjoy this very much and know I'll make it.
I guess you'd have to see the work the 2 or 3 local guys are putting out and the prices they are charging to understand. If you'd like I'll e mail some pictures of friends cars that look like crap and spent good money to look that way. You'd have a hard time arguing the fact that we don't need someone to do a better job for us lowlife racers after seeing the pictures.
What's the dig at Outlaw about? or is that some kind of inside joke.

OldPaint

03-07-2005, 02:07 AM

no dig at outlaw....it just fits with inlaw/outlaws...jokingly..
i will say this when i was PAINTING STOCK CARS.. i never had one person stiff me or try to beat me down on price. now i will give most "serious" racers that. i also stated in one of my other posts..."ibought my 2nd plotter from a HOOTERS CUP race car owner/driver. as for having extra lettering, yea the vinyl is good for that but yiu touch vinyl with a tire....and its destroyed...paint, you just hit it with a little more paint...and you good to go.
i had one clent that ran 70's camero bodies....for 3 cars in 3 differant classes....and they where all lettered the same....and he would get replacement panels....and i would have em lettered so all they did was replace a panel.

Techman

04-12-2005, 12:56 AM

RAcers come in classes. The Sprint, legacy, pro stockers and other higher end vehicles have money and will want a better job. All others are low ballers and will use finger paitns if it will save them money..

As far as a software solution.
Dont waste your money or time on signtools. This is one for amatures.

Get Cocut which is a plugin for corel. Cocut is NOT a bridge program. There wil be no import or export of any file to cut it. Just click on the icon and away you go. Get teh demo and see for yourself just how good it is. Corel and cocut ( about $400 bux) used will do anything you wil ever need for cutting vinyl. This wil have you up and runnign without all those gyrations of learning how to cut straight from corel.

tech.

Willy

06-24-2005, 10:50 PM

Fred Weiss

06-25-2005, 12:02 AM

CoCut for $349 (http://www.smartdesigns.com/cocut.htm)

CoCut Pro for $590 (http://www.smartdesigns.com/cocutpro.htm)

jimdes

06-25-2005, 09:15 AM

CoCut is a decent plug-in if you can't figure out how to cut from corel but it wasn't for me. CoCut did nothing that I couldn't already do on my own except that it may have saved a little time. The time it saved was negligable for me so I chose not to use it any longer.

Set your plotter as your default printer.
Give evary object you wish to cut an outline with a "hairline" thickness.
Set the outline to black
"Print" - will open up print dialogue box
Set your plotter parameters, position vinyl
"Print" - will cut this time

Techman

06-26-2005, 01:33 AM

I posted around and several offered it too me.. So I bought two. both for about 200 bux,, each dont remember exactly... And sold one later.
I would be sure someone here would sell theirs for a reasonable price.

Cadmn

09-11-2005, 03:08 PM

M8 first problem I never believe geeks on call or geek squad as they are mostly book trained & as you said they had not a clue at first they are taught how to sell parts . sorry if this offends any one but I have seen it tooo many times & laptops are laptops & I hate working on them you could probably pick up a cheap desktop at a pawn shop or goodwill has a computer store here in fw but then use the usb to network & use desktop only as printer server from lappy your cable was sold as being a usb to serial convertor ? or is it usb to parallel?
I would contact cable manufacturer because obviously its not workin for you I got old compaq armada 300 MHZ to run my embroidery machine My roland runs Parallel takes special cable says roland to run serial Maybe I helped Hope I didnt confuse you more just really be careful using the geek anything You'll be buying stuff you dont need hard drives are their speciality

Cadmn

09-11-2005, 03:10 PM

Outlaw Graphics

09-11-2005, 04:57 PM

I actually did buy the cutter new... but EVERYONE in their support team is japaneses or chinese and speaks broken english... plus the are from Canada... which makes it worse....

I honestly wouldn't have bought this thing if there were decent graphics guys around here... there are mainly sign guys who think they know what looks good on a race car... which is mainly a very bland 2 color lettering job... then charge you $500... I'd pay that if I felt it was a $500 job.. i've seen alot of the work people have posted on this site and it makes the stuff around here look like a kid with a magic marker did it...

I was pointing out that I didn't buy it to go into business to show I wasn't trying to go into competition with anyone. It's only for personal use.

I ship racing decals to over 17 different states! One of my customers lives in Utah, orders 2 packages at a time, flies me out there to install them, puts me up and pay for all my expenses and says I am still cheaper than what he can have them done for out there, not to mention since I have came on baord as his official sign guy, he was won 2 best appearing car awards in 2 years, a feat he had tried 7 years for before! ..there are other options instead of cutting your own is all I am saying.