The main reason I joined this forum: my company keeps hiring designers who will only use Illustrator. They save their files to both Illustrator and PDF (every time). I am charged with putting them into CDR files for manufacturing routing and vinyl as well as making sure the shop floor can understand the mumbo jumbo they use to talk to architects and clients. (Do I sound like I have an issue...) I am having tantrums trying to get these to work. Bitmaps and copy going one way or another or worse, leaving all together. I have started opening in AI and resaving without compression and flattening the artwork. Any other hints out there from other sign designers? I am on X7 and Illustrator CC, I also have Adobe Pro XI
Looks like InDesign is the biggest culprit for making me crazy. I have been able to deal with most of my AI issues thanks to this forum! The designers are using InDesign to compile multi-page proposals. The InDesign issues with text appears to be documented all over the place. This is my first time ever having to deal with it. Is Illustrator that bad at handling multi-page files?
Venetia it seems you have the same issues as a lot of Corel shops. In design users are notorious for placing graphics with out linking fonts etc then sending the job down the line.
We output to lasers and vinyl out of corel x4 ,x6 illustrator cs6 and indesign cs6 it doesn't matter what the output device is to us Epilogue Roland Mimaki we also use Sign L for rotary engraving and printing.
they all have the tools
ross blair
I am definitely picking up more skill with Illustrator but the interface drives me nuts. I can work in several drafting programs and Corel and not get tied up in navigating errors, but open one Adobe program and I have to sweep my hair off the floor!
I felt that way too when I first started exploring Inkscape too! :)
Weird it must be because I started out in Illustrator, but I find Corel to be less friendly and more confusing to navigate. Illustrator's interface seems clean and less cluttered (why do I need a bezier tool and a pen tool? they do the same thing etc) But with less than a year in Corel I'm still pretty fresh and new at it.
My version of Corel is basically a frankensteined Illustrator. I had to re-do all my keyboard shortcuts to mimic Illustrator because I was going nuts trying to re-wire my brain to corel.
But I enjoy working in Corel. They both have their strengths and I don't see myself ever going back and working 100% in Illustrator.
Because I design graphics AND objects to be manufactured Corel is the only way to go. The first thing is that I am able to draw scaled drawings with dimensioning. I can draw to several scales on a single page. I can also save many pages to one file. I can do all this without using another app or plug in! I know that Illustrator is a better program for printing but I have output going to CNC, vinyl cutters, routers etc. Very little I do depends on CMYK or any other palette. We use acrylic, polycarbonate, vinyl film, aluminum and anything else you can think of shining light on or through. We do send to digital vinyl printers and even paper prints for some items but these are things that Corel can do as well. Many designers forget that there is a whole world out there that does not exist in print or cyberspace. I could use Autocad or Solidworks for this but those are very expensive programs for products that don't need the tolerances machined products need. The drafting tools that CD has are pretty good for what we need them for.
Venetia Hancock said: I know that Illustrator is a better program for printing but I have output going to CNC, vinyl cutters, routers etc.
I would disagree with that, Illustrator is a PITA for printing as text handling, transparency, color management and overall general functionality is second rate. True it's a good drawing program but not a great graphic program.
If you work in many areas as I do, (never knowing what's around the bend) laser engraving, print press work, large and grand format printing, vehicle wraps and cut vinyl, art reproductions/restorations and a multitude of types of signage Illustrator just does not cut it. In fact the CS or now CC suite compared to the CorelDraw GS is like being a mountain climber and having broken thumbs.