Newb with a question

[mcurtis]

I'm currently working with the State of Ohio Dept of Transportation, we use a Summa D60 coupled with Corel 12 and WinPlot to cut out our vinyl. We mostly cut out numbers and letters to put equipment numbers on dump trucks, pool cars, and snow plows.

My problem is that it would be nice to be able to cut out a design or something that I draw up. I have no problem using Corel to do the letters and numbers then export them into WinPlot and cut them, but when I try the same with an image (no matter what I put in) when I export it it doesn't show anything on the WinPlot screen : So if anyone could explain what exactly I'm doing wrong, or how I can print out a design/image that would be great. I'd rather not have to purchase any further software simply because it's such a hassle, lots of paperwork and waiting.

Thanks for any and all help that you guys can give me

 

[Ian Stewart-Koster]

"an image..."

What format is the image? Is it a jpg, a photo, bmp, tiff, or is it a vector file (with outlines) like ai, eps or wmf?

Photos need to be vectorised- they won't plot while they are bitmap files consisting of pixels.

 

[mcurtis]

"an image..."

What format is the image? Is it a jpg, a photo, bmp, tiff, or is it a vector file (with outlines) like ai, eps or wmf?

Photos need to be vectorised- they won't plot while they are bitmap files consisting of pixels.

i've taken jpg and bmp's and tried to make it into an outline and save it as an eps...and still nothing.

how can i take a bitmap and change it to a vector with the Corel package?

is there anyway i could draw something in Corel and save as a vector?

Thanks

 

[Cadmn]

Corel is a Vector program no reason to saveas nuttin if you draw it in Corel its a vector image try drawing a square Make sure your line width is .001

 

[mcurtis]

Corel is a Vector program no reason to saveas nuttin if you draw it in Corel its a vector image try drawing a square Make sure your line width is .001

okay, so i drew something and it did end up working, last time i drew something it did...don't know why, but anyway :U Rock: . so i guess in theory i could trace the silhouette that i wanted to use and then fill the inside and it should work...right?

 

[bob]

i've taken jpg and bmp's and tried to make it into an outline and save it as an eps...and still nothing.

How, exactly, did you try to do this? Create the vector image that is, not save it as this or that.

how can i take a bitmap and change it to a vector with the Corel package?

You cannot change a bitmap into a vector image. There is no information carried in a bitmap that would allow recreation of any vector image from which it might have been created. If it was created from a vector image, there's no way of telling. No way whatsoever.

You have to trace the salient portions of the bitmap with vectors. There are algorithms, some of them pretty decent, that help you along the way. Corel has a reasonably nice bitmap trace utility. Regardless, you still have to do the tweaking of the final edition by hand 99% of the time.

is there anyway i could draw something in Corel and save as a vector?

Corel preserves vectors as vectors and bitmaps as bitmaps. It does what you ask automatically. Unless of course, you're exporting to a bitmap format. In that case there is no option but to convert everything to a bitmap. The native .cdr, and the .eps, .pdf, .ai, .wmf, etc, files are all composite files wherein vectors are vectors and bitmaps are bitmaps.

 

[The Big Squeegee]

Welcome from Oklahoma!

:Welcome: to :signs101:​

 

[Ken]

The Corel Trace in the newest Corel X3 is pretty good at vectorizing solid color graphics. No way you can vectorize a photo with it.
See the VectorDoctor.com for fast, reliable help.
Ken

 

[Cadmn]

okay, so i drew something and it did end up working, last time i drew something it did...don't know why, but anyway :U Rock: . so i guess in theory i could trace the silhouette that i wanted to use and then fill the inside and it should work...right?

corel wont cut fills the object has to be empty & outline hair. why you try to use fill when cutting vinyl ? fill is for printing not cutting

 

[mcurtis]

whew...thanks for all the good info guys.

so i think i'm starting to understand. i figured that CorelTrace was for tracing a bitmap, but still haven't been able to figure out how to get any decent results from it.

i just filled the outline b/c i didn't know if the plotter would just cut out the line or if it would cut out the whole silhouette.

i'll keep playing around with trace and see if i can get it to do what i want, seems that's the program that would do it.

to everyone.