PDA

View Full Version : Vectoring with photoshop???



Lisa Matthews
03-05-2008, 7:19 PM
Hey all...this is my first post. I've been reading the board a lot in the past couple of weeks, and just found out that our epilog will be delivered on Friday. I've spent several hours trying to figure out how to do some layouts in CorelDraw...and am still coming up short! I've search tutorials, etc and nothing is working out for me. I am well versed in Photoshop, but can't figure out for sure what will work for vector cutting in that program. I am wanting to include raster and vector to cut picture frames, key chains, etc.

I can get the raster of my original artwork, no problem, in Corel, but then I try to add a vector cut and can't get the line to follow the outline of the raster....it always makes it square. It hasn't mattered whether I use a bmp, jpg, png, or psd...it always "sees" the graphic as square.

With that in mind, I can do my design in Photoshop, but how do I know if the lines will cut and not just engrave? Are there any guidelines for setting the line qualities?

If anyone can point me in the direction of Corel tutorials especially for engraving/cutting or the same for Photoshop, it would be greatly appreciated. I've searched the forum, and found a couple, but they are still not working for me. ANY tips would be GREATLY APPRECIATED.

Hopefully, soon we will be able to answer questions instead of just ask them! ;):confused:

Mike Null
03-05-2008, 8:01 PM
Lisa

Every image I have seen from Photoshop has been a bitmap. If you can do vectors with it I am not aware of it.

Corel is pretty much the standby of laser operators. Why don't you check out this site with all it's tutorials.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBtpo5TfrZo

Darren Null
03-05-2008, 8:22 PM
Photoshop does bitmaps. There was, if memory serves, a plugin that was sort of a mini vector program within photoshop, but -if memory serves again- it wasn't particularly useful and the output was always bitmap.

Adobe's Illustrator is the vector program from the suite.

One way of getting rid of the square, I've found, is to import the bitmap into Corel; trace the bitmap (with the 'remove background' box checked); and use the create outline feature on the trace. You can then use the created outline on the original bitmap and throw the trace away (or use the trace if it's up to scratch).

I don't think you can cut with bitmaps. You might be able to do squares, but curves and diagonal lines will have feathering and/or gaps in the line which will confoozle your cutter.

Oh and a quick tip: I would recommend using the .TIF format to transport graphics between photoshop and coreldraw. I've had issues with pretty well every other format that I've tried, but Corel and Photoshop both seem to agree on the contents of a TIF file, including size and DPI etc.

Larry Bratton
03-05-2008, 8:40 PM
Lisa:
First of all, welcome to the forum!

Photoshop CS3 allows one to create vector shapes and the like, but as far as I know, they don't export so they can be used with a machine.

In order to use any bitmap file with a machine for a cutting function, it will have to be converted to a vector file that your software driving the machine can use. Corel Draw has a pretty good trace module that performs this function. I have an Epilog Ext and Corel Draw is the preferred software for output to the machine via Epilog's driver. Line size is normally set to Hairline for vector cutting if that function is chosen in the driver. Once that hairline is encountered, it will be cut. If you set the driver for raster only, then it will be engraved and not cut. If you set it for combined, then it vector cuts the hairline and raster engraves the other.
Mike is right. Their is a lot of info on youtube. This forum also has a huge amount of info and lots of knowledgeable people willing to help just for the asking.
Good luck with your new laser.

Lisa Matthews
03-05-2008, 9:08 PM
Thanks for the responses. I've seen threads that say it can be done...but they say you have to set the line width to 0.001...and my photoshop won't allow anything less than 1 and I can't seem to find a way to set the width to anything other than pixels. guess I need to buckledown and learn coreldraw...it's take me over 10 years to become adequate in Photoshop, guess I should be at corel by the time I retire! :p LOL.

Headed to YouTube to see what's there...thanks for the tips!
:D

Doug Griffith
03-05-2008, 9:50 PM
Photoshop has had vector buit in since the early days. It is for creating clipping paths for DTP applications. You can create the path, save it, and then export to .AI. You can then bring both the bitmap and .AI into Corel. I'm not sure if you need to convert the .AI first.

When creating the path in Photoshop, put a vector box at the farthest outside edges along the perimeter before exporting. It will make layering in another application easier (x and y the same for each). Delete the perimeter box once positioned.

Cheers

Larry Bratton
03-05-2008, 10:54 PM
Thanks for the responses. I've seen threads that say it can be done...but they say you have to set the line width to 0.001...and my photoshop won't allow anything less than 1 and I can't seem to find a way to set the width to anything other than pixels. guess I need to buckledown and learn coreldraw...it's take me over 10 years to become adequate in Photoshop, guess I should be at corel by the time I retire! :p LOL.

Headed to YouTube to see what's there...thanks for the tips!
:D
Lisa:
In my humble opinion, Photoshop is vastly more complex than Corel Draw. So, that being said, you should be proficient in Corel Draw in a short 5 yrs, compared to the 10 it took you in PS. :)

Mark Plotkin
03-06-2008, 10:39 AM
Lisa,

If I understand your question, you want to cut out around a bitmap the shape of the object in the bitmap. if that is correct, simply remove the backround and import into corel, use the create border function and you will have the vector outline you need.

Mike Shauer
03-06-2008, 11:52 AM
Welcome to the Creek Lisa!

If I read your post right, and that happens on occasion, the solution can be found on the Epilog web site. Search vector cut text outlines . I have it printed in my very large how to book that saves me when the memory fails. I hope this is still there if not I can PM it to you.

Also if you can find the 3 CDs from Mr. Roy Brewer they are extremely helpfull. Corel for me was tough, these CDs made it so that something worked, then most of the rest came easy.

Cheers, Mike

Roy Brewer
03-06-2008, 8:58 PM
Lisa,

If I understand your question, you want to cut out around a bitmap the shape of the object in the bitmap. if that is correct, simply remove the backround and import into corel, use the create border function and you will have the vector outline you need.Mark,
I don't use photoshop, but I don't think that will work. I think Corel will always see the bitmap as a rectangle even if the background is removed.

Ruben Salcedo
03-07-2008, 4:24 AM
Lisa,
I'm also more proficient in Photosop than Corel and my work around for cutouts is this,
when you have your graphic, or photo with out a background just create an outer selection then go to paths and convert your selection to a path, then export your path as a ilustrator path or .ai, then copy and paste you image to Corel or import it, then import your path you just create in Photoshop, give the path a width as a hairline and chose a color you use for vector cuting, then select both your image and path, go to Align and Distribute, pick Horz. Center and Vert. Center and align objects to: active objects, now you should have your image and path align and ready to raster and vector cut, I hope this help.



Ruben

Doug Griffith
03-07-2008, 10:38 AM
Question to the Corel pros - Does Corel recognize clipping paths embedded in EPS, TIFF, or DCS files? If so, can it be assigned a line weight? This would be the best solution.

Larry Bratton
03-07-2008, 11:59 AM
Mark,
I don't use photoshop, but I don't think that will work. I think Corel will always see the bitmap as a rectangle even if the background is removed.
I sometimes cutout printed color photos from my wide format printer in my laser. In order to get a perfect outline, I convert the graphic I printed from in Photoshop to a 1 bit file, fill it with black. I then import into Corel and trace it as line art. Then you have an outline. You have to have everything positioned and registered correctly, but it works. This is the process for making what is referred to as a photo statuette. Here's a random link to some of these http://www.imagecuts.com/Imagecuts/

Lisa Matthews
03-07-2008, 10:11 PM
I appreciate all the responses....and Larry, after the last couple of days, I think I can cut that 5 years to about 3! LOL :p I've come a long way in my understanding of what does what. I looked at some tutorials on the web and slowly but surely it is coming together. I need to start writing down the steps I'm using for certain tasks, as I seem to forget what I've done that worked....from time to time! :o I will be trying the tips, and work arounds suggested here...but am beginning to use my photoshop only for graphics clean up! I do my own artwork that I then scan..and photoshop is perfect for that, but CD is proving to work even better for a lot of things that I was doing in Photoshop....now if I could just figure out to put Photoshop and Photograv in my application launcher...life would be nearly perfect! btw...DH posted earlier that our epilog came in today....and of course I'm on a 24 hour shift on the ambulance (I'm a Paramedic) so he gets to play first! Actually, I think he is waiting on me for the computer issues! LOL Hope to post pics of projects very soon!

Lisa

Larry Bratton
03-08-2008, 11:25 AM
I appreciate all the responses....and Larry, after the last couple of days, I think I can cut that 5 years to about 3! LOL :p I've come a long way in my understanding of what does what. I looked at some tutorials on the web and slowly but surely it is coming together. I need to start writing down the steps I'm using for certain tasks, as I seem to forget what I've done that worked....from time to time! :o I will be trying the tips, and work arounds suggested here...but am beginning to use my photoshop only for graphics clean up! I do my own artwork that I then scan..and photoshop is perfect for that, but CD is proving to work even better for a lot of things that I was doing in Photoshop....now if I could just figure out to put Photoshop and Photograv in my application launcher...life would be nearly perfect! btw...DH posted earlier that our epilog came in today....and of course I'm on a 24 hour shift on the ambulance (I'm a Paramedic) so he gets to play first! Actually, I think he is waiting on me for the computer issues! LOL Hope to post pics of projects very soon!

Lisa
Lisa:
now if I could just figure out to put Photoshop and Photograv in my application launcher...life would be nearly perfect
Here's a method to add the programs to the Launcher:
1. Run REGEDIT, close all DRAW Suite apps
2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Corel\AppLauncher
3. rightclick the empty space in the right pane and Create a new String value
4. Name it as you like, finish editing (press Enter)
5. now doubleclick this new value, and paste the full path to your application - probably the easiest way to take the full path is to create an Explorer's shortcut to your app, then copy & paste the shortcut's properties' target field

Good luck. I would backup my registry before messing around in there.

Dee Gallo
03-08-2008, 12:13 PM
I'm reading this thread with interest, finding Ruben's and Larry's posts especially useful. I too learned Photoshop first and have used it since the first version. Compared to my favorite draw program FreeHand, CorelDraw seemed simplistic and clunky at first, but now I find it has a lot of features and is quite a good program. Question: When it comes to actually burning, does it matter if your vector cutting line layer is on the top or not?

Thanks to all, dee

ps - BTW Larry, I believe the term is "photo silhouette", an old retouching term.

Ruben Salcedo
03-08-2008, 1:35 PM
Dee,
I think the order of the cutting line or image, makes no difference to the Laser driver as long as you map your colors right, although I'll put the cutting line on top of the image just for viewing purposes, just in case there is that nasty white background rectangle.


Ruben

Larry Bratton
03-08-2008, 7:36 PM
I'm reading this thread with interest, finding Ruben's and Larry's posts especially useful. I too learned Photoshop first and have used it since the first version. Compared to my favorite draw program FreeHand, CorelDraw seemed simplistic and clunky at first, but now I find it has a lot of features and is quite a good program. Question: When it comes to actually burning, does it matter if your vector cutting line layer is on the top or not?

Thanks to all, dee

ps - BTW Larry, I believe the term is "photo silhouette", an old retouching term.
Dee:
I believe I said "photo statuette" not silhouette. At least that's what I meant.

I normally do everything on a single layer. I rarely use color mapping. I use layering to do multiple pages where I have several tables full of different things to vector cut. That's the only time the layer would make a difference, as far as I know.