What sign software does everyone use?

[unclebun]

I use Sign Wizard for cut vinyl signs and Corel Draw for printed signs. Sometimes I'll design cut vinyl in Corel too and export to Sign Wizard for cutting. I have Illustrator for dealing with files people send me that won't open in either of the other two, so I can re-save them as something that works.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

CONS:

• Not 64 bit!!!! Come on SAi!!!! It's 2018!!!!!! - Illustrator, and Corel are kicking your ***. Flexi only uses one processor core so be sure it's a fast one. It also doesn't give two flips about your video card. Lame

As frustrating as that is, it's not totally uncommon. I have a digitizing software (most consider it the standard as far as digitizing software goes) and it's still 32 bit. Latest release was this time last year.

I would imagine that it would take totally doing away with Win32 support to actually get some software vendors to change and I don't know if MS could actually do that without backlash for those that would still depend on legacy support.

 

[RyanT]

Inkscape - but mostly because I'm cheap (it's free, open source). I've never used AI or Corel so I probably don't know what, if anything, I'm missing. Also my design skills are definitely more vector oriented so I don't do much raster or photo editing, just make stuff from scratch. It is NOT all-in-one, but I just export stuff to pdf and import to Winplot to cut on my Summa, or rip to print.

 

[Sandman]

I use Illustrator to design in. I was using Flexi for Mac to cut but my 19 year old Power Mac finally died. So I brought over an idle PC and am in the process of installing VinylMaster Cut 4.0. I'm going to love it because it's more than just a bridge program. You can create from it as well which is going to come in handy when I forget to weld a group of letters or forget something in the file as I can create fonts and bring in clip art. It's really a light design package and for $59 can't beat the price. It works with XP through Windows 10.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

Inkscape - but mostly because I'm cheap (it's free, open source). I It is NOT all-in-one, but I just export stuff to pdf and import to Winplot to cut on my Summa, or rip to print.

There is an extension called "InkCut" that allows Inkscape to directly send to cutters. I know it works on my Roland. However, I've only ever used it on Linux, but I do believe that it is cross platform and even multi-arch (it appears to work on the Pi as well).

On Linux, can also setup cutters as printers and use things like hpgl protocol and that too will "print" (or cut in this case) without having InkCut. InkCut just provides more functionality.

With Extensions, Inkscape is really pretty powerful. More so then what a lot of people think.

 

[myront]

In reference to SpooledUP7's Pro's & Cons of Flexi

Hmmmm...Corel does 9/10ths of those things and most you can make a macro to do. And as for the cons...Corel can do multiple pages, good paragraph controls, 64bit, imports many different file types

 

[CAZ007]

I use Signlab10 with Mimaki CJV 150 and with a Roland SP-300V. For printing and cutting and design work.

 

[RyanT]

There is an extension called "InkCut" that allows Inkscape to directly send to cutters. I know it works on my Roland. However, I've only ever used it on Linux, but I do believe that it is cross platform and even multi-arch (it appears to work on the Pi as well).

On Linux, can also setup cutters as printers and use things like hpgl protocol and that too will "print" (or cut in this case) without having InkCut. InkCut just provides more functionality.

With Extensions, Inkscape is really pretty powerful. More so then what a lot of people think.

Ooo... I'll have to look into that. I haven't really investigated any extensions for Inkscape yet, which I guess is the whole point of running open source software. It would have to have some of the functionality of Winplot though, like simulating output and turning on/off flex cut, but I'll look into it. Thanks!

 

[AKwrapguy]

I'm in the market for some new sign software in the future. Just wondering what everyone is using. I'm currently using Anagraph DesignArt.

It all depends on what your doing and what market your in.
We're rocking:
Adobe Photoshop CC
Adobe Illustrator CC
Corel
Felxi Cloud (design and production manager)
Gerber Composer

Each one has they pro's and con's and each one comes in handy.

 

[spooledUP7]

In reference to SpooledUP7's Pro's & Cons of Flexi

Hmmmm...Corel does 9/10ths of those things and most you can make a macro to do. And as for the cons...Corel can do multiple pages, good paragraph controls, 64bit, imports many different file types

And like I said before, I know the functionality is available in many other suites but it's the efficiency of those tasks out of the box which makes Flexi more efficient in my opinion. I have no doubt one can work around the limitations of their daily software (and I do) but for me it's all about efficiency, and not so much brand loyalty. Kinda like a magnetic tip screw driver vs a non-magnetic. One could say they both accomplish the same thing.

 

[visual800]

flexi 8

 

[weme]

WinPCsign, Corel X4

 

[myront]

efficiency? All the more reason I use Corel. Once you learn it you can fly!

