Larryc39

I do all my work in CorelDRAW 17 ("x7"), convert to curves, then paste into SBE merely to print to my vintage Laserpoint 24 machine. SBE is frustrating to find the USB port, pray it's one of the few available and not USB 16 or something, and try not to crash it. Is there another simple/cheap/free program to just import files and print, or a printer driver I can run directly from Corel?

I've had this machine a long time, rarely used it, always cut good. Now, it's rounding corners, leaving tags or tails, etc. It's not a S/W offset issue, if I try the machine standalone in test mode it'll do the same thing on vinyl or on paper w/pen. What can I do to make this machine usable again?

It seems to be cutting acceptable now. Corners are good enough. It's been so long since I used it I was thinking the software offset was to compensate for issues in the software - not compensating for mechanical inaccuracies in the cutter. Thanks.

It's not a software issue. I experience the same "offset style" issue when using the self-test test pattern print feature without a PC connected and it is the same issue if using a pen or a blade. In my original post, I've included a pen sample from using the built-in test on the cutter (makes a 1 1/8" x 5/16" rectangle). In this post I've attached a vinyl cut sample. Both are done directly from the plotter, no PC involved. I don't know of any way to adjust the offset on a Laserpoint 24, only to adjust the scaling size of the output by the X and Y axis.

Was in the other forum, suggested to post here for Ken to look at. I've never gotten the hang of using the plotter, I mainly use it for larger 4-5" block shapes and the minor issues were ignorable. I'm trying to cut some smaller graphics lately and these are giving me a problem. First, is this graphic in the photo cuttable on the LP24? It's some sans serif fonts, converted to curves in CorelDraw, outer dimensions 1" x 3". On my larger items there was always a slight pucker when the ends met, sort of like a small J mark. Changing the blade offset in SB to 0.25 seemed to reduce this. For cutting smaller things, I've tried pressures from 70-120, 120 seemed a little better, and taken the speed all the way down to 10. I've got the blade set almost all the way into the holder, I can barely see the tip and it's juuust cutting through the vinyl any less and I don't think it'd be weedable. When it cuts the small letters, normally straight solid characters come out looking like a cartoon all curvy and bendy. What else should I try? I ran test 1 on the machine, it created the small box cut but that also seems to close with the J-edge. http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h318/larryc39/misc%20junk/plotter1.jpg http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h318/larryc39/misc%20junk/plotter2.jpg

Agreed, convert everything to curves in Corel, make sure objects have FILL and NO OUTLINE. Copy and paste to SB. Way I've always done it.

I went back to 45

Is it possible to switch to the pen instead of the blade and try drawing the design?

That is a good menu map, there's some more technical data in this same-engined plotter. http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=c4081caf9017a33008f8df73f2072ed6e04e75f6e8ebb871

One thing I found, the "test mode" page 6 is incorrect. On mine, setting the test number and hitting test doesn't print out the little rectangle again nor repeat the number of the display. It prints out that pattern number. 1 appears to be a big square, 2 is a giant circle, not sure what 3 and up are. Anyone print any of those out? Also I found it helpful to also read through the Secabo manual. They're the US Cutter of France and have a manual that details some of the performance aspects of the cutters, serial port com protocols, plotter performance, stands, etc. I was an early adoper for the laserpoint and that was one of the only manuals available at the time. It looks like they've changed their lineup but I've uploaded the old manual here: http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=c4081caf9017a33008f8df73f2072ed6e04e75f6e8ebb871

I'm sorry but I've spent years in Corel and only hours in SBE. I don't really have time to learn a third, specialized "graphic" software. One thing I did do was direct copy and paste my images. I don't know if exporting to EPS and importing to SBE will be different, IE which format the clipboard handles the data interchange with. Waiting for my 60

I'd suggest doing squares in SBE and seeing if the corner issues go away. I've found on mine 0.25 is NOT a correct offset for all purposes, mine is closer to 0. I haven't figured out the fine details on mine, but what I recently found helpful is to USE THE PEN first to see what the drawing looks like "cut" before worrying about the actual cutting.

In Corel I am drawing this directly as vectors, all the rectangles, curves etc. The fonts are converted to vector shapes before exporting to SBE. It sounds like what's really needed is a printer driver sort of application as I suspect that's what a lot of us are using SBE only for anyways. (No blades this weekend, hopefully they come the next day or so!)

