Many sign makers use Signlab, Flexi Sign etc, Signlab full cut and print can cost £2400 per copy.
A lot of the time files that Signlab is struggling with, Corel does exactly the same in a flash no problem, more power for a fraction of the cost.
Other issues for Signlab, cropped images, CMYK images can't be clipped and rendered and kept in CMYK, the only real advantages dedicated sign making software like Signlab is automatic kerning for letters like WA and number 1 cap I etc given the space that suits it not the same space a W would have etc which just looks outright odd, see it everywhere, it's horrible, plus all the support for plotters and printers, decent quality fonts too so used at any size no surprises as you can get with system fonts.
Corel is practically there but not quite and they have said if there is enough interest from sign makers they will consider developing the software to suit sign makers needs, and what a day that will be where we can all avoid importing and exporting back and forth and relying on the coding written by a couple of guys in a shed for Cadlink.
Even then all prints done through Signlab and it's Visual Production Manager has a green hue, that was there in version 8 and in Version 9 it's still there, so when they've come to bring out the new version, they still hadn't cracked the previous one and carry the faults into the new build.
So if you would like to see a CorelSign or Corel Draw with built in features to accomodate sign makers, then make yourself known.
SignLine said:So if you would like to see a CorelSign or Corel Draw with built in features to accomodate sign makers, then make yourself known.
Why? I use CorelDRAW X6 for signs every day, I use a RIP based work flow and EPS, PDF or TIF file formats.
David Milisock said:Why? I use CorelDRAW X6 for signs every day
SignLab had some great features but I can pretty much do it all in Draw (and more), even though I miss for example smart weed lines.Regarding the automatic kerning in SignLab, I'd say it is a hit-and-miss feature. Sometimes the result was pretty good but other times it still called for some manual kerning afterwards. Prefer to use the font's built in values and do some manual adjustment when needed.
Finally, yes I would like to see some additional sign specific features added to Draw.
Great stuff Ronny and you other people, me too with Sign Studio monochrome, then they went colour, what an advance that was! Monochrome was a great advance from the CSR computerised signmaking robot we used before that.
Yes you can use Corel as it is for signs but it isn't as good as Signlab in that regard, and really in that regard only, don't want plug ins, we want it all in one package, from Corel, Corel have the developers that Cadlink need, as Cadlink won't ask Corel for their help we have to ask Corel to do their own software instead.
All they have to do is make Corel with the signmaking features, not develop a totally different piece of software just for signmaking, that keeps costs down, I no longer use VPM for printing because of the green hue, I use Rasterlink Pro 5 instead so I am moving away, but I'd prefer it all in one piece of software for setting, printing and plotting.
SignLine said:don't want plug ins, we want it all in one package,
SignLine said:but I'd prefer it all in one piece of software for setting, printing and plotting.
Hi.
You want Draw to be able to cut/plot/rip to all machines natively?
This would greatly increase the price and application bulk, even for the larger percentage of users who do not use CorelDraw for signs.
A plugin is the only way, be it from Corel, or the experienced third parties who have already been creating them for years.
~John
You have your history wrong. Signlab is made by the company Cadlink. It was never *called* Cadlink. I used it for a decade and a half and hated every bloody second of it. Signlab is one of the worst pieces of garbage software I have ever had the misfortune of using. Absolute bollocks. I HATED it so much I even gave the reps at the ISA show a piece of my mind. They STILL haven't even bother to fix the stupid export/import icons yet...they have been reversed for the last decade. That's pretty indicative of how much attention they pay to their own product.
Flexi is no better at all and probably a bit worse in many ways. There simply isn't a decent sign centric software package on the market that is worth a damn.