Some Basic Graphic Help and File Formats

Graphics, as a subject for an engraving web site could conceivably run to infinity, so for just one page, I had better stick to basics!! What are the major issues and how to overcome them.

Ok, for the past ten years the norm has been to print out either the engraving layout or graphic onto paper and fax it to a client, that has now changed. I have clients who say...what is a fax machine, so people want to sit at a desk and control their work from the one computer, which means e mailing that same information. In my opinion your best bet is .pdf (Adobe reader), why? Well I think 100% of business machines will have Adobe Reader installed, and if they haven't then it is a free and quick download. The same cannot be said for sending an eps file, the other traditional universal file transfer, a business machine that isn't a 'graphics' computer may not have the software to read an eps file. So you have to get your layout/graphics into .pdf, in Corel X3 this is file/publish to pdf. I have had no problems with this transfer system over the past 24 months.

So what about artwork coming from a client to me, well assuming it is not paper, then the odds are high that if it is a corporate client then he has used a graphic designer who will almost certainly use a Mac machine with Adobe software.

The traditional option to transfer the graphics across is eps, so here is the problem. The graphic designer will probably upgrade his Adobe software on every upgrade, but engravers may only upgrade every 1 or 2 years. How often do you read message boards and hear people still referring to Corel 11, 10 or even as early as 8/9. So you could be trying to open a file that your software cannot recognize. If this applies to you, make sure that you ask that the eps file is saved as both current and as an older version of Adobe before it is sent to you. On the same topic, ask that the file be saved ‘text saved as curves’ this is important. The odds are high that the graphic designer used a font that you do not have, so your computer will be looking for a font that isn’t there. It does mean that you cannot re-format the text, but don’t worry on this one, if the file has been compiled by a graphic designer, odds are it will be correct anyway. Finally, an obvious one, ask the corporate graphic designer to send you a pdf file.

Here is a useful tip, you probably find that badges and logos you use often can have common features to them, we certainly do in the UK, so for instance many military badges have the ‘Queens Crown’ or a ‘Portcullis’ plus we get lots of lions, anchors and wings.. In the USA you probably get a lot of designs with eagles, also you will find a city or state crest may have common features that are used in other designs locally, I’m sure you get the drift, so here is the general idea.

Create a directory called ‘Eagles and Middles’ then the next time you create a design that incorporates an ‘Eagle’ as well as other aspects of the design, do the following. Before starting the digitizing in Corel, create a new layer, call it ‘eagle’ then digitize just the eagle first, then create other layers to finish off the design. After completion, you can then just delete everything, but the eagle and save this to your new directory as ‘Eagle 1’ ….note…save it as a cdr file, do not export it as a .plt file, exporting as a plt file for archive to be re-used is a bad idea as the convertion to plt creates a lot of very small straight lines, a problem then if you re-import to use for a second time.

After a while you’ll probably find you have maybe 6 or 7 eagles all saved, you can create a separate file if you wish and print them out as well. Eventually, depending how much digitizing you do, the time will come when a design comes in from a client, and hey presto you have it already done, or at least part of it.

Another way to do it is to import the sanned image and press enter, the design will automatically go to the centre of the page. Go down to the bar at the bottom of the page or layout / new page and create a second page. Copy the image, go to page number 2 and paste. Do this four or five times and leave the last page blank. Go to page one and create part of the design which is obviously seperate from the rest, go to page 2 and repeat the exercise on the nest part of the design. When everything has been done, copy and paste each section to the last page and there is the finished design. This is the same principal as using layers, you have to decide which is better suited to you, for the novice user I would use different pages. Dont use uto save in the options menu, make sure you save the file within the first minute then get into the habit of Ctrl S (or save) every five minutes. The day will come when you have done 40 minutes work and for some reason you lose the dsign and it has not been saved......welcome to the club

Follow the logic on for 5 or 6 years and you will build quite a collection of basically your own ‘clipart’

What about the older TLC machines, they do not use plt files or any file that ordinary computer users would be aware of, this is because it is 'dedicated software' ie only applicable to Newing TLC machines. This concept of graphic design originated in the mid 80 when most designers used CADD which is considerably different to modern graphic design packages. TLC machines use a file format called .f and here is how to convert a file. Newing Hall have a download called 'artscryb' which is the conversion programme, install this (into DOS) and read all the read me files first, this is important as it must be installed in the right directory. Then do one of two things, if you draw the design in CADD (which is unlikely, then export that design as an .mcr file and introduce it into the artscryb conversion). If you draw something in Corel then you have to follow a procedure, the best Corel to use is Version 8, later versions to avoid are 9/10, 11 and X3 work ok.

Draw the vector design as required and save for the last time. Make sure that both grid lines on the ruler are zeroed on the bottom left of the page, make the page size A0, place the base left of the design as close to the base left of the page. Then expand it up and to the right to enlarge it to fill 75% of the page. Go the file/export and export it as a .plt file and make sure the size of the page in the export box is set to A0 and the reference point is bottom left, click on export (to the memory stick or floppy) Then introduce the plt file into the artscryb programme to convert it to .f

If you bring the finished result up on screen within the EC programme (The EC programme runs a TLC Machine) and it is broken or incomplete then you have to go back to the original Corel draw file and make sure all lines (including fonts) are saved as curves or experiment with the group / combine commands. The finished design on the corel screen must not have any fills (colour or texture) It may take a bit of practice and don't forget you must have an artscryb memory cartridge inserted into the TLC controller to use graphic.

Ideally, the best secenario is this....and it can be time consuming but you only have to do it once. Have an old machine with Corel 8 and 6 on (you can buy these two for next to nothing) Save from (that is save as a cdr file NOT export) Corel 12 or X3 as version Corel 8 (this option appears in the export settings box) and open up in Corel 8, save from Corel 8 to Corel 6, open up in Corel 6 and export the plt file from there to artscryb as the export filter on Corel 6 is the better one to use. Sounds complicated but you will get the hang of it.