Adobe? Better go to school for that or have someone over your back. I've had Adobe for many years as it is a necessity for any sign shop. I still can't figure out how to do the most simple tasks.

I learned corel by playing around with it and didn't watch any tutorials. The workspace makes the most sense. Oh and if it doesn't you can customize it to your liking. You can assign any key combination to any tool. Adobe is limited to the "F" keys only. You can add your own icons, make your own toolbars....

I still say Corel is the most "bang for the buck" for the sign industry.

 

[gabagoo]

I use Signlab 8 for all my vinyl cutting and designing for print. I use Flexi for print and cut only and I have Omega to run my Edge. Everything is basically set up in Signlab and then sent out to the other softwares on different work stations to run printer and Edge

 

[WildWestDesigns]

efficiency? All the more reason I use Corel. Once you learn it you can fly!

This will actually vary between people.

Oddly enough, I'm far more efficient in Adobe then in Draw and I have several thousand reasons to want to use Draw as it's packaged in with my very expensive digitizing software. I don't even bother installing Draw anymore. Now, granted some of the limitations that most people on here complain about with Ai, I don't have. Artboard limitations being one. Key board bindings don't make sense? Well, I just use the Express Keys on my cintiq anyway. I still to this day don't know what the default bindings are. I know where they are on the remote though. I've got macros out the ying yang, but not done directly though Ai, but through bash scripts (I pass them through my VM that's how they affect Windows programs as most people don't have Bash on Windows unless it's enabled in Win 10).

Not saying that it's not capable program, just not worth the effort for me to deal with the learning curve that I have with it. That's not going to be everyone.

Best way to see what works for "yourself" is to get trials of software, go through "your" normal workflow and see how it handles.

 

[mmblarg]

Flexi 10.5 as the main design and print. Photoshop CS5 for more elaborate design help. CorelDRAW X5 for sublimation

 

[Rick]

I have used Corel, Freehand, and Omega in the past, and currently run Illustrator CC for ads, text rich art, and for saving art for output by a third party but I use Flexisign Cloud for all production. Flexi is in my mind the best design software available. It's not perfect, but it is the most efficient I have ever used. (I hated it when I first heard of it because I believed nothing was better than Illustrator)

Here are the key pros for why I think this way. Please note that there may be similarities in functions within Corel, Omega and Illustrator but I'm looking at it from a efficiency standpoint vs actual function. I will also list the cons, because there are plenty of them.

Flexisign Pros:

• Dynamic floating tool panes. I 100% of the time use Design Central, and Fill/Stroke editor. Both automatically change displaying information according to your active tool. Illustrator requires you to have a window for each tool, filling up your screen or requiring your to move them to another monitor. Not efficient. I also regularly use the layers pane too but only for vehicle wraps.
  
• 100% scale (Unlimited artboard size) Honestly, I don't understand why illustrator has a limit. Vehicle wraps NOT in scale are a recipe for mistakes
• Path editor tools - This alone is worth the program. AB curve, spline, arc, corner etc... controls are like nothing else. You can create and or clean up logos in no time at all. I have shown this to a hundred people and it gets them every time. Every freakin time!
  
• Effects - easy to understand combine such as fuse, knock out, remove overlap, separate overlap.... Illustrator has this but honestly I have to guess every time because the tools are not clear. I don't even want to try remember them even after 20 years using illustrator.
  
• Type control - Leading, kerning, rotation, hyper/sub, path follow, arc - So simple and clean and efficient for sign work
• Resize tool - Again working in scale is so much more efficient in my mind so taking a photo of say a box van, create box over the known area, click resize on the box with scale all enabled, enter the real life size and hit enter. Bam! 100% scale in a second. Efficient AF.
• Auto nest - Please do I really need to explain the efficiency of this function?
• Step and repeat - Customer calls, How much for a 6" x 5" decal? No problem, know sheet size, enter rectangle 6x5, click Step and Repeat, enter x a y repeat, spacing and bang you have your quantity up vs your sheet price.
  
• Select by Attribute - So amazing. Select ALL and any specific colors, effects, types, strokes, anything in one click! Eat that illustrator!
• Filter by... Same as Select by attribute but in one click you can filter out specific colors... leaving you with just what you want to edit
• Trace - Flexi for the longest time owned this market but it has lost it's edge to Illustrator. Still, for a fast and easy trace I will use flexi. For more complicated and higher fidelity traces I use Image Trace from illustrator.
• Rip and Print (I know it's only available for specific packages) Integrated printer and plotter with a massive library of device drivers. I find it extremely efficient to output without having to export jobs. With Rip and Print you can output panels, cut jobs, and contour cut prints directly from within Flexi without ever leaving the design software. You still have the option to use Production Manager like any other rip but there's no need to do so.
  