This is probably a question more for another forum, but how does doing a drawing directly in SBE differ from importing a vector shape made in a regular graphics program? I'll try some more experiments this weekend when I have time.

No, I'll have to order one to try. Is the test rectangle OK like that shape, or should it be more rectangular on the corners?

I've never gotten the hang of using the plotter, I mainly use it for larger 4-5" block shapes and the minor issues were ignorable. I'm trying to cut some smaller graphics lately and these are giving me a problem. First, is this graphic in the photo cuttable on the LP24? It's some sans serif fonts, converted to curves in CorelDraw, outer dimensions 1" x 3". On my larger items there was always a slight pucker when the ends met, sort of like a small J mark. Changing the blade offset in SB to 0.25 seemed to reduce this. For cutting smaller things, I've tried pressures from 70-120, 120 seemed a little better, and taken the speed all the way down to 10. I've got the blade set almost all the way into the holder, I can barely see the tip and it's juuust cutting through the vinyl any less and I don't think it'd be weedable. When it cuts the small letters, normally straight solid characters come out looking like a cartoon all curvy and bendy. What else should I try? I ran test 1 on the machine, it created the small box cut but that also seems to close with the J-edge.

OK, last time I was here there was no manual yet. I had something in semi-english for a CTO Serial Cutting Plotter that appeared to be for the same base plotter. I'll have to play with those settings then.

cutme - I'm not sure of your suggestion. I'm weeding out the background to use this as a stencil mask, I hope. haumana - As I mentioned, it's not really text, I had to convert a real font to curves and tweak about half the letters to match the font I needed to reproduce. I've got Corel and Visio already I use for gfx. I'll post over there, my testbox isn't even close to 90

I'm not using an actual font, I take a base font in Corel, convert it to curves, and modfy it to the shape I want. SB is just used as the printer interface. I'm a little confused how to get the test cut box to be square. I need to fix that before worrying about software issues. Any suggestions on how to fix that, the corners are bad and the criss-cross at the start point doesn't help. (PS I noticed the forum resized my pics, here's links to the two full size to see them better.) http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h318/larryc39/misc%20junk/plotter1.jpg http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h318/larryc39/misc%20junk/plotter2.jpg

The corel suite comes with equivalents for AI and Photoshop. Gimp is a good free photoshop.

You guys weren't kidding on the limited documentation part. I hope that for an entry-level tool you get the documentation up a couple levels for the hobbyists who would be buying these. I finally figured out how to adjust the blade depth, it's really messed up compared to the "manual" pictures but I got it working. Is there a trick to properly set blade depth? It seems like a LOT of trial and error to get it to the vinyl but not through the paper. The cuts I have made so far go a little too far into the paper, you can feel the indentations on the back and weeding is a pain. Also, it seems like the lines are "double cut" and it leaves little vinyl strings on the edges of letters. How do I cure that. It came with the SignBlazer software. Are there any Cal procedures I should do before plotting real works? What is the use of basket attached to the stand? It seems like it would "hold" long works made, but the plotter doesn't actually cut the work off the roll once it's done, correct? Is ther a way to actually see the baud rate? I got mine working by guessing, but I see no baud rate in the menus. Also, apart from opening SB and doing a copy & pase, is there a way to cut from Corel V.13 directly? Finally, what's with the two sets of roll holders behind the stand? Which holds the vinyl under cutting, and is the other a wraparound or spare roll holder?

I've seen in a lot of posts, "the blade angle on the package" but the blades that came with my LP25 didn't list one. Does anyone have the specs? Want to make sure it's set right in signblazer.

I was using Oracal 641. Would LG Vizuon Hi Cal 4000 be better for this?

Ok, so I want to put text on a curved surface. Think of the outside of a soup bowl. Curved in two directions (round) but not too sharp a curve. Letters like I are no problem at all. V, F, even C can be applied easily with a little pulling and straightening. Now the letter O (or any other closed shape, IE B, D, etc.) is not so easy. The one side of the O will lay down, while the other won't without wrinkles and such. I need to make a cut like a C, then rejoin the ends. Not a pretty sight. Any tricks to getting this right?

I've poked around the forums some, and it seems everyone tweaks these values. I'm cutting plain old vinyl, nothing fancy (yet). Can anyone illustrate me on when/why/how these are used, and what is the preferreed value over the default?