PACS Man

Convert SBD files to EPS

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I made some accent stripes in SBE and need to send them to a friend that does not use SBE.  They can use the EPS but I cant get SBE to save as or export from or into the EPS format.  Any ideas?  I did search the forum and there were some hits but none that I could use.  PACS Man

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Select everything you want to export first.

File + export

Make sure in the lower left that .eps file type is selected

Select a location from the file tree in the upper right

Type in a name at the top left (leave the .eps)

Click OK

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You Rock Jay!  I must have been fat fingering things as I thought I had done just what you shared....but it worked!  Thanks!  PACSMan

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I think the mistake most people make (Myself included) is forgeting to 'select'.

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If you don't have anything selected an error message should pop up saying:

"You don't have anything selected, do you wnat to continue?"

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On 10/16/2008 at 4:39 PM, Jay2703 said:

Select everything you want to export first.

File + export

Make sure in the lower left that .eps file type is selected

Select a location from the file tree in the upper right

Type in a name at the top left (leave the .eps)

Click OK

Is there a way to select more than one file at a time?

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I had to do them one at a time 11 years ago - - -  since then everything is kept in .eps for the customers files

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22 minutes ago, Dakotagrafx said:

I had to do them one at a time 11 years ago - - -  since then everything is kept in .eps for the customers files

None of the files I've even designed are EPS now.....they are ALL SBD.  So it won't even let me export them :(  I'm thinking maybe screen shot, vectorize and then import?

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8 minutes ago, deannasdecals said:

None of the files I've even designed are EPS now.....they are ALL SBD.  So it won't even let me export them :(  I'm thinking maybe screen shot, vectorize and then import?

negative - if they are sbd you can reopen them and export as .eps - I did a lot of them back in the day - revectorizing just loses detail

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open you SBD files, Select all of the items (regardless if they're in your working space frame or not), File, Export (.eps)

You might need to ungroup them on whatever program you end up using, but everything that's selected will be saved as an .eps vector file.

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Sorta unrelated to this old thread (over a decade ago, in fact) --- when a design is open on the screen, it's also possible (and often preferable) to Export as a .jpg which is handy for PROOFING your work with the clients. Send them jpegs of the job.

Remember, there is no known limit to the number of SignBlazer program screens that can be open at the same time, so it's possible to select all your files at once in the folder window and then right-click OPEN --- even if it's hundreds of hundreds of 'em and you'll have them all pop open one by one, but pop they will. (There may be a Windows script to run for this same 'OPEN ALL' operation, I am not that tech savvy.)

 

 

 

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2 hours ago, slice&dice said:

Sorta unrelated to this old thread (over a decade ago, in fact) --- when a design is open on the screen, it's also possible (and often preferable) to Export as a .jpg which is handy for PROOFING your work with the clients. Send them jpegs of the job.

Remember, there is no known limit to the number of SignBlazer program screens that can be open at the same time, so it's possible to select all your files at once in the folder window and then right-click OPEN --- even if it's hundreds of hundreds of 'em and you'll have them all pop open one by one, but pop they will. (There may be a Windows script to run for this same 'OPEN ALL' operation, I am not that tech savvy.)

I export to .jpg to send mock-ups all the time.

I've also run multiple instances of SBE in Windows too, although I've never had the need to open a huge amount of them to see where the choke point would be :laugh:

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10 hours ago, slice&dice said:

Sorta unrelated to this old thread (over a decade ago, in fact) --- when a design is open on the screen, it's also possible (and often preferable) to Export as a .jpg which is handy for PROOFING your work with the clients. Send them jpegs of the job.

Remember, there is no known limit to the number of SignBlazer program screens that can be open at the same time, so it's possible to select all your files at once in the folder window and then right-click OPEN --- even if it's hundreds of hundreds of 'em and you'll have them all pop open one by one, but pop they will. (There may be a Windows script to run for this same 'OPEN ALL' operation, I am not that tech savvy.)

 

 

 

I was hoping to do that with the ol, select the first one, shift and select them all.....No go!  And there is no File>Select All option up top either.  Not convenient for sure!  LOL

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21 hours ago, deannasdecals said:

I was hoping to do that with the ol, select the first one, shift and select them all.....No go!  And there is no File>Select All option up top either.  Not convenient for sure!  LOL

exporting to a new file format is going to be time consuming and not a batch process - glad I started saving in a universal format early on.  the vector graphics format uses a mathematical way of storing images and the reason they can be scaled without loss of quality and they take up much less drive space than raster graphics - and the reason a plotter does not operate like a printer - different mechanism.

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Rather than trying to convert all your files, I would suggest just converting them as you need them. Open in SB, export to eps, then open in what ever new program you are using. This way you don't burn yourself out converting files, that you may never actually use again.

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14 hours ago, deannasdecals said:

I was hoping to do that with the ol, select the first one, shift and select them all.....No go!  And there is no File>Select All option up top either.  Not convenient for sure!  LOL

Select All (is you, using the cursor and drawing a box around anything and everything (or CTRL A) that you want to convert to .eps), then File > Export.

and if you want to make sure that you see and export EVERYTHING in that SBD file, then do the Zoom All function as soon as you open up your SBD file, then select everything, file, export.

