corel EPS to sign cut or sign blazer

[kman 0]

Greetings all,

I can't find a similar problem posted but I can't believe I am the only one struggling with this. 

I am trying to make some very simple cut outs.  I want to design them in corel and then export them as an EPS to be cut but they never get read properly by either signcut or sign blazer.

A simple example.  If I simply make a black square in corel and then put some white letters on it and send it to either program it comes in with the text jumbled in terms of some of the characters come in as outlines and some even change colors.

Another example would be trying to make a square with a double outline.  I make one square in black and then I make another smaller square on top of it also in black, then I put a white outline on the smaller square.  This produces the look I want, but when I send it to sign cut the outline disapears.  I read in another forum post that the outlines get converted wrong so I went back and re-did my design with a black square, a white square on top a little smaller, and then a black square smaller still on that one.  It looks good.  I send it over and all I get is a black square.  I have tried to group everything, locking everything, and even combinig everything, and I get pretty much the same results each time. 

These methods all worked for me in my screenprinting life a few years ago. 

Does anyone know if there is a way to simply cut the black out of a design for the text so it doesn't really exist as an object.  I suppose I could cut a shape the same way so it didn't exist and then I am thinking it would transfer fine. 

Any help is appreciated.

[cutme 5]

try flattening any layers and combining or grouping your designs before exporting from corel.

bb

[Brandon_Davis 1]

CutMe has excellent advice as usual... As an alternative, I find that exporting in .WMF and then importing that into SignBlazer works wonders... Maybe I am nuts! But what CutMe said should work.

[knucklehead 530]

In Corel, you have to "Convert To Curves" for the text, the outline you have to "Convert Outline to Object", group them accordingly, then export as an EPS.

[JoeBlow 5]

Knucklehead is right, if the text is not converted to curves, it will scramble the text and only cut the part of the graphic that is converted.  You can select all and convert as you finish, and you are happy with the complete graphic, that way you don't miss anything from being converted.

[edge 67]

In addition to converting your objects to curves as stated above, have you actually been exporting them into Signcut or is that your way of stating you launch (by clicking the rocket icon in the top toolbar) the project from Corel over to Signcut?

[kman 0]

Thanks for all the help.  I did make some progress today but it seems irratic.

The WMF file did not work for me.  It showed up black in the sign blazer import window and imported blank.  I tried it with three different graphics with the same results each time.

I have been trying both exporting out of corel draw as a EPS and then bringing it into sign cut and I have also tried to luanch it into sign cut through the plug in but I don't see any difference in what it does.  I always convert the text to curves which is just an old habit i had from when I owned my screen printing shop and did all my own artowrk for years.  However, I haven't been able to find any way to convert my graphics into outlines or such like has been suggested.  I always group them together before exporting them.  Actually, I don't think I have ever tried them ungrouped - again old habits from screen printing.

I did get a few graphics to work today although I am not exactly sure what I did differently - but success still moved me forward a bit and relieved some of the frustration.

Anytime I have tried to combine things, it usually messes up the image so I always just use the group command.  I never had a need to combine and am not honestly sure what is does but it does seem to take characterisitics of some objects and add them to the other objects - like outlines and such.

Again thanks for the help.  I'll post any successes I have here so that maybe others will find it helpful later.

[MikeMan 0]

I use Corel X3 and export to Sign Blazer with pretty good luck.  I covert All objects to curves (text, elipse, rectangle, etc...) then select all and export as an eps (some stuff I group before exporting if I think I may want to drag around or re-size later.)  After importing into SBE view in wireframe to see if you got everything.  Also, check all curves in Corel to make sure they are closed before exporting.  This works good for me - although there are some graphics that I've imported into Corel that just won't cross into SBE correctly (mostly files I work on for my buddy that has a ShopBot.)  I have SignCutX2 as well, but prefer SignBlazer.  Good Luck 

[edge 67]

kman if you'd care to upload one of the simpler (for file size) designs causing issues for you, I'll import it into my Corel and launch to SignCut to see if we can isolate the cause, if you think that may help.

[CRD 9]

Using X4 with SC PRO or SCX2 only.

I have SB but never use it for my projects.

I always use the launch icon to send files directly to SC.

Never had an issue except with the PRO version where you once first have to save as lower as vresion7 PSD file.

Otherwise you get and error message.

I do not convert to curves any font and still they show up in SC screen as letter and cut as a letter.

Try this attache EPS file.

It contains

1 x 5 cm yellow colored square.

1 x 4 cm red colored square.

1 x letter A in arial font in black.

It should give in SC three colors at the rigth hand side bar.

You can toggle these colors on and off to see if they appear good in the screen.

It appeared OK in my SC X2.

Enjoy cutting,

Paco

Paco

Afbeelding1.eps

Afbeelding1.eps