What is your favorite program for designing engraving patterns??

[silverchip]

I just got a new computer(not by choice;cause the old one crashed one to many times)and have been trying to navigate around it for a week.I want to get a new program for engraving designs and a graphic aid.I am not a very good "GEEK" so I decided to ask the gang about what thier opinion is on the subject.
All good advice is encouraged.

 

[pappy]

I just got Corel draw x4 to use for this purpose. I have not been very successful at following along with the tutorials as they kind of skip over the basics and go right to fairly advanced features. I am hoping to be able to use this program anyway, it should work, but I think it will take a long time to learn it all. Leonardo on this site seems to have a good grasp of this program and he explains how to make leaves and scrolls with it. I wish he would write a whole book on it.
Other than that, several others on this site seem to be proficient with it.
I guess Adobe Illustrator might be useful, but I really don't know much about it.

 

[FANCYGUN]

Pencil and paper.......I'm old fashioned I guess

The photoshop for other layout things with smoke pulls etc

 

[Andrew Biggs]

Hi Silverchip

Yip, pencil and paper!!

Do not buy a computer program with the idea that you can draw with it or design good engraving.............because you can't.

Where these programs excel is in the area of building up a photographic scene or transferring a drawing to the metal and there are a lot of ways to do it.

Corel Draw is excellent value because you get 2 programs in one "draw and paint". One vector the other photographic. X3 is an older version and works well.

Photoshop is great but is not vector friendly and is a stand alone program.

Phil Coggan gave an excellent tutorial on this in the tips archive using Photoshop.
Marty Rabeno has given an excellent seminars about Photoshop available from FEGA
I've given a seminar demonstrating CorelDraw and that's available from FEGA as well.
Leonardo gave a tutorial on this forum using CorelDraw

Just remember.............these computer programs are a great aid to your drawing skills and can make some tasks a lot easier..............but they are not the answer.

It comes back to pencil and paper...............always!!

Cheers
Andrew

 

[silverchip]

clarification

Andrew,

I guess that I should have said I do in fact draw my originals on a light table first and then scan in my drawings before trying to enhance(enlarge fix and print to paper or film)them.I want to be able to make transfers and keep a hard copy record of my work as well as having the option of reproducing an engraving in the future.Previously this has been somewhat successful but not to my satisfaction.
After fumbling around with "crashes and dissatisfied with GEEk service I am making a valiant effort at catching up on my own computer skills so I can use these as tools for the future.
I have read some of these posts and even printed a couple of them for future references.Since I am having to start over with a new system and it has been a couple of years since Old World skills met with High Tech applications that if used would be beneficial to our unique intent.
I am not looking to eliminate pencil drawing from the process but I would like to be good enough with these "new tools to add to what I already have-31 years of engraving!!!!

 

[BrianPowley]

Yep...I'm with Marty and Andrew:
Pencil and paper....and in my case,an eraser----a big one.

 

[silverchip]

Brian, I can go through several big erasers a day!!!:beat up::beat up:

 

[Andrew Biggs]

Hi Silverchip

Yip.........that's a bit clearer what you want and why.

Photoshop is my personal choice. Mainly because I use it every day and am so used to it. But it is a stand alone programme so if you want a vector program you will have to buy it separately. It is a real powerhouse of a program and the industry standard for all photo manipulation. It does have vector capabilities but they are pretty quirky.

Illustrator is a vector based program and I've never used it but people swear by it.

CorelDraw or Illustrator are great for outlines or sizing, shapes etc and is far better and quicker than Photoshop and a lot more accurate.

Corel Graphics Suite is good value for money. Simply because you get everything with it. Corel Draw and Corel Photopaint........which is very similar to Photoshop. The only thing with Corel is go for X3 or higher. Before X3 some things were a pain.

Any of the above programs require quite a substantial learning curve as they are bigger than Texas

Cheers
Andrew

 

[John Cole]

I have both photoshop and corel on my computer. I have found Corel to be a bit more handy when dealing with line drawings/ patterns. I can do the same stuff in photoshop, but it's not quite as easy. The opposite is true when dealing with photos.

