corel 07 dec
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Published for the Association of CorelDRAWreg Professionals (ACDRP) wwwcoreldrawprocom
the entrepreneurial magazine for CorelDRAWreg
users worldwide
December 2007
Cover Art by
Marian MillerDetails on page 7
Top Products of the Year Laser amp Printer Power Webcams
December 2007 2Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
December 2007 3Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
CONTENTSDecember 2007
Colorado Heirloom Web AdConde Systems Web AdCustom Graphic Technology Web AdEpilog Laser Corp Web AdGeo Knight amp Co Web AdJBL Graphics Web AdJohn E Lepper Inc Web AdJohnson Plastics Web AdLaser Reproductions Web AdLaserBits Inc Web AdLaserSketch Web AdNampR International Web AdParamount Services Inc Web AdProLink Graphics Svc Web AdSCT Crystal Web AdThe Magic Touch USA Web AdTrotec Laser Inc Web AdUniversal Laser Systems Web Ad
ADVERTISER INDEX
DEPARTMENTS
Click ldquoWebrdquo to go to advertiserrsquos website Click ldquoAdrdquo to go to the ad in this issue Clicking the ad itself will go to website
TRAINING How to Use APPLICATIONS How to Apply OPPORTUNITIES How to Profit
5 Graphics News Wire with link to News Details
7 About the Cover Marian Millerrsquos Snowflake
10 Inside ACDRP Winter -- Time to Prepare
38 GNN Network38 Marketplace39 Contributing Writers
Pg 24
10 Using CorelDRAW Using Preview Modes in Image Adjustment Lab by Corel Corp
11 Using CorelDRAW Bitmap vs Vector by Dave Demoret 13 Inside Color ldquoRAWrdquo by David Milisock
15 Inside TransfersHeadstart on Spring by Bill Leek
16 Inside PrintSublimationCreating Sublimation Product Templates by John McDaniel
18 Inside Screen PrintingUsing Specialty Platens Part 2 by Jeff McDaniel
21 Inside SandblastingScreening the Abrasive by Judy McDaniel
22 Inside EngravingMachine Accuracy 7 Structural Integrity by John McDaniel
24 Laser TipCombining Laser amp PrinterPower by Kathryn Arnold
25 Electronic Frontier Webcams by Louie Alvarez
ldquoAny process that does not have the image editor and RAW
converter in a coordinated manner will totally negate any benefit of using RAWrdquo
David Milisock p 13
Pg 10
28 Top Products of the Yearby Editor Mike Neer
36 Marketing Secrets December -- Time to Review by Donna Gray
40 Traveling Tidbits Rep Volunteers People Skills and An Agreement by Otis Veteto
December 2007 4Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
December 2007 5Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
GRAPHICS NEWS WIREDecember 2007
Product News Headlines
Calendar (Web Link)Check out the upcoming training
classes and trade shows of interest to CorelDRAW users
Dog Tags for Kids Project Needs Help
TheMagicTouch USA opens Florida branch
SanMar debuts its 2008 Premium Collection catalog
ASI launches Product Data Service for custom websites
Stahlsrsquo ID Direct introduces Professor Upperplaten
AWT World Trade introduces digital timer and high-output lamps
Unisub introduces new ChormaLuxeTM clock
Roland names David Goward president and CEO
Midwest Sign to carry full line of Roland printers
Midwest Sign offers Rho 600 Pictor Flatbed UV inkjet printer
Colman amp Co offers new Backing-in-a-Box
Hirsch has Third Hand Air Cap Framing system
EmbSuppliescom has Allied Grid-Lock Tubular Frames
Stahlsrsquo ID Direct releases CAD-COLORreg Solutions Opaque
Johnson Plastics offers new gift items for personalization
LaserBits adds cribbage boards and glass photos frames
December 2007 6Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
December 2007 7Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
About the Cover
Editorrsquos Note This is the 3rd cover Marian has done for us Her first one was using scientific illustrations and the second was a stained glass pattern Now for this one this versatile CorelDRAW artist has created a pattern from a real snowflake
This snowflake cover began as an image of a real snowflake (which was found on the internet and photographed by Ken Libbrecht a scientist at California Institute of Technology in Pasadena CA) He kindly offered to let me use his images as patterns for stained glass (httpPDQpatternscom) His photo gallery can be found at httpwwwsnowcrystalsnetgallery1smindexhtm
The following is what I can remember of how I created this snowflake design Usually there are numerous iterations and failed attempts in producing such a design with countless objects and fills numerous crashes and failed clipboards Saving separate versions often along the journey is imperative and sometimes things just happen serendipitously that are really great too but how they were arrived at I donrsquot always remember precisely
Initially a symmetrical hexagon was created using the polygon tool and the control key With the objectrsquos size menu it was resized to the desired dimensions A jpg image of the ldquorealrdquo snowflake was imported and viewed with the wireframe mode (altV W) and sized to match the vector hexagon I checked to see that the hexagon was rotated so that there was a point at the top (the default in x3) which makes right-to-left mirroring of objects easy Each element (object) on the right half of one arm of the snowflake was created using the bezier tool and the node edit menu (for cusprsquod and curved lines) These objects were grouped and a horizontal mirror image duplicate was created and moved to fill the left half of the snowflake arm--in alignment with the right side group To blend two objects in the center of the snowflake arm all objects were ungrouped then adjacent objects to be combined were selected and the menu chosen - arrangegtshapinggtcreate a new object surrounding selected objects The new object
Marian Millerrsquos Snowflakewas moved a notch with the up arrow key and the two original objects deleted then the new object was moved back down into place If you use the arrow keys to move the new object instead of dragging with the mouse then it will fit back into place perfectly This was done for several mirrored objects in the snowflake arm to eliminate the ldquocut and pasterdquo feeling and the line down the center of the snowflake arm When the right and left arms (halves) of the snowflakersquos single arm were complete then it was aligned with the top (point) and vertical center of the original hexagon Right and left halves of the arm were selected grouped and copied The entire snowflake image was selected (including the hexagon in the background) and rotated 30 degrees and the clipboard pasted (the pasted arm should fall exactly in the next point of the hexagon [One must select the whole hexagon and its contents to have it rotate correctly to allow the pasted snowflake arm to fall into the right place] The entire image is selected again rotated 30 degrees again then pasted (the arm) again It also should have fallen right into the next point of the hexagon This is continued until all six rays of the snowflake are filled
For the center hexagon a new symmetrical hexagon was created and reduced using the arrangegttransformgtscale menu until it matched the snowflake center then converted lsquoto curvesrsquo with arrangegtconvert to curves options All nodes were selected and the node edit icon to ldquomake-nodes-smoothrdquo was clicked which symmetrically rounded the corners of the hexagon The center hexagon was rotated by 30 degrees and centered to the snowflake outline The jpg of the original snowflake was deleted
All objects were ungrouped then regrouped as selected pairs of objects (eg similar objects in all six arms) to fill with colorful jpgs (or machine fill using the paint bucket option) For filling grouped objects with imported raster files a file is imported selected then the menu effectsgtpowerclipgtplace inside container is used A black arrow appears and the mouse is used to point to the object to be filled The position of the fill inside the object was edited by selecting
the object and choosing effectsgtpowerclipgtedit contents (move the jpg where you want or size it stretch or rotate) then in the left lower corner of the screen click on ldquofinished editing this level ldquo)
I used stained glass jpgs downloaded from websites of the numerous stained glass producers such as Armstrong and Spectrum Glass (mostly Spectrum Glass jpgs were used here) The line thickness was increased and line color was selected with a right click over the color palate
To fill the outside hexagon outline was increased to 16 pts then the object was converted to curves and filled with a colorful jpg file The whole design consisted of copied and pasted finished snowflakes into a pattern (in this instance adjacent hexagons) The arrangegtshapegttrim options were used to trim off snowflake areas that were not wanted
Finally all objects were selected grouped and the size of the snowflake design determined A rectangle of those same dimensions was created then centered to the page arrangedgtorderedgtsent to back then filled
Contact Marian at marianpdqpatternscom or visit her site at wwwpdqpatternscom 3945 Red Bud Ave Cincinnati OH 45229 513-558-1715 (w)
December 2007 8Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Inside ACDRP
By Michael Neer Executive Director
Winter ndash A Time to Prepare
In many parts of the world winter comes in with a white blanket of snow across the fields and streets People tend to stay indoors out of the cold so if you go outside itrsquos very quiet and still Therersquos less hustle and bustle in the marketplace The pace of life is slower Errands take longer Holidays put the attention more on family and less on business In fact itrsquos a time when many industry businesses either close or are open fewer hours Few new products are launched Most business owners are waiting to make announcements at the start of the new year
DECEMBER 2007
Published by Association of CorelDRAWreg Professionals
President John H McDanielVice President Judith McDaniel
Executive Director Michael R Neer Assoc Exec Director Steven V Neer
ACDRP Corporate Office Albany OR
EDITOR PUBLISHER ndash Michael R Neermikeneercoreldrawprocom
GRAPHICS ndash John MiseADVERTISING ndash John McDaniel II jhmcdaniel2coreldrawprocom
541-990-6687
OFFICES Membership amp Publishing offices located at
4709 N El Capitan Suite 103Fresno CA 93722
800-276-8428 559-276-8494 Fax 559-276-8496wwwCorelDRAWProcomeditorcoreldrawprocom
Subscriptions Free to qualified individuals and businesses Send change of address to the above
ACDRP Membership $60yr See the website for details Includes exclusive content and more
Advertising Request a Media Guide or download it from wwwCorelDRAWProcom
Writers CorelDRAWPro accepts articles from industry experts Email publisher for details
copy Copyright 2007 by ACDRP All Rights Reserved
So when this kind of mood is in the air we can make the most of it by using this time to prepare for the next year Itrsquos a time of review and planning ndash or sometimes finishing up projects that have been delayed
Thatrsquos why in this issue we provide you with several articles that will help you prepare for a great 2008
Donna Gray discusses how she reviews her business and plans for 2008
Bill Leek describes 10 ways you can prepare for more success in 2008 in terms of equipment training purchases and more
We present our annual Top Products of the Year story which is designed to call your attention to the most significant new products of 2007 ndash so you can try them out or see the trends that may be coming next year
Plus this is a good time to get the training you or your staff needs to be more competitive in 2008 Check out the CorelDRAWPro Bookstore for CDs books and videos and also the ProLink Graphics ad and the Calendar link in this issue for specific training events
Wersquod like to thank all of our subscribers and members for your loyal support during the year Thank you for your comments your questions and your attendance at MMcdr Our goal is to bring you more and better information about graphics and making money and we think 2008 will be full of both See you next year
December 2007 9Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
December 2007 10Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Using CorelDRAWregTraining
By Corel CorporationUsing Preview Modes in Image Adjustment Lab
When working with files that have poor color balance and contrast you need to use many different tools to make adjustments You can save valuable time by using the Image Adjustment Lab which is accessible from both Corel PHOTO-PAINTreg and CorelDRAWreg By uniting the most important manual and automatic controls required for common color and tone corrections the Image Adjustment Lab offers a fast intuitive way to achieve professional results with your image files
With the Image Adjustment Lab you can use different preview modes for evaluating the color and tone adjustments you make You can preview the corrected image in a single window view the original and corrected images in separate windows or view the image split into original and corrected portions within one window
The Image Adjustment Lab also lets you create snapshots of your adjustments with just one click The snapshots appear below the working preview which lets you easily compare each snapshot against the original version and then choose the best result
The preview mode buttons (A) and the Create Snapshot
button (B)
To open the Image Adjustment LabDo one of the following If yoursquore working in CorelDRAW click Bitmaps gt Image Adjustment Lab If yoursquore working in Corel PHOTO-PAINT click Adjust gt Image Adjustment Lab
To preview the corrected image in a single window
After correcting the image click the Full Preview button
To view the original and corrected images in separate windows
After correcting the image click the Before and after full preview button
To view original and corrected portions of an image in one window
After correcting the image click the Before and after split preview button
To capture the current version of your image
Click the Create Snapshot button
Thumbnails of the snapshots appear in a window below your image Each snapshot is numbered sequentially and can be deleted by clicking the Close button in the upper-right corner of the snapshot title bar
December 2007 11Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Using CorelDRAWregTraining
By Dave Demoret Contributing writerBitmap vs Vector
BITMAPSOne of the reasons bitmaps are not the desired image of choice in our industry is
that they do not reproduce well when enlarging the image Nor do they lend themselves to our process of decorating at least in screen printing embroidery and vinyl cutting to mention a few markets We need to use color in solid object form to achieve many of the end products we produce Color is very difficult to change in a bitmap image so we tend to lean towards the vector side to achieve our goals
One of the most confusing issues especially for beginners is the difference between bitmap also called raster and vector images To help clarify this take a look at the images on the side Bitmaps are made up of thousands of pixels (short for picture elements) which are tiny squares usually of different colors that form a picture These pixels are what make up the resolution of a given picture or bitmap image In lithography they are commonly referred to as dpi or dots per inch ndash thatrsquos for printing resolution We also use the dpi designation when we are talking about pixels per inch (ppi) in our industry but thatrsquos not technically correct Pixels per inch (ppi) refers to resolution on a monitor However we are looking at the scanning and the end product resolution in this article and therefore we are mostly concerned with the standard dpi measurement
Bitmaps are usually scanned into a graphics program or taken from a digital camera using the dpi designation In the illustrations here a 300 dpi (dots per inch) image is somewhat defined and appears to have clean edges but as we enlarge the image we are in effect decreasing the dots per inch We are making the dots themselves larger and therefore there are fewer dots that will fit into a one inch space By increasing the size using dpi or enlarging the bitmap using the dpi measurement we begin to see pixels and
very rough edge definition This is not especially good for printing or digitizingIf you have an image to print at 300 dpi to heat press on a t-shirt it can look pretty
good but if you want that same image to go on the back of a jacket and you try to enlarge it you will get the lsquojaggiesrsquo It is very difficult to take a low resolution image and increase the size while maintaining any kind of clarity or quality image
On the other hand if you have a low resolution image that needs to be reduced you will increase the image resolution because you will be putting more dots in that same one inch This simply means that a 300 dpi resolution image reduced by 50 will become a 600 dpi resolution
Image Size -vs- Image DPIAllow me to take this one step further to explain image dpi versus image size
When you have a 5 x 7 photo and you scan it into your CorelDRAWreg or scanning software you have the option of selecting the resolution using the dpi measurement If you want to enlarge the photo for your project increase the dpi I usually scan most everything at least a minimum of 600 dpi (figure 1) Others I will scan at 1200 to 1800 dpi to get a better quality print when I enlarge it enough to fit on a shirt Yes it does take longer to scan but the work on the other end is reduced dramatically
Remember that a 600 dpi image when reduced will become a 1200 dpi image In reverse the same 600 dpi image (figure 1) when enlarged will become a 300 dpi image (figure 2) This is all coming from the same 5 x 7 size image Size really doesnrsquot make a difference Itrsquos the resolution that will give you the quality that you are looking for
Resampling in CorelDRAWMost of the images you download
December 2007 12Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Using CorelDRAWregTraining
from the Internet will be 72 dpi (figure 3) and some are at 96 dpi These images are low grade and will need to be used at the existing size You can help them a little by using the lsquoResamplersquo in the pull down menu under Bitmaps in the Menu Bar of CorelDRAW This wonrsquot help a lot but may give you some assistance with some images The problem here is that the image will look slightly smoother but if enlarged much at all you will see it as being fuzzy or out of focus (figure 4) Play with resampling at several higher dpi choices and image sizes to get a feel for what you can and can not do
VECTOR IMAGESVector graphics are images that are made from mathematical
computations That is there is a certain shape and color associated with an outline and that area is the vector object as shown with one of the links here (figure 1) There are no definite objects or outlines in a bitmap It is simply thousands or millions of pixels each of a different color shade or tint That is why bitmaps are so hard to change easily With a vector image you simply select an object within the graphic and change the shape size and color with the tools provided in your graphics software
In contrast to the bitmap the vector image can be enlarged to any size without any distortion of edge definition This allows us to generate an image for a business card or a left chest logo on a t-shirt or a name tag then turn around and enlarge that same image to be placed on a billboard without any distortion of the image All the objects lines and integrity of the image are still intact (figure 2) no matter what size we select You can also see in figure 2 with the magnification that all the lines are still crisp sharp edges with no distortions
Vector images are the base images used in embroidery screen printing vinyl graphics and other markets within our graphics industry Many manufacturers today have geared their software as an add-on to CorelDRAW because of the ease clarity and flexibility that vector images offer
You can change a vector into a bitmap image with the click of a few buttons It takes considerably longer in most cases to change a bitmap into a vector file Most of the time
you will have to manually redraw or trace the bitmap image to convert it to a vector file There are programs out today that will convert these for you at least up to a point CorelDRAW is one of these programs PowerTrace is an auto trace feature used in the latest version of CorelDRAW
Printing ImagesWhile you will want to create your graphics in a vector
format you should know some basic principles of printing these two file choices One is that when you print a vector file it can take several times longer to print than a bitmap image of the same graphic Therefore for most of my printing in digital format like sublimation or heat transfer I will save a copy of my vector graphic as an original and make a duplicate copy to convert to a bitmap format for printing purposes
Another thing that most beginners donrsquot know is that if you are creating an image with CMYK Color Palette and print it to an inkjet printer you will throw off your color in the printed piece For example blues generally tend to turn to a violet lavender or purple shade Check with your supplier or distributor to help you set your printer to lsquoOutput color bitmaps as RGBrsquo And use your RGB Color Palette to color your graphic images
Dave Demoret founded Prolink Graphic Services to help people understand and profit from learning CorelDRAW He has been in both the Flat Graphics Industry and the Decorating Graphics Industry over the past 30 years He has written several articles for Screen Graphics Magazine on Color Control amp Matching in the past Dave has used CorelDRAWreg since version 3 and became a CorelDRAW Training Partner in 2006 During the past 5 years he has been conducting workshops all over the US and is the author of several Video CDs amp Instructional CDs on CorelDRAW Dave continues to conduct workshops in the US amp also worldwide online He can be reached at 765-DO COLOR (362-6567) or by email at davedprolinkgscom
December 2007 13Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE COLORBy David Milisock Training
Wow Powerful Controversial Useful I find the latter term to be most honest as shooting photos in the RAW format allows as much chance for the image to be ruined as it does for it to be improved The key to it being an improved experience rather then a ruined experience is of course understanding what the technology is all about work flow calibration and your skill
First off all cameras shoot RAW lower-cost cameras just wonrsquot let you save the file without an automated conversion process Here is the definition of RAW as printed in my new book Color Management in the CorelDRAW Graphics Suite for Professionals Small Office and Home Office capture C (to be released January 2008)
RAW is a file format that is proprietary to the camera manufacturer They are linear-gamma grayscale images from digital color filter arrays All these files require processing by a RAW converter to convert them to an RGB image
What this means to the user outside of the photographic ramifications is that the user needs to understand how the process is going to affect their color How this comes about is that the camera has a capture array that has red green and blue sensors Or an array that has filters to make some sensors only sensitive to red some only to blue and some only to green Each set of red blue and green sensors creates grayscale data that has to be combined to three channels Color is not only applied to the channels based on the value of the grayscale but a color space is assigned All cameras do this some just donrsquot let you do it manually
What Irsquom saying Is that as soon as the RAW converter develops a color display a color space has been assigned In fact the application has to have a
ldquoRAWrdquostandard color space to base the preview display on or your color edits would have no meaning
Stand-alone applications may allow you to choose what color space to apply to the image Some do not some force you to use an ultra-wide gamut RGB color space like Prophoto RAW Lab or plug-ins within image editing applications are most likely to use the internal (working) RGB of the application
So often it is written that RAW files have no color space and this is a true-falsehood True as long as they are still linear grayscale data streams of no value to anyone without a RAW converter but false as soon as you start the process of making a universally accepted RGB image of them
The key to the process is making sure that you understand what color space your converter assigned to the image so you can coordinate the internal RGB of Corel PHOTO-PAINTreg Make sure to activate the arrow from the internal RGB to the monitor
Any process that does not have the image
editor and RAW converter working in a coordinated manner will totally negate any benefit of using RAW You simply wonrsquot know what colors yoursquore really working with and thatrsquos not good for a process that was supposed to improve your work not make it worse
To my mind that biggest problem I see is that multiple RAW converter applications when viewing a RAW file as shot by the camera can have vastly different displays of the same image See capture A amp B (blurred on purpose) if you have a mind to try using RAW converting I suggest calibrating your display system first as this RAW image when opened in 4 different RAW converters has the white balance temperature identified
Coming Soon to the CorelDRAWPro Book Store A new book by columnist
David Milisock
Color Management in the CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
For Professionals Small Office and Home Office
Basic Color Theory bull Postscript and Non-Postscript Devices
RIPs for Ink Jets and Press bull Adobe Color Coordination
Color Continuity During Exportation bull and Much More
December 2007 14Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE COLOR
as four different values ranging from 2850 to 9980 OUCH Itrsquos hard to believe that the same data has been interpreted to be as shot by the camera judging by these two images isnrsquot it
This can only be described as an extremely painful experience Now you canrsquot rely on the software to interpret the data properly so the only thing you have that you can rely on is your calibrated work flow and your good sense
Another complaint that I have about stand-alone RAW converter applications is that in many cases the image display within the application is so poor that I cannot make a reasonable editing decision for any color or sharpening The image is glassy like in Paint Shop Pro or too soft like in Photoshopreg not sharp and clear like in PHOTO-PAINT OUCH
Please note in Capture A the Adobe RGB color space is already in play (see lower left corner) The adjustments available as shown in this capture are typical for RAW converters and
this capture will show them to you I am neither pro nor con RAW What Irsquove found is that
it is most generally used like image editor in place of good photography This is not always a bad thing Saving the cost on another shooting session through technology certainly has its selling point
Another observation Irsquove noticed is that as the cost of the cameras goes up the quality of their built-in conversion also goes up Many times they will save TIF instead of JPG files This is a real plus In studio settings with a superior camera you most likely will work your butt off and not be as good as the built-in RAW conversion of a studio quality camera On site live shoots is where the RAW conversion application seems to have a place to be most useful in my mind
Irsquom a Corel PHOTO-PAINT guy and I love my sharp clean PHOTO-PAINT display So until Corel PHOTO-PAINT has a RAW converter Irsquom sticking with the camera conversion and a TIF file for studio work But I will certainly use RAW when it benefits my client which benefits me
Watch out next month itrsquos going to be HOT
David Milisock is president of Custom Graphic Technologies Inc He has been in the print production business since 1975 and specializes in professional support for the CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite He can be reached at 717-509-3523 or davidmilisockcomcastnet See full bio on Writers Page
Itrsquos Who Knows YOU Network Your Way to Successby Chien J Wang president of Toujours Inc
Turbo-charge your networking with unique strategies that work Chien at-tends 10-12 events a week and has created a system for turning contacts into customers and customers into lifelong relationships
wwwcoreldrawprocomallbookstorehtm
Captures A amp B Two blurry images (on purpose) showing what happens to the white balance when opened in
different RAW converters This is typical
December 2007 15Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE TRANSFERSBy Bill Leek Applications
Headstart on Spring 10 Things You Can Do in January to Make 2008 a Successful Year
I have to be honesthellipMy normal inclination after the holiday season is to relax and take it easy for a few weeks It seems that after a very busy year I really deserve it But small- to medium-size business owners cannot afford to do this The few weeks of relative calm after Christmas are too valuable to squander
Every year I write up an action plan for January Hear are some ideas that you may find valuable
1) Follow the lead of the big retailers Valentinersquos Day is almost here and Easter is early this year Get your new spring displays mailings emails and catalogs out right after the holidays Highlight some new products with spring themes every year
2) Offer January specials with sizable discounts if you anticipate a slow month Use coupons and thank you gifts to show appreciation to your loyal long-term customers
3) Br igh ten up your display space with new graphics fixtures and lighting Look into new LED displays They offer superior lighting at significantly lower cost and maintenance LED
technology will replace both incandescent and neon lighting and signage in just a few years
4) Spend some time to really learn your software application January is a great time to learn new features and upgrade your Corel Software Buy a guide or an interactive CDDVD to speed up the learning curve
5) January is a great time to find new vendors equipment and imprintables You have more time and the vendors may be more responsive as sales are slower You very well might be able to make that great deal on a piece of capital equipment yoursquove wanted for some time
Ask vendors to provide you with samples of new inks imprintables and transfer papers Test washability compare color quality and evaluate production ease
Look at the new technologies -- direct printing on soft and hardgoods eco-solvent inks color laser printer transfer and new sublimation coatings are all ldquohotrdquo areas to investigate
6) Donrsquot just perform a physical inventory Evaluate inventory turnover and get rid of any dead items that are just taking up shelf space
7) Look at your customer base Are you trying to be all things to all people Are there specific niches where you have had greater success
than others Determine how to build on your strengths and possibly remove yourself from markets that are not profitable
8) Organize an email list of all your existing customers and solid leads Improve your communications with a newsletter Donrsquot overkill with your emailshelliptherersquos a fine line between informative and irritating
9) Sit down and list your major accomplishments and failures of the past year Try to assign a quantitative measure where you can Make a detailed list in each area and honestly investigate what resulted in success or failure
10) Come up with a list of 10-20 goals that you can realistically achieve in 2008 These goals can be defined as specific actions or financial results Create a small poster and display it in place where you will see it every day Go over the list every month and ask yourself how you are doing
I wish you all a Very Happy New Year I will try to keep you informed of all the exciting technical and market developments in 2008 Thanks for all your questions ideas and support during the past year
Add quality imprintables from Unisub for the
Valentinersquos Day market
December 2007 16Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE PRINTSUBLIMATIONBy Judy and John McDaniel Applications
Creating Sublimation Product Templates
Last time we finished all the background stuff now wersquoll get on to making things Wersquoll start with flat products which include plaques tiles shirts and other garments etc Later wersquoll explore specialty items like cups
Creating a Product Template FileThe first step in designing graphics for any new
product that we intend to make again and again is to create a product template Templates give us layouts into which we can place our text and graphics They may take a little time to set up initially however they make it much easier and faster to produce products once the templates are available
The first step in designing a template is to determine the page size in CorelDRAWreg For sublimated products that requires we decide what size the finished transfer will be The size of the transfer will determine the page size
The finished transfer may or may not be the size of the printed sheet For example if we are printing transfers for t-shirts generally they will be on full 11 x 17 sheets That said we have some layouts that will be printed in portrait orientation vertical on the shirt and some in landscape horizontal We have both styles available as templates If we are including a customerrsquos photo in the finished design the orientation of the photo might determine which template we use
For ceramic tiles the transfer may be the size of an individual tile or perhaps the size of a tile array For plaques the transfer is generally slightly larger than the print area of the plaque -- 4 x 6 5 x 7 8 x 10 etc For badges our template might be the size of a single badge or if we have a fixture for pressing badges our template might be the size of the fixture If wersquore pressing ceramic steins and cups we might have an array of templates some for fronts backs full wraps and full wraps edge to edge
Another variable to consider when creating a sublimation template is the size
of your printer and heat press The largest transfer that can be printed or pressed will determine the upper limit of the templatersquos page size These factors are only of concern for large items like shirts
In our shop we have both wide format (11inch) and standard (85 inch) sublimation printers We can choose roll material or standard sheets Currently our largest flat press is 14 x 16 inches so thatrsquos our upper limit for flat product images
Creating a T-shirt TemplateRemember creating a template is something you
only do one time for each item in your inventory and for any variations you would like to have available Creating
Photo 1
Photo 2
December 2007 17Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE PRINTING
a template file takes a little time in the beginning but saves a lot of time in the long run
With these factors in mind Irsquoll go through the steps of creating a special-occasion t-shirt template The first one Irsquoll create will be in portrait orientation If yoursquod like to follow along open CorelDraw to a new project 11 x 17 paper and set the orientation to portrait
Set Guidelines Next wersquoll bring in some guidelines These will
help us see the image area we have to work with For this project Irsquoll set guidelines at frac12 inch in from the left and right 1 inch in from the top and 3 inches up from bottom The guides are for visual reference This is the maximum text and graphics layout area
Since this is a vertical layout our graphic will be 1 inch down from the top edge of the transfer If we set the shirt on the press with the collar at the top edge then all wersquoll have to do is align the transfer to the top edge of the press and the image will be 1 inch down from the shirt collar
Irsquove limited the vertical image area to 13 inches Allowing an inch down from the top will make the bottom of the image 14 inches down from the collar Thatrsquos
ok for an adult large or XL shirt but you may want to adjust the area for smaller shirts
As a part of this layout Irsquove created a couple of layers One Irsquove called text and one picture These layers will be used for the graphic elements of the final template As an option you can also create a non-printing layer that contains a rectangle Since the layout is off centered you can use the rectangle to align your text and graphics but the rectangle will not print (See picture 1)
Save Your TemplateYou can now save this simple layout
as a CorelDRAW template To do that click on FileSave Ashellip and select CDT ndash CorelDRAW Template (see picture 2)
I normally save templates in a special folder however if yoursquore using Windows Vista its sort capabilities reduce the need to organize your files (See picture 3)
You can use this generic template as is You can also use it as a base for creating other templates Next time wersquoll make some additions to customize it for a special occasion Wersquoll also look at how we can use templates
Judy and John McDaniel are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry For information on training services offered and their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom They can be reached by phone at 541-967-4271 via SKYPE (user name JHMcDaniel) or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom See full bio on Writers Page
December 2007 18Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTINGBy Jeff McDaniel Applications
Using Specialty Platens Part 2Background
In our last article we touched on the steps required to create a master transfer for our specialty platen We also briefly reviewed locating the artwork and attaching the capillary film to the screen In this article we will expose our screens rinse them and produce our pocket patch CorelDRAWPro members can look up the more detailed information in the archived articles for June July and August at wwwacdrporg
Our setup and yoursOur setup is the Printa 770 series screen printing machine from Printa Systems Inc
All of the supplies and tools we will cover from here on were provided in the turn-key system from Printa with the 770 Your setup may be from another source but will most likely contain components of what we will discuss below In addition to the standard Printa 770 setup we will be using the ldquoPrint-Allrdquo system from Printa Systems Inc (see figure 1 courtesy of Printa Systems)
Exposing the capillary filmWe left off last article with our screens drying
