KDM_Freak 23 Posted April 2, 2014 Hello all so almost a week ago I introduced myself as someone who was looking into the vinyl world. After looking around I really love the enviorment and want to learn as much as possible. So basic little bit about myself Names Mike, 22, and just bought a titan to start a in home business doing car decals and even walls... maybe down the road due signs and banners. I bought the titan due to everyone told me go copam but there discontinued after this year .. Not taking chances on parts and all god for bid down the line and the titan was the next step that us is pushing to replace copam .. amazing on what forums do for you ( I just learned that) haha .. well anyway I don't want to blab but you think i made a good choice .. ( first machine ever, No idea what Im doing, Searching the page for everything, Still confused, got 200$ off) I also downloaded inkscape and just the moral of this all is .. how easy is this all ? Pretty complicated question right ? When i get my machine can i hook up to my mac 13" type a text with the program it comes with and start practicing or is it more involved .. besides setting blade and all that. again sorry for being all long and annoying on this we all start somewhere right ? I understand and plan on making no profit for a while due to things don't happen over night but very motivated to be successful is all this ... Thank you again Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mabscotthandyman 1,410 Posted April 3, 2014 Hello and welcome Mike. It seems impossible in the beginning but after a while it is second nature. Just read thru the threads and learn it is all here. If the titan is like its big brother( titan 2 } you most likely have a good cutter the reviews by Scott and John on the titan 2 has been very positive. Good luck Dan 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wildgoose 4,200 Posted April 3, 2014 Ya don't let your first few days discourage you. It seems complicated but with a little study and patience you'll have it no problem. There are a lot of nuances but they come with time and practice. I did quite a bit of free work for friends and family before I started trying to sell anything to anyone so If I messed up they would understand. (And I did mess up several times!) 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KDM_Freak 23 Posted April 3, 2014 Thanks guys! is there any advice on starting off. I downloaded inkscape and I know when you have an image or text you want to do you have to make it vector but once thats done i can just send it to the plotter or is more envolved then just converting ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
slice&dice 2,450 Posted April 3, 2014 Hello Mike. Did you get tthe Titan I or II? Think of a cutter as a machine that understands one specific type of language -- either DMPL or HPGL (Digital Microprocessor Plotter Language or Hewlett-Packard Graphic Language) This basic protocol was developed in the 1950's, believe it or not, and we're still using a standard version of that to run these things. Now, in answer to your question about Inkscape --- it's just a design program and has nothing built-in to communicate with the cutter (no HPGL drivers). So, once you have a vector, another program needs to be used to get the cutter into action. SignBlazerElements was developed by a guy named Jerry Bonham who really (REALLY) understood what would work for the average Joe to get a cutter running and doing clean work from the get-go. Jerry is no longer with us, but his (abandonware) application continues to amaze and benefit the cutter community. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wildgoose 4,200 Posted April 3, 2014 Your cutter will have a cutting utility with it. If you are buying a titan then it will probably come with SCALP (Sure-cuts-a-lot-pro). It has some limited design capability but is mostly going to be best used as a tool to communicate with your cutter. You will want to build your files in Inkscape and then open them in SCALP and cut them. There may be a plug-in that you can install in Inkscape to send straight to SCALP but I don't know. If you are wanting to just do a straight line of text then you could just open SCALP and write the words out and cut it. I think scalp works with live text (don't quote me on that). In inkscape you will convert your text after you get done with it then it becomes a bunch of grouped objects and the cutter see's them as a bunch of shapes and cuts them out. Start simple! A few squares and circles and some text. Use either some paper and a pen tool (if the cutter has it) to learn with or plan on wasting quite a bit of vinyl. If you bought the starter bundle then you probably have lots of greenstar vinyl to play with and it's kind of junky anyway. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wildgoose 4,200 Posted April 3, 2014 Hello Mike. Did you get tthe Titan I or II? Think of a cutter as a machine that understands one specific language -- HPGL. (Hewlett Packard Graphic Language) This was developed in the 1950's, believe it or not, and we're still using a standard version of that to run these things. Now, in answer to your question about Inkscape --- it's just a design program and has nothing built-in to communicate with the cutter (no HPGL drivers). So, once you have a vector, another program needs to be used to get the cutter into action. SignBlazerElements was developed by a guy named Jerry Bonham who really (REALLY) understood what would work for the average Joe to get a cutter running and doing clean work from the get-go. Jerry is no longer with us, but his (abandonware) application continues to amaze and benefit the cutter community. Slice he is working on mac so I don't think signblazer is an option unless I missed something somewhere. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