There, now it should be as clear as mud

John C.

 

[Winstonklein]

Corel rocks!!

 

[Roger B]

Pappy,

I have also had problems trying to follow the tutorials by Corel and the book is not much better - but - if you want some basic info as to how to operate the programme you should have a look at the dvd put out by FEGA and starring Andrew Biggs. First time I saw it things started falling into place - just one thing you have to try and work out is his accent :big grin:

Cost about $30- and well worth while.

As for the programme I get frustrated when you follow the instructions and things don't work as they should!!

Good luck,

Roger

 

[RoycroftRon]

I was introduced to a freeware program over the summer that I have been trying out called Inkscape. It is a vector Drawing program, but the neat thing is it does scroll spirals. I am sure there are tutorials out there, but I am one of those figure it out yourself geeks via trial and error - I only consult a manual when I am really lost.

www.inkscape.org (for the download)
http://inkscapetutorials.wordpress.com/ (a quick google search turned this up)

 

[Francis Kisner]

Regarding the Corel tutorials, go on line and google
Corel Draw tutorial free
You will find that there are many good articles. Many of them are basic how-to techniques.
I still use version 7 so some of the later more advanced tutorials use features that I don't have but all versions of the programs start with the same basic tool kit.

Francis

 

[Tira]

I used to use Corel and then I switched to Illustrator. They both work well once you take the time to learn them. That's the trick. The first couple of times I scanned in an image and then tried to manipulate it in Illustrator - even though I knew Corel - it took a long time. Now it is relatively quick and simple to scan in an image and then turn it into a vector drawing with the different elements. I usually scan the outline of the piece, the main scrolls, the leaf structure and then the shading separately. Both programs will work.

 

[Sam]

Whether it's Coreldraw or Adobe Illustrator, the one thing that MUST be learned is the pen tool. It comes with a pretty steep learning curve and many illustrators abandon it after a few hours of struggle, claiming it's the most difficult of all graphics drawing tools. Fortunately there are many free YouTube videos which show you how to use it, and of course Lynda.com's monthly subscription video tutorials are excellent.

As an illustrator and engraver I can tell you that I can draw (by hand) and engrave 3 designs in the time it takes me to draw 1 on the computer, and I'm pretty fast at illustration. Don't expect the computer to expedite anything except lettering layouts (which can be very fast and easy).

Either Adobe Illustrator or CorelDRAW will serve you well if you want vector art. You can probably find older versions on eBay and save hundreds of dollars. If you have a student in the family consider getting academic versions of the software. They are absolutely the same as the retail versions but for much less money. Be sure to find out if they are upgradable before you buy.

~Sam

p.s. I should also add that drawing a simple outline is considerably faster than drawing realistic engraved lines.

 

[silverchip]

Thanks guys,
I am grateful for the input.I hope some more of the others will add to this too.

 

[silverchip]

I was introduced to a freeware program over the summer that I have been trying out called Inkscape. It is a vector Drawing program, but the neat thing is it does scroll spirals. I am sure there are tutorials out there, but I am one of those figure it out yourself geeks via trial and error - I only consult a manual when I am really lost.

www.inkscape.org (for the download)
http://inkscapetutorials.wordpress.com/ (a quick google search turned this up)

Tried to look at this and got nothin.the litlle screen came up and the timer started but got no video or sound.

 

[monk]

coreldraw is worth its weight in you know what. but a pencil or pen must come first ! or i'm lost. for pattern sizing and transfer, the technology is a timesaver beyond compare.

 

[silverchip]

So,Sam,

Which version are you using?I've bee trying to find out which one is most compatible and effective with what I have in mind.CS3or CS4?My new system is HP VISTA 64bit with ADM Phenom X4.Does this mak any difference?

 

[Sam]

I'm running Illustrator CS4. Sorry, I'm on a Mac and don't know much about your HP system. Either CS3 or CS4 will be fine. There are always a few enhancements in each upgrade, but CS3 is still very, very good.