Wanting to engrave images on Gravograph M40 using GS7, but....

[Paul Williams from Nunavut]

Hello. After a rather long hiatus (personal woes), I'm starting to get back into metal engraving, and I've had a request for a funeral plate with a small image on it (just a pen and ink, line drawing, nothing too fancy). In the past I've only done text, which I'm quite comfortable with.

I watched the youtube videos on doing images, but unfortunately when I tried to do the same things on my computer, I realized that all of the necessary functions are greyed out.

Have I missed something that I need to engage in order to access the image library, or to work with importing images, or do I need to purchase additional software or licenses or something? Many thanks

[Kev Williams]

Load up your GS7-- across very top of the screen, is the word "Discovery" there? If so, you have a text-only starter version of GS7, with no graphics editing capabilities. My IS400 came with it. It's fine by me because I have 2 other computers with full-graphics versions of GS5.3. Any editing I need to do, I just do on those. GS7 will open, use and re-save any GS5 files.

If you have the Discovery version, it's about 7 large to upgrade GS7 to full graphics...

[Paul Williams from Nunavut]

Thank you, Kev, it does indeed appear to be a Discovery version. Oh joy..... I don't suppose that GS7 would be able to open any CorelDraw files (that being my only other engraving-type software)?

Well, good to know, and thanks again.

[Ross Moshinsky]

I've never touched the Discovery version but I assume you can import an EPS file. If you can, go into Corel and make an EPS file and import it in.

[Paul Williams from Nunavut]

Thanks, Ross. I'll see if that is doable.

[Kev Williams]

You can import a lot of different stuff into GS7:



--the problem with the Discovery version is, you can draw lots of stuff, and import lots of stuff, move stuff around,
but you can't manipulate anything much aside from resizing, repositioning, rotating or mirroring. No point editing, no image vectoring...
You can't even change text to curves. Which is stupid, because all you have to do to make text curves is export the text, then import it back.

Anyway-- If you can get whatever you want ready to engrave using Corel or Illustrator or whatever, just import it, and GS7 will
let you engrave it.

[Paul Williams from Nunavut]

Terrific, thanks!

[Paul Williams from Nunavut]

Thanks for all the advice folks and for clarifying what my problem was.

I just took a refreshing call from the regional Gravograph rep, refreshing in that she didn't try to sell me an expensive upgrade. Instead she put me onto an inexpensive non-affiliated third party (vectormagic.com) where I can have images instantly (more or less) vectored and then import them into GS7.

Sounds like it will do the trick. Thanks again.

[Ross Moshinsky]

Thanks for all the advice folks and for clarifying what my problem was.

I just took a refreshing call from the regional Gravograph rep, refreshing in that she didn't try to sell me an expensive upgrade. Instead she put me onto an inexpensive non-affiliated third party (vectormagic.com) where I can have images instantly (more or less) vectored and then import them into GS7.

Sounds like it will do the trick. Thanks again.

Won't do the trick at all. Vectormagic the last time I used it just stacks layers and layers and layers on top of each other. It will be an absolute mess when importing into Gravostyle. Inkscape is my go to tracing tool for "simple" images. If it's not a simple image, I may end up using 2-3 pieces of software to get the job done.

[Paul Williams from Nunavut]

Won't do the trick at all. Vectormagic the last time I used it just stacks layers and layers and layers on top of each other. It will be an absolute mess when importing into Gravostyle. Inkscape is my go to tracing tool for "simple" images. If it's not a simple image, I may end up using 2-3 pieces of software to get the job done.

Hmm. Good to know, Ross. thanks.

[Phil Vernon]

Hi Paul,
Late response sorry. Used to work for Gravograph. If the video you looked at was showing images created on the M.20 Pix (non-rotating) then you may be able to purchase the relatively inexpensive Quick Pix software. But I'm not 100% sure it will work on the M.40.
It is not rotary engraving thou, it is dot peening.
Phil.

[Paul Williams from Nunavut]

Thanks Phil, I'll look into it. Paul+