Software for a Simpleton

[Bill Dewison]

How shallow do you need the learning curves? Not being humourous here, but there are so many packages available, and combinations of packages, thats it’s worth knowing how good you are with your existing software.

What do you use currently to design say a simple logo or write some text?

Cheers, Dewi

[Andrew Bennett]

Thanks for the reply Dewi.
To be honest, before buying the cutter my main prog of choice (don’t hiss) has been Paint Shop Pro doing photographic collages from several prints with text on them where needed.
Shallow for me is working out hiw text relates from point size to actual print size, I suppose I should practice using my normal printer.
I do have a copy of coraldraw but think I might need to buy a book to learn it’s corretc use 😀
I have tried a demo of signlab but cant as yet work out sizing.
I’m a bit thick at the end of the day 😀

[budone]

A simple option with respect to the text is to not work in point sizes.

Point size 10 is what i know an work with in word processing….

But in sign design i never use point sizes only “mm” all packages from corel to photoshop to signlab & flexisign will allow you to change the preferences so you can measure text in either point, inches, cm or mm. I work in mm, simple, you set the text on screen to 70mm it will print/cut at70 mm

[Andrew Bennett]

thanks budone,
taking a look right now.

[Paul Rollason]

I would say if you already have a copy of CorelDraw stick with it.

It is not that complicated to learn the basics of simple shapes and text.

Get yourself a basic book on corel or search on google etc for corel tutorials. Of which there are many.

There are also a lot of corel experts on this forum so just keep asking and learning.

Have fun

Paul R(Mackerelbus Design)

[Andrew Bennett]

THanks Paul,
I’ll keep at it 😀

[David Evans]

Actually there is quite a diffference between Corel / Word and Signlab in terms of text sizing.

If you ask for text in Signlab to be 70mm high then from the bottom to the top of you tallest letters will be 70mm, but in Corel and Word it will be smaller, because these applications take the 70mm to include the default inter line spacing.

In Signlab because its designed for Sign making, we treat the figure to be the size you want the actual text.

Best regards

-David Evans
Cadlink.