drawing channel letter layouts in cs2 / cs3?

[keptquiet]

ok. we have been using flexi to draw all our channel letter layouts / designs. we want to start using illustrator so we can get the nice drop shadows for sales printouts when we overlay it on the photo of the building.

now, the first problem i have ran into is the biggest the font size will go is 18 inches. is there anyway to set this anyway that i cant find to go larger, other than converting to outlines and sizing from there, or scaling the drawing to 25% or something?

does anyone here draw layouts for letters in illustrator enough to give me some pointers?

thanks.......

 

[myronb]

I don't know much about Illustrator but way back when I worked at an electrical sign company I used to do most of the designs in Corel. It had an option(that was nearly 10 years ago-don't remember how to do it) where you could set the page up to scale. You could set it up to be 1 inch = 1 foot & so on. That way, you could have your drawing on 11x17 page, but put in a 24" letter & it would automatically be 2" tall on paper. You might look in the rulers option & see what yu can come up with.

Myron

 

[Shovelhead]

I second Corel....

I don't know much about Illustrator but way back when I worked at an electrical sign company I used to do most of the designs in Corel. It had an option(that was nearly 10 years ago-don't remember how to do it) where you could set the page up to scale. You could set it up to be 1 inch = 1 foot & so on. That way, you could have your drawing on 11x17 page, but put in a 24" letter & it would automatically be 2" tall on paper. You might look in the rulers option & see what yu can come up with.

Myron

much better scaling options.
Waiting for a Corel update though that includes scale recognition between multiple pages...
i.e. not having to "break apart" scaled objects.

 

[Rick]

I do all my drawings (presentations and drafting) in Illustrator. You should do them in a scale found on an Architectural Scale. You can get the plug-in from Hot Door called "CadTools" (http://www.hotdoor.com/index.php) that allows you to draw in scale or multiple scales on different layers. CorelDraw has some decent scale tools but CadTools has a lot more options on it (it better for the price) It feels like Illustrator and you can add all the filters you need for a dimensional/shadowed presentation.

 

[Letterbox Mike]

I second Cadtools... really fantastic plugin for Illustrator. But no, no way to make your text editable above 18"... I get frustrated by that too, but Cadtools fixes it.

 

[andy]

Use Corel- draw at full scale and do whatever you want in terms of effects and fills- shrink the vector image in Draw and paste it through to Paint and you have masses of options.

Why work in scale if you don't have to?

 

[Techman]

ya.. corel does it again...

 

[Rick]

Over here at least.....you must provide scaled drawings for planning/permitting. It also helps installers for basic placement prior to putting up the install pattern and showing the client how it looks in scale is an added bonus.

All signs can benifit from scale...banners so the vinyl can be placed as shown instead of eyeballed, same with panel signs and other types of layouts.

 

[iSign]

after 15 years.. my brain thinks in 1/10th scale.
Sure working full size would be nice... but moving a decimal point is easier for me then learning another illustration program... so I'm sticking with Illustrator.
(1/10th is much easier then 1 inch = 1 ft. if you inches to convert and not just whole feet)

 

[Rick]

Before CadTools I did the 8.333% (1"=1'-0") and then size according to the architects scale/page size. The installers would bust a vien if someone did anything else....

 

[iSign]

I used to have to get the calculator out to figure the percentage of enlargement I was going to be using with my 8-1/2" x 11" prints before pasting up & running sets of actual blueprints... then I'd work backwards to determine what scale to draw at.. to end up with 1/4 inch = 1 foot or whatever.

 

[keptquiet]

ok. i have the cadtools 5 demo to see if i like it enough to buy it. i still cant figure out how to make a 24" letter... is this still a convert to outline and scale up from there?

 

[Rick]

Did you choose a scale?
Do you have the CadTracker window on?
Corel or Illy can not type out exact letter sizes as type in scale or at full size. Flexi can.

I don't like to convert to curves till everything is just right, I would draw a 24" box to the scale I want, then size the text to it, but only size it to a letter that does not go below the baseline or above the cap height.....use the letter "I" or "X" to scale to.

Never use CadTracker or any resize window in any program to establish a letter height when letter are converted to curves or you may be sizing it to the wrong letter and the letter height may end up being smaller.

 

[Signs365]

You have to convert the fonts to outline.