Rowdy

New Operator - Vinyl Cutting Programs Needed

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I have the MH721 cutter, just basic with the program that came with it, can anyone help me on what more programs that should be an addition to get and are easy to use

 

Thanks

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What program came with it?  The software you need is cutting software and design software.  Some programs are both in one, some not.  

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"Easy to use" depends on the user.  Everyone will have their favorite programs.

No matter what programs you choose for designing & cutting you will have to spend time learning

the "Ins & Outs" of how to create and cut your vectors.  This learning curve takes time and effort.

It doesn't come without it.

For myself, I prefer CorelDraw over Illustrator for creating my vectors. 

SignBlazer is a nice cut program but I fear its life is limited with advancing technology. 

VM Cut works fine for cutting my Corel files.

Just my 2 cents.

Sue2

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CorelDraw here as well. Use cutting master for cutting. (graphtec)

 

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mine came with the basic Vinyl master, so its just basic, i've glanced at Corel and Vector?   would like to have different availables such as pinstripes and so on

 

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Inkscape is a good free program for design.

First step will be to learn what a vector file is and understand how it is different from a raster image.

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41 minutes ago, Sue2 said:

"Easy to use" depends on the user.  Everyone will have their favorite programs.

No matter what programs you choose for designing & cutting you will have to spend time learning

the "Ins & Outs" of how to create and cut your vectors.  This learning curve takes time and effort.

It doesn't come without it.

For myself, I prefer CorelDraw over Illustrator for creating my vectors. 

SignBlazer is a nice cut program but I fear its life is limited with advancing technology. 

VM Cut works fine for cutting my Corel files.

Just my 2 cents.

Sue2

what Corel draw is the one to get?/  are there different versions

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You don't need the newest...I can use CorelDraw X4 on my Windows 7 machine.

But I also have X7 on my laptop.

 

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3 hours ago, Rowdy said:

mine came with the basic Vinyl master, so its just basic, i've glanced at Corel and Vector?   would like to have different availables such as pinstripes and so on

 

My Sc2 also came with Vinylmaster Cut V4.0 I didn't like it at first but i like it now, i can do most anything I need with it but i also have the basic Sure cuts a lot 4 to do other things and I have inkscape also to do other things that either of those be able to do.

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3 hours ago, Rowdy said:

mine came with the basic Vinyl master, so its just basic, i've glanced at Corel and Vector?   would like to have different availables such as pinstripes and so on

 

If you already have software that can cut and need design software, Inkscape is plenty powerful, feature rich and free.

Adobe Illustrator is what most of the world uses for Vector Graphic Software.  Go to an Ad Agency where the salaries are $200k a year, and there all going to be using Adboe.  So if you want to march to the same drummer as most of the world, use Illustrator.  It will cost you. 

Me I like CorelDraw. I find it faster at getting things done.  It is cheaper than Adboe, but not much.  I still use Inkscape time to time.

Affinity Designer is a rising star, hard not to notice as it's only fifty bucks.  There are others out there, but I'd stick with one of these mentioned starting out.

It could be basic Vinyl master is enough to handle your designs.  Others would have to say about that.

There is no such things as easy in the beginning, there is only hard.  Hard becomes easy after practice.

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Sue2 and dcbevins both speak truth and wisdom.  If you would walk you must first crawl and with design work if you don't want to crawl, well... it's going to beat you over the head a few times to be sure you do. HOWEVER, if you have a little tenacity you will win out and be the better for it.

I love my design program so much I find use for it in all sorts of non-cutter related ways. (I use Adobe Illustrator so I fall into THAT drum category, thanks dc for fingering my type ha ha!) I actually chose AI as a platform BECAUSE the rest of the world uses it as a standard to measure up to. Yes it's ridiculous to learn and expensive if you go the creative cloud route (I do not pay rent). If you are as green as it sounds I would see about trying out a few different programs and see which one FEELS most natural to your brain and then stick with that. I think Illustrator must be something akin to the reverse polish calculator because once you learn it none of the other stuff seem to make a bit of sense even though at the end of the project you get the same results (a vector design). I have heard many people say that CorelDraw is easier to learn. I didn't know the difference and just started with AI and learned it but I HATE trying to get stuff done in Corel (I have X6) or Inkscape and get mightily frustrated with either of them even though I know they are completely capable of the jobs I have tried to do. 

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Most people run when a big army with drummers sounding cadences come there way.  There can be a lot said for going with the majority.

17 minutes ago, Wildgoose said:

I HATE trying to get stuff done in Corel (I have X6) or Inkscape and get mightily frustrated with either of them even though I know they are completely capable of the jobs I have tried to do. 

Ah come on Wildgoose, give it the old college try again, like a virgin.  Pony up some Draw tutorials.  Draw some stuff.  Align some stuff.  Try the one handed mouse wheel zoom, (god bless the one handed mouse wheel zoom.)   Both CD and Inkscape have a node editing, (shape tool,) that is more all in one than Illustrators.  The one tool does the job of two, (maybe three,) in Illustrator.  This might be the unnatural feeling you are getting.  Try the C E T B and P keyboard shortcuts in Draw.  Marvel at "Ungroup All."  Behold the unslipery zooming.  Use strokes that go in or out.  Try the Contour tool, both the Interactive and the docker.  Break Apart stuff in new ways.

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4 hours ago, dcbevins said:

Most people run when a big army with drummers sounding cadences come there way.  There can be a lot said for going with the majority.

Ah come on Wildgoose, give it the old college try again, like a virgin.  Pony up some Draw tutorials.  Draw some stuff.  Align some stuff.  Try the one handed mouse wheel zoom, (god bless the one handed mouse wheel zoom.)   Both CD and Inkscape have a node editing, (shape tool,) that is more all in one than Illustrators.  The one tool does the job of two, (maybe three,) in Illustrator.  This might be the unnatural feeling you are getting.  Try the C E T B and P keyboard shortcuts in Draw.  Marvel at "Ungroup All."  Behold the unslipery zooming.  Use strokes that go in or out.  Try the Contour tool, both the Interactive and the docker.  Break Apart stuff in new ways.

Well as far as the mouse goes I use a mac and the magic mouse is a must have with AI, never giving that up.

If I ever get enough free time I'm going to learn Corel AND VM Pro although I have no idea when that will ever come to pass.  

I actually have a plug-in that lets me do all the node edit in one tool pretty much as you describe. Funny thing is I end up back using the standard tools, just more comfortable. If you learn to draw proper you don't need to node edit all that much. (not implying anything, more pointed toward drawing proper with AI) AI HOWEVER IS very much a two handed operation with lots of keypad and mouse simultaneous action going on while tracing.  Takes a lot of practice but after figuring it out it's genius.  Don't get me wrong there are plenty of things I dislike about AI and would love to bend the ear of a developer about it some day. 

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Actually, I primarily run a small print & copy shop...(cut vinyl & HTV are add-ons) and we have both Corel & Illustrator available to use.

But the need to be able to create scalable vectors is necessary in printing also for logos, banners, garments...etc.

Like Dave, I use Corel mostly because of speed and ease of use.  I especially appreciate the fact that all

graphics/photos used in a file are actually a part of that file and not linked to outside sources.

I have noticed that Vinyl Master has very similar commands & actions as Corel.....that MAY be a 

good reason to try Corel first.

Sue2

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Thanks everyone for all of the friendly advice, much appreciated

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I should ask which version of Corel is recommended for windows 7, can someone give me a link to it please

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