Newbie About To Go Crazy. Please help!

[MadStickerLab 0]

Hi!

I just recently purchased a new MH-871 Vinyl Cutting machine and am ready to begin learning. My goal is to learn to design vinyl window stickers using one or two colors. I have a background in web design.

I purchased a copy of Corel Draw X5 and am using SignBlazor to send my designs to the printer.

With all of that said......I am going nuts trying to learn this  For the past week I have read the forums (both this one and the T-Shirt forum) and have learned just enough to be really confused.

I am horribly analytical and am looking for a step by step instruction on how to edit vector graphics (also interested in converting bitmap to vector). I know there are many steps and I just seem to be missing something.

I have searched everywhere for a book on the subject but have not found anything (including books on Corel X5 that pertain to decal/sticker creation).

Would anyone be willing to create a step by step on how to create a vector graphic? I don't necessarily mean the actual act of creating the curves and straight lines and such. But the steps it takes after you create your art to get it print ready.

Thanks so much for reading this. I know a lot of people ask for this kind of help and you advanced folks must get tired of answering. But I promise, once I learn the ropes, to help out on this forum with what I have learned Hey, I might even write that book!

Don

[SandyM114 0]

I can't help you with the Corel but I have to say when you buy it, you get no manual at all. I'm in the same boat as you. About all I've been able to use it for so far is to open some files that signblazer can't open.Sandy

[deth502 39]

im not familiar with corel, but you can dl inkscape for free and between that and sb, you should be able to make anything you want. they are all i use.

afa how to run them (inkscape and signblazer) there are plenty of very good videos right here on how to go from a bitmap, or even just a concept, all the way through to the cut, and even application.

[MZ SKEETER 4,709]

have you watched any of the tutorials on youtube.com  ?

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=corel+draw+x+5+tutorials&aq=f

[MadStickerLab 0]

Actually, Corel Draw X5 does come with a manual. Go into All Programs on your computer and look for COREL DRAW GRAPHICS SUITE X5. Open it and look for DOCUMENTATION. In this folder you will find a 319 page PDFbook that is pretty informative (on top of some other PDFs). You will also find a VIDEO TUTORIALS link next to the DOCUMENTATION folder that is pretty helpful.

Books written for X5 actually hit book stores tomorrow

[mailman 1]

I am fairly new to, but I have had very good luck with the quick trace , go to bitmaps it will be in the drop down menu. Also go to CorelDrawtips.com. the guy who does these is very good, scroll thru his lessons, free and very easy.What I do is open corel and work side by side with his lesson, I think it works best that way, even an old guy like me can do it. Hope this helps, Mark

[MadStickerLab 0]

Thanks everyone! I finally got it all figured out. Made my first sticker last night! YAY!

[sniderman 8]

YOU SHOULD POST YOUR WORK,,

[MZ SKEETER 4,709]

Thanks everyone! I finally got it all figured out. Made my first sticker last night! YAY!

So what did you do to figure it out?    This could help others. 

[MadStickerLab 0]

The biggest change I made was I went from using SignBlazer to Signcut. or me, using Corel X5 and Signcut answered all of my issues that I was having. I can export the same file in both programs, and while SignBlazer messes it up, Signcut prints it perfectly.

[MZ SKEETER 4,709]

glad you got it figured out!!! ???

[glassman67 0]

Theres a realy good video also called (Unleashed for Corel X5) dont know version you have but my X5 came with it and a hard back book  with about 300 pages in it  the author of the video lives out in Arizona and also does 2 or 3 day classes for around 600 dollars I have his number and all somewhere will find for you if want.