bit the ole bullet ~ The Gold Method trial

[Roy Sanders]

Until someone smarter than me comes up with the Corel conversion, I just bought the cheapest photoshop. The coolest code in a while, The Gold Method for preparing photos for engraving.

I spent hours attempting to learn the art for converting photo so I can engrave it on a wine bottle. Then I read about the Gold Method, only to discover it was written for Adobe Photoshop, lucky me; I have Corel Draw Photopaint.

After buying a solo copy of photoshop and installing the script I loaded my photo and BOOM it converted the photo automatically, just as promised. Nice work Mr. Gold.

For the new person wondering what I am talking about, follow this link and test it out. http://www.dogcollarlabor.com/smc/

My wish is still that the method is converted for Corel.

Roy

[Scott Shepherd]

Roy, the Gold Method is just a list of steps, those steps can be replicated in Photopaint, if memory serves me correctly. They are just basic functions that most graphics packages have (unsharp mask, gaussian blur, etc.).

Doug (the guy that created the tool you are using) just wrote the script to do those things automatically instead of having to go through all the steps.

[David Somers]

Roy,

Back before I actually had a laser I spent endless days fantasizing about lasers and accumulating as much info as I could from SMC. (heck with fantasy football!! Fantasy Lasers is even better!!!! <grin>) Anyway....I happened to have the actual steps for the Gold Method copied out where I could get to them quickly.
Hope this helps if you didn't already have them. Incidentally, I haven't done it myself yet, but you should be able to create a macro in Corel to do these steps?

• 1) Convert to 8 bit greyscale
• 2) Resize the image to the size its gonna get engraved using 150-300 dpi (150 for less detail)
• (You can do the same thing in Corel Photopaint)
• 3) Bump up contrast and brightness about +25 in
• both cases - you dont want the pic to be insipid areas of medium grey.
• 4) Heres the VITAL part - use unsharp mask at 500% and a radius of 3-5 pixels - threshold 0 - this will exaggerate edges radically , but thats what you need. In fact you can do this and then STILL add another unsharp mask at 150 % , 1pixel and 0 threshold AFTER the 1st unsharp if you want even more edge detection
• 5) Convert to a bitmap using 125-150ppi and a diffusion pattern.
• 5) burn it!!

Dave

[Doug Griffith]

just wrote the script

Hey, that was a pain in the posterior end to do. I had more free time back then.

[Scott Shepherd]

LOL, sorry Doug, didn't mean to belittle your efforts Obviously it took a lot of work or someone else would have done it for Corel already

Your hard work and effort is appreciated

[Bernie Fraser]

Roy, I know you asked about the Gold method but you need to read this post where Bob Richardson has gone to a lot of effort to write a macro for Corel to process photos for laser engraving in Corelpaint.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...aser-engraving

even his instruction sheet is very well done. Worth getting this Macro.

[Mark Sipes]

Bobs Macro works in X16 (32 bit) also. WOW

[Roy Sanders]

A bit late in my reply. I did use Bobs work to put the macro into corel paint. It works, I now have both macros. Gold Method and Bob's. I use photoshop on MAC and paint on PC.

thanks to all willing to help.

[Lee DeRaud]

A bit late in my reply. I did use Bobs work to put the macro into corel paint. It works, I now have both macros. Gold Method and Bob's. I use photoshop on MAC and paint on PC.

thanks to all willing to help.

Don't be shy: post up your version.