I have been on this site for a while now and it seems like the new people here ask the same questions over and over again so I thought this might try to help them out.
I know there is a place for "instructional" but it seems like it gets missed allot so this is just a brief help to new comers.
same questions different people
"can you vector this"
"I need a tree in eps"
"I need a motorcycle ready to cut"
"what the best cutter to get"
So a little about me first. What I can help with and what I cant help too much with.
We are a full time business that does vinyl t-shirts for sports family gathering or just about anything, car decals, store fronts but like most on here will do just about anything a customer wants. We started doing this about 2 years ago with a mh cutter then got a old hix heat press about a year later. We used windows, flexi, and Adobe Illustrator.
Today we have 2 Graphtec ce-5000 and a maxx heat.Were looking to get some printing equipment and either engraver or a cnc router. We design in Inkscape and cut in Inkscape under Linux Ubuntu 9.4 and 10.4. We use 2 computers one is mainly for cutting and the other is mine research, designing and testing. Sometimes we use Adobe or Corel in Linux.
We were the same as every other new person out there. How do you vector? How do you get designs how how how how to layer?
So here is a few things that may help. This is all just my opinion and it will differ from user to user. Everything here I will let you know if its from experience or if it is just what I have heard.
I will start off with hardware
"What cutter to get it?" depends on a few things. First is $$$$$$ if you have unlimited funds available I would recommend Rolland or a Graphtec both are cadillacs of the vinyl world but since most don't have that option then what I would go with is......
Pcut I have heard allot of good things about them seems like there is allot of people happy with them.
I would stay away from the MH. I know some people love it and would never go with a different brand. My experience with them is much less than satisfied. What I have found out when we had ours is a couple of years ago they changed there hardware ( control boards ) to something different from the original and that has caused allot of issues. if you can get an older one I don't think you would have near as much trouble as the newer ones.
good thing to do is go to the
http://forum.uscutter.com/index.php/board,60.0.html and compare how many posts are under each listing - I understand more people have the MH than any other one there but it has to say something.
the other cutters I don't know much about so I am not going to comment on any of them
FILE TYPES
This isn't complete yet since we don't have a windows box but this may help out for some people I may mess up on some of this so please correct me please keep in mind that you cant just take a jpeg and save it as an eps or svg that doesn't make it a cuttable
EPS = cuttable
SVG = cuttable
PS = cuttable
PDF = most are cuttable however there may be a jpeg imbedded in the PDF file then its not a cuttable
AI = cuttable
CDR = cuttable
SB = cuttable only in Sign Blazer there is no program other than SB that can open a *.SB file
DWG = cuttable but I don't know anyone that uses that. its mainly for AutoCAD
We have to use a PDF or PS to cut. We can open EPS AI CDR file in our programs and then save as a PS/PDF
some things that may help out
"why cant I open an EPS file from Inkscape in SB or Flexi or other cutting software"
It may be the version of the EPS file is not compatible with the cutting software so save it as a older version of an EPS file -- if that doesn't do it try a different file types try PDF - SVG - PS if you still have problems
Try this in Inkscape if its a one color design make the design 3xs the size that you have it designed if its a 10inchX10inch make it 30X30 then go to document properties and change to page size to fit the design. Then export as a bitmap then reopen the bitmap file in Inkscape and vector it - if you have a bitmap that was made from a vector file it will re-vector very easy and clean. since you made the image bigger you can down size it and you keep the clean lines - kinda like a picture take a picture re-size it smaller it stays clean and crisp you blow it up and it turns out very grainy.
SOFTWARE
There is a few different types of software out there that you can use what one is best for you. Again it kind of depends on what you want to do and how much money and time you want to spend learning.
Designing software
Adobe Illustrator - for new version price is around $300 --- windows and Mac
it can open and save cuttables --- EPS, AI, PDF, DWG, PS, SVG(I believe)
Corel Draw - for new version price is around $500 ---- windows and Mac
it can open and save cuttables --- CDR, EPS, AI, PDF, DWG, PS, SVG(I believe)
Inkscape - Free --- windows Mac and Linux
it can open and save cuttables --- EPS, AI, PDF, DWG, PS, SVG
Scribus - FREE - windows Mac and Linux
it can open and save cuttables --- EPS, PDF, PS, SVG that I know of there could be others
SK1 - Free Linux only. soon there will be one for Mac and someday there will be one for windows
it can open and save cuttables --- CDR, EPS, AI, PDF, DWG, PS, SVG
Cutting software
This is easy there is only a few that most people rave about
Flexi - Windows and Mac -- Not free - price depends on what version you get
prob one of the best out there
SignBlazer - Windows - Free trial but it never expires
very good allot of people use it (I never have) seems like there is some setup issues at times cant help with any of that
not too much help with any of the other software packages in windows
Inkcut Linux free cut right from Inkscape
Tux plot - LINUX - can cut from any program
we use this and love it still has some limits but we're testing and trying to keep improving
where to get graphics
first ask what you need "motorcycle"
search the forums - that is a great place to start
if that doesn't help learn how to use search a engine Google yahoo what ever
tips how to use a search engine ---- " motorcycle svg " this is my results
http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=A0geusScD.JLnzUB9JRXNyoA?p=motorcycle+svg&fr2=sb-top&fr=yfp-t-701&sao=0 you can try eps but you will get allot of "episodes"
you can also limit your search to just PDF file since PDFs are cuttable but there will be a little more weeding thru the results in yahoo go to MORE>ADVANCED SEARCH just select PDF files
http://search.yahoo.com/search?n=30&ei=UTF-8&va_vt=any&vo_vt=any&ve_vt=any&vp_vt=any&vd=all&vst=0&vf=pdf&vm=p&fl=0&fr=yfp-t-701&p=motorcycle&vs=http://www.brandsoftheworld.com is also a great source
spend a lot of time on YOUTUBE there is a lot of great videos there.
There you can learn how to layer.
you can learn how to vector
you can learn how to set up almost any cutter
you can learn how to apply the decals
and my favorite (our video) you can learn how to set up a cutter and use it in linux using Tux Plot
I know this did not get into great detail but hope it may help some new people
biggest thing is learn learn learn and when you think you know what your doing learn some more
