Sign software

[kenda eckols]

I am doing a small sign business - what is the best software???
Coreldraw????

 

[Boudica]

That's a loaded question. The short answer is, whichever design software you're comfortable with... And supports vector. I use Adobe illustrator.

 

[rydods]

We use a combination of FlexiSign, Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. Things that one program can't do well, one of the others can.

 

[Stacey K]

Personally, I like Flexi. I find it quite user friendly. For more complex things I use Corel then import into Flexi. Signwarehouse has something called LXI, it was cheaper than Flexi but basically the same thing and no subscription.

 

[Bobby H]

One of our guys likes using Vinyl Express LXi. It is like a private label version of Flexi. What's odd is when you buy a license from Sign Warehouse you end up downloading it from SAi Inc, the same company that makes Flexi.

I am doing a small sign business - what is the best software???

It all depends on your specific production work-flow: what kinds of sign products you intend to produce and the kinds of art files you'll receive from your customers.

In my decades of experience I've never seen a single application that could do it all. We have industry specific applications for driving vinyl cutters, routing tables, large format printers and even notching channel letter returns. And then we have multiple general purpose creative applications for the design front end.

 

[rjssigns]

I agree with Rydods and Stacey K. For day to day sign work Flexi is my go to. It is simple and quick. Heavy lifting gets done with Ai or Ps but I'm migrating away from Adobe and using Affinity Designer and Photo.

 

[Solventinkjet]

As an Illustrator user for 2 decades, Corel and Flexi seem clunky and hard to use. But they would say the same thing about Illustrator. It takes a while to get to know these programs well. Most people prefer whichever one they learned on first.

 

[signbrad]

As an Illustrator user for 2 decades, Corel and Flexi seem clunky and hard to use. But they would say the same thing about Illustrator. It takes a while to get to know these programs well. Most people prefer whichever one they learned on first.

True. I have spent more time with Corel and Signlab. I even learned to match shortcuts to each other. I use Illustrator at times, but it seems I need to use a lot more clicks. I get click-itis. Scotch makes it, better, though.

Brad in Kansas City

 

[WildWestDesigns]

All in all, these are tools to help get a job done. Use what works with what you are wanting to do. May not have the same needs as the next person.

For those that say Ai takes so many clicks, have any of y'all messed with Actions to try to get that down? Not perfect, but that may help out with workflow as well.

I honestly prefer to have programs that even if it doesn't do something out of the gate, I can usually come up with something to get that functionality. Not for everyone though.

One thing that I would try to suggest not doing is becoming too beholding to which ever one you decided to go with. If you are just starting out, that's easier to handle compared with someone that has decades of having used one program for so long.

 

[netsol]

As an Illustrator user for 2 decades, Corel and Flexi seem clunky and hard to use. But they would say the same thing about Illustrator. It takes a while to get to know these programs well. Most people prefer whichever one they learned on first.

Flexi is annoying as hell...
You forgive a lot because it will print/cut to ANYTHING

add "send to enroute" capability and is my favorite poorly implimented software, by a mile...

 

[kenda eckols]

Very helpful! Thanks!
Another dumb question:

I have the flexi software that came with my printer VJ 628—-but what I am looking for is software that has beautiful pictures that I can make a large sign on??? And not too costly...thanks!

 

[Stacey K]

Hmmm...I'm not sure I understand but here goes...

If you are looking for high quality photos, clipart, etc. check out IStock or Shutterstock. You need to purchase the artwork but it's a treasure trove of beautiful things. Most of us use them frequently.

Templates - If you are looking for sign templates you might want to check Signcraft or Signwarehouse, I know they both used to have clipart for signs which included sign templates - many of us make our own.

 

[Zoogee World]

I don't think there is a software really out there that would have the pictures ready for you. Most likely you would need to buy the image and then use a design software to create the sign using that image.

 

[Bobby H]

I have spent more time with Corel and Signlab. I even learned to match shortcuts to each other. I use Illustrator at times, but it seems I need to use a lot more clicks. I get click-itis. Scotch makes it, better, though.

It does take a certain amount of mental hopscotch to jump from one vector graphics application to another. The jump is more difficult if the user has worked exclusively in just one of those applications. There is a lot of big differences between Adobe Illustrator and CorelDRAW. I very much prefer CorelDRAW for certain kinds of tasks, but I'll choose Illustrator for other things.

Affinity Designer has its own user interface differences (as well frustrations from certain features that haven't been built into it yet). Inkscape is packed with more features, but the user interface is very clunky and old looking. That can make it pretty annoying to use when coming from a CorelDRAW or Illustrator environment.

I'll do certain hand-drawing specific tasks using an iPad Pro. That takes some mental adjustment even when using the same brand of vector drawing program. The iPad version of Illustrator isn't the same as the desktop version; it has some of its own unique touch/pen-oriented features and functions, but is also missing some things from the desktop application. The same is true for the iPad versus OSX/Win versions of Affinity Designer.

 

[Scotchbrite]

I like FlexiSign. One big bonus is that it includes Find My Font tool and 5 free downloads from Design Elements which has vector graphics and vehicle outlines.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

It does take a certain amount of mental hopscotch to jump from one vector graphics application to another. The jump is more difficult if the user has worked exclusively in just one of those applications. There is a lot of big differences between Adobe Illustrator and CorelDRAW. I very much prefer CorelDRAW for certain kinds of tasks, but I'll choose Illustrator for other things.

The desire to switch really has to be there, in order to do it. Have to really don't mind dealing with the teething pains on switching. Not only may features not be there, but they actually may be implemented in ways that one doesn't like (which really goes back to what you were saying in that they know (and thus prefer) the Ai or Draw way) and that can be off putting. The more that one has bounced around between applications throughout their time, really does help. Shoot, I have known some people that don't like it when there are simple UI changes within the program that they know. Much less go from one program to a totally different one.

I certainly wouldn't ever suggest switching cold turkey from one program to another. Although the downside is that people sometimes slip back into what they know, but that goes back to again, the desire to switch.

Affinity Designer has its own user interface differences (as well frustrations from certain features that haven't been built into it yet). Inkscape is packed with more features, but the user interface is very clunky and old looking. That can make it pretty annoying to use when coming from a CorelDRAW or Illustrator environment.

GTK (the UI widget toolkit that Inkscape uses (and GIMP, I really don't like GIMP's UI compared to Inkscape, but I digress)), in my mind is one of the worst UI toolkits out there (much prefer Qt (Krita, VLC, Teamviewer, Maya uses this, although I think Maya is QML which is the latest from Qt, or "cute"). No wonder the latest trend is to use OpenGL/Vulkan (METAL for the Mac people), which does allow for easier UI changes versus the traditional widget usage (I actually like the immediate mode much more, but I digress).

Inkscape does have one option that I really do like to have, but that option isn't really for everyone.

 

[rydods]

Adobe has adobe stock for photos.