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dakota expounded  -- "The vector graphics format uses a mathematical way of storing images and the reason they can be scaled without loss of quality and they take up much less drive space than vector raster graphics." (fixed that for you)

Knowing the difference between vector (node-based) and raster (pixel-based) imaging is one of the biggest hurdles to face for newcomers.

This industry (signs/graphics/garments) has been steadily moving away from cut-vinyl and into full-color printing. Ask Frank Fellers. Or, just ask USCUTTER, they know, as pricing comes tumbling on wide-format printing machines, it becomes more cost-efficient (with labor taken into account) for medium-level producers to print directly to vinyl (or even better, to substrates) rather than invest time with cutting, weeding, taping, and repeating those steps for multi-colors.

We all have a lot of work ahead to accomplish, no matter what level of production each of us has established in our homes, offices, studios, garages, storefronts, etc.

By the way, in SignBlazer, the SelectAll function is located within the EDIT menu (also Select None).

 

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14 hours ago, slice&dice said:

dakota expounded  -- "The vector graphics format uses a mathematical way of storing images and the reason they can be scaled without loss of quality and they take up much less drive space than vector raster graphics." (fixed that for you)

Knowing the difference between vector (node-based) and raster (pixel-based) imaging is one of the biggest hurdles to face for newcomers.

This industry (signs/graphics/garments) has been steadily moving away from cut-vinyl and into full-color printing. Ask Frank Fellers. Or, just ask USCUTTER, they know, as pricing comes tumbling on wide-format printing machines, it becomes more cost-efficient (with labor taken into account) for medium-level producers to print directly to vinyl (or even better, to substrates) rather than invest time with cutting, weeding, taping, and repeating those steps for multi-colors.

We all have a lot of work ahead to accomplish, no matter what level of production each of us has established in our homes, offices, studios, garages, storefronts, etc.

By the way, in SignBlazer, the SelectAll function is located within the EDIT menu (also Select None).

 

Thanks slice.  On the print vs cut there is a right place for both.  Print is easier but too many people get a printer and forget that sometimes cut is better for a situation.  The past couple of years I actually started doing a lot more cut even though I had the printer because of the market I serve more it is better suited.   One of the big factors in selling the printer though was my wife retires in 15 months and solvent printers get expensive when you go on long trips.   This last years 3 week vacation really pushed the limits even though the printer did self cleanings.   For many many situations cut vinyl is a better fit because of where it is going.   Everyone thinks a printer is sexy And easy but there is more to it than that.  As for direct to substrate at $80,000 those aren’t common for most users

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C'mon dakota, get with the program, you must be able to find 80-Grand laying around somewhere, and it would be a snap to squeeze a flatbed Direct-To-Substrate printer into your workspace!

Chicago_UV_flatbed_printer.jpg

 

 

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20 minutes ago, slice&dice said:

C'mon dakota, get with the program, you must be able to find 80-Grand laying around somewhere, and it would be a snap to squeeze a flatbed Direct-To-Substrate printer into your workspace!

Chicago_UV_flatbed_printer.jpg

 

 

I would rather put that money into a winter place somewhere warmer and without the ice and snow at this point in  my life :)   that and we like to travel.  last 2 years we found out transatlantic cruises can be found for $450pp for 12 day or a little more and airfare was cheaper than when we go in the caribbean so been expanding our horizons a bit - last y years we did trips that pushed 18-21 days and that is too long with a printer.

it is all about what you want to do in life and which market you decide to serve.  I am good serving the one I do with cut vinyl 

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13 hours ago, slice&dice said:

dakota expounded  -- "The vector graphics format uses a mathematical way of storing images and the reason they can be scaled without loss of quality and they take up much less drive space than vector raster graphics." (fixed that for you)

Knowing the difference between vector (node-based) and raster (pixel-based) imaging is one of the biggest hurdles to face for newcomers.

This industry (signs/graphics/garments) has been steadily moving away from cut-vinyl and into full-color printing. Ask Frank Fellers. Or, just ask USCUTTER, they know, as pricing comes tumbling on wide-format printing machines, it becomes more cost-efficient (with labor taken into account) for medium-level producers to print directly to vinyl (or even better, to substrates) rather than invest time with cutting, weeding, taping, and repeating those steps for multi-colors.

We all have a lot of work ahead to accomplish, no matter what level of production each of us has established in our homes, offices, studios, garages, storefronts, etc.

By the way, in SignBlazer, the SelectAll function is located within the EDIT menu (also Select None).

 

A friend of mine does the full-color printing, so I use him when I need that option.  The problem with the full-color printing, where I live especially, is that it eventually bleeds, fades, cracks, and looks tacky.  I've had to re-do NUMEROUS business signs, and all the signs at a local cement plant, for this reason.  So I am not a huge fan by any means.  I'll let my friend keep doing that, and then in time, get paid to make a durable sign that won't do that LOL.  My signs are outlasting every full-color print sign where I live, so I can't complain ;-)

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My new cutter came yesterday with Vinylmaster and quickly realized I couldn't use my sbd files . Panicing at first lol , this morning thanks to this thread I was able to get back to work . 

Thanks !

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55 minutes ago, Briguy said:

My new cutter came yesterday with Vinylmaster and quickly realized I couldn't use my sbd files . Panicing at first lol , this morning thanks to this thread I was able to get back to work . 

Thanks !

in the future save your work in .eps files so it can be used in almost any vector program - never save in a proprietary format especially one that has been deducted for 8+ years

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