I Really Need Opinions

[Fred Weiss]

The LXI software is a private label brand of FlexiSign and you would do well to view it as your primary software. It is a very good product. You will be able to drive your Graphtec with it as well as design in it or import saved layouts or clipart from other applications. You do not have a need to cut directly from CorelDRAW or to buy CoCut.

If you feel, after learning the LXI application that you still need additional design software, then CorelDRAW is a good, reasonably priced addition.

 

[Air Art Girl]

Sibole,
I think the message here is that it's not as easy as it seems. You do have your hands full with 3 young children. But, you have already come to the right place for help and, you have chosen excellent equipment. I can tell you that you will spend many hours learning graphics programs and layouts. The point is, I too was discouraged by family and friends over 12 years ago when wanting to pursue an interest I had in airbrushing and have turned it into a very successful business with a major client base. It took years, hard work, integrity, and an awesome final product. I built a reputation of being dependable, reliable and having a great end product. I have thousands of dollars invested into my equipment now although I didn't start that way, but it did pay off. You may get started with this and not like it but if you do, go for it and good luck. You mentioned somewhere in this thread about doing t-shirts. You can do that with your plotter too. Check out Specialty Materials they have heat applied vinyl that you cut on the plotter and apply to shirts. I can't tell you how much of this stuff I use, tons!!!! One caution on the T's. You will need a heat press and will really need to keep the little ones away from it as well as all your equipment.

 

[iSign]

Well, I only came on here looking for advice, and now your bashing or arguing with each other...

...Telling people they need thearpists and are ignorant...
...You tell the person he's being childish for being upset about you telling him he spelled wrong...

...Well, your all being childish... I go to another forum where there is actual advice and help...

Congratulations on your Graphtec purchase.
Regarding the "bashings", you have as much right to your opinion as anyone, but you also owe it to yourself to try to base your judgement on the big picture, not just your first impression. Yes, I was the guy who was called to the carpet for questioning someone elses spelling. A fact that is not entirely evident in your thread is that my comment on his spelling was a week or more prior, & had you seen the comment, you would have never considered it a bashing... but it was brought up again & again & again, so I took the bait.

Was it childish to turn a flood of insults his way?
Of course it was.

Is that the whole story? ...We bash, We're childish?
No.

The fact is a lot of us come here every day. This is like our break room for a short respite from our busy lives. You saw more then one little skirmish of antagonism... but at the center of it all, was ONE internet phenomenom... a troll! The inflammatory commentary by one troll looking to bait others can spoil the vibe in our break room, & sometimes ignoring a troll is the best way to deprive him of his objective... but incessant provocation, in your thread, turned up the heat & drew fire. Result: one less troll for the last week!

Two last things that I think add valuable perspective to your first impression. This thread is a focal point for you. For us it it's just one in a million & over the years I can tell you that, while these skirmishes pop up now and then, this place IS about helping each other, & the vast majority of regular contributors here are giving & receiving valuable help here almost every day.

The other thing is this. I don't care where this "other" forum is... we've all been around a bit, & there is NO other forum where bashing doesn't happen. Just as your unique first impression here is skewed by the minute fraction of the whole that you have experienced... this must also be true elsewhere if you think you've found some altruistic & superior on-line experience for sign discussions.

 

[JacktheBear3]

Wrong place to ask this question.... but the audience is here.

Why do so many people use or prefer Corel ? I have only once read about someone using AI and it was because he was using it in an uncommon way by cutting directly from it.

Does Corel posses some special niche or tie to the plotter market that AI does not .... ? I am new, but have blown through over a thousand yards of vinyl in the past few months and don't feel I am missing anything working with Illustrator.

If your a moderator reading this post, feel free to move it to the right place....

 

[bigbly]

Corel was/is easier to use and cheaper than Adobe products, and ran on PCs so got established in signshops.
Anyone doing print preferred Adobe.
Any Corel user will know that from the look on the face of any printer when you gave them a Corel file to print.. now I do large format print for pay I know why lol