tag layout?

[doug parker]

Hi, I need some help. My wife and I are wanting to engrave multiple anodized tags. I have thin foam to make a jig to hold them but I am unsure the best way to lay them out in corel. Is there a way of keeping the tag outer shape on the page but not raster or cut it, just the artwork eagraved. Whats the best way to do these things! Any help in this area would be appreciated. Doug

[Shaddy Dedmore]

easiest way is to make the outlines so they cut, then send doc as Raster Only. Tougher but better way would be to move everything that you don't want raster or cut to a different layer, then make it Not Printable.

Shaddy

[doug parker]

easiest way is to make the outlines so they cut, then send doc as Raster Only. Tougher but better way would be to move everything that you don't want raster or cut to a different layer, then make it Not Printable.

Shaddy

AAHHH! So it will ignor the hairlines. I need to start working with layers.

[Tim Bateson]

I tried foam & it was too messy and not very precise after a use or two.. I now have a template rastered into MDF board.

I never use the both option. I either choose vector or raster. For anadized aluminum it's saved to come up that way every time.

I just put my image and/or text into my template and it's perfectly aligned every time.

[doug parker]

Tim I like the mdf idea as I just noticed the foam getting loose also, Its not that accurate. Can you tell me how you set up a template to do these and how to drop the artwork into the tag areas to be engraved. Thanks Doug

[Tim Bateson]

I'll make this real easy. Raster page 2 and page 1 will be used for your work area. Just remember NEVER to move the outlines or your template won't align with your jig. Raster the jig just deep enough to hold the tag. I think mine is half the thickness of the tag. Makes it easier to remove the tags.

If these don't fit your tags, scan your tag, outline it, then duplicate it across and down the page. Also, I increased the size just a smidge. Otherwise the tags take too much time removing from the jig - they stick.

Have fun

[Mike Null]

If you save the file as a template it will secure the file from being altered unless you intend to do so.

Create your template as save as "corel template" a cdt file.

[Albert Nix]

I us a piece of 1/ 4scooter board. I go to laser master then lay out as many as I want then vector the pattern on the board-lay down a srip of double sided photo tape and stike the tags in place and rastor away.

[Gary and Jessica Houghton]

We make our templates/jigs out of scrap acrylic or mdf. We do something a bit different though. We vector the outlines from a top piece of material to make a complete hole, then lay a second piece of material on the back. This creates a well for the dog tags to sit in. It becomes more of a tray then just a jig. A second way we have done this is to vector the shape in the top layer, then vector a circle in the bottom layer to "push" the piece out if the fit is too tight. We have done this for more than just dog tags. Mdf is cheap and wonderful to use.
As far as printing the correct artwork, we have our template saved as outlines as well. Then when we say print, it will only print the rastered artwork and no vector lines. Saves a lot of time!

[Carrol Fleming]

On my template I have locked my tag outlines (group all the outlines, right click, select lock object) so that I do not accidentally so something silly - as I tell everyone, everything I know about computers I have learnt from making the mistakes.

I use acrylic for my jigs and vector out the word Top at the top left hand corner so that I don't have them the wrong way round. I then used the cut out bits from the acrylic to make keyrings to give away.

Carrol

[Larry Peterson TX]

Carroll -

When I rastered out my acrylic it apparently got hot enough to bow and affect my focus. How did you keep yours from heating up?

[Carrol Fleming]

Larry - sorry for the slow reply, I have been away for a short break.

I don't raster my acrylic, I vector the shapes so don't get any bowing.

I read somewhere to set your acrylic focus to the grid and not the top of the acrylic. I do seem to get a better cut when I do that.
Carrol

[Larry Peterson TX]

Thanks, I'll give that a try. I was hoping to have a one piece jig with no gluing.

[Carrol Fleming]

I have not glued mine, I find a loose piece of stiff card as a base works fine. A properly glued jig would be better but uses a lot of acrylic. Guess who is being tight!

Carrol