Cutting software

[Lee Ballard]

Hi John,

We use sign cut which is a very basic program, exactly as you describe you needs. I do most of the design work in X3 and export for cutting.

http://www.signwizard.co.uk/signcut.htm Signwizard sell it(though apparently they are currently out of stock)

(What is an adsvert? Is it like an advert?) 😀

Hope this helps

Lee

PS, I think sign go(?) is similar and free trial to download though I’m probably remembering this wrong.

[Alan Drury]

Just being nosey John, but why no plugins?
If you don’t want a sign programme or a plugin what else is there. The simple ones are just cut down versions of Signlab/Flexi or whatever and the plugins I’ve used add a cut button to Corel which sends the objuct to its own interface for rotating and step and repeat. Graphtec and Summa (and believe other manufacturers) supply these free and work well with Draw.
Alan D

[John Childs]

Alan,

Our design work and the cutting function are done on different computers.

Firstly I don’t want to buy a copy of Illustrator for the computers that just do the cutting, or indeed have to buy computers fast enough to run a major piece of software at acceptable speeds. Running a cutter is a simple stupid job that should not need cutting edge software or hardware to do a perfectly acceptable job.

Secondly I would rather not let the staff that just do cutting have the ability to mess with the master files. If they can’t inadvertently alter something and save it over the top of the master then they can’t do any damage.

Thirdly if the software is too complicated then the operators will make more mistakes and this results in wasted materials and time.

We are using Cutline from http://www.illom.se and it is perfect for us, but they are not going to update it to work on OSX so we need an alternative. Fortunately, with the advent of Intel Macs we can now look at stuff which is PC only.

You say "cut down" versions of Signlab or Flexi but if they are just the cutting parts of those programmes and leave out all the clever stuff then they might be just what we want. I did try FlexiCut some years ago and even that tried to be too clever and complicated, although it was some years ago and it might be worth another look. I suspect that what I need is Flexi Lite Lite Lite. 😀

[Alan Drury]

I understand what you mean now. Wincut/plot will suit your needs if you run a Summa, it imports eps/AI. Cadlink I think, and Brian or Rod can confirm do a cutting utility that does the same and runs virtually all cutters, Flexi lite sounds the same sort of thing.
Don’t have much confidence in your staff do you 😉 that said I am guilty of making these same mistakes!!
Regards
Alan D

[John Childs]

quote Alan Drury:

Don’t have much confidence in your staff do you 😉

:shutup:

Well, yes and no.

My staff are fine, but we all make mistakes and even I am not immune to the odd one now and again.

The problem is not the mistake itself but the consequences, which can get horrifically expensive. If a file did get altered in some minor way and wasn’t noticed, and we knock out fifty vans kits, and if the vans are scattered across the country from Inverness to Exeter it might cost me a weeks wages for someone to go and rectify them. Plus travel costs, plus accommodation costs, plus the lost production time making new stuff, plus the aggravation getting other work done because we are a man down for that week. It doesn’t bear thinking about.

I think it is only good practice to make things as foolproof as possible. The trouble is I can’t get it 100%. 🙁

[Alan Drury]

You’re right John, it’s easy for me to say, I do everything so I’m responsible for any mistake I make, you on the other hand are responsible for your mistakes and anybody who works for you. I don’t envy your position.
How about the master files on your computer and a copy marked as cut copy which is sent to the plotting computer.
Alan D

[John Childs]

Thinking about it, that aspect is fairly easy to cure. I could change the permissions so that the cutting computers can only read files, not write to them.

So, forget that aspect, I just need couple of copies of a simple cutting programme without all the layout and design complications. I just wish Illom would upgrade to OSX, or even make a PC version of Cutline then I could forget about it for the next ten years.

[JIM COUSINS]

i use corel 12 and x3 with sign cut x2 but for smaller jobs under 1500mm long i just cut directly out of the windows printer driver.
but if i am really in the mia then i will use illustrator and cutting master that i got with the graphtec cutter.
but i hate illustrator as i just cant get on with it.

jim

[Rod Young]

quote John Childs:

You say “cut down” versions of Signlab or Flexi but if they are just the cutting parts of those programmes and leave out all the clever stuff then they might be just what we want. I did try FlexiCut some years ago and even that tried to be too clever and complicated, although it was some years ago and it might be worth another look. I suspect that what I need is Flexi Lite Lite Lite.

SignLab provides flexible support for networked shop computers, and there is further support for receiving output jobs from non-Windows systems (i.e., Mac, Linux, etc.). Configuring a given shop is quite painless, and I suspect this will fit your needs. Let me start by summarizing the sequence of SignLab products as:

1. SignLab Vinyl (small to mid-size shop that produces vinyl-cut signage)
2. SignLab Vinyl Pro (small to large shop with focus on production and flexibility)
3. SignLab Print and Cut (high-volume shop that produces finyl and digitally printed signage)
4. Remote Print and Cut Manager (This is a stand-alone version of the SignLab RIP. A cut-only version comes with the SignLab Vinyl products. In short, the Print and Cut Manager serves as a queue/repository for print and/or cut jobs.)

Now, keep in mind that there are Designer-only versions of these SignLab packages, with the expectation that you have a full SignLab version that will receive output from the "designers." However, the Remote Print and Cut Manager can be set up by itself on the machine that you want as the print/cut destination.

I would recommend contacting the CADlink UK office and explain the number of computers, type of printers/cutters, and O/S being used. Explain how you want your shop to work, and let the CADlink UK office work out a shop configuration.

Cheers,

Rod at CADlink