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Thread: creating proof pictures in CorelDraw

  1. #1

    creating proof pictures in CorelDraw

    I have several fixtures that I use when engraving multiples of items with individualized information (such as tags or panels). Typically, the items are arranged in rows and columns, spaced wide enough to make inserting and removing easy but close enough to generally maximize use of the entire bed. Images of the actual items are on a visible in the job template file on a nonprinting layer for reference when laying out the engraving. The engraving information is color coded by column to minimize head motion across blank space and speed up the engraving. Unused items are deleted from the template files before saving individual job files.

    When a proof picture is needed for one of these jobs, I highlight all the engraving, change the fill to simulate the appearance of the engraving on the item (e.g., brownish for a wood item, gray for anodized aluminum), enable printing of the item images layer, and then I select the various rows and columns and move them closer to reduce the size of the proof picture. Additionally, for items that are shaped such that there can be several columns but only a couple of rows, the proof picture can get cumbersomely wide so I typically rearrange the items, for example 12 items in 2 rows of 6 each might be rearranged as 3 rows of 4 each.

    So, my question is, can anyone tell me how to efficiently automate this process in CorelDraw? I first tried recording a macro to rearrange an entire fixture's worth of items but found that the macro won't work if I have deleted unused items (which is one of the first things I do when I set up a new job file). Guess I could set up one specific macro for one item jobs, another for two items, and so on for a total of "X" macros for a fixture that holds "X" items, but that's pretty unwieldy for fixtures with more than a few items.

    Any good ideas?

  2. #2
    Hey Bill,

    See, you aren't the only one who sometimes gets few/no responses... Sometimes we just ask questions that seem to stump everyone. Or maybe you and I are just unliked ;^)

  3. #3
    Glen, any chance of you posting a screen capture of what you are talking about? I got lost in the description (and maybe others did too?). I didn't reply because I didn't know how to help, which might mean you and Bill are smarter than most of us
    Lasers : Trotec Speedy 300 75W, Trotec Speedy 300 80W, Galvo Fiber Laser 20W
    Printers : Mimaki UJF-6042 UV Flatbed Printer , HP Designjet L26500 61" Wide Format Latex Printer, Summa S140-T 48" Vinyl Plotter
    Router : ShopBot 48" x 96" CNC Router Rotary Engravers : (2) Xenetech XOT 16 x 25 Rotary Engravers

    Real name Steve but that name was taken on the forum. Used Middle name. Call me Steve or Scott, doesn't matter.

  4. #4
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    Glen,

    Like Scott, I was having some difficulty figuring out your process. Partly cause I was getting to read it in short bursts in between other work. Partly just general denseness on my part. <grin>

    One way I can think of to do what you want without having to manhandle everything multiple times to get different presentations would be to use a mail merge in Corel.

    With a mail merge you have defined fields in a database that contains the information you will be engraving.

    In the file you will be sending to the engraver you will have those same fields listed and your data will merge into them.

    If you need to present this info in another format for the customer to review you can simply have that format set up in a third file with the same fields laid out as you want them, and merge to that file as well.

    That way you are setting up each "view" of the data once and not having to play with the layout each time. Merging is fast in most cases so you can quickly produce your working document that will go to the laser, and your proof document that will go to the customer for an OK.

    Am I close to understanding what you are doing?

    Dave
    PS....you might also put your hardware listing in your signature line, and perhaps your location (city and country, or at least country) in the location field in your profile. Many times both pieces of information are useful to everyone.
    900x600 80watt EFR Tube laser from Liaocheng Ray Fine Tech LTD. Also a 900x600 2.5kw spindle CNC from Ray Fine. And my main tool, a well used and loved Jet 1642 Woodlathe with an outboard toolrest that helps me work from 36 inch diameters down to reallllllly tiny stuff.

  5. #5
    I'm not at all sure I understand either but I usually just export the file to a bitmap format where you can reduce it as needed.
    Mike Null

    St. Louis Laser, Inc.

    Trotec Speedy 300, 80 watt
    Gravograph IS400
    Woodworking shop CLTT and Laser Sublimation
    Dye Sublimation
    CorelDraw X5, X7

  6. #6
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    Hi
    Well heck, if Mike couldn't understand it all ... guess I don't feel so bad! I was sooooooo lost! I'll suggest this; maybe, it'll help. I layout my work 'n CorelDraw - my bed size 12" x 24, right? When I need to send proofs I simply save as a PDF format - then, I e-mail it to my customer. I'll try to attach a sample of what I'm talking 'bout. (Maybe, for whatever reason this won't work for you? -

    PS: my PDF might not have attached properly - the picture shows a question-mark? But, anyway, sending customers PDF files works for me.

    Bill
    Attached Files Attached Files
    (Using Epilog 35W Mini 24)

  7. #7
    concur on saving as a PDF, simple, easy, and you don't have to change layout sizes or anything. What you see on the screen is what you get. And you can zoom in on anything anywhere in the PDF, and the larger the starting point, the more you can zoom in...
    ========================================
    ELEVEN - rotary cutter tool machines
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    ONE - vinyl cutter
    CASmate, Corel, Gravostyle


  8. #8
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    Glen,

    do you have to show your customer all the layout in the bed?

    What I do is... I make a separate layer with the product simulation, then I turned off the actual production layer/s leaving the simulated one on only, I then publish to PDF and then send it to the customer, then I just reverse it, turned off and disable printing for the simulated one, then turn on the productions layers making sure printing is also on... that's it.

    Ruben

  9. #9
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    GLEN -
    If I don't want' a send my customer the entire layout, or additional pages in the spread (CorelDraw X5) - I simply make a duplicate copy of the job, eliminate the unnecessary stuff - save as PDF and e-mail to my customer. ( I'll be the first to admit, I don't fully understand how to utilize "layers" in CorelDraw - guess we learn new things, as we need to, uh?) -

    Bill
    (Using Epilog 35W Mini 24)

  10. #10
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    I would copy and paste into a new doc the required info then make that a pdf and done...

