I feel stupid but can someone give me advice?

[abadsvt]

Hi guys! I need some help. I am trying to cut out some stickers on my printer. I am using a roland vp-540 printer. Heres what i have done. Drafted the design in photoshop 7. Created a 1 pixel boarder in the color that the printer nows to cut out but versaworks won't recognize the color. Then i tried to use coral 12 and put a hairline boarder around the image but it wants to put the boarder around the entire box not the image. Did that make sence? I am new to coral. Is there a way to select just the image and not the "box" around the image? for example: if i have a circle that i drew up in photoshop and then import into coral it gives me a square box around the circle. So i can cut the circle out. Sorry for repeating my self just a little frustrated. I also have flexi sign pro but have VERY limited experence on it. Thanks ahead of time

Josh

 

[R08]

I know this won't help on this project but have you given any thought to taking a graphics design course of some type.
Good place to start is to learn the difference between a raster (bitmap) image and a vector.

 

[signmeup]

You are trying to cut a raster image. Draw the circle in corel then see what happens. I'm finding it hard to believe you bought a printer without any idea how it works.

 

[d fleming]

Learn and use the Flexi. It is a vinyl cutting program.

 

[abadsvt]

I bought used them used and the guy who had them before me never tried to do what i am trying to do. All he ever did was print signs and banners but most of the graphic design was done by customers.

I am really good with photoshop and have been using it for years. I just don't have much experience with coral, flexi.

Josh

 

[scarface]

Here is what i've done with Vector images, not sure about rasters.

Flexi sign will create a contour cut line that VW will recognize.

If you don't have flexi use illustrator and make a copy of the whole image shape, make a thick outline and then merge the fill and outlines to make one big shape, send to back and create a spot color stroke of .25 with the color's name being CutContour.

Exactly like that, CutContour

For raster images, check out the last post here, it works as well http://signs101.com/forums/showthread.php?t=41349

Works like a charm for me!

 

[fisheye48]

flexi is easy...just go to the effects and out a contour cut around it...export as a .eps and versaworks will see it as a cutline and you can print and cut...just make sure if you are gonna laminate it to just select print then you can go back after you laminate it and then cut it

 

[V-ENGRAVE]

When you export your image in photoshop in is bitmap imege, I believe.
When imported in to Corel it will have transparent box as you say. At this point you will have to run Corel trace to get vector image. From there you will need to run contour or create boundary for cutting.

 

[Flame]

I also recommend taking some graphic design courses. Not knowing the difference between raster and vector images, and owning a printer... is a staggering large pill to swallow. I'm actually in shock.

I'd also like to suggest that you start veering out of photoshop and start using vector based graphics for most of your designs. Better color management, smaller files, easy to cut and much, much EASIER to work with. Of course there are those jobs where you need to go raster... but in general, you need vector art 101.

 

[Artildawn]

When you export your image in photoshop in is bitmap imege, I believe.
When imported in to Corel it will have transparent box as you say. At this point you will have to run Corel trace to get vector image. From there you will need to run contour or create boundary for cutting.

Or just use the appropriate drawing tool to create the shape you need cut over the raster image.

BTW, all raster based image are rectangular. no exception. To cut irregular shapes you'll need to use vector based lines.

If you're using versaworks with your VP 540 you'll need special swatch colors for cutcontour and perfcutcontour. It's outline in the manual and if you have the disk you can import the swatches.

 

[gabagoo]

since the design is a bitmap, at this point you just need to make a vectored cut line and manually fit it around the image. Not hard to do.

 

[jiarby]

If we have to explain why there is a box around your jpg then I recommend you immediately SELL all your P.O.S. old equipment & software to the nearest schlub that walks by with some money (like your buddy did!)... then go back to whatever you did for a living last month.

 

[kev3232]

and take some spelling classes as well.

 

[abadsvt]

WOW! To be honest i wasn't expecting this kind of comments and reactions from people. Yes i am new, yes i have a printer that i don't know how to fully use, yes i have never needed to know the difference between raster and a vector image but there is no reason to talk crap. Everyone starts learning somewhere and i learn best by asking dumb and sometimes smart questions. If you think i am incompetent then do me a favor and avoid my posts.

Sorry for that little rant those who actually offered advice or tips. I will give them a try and let you know if it works for what i am trying to do. I also came across corels trace program which works but it breaks it down so many different parts that it can be a little difficult to work with. The image i was trying to put a cutcontour boarder on was emailed to me by a friend and the quality was very poor. So i "revamped" it in photoshop since i couldn't do it in corel.

Josh

 

[R08]

Some here gave it to you soft and some gave it to you a little straighter. Can you make it? Sure you can ..Bit It will take a lot of learning and patience on your part.

But you should just suck up the harsh comments cause you just might be biting the hand that will feed you.

Judging by your Comments you will need a lot of help and this is one of the best sights to get that information.

Just look at it like an initiation... Hang in there and you'll be glad you did.

 

[mark in tx]

Wow, I guess everyone here automatically knew everything about everything the very first day they started.


If I understand the problem you are having, it sounds like you still need to create a color named "CutContour" and use that to tell Versaworks what to cut.
Look up the way to do it in the Versaworks help files.
Good luck.

 

[jiarby]

You can handle it... the point is that you need to get a grasp on vectors versus bitmaps. The plotter moves its blade based on a vector path. It is impossible to contour cut a bitmap because there is no path. You either have to draw a path, or convert the bitmap to a vector (which usually sucks). The best thing you can do it take every Illustrator tutorial you can find online, and get familiar with the bezier drawing tool.

If you posted a question like this in a foodie/chef forum it might sound like this:
"I am boiling my chicken but cant get the skin to come out crispy... how can I get crispy skin when I am boiling my chicken??

I am not trying to pile-on, a year from now you will look back and laugh at how far you have come. The best sign folks in the country are here and you should keep plugging away.

 

[astro8]

"I am boiling my chicken but cant get the skin to come out crispy... how can I get crispy skin when I am boiling my chicken??

Now that's a good one....I'll have to write that down.

 

[mark in tx]

You could use a propane torch to brown the skin after boiling.

Just sayin.....

 

[astro8]

If you're 'really good with photoshop and been using it for years' as you say...quick and dirty way is to mask your image, make work path, export paths, bring into Flexi, Corel or Illustrator and go from there.