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The problem is there is no complete "open source" solution for all the software needs of a sign shop. Going open source is pretty much a non-starter. And even plenty of open source applications and the file standards they try to establish come and go.

Depending on the type of file and how it was created the clipping masks may be auto-generated. This is definitely true with PDFs. I think it has to do with making sure any effects in the graphics are not altered in different versions of Adobe Reader, other PDF viewers and on other platforms. In...

Opening really old files and getting unexpected results is definitely a legit complaint with CorelDRAW. This is one reason why I tend to convert all fonts to outlines and release/finalize any live text on path effects once I am finished with a sign design. The type handling in CorelDRAW has...

CorelDRAW has been a "standard" in most sign shops for over 25 years. It didn't just start growing into that role. Nevertheless, CorelDRAW is not a replacement for other sign production applications such as Flexi or other "CAS" programs. CorelDRAW doesn't replace large format RIPs, like the one...

Vector objects that are pigged with thousands upon thousands of anchor points can pose all sorts of problems. If the object is a compound path with many sub-paths you can try releasing the compound path and re-combine only the sub paths that need to be made into a compound path. Some printer...

IMHO CAD programs, such as AutoCAD or whatever, are lousy for sign making. They're good for designing buildings, not signs. Just about any CAD file I receive has problems with it. Paths are often "exploded" into thousands of little 2 point line segments. Hardly any "closed" shapes exist in the...

Actually the current 227" X 227" max art board size in Illustrator only dates back to 2000 with the release of Adobe Illustrator 9. It was the first version of Illustrator built natively on PDF technology, which paired alongside the then-new Adobe InDesign page layout application. InDesign has...

Pretty strange. When I visit the MyFonts web site, referenced in the image you posted there is nothing there regarding the type sample I uploaded. There are two type families called "Montana" available at MyFonts, but they look nothing like the sample I posted earlier. The one released in 2017...

This one is a pretty annoying font mystery. Can't seem to identify this dry brush typeface (see attached sample). MyFonts says it's Arbor Brush. The problem is there are subtle differences between that typeface and the attached sample. Plus, Arbor Brush was published in 2012. This sample comes...

I'm not sure I would call it a "mortal sin," but rasterizing is definitely a last resort. Certain objects should never be rasterized. For instance if someone is printing a display that contains blocks of paragraph text those text objects will look absolutely, unprofessionally horrible if they're...

You may have to convert your spot colors to CMYK. I often don't trust spot colors anyway and if matching a certain PMS color is critical I'll make a number of boxes with tweaks to the original CMYK approximation of the spot color to see which one prints nearest to the one in the physical Pantone...

What is going to be the physical size of the job when it is printed? The Illustrator file's document raster effects settings can make a big impact on file sizes, especially if you're using "live" raster-based effects on objects, such as drop shadows. A normal letter size document can get away...

First thing: anyone specifying Pantone colors should be using an actual physical Pantone swatch book as the primary reference. That's a critical thing if you're going to do color printing in house. Spot color swatch books are nice to have in graphics applications like Adobe Illustrator, but...

I would also be on the lookout for a failing hard disc, or (just as bad, if not worse) a failing motherboard. Make sure your files are backed up. If you can't move the files around to other drives you might have to remove the drive and attach it as a slave to another computer to copy the data...

I think you're right about X5 having serial number activation. Version X3 didn't require it. I have run into activation issues from time to time with various programs. I've had to email Corel and Astute Graphics a couple different times about activation issues. In Astute Graphics' case its...

Given there are so many makes and configurations of Windows-based PCs it would not be surprising at all to see a certain version of CorelDRAW act perfectly stable on one machine and then have problems running on another machine. I remember CorelDRAW 9 being a pretty decent version. CorelDRAW 10...

I'm tinkering around with the trial version. The Pointillism filter works pretty well. I would definitely use it for more accurate looking LED message center simulations on client sketches. The Block Shadow tool works pretty well (and fast). One nit I have to pick with it is some of the curve...

So, Corel released the "2018" upgrade to CorelDRAW. I'm not sure what to think about it at this point. We passed on the "2017" upgrade, feeling the paltry number of new improvements and features weren't worth a $199 upgrade price just 12 months after the release of CorelDRAW X8. Here we are 2...

It's the nature of the sign business that you have to police customer provided artwork, even art files sent in from other people with actual graphic design jobs. Unless the designer has actually worked in the sign industry before (or had plenty of experience exchanging art files with sign...

I definitely agree with getting a copy of the artwork in its original, native format. If it was created in Adobe Illustrator it's best to get a copy of the original .AI file (but with the fonts included or all type converted to outlines). The same goes for files created in CorelDRAW. Our shop...