Now that they are dry we are ready to expose the capillary film Exposing Step 1 we will gently peel the carrier sheet off of the capillary film (see figure 2)
Exposing Step 2 Next we need to put our first image back on the exposure unit and re-install the screen on the printing system Then we can bring the screen down on the
exposure unit attach our blackout board and expose the screen (see figure 3)
Exposing Step 3 After exposure we need to rinse out our screen and inspect it to be certain we have a complete rinse (see figure 4)
Exposing Step 4 Once the image is rinsed out it is time to put the screen back in the dryer (see figure 5)
Re-aligning the screens after wash outFrom the time that we first aligned the
artwork we have taken the screens in and out of the printing system twice If our artwork is even a little bit out of alignment we will lose blanks or put out low quality work It is a good idea to do a final adjustment with the original artwork
Re-Align Step 1 Leaving both of our photo positives on the exposure unit we can inspect the screen location compared to our original artwork location Here is the yellow screen location after exposure and wash out (see figure 6)
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
December 2007 19Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTING
Re-Align Step 2 The black screen is a little bit off (see figure 7) so we will need to use the Printa 770 micro-adjustment knobs to bring it back into alignment (see figure 8)
Masking off the screenNow that our artwork is
lined up correctly we can mask the rest of the screen off Wherever we donrsquot want the ink to run through the screen needs to be masked off (see figures 9 and 10)
Locating the pocket patch on the shirtThere are a couple of different ways to locate the pocket
patch on the shirt The first thing to consider is where you want it to end up on the wearer If the patch is too far toward the sleeve the image will end up under the wearerrsquos arm pit If the image is too far up toward the neck the image will not look right either A good way to figure out the correct location is by looking at a shirt that has a pocket patch on it (maybe one or two are in your closet right now)
Another way to locate the pocket patch is to put on the shirt
size that you wear and mark off where you think it feels correct and comfortable Once you have decided where you would like the patch keeping it in the same relative location on all of the different sizes is not too difficult The actual placement of the shirt can be accomplished a couple of different ways that we know of Which you prefer will depend mostly on if you are more accurate with sight or touch
The sight method involves using a masking tape strip to mark the desired location on the shirt prior to loading it onto the platen (see figure 11)
Once you have your marking in place you can load the shirt on the platen and have a nice representation that you are placing the design in the desired location (see figure 12)
Figure 7 Figure 8
Figure 9
Figure 10
Figure 11
Figure 12
December 2007 20Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTING
We prefer the sight method because it works well with our equipment The ldquoPrint Allrdquo system from Printa Systems Inc uses a smaller platen for pocket patches The smaller platen allows us to load sizes from youth XS ndash adult 5X without stretching
The touch method involves using a standard platen and adding a riser underneath where the pocket patch will be printed (a piece of cut cardboard or thin wood of the appropriate size) With this method you can feel when the shirt is in the correct location and begin printing from there
Inking the screens printing and curingSince we have resolved our location
issues with the pocket patch we are ready to ink the screens print and cure
Printing Step 1 Inking the screens is fairly straightforward (see figure 13)
Printing Step 2 Using the squeegee we will screen our first color (see figure 14) and check the quality of the image (see figure 15)
Printing Step 3 Our first color will need to be flash cured (see figure 16)
Printing Step 4 Now we can add our second color (see figure 17)
Printing Step 5 Finally we can do the finish cure step paying attention to the temperature gauge (see figure 18)
After final curing it is always a good idea to take at least a sampling of the product and wash it to be certain of the curing All of the information on post-job clean-up can be found in the CorelDRAWPro archives for September
Conclusion This time we took our screens out of
the dryer and pushed our project all the way to its completion
Jeff McDaniel is the OwnerOperator of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon Jeff has been working with computers since the age of 5 and was a journeyman machinist before working in the graphic arts business Creative Graphic offers services including laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials You can contact Jeff by email at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
Figure 14
Figure 13
Figure 15
Figure 17
Figure 16
Figure 18
December 2007 21Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SANDBLASTINGBy Judy McDaniel Applications
Screening the AbrasiveKeeping your sandblast abrasive media free
of contaminant material is essential During sandblasting abrasive is mixed with compressed air fed through the supply hose focused by the nozzle and impacts the product Then if itrsquos fine enough it leaves the system as dust or drops to the bottom of the cabinet to be recycled
Other material will also collect in the bottom of the cabinet This debris can include bits of mask (ever wonder where the center of that ldquoerdquo went) bits of tape and possibly solid material dislodged from the product yoursquore blasting This latter source of debris is especially prevalent when yoursquore working on materials other than glass like brick rock and wood
Leaving the debris in the abrasive when itrsquos recycled can cause a variety of problems First if a piece of debris is too large to fit through the nozzle it will clog it More importantly if it does fit through the nozzle and is hard like brick and rock debris it can impact the piece yoursquore working on and ruin it
The obvious solution is to screen the media when you reload the pressure pot The problem is the screen mesh size Irsquove tried the screen supplied by the cabinet manufacturers and used window screening material from a hardware store In both of these cases the mesh size would allow all but the largest pieces of debris through
What Irsquove found that works the best is a spatter screen from a local kitchen store The mesh is woven tightly and filters out much more debris The best thing is its price only a few dollars
One of our cabinets is not self-contained so we have to filter the media by hand We have found that bending the handle up on a large spatter screen
causes it to fit perfectly into the top of the pressure pot We also have a couple of other smaller pressure pots one in fact that you fill with a funnel For those I simply lay the spatter screen over the opening of the pot or the funnel when refilling
If you have a system that recycles the abrasive then it should be equipped with a screen located on top of the pressure pot Make sure to inspect and remove the debris from the top of the screen from time to time A shop-vac works well for this purpose If you find that larger pieces are getting through the screen then contact the manufacturer to see what can be done to reduce the mesh size
Keeping your media clean helps prevent unwanted delays or damage
To all of our friends out there new and old have a safe and joyful holiday season
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from John and me
Judy McDaniel with her husband John are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry In addition they provide one-on-one application support through an email subscription service exclusively for their Hotcdr Hands-On Training students or those who have purchased their CD sets (For information on training services offered visit wwwgraphic-products-trainingcom and for information on their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom) They can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
December 2007 22Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE ENGRAVINGBy John McDaniel Applications
Elements of Machine Accuracy 7 Structural Integrity
So far wersquove covered resolution speed repeatability and hysteresis This time wersquoll discuss structural integrity
What is Structural IntegrityStructural integrity is a measure of a machinersquos
strength or stiffness It is the ability of a machine to resist distortion by forces created in normal operations
Most mechanical engraving machines use single-fluted cutters As these cutters turn they apply cutting force against the material For every action though there is an equal but opposite reaction ie the material resists the cut and thereby transmits a resistive force back through the cutting tool spindle etc and ultimately to the machinersquos frame
Assuming a static bit position the force applied to the machinersquos structure will rotate 360deg with the tool (see diagram 1) As this force rotates any looseness in the structure will result in a deviation in the relationship of the material and the cutter
What machine design factors are involvedStructural integrity includes lead screws and their
hysteresis for mechanical engraving machines spindle bearings and their looseness for both mechanical and laser engravers gantry or table rails their bearings and looseness and the machinersquos frame In fact anything and everything that holds the tool and material in the proper relationship during the cuttingengraving process contributes to or detracts from structural integrity
Why is it importantIn a word Quality Structural integrity influences
the quality of the finished products the machine will produce
For illustration Irsquoll use a mechanical engraving system If the looseness in our machine and the cutting force applied were uniform throughout the 360deg of tool rotation the result would be a wobble in the tool path which might not be visible in the finished product
Cutting ForcesIn the real world however as the tool moves through
the material the cutting and reactive forces go through a cycle (see diagram 2) When the tool starts the cut there is a spike in force The force will level to a constant through the top side of the cut while itrsquos cutting against the direction of the toolrsquos movement Then it will drop somewhat when itrsquos cutting with the toolrsquos movement and finally fall off on the back side as the cutting edge of the tool enters the void area where the material has already been removed
The amount of force applied during the cutting process will vary depending on the material being
cut the tool and its sharpness the depth of cut the material feed rate and whether or not lubricant is used The cutting force may also vary over the length of the job as the toolrsquos cutting edge wears and becomes dull
Machine Component Looseness
In addition to the cutting force not being uniform throughout the 360deg of tool rotation l o o s e n e s s i n t h e machinersquos structure will also vary For example dur ing the cut t ing operation as the tool transitions through 0deg and 180deg of rotation X axis hysteresis will be a factor in overall machine looseness but Y axis hysteresis will have no effect At 90deg and 270deg the Y axis will become a factor but the X axis will have no impact
In the real world any looseness in the machine will cause an oscillation in the cut which will have its own angle If we could slow the toolrsquos movement we would see this oscillation as a sharp jump in the positional relationship between the tool and material being cut In the finished product this sharp jump in position will result in a jagged cut
December 2007 23Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE ENGRAVING Outline amp OverviewThe Nuts and Bolts of Machine AccuracyMachine accuracy or capability can be defined as a result of six features 1 Resolution ndash the smallest incremental movementpositioning of a speci-fied axis 2 Speed ndash the ability to complete a task in a reasonable amount of time without sacrificing accuracy or creating damage to the machine or product 3 Repeatability ndash the ability to duplicate a previous position without error 4 Hysteresis ndash the ldquosloprdquo or ldquoplayrdquo in motion control components 5 Structural Integrity ndash stiffness or strength ndash the ability to cut materials without error or damage This is especially important for mechanical engrav-ers 6 Structural Tolerances ndash the sum accuracy of a machinersquos mechanical components
Machine ComponentsWersquoll examine nine factors that determine a machinersquos accuracy They include 1 Motors ndash including DC Stepper DC Brushless DC Servo and AC Servo a Spindles ndash motors that rotate the cutting bit b Axis Drive ndash motors that position the material to the cutting bit c Horsepower ratings ndash real versus advertised 2 The Motion Control Drive Unit ndash including Geared Belt and Lead Screws a Lead Screws ndash including Acme Re-circulating Ball Standard and Precision b Mounting ndash including Simple Fixed and Thrust bearing types c Protection ndash Open or Closed 3 Guide Rails ndash Types include V Bearing Rail Bushing Shaft Dove Tail and Re-circulating Ball Bearing 4 Encoders ndash Types include Rotary and Linear Methodologies include incremental or absolute 5 Tachometers ndash used for speed stability acceleration and breaking control for closed loop servo systems 6 Bearings ndash including Sleeve Ball and Linear Re-circulating Ball a Applications ndash including Radial Thrust and Linear b Quality ndash Standard thru Ultra Precision 7 Spindles ndash including topbottom loading Collets and Sleeves 8 Material Hold Down ndash including mechanical clamps and vacuum sys-tems 9 Electronic Interface ndash Computer control methods
Wersquoll also examine Reliability what makes it And Serviceability is it fix-able
If the cutting oscillation is at any angle other than the direction of the cut and the oscillation is great enough a jagged cut will be visible in the finished product A cut deviation of as little as 001rdquo is visible to the naked eye and will most commonly show up on curves and circles but may show up on straight lines as well
To illustrate this point a little further and perhaps make it somewhat clearer Irsquod like to refer to diagrams 3 and 4 For purposes of these illustrations we will assume we have a machine that has some looseness on both the X and Y axes However the rest of the machine
is structurally solid the frame is rigid and no other components have any loosenessMaking these assumptions and disregarding the variation in force caused by the cutter
as it travels through the material we will have cutting oscillations at 0deg 180deg 90deg and 270deg during the toolrsquos rotation As the tool travels through the material on its path these oscillations will cause a slight variation in the centerline of the toolrsquos cut
Diagram 3 shows a horizontal tool path While the machine is cutting in this direction any X axis looseness will be masked by the cutter path itself however looseness in the Y axis will result in a slight oscillation in the cutterrsquos horizontal position and therefore a deviation in its cut Diagram 4 shows the effect of the X axis looseness which will impact vertical lines
As you can see from this discussion and these illustrations structural integrity ie looseness in the components from which a machine is constructed can make a significant difference in quality of the finished products that a machine will produce
Next time wersquoll consider structural tolerances and their impact
John McDaniel with his wife Judy are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry For information on training services offered and their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom They can be reached by phone at 541-967-4271 via SKYPE (user name JHMcDaniel) or via email at JHMcDanielCorelDRAWhelpcom See the full bio on the Writers Page
December 2007 24Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
the image the text and the red bow In the laser file for this example I have the red cut line for vectoring (See Figure 5)
5) Send the cardstock through the printer6) Place the cardstock in the laser for vector
cutting The thickness of the stock will determine what settings to use For my 35-watt laser using a medium weight cardstock I used a speed of 100 and power of 15 for a nice cut through the stock without any burn marks on the paper
7) Optional in one run I decided to let the laser take care of the bow instead of using color for it from my printer I set the outline of the bow to 100 black and the interior of the bow to 50 black (See Figure 6)
8) Then I only sent the image and text through the printer The bow and vector cutting occurred in the laser I set the raster engraving (of the bow) at speed 70 and power 40 (See Figure 7) You can see the differentiation of using 100 black as opposed to 50 black by the exterior lines
being engraved a little deeper than the rest of the fill
Take the idea of using patterns (like the birth announcement above) and wowing your clientele with the detail and intricacy that laser can provide Or add a twist to a holiday tradition (cards) Whatever you do donrsquot forget you can combine the advantages of the printer and laser for fabulous products
Submitted by Kathryn Arnold Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
LASER TIPBy Kathryn Arnold Applications
Combining Laser amp Printer PowerComing up with new and
inventive ways to use your laser is the key to a successful and growing business We will look at a way to combine the power of your computer (ink) printer with the power of the laser engraver
In this lesson we will take a look at using cardstock to create a card and an announcement See the examples of a holiday card and a birth announcement ndash gratuitously they are of my family (Figure 1 amp Figure 2)
1) In CorelDRAWreg use any pattern image text you wish Be sure that there is a clear and discernible vector line that will be laser cut and yield a cut piece from the cardstock2) See the clear (red) cut line ndash it goes fully around my object even the bow portion (important) I then duplicated my object to fit as many as possible on my 8 frac12 x 11 cardstock (See Figure 3) 3) I saved this file as my master file that I could return to at any point I then created two copies -- one that will
be used to send the file to my printer and one that will be used to send the file to my laser engraver (See Figure 4)
4) In the master file I have every part of what my end product will have In the file for my printer I only have the parts that the printer will print ndash in this example
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
December 2007 25Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
ELECTRONICS FRONTIERBy Louie Alvarez Opportunity
Webcams are an interesting subject which I am intimately familiar with Some typical questions are what are they what purpose do they serve what benefit are they what to look for and various other questions concerns and issues
Webcams surely bring back a memory or two not all that great I might add I remember when they first became usable primarily due to the Internet having affordable true broadband
First experiences The choppy poor quality of dial-up service
simply didnrsquot make this a useful technology Short of communicating with far-flung family members it left much to be desired With my immediate family living in Las Vegas and all other family (parents siblings cousins etc) living in California this was a technology I thought would be useful to keep in touch
So I set up my computer and my momrsquos computer with Webcams to stay in touch Needless to say with the poor quality terrible tracking (had to keep perfectly
sti l l because video frames didnrsquot refresh fas t enough) the hard-to-see tiny video window and poorly synchronized voices to the faces (we looked like a badly translated kung fu movie) the novelty quickly wore off (Irsquod say in about 30 minutes)
WebcamsSecond attempt
So I promptly dumped the technology for the next few years until I started seeing broadband picking up the pace and more interest in Webcams becoming obvious from all the new devices on the market So about three years ago a wireless Webcam caught my eye and I decided to put it to the test once again
Considering I was by then traveling quite extensively (about 40000 miles a year) I figured Irsquod use it to monitor my home I had two teenagers and a 5-year-old at home at the time while I was on the road and my wife was still a t work (She normally didnrsquot get off work until about two hours after school was out) So this looked to be a cool device to see if as the clicheacute goes when the catrsquos away the mice will play
I proceeded to position this wireless Webcam strategically to allow viewing of my living room including the back door Plus to get to the front door or side door you would have to pass through the field of the camera My little one loved the idea of being on camera for her daddy and would dance play and make funny faces for me Pretty cool actually That in itself almost justified the camera but needless to say my teenagers even my wife didnrsquot take to the idea too well So it was returned and life continued on as usual
That experience did show me that the broadband
speeds the quality of the video feeds the prevalence on the net of live cams and the quality of the video cameras (better known as Webcams) had progressed to a level of usefulness and I could see the potential of this technology With that said letrsquos get into the heart of this article
So what are webcams Basically they are digital cameras attached to
the computer and connected to the Web or Instant Messaging (IM) This allows the camera to be linked to a website or to each other directly and individuals who view the website or IM are able to see what the camera is viewing at that moment You can choose to get either still pictures that are updated at regular intervals (Snapshot) or live streams (Streaming) depending on what your bandwidth permits The WebCam technology has advanced sufficiently now to make it both easier and cheaper to maintain a camera that is refreshing an image 24 hours a day
Features of Web Cameras Listed here are some of the features more commonly
found in WebCams1 Live streaming video still pictures updated2 No plug-in or software necessary to view image
can be viewed with any Web browser3 Live audio4 Incorporation with other software such as Instant
Messaging (IM)5 Adding captionslogostime displays6 Archiving video7 Chat feature
December 2007 26Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
WebCams in an instructional scenario could be used to
Monitor your staff or employees thus being able to guide them better
Telecommute to companies worldwide and demonstrate project procedures
B roadcas t sem ina rs wo rkshops o r demonstrations
Share special events and programs with students enrolled in distance learning courses
Hold a video press conference online meeting or broadcast meetings and discussions
In some cases it is important for the learner to be able to establish a connection visually WebCams could be a good alternative to using text files or audio files
Join WebCam groups and allow students to take advantage of other WebCam locations for educational purposes
Using a web camera allows learners to be a part of either a conference or classstudio
Benefits of using WebCamsa The most important advantage of using a web camera is that it creates a direct link between the camera and the live site and dispenses with all the production work Production work in this context includes the cost and effort involved in shooting
editing and streaming videos Thus using a WebCam does not require
advanced skillsb The software is basically a Web server that runs on your system and pushes images out to a Web page For viewers of images delivered over a WebCam
one of the benefits is that they get the entire picture preferable in
certain cases rather than a sleek edited versionc WebCam technology can also be used for remote s u r v e i l l a n c e s y s t e m s
ELECTRONIC FRONTIER
monitoring events or places and broadcasting live eventsd Learners can link to a web camera-monitored location and just watch or also have an additional web camera in their own location enabling two-way communication
Setting up your WebCama Setting up your own WebCam obviously requires a computer a WebCam (the hardware) and WebCam software along with a broadband Internet connection Before you decide which camera to buy and which software to acquire yoursquoll have to review the different methods to show pictures or video feed through the Internet ( i e r e f r e s h e d after x amount of seconds) This will enable you to decide which hardware and software solution will fit your situation best
b P l a c e m e n t of a camera is an important decision to be made Decide whether a static angle is sufficient to demonstrate the concept or a moving camera (handheld) is required It is important however to remember the limitations of using WebCams and leave the panoramic and other fancy shots to more sophisticated video Use WebCams for videos that require more focus and ones that require a smaller viewingmovement range
c For detailed technical instructions on using WebCams visit httpdeveloperswebcamworldcommethodshtml
d Here is a good resource for inexpensive Webcams on the market httpcastlepricewatchcomssearchasps=webcams
e For an in-depth review of various Webcams on the market go to this link httpreviewscnetcom4244-6502_7-0-1htmlquery=webamptag=cat_1
f There are many Webcam examples online here are a couple httpwwwwebcamworldcom or httpwwwleonardsworldscomcamerahtml
By the way DONrsquoT TELL MY KIDS I picked up a Logitech QuickCam Pro 4000 not too long ago My family doesnrsquot know why I got it or what my intention is but I can say that now that my kids are 17 16 amp 8 my job as a parent is to ensure the mice donrsquot play when the catrsquos awayhellip
Louie Alvarez began acquiring his experience in the awards and engraving industry in Central California over 15 years ago first as an employee of the largest and oldest trophy shop and then as owner of one of the first laser engraving businesses Louie has been a featured workshop instructor and seminar speaker throughout the industry in addition to being a contributing writer to numerous industry publications Louie is based in Las Vegas NV and can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
December 2007 27Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
The Association of CorelDRAWreg Professionals is The Education amp Business Resource for CorelDRAW Users Worldwide Its goal is to help 1) IMPROVE your CorelDRAW skills and 2) MAKE MONEY with those skills You can participate in ACDRP services in four ways
THE WORLDrsquoS ONLY ASSOCIATION FOR CORELDRAWreg USERSINVITES YOU TO MAKE MORE MONEY WITH CORELDRAW
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month focused on Industry News via the Graphics News Wire Links to valuable resources and a complete educa-tion and show Calendar S
CorelDRAWPro the Entrepreneurial magazine for CorelDRAW users features in-depth content on How to Use CorelDRAW -- tips tricks advanced ar twork success s to r ies in te rv iews and more How to Apply CorelDRAW -- for graphic production processes such as embroidery engraving heat printing laser promo products printing sandblasting signmaking sublimation and screenprinting How to Profit from CorelDRAW -- Product news business columns reviews profiles and advertising with live links
SUBSCRIBE -- NO CHARGE JOIN -- $60 PER YEAR
All users of CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite are qualified to subscribe free to CorelDRAWPro magazine (PDF format) and CorelDRAWPro E-News
Subscription to CorelDRAWPro amp CorelDRAWPRo E-News
TTF Newsletter Subscription to the monthly Tips Templates amp Fixtures Newsletter only available to members
GSG Basic Listing You can list your services in the Graphic Services Guide in one category as part of membership (a $25 value)
Access to QuickLearn A keyword searchable database of 100s of articles on CorelDRAW graphics production and business
All users of CorelDRAWreg are invited to join the Association and take advantage of exclusive content discounts and profes-sional recognition ACDRP membership includes
TTF
QuickLearn
QuickTNT
Archives
BASIC GSG LISTING -- $25 PER YR
The Graphic Services Guide is the Industry Yellow Pages for Services and Finished Goods GSG is promoted in all our publi-cations and our website to the world of CorelDRAW users Your listing gives you the opportunity to promote your services (in any of 40 categories) to other CorelDRAW usersThe Basic Listing includes your company description email link and listing in one category Additional service categories are $10 each per year
The Enhanced GSG Listing is for companies that want to list in two categories and add a photo or logo
ENHANCED GSG LISTING -- $50$75 PER YR
Classifieds
Access to QuickTnT A growing database of CorelDRAW tips for understanding the fine points of the program and templates that can be downloaded to speed up your production
Access to Archives Past issues of CorelDRAWPro are available to members with live links
Bookstore Discounts Members receive a 10 discount on all products in the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore
Professional Recognition Use of the ACDRP logo for professional identification on business cards websites and letterhead You also receive a membership certificate
Classified Ads Members can place one classified ad per year at no charge with photo and run it till the item is sold (a $35 value)
HOW TO PARTICIPATE To Subscribe (no charge) To Join ($60yr) To List in the Graphic Services Guide ($25 Basic $50$75 Enhanced or $120145 for Multi-Service)
CorelDRAWreg is a registered trademark of Corel Corp and is used with permission
Visit wwwcoreldrawprocomand click on the appropriate links
800-276-8428
The Multi-Service GSG Listing allows you to list up to 40 differ-ent service categories with detailed descriptions and add a photo or logo
MULTI-SERVICE GSG LISTING -- $120$145 PER YR
December 2007 28Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Throughout the year this publication has reported on whatrsquos new in equipment tools and software and blank products for businesses that put graphics onto products
For this 2007 wrap-up CorelDRAWPro editorial staff reviewed all the product news for the year and named 33 products to its annual Top Products of the Year list
Selections were based on the criteria of innovation and impact Innovation means products that exhibit a high degree of originality or uniqueness Impact means products that influence sales or productivity for a large number of businesses
Note that the 2007 honorees are list alphabetically in the three theme sections
For more information on the products in this article click on the Info Request button at the bottom of each page and select by company name or product You might open the Info Request page and minimize it as you read That way you can quickly open it and check the products you want
EQUIPMENT
ANAJET DIRECT-TO-GARMENT DIGITAL PRINTERAnaJet Digital Apparel Printer (Model FP-125) from
AnaJet Inc in Costa Mesa CA is a direct-to-garment printer offering high quality and affordability It can print custom graphics on any cotton or poly-cotton flat textile material in one minute The printer priced affordably from under $13000 can produce up to 5000 shirts per month each retailing for about $20 Most printers installed so far are in a production plant environment but some customers have started to take the mobile printer to malls for instant printing of customer graphics According to Dr Chase Roh company president the unique printhead they have developed allows for 16x more ink flow than normal desktop printers and thus shirts only require one pass
Top Products of the Year
DTG AMERICA ECLIPSE D-1 WITH TWO HEADS DTG America of Tampa FL and Fort Worth TX now offers a new solution to
speed up digitally printing to dark shirts The Eclipse D-1 incorporates two heads instead of one One head has eight channels of white to lay down a solid white underbase The second head has four channels of white to do highlights and four channels of color to lay down the design The result of this new configuration is the underbase and color are completed in one pass at an estimated average of only two minutes per shirt for a 12-inch by 6-inch area Other innovations include an ink agitator firmware for easy updating ink vapor remover auto gap adjustment and new platen configuration for easy loading
GEO KNIGHT DK 25SP HEAT PRESSThe Digital Knight DK25SP is an air-operated automatic
20x25 oversized swing-away heat press with a state-of-the-art control system and heavy-duty solid steel welded framework The smooth automatic pressing and push-button activation provides a productive fatigue-free operation The extended 20x25 size of the heat platen is perfect for sublimation and large-format materials pressingThe press is adjustable to accommodate materials from fabric thickness all the way up to 1rdquo thick substrates For more information call 800-525-6766 or visit wwwheatpresscom
GRAPHTEC CRAFT ROBO PROGraphtec America Inc based in Santa Ana
CA introduced the new Craft ROBO Pro 15rdquo cutting plotter The Craft ROBO Pro is an ideal solution for cutting a wide variety of materials including vinyl film card stock foil heat transfer and image transfer media Incorporating Graphtecrsquos legendary
December 2007 29Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
ARMS (Advanced Registration Marks System) and combined with a desktop printer the Craft ROBO Pro makes contour cutting an easy task Innovations include a new digital servo motor first mark auto-sensing menu navigation system that includes 8 user-defined conditions Tangential Control and three software applications
ROLAND RELEASES DIRECT-TO-FABRIC PRINTERRoland DGA Corp of Irvine CA released
the new 74rdquo HeatWave DFP-74 Fabric Printer through its reseller channel in the US Based on Rolandrsquos HeatWave sublimation technology the DFP-74 Fabric Printer is a complete integrated solution and Rolandrsquos first inkjet ever to support direct printing onto polyester fabrics As a complete solution including printer sublimation unit inks and RIP software the DFP-74 makes it easier than ever for shops to enter the fast-growing textile printing market Key features include eight advanced piezo print heads an intelligent media handling system and a temperature-controlled heating system
HOTRONIX PERFECT PRESSURE HEAT PRESSHotronix of Carmichaels PA has taken heat press technology
to the next level with Perfect Pressure a new digital pressure display functionThis new feature has a single-digit LED readout
that measures the pressure of the inner platen This technology is exclusive to Hotronix and is patent pending Previously a
digital pressure display was available only on air-operated heat press machines With this new pressure display gauge all heat press users will have more consistent results from job to job reducing the number of misprints and speeding up production For more information about
the new digital pressure display contact Stahlsrsquo Hotronix at 800-478-2457 e-mail infostahlscom or visit the Web site at wwwstahlscom
SWF DREAM EMBROIDERY MACHINEWith its new DREAM Machine SWF has broken the barrier in multi-head
embroidery machine technology The DREAM machines are the first multi-head embroidery machines that truly can sew at 1500 stitches per minute During the research and development of these new machines 12 new patents were filed and granted proof that the DREAM machines are built with state-of-the-art technology
Innovations include LED control panel error codes to quickly troubleshoot problems optional devices to do sequins cording and boring automatic oiling system large memory a hoop selector and more These innovative new machines come in configurations ranging from
two to six heads It is distributed exclusively by SWF East (Tampa FL) and SWF MESA (Dallas TX)
MESArsquoS HOTFIX SPANGLE MOTIF MACHINEWith the all new YAS-11 Hotfix Spangle Motif Making
Machine the first of its kind in the United States you can create beautiful spangle transfer designs that have the look of sequins This patented machine which is distributed exclusively in the United States by MESA Distributors of Fort Worth TX cuts out shapes such as circles and squares in a range of sizes from reels of Mylar tape The machine comes with proprietary design software that allows the user to create any pattern or design up to 157 by 157 inches
SAWGRASSrsquo HYBRID SYSTEM FOR EPSON R1800Sawgrass Technologies of Mt Pleasant SC introduced
the SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid System for the Epson R1800 for both sublimation printing and cotton
decorating from one machine The affordable entry-level system features dual functionality with both SubliJet and ChromaBlast inks in one machine allowing users to create customized images with superior color and clarity on both polyester coated substrates and cotton garments This is the second
hybrid system from Sawgrass following in the footsteps of the popular SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid
System for the Epson 4800
TROTECrsquoS NEW LARGE PLATFORM LASER Trotec Laser Inc of Ypsilanti MI has introduced the SP500 series of laser
engraving and cutting systems The systems have a work area of 50rdquo X 28rdquo and X-Axis clearance of 12rdquo The systems are offered in power levels from 45W-200W There is an available pass-through option (Class 4) Exhaust fumes are captured
December 2007 30Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
at the laser head to insure an efficient extraction when using the pass-through featureTrotec systems are designed for minimal wear-and-tear and eliminate the need for periodic replacement of belts and bearings For additional information visit our web site wwwtrotecnet or call 866-226-8505 734-484-3260
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW PROFESSIONAL SERIESUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) of Scottsdale
AZ added four new models in its Professional Laser Series (PLS) line of advanced high-productivity computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving systems The new PLS line which replaces Universalrsquos M V and X laser systems incorporates a