    AL
    1 Laser, 4 CarveWrights, Star 912 Rotary, CLTT, Sublimation, FC7000 Vinyl, 911 Signs, Street Signs, Tourist Products and more.
    Home of the Fire Department "Epoxy Dome Accountability Tag and Accountability Boards".

  11. #11
    No responses from Glen? That's ironic considering his post about people not replying to his posts
    Lasers : Trotec Speedy 300 75W, Trotec Speedy 300 80W, Galvo Fiber Laser 20W
    Printers : Mimaki UJF-6042 UV Flatbed Printer , HP Designjet L26500 61" Wide Format Latex Printer, Summa S140-T 48" Vinyl Plotter
    Router : ShopBot 48" x 96" CNC Router Rotary Engravers : (2) Xenetech XOT 16 x 25 Rotary Engravers

    Real name Steve but that name was taken on the forum. Used Middle name. Call me Steve or Scott, doesn't matter.

  12. #12
    c'mon, give me a break! Been busy getting orders out and running new 100A service to my shop...

    So, I set up template files and 1/8" ply fixtures for repeat jobs involving multiple items, such as anodized aluminum plates. This first picture is an example template with pictures of the plates and default text positioned per design.
    Template1.jpg

    If there are fewer items than there are positions in the template, I delete the extras, and then populate the customer data, color code the columns so each gets engraved in sequence (faster than engraving the entire width at one time). Here's an example job file created from the template.
    Template2.jpg

    If I need to create a proof, I select all the customization and fill with light gray to simulate the engraved AA, then enable select and print on the image layer (in addition to the customization layer) and rearrange everything to make a more compact proof picture. For something like 4 or 5 items, that just involves moving the bottom row up a bit and squeezing all the columns closer together, then export at something like 1000 dot horizontal resolution. For particularly wide but short cases, such as this example with 9 items, I might rearrange to create a more square layout such as a 3x3 shown here:
    Template3proof.jpg

    So, my original question was how to automate this last step. I created a macro to rearrange the template, but CorelDraw chokes on that macro if any of the objects (item pictures, sample text, etc.) are deleted. I could hold off deleting until everything else is done and the macro is run, but I've tried working that way and much prefer to eliminate the extras up front. Could create separate macros for each different number of items, or separate templates each customized for a given number, both of which would be a pain for templates with a few dozen items...

    Does that help understand my problem?

  13. #13
    Like Dave said, Print Merge.
    Lasers : Trotec Speedy 300 75W, Trotec Speedy 300 80W, Galvo Fiber Laser 20W
    Printers : Mimaki UJF-6042 UV Flatbed Printer , HP Designjet L26500 61" Wide Format Latex Printer, Summa S140-T 48" Vinyl Plotter
    Router : ShopBot 48" x 96" CNC Router Rotary Engravers : (2) Xenetech XOT 16 x 25 Rotary Engravers

    Real name Steve but that name was taken on the forum. Used Middle name. Call me Steve or Scott, doesn't matter.

  14. #14
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    Glen,

    Thanks for the examples!! That helps.

    This is just a thought on my part. I obviously am not clued in on what your customers are looking for.

    But, since you are providing them with a proof that is not actually what is being engraved I assume you are looking for the customer to OK the accuracy of the text, and to OK the font and general layout?

    If that were the case, could you provide them with a single item example as a sample for the text and general layout, and give them a clean list of the contents that will be engraved so they can verify it is correct, proof reading what will be engraved in other words?

    Again, a print merge/mail merge might make this simpler to do repeatedly, but there are certainly other ways. It just seems like you are having to handle your graphics objects a lot for the sake of a general layout and font OK and a proof reading of the contents. I know that is why you are trying to do a macro. It just seems like a lot of work either way for two basic functions.

    I hope I am not confusing what you need. If I am just snort politely and wave me away <grin>.

    Dave
    900x600 80watt EFR Tube laser from Liaocheng Ray Fine Tech LTD. Also a 900x600 2.5kw spindle CNC from Ray Fine. And my main tool, a well used and loved Jet 1642 Woodlathe with an outboard toolrest that helps me work from 36 inch diameters down to reallllllly tiny stuff.

  15. #15
    It's not the entering of the text that is the issue, it's the creation of a (rearranged and compacted) proof picture that is a cumbersome nuisance. So, unless I don't understand its full capabilities, Print Merge only addresses the (non-issue) entering of text but does nothing for making a compacted proof.

    I could just leave the pictures and text in engraving position, but they are spaced out to simplify inserting and removing substrates. As a consequence, either the proof pictures end up being very wide (1st complaint was someone couldn't see the whole width of a proof and swore they didn't have a scroll bar to pan across; later, someone else said their viewer automatically shrank the image to fit the screen, making it too small and they couldn't zoom it!?!) or too low in resolution (some of the aluminum and steel items have very fine lined details in the engraving, so most of the proofs are 1000-1200 dots wide to use pretty much the entire width of the customers' screens to get the details without requiring scrolling or resizing). And that's why I have been rearranging to remove excess white space and sometimes increase rows vs columns (no complaints about scrolling down, just across).

    Pdf files don't buy me anything either. First, they do nothing (directly) for the viewing problems other than it might make it easier for me to tell someone how to scroll and zoom that viewer but, more importantly, the communication is through a messaging system that only supports image file attachments and that's not something I can readily change or opt out of...

    I thought a basic macro could work, but CorelDraw apparently numbers objects on creation and, I think, renumbers them if you do something like delete one. At any rate, the macro errors out if I delete anything before running it.

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