Primal Decals 621 Posted June 20, 2016 I seen this post on another forum (Original Poster was named Tinaski on Vinyl Forum which is not as good as this site but anyway... ) so i had to share,I thought it was informative in every way...----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- QUOTE Below----- I have been on this site for a while now and it seems like the new people here ask the same questions over and over again so I thought this might try to help them out.I know there is a place for "instructional" but it seems like it gets missed allot so this is just a brief help to new comers.same questions different people "can you vector this""I need a tree in eps""I need a motorcycle ready to cut""what the best cutter to get"So a little about me first. What I can help with and what I cant help too much with.We are a full time business that does vinyl t-shirts for sports family gathering or just about anything, car decals, store fronts but like most on here will do just about anything a customer wants. We started doing this about 2 years ago with a mh cutter then got a old hix heat press about a year later. We used windows, flexi, and Adobe Illustrator.Today we have 2 Graphtec ce-5000 and a maxx heat.Were looking to get some printing equipment and either engraver or a cnc router. We design in Inkscape and cut in Inkscape under Linux Ubuntu 9.4 and 10.4. We use 2 computers one is mainly for cutting and the other is mine research, designing and testing. Sometimes we use Adobe or Corel in Linux.We were the same as every other new person out there. How do you vector? How do you get designs how how how how to layer?So here is a few things that may help. This is all just my opinion and it will differ from user to user. Everything here I will let you know if its from experience or if it is just what I have heard.I will start off with hardware"What cutter to get it?" depends on a few things. First is $$$$$$ if you have unlimited funds available I would recommend Rolland or a Graphtec both are cadillacs of the vinyl world but since most don't have that option then what I would go with is......Pcut I have heard allot of good things about them seems like there is allot of people happy with them.I would stay away from the MH. I know some people love it and would never go with a different brand. My experience with them is much less than satisfied. What I have found out when we had ours is a couple of years ago they changed there hardware ( control boards ) to something different from the original and that has caused allot of issues. if you can get an older one I don't think you would have near as much trouble as the newer ones.good thing to do is go to the http://forum.uscutter.com/index.php/board,60.0.html and compare how many posts are under each listing - I understand more people have the MH than any other one there but it has to say something.the other cutters I don't know much about so I am not going to comment on any of themFILE TYPESThis isn't complete yet since we don't have a windows box but this may help out for some people I may mess up on some of this so please correct me please keep in mind that you cant just take a jpeg and save it as an eps or svg that doesn't make it a cuttableEPS = cuttableSVG = cuttablePS = cuttablePDF = most are cuttable however there may be a jpeg imbedded in the PDF file then its not a cuttableAI = cuttableCDR = cuttableSB = cuttable only in Sign Blazer there is no program other than SB that can open a *.SB fileDWG = cuttable but I don't know anyone that uses that. its mainly for AutoCADWe have to use a PDF or PS to cut. We can open EPS AI CDR file in our programs and then save as a PS/PDFsome things that may help out"why cant I open an EPS file from Inkscape in SB or Flexi or other cutting software"It may be the version of the EPS file is not compatible with the cutting software so save it as a older version of an EPS file -- if that doesn't do it try a different file types try PDF - SVG - PS if you still have problemsTry this in Inkscape if its a one color design make the design 3xs the size that you have it designed if its a 10inchX10inch make it 30X30 then go to document properties and change to page size to fit the design. Then export as a bitmap then reopen the bitmap file in Inkscape and vector it - if you have a bitmap that was made from a vector file it will re-vector very easy and clean. since you made the image bigger you can down size it and you keep the clean lines - kinda like a picture take a picture re-size it smaller it stays clean and crisp you blow it up and it turns out very grainy.SOFTWAREThere is a few different types of software out there that you can use what one is best for you. Again it kind of depends on what you want to do and how much money and time you want to spend learning.Designing softwareAdobe Illustrator - for new version price is around $300 --- windows and Macit can open and save cuttables --- EPS, AI, PDF, DWG, PS, SVG(I believe)Corel Draw - for new version price is around $500 ---- windows and Macit can open and save cuttables --- CDR, EPS, AI, PDF, DWG, PS, SVG(I believe)Inkscape - Free --- windows Mac and Linuxit can open and save cuttables --- EPS, AI, PDF, DWG, PS, SVGScribus - FREE - windows Mac and Linuxit can open and save cuttables --- EPS, PDF, PS, SVG that I know of there could be othersSK1 - Free Linux only. soon there will be one for Mac and someday there will be one for windowsit can open and save cuttables --- CDR, EPS, AI, PDF, DWG, PS, SVGCutting softwareThis is easy there is only a few that most people rave aboutFlexi - Windows and Mac -- Not free - price depends on what version you getprob one of the best out thereSignBlazer - Windows - Free trial but it never expiresvery good allot of people use it (I never have) seems like there is some setup issues at times cant help with any of thatnot too much help with any of the other software packages in windowsInkcut Linux free cut right from InkscapeTux plot - LINUX - can cut from any programwe use this and love it still has some limits but we're testing and trying to keep improvingwhere to get graphicsfirst ask what you need "motorcycle"search the forums - that is a great place to startif that doesn't help learn how to use search a engine Google yahoo what evertips how to use a search engine ---- " motorcycle svg " this is my results http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=A0geusScD.JLnzUB9JRXNyoA?p=motorcycle+svg&fr2=sb-top&fr=yfp-t-701&sao=0 you can try eps but you will get allot of "episodes"you can also limit your search to just PDF file since PDFs are cuttable but there will be a little more weeding thru the results in yahoo go to MORE>ADVANCED SEARCH just select PDF fileshttp://search.yahoo.com/search?n=30&ei=UTF-8&va_vt=any&vo_vt=any&ve_vt=any&vp_vt=any&vd=all&vst=0&vf=pdf&vm=p&fl=0&fr=yfp-t-701&p=motorcycle&vs=http://www.brandsoftheworld.com is also a great sourcespend a lot of time on YOUTUBE there is a lot of great videos there.There you can learn how to layer.you can learn how to vectoryou can learn how to set up almost any cutteryou can learn how to apply the decalsand my favorite (our video) you can learn how to set up a cutter and use it in linux using Tux PlotI know this did not get into great detail but hope it may help some new peoplebiggest thing is learn learn learn and when you think you know what your doing learn some more 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dakotagrafx 7,297 Posted June 20, 2016 I seen this post on another forum (Original Poster was named Tinaski on Vinyl Forum which is not as good as this site but anyway... ) so i had to share,I thought it was informative in every way...----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- you have to understand the two forums have different reasons for existing - comparing apples to oranges. Like most forums, Vinylforum was never made to compete or even draw the same audience - it was started by a a bunch of old timers and moderators that wanted a new place to hang out away from some drama that has since passed - now it is more the old timers that share ideas there without a lot of newbies, so it is not nearly as active with all the day to day questions. USC helps everyone and is here to help newbies with getting going and with ideas. USC sells products and the support and info sells more products. VF sells nothing and never has but has members with a lot of background and knowledge in the industry. now back to the program . . . 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Primal Decals 621 Posted June 20, 2016 lol gotcha ..understood Share this post Link to post Share on other sites