host of evolutionary design improvements to the laser cartridge platform chassis system electronics and software interface The new PLS models include several
powerful new features most notably a unique materials-based print driver called ldquoLaser Interface +rdquo that gives users their choice
between automatic or manual control over power speed and other system settings For more information on Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit Universal Laser Systems online at wwwulsinccom
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW VERSALASERUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) added a
new version of its desktop-sized VersaLasertrade
computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving system The new VersaLaser
improves on the award-winning original thanks to a host of evolutionary design refinements It also
includes a unique next-generation materials-based print driver that automatically calculates power speed
and other system settings It was awarded a patent for the unique design of its external cabinet which also functions as a Class 1 laser safety enclosure For more information about VersaLaser or Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit wwwulsinccom
US SCREENrsquoS FAST T-JET 3US Screen Print and Inkjet Technology of Tempe
AZ adds the Fast T-Jet3TM which features 30 faster print speeds compared to the previous T-Jet2 model and has a longer low profile print bed for easier loading and unloading Now you can produce a full size 12rdquo x 12rdquo (305 x 305 cm) print in one minute on a light shirt and in under three minutes on a black shirt with white ink Small pocket images can be printed in about 15 seconds
US SCREENrsquoS AUTOMATED PRETREATMENT CENTER
Speed up production when using Fast T-Jet inkjet-to-garment printers with the AutoTREATtrade Automatic Pretreatment Center
This versatile piece of equipment allows you to treat shirts on a production level rather than spraying shirts individually one at a time For use with light or dark shirts the AutoTREATtrade
can spray up to three shirts per minute It has two application modesmdashone for lights and one for darks that can be switched over by activating the cleaning mode which flushes out the system with water
TOOLS MATERIALS SOFTWARE
CORELDRAW X3 CERTIFIED FOR WINDOWS VISTACorel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that
CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite X3 has been Certified for Windows Vista Customers who wish to install the Certified for Windows Vista version of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X3 can download the latest service pack (SP2) from wwwcorelcom This new update delivers an exceptional experience for customers on Windows Vista including an updated user interface enhanced security improved text handling and further enhancements to the popular suitersquos renowned import and export file compatibility
COREL LAUNCHES NEW ONLINE COMMUNITY Corel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that it
has launched httpcoreldrawcom a new online community for users of the CorelDRAWreg family of products ndash including CorelDRAW Graphics Suite Corel DESIGNERreg Technical Suite
December 2007 31Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
and Corelreg DRAWingsreg This new community site is the first in a series that Corel will be launching to support its various user communities Designed to fuel inspiration CorelDRAWcom combines forums blogs and galleries for design professionals and graphic hobbyists alike Forums are available in English French German and Spanish serving an international audience
DALCOrsquoS NEW REFLECTIVE HEAT TRANSFERSCater to the safety market with new reflective transfers offered
by Dalco Athletic of Dallas TX These durable transfers come in a reflective silver gray color in three styles police sheriff and fire dept They are sized for left chest and full back so
all you have to do is heat seal for 8 seconds and yoursquore done Itrsquos very fast and easy
DALCOrsquoS NEW OPTIC YELLOW CLASSIC SWB APPLIQUE
Classic SWB appliqueacute designs offered by Dalco Athletic now come in two new styles softballs and tennis balls in optic yellow fabric These new balls literally jump off any wearable and make it an eye-catching standout This appliqueacute collection is ideal for spiritwear items to be sold to fans and family or created as fund-raisers for boosters clubs
POWER GRAPHICS 3 FROM DIGITAL ART SOLUTIONSPower Graphics 3 by Digital Art Solutions of
Tempe AZ is the ultimate design tool for the creation of high-end custom graphics and logos for custom signage awards vehicle graphics promotional products and apparel graphics Tuned to the latest styles and trends it provides fresh graphics that will impress even the most critical and demanding customer It includes more than 1500 images The 10 design categories include Flames Gangsta (Urban) Mascots Offroad Rebel (Biker and Hot
Rod) Retro Speed Sports Surf and Tuner
FLORIANI COMMERCIALrsquoS NEW NO-SHOW DIAMOND MESHContinuing in its tradition of research and development
to create embroidery stabilizers that meet the needs of todayrsquos embroiderers Floriani Embroidery Commercial Division of Knoxville TN released a new product called Floriani No-Show Diamond Mesh This unique nylon mesh stabilizer has a perpendicular embossed pattern that makes it more multi-directionally stable and enables it to better hold stitches for crisper design registration It is specifically designed for light-colored garments where traditional stabilizers have a tendency to show through the front of the garment
GREAT DANErsquoS NEW DIGITAL PHOTO FRAMES Tap into the lucrative team market with an
incredible collection of stock art specially designed to work for direct-to-garment printers sublimation transfers and digital transfers Digital Photo Frames Volume 1 is a collection of spectacular pre-designed layouts each with one or more frames to
insert personal photos The collection includes five categories baseball football basketball soccer and hockey Each category has four designs (20 total layouts) and each design comes in three template formats mugs mouse pads and shirts
So there are a total of 60 template designs in all
IMPRINTABLES WAREHOUSE OFFERS SPECTRA ECO FILMNew from Imprintables Warehouse of
Masontown PA is a digital cutter material that is free of PVC a plus with companies that want to be as environmentally friendly as possible Spectra Eco Film is made with ecological polyurethane and is peeled hot It is pressure sensitive (sticky backing) and extremely easy to weed While maintaining superior durability and opacity this new film is thinner than current offerings on the market and delivers the super soft hand that is in demand by todayrsquos consumers It can be used on 100 cotton 100 polyester polycotton blends and even nylon and leather
December 2007 32Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
KISSCUT TECHNOLOGIESrsquo SELF-WEEDING INKJET TRANSFER PAPER
Kiss Cut Technologies Ltd Newcastle UK has addressed the ldquopolymer windowrdquo issue and developed the worldrsquos first self-weeding inkjet transfer paper for printing to textiles In simple terms only the areas of their patented transfer paper that have been printed will be transferred to the garment when heat pressed A Kiss Cut print can be further embellished with specialized textile foils so in effect a digital foiling method is now available Foil is heat pressed onto the garment and when peeled the foil only sticks to the image areas
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW PHOTOPLAS-TIC MATERIALLaserSketchcom of Lemont IL a leading supplier of
LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble Super Black Granite and Black Onyx Jewelry introduces their new PhotoPlas-Tic This is a new material developed for front andor reverse laser engraving on micro surface impact acrylic plastic It is a premium plastic for laser engraving that is UV stable ideal for photo badges plaques trophies signage and high-end awards Each sheet of PhotoPlas-Tic is specially designed for a crisp clean burn and ultra-fine laser lettering logo and vector output For details call 630-243-6360 or visit wwwlasersketchcom
THEMAGICTOUCH LAUNCHES WOW TRANSFER PAPERTheMagicTouch USA launched WoW Professional
71 transfer paper which requires no weeding or profile cutting and the vibrant colors are achieved using digital laser technology making it great for short runs It uses PolymationTM which incorporates a newly designed catalyst that provides the ultimate compatibility with all generations of dry toner material According to the company PolymationTM is the next generation of laser heat transfer Sublimation requires the substrate to have a specialty receiving polymer coating to absorb the pigments but PolymationTM delivers everything at once polymer pigments and catalyst
December 2007 33Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
offers distinct advantages over any other process It allows for an unlimited number of colors and very fine detail which is impossible with screen printing or embroidery And the cost does not go up as colors are added These new specialty materials are so advanced they can be heat sealed to all kinds of fabrics and hot new multimedia designs can be easily done
VAPOR APPAREL LAUNCHES VAPOR ART VOLUME 1V a p o r A p p a r e l
a s u b s i d i a r y o f SourceSubstrates LLC Charleston SC announces the launch of Vapor Art - Volume 1 a collection of 127 vector graphics for digital sublimation and general use The diverse collection
of high-quality graphics comes after several years of customers requesting access to the companyrsquos sample art at trade shows and educational events The Collection of art includes vector drawings and JPGs for everything from mountain biking and snowboarding to yoga and cheerleading
BLANK PRODUCTS
COLORADO HEIRLOOMrsquoS COLOR LACQUERED FRAMES
Colorado Heirloom Inc of Loveland CO introduced their new Color Lacquered Frames This is an option to add color your unique creations It is not color fill Colored lacquer is sprayed on their high quality wood frames Because
INKTRA STRETCH TRANSFER PAPER FROM STAHLSrsquoStahlsrsquo based in St Clair
Shores MI adds InkTratrade Stretch a flexible transfer paper A revolutionary product InkTratrade Stretch provides a soft hand with an amazing stretch and recovery feature InkTratrade Stretch lets you take your favorite photo or graphic design and apply it to light colored or white hats shirts bags and more for a long lasting and completely personalized garment The highly stretchable paper can be applied to cotton polycotton blends spandex and Lycrareg
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo GOOF-PROOF TRANSFERSWant the look of screen
printing without the hassle With Goof Proofreg transfers offered by Transfer Express of Mentor OH you can custom order a transfer that has the popular athletic feel and will apply in a blazing four seconds Ordering is done step-by-step online and you can customize hundreds of designs You choose your
typeface colors and size Once your design is just the way you want it you can print it out to show a customer for approval Or Transfer Express can print from your artwork The minimum order is only five pieces and your one-color order ships in one to three working days
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo NEW FULL-COLOR DIGI PRINTSApparel decorators can now offer full-color designs on light
and dark apparel made of virtually any type of fabric without the hassle or minimums of screen printing with new state-of-the-art heat transfer technology called Digi Printstrade Offered through Transfer Express this revolutionary new method of decorating
December 2007 34Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
lacquer is used instead of paint any design can be lasered on these frames The possibilities are endless These colorful creations are offered in two different designs -- a designer frame and a frame with an insert Call 970-667-4222 or visit wwwcoloradoheirloomcom
CONDE ADDS PET MATS FOR SUBLIMATIONCondeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added food bowl placemats and litter box
mats to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Favorite photographs and pet-related artwork can be transferred to the
mats to create fun products for individual pet lovers or for the pet industry such as pet stores veterinarians groomers boarding facilities and animal adoption groups Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing Call Conde at 800-826-6332
CONDE INTRODUCES FABRIC PATCHES FOR SUBLIMATION
Condeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added fabric patches to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Custom decorators can now produce unique full-color patches that will impress organizations businesses clubs sports teams sports enthusiasts and individuals alike -- without the use of embroidery Heat seal patches are great for identification marketing awards trade show promotions or to commemorate special events Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing or call 800-826-6332
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW LASERSLABLaserSketch of Lemont IL Internationally known for
their LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble and Super Black Granite announces LaserSlab Super Black Granite at 4rsquo x 8rsquo x 7mm and 4rsquo x 4rsquo x 7mm weighting in at just over 2 pounds per square foot The surface of the LaserSlab Granite has the sheen of a black mirror The reverse side features epoxy fiberglass backing to give structure integrity to the ultra-lite granite sheet All may be viewed wwwlasersketchcom or by calling LaserSketch 630-243-6360
MATTHEWS INTRODUCES ALUMICOLORTM
Matthews International Corp of Pittsburgh PA introduced Alumicolortrade a high-resolution graphics solution for aluminum signage recognition commemoration and way finding Using cutting-edge technology Matthews embeds a four-color image into the aluminum to create an anodized reproduction of unsurpassed durability Alumicolortrade products which are designed for interior and exterior installations are resistant to extreme weather conditions graffiti scuffing grease chemicals and UV rays Additionally they will not chip crack or peel
PSI ADDS ROUND FRAMES amp STRING PUZZLES Paramount Services Inc of Hollywood FL
introduced new round resin frames for sublimation tiles Choose from Coral or RopeStone with optional Unisubreg Hardboard Tiles They will also accept the Bison 8rdquo round glass Cutting Board Why be square when round may fit better PSI also introduced a new puzzle guaranteed to string you along These String Puzzles come with a Unisubreg Hardboard puzzle and the necessary string and beads along with instructions how to string it after printing Templates to aid in design are available for download in several formats For details call 800-455-7212 or visit wwwDye-Sublimation-Productscom
CRYSTALEDGEreg LUXORTM CRYSTAL AWARDSCrystalEdgereg Chicago IL presented the Luxortrade Series
This stunning cost-effective collection comprises a series of specially designed Rosewood and Black Piano finish bases Matte Mahogany and Matte Black bases and a precision cast Satin Nickel Finish Metal Base with your choice of brass or silver hardware for mounting our twelve unique shapes making this the most versatile award yet Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks are curved 14rdquo thick crystal clear glass with 316rdquo diameter holes for mounting The Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks feature a generous engraving area and there is plenty of room on the base to add an engraving plate
December 2007 35Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
XENETECHrsquoS NEW ENGRAVABLE GIFTSXenetech of Baton Rouge
LA introduced high quality engravable gift items at wholesale and quantity discounts The Xenetech collection provides a selection of gifts created for corporate recognition weddings births holidays anniversaries retirements birthdays special occasions or just expressing appreciation Items include money clips key chains book markers desk accessories quartz movement clocks flasks amp wine accessories entertainment gifts travel gifts genuine Swiss Army knives business card holders luggage tags silver-plated jewelry boxes keepsake gift boxes silver-plated banks and baby gifts The gift items are designed primarily for diamond drag burnishing and rotary engraving personalization
UNISUBrsquoS CHROMALUXE PHOTO PANELSChromaLuxe photo panels are an exciting new line
of sublimatable products from Unisub of Louisville KY These panels allow you to sell a completely finished photo product to your customers capturing some of the additional revenue (and profit) your customers now spend elsewhere on framing Available in a range of traditional photo sizes as well as exciting new shapes these panels can be joined together to create stunning photo displays -- perfect for a fireplace mantle l i b r a r y s h e l f or the top of an armoire Available in aluminum or MDF substrates
CorelDRAWPro IndexOne of our members in Michigan
requested that we put together an Index of all the articles wersquove published during the year
He prints out all the issues and puts them in binders but an Index would make it easy to reference specific articles We think itrsquos a good idea and wersquoll send it to all subscribers in January
Product Focus TopicsJanuary 2008 -- Signage Products esp Wide FormatFebruary 2008 -- Engraving Awards amp GiftsMarch 2008 -- Apparel ProductsApril 2008 -- Laser Wood Products
Coming in 2008
December 2007 36Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETSBy Donna M Gray CRM Opportunities
December ndash Time to Review December finds everyone on our team strategizing how to get out of our parking lot Our business sits right in the middle of an up-scale strip mall which sits right behind a huge shopping mall and right along the main road to a Target Superstore and other large malls We all know that from the day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday) until 2 weeks after the New Year there are great challenges to those of us who like to leave the building for lunch or run an errandhellipso we strategize We all know every secret shortcut to the bank the post office and the warehouse club What we donrsquot know is how to find the way to merge out of our own back alley into the constant flow of traffic that carries people to their end shopping destination Whew
The year-end review So this year Dave and I have decided to stay in at lunch and do our business strategizing instead Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup are good brain food for helping us to look at all the successful things we did last year as a company all the things we thought about doing but didnrsquot because the idea didnrsquot quite fit and all the things we put off until next year We do this kind of exercise every year end and it helps us to map out our strategy for the coming year In the process we identify any mistakes wersquove made wrong turns wersquove taken and we try to find the ldquowhat could have happened had everything gone rightrdquo
The value of making mistakes Albert Einstein said ldquoAnyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything newrdquo Dave has a couple of prints in his office of Abraham Lincoln that describe his mistakes in fact it took Lincoln eight tries to win the presidency Thomas Edison made mistakeshellipand yet he perseveredhellipotherwise wersquod by ldquocomputingrdquo by candlelight And Irsquove heard that Colonel
Sanders had a thousand rejections before he sold his first chicken recipe It would be nice to get to our year end business appraisals and find that wersquove made no mistakes but our business like most others doesnrsquot have that claim to fame My mother always took the high road with mistakes She always said that one should recognize the benefits of a mistake One should learn what good came from it use it to improve and use it to help motivate success the next time So December is the time to analyze everything that made up the past year and look for ways to make the New Year successful in every way
Making a plan Most advisors say that the first step toward business success after looking at a companyrsquos year ending history is to decide on exactly what you want to do going forward in the coming year Then comes mapping out the plan What will be done How will it get done Who will do what What resources will be used When will it get done Is the right equipment in place Is the space adequate Ask these and any other questions that could relate to creating a successful year then focus on the details and follow through Those two wordshellipfocus and follow throughhellipcould mean the difference between marginal and abundant success Simply stated success comes from what you do and the way you do ithellipin your customerrsquos perception Every business wants to have a good imagehellipa good reputation so dedication to having good communication skills is important especially in an industry that does custom work The goal is to be on the same page as our clients so we have to be good mind readers We have to also concentrate on our professionalism on our appearance on our presentation style and in the pride we take in producing a well-done project This
has worked in the past and will remain the same in the future
The extra mile Success has to be nurturedhellipthen it gets celebrated Sometimes sacrifices have to be made to get to the rewards At year end when we analyze how we got from Point A to Point B itrsquos interesting to note that we sometimes had to take detours and sometimes the road blocks called for sacrificehellipof time or money Sometimes the sacrifice came in the way of a sleepless night worrying if an order that was lost in delivery would be found and re-routed to us in time to make a clientrsquos deadline Someone (unknown) said ldquoA day of worry is more exhausting than a week of workrdquo Anyone in business could testify to that Part of success is going the extra milehellipeven if it results in a sleepless night Going the extra mile is worth all the paid advertising in the world on the road to success
December 2007 37Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETS
Donna Grayrsquos 2nd book Itrsquos All Relative Surviving amp Thriving in a Family Business was published in September 2007
It describes her quest to identify the keys to suc-cess for small business and family businesses in particular She interviewed top businesses nationwide and discovered five common qualities implemented by successful business owners Check it out at the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore wwwcoreldrawprocomAllBook-storehtm
Commitments made and kept Our team felt good about some commitments we made and kept this past year like
We used a daily ldquoto-dordquo list and we set priorities in order of importance When we finished a project we ldquocelebratedrdquo and then moved on quickly to the next job We built in some time for ldquostress reliefrdquo with morning meeting breaks This was especially good when treats were served since wersquove got some good bakers on our staff We didnrsquot ldquoscreenrdquo calls through voice mail We considered every call to be important We ldquodid it right the first timerdquo even though it sometimes took longer We tied up all the ldquoloose endsrdquo We became ldquocheerleadersrdquo for each other When one of us accomplished a goal we all applauded We all tried to deliver more than we promised This can be challenging sometimes when working with a difficult project We eliminated (or tried to eliminate) unnecessary procedures and we simplified our paper flow system We spent most of our time on high priority tasks We all worked on our delegation skills We were committed to not wasting time either our own or other peoplersquos
Goals that were lacking Now all those great things being put on paper reminds me that we also had some goals we didnrsquot quite succeed athellipbut wersquoll try harder next year
We didnrsquot always ldquogrouprdquo tasks togetherhelliplike going to the bank and the post office in one trip or answering mail when it gets opened It wasnrsquot always easy to avoid procrastination Some low priority chores got put off There were still times when we couldnrsquot find enough hours to finish the work Our ldquotoolsrdquo didnrsquot always get put away when we were through with a project even though this is Daversquos pet peeve
Conclusion Experts say that we have to actively create our success not wait for it to happen This coming year hopefully none of us will sit in the comfort zone waiting for the phone to ring Therersquos an old Chinese proverb that goes ldquoIt you continually give you will continually haverdquo Our team will go on being involved in community activities When time is spent on worthwhile projects outside the business opportunities come knocking at the front counter Besideshellipat yearrsquos endhellipit makes us feel really good about the help we gave on these projects
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since1977 She can be reached by email at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
December 2007 38Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
GRAPHICS NEWS NETWORKAll these news and information products and services are part of the
Graphics News Network developed for ACDRP The goal is ldquoAll the News All the Time mdash For the World of Graphicsrdquo
GRAPHICS NewsWireThe Graphics News Wire is the always live always updated source for graphics news mdash products equipment technology and more Make it (CorelDRAWProcomNewsPagehtm) your home page or favorite to gain access to Breaking news updated regularly New Classified Ads New Job Announcements Supplier SpecialsAll news is related to graphic productsQuickSourceTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive amp Easy-To-Use
Search Engine
It gives you one-click access to suppliers products phone numbers and live links to ACDRP Member Suppliers Itrsquos always up-to-date searchable by keyword and accessible from your desktop
Quick TnTTM
The Industryrsquos Newest Resource for Graphics Tips amp Templates
Gain access to a growing library of CorelDRAW tips and templates that will make your work easier
QuickLearnTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive and
Easy-To-Use Article Library
Gain access to hundreds of articles on graphics-related and business topics searchable by keyword
The Entrepreneurial Magazine for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro Magazine is delivered to you once a month in PDF format It features in-depth content that readers rave about including articles on how to use CorelDRAW how to apply CorelDRAW and how to profit from CorelDRAW
News Tips amp Resources for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month mdash about the 15th and 25th It brings you highly targeted content that you wonrsquot find elsewhere including CorelDRAW Tips extensive product news links and a calendar of shows and training
MARKET PLACE
Quality Engravable JewelryHand-crafted in New England
GIFTS amp ACCESSORIES FOR WOMEN AND MEN
John E Lepper Inc800-835-3623 Fax 508-222-2732
wwwjeleppercom
GenuineWhite-tone
Pewter amp Gold
Some Things Were Meant To Be In Etched in Stone
Call for a free color catalog
NampR International1155 Allgood Rd 13Marietta GA 30062
678-560-4088Fax 678-560-1157
Importers amp Wholesalers of MarbleOnyx
Gifts amp Accessories
JOIN TODAY
The worldrsquos only association for CorelDRAWreg Users
wwwcoreldrawprocomJoinhtm
Place an Ad for as little as $215 per month
Find out how by calling our Ad Representative John McDaniel II
541-990-6687
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GET LISTED TODAY
Generate new businessby doing jobs for others
List your company in GSG the Digital Yellow Pages for the industry wwwcoreldrawprocomListGSGhtm
December 2007 39Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Louie Alvarez started in the industry working for one of the largest trophy shops in Central California and then opened one of the first retail laser engraving businesses He has given seminars and workshops on CorelDRAW and Laser for many years and has written for several publications He is now with Vytek Industrial Lasers and is based in Las Vegas NV He can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
Kathryn Arnold is the Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
Errol Barr has a wide range of experience in sales amp marketing eventually getting into laser systems in 1999 currently with Vytek Industrial Lasers He also sold extensively in the CNC router industry selling the machines as more of a business opportunity wrapped around the machine He can be reached by email at errolbarrgmailcom
Dave Demoret founded Prolink Graphic Services to help people understand and profit from learning CorelDRAW He has been in both the Flat Graphics Industry and the Decorating Graphics Industry for 30 years He has written articles for several publications is a Corel Training Partner and conducts workshops nationwide and online He is the author of several CD Instructional programs on CorelDRAW He can be reached at 765-DO COLOR (362-6567) or davedprolinkgscom
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since 1977 She has presented seminars on a variety of topics nationwide and has won many marketing awards She is the author of two books on family business and can be reached at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
Bill Leek is a color consultant for JBL Graphics in Houston TX and has over 30 years experience in computer engineering and graphics design He has developed several lines of color imprintable products and does testing on a variety of products for different manufacturers He can be reached at wfleekjblgraphicscom or 281-970-6677
Jeff McDaniel is the owner of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon He worked as a journeyman machinist before getting into the graphic products business Creative Graphic offers laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials Contact him at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
John McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry He worked for many years with computers in electronic data processing and pioneered the use of CorelDraw for engraving applications He owned a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years and writes about hardware design software laser engraving sublimation and more He is a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals For information on training and more call 541-967-4271 or write to mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
Judy McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry Her background includes many forms of art and retail sales as well as the operation of a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years She is a regular columnist on sandblasting sublimation and diversifying business as well as a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals She can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
David Milisock is president of Custom Graphic Technologies Inc in Pennsylvania He has been in the print production business since 1975 and specializes in professional support for CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite Output includes computer-to-plate processes for all commercial digital front-end applications as well as Postscript-compliant graphic applications He offers technical and color management support for all RIP-driven corporate digital output systems He can be reached at 717-509-3523 or davidmilisockcomcastnet
Deborah Sexton former editor of Impressions Magazine has been in the apparel graphics industry since 1981 She currently does marketing and public relations for apparel graphics companies and is a columnist for several industry publications She can be reached at dsextonsbcglobalnet
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at 916-567-1867
December 2007 40Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
by Otis Veteto
Traveling Tidbits
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the
RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of
the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Itrsquos a fun and
informative column focusing on the human-interest side of
the industry Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars
for industry organizations and some of that knowledge
will rub off as well He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at
916-567-1867
Reps Volunteers People Skills amp Agreements
RS Owens Southeast RepFirst of all a Traveling Tidbits welcome to
the newest member of the RS Owens Company sales team Anita Brennan Anita is the new Regional Sales Manager for the Southeast She will be calling on you folks in Alabama Tennessee Mississippi Florida Georgia North Carolina and South Carolina Anita has worked in all phases of our industry as a retailer (her own business) multi-line rep and now as a regional sales manager When I asked Anita what she likes to do when not on the road she told me she likes to spend time with her two-year-old granddaughter Kaylee Welcome to the RS Owens family Anita Brennan
Railroad Museum VolunteerI know Christmas is the time for giving
but some people give all year long I was talking recently with Elias Athanasiou whose regular job is a server in a restaurant my wife and I frequent when I am in Sacramento Elias has been associated as a volunteer with the California State Railroad Museum for about 16 years Every Saturday during the ldquorunning seasonrdquo April-September Elias can be found working as a volunteer on the Steam Engine excursion train that runs for 6 miles along the top of the levee on the Sacramento River The ride takes about 40 minutes Elias is the Engineer now but has worked as conductor and fireman in his tenure with the train It is people like Elias Athanasiou that make this a much better world A huge Traveling Tidbits SALUTE You can find out more about the Railroad Museum at wwwcsrmorg
Real People SkillsThis next tidbit is from the PPAI Promotional
Consultant Today The author is Roy Chitwood president of Max Sacks International in Seattle Wash It is entitled To Shine Polish Your People Skills
ldquoPeople buy not because they understand your product or service but because they feel that you understand them People buy emotionally As a professional salesperson you need to be more people-oriented not product centered Here are seven quick and easy techniques to improve your people skills
SMILE It is the universal sign of friendship in any language The Chinese have a proverb ldquoA man who cannot smile should not open a storerdquo Think about that Give a smile and you will get a smile in return
DEVELOP A GENUINE INTEREST IN OTHERS When you have sincere interest it shows Look directly at people when they are talking to you Let your facial expression register your interest Ask good open-ended questions to let people know that you are interested in what they say
TALK IN TERMS OF THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS INTERESTS You will never meet anyone who doesnrsquot have time to talk about what they want to talk about Encourage your prospect to discuss his or interests rather than launching into a discussion about yourself
USE THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS NAME Using a name builds personal rapport and shows you are listening with respect Be careful about overusing the personrsquos name
GIVE COMPLIMENTS Everyone loves a compliment when it is genuine Make a
concentrated effort to give at least 3 honest compliments every day of your life You will be amazed at what it will do for your relationships
LISTEN Listening is the greatest compliment you can pay When you assume the role of the listener it relaxes the sales climate As you listen you are demonstrating that you truly care and you are genuinely interested in what he or she has to say
MAKE THE OTHER PERSON FEEL IMPORTANT When you are sincerely impressed by something the other person has achieved or owns let them know it Understand that fundamentally every person is important and treat them accordingly
Personal comment When I finished reading this I thought to myself ldquoThese make sense in our everyday life not just in salesrdquo
The Third AgreementI will close with the 3rd step from the book
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel RuizDONrsquoT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS Find the
courage to ask questions and to express what you really want Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings sadness and drama
Sounds a little like what I wrote at the beginning of the column doesnrsquot it
Thatrsquos all for now Remember to save some time for yourself and your family And when you travel please travel safe
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE
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- News
December 2007 2Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
December 2007 3Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
CONTENTSDecember 2007
Colorado Heirloom Web AdConde Systems Web AdCustom Graphic Technology Web AdEpilog Laser Corp Web AdGeo Knight amp Co Web AdJBL Graphics Web AdJohn E Lepper Inc Web AdJohnson Plastics Web AdLaser Reproductions Web AdLaserBits Inc Web AdLaserSketch Web AdNampR International Web AdParamount Services Inc Web AdProLink Graphics Svc Web AdSCT Crystal Web AdThe Magic Touch USA Web AdTrotec Laser Inc Web AdUniversal Laser Systems Web Ad
ADVERTISER INDEX
DEPARTMENTS
Click ldquoWebrdquo to go to advertiserrsquos website Click ldquoAdrdquo to go to the ad in this issue Clicking the ad itself will go to website
TRAINING How to Use APPLICATIONS How to Apply OPPORTUNITIES How to Profit
5 Graphics News Wire with link to News Details
7 About the Cover Marian Millerrsquos Snowflake
10 Inside ACDRP Winter -- Time to Prepare
38 GNN Network38 Marketplace39 Contributing Writers
Pg 24
10 Using CorelDRAW Using Preview Modes in Image Adjustment Lab by Corel Corp
11 Using CorelDRAW Bitmap vs Vector by Dave Demoret 13 Inside Color ldquoRAWrdquo by David Milisock
15 Inside TransfersHeadstart on Spring by Bill Leek
16 Inside PrintSublimationCreating Sublimation Product Templates by John McDaniel
18 Inside Screen PrintingUsing Specialty Platens Part 2 by Jeff McDaniel
21 Inside SandblastingScreening the Abrasive by Judy McDaniel
22 Inside EngravingMachine Accuracy 7 Structural Integrity by John McDaniel
24 Laser TipCombining Laser amp PrinterPower by Kathryn Arnold
25 Electronic Frontier Webcams by Louie Alvarez
ldquoAny process that does not have the image editor and RAW
