Single-Stroke font program hunting ...

[Eric Allen]

So, I think the fact that Corel can't do a real single-stroke font has been beaten to death, wondering if anyone knows of a reasonably priced engraving program that has similar features that will do it? I had high hopes for ArtCAM, but sadly it doesn't seem to be able to print directly to a driver, it certainly doesn't see any of my printers or the laser driver. At $149, that would have been a great solution, I can live with that. I'm looking for a program that I can draw up my file and print directly from without a bunch of conversion, centerline trace, using the Hershey plugin with inkscape, etc. because of the need to do a lot of serial numbers. Anyone aware of a program that will do that without me mortgaging the house?

[Gary Hair]

It's not that Corel can't do single line fonts, it's a TTF/OT font issue. You can, however, use a cad/cam program to type in whatever text you like and export to dxf then import into corel. I have a customer that provides me with that type of text quite often and it works perfect. I also have a single line font with my fiber that works perfectly.

[Eric Allen]

You mean you have a single-line font that works in Corel, or some other route? I haven't found one that does. Some look like single line fonts, but ultimately the laser traces them twice because they're still a hollow outline with fill. I'm trying to avoid that whole "type it in another program and then bring it into Corel" mess, doing hundreds of parts that way is incredibly time consuming when I have to do them 20 at a time. I tried pulling in some actual single-stroke fonts and they all had glitches.

[Mayo Pardo]

Eric are you sure when you're engraving the fonts from Corel that you have No Outline selected?
You would right click in the color pallet on the white box which has the X in it to specify No Outline.
I know Corel X5 comes with a bunch of engraving fonts which are supposed to be single line.
I haven't tried any though.

[Gary Hair]

You mean you have a single-line font that works in Corel, or some other route? I haven't found one that does. Some look like single line fonts, but ultimately the laser traces them twice because they're still a hollow outline with fill. I'm trying to avoid that whole "type it in another program and then bring it into Corel" mess, doing hundreds of parts that way is incredibly time consuming when I have to do them 20 at a time. I tried pulling in some actual single-stroke fonts and they all had glitches.

No, there is no single line font for Corel, or any windows program that uses ttf or otf files. What I was referring to was typing the text in a cad/cam program and importing it into Corel. Sure, it's a pain to do, but there is no other way to get a single line to represent a letter.

[Gary Hair]

Eric are you sure when you're engraving the fonts from Corel that you have No Outline selected?
You would right click in the color pallet on the white box which has the X in it to specify No Outline.
I know Corel X5 comes with a bunch of engraving fonts which are supposed to be single line.
I haven't tried any though.

The engraving fonts in Corel are Truetype fonts and therefore can't have a single line. TTF must have a closed loop that comprises each character. Outlined or not, you still have two lines, albeit very close together.

[Scott Shepherd]

The CamBam fonts don't work for you?

http://www.mrrace.com/CamBam_Fonts/

[Eric Allen]

I think I'd have the same issues I do now, it would still trace it twice. That page says your router will trace them twice, Gary pointed out why. That's what's got me looking outside Corel.

The CamBam fonts don't work for you?

http://www.mrrace.com/CamBam_Fonts/

[Eric Allen]

That may have been the one thing I wasn't clear on when I started the thread, I have to run the output as a vector, that method confines it to raster, that's where the need for a single line comes in. If not for that, you suggestion would have been perfect That may be why people have been focusing on Corel despite my clarifying that it doesn't work in that application, there have been several discussion on the forum where it's been done over and over with no success because of the problem Gary cites.

Eric are you sure when you're engraving the fonts from Corel that you have No Outline selected?
You would right click in the color pallet on the white box which has the X in it to specify No Outline.
I know Corel X5 comes with a bunch of engraving fonts which are supposed to be single line.
I haven't tried any though.

[Eric Allen]

That's exactly why I'm looking outside Corel and the whole TT system, it's a waste of time from a business perspective. They tried at some point but just don't understand what we need or aren't willing to put the time into what for them is probably a niche market. ArtCAM may work after all, I'm working with one of their reps, it's just my demo copy that doesn't seem to be able to see the print drivers, so that may be the thing I'm looking for, i'll update on here if it works. In the mean time maybe someone will have a freeware / cheapware suggestion that meets the criteria I initially set out.

No, there is no single line font for Corel, or any windows program that uses ttf or otf files. What I was referring to was typing the text in a cad/cam program and importing it into Corel. Sure, it's a pain to do, but there is no other way to get a single line to represent a letter.

[George M. Perzel]

Hi Guys;
I am confused as I have been using the 10 CamBam single line fonts in Corel for at least 4 years with no problems. Maybe it just works because I don't know any better........
Best Regards,
George
Laserarts

[Bill George]

AutoCad usually installs a lot of single line fonts, not sure if my current AutoCad Lt 2008 did or not as I am using my IPad right now.

[Eric Allen]

It's unlikely that you'd get a single pass since that font is comprised of overlapping lines to make windows recognize it as a TT font. Seems like I've tried that one before, the easiest way to see the effect is to make a large letter O or 0, set the vector to 5% or so and watch as it runs over it twice.

Hi Guys;
I am confused as I have been using the 10 CamBam single line fonts in Corel for at least 4 years with no problems. Maybe it just works because I don't know any better........
Best Regards,
George
Laserarts

[Eric Allen]

That might be worth pursuing, I have AutoDesk 360 but it's overly complicated for my present skillset. If AutoCAD is under the same free licensing for students and small cap businesses, it could work out. I'm trying LibreCAD at the moment, so far the fonts tested aren't vectoring and the process of creating objects and such isn't native to my way of thinking. One of the other tricky parts has been identifying which fonts are "stick fonts", people referencing them aren't calling them single-stroke fonts, but searching for it hasn't brought up a list of the ones that supposedly are.

AutoCad usually installs a lot of single line fonts, not sure if my current AutoCad Lt 2008 did or not as I am using my IPad right now.

[Gary Hair]

because of the need to do a lot of serial numbers. Anyone aware of a program that will do that without me mortgaging the house?

What material are you marking? if it's something a fiber could handle then you might want to consider a new machine for this purpose. Even as basic as the software is that came with my fiber, it can handle auto-generating serial numbers and it has stick/single line fonts just for this purpose. It's not an inconsequential purchase, but it could take a time consuming job and streamline it considerably as well as open up lots of new business. Just a thought.