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![]() Which Sign Making Software Should You Own? Part 2
There are many factors to include in your decision such as, your budget, the type of signs you intend to make, the kind of hardware such as cutters and printers that you want to run and of course the difficulty in learning the feature set of the software. Other factors include your personal skill set, and what post-sales training the reseller will provide in addition to the software purchase. Will you yourself be using the software or will you hire someone to do the design and production? Are you just starting out in the business or is this a shop growth decision?
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Our last article, dealt with "shareware" software. This article will highlight software referred to as "bridge" software, the software link that connects your design software to your output device.
What is "Bridge" software?
For the sign shop, the design software is one shore and the output device is the other, making the river your project. For many sign layouts, the project is simple and all that is needed is a simple bridge. For more complex projects, a more robust bridge may be necessary.
Part of the attraction of "bridgeware" is its relatively inexpensive cost. Many popular "bridge" choices are less than $500, making them affordable to any size shop. Another popular reason is that many sign shops employ individuals who are quite familiar with desktop design programs such as CorelDraw, Adobe Illustrator or others.
All that is needed is a way to "cross the river" to the output device. Over the last few years, bridgeware has gained popularity due in part to its low cost and relatively simple learning curve. Undoubtedly, bridges are here to stay.
What kinds of shops might find bridgeware useful?
Other sign shops may only have a small budget to expand to a needed second design and output station, yet they have sufficient demand for that station.
In both situations, staff members may be more familiar with desktop publishing software as opposed to dedicated sign making software. Bridgeware can always help in these types of situations.
What are some negatives to bridgeware?
Since many of the folks using bridgeware are actually designers or artists more familiar with design, coming face-to-face with a screen full of options needed to cut a job on a vinyl cutter can be challenging. Learning complex output options or seeing the use of terms directed toward manufacturing a sign can be confusing and slow production.
Finally, keep in mind it's "bridgeware", meaning that you must have a design package to actually layout the sign. This is not standalone software. Versions of a design package change and can affect compatibility with your chosen bridgeware.
--- Continue Below to See What's Out There ---
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What's out there?
This bridgeware comes in several flavors and it is important to carefully read about the feature set, output devices supported etc before choosing the right version for you.
In the vinyl shop, cutting by color is important, and CoCut does support this feature. After looking at the two menus presented thus far, I think you can begin to see that even though the software is relatively inexpensive, it will require some time to learn in order to take full advantage of the products features.
Indeed, a nice feature of this software is the ability to "see" how the images will cut on your vinyl, as well as an estimate of the amount of vinyl needed.
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This solution is strictly for CorelDraw users, but with the low cost and a feature set that is adequate for many users projects. After installing, SignTools3 becomes a script in CorelDraw, and access is as easy as clicking on the script. After adjusting the design with features like outline, shadows and such, the drawing will be transferred to a cut menu through the HPGL export filter. I found the system a bit modular, but hey, it's also pretty cheap and it works!
The interface is set up with a well-arranged set of options on the left and easy to understand tabs at the bottom, making this bridge one of the easier ones to use right out of the box.
The company makes the following statement on their website: "ClikLink™ is a great function that will save a lot of time and work for you. One click and your image is directly moved to or from your open Corel Draw document. Conclipse ProCut XP is naturally compatible with most other graphics and sign software."
Which Sign Making "Bridge" Software Should You Choose? Sign Making Evaluation Checklist Questions to ask:
Next Part Three - Evaluating Commercial Sign Making Software Mark Rugen is the President of Visual Communications Tuscaloosa, Alabama www.givemehelp.com, a consulting company specializing in the sign trade.
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