converter in a coordinated manner will totally negate any benefit of using RAWrdquo
David Milisock p 13
Pg 10
28 Top Products of the Yearby Editor Mike Neer
36 Marketing Secrets December -- Time to Review by Donna Gray
40 Traveling Tidbits Rep Volunteers People Skills and An Agreement by Otis Veteto
December 2007 4Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
December 2007 5Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
GRAPHICS NEWS WIREDecember 2007
Product News Headlines
Calendar (Web Link)Check out the upcoming training
classes and trade shows of interest to CorelDRAW users
Dog Tags for Kids Project Needs Help
TheMagicTouch USA opens Florida branch
SanMar debuts its 2008 Premium Collection catalog
ASI launches Product Data Service for custom websites
Stahlsrsquo ID Direct introduces Professor Upperplaten
AWT World Trade introduces digital timer and high-output lamps
Unisub introduces new ChormaLuxeTM clock
Roland names David Goward president and CEO
Midwest Sign to carry full line of Roland printers
Midwest Sign offers Rho 600 Pictor Flatbed UV inkjet printer
Colman amp Co offers new Backing-in-a-Box
Hirsch has Third Hand Air Cap Framing system
EmbSuppliescom has Allied Grid-Lock Tubular Frames
Stahlsrsquo ID Direct releases CAD-COLORreg Solutions Opaque
Johnson Plastics offers new gift items for personalization
LaserBits adds cribbage boards and glass photos frames
December 2007 6Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
December 2007 7Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
About the Cover
Editorrsquos Note This is the 3rd cover Marian has done for us Her first one was using scientific illustrations and the second was a stained glass pattern Now for this one this versatile CorelDRAW artist has created a pattern from a real snowflake
This snowflake cover began as an image of a real snowflake (which was found on the internet and photographed by Ken Libbrecht a scientist at California Institute of Technology in Pasadena CA) He kindly offered to let me use his images as patterns for stained glass (httpPDQpatternscom) His photo gallery can be found at httpwwwsnowcrystalsnetgallery1smindexhtm
The following is what I can remember of how I created this snowflake design Usually there are numerous iterations and failed attempts in producing such a design with countless objects and fills numerous crashes and failed clipboards Saving separate versions often along the journey is imperative and sometimes things just happen serendipitously that are really great too but how they were arrived at I donrsquot always remember precisely
Initially a symmetrical hexagon was created using the polygon tool and the control key With the objectrsquos size menu it was resized to the desired dimensions A jpg image of the ldquorealrdquo snowflake was imported and viewed with the wireframe mode (altV W) and sized to match the vector hexagon I checked to see that the hexagon was rotated so that there was a point at the top (the default in x3) which makes right-to-left mirroring of objects easy Each element (object) on the right half of one arm of the snowflake was created using the bezier tool and the node edit menu (for cusprsquod and curved lines) These objects were grouped and a horizontal mirror image duplicate was created and moved to fill the left half of the snowflake arm--in alignment with the right side group To blend two objects in the center of the snowflake arm all objects were ungrouped then adjacent objects to be combined were selected and the menu chosen - arrangegtshapinggtcreate a new object surrounding selected objects The new object
Marian Millerrsquos Snowflakewas moved a notch with the up arrow key and the two original objects deleted then the new object was moved back down into place If you use the arrow keys to move the new object instead of dragging with the mouse then it will fit back into place perfectly This was done for several mirrored objects in the snowflake arm to eliminate the ldquocut and pasterdquo feeling and the line down the center of the snowflake arm When the right and left arms (halves) of the snowflakersquos single arm were complete then it was aligned with the top (point) and vertical center of the original hexagon Right and left halves of the arm were selected grouped and copied The entire snowflake image was selected (including the hexagon in the background) and rotated 30 degrees and the clipboard pasted (the pasted arm should fall exactly in the next point of the hexagon [One must select the whole hexagon and its contents to have it rotate correctly to allow the pasted snowflake arm to fall into the right place] The entire image is selected again rotated 30 degrees again then pasted (the arm) again It also should have fallen right into the next point of the hexagon This is continued until all six rays of the snowflake are filled
For the center hexagon a new symmetrical hexagon was created and reduced using the arrangegttransformgtscale menu until it matched the snowflake center then converted lsquoto curvesrsquo with arrangegtconvert to curves options All nodes were selected and the node edit icon to ldquomake-nodes-smoothrdquo was clicked which symmetrically rounded the corners of the hexagon The center hexagon was rotated by 30 degrees and centered to the snowflake outline The jpg of the original snowflake was deleted
All objects were ungrouped then regrouped as selected pairs of objects (eg similar objects in all six arms) to fill with colorful jpgs (or machine fill using the paint bucket option) For filling grouped objects with imported raster files a file is imported selected then the menu effectsgtpowerclipgtplace inside container is used A black arrow appears and the mouse is used to point to the object to be filled The position of the fill inside the object was edited by selecting
the object and choosing effectsgtpowerclipgtedit contents (move the jpg where you want or size it stretch or rotate) then in the left lower corner of the screen click on ldquofinished editing this level ldquo)
I used stained glass jpgs downloaded from websites of the numerous stained glass producers such as Armstrong and Spectrum Glass (mostly Spectrum Glass jpgs were used here) The line thickness was increased and line color was selected with a right click over the color palate
To fill the outside hexagon outline was increased to 16 pts then the object was converted to curves and filled with a colorful jpg file The whole design consisted of copied and pasted finished snowflakes into a pattern (in this instance adjacent hexagons) The arrangegtshapegttrim options were used to trim off snowflake areas that were not wanted
Finally all objects were selected grouped and the size of the snowflake design determined A rectangle of those same dimensions was created then centered to the page arrangedgtorderedgtsent to back then filled
Contact Marian at marianpdqpatternscom or visit her site at wwwpdqpatternscom 3945 Red Bud Ave Cincinnati OH 45229 513-558-1715 (w)
December 2007 8Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Inside ACDRP
By Michael Neer Executive Director
Winter ndash A Time to Prepare
In many parts of the world winter comes in with a white blanket of snow across the fields and streets People tend to stay indoors out of the cold so if you go outside itrsquos very quiet and still Therersquos less hustle and bustle in the marketplace The pace of life is slower Errands take longer Holidays put the attention more on family and less on business In fact itrsquos a time when many industry businesses either close or are open fewer hours Few new products are launched Most business owners are waiting to make announcements at the start of the new year
DECEMBER 2007
Published by Association of CorelDRAWreg Professionals
President John H McDanielVice President Judith McDaniel
Executive Director Michael R Neer Assoc Exec Director Steven V Neer
ACDRP Corporate Office Albany OR
EDITOR PUBLISHER ndash Michael R Neermikeneercoreldrawprocom
GRAPHICS ndash John MiseADVERTISING ndash John McDaniel II jhmcdaniel2coreldrawprocom
541-990-6687
OFFICES Membership amp Publishing offices located at
4709 N El Capitan Suite 103Fresno CA 93722
800-276-8428 559-276-8494 Fax 559-276-8496wwwCorelDRAWProcomeditorcoreldrawprocom
Subscriptions Free to qualified individuals and businesses Send change of address to the above
ACDRP Membership $60yr See the website for details Includes exclusive content and more
Advertising Request a Media Guide or download it from wwwCorelDRAWProcom
Writers CorelDRAWPro accepts articles from industry experts Email publisher for details
copy Copyright 2007 by ACDRP All Rights Reserved
So when this kind of mood is in the air we can make the most of it by using this time to prepare for the next year Itrsquos a time of review and planning ndash or sometimes finishing up projects that have been delayed
Thatrsquos why in this issue we provide you with several articles that will help you prepare for a great 2008
Donna Gray discusses how she reviews her business and plans for 2008
Bill Leek describes 10 ways you can prepare for more success in 2008 in terms of equipment training purchases and more
We present our annual Top Products of the Year story which is designed to call your attention to the most significant new products of 2007 ndash so you can try them out or see the trends that may be coming next year
Plus this is a good time to get the training you or your staff needs to be more competitive in 2008 Check out the CorelDRAWPro Bookstore for CDs books and videos and also the ProLink Graphics ad and the Calendar link in this issue for specific training events
Wersquod like to thank all of our subscribers and members for your loyal support during the year Thank you for your comments your questions and your attendance at MMcdr Our goal is to bring you more and better information about graphics and making money and we think 2008 will be full of both See you next year
December 2007 9Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
December 2007 10Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Using CorelDRAWregTraining
By Corel CorporationUsing Preview Modes in Image Adjustment Lab
When working with files that have poor color balance and contrast you need to use many different tools to make adjustments You can save valuable time by using the Image Adjustment Lab which is accessible from both Corel PHOTO-PAINTreg and CorelDRAWreg By uniting the most important manual and automatic controls required for common color and tone corrections the Image Adjustment Lab offers a fast intuitive way to achieve professional results with your image files
With the Image Adjustment Lab you can use different preview modes for evaluating the color and tone adjustments you make You can preview the corrected image in a single window view the original and corrected images in separate windows or view the image split into original and corrected portions within one window
The Image Adjustment Lab also lets you create snapshots of your adjustments with just one click The snapshots appear below the working preview which lets you easily compare each snapshot against the original version and then choose the best result
The preview mode buttons (A) and the Create Snapshot
button (B)
To open the Image Adjustment LabDo one of the following If yoursquore working in CorelDRAW click Bitmaps gt Image Adjustment Lab If yoursquore working in Corel PHOTO-PAINT click Adjust gt Image Adjustment Lab
To preview the corrected image in a single window
After correcting the image click the Full Preview button
To view the original and corrected images in separate windows
After correcting the image click the Before and after full preview button
To view original and corrected portions of an image in one window
After correcting the image click the Before and after split preview button
To capture the current version of your image
Click the Create Snapshot button
Thumbnails of the snapshots appear in a window below your image Each snapshot is numbered sequentially and can be deleted by clicking the Close button in the upper-right corner of the snapshot title bar
December 2007 11Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Using CorelDRAWregTraining
By Dave Demoret Contributing writerBitmap vs Vector
BITMAPSOne of the reasons bitmaps are not the desired image of choice in our industry is
that they do not reproduce well when enlarging the image Nor do they lend themselves to our process of decorating at least in screen printing embroidery and vinyl cutting to mention a few markets We need to use color in solid object form to achieve many of the end products we produce Color is very difficult to change in a bitmap image so we tend to lean towards the vector side to achieve our goals
One of the most confusing issues especially for beginners is the difference between bitmap also called raster and vector images To help clarify this take a look at the images on the side Bitmaps are made up of thousands of pixels (short for picture elements) which are tiny squares usually of different colors that form a picture These pixels are what make up the resolution of a given picture or bitmap image In lithography they are commonly referred to as dpi or dots per inch ndash thatrsquos for printing resolution We also use the dpi designation when we are talking about pixels per inch (ppi) in our industry but thatrsquos not technically correct Pixels per inch (ppi) refers to resolution on a monitor However we are looking at the scanning and the end product resolution in this article and therefore we are mostly concerned with the standard dpi measurement
Bitmaps are usually scanned into a graphics program or taken from a digital camera using the dpi designation In the illustrations here a 300 dpi (dots per inch) image is somewhat defined and appears to have clean edges but as we enlarge the image we are in effect decreasing the dots per inch We are making the dots themselves larger and therefore there are fewer dots that will fit into a one inch space By increasing the size using dpi or enlarging the bitmap using the dpi measurement we begin to see pixels and
very rough edge definition This is not especially good for printing or digitizingIf you have an image to print at 300 dpi to heat press on a t-shirt it can look pretty
good but if you want that same image to go on the back of a jacket and you try to enlarge it you will get the lsquojaggiesrsquo It is very difficult to take a low resolution image and increase the size while maintaining any kind of clarity or quality image
On the other hand if you have a low resolution image that needs to be reduced you will increase the image resolution because you will be putting more dots in that same one inch This simply means that a 300 dpi resolution image reduced by 50 will become a 600 dpi resolution
Image Size -vs- Image DPIAllow me to take this one step further to explain image dpi versus image size
When you have a 5 x 7 photo and you scan it into your CorelDRAWreg or scanning software you have the option of selecting the resolution using the dpi measurement If you want to enlarge the photo for your project increase the dpi I usually scan most everything at least a minimum of 600 dpi (figure 1) Others I will scan at 1200 to 1800 dpi to get a better quality print when I enlarge it enough to fit on a shirt Yes it does take longer to scan but the work on the other end is reduced dramatically
Remember that a 600 dpi image when reduced will become a 1200 dpi image In reverse the same 600 dpi image (figure 1) when enlarged will become a 300 dpi image (figure 2) This is all coming from the same 5 x 7 size image Size really doesnrsquot make a difference Itrsquos the resolution that will give you the quality that you are looking for
Resampling in CorelDRAWMost of the images you download
December 2007 12Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Using CorelDRAWregTraining
from the Internet will be 72 dpi (figure 3) and some are at 96 dpi These images are low grade and will need to be used at the existing size You can help them a little by using the lsquoResamplersquo in the pull down menu under Bitmaps in the Menu Bar of CorelDRAW This wonrsquot help a lot but may give you some assistance with some images The problem here is that the image will look slightly smoother but if enlarged much at all you will see it as being fuzzy or out of focus (figure 4) Play with resampling at several higher dpi choices and image sizes to get a feel for what you can and can not do
VECTOR IMAGESVector graphics are images that are made from mathematical
computations That is there is a certain shape and color associated with an outline and that area is the vector object as shown with one of the links here (figure 1) There are no definite objects or outlines in a bitmap It is simply thousands or millions of pixels each of a different color shade or tint That is why bitmaps are so hard to change easily With a vector image you simply select an object within the graphic and change the shape size and color with the tools provided in your graphics software
In contrast to the bitmap the vector image can be enlarged to any size without any distortion of edge definition This allows us to generate an image for a business card or a left chest logo on a t-shirt or a name tag then turn around and enlarge that same image to be placed on a billboard without any distortion of the image All the objects lines and integrity of the image are still intact (figure 2) no matter what size we select You can also see in figure 2 with the magnification that all the lines are still crisp sharp edges with no distortions
Vector images are the base images used in embroidery screen printing vinyl graphics and other markets within our graphics industry Many manufacturers today have geared their software as an add-on to CorelDRAW because of the ease clarity and flexibility that vector images offer
You can change a vector into a bitmap image with the click of a few buttons It takes considerably longer in most cases to change a bitmap into a vector file Most of the time
you will have to manually redraw or trace the bitmap image to convert it to a vector file There are programs out today that will convert these for you at least up to a point CorelDRAW is one of these programs PowerTrace is an auto trace feature used in the latest version of CorelDRAW
Printing ImagesWhile you will want to create your graphics in a vector
format you should know some basic principles of printing these two file choices One is that when you print a vector file it can take several times longer to print than a bitmap image of the same graphic Therefore for most of my printing in digital format like sublimation or heat transfer I will save a copy of my vector graphic as an original and make a duplicate copy to convert to a bitmap format for printing purposes
Another thing that most beginners donrsquot know is that if you are creating an image with CMYK Color Palette and print it to an inkjet printer you will throw off your color in the printed piece For example blues generally tend to turn to a violet lavender or purple shade Check with your supplier or distributor to help you set your printer to lsquoOutput color bitmaps as RGBrsquo And use your RGB Color Palette to color your graphic images
Dave Demoret founded Prolink Graphic Services to help people understand and profit from learning CorelDRAW He has been in both the Flat Graphics Industry and the Decorating Graphics Industry over the past 30 years He has written several articles for Screen Graphics Magazine on Color Control amp Matching in the past Dave has used CorelDRAWreg since version 3 and became a CorelDRAW Training Partner in 2006 During the past 5 years he has been conducting workshops all over the US and is the author of several Video CDs amp Instructional CDs on CorelDRAW Dave continues to conduct workshops in the US amp also worldwide online He can be reached at 765-DO COLOR (362-6567) or by email at davedprolinkgscom
December 2007 13Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE COLORBy David Milisock Training
Wow Powerful Controversial Useful I find the latter term to be most honest as shooting photos in the RAW format allows as much chance for the image to be ruined as it does for it to be improved The key to it being an improved experience rather then a ruined experience is of course understanding what the technology is all about work flow calibration and your skill
First off all cameras shoot RAW lower-cost cameras just wonrsquot let you save the file without an automated conversion process Here is the definition of RAW as printed in my new book Color Management in the CorelDRAW Graphics Suite for Professionals Small Office and Home Office capture C (to be released January 2008)
RAW is a file format that is proprietary to the camera manufacturer They are linear-gamma grayscale images from digital color filter arrays All these files require processing by a RAW converter to convert them to an RGB image
What this means to the user outside of the photographic ramifications is that the user needs to understand how the process is going to affect their color How this comes about is that the camera has a capture array that has red green and blue sensors Or an array that has filters to make some sensors only sensitive to red some only to blue and some only to green Each set of red blue and green sensors creates grayscale data that has to be combined to three channels Color is not only applied to the channels based on the value of the grayscale but a color space is assigned All cameras do this some just donrsquot let you do it manually
What Irsquom saying Is that as soon as the RAW converter develops a color display a color space has been assigned In fact the application has to have a
ldquoRAWrdquostandard color space to base the preview display on or your color edits would have no meaning
Stand-alone applications may allow you to choose what color space to apply to the image Some do not some force you to use an ultra-wide gamut RGB color space like Prophoto RAW Lab or plug-ins within image editing applications are most likely to use the internal (working) RGB of the application
So often it is written that RAW files have no color space and this is a true-falsehood True as long as they are still linear grayscale data streams of no value to anyone without a RAW converter but false as soon as you start the process of making a universally accepted RGB image of them
The key to the process is making sure that you understand what color space your converter assigned to the image so you can coordinate the internal RGB of Corel PHOTO-PAINTreg Make sure to activate the arrow from the internal RGB to the monitor
Any process that does not have the image
editor and RAW converter working in a coordinated manner will totally negate any benefit of using RAW You simply wonrsquot know what colors yoursquore really working with and thatrsquos not good for a process that was supposed to improve your work not make it worse
To my mind that biggest problem I see is that multiple RAW converter applications when viewing a RAW file as shot by the camera can have vastly different displays of the same image See capture A amp B (blurred on purpose) if you have a mind to try using RAW converting I suggest calibrating your display system first as this RAW image when opened in 4 different RAW converters has the white balance temperature identified
Coming Soon to the CorelDRAWPro Book Store A new book by columnist
David Milisock
Color Management in the CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
For Professionals Small Office and Home Office
Basic Color Theory bull Postscript and Non-Postscript Devices
RIPs for Ink Jets and Press bull Adobe Color Coordination
Color Continuity During Exportation bull and Much More
December 2007 14Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE COLOR
as four different values ranging from 2850 to 9980 OUCH Itrsquos hard to believe that the same data has been interpreted to be as shot by the camera judging by these two images isnrsquot it
This can only be described as an extremely painful experience Now you canrsquot rely on the software to interpret the data properly so the only thing you have that you can rely on is your calibrated work flow and your good sense
Another complaint that I have about stand-alone RAW converter applications is that in many cases the image display within the application is so poor that I cannot make a reasonable editing decision for any color or sharpening The image is glassy like in Paint Shop Pro or too soft like in Photoshopreg not sharp and clear like in PHOTO-PAINT OUCH
Please note in Capture A the Adobe RGB color space is already in play (see lower left corner) The adjustments available as shown in this capture are typical for RAW converters and
this capture will show them to you I am neither pro nor con RAW What Irsquove found is that
it is most generally used like image editor in place of good photography This is not always a bad thing Saving the cost on another shooting session through technology certainly has its selling point
Another observation Irsquove noticed is that as the cost of the cameras goes up the quality of their built-in conversion also goes up Many times they will save TIF instead of JPG files This is a real plus In studio settings with a superior camera you most likely will work your butt off and not be as good as the built-in RAW conversion of a studio quality camera On site live shoots is where the RAW conversion application seems to have a place to be most useful in my mind
Irsquom a Corel PHOTO-PAINT guy and I love my sharp clean PHOTO-PAINT display So until Corel PHOTO-PAINT has a RAW converter Irsquom sticking with the camera conversion and a TIF file for studio work But I will certainly use RAW when it benefits my client which benefits me
Watch out next month itrsquos going to be HOT
David Milisock is president of Custom Graphic Technologies Inc He has been in the print production business since 1975 and specializes in professional support for the CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite He can be reached at 717-509-3523 or davidmilisockcomcastnet See full bio on Writers Page
Itrsquos Who Knows YOU Network Your Way to Successby Chien J Wang president of Toujours Inc
Turbo-charge your networking with unique strategies that work Chien at-tends 10-12 events a week and has created a system for turning contacts into customers and customers into lifelong relationships
wwwcoreldrawprocomallbookstorehtm
Captures A amp B Two blurry images (on purpose) showing what happens to the white balance when opened in
different RAW converters This is typical
December 2007 15Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE TRANSFERSBy Bill Leek Applications
Headstart on Spring 10 Things You Can Do in January to Make 2008 a Successful Year
I have to be honesthellipMy normal inclination after the holiday season is to relax and take it easy for a few weeks It seems that after a very busy year I really deserve it But small- to medium-size business owners cannot afford to do this The few weeks of relative calm after Christmas are too valuable to squander
Every year I write up an action plan for January Hear are some ideas that you may find valuable
1) Follow the lead of the big retailers Valentinersquos Day is almost here and Easter is early this year Get your new spring displays mailings emails and catalogs out right after the holidays Highlight some new products with spring themes every year
2) Offer January specials with sizable discounts if you anticipate a slow month Use coupons and thank you gifts to show appreciation to your loyal long-term customers
3) Br igh ten up your display space with new graphics fixtures and lighting Look into new LED displays They offer superior lighting at significantly lower cost and maintenance LED
technology will replace both incandescent and neon lighting and signage in just a few years
4) Spend some time to really learn your software application January is a great time to learn new features and upgrade your Corel Software Buy a guide or an interactive CDDVD to speed up the learning curve
5) January is a great time to find new vendors equipment and imprintables You have more time and the vendors may be more responsive as sales are slower You very well might be able to make that great deal on a piece of capital equipment yoursquove wanted for some time
Ask vendors to provide you with samples of new inks imprintables and transfer papers Test washability compare color quality and evaluate production ease
Look at the new technologies -- direct printing on soft and hardgoods eco-solvent inks color laser printer transfer and new sublimation coatings are all ldquohotrdquo areas to investigate
6) Donrsquot just perform a physical inventory Evaluate inventory turnover and get rid of any dead items that are just taking up shelf space
7) Look at your customer base Are you trying to be all things to all people Are there specific niches where you have had greater success
than others Determine how to build on your strengths and possibly remove yourself from markets that are not profitable
8) Organize an email list of all your existing customers and solid leads Improve your communications with a newsletter Donrsquot overkill with your emailshelliptherersquos a fine line between informative and irritating
9) Sit down and list your major accomplishments and failures of the past year Try to assign a quantitative measure where you can Make a detailed list in each area and honestly investigate what resulted in success or failure
10) Come up with a list of 10-20 goals that you can realistically achieve in 2008 These goals can be defined as specific actions or financial results Create a small poster and display it in place where you will see it every day Go over the list every month and ask yourself how you are doing
I wish you all a Very Happy New Year I will try to keep you informed of all the exciting technical and market developments in 2008 Thanks for all your questions ideas and support during the past year
Add quality imprintables from Unisub for the
Valentinersquos Day market
December 2007 16Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE PRINTSUBLIMATIONBy Judy and John McDaniel Applications
Creating Sublimation Product Templates
Last time we finished all the background stuff now wersquoll get on to making things Wersquoll start with flat products which include plaques tiles shirts and other garments etc Later wersquoll explore specialty items like cups
Creating a Product Template FileThe first step in designing graphics for any new
product that we intend to make again and again is to create a product template Templates give us layouts into which we can place our text and graphics They may take a little time to set up initially however they make it much easier and faster to produce products once the templates are available
The first step in designing a template is to determine the page size in CorelDRAWreg For sublimated products that requires we decide what size the finished transfer will be The size of the transfer will determine the page size
The finished transfer may or may not be the size of the printed sheet For example if we are printing transfers for t-shirts generally they will be on full 11 x 17 sheets That said we have some layouts that will be printed in portrait orientation vertical on the shirt and some in landscape horizontal We have both styles available as templates If we are including a customerrsquos photo in the finished design the orientation of the photo might determine which template we use
For ceramic tiles the transfer may be the size of an individual tile or perhaps the size of a tile array For plaques the transfer is generally slightly larger than the print area of the plaque -- 4 x 6 5 x 7 8 x 10 etc For badges our template might be the size of a single badge or if we have a fixture for pressing badges our template might be the size of the fixture If wersquore pressing ceramic steins and cups we might have an array of templates some for fronts backs full wraps and full wraps edge to edge
Another variable to consider when creating a sublimation template is the size
of your printer and heat press The largest transfer that can be printed or pressed will determine the upper limit of the templatersquos page size These factors are only of concern for large items like shirts
In our shop we have both wide format (11inch) and standard (85 inch) sublimation printers We can choose roll material or standard sheets Currently our largest flat press is 14 x 16 inches so thatrsquos our upper limit for flat product images
Creating a T-shirt TemplateRemember creating a template is something you
only do one time for each item in your inventory and for any variations you would like to have available Creating
Photo 1
Photo 2
December 2007 17Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE PRINTING
a template file takes a little time in the beginning but saves a lot of time in the long run
With these factors in mind Irsquoll go through the steps of creating a special-occasion t-shirt template The first one Irsquoll create will be in portrait orientation If yoursquod like to follow along open CorelDraw to a new project 11 x 17 paper and set the orientation to portrait
Set Guidelines Next wersquoll bring in some guidelines These will
help us see the image area we have to work with For this project Irsquoll set guidelines at frac12 inch in from the left and right 1 inch in from the top and 3 inches up from bottom The guides are for visual reference This is the maximum text and graphics layout area
Since this is a vertical layout our graphic will be 1 inch down from the top edge of the transfer If we set the shirt on the press with the collar at the top edge then all wersquoll have to do is align the transfer to the top edge of the press and the image will be 1 inch down from the shirt collar
Irsquove limited the vertical image area to 13 inches Allowing an inch down from the top will make the bottom of the image 14 inches down from the collar Thatrsquos
ok for an adult large or XL shirt but you may want to adjust the area for smaller shirts
As a part of this layout Irsquove created a couple of layers One Irsquove called text and one picture These layers will be used for the graphic elements of the final template As an option you can also create a non-printing layer that contains a rectangle Since the layout is off centered you can use the rectangle to align your text and graphics but the rectangle will not print (See picture 1)
Save Your TemplateYou can now save this simple layout
as a CorelDRAW template To do that click on FileSave Ashellip and select CDT ndash CorelDRAW Template (see picture 2)
I normally save templates in a special folder however if yoursquore using Windows Vista its sort capabilities reduce the need to organize your files (See picture 3)
You can use this generic template as is You can also use it as a base for creating other templates Next time wersquoll make some additions to customize it for a special occasion Wersquoll also look at how we can use templates
Judy and John McDaniel are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry For information on training services offered and their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom They can be reached by phone at 541-967-4271 via SKYPE (user name JHMcDaniel) or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom See full bio on Writers Page
December 2007 18Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTINGBy Jeff McDaniel Applications
Using Specialty Platens Part 2Background
In our last article we touched on the steps required to create a master transfer for our specialty platen We also briefly reviewed locating the artwork and attaching the capillary film to the screen In this article we will expose our screens rinse them and produce our pocket patch CorelDRAWPro members can look up the more detailed information in the archived articles for June July and August at wwwacdrporg
Our setup and yoursOur setup is the Printa 770 series screen printing machine from Printa Systems Inc
All of the supplies and tools we will cover from here on were provided in the turn-key system from Printa with the 770 Your setup may be from another source but will most likely contain components of what we will discuss below In addition to the standard Printa 770 setup we will be using the ldquoPrint-Allrdquo system from Printa Systems Inc (see figure 1 courtesy of Printa Systems)
Exposing the capillary filmWe left off last article with our screens drying
Now that they are dry we are ready to expose the capillary film Exposing Step 1 we will gently peel the carrier sheet off of the capillary film (see figure 2)
Exposing Step 2 Next we need to put our first image back on the exposure unit and re-install the screen on the printing system Then we can bring the screen down on the
exposure unit attach our blackout board and expose the screen (see figure 3)
Exposing Step 3 After exposure we need to rinse out our screen and inspect it to be certain we have a complete rinse (see figure 4)
Exposing Step 4 Once the image is rinsed out it is time to put the screen back in the dryer (see figure 5)
Re-aligning the screens after wash outFrom the time that we first aligned the
artwork we have taken the screens in and out of the printing system twice If our artwork is even a little bit out of alignment we will lose blanks or put out low quality work It is a good idea to do a final adjustment with the original artwork
Re-Align Step 1 Leaving both of our photo positives on the exposure unit we can inspect the screen location compared to our original artwork location Here is the yellow screen location after exposure and wash out (see figure 6)
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
December 2007 19Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTING
Re-Align Step 2 The black screen is a little bit off (see figure 7) so we will need to use the Printa 770 micro-adjustment knobs to bring it back into alignment (see figure 8)
Masking off the screenNow that our artwork is
lined up correctly we can mask the rest of the screen off Wherever we donrsquot want the ink to run through the screen needs to be masked off (see figures 9 and 10)
Locating the pocket patch on the shirtThere are a couple of different ways to locate the pocket
patch on the shirt The first thing to consider is where you want it to end up on the wearer If the patch is too far toward the sleeve the image will end up under the wearerrsquos arm pit If the image is too far up toward the neck the image will not look right either A good way to figure out the correct location is by looking at a shirt that has a pocket patch on it (maybe one or two are in your closet right now)
