Points to Inches

[Colin]

As I am now using CorelDraw X5 for all my vinyl-cutting (having weened myself off of my old ScanVec Inspire) I do miss the old way in which all text was presented in "inches". In CorelDraw it's all in Points, and while I know that I can likely change that setting to inches, I do like having the Point sizing format for all small stuff like business cards etc., so Points it is.

Here's an equivalency chart I did up for anyone who'd like to print it out and have it handy.



(Chart deleted - do not use if you downloaded it).

 

[Twisted Images]

Thanks
I just installed Adobe CS5 and the measuring tool has pts instead of inches and i didnt know how to change it.
Im still messing with the new tools and lay out of CS5 but seems pretty good so far.

 

[HulkSmash]

Thanks
I just installed Adobe CS5 and the measuring tool has pts instead of inches and i didnt know how to change it.
Im still messing with the new tools and lay out of CS5 but seems pretty good so far.

it's under preferences, and then unit measurements

 

[phototec]

Thanks
I just installed Adobe CS5 and the measuring tool has pts instead of inches and i didnt know how to change it.
Im still messing with the new tools and lay out of CS5 but seems pretty good so far.

In CS3 (which I have open right now)

EDIT

PREFERENCES

UNITS AND DISPLAY PERFORMANCE

SELECT INCHES

Hope this helps

 

[Twisted Images]

thank you

 

[Flame]

As I am now using CorelDraw X5 for all my vinyl-cutting (having weened myself off of my old ScanVec Inspire) I do miss the old way in which all text was presented in "inches". In CorelDraw it's all in Points, and while I know that I can likely change that setting to inches, I do like having the Point sizing format for all small stuff like business cards etc., so Points it is.

Here's an equivalency chart I did up for anyone who'd like to print it out and have it handy.

A few clicks and you can change everything to inches....but sounds like you're happy so whatever works.

 

[Colin]

You wouldn't by any chance know how to set the last view shortcut (Shift+F9) to default to wireframe would you? Ever since I upgraded to X5 I can't seem to cycle between enhanced and wireframe without first selecting wireframe in each file. Instead it cycles from enhanced to normal...which is pointless!

See here:

http://www.signs101.com/forums/showthread.php?t=87300



Added: Even after making that setting, you need to manually select "Wireframe" from the "Enhanced" mode once with each file you open, in order for the toggling to start.

 

[oldgoatroper]

The problem with a chart like this, Colin, is that Point Size is not a direct measurement of actual cap height. Point size is based on the baseline to baseline measurement when the leading is set at 100% of Point Size.

Type a single letter "A" in as Arial and set the point size to 720. Then check and see how tall the actual letter is (should be 7.158", not 10")

The actual cap height varies from font to font and depends on the typeface designer's preference for how much vertical space the font should occupy when leading is set at 100% of pt size.

To further complicate matters, there are many fonts where the full height lower case letters are taller than the caps. So, when a certain letter height is needed, it's best just to enter a letter that has a flat top and bottom "L" or "I" or "E", then size to the desired size in inches, then enter the rest of your text.

 

[Colin]

^^^ Great - thanks!

I think I had started at 3" and just did the math both ways. Doh!

**Will fix the chart later, have to go out right now.

 

[Colin]

Well this didn't work out at all. It seems every font (at 100 point for example) is an actual different height!

Scrap the whole idea I guess.

 

[Colin]

What the heck?! I changed the sizing format to "inches" and that doesn't give me the correct letter height either!

Grrrrrrr

 

[oldgoatroper]

Colin, when you input the size of type, remember that the number you enter (inches, pts, whatever), is the distance from baseline to baseline of multiple lines of text when the leading is set at 100% of pt size.

See post #9...

 

[Colin]

Ya, thanks. But how stupid is that? If we want (and enter) 3.75" inches, we should get that! That's what I was used to in my old Inspire program.

 

[oldgoatroper]

And by the way, in CorelDraw, did you know that you can enter any number of units in any number box simply by following the number with the unit you want to use?

You can even add, subtract and do math in number boxes and even mix units while you do this.

for instance, in the page size boxes, click in one of them, height or width... doesn't matter..

then, instead of over-writing the number that is in the box type in.... + 9pt

if your original number was 36 inches, then it would read afterward as 36.125"

 

[oldgoatroper]

Ya, thanks. But how stupid is that? If we want (and enter) 3.75" inches, we should get that! That's what I was used to in my old Inspire program.

That isn't stupid, at all -- its the way type has always been measured. Again, read post #9.

Remember that Corel is not a vinyl cutting/layout program like say, the Gerber Sprint (II) was... It is first and foremost a page layout and illustration program.

 

[Tony Teveris]

72 points = 1 inch, new math , old math, no matter how you do it.

 

[FireSprint.com]

Colin, reading through these posts I saw your blood pressure rise as I scrolled down.

 

[oldgoatroper]

Colin, here is a visual depiction of how letter height works in ANY typesetting program... Corel, AI, Publisher, any word processor. The type shown is Arial and Myriad, both set at 72 pt with leading set at 100% of pt size.

Yes, it takes a bit getting used to when one has been babied along by programs/systems that gave you true cap height and fonts (Gerber) that had numbers the same cap height as Capitals.

 

[Colin]

Yes, it takes a bit getting used to when one has been babied along by programs/systems that gave you true cap height and fonts (Gerber) that had numbers the same cap height as Capitals.

Thanks for the clarification. So, My old ScanVec Inspire did it the "real" way, so did Gerber; how about Flexi, SignLab and all the other sign software?

 

[oldgoatroper]

I wouldn't call it the "real" way. And I don't know if flexi, signlab do it that way, either. I don't think it can be done with TT or OT fonts, anyway, because height info embedded in the font reflects the baseline to baseline measurements.

I think Flexi and Signlab use their own fonts, so its entirely possible that their proprietary fonts are built that way. But even so, that paradigm stumbles a bit when using fonts that have taller lower-case full-height letters than the caps, like Myriad, Optima and many others.

 

[OldPaint]

i dont see the need for all your calculations. and neither does corel. you just making it complicated.
IN COREL ON THE WORK PAGE: type the word or words. hit the pick tool, look up on the OBJECT SIZE toolbar....... it has horizontal & vertical INCH, DECIMAL of the text!!!! you can go into those boxes, change it to the highth width you want....only thing that stays points is how youre text is set in points when you type it...........which dont mean crap unless your workspace is only an 8.5 x11 sheet of paper.