Calling Corel gurus

[Gabe Gat]

I'm trying to work out how to do a few things in Corel. I'm trying to make a name plate necklace like the "Helen" picture I've attached. I've been asked to use a specific font which isn't a solid type, it's very ornate. The problem i'm having is when when I try to group the letters and create a boundry around word it's won't just do the boundry it also goes inside the font. I hope this make sense. Any ideas?

I was thinking I could make each letter a shioulette (solid black) and make it slighlty larger then the font I want and outline it for vector cutting... but I have no idea how to do that?!

PS I'm looking to engrave the name onto acrylic, then vector cut the acrylic around the type (the word itself)

[John Noell]

I am guessing that is a X4 file. To get more help, it would be good to save it as X3 or even V12, them more of us can open it. If I understand what you are trying to do, I think you want to use the contour tool. By setting the 'steps' to '1', and the 'distance' to just enough to tie the letters together, I think you will get what you are looking for.

[Dave West]

Place the letters so they're slightly overlapping, select them all and choose combine. Should work if I'm reading it right. Some of the script fonts already connect them.

Dave

View as wireframe.

[Gabe Gat]

here's the file saved as a crd 12

[John Noell]

The fundamental problem I see is that this font does not lend itself to making all the letters touch. To make a plate necklace something has to tie the letters together. If you do not use a cursive font designed to have all letters interconnect, something must bridge the gaps. You could put a shape along the bottoms of the letters and weld it to the letters but the bridging shape will be quite obvious.

[Albert Nix]

I have not tried it in corel but in LXI I first outline the word real close then separate the outline-drag the outline away from the word-ungroup all-uncompound-that will brake a part all of the inside red lines-then drag just the outline back to the word and delete the rest.

[Mike Ireland]

With that font, I think you will have to use the Freehand tool and draw a line around it. The font does not lend itself to putting a countour outline as you have already discovered. In Corel X3 and X4, the Freehand tool works nice and can smooth out the rough spots. You can also go back and edit the nodes to adjust the curvature and spacing. See attached.

[Louie Alvarez]

Great question Gabe,

Although I've been in the industry about 18+ years I never was interested in joining forums, just don't have time. Well I'm glad I decided to join this forum, seems to be one of the larger lasering ones available.

I have a 9 year old daughter so this caught my attention, of course I've also been using CorelDRAW since version 2.01, now on X4 so I like a challenge or something I've not done in years.

Anyway this is a great question so I took it upon myself to determine how I would approach this project if I was doing it for my daughter and decided to go ahead and just create the layout/design myself. I've attached the final file in CDR v12 for you and anyone else interested in viewing it.

The black is set for your engraving, the red outline is set for vector cutting. Since I don't know what laser system you have hopefully your able to assign raster engraving to black and vector cutting to red, all the better lasers on the market are capable of this, such as, GCC LaserPro, Epilog, Universal...

Moving right along, I recalled an article I wrote for a customer years ago on how to vector cut a photograph outline (a silhouette), using those steps I accomplished the project in this manner.

1. First export the text into a bitmap file to allow opening in an image manipulation program
2. Next using the "magic wand" select the outline of the image
3. While the image/text is selected fill the new image SOLID black. This text required me to zoom in and close the open areas on the outline to properly select the text completely.
4. The text should be solid black now, so resave the bitmap
5. Import this new SOLID black silhouette image back into Corel
6. Using Corel's rather decent outline decent tracing feature, I would say since about v12. I use vX4, so in Bitmap menu select Quick Trace.
7. Some of the letters I had to zoom in to nudge over the letter so I could weld them together, i.e., Gla, mGi, rlz
8. Using the Shape tool I also had to break apart some nodes, extend them and connect them, i.e., am, & ir
9. You'll have to add the two rings on the end to attach the chain, easy to do just create a circle inside of another, combine them, weld this to the sides of the words.
10. You may also want to use the Shape tool to clean up the outline further if you like. Figure I would leave some work for you

I could go into further detail of what I did but this overview should be sufficient. Any questions I would be happy to elaborate.

Good luck with your project.

[Gabe Gat]

Thanks Louis, fantastic!

[Bob Perdue]

Anyone that doesn't know Louie, he can help us a lot. Especially if you use a LaserPro. I went to a seminar he gave before I bought my laser and I still use his notes. He gave parameters for engraving marble that is better for the GCC machines than photgrav has. Great to have you in our little group Louie.

[Louie Alvarez]

Thanks Bob. Great intro into the forum, my reputation precedes me

I look forward to helping out as much as I can. Recognize quite a few names in the member list from customers, to associates to seminar & workshop attendees I've had througout the years so I feel right at home.

With that said any CorelDRAW, lasering and materials, PhotoGrav, Photoshop, computer, Internet and related ask away. I look forward to sharing my knowledge and experience with the members.

[Steve Clarkson]

I recalled an article I wrote for a customer years ago on how to vector cut a photograph outline (a silhouette),

Louie, do you have this article readily available? I'm in the process of trying to figure out how to cut a silhouette onto a piece of wood to use as one panel of a candle light (ie. four small pieces of wood that surround a mini candle light).

Also, would love to hear any tips you have about engraving on marble/granite.

Thanks!

[Louie Alvarez]

Steve, I couldn't find the article I wrote on the silhouette process, but I did manage to locate my basic steps outline I created for when I wrote the article. Bummer the original is not available but I will email the outline to you if you like, hopefully that will get you by until I can sit down and write up the detailed, step by step procedure.

As for the Photographs on Marble request I will email that as well.

I think I'll sit down and rewrite both articles and post them as independent threads for all to utilize.

BTW I need your email address as the both PDF documents are to large and exceed the forums maximum file size that can be posted. Email me at Louie@LECME.com.