Another way to locate the pocket patch is to put on the shirt
size that you wear and mark off where you think it feels correct and comfortable Once you have decided where you would like the patch keeping it in the same relative location on all of the different sizes is not too difficult The actual placement of the shirt can be accomplished a couple of different ways that we know of Which you prefer will depend mostly on if you are more accurate with sight or touch
The sight method involves using a masking tape strip to mark the desired location on the shirt prior to loading it onto the platen (see figure 11)
Once you have your marking in place you can load the shirt on the platen and have a nice representation that you are placing the design in the desired location (see figure 12)
Figure 7 Figure 8
Figure 9
Figure 10
Figure 11
Figure 12
December 2007 20Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTING
We prefer the sight method because it works well with our equipment The ldquoPrint Allrdquo system from Printa Systems Inc uses a smaller platen for pocket patches The smaller platen allows us to load sizes from youth XS ndash adult 5X without stretching
The touch method involves using a standard platen and adding a riser underneath where the pocket patch will be printed (a piece of cut cardboard or thin wood of the appropriate size) With this method you can feel when the shirt is in the correct location and begin printing from there
Inking the screens printing and curingSince we have resolved our location
issues with the pocket patch we are ready to ink the screens print and cure
Printing Step 1 Inking the screens is fairly straightforward (see figure 13)
Printing Step 2 Using the squeegee we will screen our first color (see figure 14) and check the quality of the image (see figure 15)
Printing Step 3 Our first color will need to be flash cured (see figure 16)
Printing Step 4 Now we can add our second color (see figure 17)
Printing Step 5 Finally we can do the finish cure step paying attention to the temperature gauge (see figure 18)
After final curing it is always a good idea to take at least a sampling of the product and wash it to be certain of the curing All of the information on post-job clean-up can be found in the CorelDRAWPro archives for September
Conclusion This time we took our screens out of
the dryer and pushed our project all the way to its completion
Jeff McDaniel is the OwnerOperator of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon Jeff has been working with computers since the age of 5 and was a journeyman machinist before working in the graphic arts business Creative Graphic offers services including laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials You can contact Jeff by email at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
Figure 14
Figure 13
Figure 15
Figure 17
Figure 16
Figure 18
December 2007 21Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SANDBLASTINGBy Judy McDaniel Applications
Screening the AbrasiveKeeping your sandblast abrasive media free
of contaminant material is essential During sandblasting abrasive is mixed with compressed air fed through the supply hose focused by the nozzle and impacts the product Then if itrsquos fine enough it leaves the system as dust or drops to the bottom of the cabinet to be recycled
Other material will also collect in the bottom of the cabinet This debris can include bits of mask (ever wonder where the center of that ldquoerdquo went) bits of tape and possibly solid material dislodged from the product yoursquore blasting This latter source of debris is especially prevalent when yoursquore working on materials other than glass like brick rock and wood
Leaving the debris in the abrasive when itrsquos recycled can cause a variety of problems First if a piece of debris is too large to fit through the nozzle it will clog it More importantly if it does fit through the nozzle and is hard like brick and rock debris it can impact the piece yoursquore working on and ruin it
The obvious solution is to screen the media when you reload the pressure pot The problem is the screen mesh size Irsquove tried the screen supplied by the cabinet manufacturers and used window screening material from a hardware store In both of these cases the mesh size would allow all but the largest pieces of debris through
What Irsquove found that works the best is a spatter screen from a local kitchen store The mesh is woven tightly and filters out much more debris The best thing is its price only a few dollars
One of our cabinets is not self-contained so we have to filter the media by hand We have found that bending the handle up on a large spatter screen
causes it to fit perfectly into the top of the pressure pot We also have a couple of other smaller pressure pots one in fact that you fill with a funnel For those I simply lay the spatter screen over the opening of the pot or the funnel when refilling
If you have a system that recycles the abrasive then it should be equipped with a screen located on top of the pressure pot Make sure to inspect and remove the debris from the top of the screen from time to time A shop-vac works well for this purpose If you find that larger pieces are getting through the screen then contact the manufacturer to see what can be done to reduce the mesh size
Keeping your media clean helps prevent unwanted delays or damage
To all of our friends out there new and old have a safe and joyful holiday season
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from John and me
Judy McDaniel with her husband John are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry In addition they provide one-on-one application support through an email subscription service exclusively for their Hotcdr Hands-On Training students or those who have purchased their CD sets (For information on training services offered visit wwwgraphic-products-trainingcom and for information on their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom) They can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
December 2007 22Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE ENGRAVINGBy John McDaniel Applications
Elements of Machine Accuracy 7 Structural Integrity
So far wersquove covered resolution speed repeatability and hysteresis This time wersquoll discuss structural integrity
What is Structural IntegrityStructural integrity is a measure of a machinersquos
strength or stiffness It is the ability of a machine to resist distortion by forces created in normal operations
Most mechanical engraving machines use single-fluted cutters As these cutters turn they apply cutting force against the material For every action though there is an equal but opposite reaction ie the material resists the cut and thereby transmits a resistive force back through the cutting tool spindle etc and ultimately to the machinersquos frame
Assuming a static bit position the force applied to the machinersquos structure will rotate 360deg with the tool (see diagram 1) As this force rotates any looseness in the structure will result in a deviation in the relationship of the material and the cutter
What machine design factors are involvedStructural integrity includes lead screws and their
hysteresis for mechanical engraving machines spindle bearings and their looseness for both mechanical and laser engravers gantry or table rails their bearings and looseness and the machinersquos frame In fact anything and everything that holds the tool and material in the proper relationship during the cuttingengraving process contributes to or detracts from structural integrity
Why is it importantIn a word Quality Structural integrity influences
the quality of the finished products the machine will produce
For illustration Irsquoll use a mechanical engraving system If the looseness in our machine and the cutting force applied were uniform throughout the 360deg of tool rotation the result would be a wobble in the tool path which might not be visible in the finished product
Cutting ForcesIn the real world however as the tool moves through
the material the cutting and reactive forces go through a cycle (see diagram 2) When the tool starts the cut there is a spike in force The force will level to a constant through the top side of the cut while itrsquos cutting against the direction of the toolrsquos movement Then it will drop somewhat when itrsquos cutting with the toolrsquos movement and finally fall off on the back side as the cutting edge of the tool enters the void area where the material has already been removed
The amount of force applied during the cutting process will vary depending on the material being
cut the tool and its sharpness the depth of cut the material feed rate and whether or not lubricant is used The cutting force may also vary over the length of the job as the toolrsquos cutting edge wears and becomes dull
Machine Component Looseness
In addition to the cutting force not being uniform throughout the 360deg of tool rotation l o o s e n e s s i n t h e machinersquos structure will also vary For example dur ing the cut t ing operation as the tool transitions through 0deg and 180deg of rotation X axis hysteresis will be a factor in overall machine looseness but Y axis hysteresis will have no effect At 90deg and 270deg the Y axis will become a factor but the X axis will have no impact
In the real world any looseness in the machine will cause an oscillation in the cut which will have its own angle If we could slow the toolrsquos movement we would see this oscillation as a sharp jump in the positional relationship between the tool and material being cut In the finished product this sharp jump in position will result in a jagged cut
December 2007 23Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE ENGRAVING Outline amp OverviewThe Nuts and Bolts of Machine AccuracyMachine accuracy or capability can be defined as a result of six features 1 Resolution ndash the smallest incremental movementpositioning of a speci-fied axis 2 Speed ndash the ability to complete a task in a reasonable amount of time without sacrificing accuracy or creating damage to the machine or product 3 Repeatability ndash the ability to duplicate a previous position without error 4 Hysteresis ndash the ldquosloprdquo or ldquoplayrdquo in motion control components 5 Structural Integrity ndash stiffness or strength ndash the ability to cut materials without error or damage This is especially important for mechanical engrav-ers 6 Structural Tolerances ndash the sum accuracy of a machinersquos mechanical components
Machine ComponentsWersquoll examine nine factors that determine a machinersquos accuracy They include 1 Motors ndash including DC Stepper DC Brushless DC Servo and AC Servo a Spindles ndash motors that rotate the cutting bit b Axis Drive ndash motors that position the material to the cutting bit c Horsepower ratings ndash real versus advertised 2 The Motion Control Drive Unit ndash including Geared Belt and Lead Screws a Lead Screws ndash including Acme Re-circulating Ball Standard and Precision b Mounting ndash including Simple Fixed and Thrust bearing types c Protection ndash Open or Closed 3 Guide Rails ndash Types include V Bearing Rail Bushing Shaft Dove Tail and Re-circulating Ball Bearing 4 Encoders ndash Types include Rotary and Linear Methodologies include incremental or absolute 5 Tachometers ndash used for speed stability acceleration and breaking control for closed loop servo systems 6 Bearings ndash including Sleeve Ball and Linear Re-circulating Ball a Applications ndash including Radial Thrust and Linear b Quality ndash Standard thru Ultra Precision 7 Spindles ndash including topbottom loading Collets and Sleeves 8 Material Hold Down ndash including mechanical clamps and vacuum sys-tems 9 Electronic Interface ndash Computer control methods
Wersquoll also examine Reliability what makes it And Serviceability is it fix-able
If the cutting oscillation is at any angle other than the direction of the cut and the oscillation is great enough a jagged cut will be visible in the finished product A cut deviation of as little as 001rdquo is visible to the naked eye and will most commonly show up on curves and circles but may show up on straight lines as well
To illustrate this point a little further and perhaps make it somewhat clearer Irsquod like to refer to diagrams 3 and 4 For purposes of these illustrations we will assume we have a machine that has some looseness on both the X and Y axes However the rest of the machine
is structurally solid the frame is rigid and no other components have any loosenessMaking these assumptions and disregarding the variation in force caused by the cutter
as it travels through the material we will have cutting oscillations at 0deg 180deg 90deg and 270deg during the toolrsquos rotation As the tool travels through the material on its path these oscillations will cause a slight variation in the centerline of the toolrsquos cut
Diagram 3 shows a horizontal tool path While the machine is cutting in this direction any X axis looseness will be masked by the cutter path itself however looseness in the Y axis will result in a slight oscillation in the cutterrsquos horizontal position and therefore a deviation in its cut Diagram 4 shows the effect of the X axis looseness which will impact vertical lines
As you can see from this discussion and these illustrations structural integrity ie looseness in the components from which a machine is constructed can make a significant difference in quality of the finished products that a machine will produce
Next time wersquoll consider structural tolerances and their impact
John McDaniel with his wife Judy are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry For information on training services offered and their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom They can be reached by phone at 541-967-4271 via SKYPE (user name JHMcDaniel) or via email at JHMcDanielCorelDRAWhelpcom See the full bio on the Writers Page
December 2007 24Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
the image the text and the red bow In the laser file for this example I have the red cut line for vectoring (See Figure 5)
5) Send the cardstock through the printer6) Place the cardstock in the laser for vector
cutting The thickness of the stock will determine what settings to use For my 35-watt laser using a medium weight cardstock I used a speed of 100 and power of 15 for a nice cut through the stock without any burn marks on the paper
7) Optional in one run I decided to let the laser take care of the bow instead of using color for it from my printer I set the outline of the bow to 100 black and the interior of the bow to 50 black (See Figure 6)
8) Then I only sent the image and text through the printer The bow and vector cutting occurred in the laser I set the raster engraving (of the bow) at speed 70 and power 40 (See Figure 7) You can see the differentiation of using 100 black as opposed to 50 black by the exterior lines
being engraved a little deeper than the rest of the fill
Take the idea of using patterns (like the birth announcement above) and wowing your clientele with the detail and intricacy that laser can provide Or add a twist to a holiday tradition (cards) Whatever you do donrsquot forget you can combine the advantages of the printer and laser for fabulous products
Submitted by Kathryn Arnold Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
LASER TIPBy Kathryn Arnold Applications
Combining Laser amp Printer PowerComing up with new and
inventive ways to use your laser is the key to a successful and growing business We will look at a way to combine the power of your computer (ink) printer with the power of the laser engraver
In this lesson we will take a look at using cardstock to create a card and an announcement See the examples of a holiday card and a birth announcement ndash gratuitously they are of my family (Figure 1 amp Figure 2)
1) In CorelDRAWreg use any pattern image text you wish Be sure that there is a clear and discernible vector line that will be laser cut and yield a cut piece from the cardstock2) See the clear (red) cut line ndash it goes fully around my object even the bow portion (important) I then duplicated my object to fit as many as possible on my 8 frac12 x 11 cardstock (See Figure 3) 3) I saved this file as my master file that I could return to at any point I then created two copies -- one that will
be used to send the file to my printer and one that will be used to send the file to my laser engraver (See Figure 4)
4) In the master file I have every part of what my end product will have In the file for my printer I only have the parts that the printer will print ndash in this example
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
December 2007 25Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
ELECTRONICS FRONTIERBy Louie Alvarez Opportunity
Webcams are an interesting subject which I am intimately familiar with Some typical questions are what are they what purpose do they serve what benefit are they what to look for and various other questions concerns and issues
Webcams surely bring back a memory or two not all that great I might add I remember when they first became usable primarily due to the Internet having affordable true broadband
First experiences The choppy poor quality of dial-up service
simply didnrsquot make this a useful technology Short of communicating with far-flung family members it left much to be desired With my immediate family living in Las Vegas and all other family (parents siblings cousins etc) living in California this was a technology I thought would be useful to keep in touch
So I set up my computer and my momrsquos computer with Webcams to stay in touch Needless to say with the poor quality terrible tracking (had to keep perfectly
sti l l because video frames didnrsquot refresh fas t enough) the hard-to-see tiny video window and poorly synchronized voices to the faces (we looked like a badly translated kung fu movie) the novelty quickly wore off (Irsquod say in about 30 minutes)
WebcamsSecond attempt
So I promptly dumped the technology for the next few years until I started seeing broadband picking up the pace and more interest in Webcams becoming obvious from all the new devices on the market So about three years ago a wireless Webcam caught my eye and I decided to put it to the test once again
Considering I was by then traveling quite extensively (about 40000 miles a year) I figured Irsquod use it to monitor my home I had two teenagers and a 5-year-old at home at the time while I was on the road and my wife was still a t work (She normally didnrsquot get off work until about two hours after school was out) So this looked to be a cool device to see if as the clicheacute goes when the catrsquos away the mice will play
I proceeded to position this wireless Webcam strategically to allow viewing of my living room including the back door Plus to get to the front door or side door you would have to pass through the field of the camera My little one loved the idea of being on camera for her daddy and would dance play and make funny faces for me Pretty cool actually That in itself almost justified the camera but needless to say my teenagers even my wife didnrsquot take to the idea too well So it was returned and life continued on as usual
That experience did show me that the broadband
speeds the quality of the video feeds the prevalence on the net of live cams and the quality of the video cameras (better known as Webcams) had progressed to a level of usefulness and I could see the potential of this technology With that said letrsquos get into the heart of this article
So what are webcams Basically they are digital cameras attached to
the computer and connected to the Web or Instant Messaging (IM) This allows the camera to be linked to a website or to each other directly and individuals who view the website or IM are able to see what the camera is viewing at that moment You can choose to get either still pictures that are updated at regular intervals (Snapshot) or live streams (Streaming) depending on what your bandwidth permits The WebCam technology has advanced sufficiently now to make it both easier and cheaper to maintain a camera that is refreshing an image 24 hours a day
Features of Web Cameras Listed here are some of the features more commonly
found in WebCams1 Live streaming video still pictures updated2 No plug-in or software necessary to view image
can be viewed with any Web browser3 Live audio4 Incorporation with other software such as Instant
Messaging (IM)5 Adding captionslogostime displays6 Archiving video7 Chat feature
December 2007 26Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
WebCams in an instructional scenario could be used to
Monitor your staff or employees thus being able to guide them better
Telecommute to companies worldwide and demonstrate project procedures
B roadcas t sem ina rs wo rkshops o r demonstrations
Share special events and programs with students enrolled in distance learning courses
Hold a video press conference online meeting or broadcast meetings and discussions
In some cases it is important for the learner to be able to establish a connection visually WebCams could be a good alternative to using text files or audio files
Join WebCam groups and allow students to take advantage of other WebCam locations for educational purposes
Using a web camera allows learners to be a part of either a conference or classstudio
Benefits of using WebCamsa The most important advantage of using a web camera is that it creates a direct link between the camera and the live site and dispenses with all the production work Production work in this context includes the cost and effort involved in shooting
editing and streaming videos Thus using a WebCam does not require
advanced skillsb The software is basically a Web server that runs on your system and pushes images out to a Web page For viewers of images delivered over a WebCam
one of the benefits is that they get the entire picture preferable in
certain cases rather than a sleek edited versionc WebCam technology can also be used for remote s u r v e i l l a n c e s y s t e m s
ELECTRONIC FRONTIER
monitoring events or places and broadcasting live eventsd Learners can link to a web camera-monitored location and just watch or also have an additional web camera in their own location enabling two-way communication
Setting up your WebCama Setting up your own WebCam obviously requires a computer a WebCam (the hardware) and WebCam software along with a broadband Internet connection Before you decide which camera to buy and which software to acquire yoursquoll have to review the different methods to show pictures or video feed through the Internet ( i e r e f r e s h e d after x amount of seconds) This will enable you to decide which hardware and software solution will fit your situation best
b P l a c e m e n t of a camera is an important decision to be made Decide whether a static angle is sufficient to demonstrate the concept or a moving camera (handheld) is required It is important however to remember the limitations of using WebCams and leave the panoramic and other fancy shots to more sophisticated video Use WebCams for videos that require more focus and ones that require a smaller viewingmovement range
c For detailed technical instructions on using WebCams visit httpdeveloperswebcamworldcommethodshtml
d Here is a good resource for inexpensive Webcams on the market httpcastlepricewatchcomssearchasps=webcams
e For an in-depth review of various Webcams on the market go to this link httpreviewscnetcom4244-6502_7-0-1htmlquery=webamptag=cat_1
f There are many Webcam examples online here are a couple httpwwwwebcamworldcom or httpwwwleonardsworldscomcamerahtml
By the way DONrsquoT TELL MY KIDS I picked up a Logitech QuickCam Pro 4000 not too long ago My family doesnrsquot know why I got it or what my intention is but I can say that now that my kids are 17 16 amp 8 my job as a parent is to ensure the mice donrsquot play when the catrsquos awayhellip
Louie Alvarez began acquiring his experience in the awards and engraving industry in Central California over 15 years ago first as an employee of the largest and oldest trophy shop and then as owner of one of the first laser engraving businesses Louie has been a featured workshop instructor and seminar speaker throughout the industry in addition to being a contributing writer to numerous industry publications Louie is based in Las Vegas NV and can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
December 2007 27Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
The Association of CorelDRAWreg Professionals is The Education amp Business Resource for CorelDRAW Users Worldwide Its goal is to help 1) IMPROVE your CorelDRAW skills and 2) MAKE MONEY with those skills You can participate in ACDRP services in four ways
THE WORLDrsquoS ONLY ASSOCIATION FOR CORELDRAWreg USERSINVITES YOU TO MAKE MORE MONEY WITH CORELDRAW
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month focused on Industry News via the Graphics News Wire Links to valuable resources and a complete educa-tion and show Calendar S
CorelDRAWPro the Entrepreneurial magazine for CorelDRAW users features in-depth content on How to Use CorelDRAW -- tips tricks advanced ar twork success s to r ies in te rv iews and more How to Apply CorelDRAW -- for graphic production processes such as embroidery engraving heat printing laser promo products printing sandblasting signmaking sublimation and screenprinting How to Profit from CorelDRAW -- Product news business columns reviews profiles and advertising with live links
SUBSCRIBE -- NO CHARGE JOIN -- $60 PER YEAR
All users of CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite are qualified to subscribe free to CorelDRAWPro magazine (PDF format) and CorelDRAWPro E-News
Subscription to CorelDRAWPro amp CorelDRAWPRo E-News
TTF Newsletter Subscription to the monthly Tips Templates amp Fixtures Newsletter only available to members
GSG Basic Listing You can list your services in the Graphic Services Guide in one category as part of membership (a $25 value)
Access to QuickLearn A keyword searchable database of 100s of articles on CorelDRAW graphics production and business
All users of CorelDRAWreg are invited to join the Association and take advantage of exclusive content discounts and profes-sional recognition ACDRP membership includes
TTF
QuickLearn
QuickTNT
Archives
BASIC GSG LISTING -- $25 PER YR
The Graphic Services Guide is the Industry Yellow Pages for Services and Finished Goods GSG is promoted in all our publi-cations and our website to the world of CorelDRAW users Your listing gives you the opportunity to promote your services (in any of 40 categories) to other CorelDRAW usersThe Basic Listing includes your company description email link and listing in one category Additional service categories are $10 each per year
The Enhanced GSG Listing is for companies that want to list in two categories and add a photo or logo
ENHANCED GSG LISTING -- $50$75 PER YR
Classifieds
Access to QuickTnT A growing database of CorelDRAW tips for understanding the fine points of the program and templates that can be downloaded to speed up your production
Access to Archives Past issues of CorelDRAWPro are available to members with live links
Bookstore Discounts Members receive a 10 discount on all products in the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore
Professional Recognition Use of the ACDRP logo for professional identification on business cards websites and letterhead You also receive a membership certificate
Classified Ads Members can place one classified ad per year at no charge with photo and run it till the item is sold (a $35 value)
HOW TO PARTICIPATE To Subscribe (no charge) To Join ($60yr) To List in the Graphic Services Guide ($25 Basic $50$75 Enhanced or $120145 for Multi-Service)
CorelDRAWreg is a registered trademark of Corel Corp and is used with permission
Visit wwwcoreldrawprocomand click on the appropriate links
800-276-8428
The Multi-Service GSG Listing allows you to list up to 40 differ-ent service categories with detailed descriptions and add a photo or logo
MULTI-SERVICE GSG LISTING -- $120$145 PER YR
December 2007 28Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Throughout the year this publication has reported on whatrsquos new in equipment tools and software and blank products for businesses that put graphics onto products
For this 2007 wrap-up CorelDRAWPro editorial staff reviewed all the product news for the year and named 33 products to its annual Top Products of the Year list
Selections were based on the criteria of innovation and impact Innovation means products that exhibit a high degree of originality or uniqueness Impact means products that influence sales or productivity for a large number of businesses
Note that the 2007 honorees are list alphabetically in the three theme sections
For more information on the products in this article click on the Info Request button at the bottom of each page and select by company name or product You might open the Info Request page and minimize it as you read That way you can quickly open it and check the products you want
EQUIPMENT
ANAJET DIRECT-TO-GARMENT DIGITAL PRINTERAnaJet Digital Apparel Printer (Model FP-125) from
AnaJet Inc in Costa Mesa CA is a direct-to-garment printer offering high quality and affordability It can print custom graphics on any cotton or poly-cotton flat textile material in one minute The printer priced affordably from under $13000 can produce up to 5000 shirts per month each retailing for about $20 Most printers installed so far are in a production plant environment but some customers have started to take the mobile printer to malls for instant printing of customer graphics According to Dr Chase Roh company president the unique printhead they have developed allows for 16x more ink flow than normal desktop printers and thus shirts only require one pass
Top Products of the Year
DTG AMERICA ECLIPSE D-1 WITH TWO HEADS DTG America of Tampa FL and Fort Worth TX now offers a new solution to
speed up digitally printing to dark shirts The Eclipse D-1 incorporates two heads instead of one One head has eight channels of white to lay down a solid white underbase The second head has four channels of white to do highlights and four channels of color to lay down the design The result of this new configuration is the underbase and color are completed in one pass at an estimated average of only two minutes per shirt for a 12-inch by 6-inch area Other innovations include an ink agitator firmware for easy updating ink vapor remover auto gap adjustment and new platen configuration for easy loading
GEO KNIGHT DK 25SP HEAT PRESSThe Digital Knight DK25SP is an air-operated automatic
20x25 oversized swing-away heat press with a state-of-the-art control system and heavy-duty solid steel welded framework The smooth automatic pressing and push-button activation provides a productive fatigue-free operation The extended 20x25 size of the heat platen is perfect for sublimation and large-format materials pressingThe press is adjustable to accommodate materials from fabric thickness all the way up to 1rdquo thick substrates For more information call 800-525-6766 or visit wwwheatpresscom
GRAPHTEC CRAFT ROBO PROGraphtec America Inc based in Santa Ana
CA introduced the new Craft ROBO Pro 15rdquo cutting plotter The Craft ROBO Pro is an ideal solution for cutting a wide variety of materials including vinyl film card stock foil heat transfer and image transfer media Incorporating Graphtecrsquos legendary
December 2007 29Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
ARMS (Advanced Registration Marks System) and combined with a desktop printer the Craft ROBO Pro makes contour cutting an easy task Innovations include a new digital servo motor first mark auto-sensing menu navigation system that includes 8 user-defined conditions Tangential Control and three software applications
ROLAND RELEASES DIRECT-TO-FABRIC PRINTERRoland DGA Corp of Irvine CA released
the new 74rdquo HeatWave DFP-74 Fabric Printer through its reseller channel in the US Based on Rolandrsquos HeatWave sublimation technology the DFP-74 Fabric Printer is a complete integrated solution and Rolandrsquos first inkjet ever to support direct printing onto polyester fabrics As a complete solution including printer sublimation unit inks and RIP software the DFP-74 makes it easier than ever for shops to enter the fast-growing textile printing market Key features include eight advanced piezo print heads an intelligent media handling system and a temperature-controlled heating system
HOTRONIX PERFECT PRESSURE HEAT PRESSHotronix of Carmichaels PA has taken heat press technology
to the next level with Perfect Pressure a new digital pressure display functionThis new feature has a single-digit LED readout
that measures the pressure of the inner platen This technology is exclusive to Hotronix and is patent pending Previously a
digital pressure display was available only on air-operated heat press machines With this new pressure display gauge all heat press users will have more consistent results from job to job reducing the number of misprints and speeding up production For more information about
the new digital pressure display contact Stahlsrsquo Hotronix at 800-478-2457 e-mail infostahlscom or visit the Web site at wwwstahlscom
SWF DREAM EMBROIDERY MACHINEWith its new DREAM Machine SWF has broken the barrier in multi-head
embroidery machine technology The DREAM machines are the first multi-head embroidery machines that truly can sew at 1500 stitches per minute During the research and development of these new machines 12 new patents were filed and granted proof that the DREAM machines are built with state-of-the-art technology
Innovations include LED control panel error codes to quickly troubleshoot problems optional devices to do sequins cording and boring automatic oiling system large memory a hoop selector and more These innovative new machines come in configurations ranging from
two to six heads It is distributed exclusively by SWF East (Tampa FL) and SWF MESA (Dallas TX)
MESArsquoS HOTFIX SPANGLE MOTIF MACHINEWith the all new YAS-11 Hotfix Spangle Motif Making
Machine the first of its kind in the United States you can create beautiful spangle transfer designs that have the look of sequins This patented machine which is distributed exclusively in the United States by MESA Distributors of Fort Worth TX cuts out shapes such as circles and squares in a range of sizes from reels of Mylar tape The machine comes with proprietary design software that allows the user to create any pattern or design up to 157 by 157 inches
SAWGRASSrsquo HYBRID SYSTEM FOR EPSON R1800Sawgrass Technologies of Mt Pleasant SC introduced
the SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid System for the Epson R1800 for both sublimation printing and cotton
decorating from one machine The affordable entry-level system features dual functionality with both SubliJet and ChromaBlast inks in one machine allowing users to create customized images with superior color and clarity on both polyester coated substrates and cotton garments This is the second
hybrid system from Sawgrass following in the footsteps of the popular SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid
System for the Epson 4800
TROTECrsquoS NEW LARGE PLATFORM LASER Trotec Laser Inc of Ypsilanti MI has introduced the SP500 series of laser
engraving and cutting systems The systems have a work area of 50rdquo X 28rdquo and X-Axis clearance of 12rdquo The systems are offered in power levels from 45W-200W There is an available pass-through option (Class 4) Exhaust fumes are captured
December 2007 30Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
at the laser head to insure an efficient extraction when using the pass-through featureTrotec systems are designed for minimal wear-and-tear and eliminate the need for periodic replacement of belts and bearings For additional information visit our web site wwwtrotecnet or call 866-226-8505 734-484-3260
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW PROFESSIONAL SERIESUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) of Scottsdale
AZ added four new models in its Professional Laser Series (PLS) line of advanced high-productivity computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving systems The new PLS line which replaces Universalrsquos M V and X laser systems incorporates a
host of evolutionary design improvements to the laser cartridge platform chassis system electronics and software interface The new PLS models include several
powerful new features most notably a unique materials-based print driver called ldquoLaser Interface +rdquo that gives users their choice
between automatic or manual control over power speed and other system settings For more information on Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit Universal Laser Systems online at wwwulsinccom
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW VERSALASERUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) added a
new version of its desktop-sized VersaLasertrade
computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving system The new VersaLaser
improves on the award-winning original thanks to a host of evolutionary design refinements It also
includes a unique next-generation materials-based print driver that automatically calculates power speed
and other system settings It was awarded a patent for the unique design of its external cabinet which also functions as a Class 1 laser safety enclosure For more information about VersaLaser or Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit wwwulsinccom
US SCREENrsquoS FAST T-JET 3US Screen Print and Inkjet Technology of Tempe
AZ adds the Fast T-Jet3TM which features 30 faster print speeds compared to the previous T-Jet2 model and has a longer low profile print bed for easier loading and unloading Now you can produce a full size 12rdquo x 12rdquo (305 x 305 cm) print in one minute on a light shirt and in under three minutes on a black shirt with white ink Small pocket images can be printed in about 15 seconds
US SCREENrsquoS AUTOMATED PRETREATMENT CENTER
Speed up production when using Fast T-Jet inkjet-to-garment printers with the AutoTREATtrade Automatic Pretreatment Center
This versatile piece of equipment allows you to treat shirts on a production level rather than spraying shirts individually one at a time For use with light or dark shirts the AutoTREATtrade
can spray up to three shirts per minute It has two application modesmdashone for lights and one for darks that can be switched over by activating the cleaning mode which flushes out the system with water
