dumb question for the experts

[artst1]

Hello, I'm not in the sign business, I am a sugar artist...i own a bakery that does custom cakes, i do corp. logos on cakes...i do all sorts of artwork on cake...i use a layering process with an airbrush and stencils...i've also developed a process with icing that is very similar to reverse glass plainting that gives me a really nice result on my logos.

I earned a living as a painter/calligrapher for 16 years before i went into the cake biz...and was able to use what i learned as an artist to give the customer a very nice product.

Here is my question, i lay out all my designs "old school"...by hand. I want to learn how to use a computer to get a more exact design and maybe after the learning curve to save myself some precious time.
So what would you suggest for my schooling? I was over at "letterhead fonts" looking at their gallery, and saw that some of the artists there use "signlab"...so i went to the signlab site, and they offer programs, and some online classes...would this be where i start?

Forgive me for my ignorance, i really do want to learn, I really respect signpainters and designers...I think you are some of the best artists anywhere....I have gotten so much inspiration, and learned so much about composition by studying your work....

Any direction you could give me would be great,

 

[Dave Drane]

Signlab is a very expensive program. you may need to do a search here for different opinions on Software.
My personal opinion would be to look at trying VMP (Vinyl Master Pro)
BTW, welcome from Down-Under!!

 

[DARLAK]

you should get an older version of adobe illustartor on ebay for dirt cheap, good for what you need....

 

[jscarl]

First; welcome from mid Michigan, Second; I second Daves statement. It also has several toutering videos for instruction on it. WEll worth the money. www.future-1.com Don't let the low price fool you. Show us some pictures of your work, or better yet, some samples.??

 

[Rick]

Adobe Illustrator or CorelDraw...and http://www.lynda.com/

 

[WhiskeyDreamer]

you also try inkscape....it's a free vector based program....and for what you're planning to do, it would work very well....here's a link:

http://www.inkscape.org/

 

[WRAPS]

lynda.com

i agree lynda.com is awesome!!!!and if you can get a hold of a illustrator,even a old one as stated above.

then you find/learn your way around the illustrator software you'd have capabilities to do anything you want.I think illustrator is a lil intimadating at first,and second,third try but when it comes together.you can do what any other "sign" software can do.

i wanna see some cool cakes too!!!!!pictures?

 

[artst1]

Thanks for all the help!...I got a lot of reading to do tonight.

I had a rather nasty trojan horse attached to my computer a short while ago, and I lost all my picture files, I need to reload them from my book at work, I've just been so busy.... in a couple weeks I got a really cool cake I'm making for a big casino's anniversary. It's gonna be huge...to feed 500, and I'll do their logo on the top....I'll post it later.

Thank you so much for making me feel welcome.

 

[d fleming]

Signlab is an incredible propgram but it is not cheap. The local bakery in my area that we use has a machne that uses edible colors to print directly on the cake. Having you kids face on a cake no problem for them. I would imagine logos not a problam either. Don't know what the machine is or the software that runs it but maybe worth looking into?

 

[weaselboogie]

I'm sure SOMEBODY makes them, but you need a film that can be cut COMPLETELY through, but be stiff enough to work as a stencil. You could have a nice setup. Designed in a vector based program, outputted to a small cutter, weed out your stencil and go to town!

I wish I could eat my mistakes!

 

[WRAPS]

I wish I could eat my mistakes!

FUNNY,
:WHEN I MAKE MISTAKES I CAN'T EAT!!!:

 

[RebeckaR]

It's exciting to see someone doing something that's more outside of the box.

CorelDraw is also an option for you. We use both Corel (my preference) and Illustrator (my employee's preference) in our shop, so either will do what you need it to do.

I picked up a LEGIT copy of Corel X3 on Ebay for about 90 bucks shipped and as stated above, you can pick up an older version of Illy pretty cheap there as well. I think that a sign program like Flexi or some of the others is more expense than is necessary to learn with. And... once you have learned the graphics program, there's much less of a learning curve when and if you decide you need a signmaking program.

I don't know about you, but I do well with book learnin'. So once you decide which program is your preference, just remember that the book store is your friend and there are lots and LOTS of books out there to teach you what you want to know for about $40 and some time.

Good luck and can't wait to see your stuff!