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Reading through the Corel user forums on this topic it doesn't seem like there is any obvious condition that brings up the "illegal software" message. Some of the people receiving the message said they were registered users, had user accounts, etc. The thread Unclebun linked does at least show a...

That's strange you're having so many glitches with CDR X8. In my own experience using it on my home laptop, work desktop and seeing co-workers' experience with it version X8 has been one of the more stable recent releases. My only complaint with X8 is how slow files will open and how sluggish...

I'll use Adobe Illustrator's Live Paint and Live Trace features for some quick and dirty conversations. Astute Graphics' Phantasm filter can generate some interesting vector halftone effects and other kinds of effects from placed images. The Pointillism feature in CorelDRAW 2018 and up can do...

There's a couple things I don't like about the data merge and print merge methods for CorelDRAW and Adobe InDesign. Each number object is created on a different page. There doesn't appear to be any easy or quick way to auto-generate a sequential series of separate numbered objects on the same...

Why are you guys using a 2003 edition of MUTCD? That's outdated. The 2009 Edition with Revisions 1 and 2 (in 2012) is the most recent version. In Jan 2017 a list of known errors was published. https://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/kno_2009r1r2.htm I rarely have to mess with traffic sign related signage...

I see the difference on our HP printers using Onyx Thrive and our Mimaki flatbed using RasterLink Pro. I even saw the difference previously when we had a Roland VersaCAMM and printing via VersaWorks. A straight 100% black doesn't print as a truly deep dark black as is, without any extra help...

Vinyl material profiles make a big difference with the HP Latex printers. Whether it's a neutral gray, a Pantone spot color or an interpolation of an RGB color (possibly way the f$%# out of gamut range) the choice of material profile will make a giant difference in the print. I'd rather use the...

Unfortunately there's not really enough to stop the "shade tree mechanic" types from getting in the sign business and trying to build and install signs that don't comply with National Electric Code, UL, ETL, etc. Most cities and towns now require electrical signs to be UL Listed among other...

Channel letters mounted on a raceway have to be securely bolted/screwed into something structural, like metal studs. Patco's suggestion is good (flat strap can also work). It's possible to get away with flush mounting modest sized, LED-lighted channel letters into a building fascia with no studs...

Our shop is a member of our local chamber of commerce. We also have memberships with the ISA and two regional sign associations, the Tri State Sign Association (comprised of sign companies based in Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri) and the Texas Sign Association (since we do quite a bit of work in...

Aside from the specialized equipment, regulatory requirements and possible licensing, it's a whole lot easier and even cheaper making and installing channel letter signs than it used to be. That's thanks largely to the switch from neon to LED-based lighting. But it's coming at a consequence of...

I try to stick with vector-based objects whenever possible for large format printing, which leads to EPS or PDF use for printing. If something is generated from scratch within Photoshop I'll create it with a target PPI resolution in mind. 72ppi is usually good enough for raster-based graphics on...

I haven't seen Adobe "screw the pooch" on any CC releases quite like what Corel has done with version 2019. The biggest negative issue with Adobe in recent memory is the whole Dolby encoding thing. That's not a bug issue but rather a dispute over licensing fees.

We have an Accu-Bend machine in our shop. A machine like that is definitely good to have if your shop produces a lot of channel letters. Previously we used software from a company called Arete that would create a cut path so channel letter returns could be routed out of a flat sheet of aluminum...

I am not a big fan at all of web browser-based applications. There's too much overhead for graphics app use. Nevertheless, that reminds me Corel also has a cloud based CorelDRAW app as yet another thing to throw on an already full plate for developers. Version 2019, even with the third...

By the way, it looks like Corel's online store has jumped the gun with the January 20 upgrade deadline. The online store is only showing the full $499 retail version and $198 per year annual subscription being available. Maybe they should have been saying January 19 in all these recent CorelDRAW...

No, it's nerdy hair-splitting. I'm not writing a legal contract here. Shell, VM'ing, two cans hooked up to a string, I don't care about the semantics of it. It's besides the point. It's a totally off topic thread-drift side bar that has nothing to do with Mac users not liking the native Mac...

The term "shell" or "virtual machine" is besides the point I was making. Anyone on a Mac using a previous version of CorelDRAW had to run the Windows version of it some way. The real point is those users were accustomed to the UI layout, keyboard shortcuts, etc of the Windows version. Apparently...

A lot of the de-professionalism that took place in the graphic design industry began in the late 1980's to early 1990's when graphic design applications began proliferating on desktop computers. The mindset was, "why do we need these expensive graphic designers anymore when the computers are...

I'm on an advisory board at our city's local Vo-Tech, since they offer a kind of graphics design training program. And I also talk with some faculty members at our local university concerning the same fields of study. From a standpoint of higher education it's pretty difficult to put together a...