TOOLS MATERIALS SOFTWARE
CORELDRAW X3 CERTIFIED FOR WINDOWS VISTACorel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that
CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite X3 has been Certified for Windows Vista Customers who wish to install the Certified for Windows Vista version of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X3 can download the latest service pack (SP2) from wwwcorelcom This new update delivers an exceptional experience for customers on Windows Vista including an updated user interface enhanced security improved text handling and further enhancements to the popular suitersquos renowned import and export file compatibility
COREL LAUNCHES NEW ONLINE COMMUNITY Corel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that it
has launched httpcoreldrawcom a new online community for users of the CorelDRAWreg family of products ndash including CorelDRAW Graphics Suite Corel DESIGNERreg Technical Suite
December 2007 31Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
and Corelreg DRAWingsreg This new community site is the first in a series that Corel will be launching to support its various user communities Designed to fuel inspiration CorelDRAWcom combines forums blogs and galleries for design professionals and graphic hobbyists alike Forums are available in English French German and Spanish serving an international audience
DALCOrsquoS NEW REFLECTIVE HEAT TRANSFERSCater to the safety market with new reflective transfers offered
by Dalco Athletic of Dallas TX These durable transfers come in a reflective silver gray color in three styles police sheriff and fire dept They are sized for left chest and full back so
all you have to do is heat seal for 8 seconds and yoursquore done Itrsquos very fast and easy
DALCOrsquoS NEW OPTIC YELLOW CLASSIC SWB APPLIQUE
Classic SWB appliqueacute designs offered by Dalco Athletic now come in two new styles softballs and tennis balls in optic yellow fabric These new balls literally jump off any wearable and make it an eye-catching standout This appliqueacute collection is ideal for spiritwear items to be sold to fans and family or created as fund-raisers for boosters clubs
POWER GRAPHICS 3 FROM DIGITAL ART SOLUTIONSPower Graphics 3 by Digital Art Solutions of
Tempe AZ is the ultimate design tool for the creation of high-end custom graphics and logos for custom signage awards vehicle graphics promotional products and apparel graphics Tuned to the latest styles and trends it provides fresh graphics that will impress even the most critical and demanding customer It includes more than 1500 images The 10 design categories include Flames Gangsta (Urban) Mascots Offroad Rebel (Biker and Hot
Rod) Retro Speed Sports Surf and Tuner
FLORIANI COMMERCIALrsquoS NEW NO-SHOW DIAMOND MESHContinuing in its tradition of research and development
to create embroidery stabilizers that meet the needs of todayrsquos embroiderers Floriani Embroidery Commercial Division of Knoxville TN released a new product called Floriani No-Show Diamond Mesh This unique nylon mesh stabilizer has a perpendicular embossed pattern that makes it more multi-directionally stable and enables it to better hold stitches for crisper design registration It is specifically designed for light-colored garments where traditional stabilizers have a tendency to show through the front of the garment
GREAT DANErsquoS NEW DIGITAL PHOTO FRAMES Tap into the lucrative team market with an
incredible collection of stock art specially designed to work for direct-to-garment printers sublimation transfers and digital transfers Digital Photo Frames Volume 1 is a collection of spectacular pre-designed layouts each with one or more frames to
insert personal photos The collection includes five categories baseball football basketball soccer and hockey Each category has four designs (20 total layouts) and each design comes in three template formats mugs mouse pads and shirts
So there are a total of 60 template designs in all
IMPRINTABLES WAREHOUSE OFFERS SPECTRA ECO FILMNew from Imprintables Warehouse of
Masontown PA is a digital cutter material that is free of PVC a plus with companies that want to be as environmentally friendly as possible Spectra Eco Film is made with ecological polyurethane and is peeled hot It is pressure sensitive (sticky backing) and extremely easy to weed While maintaining superior durability and opacity this new film is thinner than current offerings on the market and delivers the super soft hand that is in demand by todayrsquos consumers It can be used on 100 cotton 100 polyester polycotton blends and even nylon and leather
December 2007 32Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
KISSCUT TECHNOLOGIESrsquo SELF-WEEDING INKJET TRANSFER PAPER
Kiss Cut Technologies Ltd Newcastle UK has addressed the ldquopolymer windowrdquo issue and developed the worldrsquos first self-weeding inkjet transfer paper for printing to textiles In simple terms only the areas of their patented transfer paper that have been printed will be transferred to the garment when heat pressed A Kiss Cut print can be further embellished with specialized textile foils so in effect a digital foiling method is now available Foil is heat pressed onto the garment and when peeled the foil only sticks to the image areas
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW PHOTOPLAS-TIC MATERIALLaserSketchcom of Lemont IL a leading supplier of
LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble Super Black Granite and Black Onyx Jewelry introduces their new PhotoPlas-Tic This is a new material developed for front andor reverse laser engraving on micro surface impact acrylic plastic It is a premium plastic for laser engraving that is UV stable ideal for photo badges plaques trophies signage and high-end awards Each sheet of PhotoPlas-Tic is specially designed for a crisp clean burn and ultra-fine laser lettering logo and vector output For details call 630-243-6360 or visit wwwlasersketchcom
THEMAGICTOUCH LAUNCHES WOW TRANSFER PAPERTheMagicTouch USA launched WoW Professional
71 transfer paper which requires no weeding or profile cutting and the vibrant colors are achieved using digital laser technology making it great for short runs It uses PolymationTM which incorporates a newly designed catalyst that provides the ultimate compatibility with all generations of dry toner material According to the company PolymationTM is the next generation of laser heat transfer Sublimation requires the substrate to have a specialty receiving polymer coating to absorb the pigments but PolymationTM delivers everything at once polymer pigments and catalyst
December 2007 33Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
offers distinct advantages over any other process It allows for an unlimited number of colors and very fine detail which is impossible with screen printing or embroidery And the cost does not go up as colors are added These new specialty materials are so advanced they can be heat sealed to all kinds of fabrics and hot new multimedia designs can be easily done
VAPOR APPAREL LAUNCHES VAPOR ART VOLUME 1V a p o r A p p a r e l
a s u b s i d i a r y o f SourceSubstrates LLC Charleston SC announces the launch of Vapor Art - Volume 1 a collection of 127 vector graphics for digital sublimation and general use The diverse collection
of high-quality graphics comes after several years of customers requesting access to the companyrsquos sample art at trade shows and educational events The Collection of art includes vector drawings and JPGs for everything from mountain biking and snowboarding to yoga and cheerleading
BLANK PRODUCTS
COLORADO HEIRLOOMrsquoS COLOR LACQUERED FRAMES
Colorado Heirloom Inc of Loveland CO introduced their new Color Lacquered Frames This is an option to add color your unique creations It is not color fill Colored lacquer is sprayed on their high quality wood frames Because
INKTRA STRETCH TRANSFER PAPER FROM STAHLSrsquoStahlsrsquo based in St Clair
Shores MI adds InkTratrade Stretch a flexible transfer paper A revolutionary product InkTratrade Stretch provides a soft hand with an amazing stretch and recovery feature InkTratrade Stretch lets you take your favorite photo or graphic design and apply it to light colored or white hats shirts bags and more for a long lasting and completely personalized garment The highly stretchable paper can be applied to cotton polycotton blends spandex and Lycrareg
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo GOOF-PROOF TRANSFERSWant the look of screen
printing without the hassle With Goof Proofreg transfers offered by Transfer Express of Mentor OH you can custom order a transfer that has the popular athletic feel and will apply in a blazing four seconds Ordering is done step-by-step online and you can customize hundreds of designs You choose your
typeface colors and size Once your design is just the way you want it you can print it out to show a customer for approval Or Transfer Express can print from your artwork The minimum order is only five pieces and your one-color order ships in one to three working days
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo NEW FULL-COLOR DIGI PRINTSApparel decorators can now offer full-color designs on light
and dark apparel made of virtually any type of fabric without the hassle or minimums of screen printing with new state-of-the-art heat transfer technology called Digi Printstrade Offered through Transfer Express this revolutionary new method of decorating
December 2007 34Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
lacquer is used instead of paint any design can be lasered on these frames The possibilities are endless These colorful creations are offered in two different designs -- a designer frame and a frame with an insert Call 970-667-4222 or visit wwwcoloradoheirloomcom
CONDE ADDS PET MATS FOR SUBLIMATIONCondeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added food bowl placemats and litter box
mats to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Favorite photographs and pet-related artwork can be transferred to the
mats to create fun products for individual pet lovers or for the pet industry such as pet stores veterinarians groomers boarding facilities and animal adoption groups Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing Call Conde at 800-826-6332
CONDE INTRODUCES FABRIC PATCHES FOR SUBLIMATION
Condeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added fabric patches to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Custom decorators can now produce unique full-color patches that will impress organizations businesses clubs sports teams sports enthusiasts and individuals alike -- without the use of embroidery Heat seal patches are great for identification marketing awards trade show promotions or to commemorate special events Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing or call 800-826-6332
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW LASERSLABLaserSketch of Lemont IL Internationally known for
their LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble and Super Black Granite announces LaserSlab Super Black Granite at 4rsquo x 8rsquo x 7mm and 4rsquo x 4rsquo x 7mm weighting in at just over 2 pounds per square foot The surface of the LaserSlab Granite has the sheen of a black mirror The reverse side features epoxy fiberglass backing to give structure integrity to the ultra-lite granite sheet All may be viewed wwwlasersketchcom or by calling LaserSketch 630-243-6360
MATTHEWS INTRODUCES ALUMICOLORTM
Matthews International Corp of Pittsburgh PA introduced Alumicolortrade a high-resolution graphics solution for aluminum signage recognition commemoration and way finding Using cutting-edge technology Matthews embeds a four-color image into the aluminum to create an anodized reproduction of unsurpassed durability Alumicolortrade products which are designed for interior and exterior installations are resistant to extreme weather conditions graffiti scuffing grease chemicals and UV rays Additionally they will not chip crack or peel
PSI ADDS ROUND FRAMES amp STRING PUZZLES Paramount Services Inc of Hollywood FL
introduced new round resin frames for sublimation tiles Choose from Coral or RopeStone with optional Unisubreg Hardboard Tiles They will also accept the Bison 8rdquo round glass Cutting Board Why be square when round may fit better PSI also introduced a new puzzle guaranteed to string you along These String Puzzles come with a Unisubreg Hardboard puzzle and the necessary string and beads along with instructions how to string it after printing Templates to aid in design are available for download in several formats For details call 800-455-7212 or visit wwwDye-Sublimation-Productscom
CRYSTALEDGEreg LUXORTM CRYSTAL AWARDSCrystalEdgereg Chicago IL presented the Luxortrade Series
This stunning cost-effective collection comprises a series of specially designed Rosewood and Black Piano finish bases Matte Mahogany and Matte Black bases and a precision cast Satin Nickel Finish Metal Base with your choice of brass or silver hardware for mounting our twelve unique shapes making this the most versatile award yet Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks are curved 14rdquo thick crystal clear glass with 316rdquo diameter holes for mounting The Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks feature a generous engraving area and there is plenty of room on the base to add an engraving plate
December 2007 35Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
XENETECHrsquoS NEW ENGRAVABLE GIFTSXenetech of Baton Rouge
LA introduced high quality engravable gift items at wholesale and quantity discounts The Xenetech collection provides a selection of gifts created for corporate recognition weddings births holidays anniversaries retirements birthdays special occasions or just expressing appreciation Items include money clips key chains book markers desk accessories quartz movement clocks flasks amp wine accessories entertainment gifts travel gifts genuine Swiss Army knives business card holders luggage tags silver-plated jewelry boxes keepsake gift boxes silver-plated banks and baby gifts The gift items are designed primarily for diamond drag burnishing and rotary engraving personalization
UNISUBrsquoS CHROMALUXE PHOTO PANELSChromaLuxe photo panels are an exciting new line
of sublimatable products from Unisub of Louisville KY These panels allow you to sell a completely finished photo product to your customers capturing some of the additional revenue (and profit) your customers now spend elsewhere on framing Available in a range of traditional photo sizes as well as exciting new shapes these panels can be joined together to create stunning photo displays -- perfect for a fireplace mantle l i b r a r y s h e l f or the top of an armoire Available in aluminum or MDF substrates
CorelDRAWPro IndexOne of our members in Michigan
requested that we put together an Index of all the articles wersquove published during the year
He prints out all the issues and puts them in binders but an Index would make it easy to reference specific articles We think itrsquos a good idea and wersquoll send it to all subscribers in January
Product Focus TopicsJanuary 2008 -- Signage Products esp Wide FormatFebruary 2008 -- Engraving Awards amp GiftsMarch 2008 -- Apparel ProductsApril 2008 -- Laser Wood Products
Coming in 2008
December 2007 36Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETSBy Donna M Gray CRM Opportunities
December ndash Time to Review December finds everyone on our team strategizing how to get out of our parking lot Our business sits right in the middle of an up-scale strip mall which sits right behind a huge shopping mall and right along the main road to a Target Superstore and other large malls We all know that from the day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday) until 2 weeks after the New Year there are great challenges to those of us who like to leave the building for lunch or run an errandhellipso we strategize We all know every secret shortcut to the bank the post office and the warehouse club What we donrsquot know is how to find the way to merge out of our own back alley into the constant flow of traffic that carries people to their end shopping destination Whew
The year-end review So this year Dave and I have decided to stay in at lunch and do our business strategizing instead Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup are good brain food for helping us to look at all the successful things we did last year as a company all the things we thought about doing but didnrsquot because the idea didnrsquot quite fit and all the things we put off until next year We do this kind of exercise every year end and it helps us to map out our strategy for the coming year In the process we identify any mistakes wersquove made wrong turns wersquove taken and we try to find the ldquowhat could have happened had everything gone rightrdquo
The value of making mistakes Albert Einstein said ldquoAnyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything newrdquo Dave has a couple of prints in his office of Abraham Lincoln that describe his mistakes in fact it took Lincoln eight tries to win the presidency Thomas Edison made mistakeshellipand yet he perseveredhellipotherwise wersquod by ldquocomputingrdquo by candlelight And Irsquove heard that Colonel
Sanders had a thousand rejections before he sold his first chicken recipe It would be nice to get to our year end business appraisals and find that wersquove made no mistakes but our business like most others doesnrsquot have that claim to fame My mother always took the high road with mistakes She always said that one should recognize the benefits of a mistake One should learn what good came from it use it to improve and use it to help motivate success the next time So December is the time to analyze everything that made up the past year and look for ways to make the New Year successful in every way
Making a plan Most advisors say that the first step toward business success after looking at a companyrsquos year ending history is to decide on exactly what you want to do going forward in the coming year Then comes mapping out the plan What will be done How will it get done Who will do what What resources will be used When will it get done Is the right equipment in place Is the space adequate Ask these and any other questions that could relate to creating a successful year then focus on the details and follow through Those two wordshellipfocus and follow throughhellipcould mean the difference between marginal and abundant success Simply stated success comes from what you do and the way you do ithellipin your customerrsquos perception Every business wants to have a good imagehellipa good reputation so dedication to having good communication skills is important especially in an industry that does custom work The goal is to be on the same page as our clients so we have to be good mind readers We have to also concentrate on our professionalism on our appearance on our presentation style and in the pride we take in producing a well-done project This
has worked in the past and will remain the same in the future
The extra mile Success has to be nurturedhellipthen it gets celebrated Sometimes sacrifices have to be made to get to the rewards At year end when we analyze how we got from Point A to Point B itrsquos interesting to note that we sometimes had to take detours and sometimes the road blocks called for sacrificehellipof time or money Sometimes the sacrifice came in the way of a sleepless night worrying if an order that was lost in delivery would be found and re-routed to us in time to make a clientrsquos deadline Someone (unknown) said ldquoA day of worry is more exhausting than a week of workrdquo Anyone in business could testify to that Part of success is going the extra milehellipeven if it results in a sleepless night Going the extra mile is worth all the paid advertising in the world on the road to success
December 2007 37Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETS
Donna Grayrsquos 2nd book Itrsquos All Relative Surviving amp Thriving in a Family Business was published in September 2007
It describes her quest to identify the keys to suc-cess for small business and family businesses in particular She interviewed top businesses nationwide and discovered five common qualities implemented by successful business owners Check it out at the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore wwwcoreldrawprocomAllBook-storehtm
Commitments made and kept Our team felt good about some commitments we made and kept this past year like
We used a daily ldquoto-dordquo list and we set priorities in order of importance When we finished a project we ldquocelebratedrdquo and then moved on quickly to the next job We built in some time for ldquostress reliefrdquo with morning meeting breaks This was especially good when treats were served since wersquove got some good bakers on our staff We didnrsquot ldquoscreenrdquo calls through voice mail We considered every call to be important We ldquodid it right the first timerdquo even though it sometimes took longer We tied up all the ldquoloose endsrdquo We became ldquocheerleadersrdquo for each other When one of us accomplished a goal we all applauded We all tried to deliver more than we promised This can be challenging sometimes when working with a difficult project We eliminated (or tried to eliminate) unnecessary procedures and we simplified our paper flow system We spent most of our time on high priority tasks We all worked on our delegation skills We were committed to not wasting time either our own or other peoplersquos
Goals that were lacking Now all those great things being put on paper reminds me that we also had some goals we didnrsquot quite succeed athellipbut wersquoll try harder next year
We didnrsquot always ldquogrouprdquo tasks togetherhelliplike going to the bank and the post office in one trip or answering mail when it gets opened It wasnrsquot always easy to avoid procrastination Some low priority chores got put off There were still times when we couldnrsquot find enough hours to finish the work Our ldquotoolsrdquo didnrsquot always get put away when we were through with a project even though this is Daversquos pet peeve
Conclusion Experts say that we have to actively create our success not wait for it to happen This coming year hopefully none of us will sit in the comfort zone waiting for the phone to ring Therersquos an old Chinese proverb that goes ldquoIt you continually give you will continually haverdquo Our team will go on being involved in community activities When time is spent on worthwhile projects outside the business opportunities come knocking at the front counter Besideshellipat yearrsquos endhellipit makes us feel really good about the help we gave on these projects
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since1977 She can be reached by email at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
December 2007 38Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
GRAPHICS NEWS NETWORKAll these news and information products and services are part of the
Graphics News Network developed for ACDRP The goal is ldquoAll the News All the Time mdash For the World of Graphicsrdquo
GRAPHICS NewsWireThe Graphics News Wire is the always live always updated source for graphics news mdash products equipment technology and more Make it (CorelDRAWProcomNewsPagehtm) your home page or favorite to gain access to Breaking news updated regularly New Classified Ads New Job Announcements Supplier SpecialsAll news is related to graphic productsQuickSourceTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive amp Easy-To-Use
Search Engine
It gives you one-click access to suppliers products phone numbers and live links to ACDRP Member Suppliers Itrsquos always up-to-date searchable by keyword and accessible from your desktop
Quick TnTTM
The Industryrsquos Newest Resource for Graphics Tips amp Templates
Gain access to a growing library of CorelDRAW tips and templates that will make your work easier
QuickLearnTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive and
Easy-To-Use Article Library
Gain access to hundreds of articles on graphics-related and business topics searchable by keyword
The Entrepreneurial Magazine for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro Magazine is delivered to you once a month in PDF format It features in-depth content that readers rave about including articles on how to use CorelDRAW how to apply CorelDRAW and how to profit from CorelDRAW
News Tips amp Resources for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month mdash about the 15th and 25th It brings you highly targeted content that you wonrsquot find elsewhere including CorelDRAW Tips extensive product news links and a calendar of shows and training
MARKET PLACE
Quality Engravable JewelryHand-crafted in New England
GIFTS amp ACCESSORIES FOR WOMEN AND MEN
John E Lepper Inc800-835-3623 Fax 508-222-2732
wwwjeleppercom
GenuineWhite-tone
Pewter amp Gold
Some Things Were Meant To Be In Etched in Stone
Call for a free color catalog
NampR International1155 Allgood Rd 13Marietta GA 30062
678-560-4088Fax 678-560-1157
Importers amp Wholesalers of MarbleOnyx
Gifts amp Accessories
JOIN TODAY
The worldrsquos only association for CorelDRAWreg Users
wwwcoreldrawprocomJoinhtm
Place an Ad for as little as $215 per month
Find out how by calling our Ad Representative John McDaniel II
541-990-6687
the entrepreneurial magazine
GET LISTED TODAY
Generate new businessby doing jobs for others
List your company in GSG the Digital Yellow Pages for the industry wwwcoreldrawprocomListGSGhtm
December 2007 39Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Louie Alvarez started in the industry working for one of the largest trophy shops in Central California and then opened one of the first retail laser engraving businesses He has given seminars and workshops on CorelDRAW and Laser for many years and has written for several publications He is now with Vytek Industrial Lasers and is based in Las Vegas NV He can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
Kathryn Arnold is the Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
Errol Barr has a wide range of experience in sales amp marketing eventually getting into laser systems in 1999 currently with Vytek Industrial Lasers He also sold extensively in the CNC router industry selling the machines as more of a business opportunity wrapped around the machine He can be reached by email at errolbarrgmailcom
Dave Demoret founded Prolink Graphic Services to help people understand and profit from learning CorelDRAW He has been in both the Flat Graphics Industry and the Decorating Graphics Industry for 30 years He has written articles for several publications is a Corel Training Partner and conducts workshops nationwide and online He is the author of several CD Instructional programs on CorelDRAW He can be reached at 765-DO COLOR (362-6567) or davedprolinkgscom
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since 1977 She has presented seminars on a variety of topics nationwide and has won many marketing awards She is the author of two books on family business and can be reached at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
Bill Leek is a color consultant for JBL Graphics in Houston TX and has over 30 years experience in computer engineering and graphics design He has developed several lines of color imprintable products and does testing on a variety of products for different manufacturers He can be reached at wfleekjblgraphicscom or 281-970-6677
Jeff McDaniel is the owner of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon He worked as a journeyman machinist before getting into the graphic products business Creative Graphic offers laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials Contact him at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
John McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry He worked for many years with computers in electronic data processing and pioneered the use of CorelDraw for engraving applications He owned a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years and writes about hardware design software laser engraving sublimation and more He is a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals For information on training and more call 541-967-4271 or write to mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
Judy McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry Her background includes many forms of art and retail sales as well as the operation of a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years She is a regular columnist on sandblasting sublimation and diversifying business as well as a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals She can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
David Milisock is president of Custom Graphic Technologies Inc in Pennsylvania He has been in the print production business since 1975 and specializes in professional support for CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite Output includes computer-to-plate processes for all commercial digital front-end applications as well as Postscript-compliant graphic applications He offers technical and color management support for all RIP-driven corporate digital output systems He can be reached at 717-509-3523 or davidmilisockcomcastnet
Deborah Sexton former editor of Impressions Magazine has been in the apparel graphics industry since 1981 She currently does marketing and public relations for apparel graphics companies and is a columnist for several industry publications She can be reached at dsextonsbcglobalnet
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at 916-567-1867
December 2007 40Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
by Otis Veteto
Traveling Tidbits
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the
RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of
the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Itrsquos a fun and
informative column focusing on the human-interest side of
the industry Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars
for industry organizations and some of that knowledge
will rub off as well He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at
916-567-1867
Reps Volunteers People Skills amp Agreements
RS Owens Southeast RepFirst of all a Traveling Tidbits welcome to
the newest member of the RS Owens Company sales team Anita Brennan Anita is the new Regional Sales Manager for the Southeast She will be calling on you folks in Alabama Tennessee Mississippi Florida Georgia North Carolina and South Carolina Anita has worked in all phases of our industry as a retailer (her own business) multi-line rep and now as a regional sales manager When I asked Anita what she likes to do when not on the road she told me she likes to spend time with her two-year-old granddaughter Kaylee Welcome to the RS Owens family Anita Brennan
Railroad Museum VolunteerI know Christmas is the time for giving
but some people give all year long I was talking recently with Elias Athanasiou whose regular job is a server in a restaurant my wife and I frequent when I am in Sacramento Elias has been associated as a volunteer with the California State Railroad Museum for about 16 years Every Saturday during the ldquorunning seasonrdquo April-September Elias can be found working as a volunteer on the Steam Engine excursion train that runs for 6 miles along the top of the levee on the Sacramento River The ride takes about 40 minutes Elias is the Engineer now but has worked as conductor and fireman in his tenure with the train It is people like Elias Athanasiou that make this a much better world A huge Traveling Tidbits SALUTE You can find out more about the Railroad Museum at wwwcsrmorg
Real People SkillsThis next tidbit is from the PPAI Promotional
Consultant Today The author is Roy Chitwood president of Max Sacks International in Seattle Wash It is entitled To Shine Polish Your People Skills
ldquoPeople buy not because they understand your product or service but because they feel that you understand them People buy emotionally As a professional salesperson you need to be more people-oriented not product centered Here are seven quick and easy techniques to improve your people skills
SMILE It is the universal sign of friendship in any language The Chinese have a proverb ldquoA man who cannot smile should not open a storerdquo Think about that Give a smile and you will get a smile in return
DEVELOP A GENUINE INTEREST IN OTHERS When you have sincere interest it shows Look directly at people when they are talking to you Let your facial expression register your interest Ask good open-ended questions to let people know that you are interested in what they say
TALK IN TERMS OF THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS INTERESTS You will never meet anyone who doesnrsquot have time to talk about what they want to talk about Encourage your prospect to discuss his or interests rather than launching into a discussion about yourself
USE THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS NAME Using a name builds personal rapport and shows you are listening with respect Be careful about overusing the personrsquos name
GIVE COMPLIMENTS Everyone loves a compliment when it is genuine Make a
concentrated effort to give at least 3 honest compliments every day of your life You will be amazed at what it will do for your relationships
LISTEN Listening is the greatest compliment you can pay When you assume the role of the listener it relaxes the sales climate As you listen you are demonstrating that you truly care and you are genuinely interested in what he or she has to say
MAKE THE OTHER PERSON FEEL IMPORTANT When you are sincerely impressed by something the other person has achieved or owns let them know it Understand that fundamentally every person is important and treat them accordingly
Personal comment When I finished reading this I thought to myself ldquoThese make sense in our everyday life not just in salesrdquo
The Third AgreementI will close with the 3rd step from the book
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel RuizDONrsquoT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS Find the
courage to ask questions and to express what you really want Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings sadness and drama
Sounds a little like what I wrote at the beginning of the column doesnrsquot it
Thatrsquos all for now Remember to save some time for yourself and your family And when you travel please travel safe
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE
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- News
December 2007 3Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
CONTENTSDecember 2007
Colorado Heirloom Web AdConde Systems Web AdCustom Graphic Technology Web AdEpilog Laser Corp Web AdGeo Knight amp Co Web AdJBL Graphics Web AdJohn E Lepper Inc Web AdJohnson Plastics Web AdLaser Reproductions Web AdLaserBits Inc Web AdLaserSketch Web AdNampR International Web AdParamount Services Inc Web AdProLink Graphics Svc Web AdSCT Crystal Web AdThe Magic Touch USA Web AdTrotec Laser Inc Web AdUniversal Laser Systems Web Ad
ADVERTISER INDEX
DEPARTMENTS
Click ldquoWebrdquo to go to advertiserrsquos website Click ldquoAdrdquo to go to the ad in this issue Clicking the ad itself will go to website
TRAINING How to Use APPLICATIONS How to Apply OPPORTUNITIES How to Profit
5 Graphics News Wire with link to News Details
7 About the Cover Marian Millerrsquos Snowflake
10 Inside ACDRP Winter -- Time to Prepare
38 GNN Network38 Marketplace39 Contributing Writers
Pg 24
10 Using CorelDRAW Using Preview Modes in Image Adjustment Lab by Corel Corp
11 Using CorelDRAW Bitmap vs Vector by Dave Demoret 13 Inside Color ldquoRAWrdquo by David Milisock
15 Inside TransfersHeadstart on Spring by Bill Leek
16 Inside PrintSublimationCreating Sublimation Product Templates by John McDaniel
18 Inside Screen PrintingUsing Specialty Platens Part 2 by Jeff McDaniel
21 Inside SandblastingScreening the Abrasive by Judy McDaniel
22 Inside EngravingMachine Accuracy 7 Structural Integrity by John McDaniel
24 Laser TipCombining Laser amp PrinterPower by Kathryn Arnold
25 Electronic Frontier Webcams by Louie Alvarez
ldquoAny process that does not have the image editor and RAW
converter in a coordinated manner will totally negate any benefit of using RAWrdquo
David Milisock p 13
Pg 10
28 Top Products of the Yearby Editor Mike Neer
36 Marketing Secrets December -- Time to Review by Donna Gray
40 Traveling Tidbits Rep Volunteers People Skills and An Agreement by Otis Veteto
December 2007 4Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
December 2007 5Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
GRAPHICS NEWS WIREDecember 2007
Product News Headlines
Calendar (Web Link)Check out the upcoming training
classes and trade shows of interest to CorelDRAW users
Dog Tags for Kids Project Needs Help
TheMagicTouch USA opens Florida branch
SanMar debuts its 2008 Premium Collection catalog
ASI launches Product Data Service for custom websites
Stahlsrsquo ID Direct introduces Professor Upperplaten
AWT World Trade introduces digital timer and high-output lamps
Unisub introduces new ChormaLuxeTM clock
Roland names David Goward president and CEO
Midwest Sign to carry full line of Roland printers
Midwest Sign offers Rho 600 Pictor Flatbed UV inkjet printer
Colman amp Co offers new Backing-in-a-Box
Hirsch has Third Hand Air Cap Framing system
EmbSuppliescom has Allied Grid-Lock Tubular Frames
Stahlsrsquo ID Direct releases CAD-COLORreg Solutions Opaque
Johnson Plastics offers new gift items for personalization
LaserBits adds cribbage boards and glass photos frames
December 2007 6Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
December 2007 7Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
About the Cover
Editorrsquos Note This is the 3rd cover Marian has done for us Her first one was using scientific illustrations and the second was a stained glass pattern Now for this one this versatile CorelDRAW artist has created a pattern from a real snowflake
This snowflake cover began as an image of a real snowflake (which was found on the internet and photographed by Ken Libbrecht a scientist at California Institute of Technology in Pasadena CA) He kindly offered to let me use his images as patterns for stained glass (httpPDQpatternscom) His photo gallery can be found at httpwwwsnowcrystalsnetgallery1smindexhtm
