Does anyone know a way to re-order to colours in the pallete

[Mike Brown]

Gray…geta grip and calm down…

look – it’s simple…

say you keep 40 colours in your vinyl stock that you also want Signlab to show as your default palette – here’s what you do.

1 ) Open Signlab
2 ) Set your computer screen to ‘normal’ brightness, contrast etc.
3 ) draw 40 identical squares on screen in a line – left to right.
4 ) number the squares 1 to 40
**************** now repeat the following sequence *****************
5 ) select the first (or next) numbered square
6 ) using the magnifying tool, zoom in so that it fills the entire screen
7 ) double click on the first (or next) colour on the default signlab palette
8 ) A pop-up window will appear from which you can use the sliders to achieve the best representation of your first (or next) chosen vinyl colour
9 ) click on [ok] to apply the new colour to both the square and the corresponding section of the palette
*************repeat steps 5 to 9 to create palette****************

When all the squares and the sections of the palette are coloured to match your vinyl stock/swatch in the sequence you prefer, then do this:

a ) Save the Signlab picture file you have just created – but DON’T CLOSE SIGNLAB!
b ) carefully click just once on the first colour in your new palette (not the coloured square on screen but the actual palette!)
c ) select [TRUNCATE PALETTE] from the [PALETTE] section of the [OPTIONS] drop down menu – and click on [YES] to the question screen that follows…(this will remove any old or unwanted colours ‘left-over’ from the original palette)
d ) Save the Signlab picture file AGAIN – but DON’T CLOSE SIGNLAB!
e ) select [EDIT PALETTE] from the [PALETTE] section of the [OPTIONS] drop down menu.
f ) from the pop-up menu that appears (titled ‘Edit Palette’) click once on each of your new colours in turn and then enter a description in the field entitled ‘colour name’. You can also enter the suppliers name, their material code and other details as you wish.
g ) when all this has been done then click on [SAVE AS] – choose a name for your palette (perhaps CAMRIVER1.pal), select a folder and click on [SAVE].

You have now created a custom palette that is representative of the colours you stock (and in the order you prefer) so your drawings will look more like your finished signs and vice-versa. Furthermore, if you entered details against the colours – they will be shown as you hover over the palette with the mouse pointer!

There remains only one final thing to do – we have to instruct Signlab to load this ‘custom’ palette every single time it starts or when you open a new file. To do this select [GENERAL PREFERENCES] from the [SIGNLAB SETUP] section of the [OPTIONS] drop down menu.

In the ‘Palette’ section of the new pop-up window that appears (titled ‘General Preferences’) enter the path of your new CAMRIVER1.pal file or use the ‘browse’ option to locate it. Click on the box next to ‘Load Palette at Startup’ – a tick will appear in it – and click on the large [OK] button to close the pop-up window.

…and that’s it!…when you next start Signlab or open a new file your prayers will be answered…and you’ll never need to raise your fist at the Signlab palette again…hopefully…

of course…you can also print out this Signlab picture file to see how your colours will look when they’re printed – but that’s another kettle of fish!

if you knew any or all of this already then please excuse the sermon – but maybe it’ll be useful to someone else anyway…

more soon

[Robert Lambie]

nice reply mikey boy…

now i know you have to much time on your hands… 😆

help like this is always welcomed mate! 😀

cheers.

robert

[Robert Lambie]

sshhhhuuuu gray. he bloody famous enough.

write a book…? he has his own CD 😆

anyway… its late im off to bed…

hope business is good for you gray. & i hope you sorted that funky sign out 😆

oh just noticed mate. you are one of the few sign board pros. you have more than 100 posts under your belt. well done.

everyone is now ranked on how many posts them have made…

[Mike Brown]

Gray!

I’ve looked into your observation about the colour descriptions that won’t update and I think I’ve worked out how to do it…seems to work…

When you’ve created your new colour palette do this…

1 ) In Signlab go to [options] then [palette] then [edit palette]…
2 ) from the pop-up window that appears [load] your new palette file…
3 ) click once on one of the little colour blocks (down the left hand side)…
4 ) then enter the name you wish to give this colour, plus any other details, using the boxes provided…
5 ) straight away click once on [change]…
6 ) do this for every colour in the palette…
7 ) when you’ve done them all – then click on [save as] and save your palette (now with descriptions etc.) under the same or a new name…

that should do it… 😉

Don’t forget – if you do use a new palette name then you’ll have to update this in the [options/signlab setup/general preferences] section too – so that Signlab loads the right palette at startup etc.