Which drawing program for signs??

Apr 07, 2008 9 Replies

Hi, I just received Jim Bartz's DVD on routing signs. In it he uses a drawing program that allows multiple fonts, large size work to be printed out on a homeprinter in tile mode to be later taped together in order to transfer pattern to wood. I only have MS paint which doesn't seem to let me do that type of designing. What programs are available that you use?



Thanks, Barry


I just googled Jim Bartz and routing. The site I picked said I had to load an "active X object" to play the video. When I did that, my whole computer went crazy. It even changed my wallpaper to a wallpaper that says I have spyware threats and to "click here".

Pete Stanaitis

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Barry Kwasny wrote:

Inkscape. It's open source and free. It also works with SVG, a vector format rather than a bitmap. This is useful for re-sizable things, like router control.

You can also use the equally free and open source Gimp as a substitute for MS Paint as a bitmap editor. However I quite like Inkscape, but couldn't claim the same of The Gimp.

Both of these run under Linux (try Ubuntu), but also run fine under Windows.

Google's Sketchup is worth a look too.

For vector-based drawings/fonts etc, I think Adobe Illustrator is the cat's pajamas... but not free.

r

Hi Barry,

I use corel draw for all my drawing and artwork projects. It allows for multiplr fonts and sizes.

Randy

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Pete, It sounds like you have a case of Ultimate Cleaner - I got it by loading an "active X object", too. Stopzilla seems to have killed it (no affiliation with them, just happy to have found something that works). Norton doesn't seem to recognize Ultimate Cleaner. Kerry

SFWIW, it is my understanding the ONLY place to safely get an Active X update is the MicroSoft web site.

Lew

"Lew Hodgett" wrote

That is downright neighborly of them. They provide a safe environment to download the very thing that many hackers load their malware onto.

Almost any program that allows you to design what you want on the screen will allow you to size your project larger than 8 1/2 X 11 and when you send it to your printer, the printer software will allow you to print it in multi page format so that you can re-assemble it and tape it to your lumber. I used MS Word and created a sign in the largest possible font size, then printed it out and made the sign. In fact, my printer software let me make it even bigger than it was in MS Word so I was able to make an even bigger sign this way. Graphics programs and photo programs will also let you do this. It just takes some experimenting to see what is possible with the program that you have.

Charley

Ain't it, though. Firefox is far more resistant to that kind of thing than IE.

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It's the only browser I've used for years.

-- Doug

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