The following is what I can remember of how I created this snowflake design Usually there are numerous iterations and failed attempts in producing such a design with countless objects and fills numerous crashes and failed clipboards Saving separate versions often along the journey is imperative and sometimes things just happen serendipitously that are really great too but how they were arrived at I donrsquot always remember precisely
Initially a symmetrical hexagon was created using the polygon tool and the control key With the objectrsquos size menu it was resized to the desired dimensions A jpg image of the ldquorealrdquo snowflake was imported and viewed with the wireframe mode (altV W) and sized to match the vector hexagon I checked to see that the hexagon was rotated so that there was a point at the top (the default in x3) which makes right-to-left mirroring of objects easy Each element (object) on the right half of one arm of the snowflake was created using the bezier tool and the node edit menu (for cusprsquod and curved lines) These objects were grouped and a horizontal mirror image duplicate was created and moved to fill the left half of the snowflake arm--in alignment with the right side group To blend two objects in the center of the snowflake arm all objects were ungrouped then adjacent objects to be combined were selected and the menu chosen - arrangegtshapinggtcreate a new object surrounding selected objects The new object
Marian Millerrsquos Snowflakewas moved a notch with the up arrow key and the two original objects deleted then the new object was moved back down into place If you use the arrow keys to move the new object instead of dragging with the mouse then it will fit back into place perfectly This was done for several mirrored objects in the snowflake arm to eliminate the ldquocut and pasterdquo feeling and the line down the center of the snowflake arm When the right and left arms (halves) of the snowflakersquos single arm were complete then it was aligned with the top (point) and vertical center of the original hexagon Right and left halves of the arm were selected grouped and copied The entire snowflake image was selected (including the hexagon in the background) and rotated 30 degrees and the clipboard pasted (the pasted arm should fall exactly in the next point of the hexagon [One must select the whole hexagon and its contents to have it rotate correctly to allow the pasted snowflake arm to fall into the right place] The entire image is selected again rotated 30 degrees again then pasted (the arm) again It also should have fallen right into the next point of the hexagon This is continued until all six rays of the snowflake are filled
For the center hexagon a new symmetrical hexagon was created and reduced using the arrangegttransformgtscale menu until it matched the snowflake center then converted lsquoto curvesrsquo with arrangegtconvert to curves options All nodes were selected and the node edit icon to ldquomake-nodes-smoothrdquo was clicked which symmetrically rounded the corners of the hexagon The center hexagon was rotated by 30 degrees and centered to the snowflake outline The jpg of the original snowflake was deleted
All objects were ungrouped then regrouped as selected pairs of objects (eg similar objects in all six arms) to fill with colorful jpgs (or machine fill using the paint bucket option) For filling grouped objects with imported raster files a file is imported selected then the menu effectsgtpowerclipgtplace inside container is used A black arrow appears and the mouse is used to point to the object to be filled The position of the fill inside the object was edited by selecting
the object and choosing effectsgtpowerclipgtedit contents (move the jpg where you want or size it stretch or rotate) then in the left lower corner of the screen click on ldquofinished editing this level ldquo)
I used stained glass jpgs downloaded from websites of the numerous stained glass producers such as Armstrong and Spectrum Glass (mostly Spectrum Glass jpgs were used here) The line thickness was increased and line color was selected with a right click over the color palate
To fill the outside hexagon outline was increased to 16 pts then the object was converted to curves and filled with a colorful jpg file The whole design consisted of copied and pasted finished snowflakes into a pattern (in this instance adjacent hexagons) The arrangegtshapegttrim options were used to trim off snowflake areas that were not wanted
Finally all objects were selected grouped and the size of the snowflake design determined A rectangle of those same dimensions was created then centered to the page arrangedgtorderedgtsent to back then filled
Contact Marian at marianpdqpatternscom or visit her site at wwwpdqpatternscom 3945 Red Bud Ave Cincinnati OH 45229 513-558-1715 (w)
December 2007 8Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Inside ACDRP
By Michael Neer Executive Director
Winter ndash A Time to Prepare
In many parts of the world winter comes in with a white blanket of snow across the fields and streets People tend to stay indoors out of the cold so if you go outside itrsquos very quiet and still Therersquos less hustle and bustle in the marketplace The pace of life is slower Errands take longer Holidays put the attention more on family and less on business In fact itrsquos a time when many industry businesses either close or are open fewer hours Few new products are launched Most business owners are waiting to make announcements at the start of the new year
DECEMBER 2007
Published by Association of CorelDRAWreg Professionals
President John H McDanielVice President Judith McDaniel
Executive Director Michael R Neer Assoc Exec Director Steven V Neer
ACDRP Corporate Office Albany OR
EDITOR PUBLISHER ndash Michael R Neermikeneercoreldrawprocom
GRAPHICS ndash John MiseADVERTISING ndash John McDaniel II jhmcdaniel2coreldrawprocom
541-990-6687
OFFICES Membership amp Publishing offices located at
4709 N El Capitan Suite 103Fresno CA 93722
800-276-8428 559-276-8494 Fax 559-276-8496wwwCorelDRAWProcomeditorcoreldrawprocom
Subscriptions Free to qualified individuals and businesses Send change of address to the above
ACDRP Membership $60yr See the website for details Includes exclusive content and more
Advertising Request a Media Guide or download it from wwwCorelDRAWProcom
Writers CorelDRAWPro accepts articles from industry experts Email publisher for details
copy Copyright 2007 by ACDRP All Rights Reserved
So when this kind of mood is in the air we can make the most of it by using this time to prepare for the next year Itrsquos a time of review and planning ndash or sometimes finishing up projects that have been delayed
Thatrsquos why in this issue we provide you with several articles that will help you prepare for a great 2008
Donna Gray discusses how she reviews her business and plans for 2008
Bill Leek describes 10 ways you can prepare for more success in 2008 in terms of equipment training purchases and more
We present our annual Top Products of the Year story which is designed to call your attention to the most significant new products of 2007 ndash so you can try them out or see the trends that may be coming next year
Plus this is a good time to get the training you or your staff needs to be more competitive in 2008 Check out the CorelDRAWPro Bookstore for CDs books and videos and also the ProLink Graphics ad and the Calendar link in this issue for specific training events
Wersquod like to thank all of our subscribers and members for your loyal support during the year Thank you for your comments your questions and your attendance at MMcdr Our goal is to bring you more and better information about graphics and making money and we think 2008 will be full of both See you next year
December 2007 9Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
December 2007 10Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Using CorelDRAWregTraining
By Corel CorporationUsing Preview Modes in Image Adjustment Lab
When working with files that have poor color balance and contrast you need to use many different tools to make adjustments You can save valuable time by using the Image Adjustment Lab which is accessible from both Corel PHOTO-PAINTreg and CorelDRAWreg By uniting the most important manual and automatic controls required for common color and tone corrections the Image Adjustment Lab offers a fast intuitive way to achieve professional results with your image files
With the Image Adjustment Lab you can use different preview modes for evaluating the color and tone adjustments you make You can preview the corrected image in a single window view the original and corrected images in separate windows or view the image split into original and corrected portions within one window
The Image Adjustment Lab also lets you create snapshots of your adjustments with just one click The snapshots appear below the working preview which lets you easily compare each snapshot against the original version and then choose the best result
The preview mode buttons (A) and the Create Snapshot
button (B)
To open the Image Adjustment LabDo one of the following If yoursquore working in CorelDRAW click Bitmaps gt Image Adjustment Lab If yoursquore working in Corel PHOTO-PAINT click Adjust gt Image Adjustment Lab
To preview the corrected image in a single window
After correcting the image click the Full Preview button
To view the original and corrected images in separate windows
After correcting the image click the Before and after full preview button
To view original and corrected portions of an image in one window
After correcting the image click the Before and after split preview button
To capture the current version of your image
Click the Create Snapshot button
Thumbnails of the snapshots appear in a window below your image Each snapshot is numbered sequentially and can be deleted by clicking the Close button in the upper-right corner of the snapshot title bar
December 2007 11Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Using CorelDRAWregTraining
By Dave Demoret Contributing writerBitmap vs Vector
BITMAPSOne of the reasons bitmaps are not the desired image of choice in our industry is
that they do not reproduce well when enlarging the image Nor do they lend themselves to our process of decorating at least in screen printing embroidery and vinyl cutting to mention a few markets We need to use color in solid object form to achieve many of the end products we produce Color is very difficult to change in a bitmap image so we tend to lean towards the vector side to achieve our goals
One of the most confusing issues especially for beginners is the difference between bitmap also called raster and vector images To help clarify this take a look at the images on the side Bitmaps are made up of thousands of pixels (short for picture elements) which are tiny squares usually of different colors that form a picture These pixels are what make up the resolution of a given picture or bitmap image In lithography they are commonly referred to as dpi or dots per inch ndash thatrsquos for printing resolution We also use the dpi designation when we are talking about pixels per inch (ppi) in our industry but thatrsquos not technically correct Pixels per inch (ppi) refers to resolution on a monitor However we are looking at the scanning and the end product resolution in this article and therefore we are mostly concerned with the standard dpi measurement
Bitmaps are usually scanned into a graphics program or taken from a digital camera using the dpi designation In the illustrations here a 300 dpi (dots per inch) image is somewhat defined and appears to have clean edges but as we enlarge the image we are in effect decreasing the dots per inch We are making the dots themselves larger and therefore there are fewer dots that will fit into a one inch space By increasing the size using dpi or enlarging the bitmap using the dpi measurement we begin to see pixels and
very rough edge definition This is not especially good for printing or digitizingIf you have an image to print at 300 dpi to heat press on a t-shirt it can look pretty
good but if you want that same image to go on the back of a jacket and you try to enlarge it you will get the lsquojaggiesrsquo It is very difficult to take a low resolution image and increase the size while maintaining any kind of clarity or quality image
On the other hand if you have a low resolution image that needs to be reduced you will increase the image resolution because you will be putting more dots in that same one inch This simply means that a 300 dpi resolution image reduced by 50 will become a 600 dpi resolution
Image Size -vs- Image DPIAllow me to take this one step further to explain image dpi versus image size
When you have a 5 x 7 photo and you scan it into your CorelDRAWreg or scanning software you have the option of selecting the resolution using the dpi measurement If you want to enlarge the photo for your project increase the dpi I usually scan most everything at least a minimum of 600 dpi (figure 1) Others I will scan at 1200 to 1800 dpi to get a better quality print when I enlarge it enough to fit on a shirt Yes it does take longer to scan but the work on the other end is reduced dramatically
Remember that a 600 dpi image when reduced will become a 1200 dpi image In reverse the same 600 dpi image (figure 1) when enlarged will become a 300 dpi image (figure 2) This is all coming from the same 5 x 7 size image Size really doesnrsquot make a difference Itrsquos the resolution that will give you the quality that you are looking for
Resampling in CorelDRAWMost of the images you download
December 2007 12Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Using CorelDRAWregTraining
from the Internet will be 72 dpi (figure 3) and some are at 96 dpi These images are low grade and will need to be used at the existing size You can help them a little by using the lsquoResamplersquo in the pull down menu under Bitmaps in the Menu Bar of CorelDRAW This wonrsquot help a lot but may give you some assistance with some images The problem here is that the image will look slightly smoother but if enlarged much at all you will see it as being fuzzy or out of focus (figure 4) Play with resampling at several higher dpi choices and image sizes to get a feel for what you can and can not do
VECTOR IMAGESVector graphics are images that are made from mathematical
computations That is there is a certain shape and color associated with an outline and that area is the vector object as shown with one of the links here (figure 1) There are no definite objects or outlines in a bitmap It is simply thousands or millions of pixels each of a different color shade or tint That is why bitmaps are so hard to change easily With a vector image you simply select an object within the graphic and change the shape size and color with the tools provided in your graphics software
In contrast to the bitmap the vector image can be enlarged to any size without any distortion of edge definition This allows us to generate an image for a business card or a left chest logo on a t-shirt or a name tag then turn around and enlarge that same image to be placed on a billboard without any distortion of the image All the objects lines and integrity of the image are still intact (figure 2) no matter what size we select You can also see in figure 2 with the magnification that all the lines are still crisp sharp edges with no distortions
Vector images are the base images used in embroidery screen printing vinyl graphics and other markets within our graphics industry Many manufacturers today have geared their software as an add-on to CorelDRAW because of the ease clarity and flexibility that vector images offer
You can change a vector into a bitmap image with the click of a few buttons It takes considerably longer in most cases to change a bitmap into a vector file Most of the time
you will have to manually redraw or trace the bitmap image to convert it to a vector file There are programs out today that will convert these for you at least up to a point CorelDRAW is one of these programs PowerTrace is an auto trace feature used in the latest version of CorelDRAW
Printing ImagesWhile you will want to create your graphics in a vector
format you should know some basic principles of printing these two file choices One is that when you print a vector file it can take several times longer to print than a bitmap image of the same graphic Therefore for most of my printing in digital format like sublimation or heat transfer I will save a copy of my vector graphic as an original and make a duplicate copy to convert to a bitmap format for printing purposes
Another thing that most beginners donrsquot know is that if you are creating an image with CMYK Color Palette and print it to an inkjet printer you will throw off your color in the printed piece For example blues generally tend to turn to a violet lavender or purple shade Check with your supplier or distributor to help you set your printer to lsquoOutput color bitmaps as RGBrsquo And use your RGB Color Palette to color your graphic images
Dave Demoret founded Prolink Graphic Services to help people understand and profit from learning CorelDRAW He has been in both the Flat Graphics Industry and the Decorating Graphics Industry over the past 30 years He has written several articles for Screen Graphics Magazine on Color Control amp Matching in the past Dave has used CorelDRAWreg since version 3 and became a CorelDRAW Training Partner in 2006 During the past 5 years he has been conducting workshops all over the US and is the author of several Video CDs amp Instructional CDs on CorelDRAW Dave continues to conduct workshops in the US amp also worldwide online He can be reached at 765-DO COLOR (362-6567) or by email at davedprolinkgscom
December 2007 13Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE COLORBy David Milisock Training
Wow Powerful Controversial Useful I find the latter term to be most honest as shooting photos in the RAW format allows as much chance for the image to be ruined as it does for it to be improved The key to it being an improved experience rather then a ruined experience is of course understanding what the technology is all about work flow calibration and your skill
First off all cameras shoot RAW lower-cost cameras just wonrsquot let you save the file without an automated conversion process Here is the definition of RAW as printed in my new book Color Management in the CorelDRAW Graphics Suite for Professionals Small Office and Home Office capture C (to be released January 2008)
RAW is a file format that is proprietary to the camera manufacturer They are linear-gamma grayscale images from digital color filter arrays All these files require processing by a RAW converter to convert them to an RGB image
What this means to the user outside of the photographic ramifications is that the user needs to understand how the process is going to affect their color How this comes about is that the camera has a capture array that has red green and blue sensors Or an array that has filters to make some sensors only sensitive to red some only to blue and some only to green Each set of red blue and green sensors creates grayscale data that has to be combined to three channels Color is not only applied to the channels based on the value of the grayscale but a color space is assigned All cameras do this some just donrsquot let you do it manually
What Irsquom saying Is that as soon as the RAW converter develops a color display a color space has been assigned In fact the application has to have a
ldquoRAWrdquostandard color space to base the preview display on or your color edits would have no meaning
Stand-alone applications may allow you to choose what color space to apply to the image Some do not some force you to use an ultra-wide gamut RGB color space like Prophoto RAW Lab or plug-ins within image editing applications are most likely to use the internal (working) RGB of the application
So often it is written that RAW files have no color space and this is a true-falsehood True as long as they are still linear grayscale data streams of no value to anyone without a RAW converter but false as soon as you start the process of making a universally accepted RGB image of them
The key to the process is making sure that you understand what color space your converter assigned to the image so you can coordinate the internal RGB of Corel PHOTO-PAINTreg Make sure to activate the arrow from the internal RGB to the monitor
Any process that does not have the image
editor and RAW converter working in a coordinated manner will totally negate any benefit of using RAW You simply wonrsquot know what colors yoursquore really working with and thatrsquos not good for a process that was supposed to improve your work not make it worse
To my mind that biggest problem I see is that multiple RAW converter applications when viewing a RAW file as shot by the camera can have vastly different displays of the same image See capture A amp B (blurred on purpose) if you have a mind to try using RAW converting I suggest calibrating your display system first as this RAW image when opened in 4 different RAW converters has the white balance temperature identified
Coming Soon to the CorelDRAWPro Book Store A new book by columnist
David Milisock
Color Management in the CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
For Professionals Small Office and Home Office
Basic Color Theory bull Postscript and Non-Postscript Devices
RIPs for Ink Jets and Press bull Adobe Color Coordination
Color Continuity During Exportation bull and Much More
December 2007 14Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE COLOR
as four different values ranging from 2850 to 9980 OUCH Itrsquos hard to believe that the same data has been interpreted to be as shot by the camera judging by these two images isnrsquot it
This can only be described as an extremely painful experience Now you canrsquot rely on the software to interpret the data properly so the only thing you have that you can rely on is your calibrated work flow and your good sense
Another complaint that I have about stand-alone RAW converter applications is that in many cases the image display within the application is so poor that I cannot make a reasonable editing decision for any color or sharpening The image is glassy like in Paint Shop Pro or too soft like in Photoshopreg not sharp and clear like in PHOTO-PAINT OUCH
Please note in Capture A the Adobe RGB color space is already in play (see lower left corner) The adjustments available as shown in this capture are typical for RAW converters and
this capture will show them to you I am neither pro nor con RAW What Irsquove found is that
it is most generally used like image editor in place of good photography This is not always a bad thing Saving the cost on another shooting session through technology certainly has its selling point
Another observation Irsquove noticed is that as the cost of the cameras goes up the quality of their built-in conversion also goes up Many times they will save TIF instead of JPG files This is a real plus In studio settings with a superior camera you most likely will work your butt off and not be as good as the built-in RAW conversion of a studio quality camera On site live shoots is where the RAW conversion application seems to have a place to be most useful in my mind
Irsquom a Corel PHOTO-PAINT guy and I love my sharp clean PHOTO-PAINT display So until Corel PHOTO-PAINT has a RAW converter Irsquom sticking with the camera conversion and a TIF file for studio work But I will certainly use RAW when it benefits my client which benefits me
Watch out next month itrsquos going to be HOT
David Milisock is president of Custom Graphic Technologies Inc He has been in the print production business since 1975 and specializes in professional support for the CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite He can be reached at 717-509-3523 or davidmilisockcomcastnet See full bio on Writers Page
Itrsquos Who Knows YOU Network Your Way to Successby Chien J Wang president of Toujours Inc
Turbo-charge your networking with unique strategies that work Chien at-tends 10-12 events a week and has created a system for turning contacts into customers and customers into lifelong relationships
wwwcoreldrawprocomallbookstorehtm
Captures A amp B Two blurry images (on purpose) showing what happens to the white balance when opened in
different RAW converters This is typical
December 2007 15Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE TRANSFERSBy Bill Leek Applications
Headstart on Spring 10 Things You Can Do in January to Make 2008 a Successful Year
I have to be honesthellipMy normal inclination after the holiday season is to relax and take it easy for a few weeks It seems that after a very busy year I really deserve it But small- to medium-size business owners cannot afford to do this The few weeks of relative calm after Christmas are too valuable to squander
Every year I write up an action plan for January Hear are some ideas that you may find valuable
1) Follow the lead of the big retailers Valentinersquos Day is almost here and Easter is early this year Get your new spring displays mailings emails and catalogs out right after the holidays Highlight some new products with spring themes every year
2) Offer January specials with sizable discounts if you anticipate a slow month Use coupons and thank you gifts to show appreciation to your loyal long-term customers
3) Br igh ten up your display space with new graphics fixtures and lighting Look into new LED displays They offer superior lighting at significantly lower cost and maintenance LED
technology will replace both incandescent and neon lighting and signage in just a few years
4) Spend some time to really learn your software application January is a great time to learn new features and upgrade your Corel Software Buy a guide or an interactive CDDVD to speed up the learning curve
5) January is a great time to find new vendors equipment and imprintables You have more time and the vendors may be more responsive as sales are slower You very well might be able to make that great deal on a piece of capital equipment yoursquove wanted for some time
Ask vendors to provide you with samples of new inks imprintables and transfer papers Test washability compare color quality and evaluate production ease
Look at the new technologies -- direct printing on soft and hardgoods eco-solvent inks color laser printer transfer and new sublimation coatings are all ldquohotrdquo areas to investigate
6) Donrsquot just perform a physical inventory Evaluate inventory turnover and get rid of any dead items that are just taking up shelf space
7) Look at your customer base Are you trying to be all things to all people Are there specific niches where you have had greater success
than others Determine how to build on your strengths and possibly remove yourself from markets that are not profitable
8) Organize an email list of all your existing customers and solid leads Improve your communications with a newsletter Donrsquot overkill with your emailshelliptherersquos a fine line between informative and irritating
9) Sit down and list your major accomplishments and failures of the past year Try to assign a quantitative measure where you can Make a detailed list in each area and honestly investigate what resulted in success or failure
10) Come up with a list of 10-20 goals that you can realistically achieve in 2008 These goals can be defined as specific actions or financial results Create a small poster and display it in place where you will see it every day Go over the list every month and ask yourself how you are doing
I wish you all a Very Happy New Year I will try to keep you informed of all the exciting technical and market developments in 2008 Thanks for all your questions ideas and support during the past year
Add quality imprintables from Unisub for the
Valentinersquos Day market
December 2007 16Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE PRINTSUBLIMATIONBy Judy and John McDaniel Applications
Creating Sublimation Product Templates
Last time we finished all the background stuff now wersquoll get on to making things Wersquoll start with flat products which include plaques tiles shirts and other garments etc Later wersquoll explore specialty items like cups
Creating a Product Template FileThe first step in designing graphics for any new
product that we intend to make again and again is to create a product template Templates give us layouts into which we can place our text and graphics They may take a little time to set up initially however they make it much easier and faster to produce products once the templates are available
The first step in designing a template is to determine the page size in CorelDRAWreg For sublimated products that requires we decide what size the finished transfer will be The size of the transfer will determine the page size
The finished transfer may or may not be the size of the printed sheet For example if we are printing transfers for t-shirts generally they will be on full 11 x 17 sheets That said we have some layouts that will be printed in portrait orientation vertical on the shirt and some in landscape horizontal We have both styles available as templates If we are including a customerrsquos photo in the finished design the orientation of the photo might determine which template we use
For ceramic tiles the transfer may be the size of an individual tile or perhaps the size of a tile array For plaques the transfer is generally slightly larger than the print area of the plaque -- 4 x 6 5 x 7 8 x 10 etc For badges our template might be the size of a single badge or if we have a fixture for pressing badges our template might be the size of the fixture If wersquore pressing ceramic steins and cups we might have an array of templates some for fronts backs full wraps and full wraps edge to edge
Another variable to consider when creating a sublimation template is the size
of your printer and heat press The largest transfer that can be printed or pressed will determine the upper limit of the templatersquos page size These factors are only of concern for large items like shirts
In our shop we have both wide format (11inch) and standard (85 inch) sublimation printers We can choose roll material or standard sheets Currently our largest flat press is 14 x 16 inches so thatrsquos our upper limit for flat product images
Creating a T-shirt TemplateRemember creating a template is something you
only do one time for each item in your inventory and for any variations you would like to have available Creating
Photo 1
Photo 2
December 2007 17Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE PRINTING
a template file takes a little time in the beginning but saves a lot of time in the long run
With these factors in mind Irsquoll go through the steps of creating a special-occasion t-shirt template The first one Irsquoll create will be in portrait orientation If yoursquod like to follow along open CorelDraw to a new project 11 x 17 paper and set the orientation to portrait
Set Guidelines Next wersquoll bring in some guidelines These will
help us see the image area we have to work with For this project Irsquoll set guidelines at frac12 inch in from the left and right 1 inch in from the top and 3 inches up from bottom The guides are for visual reference This is the maximum text and graphics layout area
Since this is a vertical layout our graphic will be 1 inch down from the top edge of the transfer If we set the shirt on the press with the collar at the top edge then all wersquoll have to do is align the transfer to the top edge of the press and the image will be 1 inch down from the shirt collar
Irsquove limited the vertical image area to 13 inches Allowing an inch down from the top will make the bottom of the image 14 inches down from the collar Thatrsquos
ok for an adult large or XL shirt but you may want to adjust the area for smaller shirts
As a part of this layout Irsquove created a couple of layers One Irsquove called text and one picture These layers will be used for the graphic elements of the final template As an option you can also create a non-printing layer that contains a rectangle Since the layout is off centered you can use the rectangle to align your text and graphics but the rectangle will not print (See picture 1)
Save Your TemplateYou can now save this simple layout
as a CorelDRAW template To do that click on FileSave Ashellip and select CDT ndash CorelDRAW Template (see picture 2)
I normally save templates in a special folder however if yoursquore using Windows Vista its sort capabilities reduce the need to organize your files (See picture 3)
You can use this generic template as is You can also use it as a base for creating other templates Next time wersquoll make some additions to customize it for a special occasion Wersquoll also look at how we can use templates
Judy and John McDaniel are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry For information on training services offered and their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom They can be reached by phone at 541-967-4271 via SKYPE (user name JHMcDaniel) or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom See full bio on Writers Page
December 2007 18Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTINGBy Jeff McDaniel Applications
Using Specialty Platens Part 2Background
In our last article we touched on the steps required to create a master transfer for our specialty platen We also briefly reviewed locating the artwork and attaching the capillary film to the screen In this article we will expose our screens rinse them and produce our pocket patch CorelDRAWPro members can look up the more detailed information in the archived articles for June July and August at wwwacdrporg
Our setup and yoursOur setup is the Printa 770 series screen printing machine from Printa Systems Inc
All of the supplies and tools we will cover from here on were provided in the turn-key system from Printa with the 770 Your setup may be from another source but will most likely contain components of what we will discuss below In addition to the standard Printa 770 setup we will be using the ldquoPrint-Allrdquo system from Printa Systems Inc (see figure 1 courtesy of Printa Systems)
Exposing the capillary filmWe left off last article with our screens drying
Now that they are dry we are ready to expose the capillary film Exposing Step 1 we will gently peel the carrier sheet off of the capillary film (see figure 2)
Exposing Step 2 Next we need to put our first image back on the exposure unit and re-install the screen on the printing system Then we can bring the screen down on the
exposure unit attach our blackout board and expose the screen (see figure 3)
Exposing Step 3 After exposure we need to rinse out our screen and inspect it to be certain we have a complete rinse (see figure 4)
Exposing Step 4 Once the image is rinsed out it is time to put the screen back in the dryer (see figure 5)
Re-aligning the screens after wash outFrom the time that we first aligned the
artwork we have taken the screens in and out of the printing system twice If our artwork is even a little bit out of alignment we will lose blanks or put out low quality work It is a good idea to do a final adjustment with the original artwork
Re-Align Step 1 Leaving both of our photo positives on the exposure unit we can inspect the screen location compared to our original artwork location Here is the yellow screen location after exposure and wash out (see figure 6)
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
December 2007 19Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTING
Re-Align Step 2 The black screen is a little bit off (see figure 7) so we will need to use the Printa 770 micro-adjustment knobs to bring it back into alignment (see figure 8)
Masking off the screenNow that our artwork is
lined up correctly we can mask the rest of the screen off Wherever we donrsquot want the ink to run through the screen needs to be masked off (see figures 9 and 10)
Locating the pocket patch on the shirtThere are a couple of different ways to locate the pocket
patch on the shirt The first thing to consider is where you want it to end up on the wearer If the patch is too far toward the sleeve the image will end up under the wearerrsquos arm pit If the image is too far up toward the neck the image will not look right either A good way to figure out the correct location is by looking at a shirt that has a pocket patch on it (maybe one or two are in your closet right now)
Another way to locate the pocket patch is to put on the shirt
size that you wear and mark off where you think it feels correct and comfortable Once you have decided where you would like the patch keeping it in the same relative location on all of the different sizes is not too difficult The actual placement of the shirt can be accomplished a couple of different ways that we know of Which you prefer will depend mostly on if you are more accurate with sight or touch
The sight method involves using a masking tape strip to mark the desired location on the shirt prior to loading it onto the platen (see figure 11)
Once you have your marking in place you can load the shirt on the platen and have a nice representation that you are placing the design in the desired location (see figure 12)
Figure 7 Figure 8
Figure 9
Figure 10
Figure 11
Figure 12
December 2007 20Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTING
We prefer the sight method because it works well with our equipment The ldquoPrint Allrdquo system from Printa Systems Inc uses a smaller platen for pocket patches The smaller platen allows us to load sizes from youth XS ndash adult 5X without stretching
The touch method involves using a standard platen and adding a riser underneath where the pocket patch will be printed (a piece of cut cardboard or thin wood of the appropriate size) With this method you can feel when the shirt is in the correct location and begin printing from there
Inking the screens printing and curingSince we have resolved our location
issues with the pocket patch we are ready to ink the screens print and cure
Printing Step 1 Inking the screens is fairly straightforward (see figure 13)
Printing Step 2 Using the squeegee we will screen our first color (see figure 14) and check the quality of the image (see figure 15)
Printing Step 3 Our first color will need to be flash cured (see figure 16)
Printing Step 4 Now we can add our second color (see figure 17)
Printing Step 5 Finally we can do the finish cure step paying attention to the temperature gauge (see figure 18)
