Sparrow

Can't import graphics into Artcut

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Howdy all from the sunny south west of Western australia !!!

Have recently bought a Refine MH721 .... off e-bay .... have got it set up and have started experimenting with the soft ware supplied, which is Artcut 2005. Have been having problems importing "pictures" in ANY format ie .bmp .eps .ai .dxf .plt ..... seems NOTHING will import into the program. The graghic I want to open was originally saved as a .gif which I converted in Paintshop Pro into the aforementioned formats ... but with NO success in being imported into Artcut :huh:

Any hints as to what I'm doing wrong ;D

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Artcut does not do a very good job of importing graphics except in .plt format. That among other things is the reason we stopped including Arcut with our plotters last year and have since gone with www.signcut.net. I'd suggest downloading a trial version of their software to see if you like it.

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Hi Marcel,

Thank you for your advice ..... I have actually been using the Artcut 2005 program with great success !!! ... I find it simple to use & VERY easy to understand ... is very much a simple to use "windows" type format.

I have been able to open 1x graphic that WAS saved as an .eps format but this particular logo was created in a specialist sign program called "signlab" !!! That one imported straight away & was immediately editable within Artcut 2005. So I am assuming there is a problem with the "conversion" in another program that "Artcut" doesn't recognise it :huh:

I have a demo copy of "signcut" and have had a play with it ..... but find "Artcut 2005" a lot easier to use & understand ..... as I'm new to this whole vinyl cutting adventure !!!

Obviously for me as the Artcut program was supplied with my plotter .... and I CAN understand the program .... and have already successfully cut a dozen different logo's & other signage .... I would prefer to use this program instead of having to shell out MORE money on another program & try to learn how THAT works as well ;D

I only am doing signage for our own business ... we manufacture horse trailers ..... so for me this is just another way of getting & keeping more of what we do "in house" rather than relying on outside suppliers :angry: So I don't need any software that goes far beyond my capabilities to understand & use it .... that is why I like the Artcut program ... because it is so simple to use ... EVEN I CAN DO IT !!! ... *LOL* ...  :angry:  :angry:  :angry:

So is there an easy solution to the image file "importation" issues with "Artcut 2005" :angry: ..... as I think the problem is in the conversion to a format that it "likes", coming from something like Paintshop Pro or Coreldraw :angry:

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WOW !! Never heard that about artcut before ...BUt glad that you love it !!!

You will now be our Artcut Problem solver !! lol 

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I kind of sort of maybe had the same problem with some eps files that I got my hands on...

Flexi said that the file was not in a standard AI format.

WinPCSign would only import them as a very very low resolution bitmap.

InkScape wouldnt open them at all.

but, Illustrator would open them just fine...

So, what I did was opened them in illustrator and re-saved them as the 6.0 .ai format.

Now I can import them with the lines and nodes in any program.

On your EPS files that you are trying to open in Arcut... Did you design them your self and if so, what program did you use?

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Have found a solution .... of sorts :huh:

When i was converting .jpg's, .gif's or .bmp's in Paintshop Pro or Corel draw .... I had been saving them as .eps format. I don't think though that they had actually been "vectorised" ;D

I downloaded a trial version of "Vector Eye" which is a raster to vector convertor program ... was then able to save the converted images as .eps format .... and low & behold ... WAS able to open them in Artcut 2005 and they WERE vectorised and was able to edit the individual nodes :angry:

So from what I can gather ... the saved "formats" that I created within Paintshop Pro & Corel Draw ..... weren't "acceptable" to the Artcut program .... but the .eps format ones created within "Vector Eye" WERE acceptable & immediately editable :angry:

So NOW I have the solution I was looking for :angry:

Have NOW been able to do some signage jobs complete for my own use .... and the "Artcut 2005" program works a treat & is VERY user friendly !!!

The only set up issues I had initially were from using parallel port connection ... which caused the program to crash EVERY time I tried to send a job to the cutter ... changed to serial port ..... & "voila" .... EVERYTHING worked a treat & we cut our first bit of vinyl !!! It definately AIN'T brain surgery ... but takes a bit of trial & error :angry:

Here is the "first job" ....

P1000516-1.jpg

width=654 height=600http://www.stockyardforum.net/images/P1000517-1.jpg[/img]

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Guest fivestar

Sparrow, nice looking graphics, when you "save" a file in draw, I was told to export it and not "save" and I have never had any problems with them not being vectorized.  Now that's not with artcut as I have never used it, but with flexi there is no problems whatsoever.

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Thanks guys for your kudo's .... :huh:

fivestar .... I HAVE tried "exporting" the file from CorelDraw as well as "save as".... and STILL couldn't open them in Artcut :angry: So maybe just pilot error :angry:

I have been applying my own signage for a number of years to our products after it was cut by the signwriters we used to use .... but since moving about 4hrs drive away from where our signwriters are located ... it has been logistical nightmare getting stuff from them. Hence the decision to buy a vinyl cutter of our own.

The guy's we used to get to supply our signage pre-cut & ready to apply used "Signlab" as their software program .... I have NEVER used it but have seen it used a fair bit so I actually did understand about editing nodes stc ..... was quite good friends with the owner of the sign company & used to help him out with hardware problems ..... and we were ALWAYS able to find solutions to the "impossible" :angry: ... *LOL* ...

We live in a small town of about 5000 people total in the whole area ..... and the only signwriter in town is too slack to get off his butt & come & even show some interest in getting MY money or anyone else's for that matter .... so once I learn how to drive the soft ware & plotter properley .... I'm gonna do signage as a "side line" to our current business. We'll se THEN if local bloke is all that "serious' :angry:

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I've had the same problem.  Artcut wouldn't import anything.  I'd been making jpg's into .eps using Vector Magic.  I save the graphic as an .eps, but Artcut doesn't like it and won't import it.  I found if in Vector Magic I saved the file as an .ai, then Artcut will accept it with no problems.

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You might give Inkscape a try. It's a free vector editing program and does quite well at vectoring graphics. Just remember, as you found out, a vector file may or may not contain a vector drawing. Vector files (eps, svg, ai, pdf, etc) can have raster images (bmp, jpg, giv, etc) embedded in the file. They'll open and look great on the computer but can't be cut.

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