slice&dice 2,450 Posted April 4, 2014 Slice he is working on mac so I don't think signblazer is an option unless I missed something somewhere. Yeah, I didn't catch that item in the block of text he posted. Anyway, he can drop another $50 and pick up a used Dell laptop running XP and dedicate that to his cutter. That's what I would suggest, FWIW. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KDM_Freak 23 Posted April 4, 2014 Again thats for all the feedback its great how fast you all are ( sorry Im not ) .. But Yes I bought the titan I and no bundle besides a basic weeding kit that came with transfer tape a cleaner so many sqeegees and tools for weeding of course .. Right now all I want to learn is the text. I got a lot of car guys / pages / forums that are really supportive of me and keep emailing me requests ( even after i told them I'm new and never done this before they still want my products) Im just really nervous about all I'm reading it seems like its written in Chinese to me and my cutter comes tomorrow lol ... first thing I'm doing is grounding it seemed real simple ... but after that i don't even know where to start .. but long story short again I want my main focus on texts and little images to possible add to the texts .. from what i interpreted I use SCAlP only for this ? Your cutter will have a cutting utility with it. If you are buying a titan then it will probably come with SCALP (Sure-cuts-a-lot-pro). It has some limited design capability but is mostly going to be best used as a tool to communicate with your cutter. You will want to build your files in Inkscape and then open them in SCALP and cut them. There may be a plug-in that you can install in Inkscape to send straight to SCALP but I don't know. If you are wanting to just do a straight line of text then you could just open SCALP and write the words out and cut it. I think scalp works with live text (don't quote me on that). In inkscape you will convert your text after you get done with it then it becomes a bunch of grouped objects and the cutter see's them as a bunch of shapes and cuts them out. Start simple! A few squares and circles and some text. Use either some paper and a pen tool (if the cutter has it) to learn with or plan on wasting quite a bit of vinyl. If you bought the starter bundle then you probably have lots of greenstar vinyl to play with and it's kind of junky anyway. Hello Mike. Did you get tthe Titan I or II? Think of a cutter as a machine that understands one specific type of language -- either DMPL or HPGL (Digital Microprocessor Plotter Language or Hewlett-Packard Graphic Language) This basic protocol was developed in the 1950's, believe it or not, and we're still using a standard version of that to run these things. Now, in answer to your question about Inkscape --- it's just a design program and has nothing built-in to communicate with the cutter (no HPGL drivers). So, once you have a vector, another program needs to be used to get the cutter into action. SignBlazerElements was developed by a guy named Jerry Bonham who really (REALLY) understood what would work for the average Joe to get a cutter running and doing clean work from the get-go. Jerry is no longer with us, but his (abandonware) application continues to amaze and benefit the cutter community. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KDM_Freak 23 Posted April 4, 2014 Im not an artist by the way and feel this will be a big down fall :/ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mabscotthandyman 1,410 Posted April 4, 2014 Im not an artist by the way and feel this will be a big down fall :/ Not really there are a ton of commerical vectors and fonts to be had very reasonable also if you run into a problem vectoring there are people that charge a very fair fee for vectorizing an image. If an image is very complicated and hard to vector i will just pay for the service it is cheaper in the long run then wasting time that could be used to productive on something else. There are always bargins on clip art on ebay. I dont have an artistic bone in my body and produce signs and banners. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wildgoose 4,200 Posted April 4, 2014 LOL aint that the truth mabscott. I have a sister who is both an artist and a retired art teacher and a couple daughters who are amazing but I suck at freehand. KDM you could spend most of the weekend just trying to download all the stuff in the free vector thread here on the forum. Some are nicer than others but it's hard to knock a freebie. There are also a TON of free vectors out there on google. Just search for what you want with vector behind the description and you will find both free and paid versions. As you get into this you will become more comfy with that part of things and like mabscott said there are a lot of us on here that will either help you figure it out or draw them for you for a fee (often for free when you're a newbie but please don't take advantage of them) Text is about as simple as you are gonna get so that will be no problem. For starters just type some in to SCALP and size it accordingly and cut it, that easy. Then you can start warping it or writing it on a curved line etc.. these things you will probably be better off doing in inkscape but even some of that if it's simple enough you can get away with in SCALP Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lueman 19 Posted April 4, 2014 Hi KDM_Freak, say what's up to my hometown in Baldwin. All the advice is spot on, I strongly recommend you learn Signblazer, I began with it 5 years ago and it was very easy to learn & use. I didn't begin as an artist either, but with practice I have become a decent Graphic designer. Good luck if you have any questions keep asking there is someone here at almost any time day/night. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FrznFire07 217 Posted April 4, 2014 hey doesn't mac run something like wine? a virtual windows? would scalp work using that? or sign blazer? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wildgoose 4,200 Posted April 4, 2014 hey doesn't mac run something like wine? a virtual windows? would scalp work using that? or sign blazer? Ya there is a windows emulator or something, I've never used it. I don't know how well that would work out from a driver standpoint. Seems convoluted to me. New mac running old windows to run an even older sognblazer to somehow connect to a new cutter. eh.....sounds like a tech support nightmare. SignCut Pro works great with mac and I think SCALP may even work fine with mac too although I never tried it when I had mine. There are more modern options out there with live support. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FrznFire07 217 Posted April 4, 2014 Ya there is a windows emulator or something, I've never used it. I don't know how well that would work out from a driver standpoint. Seems convoluted to me. New mac running old windows to run an even older sognblazer to somehow connect to a new cutter. eh.....sounds like a tech support nightmare. SignCut Pro works great with mac and I think SCALP may even work fine with mac too although I never tried it when I had mine. There are more modern options out there with live support. yea that doesn't that like a good solution at all, my bad. somehow i always end up gerry rigging all of our software and hardware together like that! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wildgoose 4,200 Posted April 4, 2014 You probably have the skills to do that and if I knew how I probably would too. I am the guy that has had numerous live tech sessions where I hand over access to my computer for the techies to play around and find my problem. Thank heavens for live tech support is all I can say. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dwp99 283 Posted April 4, 2014 Hello Mike and welcome to the forum. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites