Gravostyle to CorelDraw

[Lynn Misanti]

We finally bit the bullet and are changing over from Gravostyle to CorelDraw. I am looking for some advice on the best tutorials. They have used Gravostyle for at least 20 years here so this is a HUGE undertaking.

What are you favorite tutorials for using CorelDraw for laser engraving?

I know it is a long shot but I told everyone here I would ask: Is there a program that can convert gravostyle files to corel?

I learn best by doing but I just need to get the ball rolling.

Thank you.

[John Lifer]

If you like youtube, (or not I guess), look up a guy named Doug Green and Corel tips and tricks. He has hundreds of one to three minute (maybe some 5 minute) long tips. These have helped me a LOT. He doesn't do intro videos, these are aimed at Corel for laser users. Mainly Epilog machines, so I ignore some of them like the 3D as my Chinese machine won't do color mapping like Epilogs do. But probably 90% are well worth viewing.
I actually started with some of the more generic intro videos. It isn't that hard to learn.

[Ross Moshinsky]

Don't switch. Use both. Both programs have their pros and cons.

Otherwise, there is no real great way to bring the files from one to the other. The best way I've found is to print as a PDF, import, and then edit as necessary. The text will be converted to outlines so that can be a little problematic, but I'll just retype whatever is necessary.

[Kev Williams]

I export anything FROM Corel TO Gravostyle as an EPS. DXF works too but I've had issues with circle and arcs getting deformed. Never had an issue going EPS.

Exporting FROM Gravostyle TO Corel goes DXF. EPS from Gravo to Corel ends up closing open graphics most of the time.

I don't use PDF as a go-between because for me it's too finicky. (It got so finicky that I quit using Adobe reader and use Foxit reader now.)

Something else you can't do is export from Gravostyle a DXF and use it in EZcad. One reason you'll keep Gravostyle around is because it's WAY easier to create a matrix of anything than Corel is, at least for me. I have a recurring job to do 6-up ID plates on my fiber, it only takes seconds to dump the info from a spreadsheet into the variable list and create the 2x3 matrix, which I then export as a DXF, but can't use that DXF in EZcad, for some reason most straight lines turn into curved lines. So I simply open in Corel then re-export to EZcad, which then works great--

This is just a sample of the hoops you'll have to jump thru using 2 or more programs, but they're small hoops, and you'll find as Ross mentioned, Gravo and Corel have their good and bad points.

FWIW, I've had Gravostyle since '98 came out, then my rep upgraded me to G5, then to G5.3. But I didn't even start using it until about 10 years ago. Glad I did, should've learned it sooner...

Like Gravostyle, you'll like Corel. And hate it...

[John Lifer]

Side issue, but in my experience with pdfs, I think the issue is with the program that was used to create them. With corel, I usually can import and if text, corel gives me option of text or curves. Most text will import correctly. But I've a customer that uses photoshop and I get layers sent with the text. About half the time I can ungroup and use ok, but the rest of the time it ungroups but it is flattened into a layer with background. Random error, she can save 10 separate files, and 10 work, zero work or its split.... Photoshop for text use is the real problem.... And yep, dxf exported from several programs don't work with ezcad.. .. Corel works.

[Lynn Misanti]

In playing around with Corel, we were concerned about using the matrix. Come busy season, we are pumping out thousands of trophies with pretty much the same label but maybe a name changed on each the matrix is essential. So, is there no way to do this in Corel?

It sounds like Corel is good for plaques, crystals, acrylics, etc but for trophies, Gravostyle is best. Is this correct?

I export anything FROM Corel TO Gravostyle as an EPS. DXF works too but I've had issues with circle and arcs getting deformed. Never had an issue going EPS.

Exporting FROM Gravostyle TO Corel goes DXF. EPS from Gravo to Corel ends up closing open graphics most of the time.

I don't use PDF as a go-between because for me it's too finicky. (It got so finicky that I quit using Adobe reader and use Foxit reader now.)

Something else you can't do is export from Gravostyle a DXF and use it in EZcad. One reason you'll keep Gravostyle around is because it's WAY easier to create a matrix of anything than Corel is, at least for me. I have a recurring job to do 6-up ID plates on my fiber, it only takes seconds to dump the info from a spreadsheet into the variable list and create the 2x3 matrix, which I then export as a DXF, but can't use that DXF in EZcad, for some reason most straight lines turn into curved lines. So I simply open in Corel then re-export to EZcad, which then works great--

This is just a sample of the hoops you'll have to jump thru using 2 or more programs, but they're small hoops, and you'll find as Ross mentioned, Gravo and Corel have their good and bad points.

FWIW, I've had Gravostyle since '98 came out, then my rep upgraded me to G5, then to G5.3. But I didn't even start using it until about 10 years ago. Glad I did, should've learned it sooner...

Like Gravostyle, you'll like Corel. And hate it...

[Tony Lenkic]

Lynn,

Mr. Roy Brewer has a video of print merge on youtube for application you described. Check it out.
He also has some other tutorials on his website .........Engraving Concepts dot com.

[Ross Moshinsky]

Don't switch. Use both. Both programs have their pros and cons.

Otherwise, there is no real great way to bring the files from one to the other. The best way I've found is to print as a PDF, import, and then edit as necessary. The text will be converted to outlines so that can be a little problematic, but I'll just retype whatever is necessary.

Read this again.

[Gary Hair]

Print merge in Corel is very easy, I use it every day to run thousands of parts per week, merging over 100 various images on about 40 different parts, and the same could be used for trophies. From the way Kev talked about Gavostyle, I think it was him anyway, it may be easier than Corel for trophies because it's made for the engraver where Corel is design software that we have learned how to use as an engraving tool.

In playing around with Corel, we were concerned about using the matrix. Come busy season, we are pumping out thousands of trophies with pretty much the same label but maybe a name changed on each the matrix is essential. So, is there no way to do this in Corel?

It sounds like Corel is good for plaques, crystals, acrylics, etc but for trophies, Gravostyle is best. Is this correct?

[Kev Williams]

Corel and Gravostyle's matrixing work pretty much the same as each other, but how they go about handling the variables is different;

Corel has you create a plate size, create/enter/dump in the variable names, then has you insert the text into a spreadsheet, then has you 'merge' the variable names onto the plate in subsequent steps... from there you size and position the variables within the plate, then from the print preview window you use the imposition tool to create your plates-across x plates-down matrix (and I have very little experience doing this)

Gravostyle has you type out a plate exactly how you want it, when it's how you like it, edit each line of text to a variable name, enter the variables spreadsheet, create/enter/dump in the variables, then choose your matrix...

Pretty much the same but to me GS is easier, and also, GS gives you choices on where the variables are placed in the matrix. And for tool engraving, you can have it rotate every other row 180° so after it engraves left to right, the next row runs right-to-left (and upside down), no time wasted on engraving nothing during the return from right to left after each row...

[Lynn Misanti]

So my co-worker and I have been going through the tutorials suggested as well as some that JDS put out. The owner is convinced that we should throw ourselves completely into Corel Draw over GravoStyle. I just feel that GravoStyle has all of our files for the last 15 years and converting all those files to Corel Draw would make for a difficult time during our busy season. Any advice for talking to him about keeping both programs?

[Kev Williams]

try as you might, you WILL go back to Gravostyle, at least occasionally--
I had Gravostyle a long time before I started giving in to learning how to use it. Why did finally give in? I'd gotten my first laser, and was learning Corel, and sheer frustration at times got the best of me. All I can say now is I'm glad I did learn it, as shortly afterwards I picked up my IS machines, which require Gravostyle to run. But much of what I run on those machines starts in Corel

Corel and Gravostyle are not girlfriends, it's okay to use both

[Mike Null]

I am a big fan of Corel but I agree with those who support both.

I like Alex Galvez for Corel tutorials. He's on youtube.

I also have issues with Adobe PDF and use Foxit instead.

[Ross Moshinsky]

So my co-worker and I have been going through the tutorials suggested as well as some that JDS put out. The owner is convinced that we should throw ourselves completely into Corel Draw over GravoStyle. I just feel that GravoStyle has all of our files for the last 15 years and converting all those files to Corel Draw would make for a difficult time during our busy season. Any advice for talking to him about keeping both programs?

Re-creating files for the fun of it makes little sense. We do it when we have to, but not for fun. The biggest reason I'll do it is if the Gravostyle computer is in use doing something else. We'll just do a quick remake in Illustrator which keeps the day moving.

I'm not going to break down the pros and cons of each software. What I will say is this: You need to do an apples to apples comparison. Pick 5-6 jobs that come in over the next few weeks and do the layouts in Gravostyle vs Corel and compare the time spent.

Gravostyle will win every single time for variable text orders. It's far superior in every way to Corel. If you get an order for 50 pieces with just a name change, Corel can do it, but the lack of a line width limiting function makes it useless. You'll have to manually edit each long name which is time consuming and will result in human error.

I personally can crank out one off's faster in Illustrator than I can in Gravostyle. I also find doing crystal work to be better in Illustrator. I push the vast majority of sublimation work to Illustrator.

Again, use both. There's no point not to.

[Tony Lenkic]

Ross,
When doing print merge in Corel you can make setup for variables like long names using envelope tool to fit names to envelope margins.
This way you eliminate manual editing.