• Contour cut. Dynamically create contour cuts numerically, optically, inside holes, no holes, curves, corners, inline or outline based on the totality of the object. Quickly assign multiple contour cut colors for individual contour cut attributes such as force, speed, condition presets.... all from within Flexi.
• Adobe transparency effects (Flexi 10 up I think) I use this daily. Efficient way to create blending effects
  
• Serialization - Not the most polished function but super amazing to have
• Open Illustrator files - Does an excellent job so long as the art is contained within the artboard and layers are not hidden or locked. Super efficient if you can avoid the Illustrator open/export/save as dance.
• Color pallets. Add persistent and frequently used colors to your pallet. Name them, adjust them, map them... It's the best. Just double click a color from a color book like Pantone and rename it and bam, it's now available as that name forever while leaving the original it's original name. Just be sure to save your modified color table manually or upon closing.
  
• Guide control - First, Illustrator sucks at this. Why would you want guides to lock as a default? Don't answer. Anyway, drag a guide in just like any other design suite, but double click it and rotate freely, numerically, or whatever. Guides just rock and it's something Flexi has got beautifully right.
• Alignment and distribute - Again, illustrator has this all wrong. Flexi has it all right. One word - Hierarchy. Align to parent object, page, guide groups, the universe... No switching settings it just does it. Align and Distribute just works. Efficient.
• Overprint - Screw you illustrator. Flexi gives you access to overprint all the time, and not in some far-off pane like in Illustrator

CONS:

• Not 64 bit!!!! Come on SAi!!!! It's 2018!!!!!! - Illustrator, and Corel are kicking your ***. Flexi only uses one processor core so be sure it's a fast one. It also doesn't give two flips about your video card. Lame
• Updated tool icons. I started with Flexi 7x and so with every new install I retro select the 7x workspace because the icons are smaller and make more sense visually. They have higher contrast for the effect when active vs the monotone and larger current icons.
• Lack of "Wrap around object" for text.
  
• Lack of tab control. Really? I am mean really.
• Paragraph control. It's there but it's weak
• Multiple pages. None. It should. Freehand had this in 1999. Illustrator now allows multiple artboards. This is cool.
  
• Crappy rendering - This has gotten much better since my 7x days but still Illustrator renders the screen smooth and beautifully whereas Flexi is harsh or super flat depending on whether you have Soft Proof on.
  
• Crashes without auto recovery. Adobe kills it here
• Does not save environmental changes unless you exit the application (Color tables are an exception because you can manually save) so when you crash you loose things like last open location, tool options, and user initiated defaults.
• Does not open or export Corel files. Just accept that Corel is a player SAi and add the support please
• Weak sauce for PLT files. Corel is king
• No import location tool. I use a lot of frequently used art elements and unlike Freehand there is no way to quickly access your library of art. Whats strange is that in 7x it at least allowed you to have a persistent "Last location" for "Import" separate from "Open" location. This effectively served the same purpose as Freehand's library. With the current version of Flexi both Open and Import share the same last opened location. Lame
• Color book selection. This realllllllly sucks. In Illustrator one simply needs to type the name (Number for pantone) in the search field and you can quickly access the color for use, but in flexi you must either hover over the pallet (if you have it open) or scroll to the color in the Fill/Stroke editor. If you have multiple color tables open then it can be a challenge. This needs to be added and I can't believe after all these years they have yet to add it.
  
• Output gremlins. I am sure this is true for many rips but lets say you have trailer wrap with ten panels. You let flexi handle the paneling through the Rip and Print or direct job through Production Manger, but on panel three your art doesn't contain any bitmaps or gradients but shares similar spot/rgb/cmyk colors like a stripe going through the entire length. Despite you sending the job all at once your #3 panel may print your colors differently forcing your to reprint, repeat the same output and frustratingly scratch your head until you finally just manually change the colors. This is a problem with rendering intent. I have no solution but to rasterize all large jobs prior to ripping. This defeats the purpose of Rip and Print in my mind.

Anyway, that's probably enough. I am went a little overboard but I'm like that. Did I miss anything, get it wrong or do you agree/disagree? I would love to hear your experiences.

I read all of that.... I do have a detailed response.

I'm curious though, what type of signs do you normally layout/design?

 

[Johnny Best]

Corellustator is my go to software. Best of both worlds.

 

[vincesigns]

Most of the people that i have met that make a living "designing" vs. manufacturing use Corel. Most of the larger sign companies that I deal with use corel.

 

[bigwow]

We're unusual as in our whole setup is Mac only - so Illustrator and SignCutPro.