After final curing it is always a good idea to take at least a sampling of the product and wash it to be certain of the curing All of the information on post-job clean-up can be found in the CorelDRAWPro archives for September
Conclusion This time we took our screens out of
the dryer and pushed our project all the way to its completion
Jeff McDaniel is the OwnerOperator of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon Jeff has been working with computers since the age of 5 and was a journeyman machinist before working in the graphic arts business Creative Graphic offers services including laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials You can contact Jeff by email at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
Figure 14
Figure 13
Figure 15
Figure 17
Figure 16
Figure 18
December 2007 21Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SANDBLASTINGBy Judy McDaniel Applications
Screening the AbrasiveKeeping your sandblast abrasive media free
of contaminant material is essential During sandblasting abrasive is mixed with compressed air fed through the supply hose focused by the nozzle and impacts the product Then if itrsquos fine enough it leaves the system as dust or drops to the bottom of the cabinet to be recycled
Other material will also collect in the bottom of the cabinet This debris can include bits of mask (ever wonder where the center of that ldquoerdquo went) bits of tape and possibly solid material dislodged from the product yoursquore blasting This latter source of debris is especially prevalent when yoursquore working on materials other than glass like brick rock and wood
Leaving the debris in the abrasive when itrsquos recycled can cause a variety of problems First if a piece of debris is too large to fit through the nozzle it will clog it More importantly if it does fit through the nozzle and is hard like brick and rock debris it can impact the piece yoursquore working on and ruin it
The obvious solution is to screen the media when you reload the pressure pot The problem is the screen mesh size Irsquove tried the screen supplied by the cabinet manufacturers and used window screening material from a hardware store In both of these cases the mesh size would allow all but the largest pieces of debris through
What Irsquove found that works the best is a spatter screen from a local kitchen store The mesh is woven tightly and filters out much more debris The best thing is its price only a few dollars
One of our cabinets is not self-contained so we have to filter the media by hand We have found that bending the handle up on a large spatter screen
causes it to fit perfectly into the top of the pressure pot We also have a couple of other smaller pressure pots one in fact that you fill with a funnel For those I simply lay the spatter screen over the opening of the pot or the funnel when refilling
If you have a system that recycles the abrasive then it should be equipped with a screen located on top of the pressure pot Make sure to inspect and remove the debris from the top of the screen from time to time A shop-vac works well for this purpose If you find that larger pieces are getting through the screen then contact the manufacturer to see what can be done to reduce the mesh size
Keeping your media clean helps prevent unwanted delays or damage
To all of our friends out there new and old have a safe and joyful holiday season
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from John and me
Judy McDaniel with her husband John are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry In addition they provide one-on-one application support through an email subscription service exclusively for their Hotcdr Hands-On Training students or those who have purchased their CD sets (For information on training services offered visit wwwgraphic-products-trainingcom and for information on their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom) They can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
December 2007 22Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE ENGRAVINGBy John McDaniel Applications
Elements of Machine Accuracy 7 Structural Integrity
So far wersquove covered resolution speed repeatability and hysteresis This time wersquoll discuss structural integrity
What is Structural IntegrityStructural integrity is a measure of a machinersquos
strength or stiffness It is the ability of a machine to resist distortion by forces created in normal operations
Most mechanical engraving machines use single-fluted cutters As these cutters turn they apply cutting force against the material For every action though there is an equal but opposite reaction ie the material resists the cut and thereby transmits a resistive force back through the cutting tool spindle etc and ultimately to the machinersquos frame
Assuming a static bit position the force applied to the machinersquos structure will rotate 360deg with the tool (see diagram 1) As this force rotates any looseness in the structure will result in a deviation in the relationship of the material and the cutter
What machine design factors are involvedStructural integrity includes lead screws and their
hysteresis for mechanical engraving machines spindle bearings and their looseness for both mechanical and laser engravers gantry or table rails their bearings and looseness and the machinersquos frame In fact anything and everything that holds the tool and material in the proper relationship during the cuttingengraving process contributes to or detracts from structural integrity
Why is it importantIn a word Quality Structural integrity influences
the quality of the finished products the machine will produce
For illustration Irsquoll use a mechanical engraving system If the looseness in our machine and the cutting force applied were uniform throughout the 360deg of tool rotation the result would be a wobble in the tool path which might not be visible in the finished product
Cutting ForcesIn the real world however as the tool moves through
the material the cutting and reactive forces go through a cycle (see diagram 2) When the tool starts the cut there is a spike in force The force will level to a constant through the top side of the cut while itrsquos cutting against the direction of the toolrsquos movement Then it will drop somewhat when itrsquos cutting with the toolrsquos movement and finally fall off on the back side as the cutting edge of the tool enters the void area where the material has already been removed
The amount of force applied during the cutting process will vary depending on the material being
cut the tool and its sharpness the depth of cut the material feed rate and whether or not lubricant is used The cutting force may also vary over the length of the job as the toolrsquos cutting edge wears and becomes dull
Machine Component Looseness
In addition to the cutting force not being uniform throughout the 360deg of tool rotation l o o s e n e s s i n t h e machinersquos structure will also vary For example dur ing the cut t ing operation as the tool transitions through 0deg and 180deg of rotation X axis hysteresis will be a factor in overall machine looseness but Y axis hysteresis will have no effect At 90deg and 270deg the Y axis will become a factor but the X axis will have no impact
In the real world any looseness in the machine will cause an oscillation in the cut which will have its own angle If we could slow the toolrsquos movement we would see this oscillation as a sharp jump in the positional relationship between the tool and material being cut In the finished product this sharp jump in position will result in a jagged cut
December 2007 23Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE ENGRAVING Outline amp OverviewThe Nuts and Bolts of Machine AccuracyMachine accuracy or capability can be defined as a result of six features 1 Resolution ndash the smallest incremental movementpositioning of a speci-fied axis 2 Speed ndash the ability to complete a task in a reasonable amount of time without sacrificing accuracy or creating damage to the machine or product 3 Repeatability ndash the ability to duplicate a previous position without error 4 Hysteresis ndash the ldquosloprdquo or ldquoplayrdquo in motion control components 5 Structural Integrity ndash stiffness or strength ndash the ability to cut materials without error or damage This is especially important for mechanical engrav-ers 6 Structural Tolerances ndash the sum accuracy of a machinersquos mechanical components
Machine ComponentsWersquoll examine nine factors that determine a machinersquos accuracy They include 1 Motors ndash including DC Stepper DC Brushless DC Servo and AC Servo a Spindles ndash motors that rotate the cutting bit b Axis Drive ndash motors that position the material to the cutting bit c Horsepower ratings ndash real versus advertised 2 The Motion Control Drive Unit ndash including Geared Belt and Lead Screws a Lead Screws ndash including Acme Re-circulating Ball Standard and Precision b Mounting ndash including Simple Fixed and Thrust bearing types c Protection ndash Open or Closed 3 Guide Rails ndash Types include V Bearing Rail Bushing Shaft Dove Tail and Re-circulating Ball Bearing 4 Encoders ndash Types include Rotary and Linear Methodologies include incremental or absolute 5 Tachometers ndash used for speed stability acceleration and breaking control for closed loop servo systems 6 Bearings ndash including Sleeve Ball and Linear Re-circulating Ball a Applications ndash including Radial Thrust and Linear b Quality ndash Standard thru Ultra Precision 7 Spindles ndash including topbottom loading Collets and Sleeves 8 Material Hold Down ndash including mechanical clamps and vacuum sys-tems 9 Electronic Interface ndash Computer control methods
Wersquoll also examine Reliability what makes it And Serviceability is it fix-able
If the cutting oscillation is at any angle other than the direction of the cut and the oscillation is great enough a jagged cut will be visible in the finished product A cut deviation of as little as 001rdquo is visible to the naked eye and will most commonly show up on curves and circles but may show up on straight lines as well
To illustrate this point a little further and perhaps make it somewhat clearer Irsquod like to refer to diagrams 3 and 4 For purposes of these illustrations we will assume we have a machine that has some looseness on both the X and Y axes However the rest of the machine
is structurally solid the frame is rigid and no other components have any loosenessMaking these assumptions and disregarding the variation in force caused by the cutter
as it travels through the material we will have cutting oscillations at 0deg 180deg 90deg and 270deg during the toolrsquos rotation As the tool travels through the material on its path these oscillations will cause a slight variation in the centerline of the toolrsquos cut
Diagram 3 shows a horizontal tool path While the machine is cutting in this direction any X axis looseness will be masked by the cutter path itself however looseness in the Y axis will result in a slight oscillation in the cutterrsquos horizontal position and therefore a deviation in its cut Diagram 4 shows the effect of the X axis looseness which will impact vertical lines
As you can see from this discussion and these illustrations structural integrity ie looseness in the components from which a machine is constructed can make a significant difference in quality of the finished products that a machine will produce
Next time wersquoll consider structural tolerances and their impact
John McDaniel with his wife Judy are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry For information on training services offered and their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom They can be reached by phone at 541-967-4271 via SKYPE (user name JHMcDaniel) or via email at JHMcDanielCorelDRAWhelpcom See the full bio on the Writers Page
December 2007 24Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
the image the text and the red bow In the laser file for this example I have the red cut line for vectoring (See Figure 5)
5) Send the cardstock through the printer6) Place the cardstock in the laser for vector
cutting The thickness of the stock will determine what settings to use For my 35-watt laser using a medium weight cardstock I used a speed of 100 and power of 15 for a nice cut through the stock without any burn marks on the paper
7) Optional in one run I decided to let the laser take care of the bow instead of using color for it from my printer I set the outline of the bow to 100 black and the interior of the bow to 50 black (See Figure 6)
8) Then I only sent the image and text through the printer The bow and vector cutting occurred in the laser I set the raster engraving (of the bow) at speed 70 and power 40 (See Figure 7) You can see the differentiation of using 100 black as opposed to 50 black by the exterior lines
being engraved a little deeper than the rest of the fill
Take the idea of using patterns (like the birth announcement above) and wowing your clientele with the detail and intricacy that laser can provide Or add a twist to a holiday tradition (cards) Whatever you do donrsquot forget you can combine the advantages of the printer and laser for fabulous products
Submitted by Kathryn Arnold Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
LASER TIPBy Kathryn Arnold Applications
Combining Laser amp Printer PowerComing up with new and
inventive ways to use your laser is the key to a successful and growing business We will look at a way to combine the power of your computer (ink) printer with the power of the laser engraver
In this lesson we will take a look at using cardstock to create a card and an announcement See the examples of a holiday card and a birth announcement ndash gratuitously they are of my family (Figure 1 amp Figure 2)
1) In CorelDRAWreg use any pattern image text you wish Be sure that there is a clear and discernible vector line that will be laser cut and yield a cut piece from the cardstock2) See the clear (red) cut line ndash it goes fully around my object even the bow portion (important) I then duplicated my object to fit as many as possible on my 8 frac12 x 11 cardstock (See Figure 3) 3) I saved this file as my master file that I could return to at any point I then created two copies -- one that will
be used to send the file to my printer and one that will be used to send the file to my laser engraver (See Figure 4)
4) In the master file I have every part of what my end product will have In the file for my printer I only have the parts that the printer will print ndash in this example
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
December 2007 25Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
ELECTRONICS FRONTIERBy Louie Alvarez Opportunity
Webcams are an interesting subject which I am intimately familiar with Some typical questions are what are they what purpose do they serve what benefit are they what to look for and various other questions concerns and issues
Webcams surely bring back a memory or two not all that great I might add I remember when they first became usable primarily due to the Internet having affordable true broadband
First experiences The choppy poor quality of dial-up service
simply didnrsquot make this a useful technology Short of communicating with far-flung family members it left much to be desired With my immediate family living in Las Vegas and all other family (parents siblings cousins etc) living in California this was a technology I thought would be useful to keep in touch
So I set up my computer and my momrsquos computer with Webcams to stay in touch Needless to say with the poor quality terrible tracking (had to keep perfectly
sti l l because video frames didnrsquot refresh fas t enough) the hard-to-see tiny video window and poorly synchronized voices to the faces (we looked like a badly translated kung fu movie) the novelty quickly wore off (Irsquod say in about 30 minutes)
WebcamsSecond attempt
So I promptly dumped the technology for the next few years until I started seeing broadband picking up the pace and more interest in Webcams becoming obvious from all the new devices on the market So about three years ago a wireless Webcam caught my eye and I decided to put it to the test once again
Considering I was by then traveling quite extensively (about 40000 miles a year) I figured Irsquod use it to monitor my home I had two teenagers and a 5-year-old at home at the time while I was on the road and my wife was still a t work (She normally didnrsquot get off work until about two hours after school was out) So this looked to be a cool device to see if as the clicheacute goes when the catrsquos away the mice will play
I proceeded to position this wireless Webcam strategically to allow viewing of my living room including the back door Plus to get to the front door or side door you would have to pass through the field of the camera My little one loved the idea of being on camera for her daddy and would dance play and make funny faces for me Pretty cool actually That in itself almost justified the camera but needless to say my teenagers even my wife didnrsquot take to the idea too well So it was returned and life continued on as usual
That experience did show me that the broadband
speeds the quality of the video feeds the prevalence on the net of live cams and the quality of the video cameras (better known as Webcams) had progressed to a level of usefulness and I could see the potential of this technology With that said letrsquos get into the heart of this article
So what are webcams Basically they are digital cameras attached to
the computer and connected to the Web or Instant Messaging (IM) This allows the camera to be linked to a website or to each other directly and individuals who view the website or IM are able to see what the camera is viewing at that moment You can choose to get either still pictures that are updated at regular intervals (Snapshot) or live streams (Streaming) depending on what your bandwidth permits The WebCam technology has advanced sufficiently now to make it both easier and cheaper to maintain a camera that is refreshing an image 24 hours a day
Features of Web Cameras Listed here are some of the features more commonly
found in WebCams1 Live streaming video still pictures updated2 No plug-in or software necessary to view image
can be viewed with any Web browser3 Live audio4 Incorporation with other software such as Instant
Messaging (IM)5 Adding captionslogostime displays6 Archiving video7 Chat feature
December 2007 26Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
WebCams in an instructional scenario could be used to
Monitor your staff or employees thus being able to guide them better
Telecommute to companies worldwide and demonstrate project procedures
B roadcas t sem ina rs wo rkshops o r demonstrations
Share special events and programs with students enrolled in distance learning courses
Hold a video press conference online meeting or broadcast meetings and discussions
In some cases it is important for the learner to be able to establish a connection visually WebCams could be a good alternative to using text files or audio files
Join WebCam groups and allow students to take advantage of other WebCam locations for educational purposes
Using a web camera allows learners to be a part of either a conference or classstudio
Benefits of using WebCamsa The most important advantage of using a web camera is that it creates a direct link between the camera and the live site and dispenses with all the production work Production work in this context includes the cost and effort involved in shooting
editing and streaming videos Thus using a WebCam does not require
advanced skillsb The software is basically a Web server that runs on your system and pushes images out to a Web page For viewers of images delivered over a WebCam
one of the benefits is that they get the entire picture preferable in
certain cases rather than a sleek edited versionc WebCam technology can also be used for remote s u r v e i l l a n c e s y s t e m s
ELECTRONIC FRONTIER
monitoring events or places and broadcasting live eventsd Learners can link to a web camera-monitored location and just watch or also have an additional web camera in their own location enabling two-way communication
Setting up your WebCama Setting up your own WebCam obviously requires a computer a WebCam (the hardware) and WebCam software along with a broadband Internet connection Before you decide which camera to buy and which software to acquire yoursquoll have to review the different methods to show pictures or video feed through the Internet ( i e r e f r e s h e d after x amount of seconds) This will enable you to decide which hardware and software solution will fit your situation best
b P l a c e m e n t of a camera is an important decision to be made Decide whether a static angle is sufficient to demonstrate the concept or a moving camera (handheld) is required It is important however to remember the limitations of using WebCams and leave the panoramic and other fancy shots to more sophisticated video Use WebCams for videos that require more focus and ones that require a smaller viewingmovement range
c For detailed technical instructions on using WebCams visit httpdeveloperswebcamworldcommethodshtml
d Here is a good resource for inexpensive Webcams on the market httpcastlepricewatchcomssearchasps=webcams
e For an in-depth review of various Webcams on the market go to this link httpreviewscnetcom4244-6502_7-0-1htmlquery=webamptag=cat_1
f There are many Webcam examples online here are a couple httpwwwwebcamworldcom or httpwwwleonardsworldscomcamerahtml
By the way DONrsquoT TELL MY KIDS I picked up a Logitech QuickCam Pro 4000 not too long ago My family doesnrsquot know why I got it or what my intention is but I can say that now that my kids are 17 16 amp 8 my job as a parent is to ensure the mice donrsquot play when the catrsquos awayhellip
Louie Alvarez began acquiring his experience in the awards and engraving industry in Central California over 15 years ago first as an employee of the largest and oldest trophy shop and then as owner of one of the first laser engraving businesses Louie has been a featured workshop instructor and seminar speaker throughout the industry in addition to being a contributing writer to numerous industry publications Louie is based in Las Vegas NV and can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
December 2007 27Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
The Association of CorelDRAWreg Professionals is The Education amp Business Resource for CorelDRAW Users Worldwide Its goal is to help 1) IMPROVE your CorelDRAW skills and 2) MAKE MONEY with those skills You can participate in ACDRP services in four ways
THE WORLDrsquoS ONLY ASSOCIATION FOR CORELDRAWreg USERSINVITES YOU TO MAKE MORE MONEY WITH CORELDRAW
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month focused on Industry News via the Graphics News Wire Links to valuable resources and a complete educa-tion and show Calendar S
CorelDRAWPro the Entrepreneurial magazine for CorelDRAW users features in-depth content on How to Use CorelDRAW -- tips tricks advanced ar twork success s to r ies in te rv iews and more How to Apply CorelDRAW -- for graphic production processes such as embroidery engraving heat printing laser promo products printing sandblasting signmaking sublimation and screenprinting How to Profit from CorelDRAW -- Product news business columns reviews profiles and advertising with live links
SUBSCRIBE -- NO CHARGE JOIN -- $60 PER YEAR
All users of CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite are qualified to subscribe free to CorelDRAWPro magazine (PDF format) and CorelDRAWPro E-News
Subscription to CorelDRAWPro amp CorelDRAWPRo E-News
TTF Newsletter Subscription to the monthly Tips Templates amp Fixtures Newsletter only available to members
GSG Basic Listing You can list your services in the Graphic Services Guide in one category as part of membership (a $25 value)
Access to QuickLearn A keyword searchable database of 100s of articles on CorelDRAW graphics production and business
All users of CorelDRAWreg are invited to join the Association and take advantage of exclusive content discounts and profes-sional recognition ACDRP membership includes
TTF
QuickLearn
QuickTNT
Archives
BASIC GSG LISTING -- $25 PER YR
The Graphic Services Guide is the Industry Yellow Pages for Services and Finished Goods GSG is promoted in all our publi-cations and our website to the world of CorelDRAW users Your listing gives you the opportunity to promote your services (in any of 40 categories) to other CorelDRAW usersThe Basic Listing includes your company description email link and listing in one category Additional service categories are $10 each per year
The Enhanced GSG Listing is for companies that want to list in two categories and add a photo or logo
ENHANCED GSG LISTING -- $50$75 PER YR
Classifieds
Access to QuickTnT A growing database of CorelDRAW tips for understanding the fine points of the program and templates that can be downloaded to speed up your production
Access to Archives Past issues of CorelDRAWPro are available to members with live links
Bookstore Discounts Members receive a 10 discount on all products in the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore
Professional Recognition Use of the ACDRP logo for professional identification on business cards websites and letterhead You also receive a membership certificate
Classified Ads Members can place one classified ad per year at no charge with photo and run it till the item is sold (a $35 value)
HOW TO PARTICIPATE To Subscribe (no charge) To Join ($60yr) To List in the Graphic Services Guide ($25 Basic $50$75 Enhanced or $120145 for Multi-Service)
CorelDRAWreg is a registered trademark of Corel Corp and is used with permission
Visit wwwcoreldrawprocomand click on the appropriate links
800-276-8428
The Multi-Service GSG Listing allows you to list up to 40 differ-ent service categories with detailed descriptions and add a photo or logo
MULTI-SERVICE GSG LISTING -- $120$145 PER YR
December 2007 28Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Throughout the year this publication has reported on whatrsquos new in equipment tools and software and blank products for businesses that put graphics onto products
For this 2007 wrap-up CorelDRAWPro editorial staff reviewed all the product news for the year and named 33 products to its annual Top Products of the Year list
Selections were based on the criteria of innovation and impact Innovation means products that exhibit a high degree of originality or uniqueness Impact means products that influence sales or productivity for a large number of businesses
Note that the 2007 honorees are list alphabetically in the three theme sections
For more information on the products in this article click on the Info Request button at the bottom of each page and select by company name or product You might open the Info Request page and minimize it as you read That way you can quickly open it and check the products you want
EQUIPMENT
ANAJET DIRECT-TO-GARMENT DIGITAL PRINTERAnaJet Digital Apparel Printer (Model FP-125) from
AnaJet Inc in Costa Mesa CA is a direct-to-garment printer offering high quality and affordability It can print custom graphics on any cotton or poly-cotton flat textile material in one minute The printer priced affordably from under $13000 can produce up to 5000 shirts per month each retailing for about $20 Most printers installed so far are in a production plant environment but some customers have started to take the mobile printer to malls for instant printing of customer graphics According to Dr Chase Roh company president the unique printhead they have developed allows for 16x more ink flow than normal desktop printers and thus shirts only require one pass
Top Products of the Year
DTG AMERICA ECLIPSE D-1 WITH TWO HEADS DTG America of Tampa FL and Fort Worth TX now offers a new solution to
speed up digitally printing to dark shirts The Eclipse D-1 incorporates two heads instead of one One head has eight channels of white to lay down a solid white underbase The second head has four channels of white to do highlights and four channels of color to lay down the design The result of this new configuration is the underbase and color are completed in one pass at an estimated average of only two minutes per shirt for a 12-inch by 6-inch area Other innovations include an ink agitator firmware for easy updating ink vapor remover auto gap adjustment and new platen configuration for easy loading
GEO KNIGHT DK 25SP HEAT PRESSThe Digital Knight DK25SP is an air-operated automatic
20x25 oversized swing-away heat press with a state-of-the-art control system and heavy-duty solid steel welded framework The smooth automatic pressing and push-button activation provides a productive fatigue-free operation The extended 20x25 size of the heat platen is perfect for sublimation and large-format materials pressingThe press is adjustable to accommodate materials from fabric thickness all the way up to 1rdquo thick substrates For more information call 800-525-6766 or visit wwwheatpresscom
GRAPHTEC CRAFT ROBO PROGraphtec America Inc based in Santa Ana
CA introduced the new Craft ROBO Pro 15rdquo cutting plotter The Craft ROBO Pro is an ideal solution for cutting a wide variety of materials including vinyl film card stock foil heat transfer and image transfer media Incorporating Graphtecrsquos legendary
December 2007 29Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
ARMS (Advanced Registration Marks System) and combined with a desktop printer the Craft ROBO Pro makes contour cutting an easy task Innovations include a new digital servo motor first mark auto-sensing menu navigation system that includes 8 user-defined conditions Tangential Control and three software applications
ROLAND RELEASES DIRECT-TO-FABRIC PRINTERRoland DGA Corp of Irvine CA released
the new 74rdquo HeatWave DFP-74 Fabric Printer through its reseller channel in the US Based on Rolandrsquos HeatWave sublimation technology the DFP-74 Fabric Printer is a complete integrated solution and Rolandrsquos first inkjet ever to support direct printing onto polyester fabrics As a complete solution including printer sublimation unit inks and RIP software the DFP-74 makes it easier than ever for shops to enter the fast-growing textile printing market Key features include eight advanced piezo print heads an intelligent media handling system and a temperature-controlled heating system
HOTRONIX PERFECT PRESSURE HEAT PRESSHotronix of Carmichaels PA has taken heat press technology
to the next level with Perfect Pressure a new digital pressure display functionThis new feature has a single-digit LED readout
that measures the pressure of the inner platen This technology is exclusive to Hotronix and is patent pending Previously a
digital pressure display was available only on air-operated heat press machines With this new pressure display gauge all heat press users will have more consistent results from job to job reducing the number of misprints and speeding up production For more information about
the new digital pressure display contact Stahlsrsquo Hotronix at 800-478-2457 e-mail infostahlscom or visit the Web site at wwwstahlscom
SWF DREAM EMBROIDERY MACHINEWith its new DREAM Machine SWF has broken the barrier in multi-head
embroidery machine technology The DREAM machines are the first multi-head embroidery machines that truly can sew at 1500 stitches per minute During the research and development of these new machines 12 new patents were filed and granted proof that the DREAM machines are built with state-of-the-art technology
Innovations include LED control panel error codes to quickly troubleshoot problems optional devices to do sequins cording and boring automatic oiling system large memory a hoop selector and more These innovative new machines come in configurations ranging from
two to six heads It is distributed exclusively by SWF East (Tampa FL) and SWF MESA (Dallas TX)
MESArsquoS HOTFIX SPANGLE MOTIF MACHINEWith the all new YAS-11 Hotfix Spangle Motif Making
Machine the first of its kind in the United States you can create beautiful spangle transfer designs that have the look of sequins This patented machine which is distributed exclusively in the United States by MESA Distributors of Fort Worth TX cuts out shapes such as circles and squares in a range of sizes from reels of Mylar tape The machine comes with proprietary design software that allows the user to create any pattern or design up to 157 by 157 inches
SAWGRASSrsquo HYBRID SYSTEM FOR EPSON R1800Sawgrass Technologies of Mt Pleasant SC introduced
the SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid System for the Epson R1800 for both sublimation printing and cotton
decorating from one machine The affordable entry-level system features dual functionality with both SubliJet and ChromaBlast inks in one machine allowing users to create customized images with superior color and clarity on both polyester coated substrates and cotton garments This is the second
hybrid system from Sawgrass following in the footsteps of the popular SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid
System for the Epson 4800
TROTECrsquoS NEW LARGE PLATFORM LASER Trotec Laser Inc of Ypsilanti MI has introduced the SP500 series of laser
engraving and cutting systems The systems have a work area of 50rdquo X 28rdquo and X-Axis clearance of 12rdquo The systems are offered in power levels from 45W-200W There is an available pass-through option (Class 4) Exhaust fumes are captured
December 2007 30Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
at the laser head to insure an efficient extraction when using the pass-through featureTrotec systems are designed for minimal wear-and-tear and eliminate the need for periodic replacement of belts and bearings For additional information visit our web site wwwtrotecnet or call 866-226-8505 734-484-3260
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW PROFESSIONAL SERIESUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) of Scottsdale
AZ added four new models in its Professional Laser Series (PLS) line of advanced high-productivity computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving systems The new PLS line which replaces Universalrsquos M V and X laser systems incorporates a
host of evolutionary design improvements to the laser cartridge platform chassis system electronics and software interface The new PLS models include several
powerful new features most notably a unique materials-based print driver called ldquoLaser Interface +rdquo that gives users their choice
between automatic or manual control over power speed and other system settings For more information on Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit Universal Laser Systems online at wwwulsinccom
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW VERSALASERUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) added a
new version of its desktop-sized VersaLasertrade
computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving system The new VersaLaser
improves on the award-winning original thanks to a host of evolutionary design refinements It also
includes a unique next-generation materials-based print driver that automatically calculates power speed
and other system settings It was awarded a patent for the unique design of its external cabinet which also functions as a Class 1 laser safety enclosure For more information about VersaLaser or Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit wwwulsinccom
US SCREENrsquoS FAST T-JET 3US Screen Print and Inkjet Technology of Tempe
AZ adds the Fast T-Jet3TM which features 30 faster print speeds compared to the previous T-Jet2 model and has a longer low profile print bed for easier loading and unloading Now you can produce a full size 12rdquo x 12rdquo (305 x 305 cm) print in one minute on a light shirt and in under three minutes on a black shirt with white ink Small pocket images can be printed in about 15 seconds
US SCREENrsquoS AUTOMATED PRETREATMENT CENTER
Speed up production when using Fast T-Jet inkjet-to-garment printers with the AutoTREATtrade Automatic Pretreatment Center
This versatile piece of equipment allows you to treat shirts on a production level rather than spraying shirts individually one at a time For use with light or dark shirts the AutoTREATtrade
can spray up to three shirts per minute It has two application modesmdashone for lights and one for darks that can be switched over by activating the cleaning mode which flushes out the system with water
TOOLS MATERIALS SOFTWARE
CORELDRAW X3 CERTIFIED FOR WINDOWS VISTACorel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that
CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite X3 has been Certified for Windows Vista Customers who wish to install the Certified for Windows Vista version of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X3 can download the latest service pack (SP2) from wwwcorelcom This new update delivers an exceptional experience for customers on Windows Vista including an updated user interface enhanced security improved text handling and further enhancements to the popular suitersquos renowned import and export file compatibility
COREL LAUNCHES NEW ONLINE COMMUNITY Corel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that it
has launched httpcoreldrawcom a new online community for users of the CorelDRAWreg family of products ndash including CorelDRAW Graphics Suite Corel DESIGNERreg Technical Suite
December 2007 31Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
and Corelreg DRAWingsreg This new community site is the first in a series that Corel will be launching to support its various user communities Designed to fuel inspiration CorelDRAWcom combines forums blogs and galleries for design professionals and graphic hobbyists alike Forums are available in English French German and Spanish serving an international audience
DALCOrsquoS NEW REFLECTIVE HEAT TRANSFERSCater to the safety market with new reflective transfers offered
by Dalco Athletic of Dallas TX These durable transfers come in a reflective silver gray color in three styles police sheriff and fire dept They are sized for left chest and full back so
all you have to do is heat seal for 8 seconds and yoursquore done Itrsquos very fast and easy
DALCOrsquoS NEW OPTIC YELLOW CLASSIC SWB APPLIQUE
Classic SWB appliqueacute designs offered by Dalco Athletic now come in two new styles softballs and tennis balls in optic yellow fabric These new balls literally jump off any wearable and make it an eye-catching standout This appliqueacute collection is ideal for spiritwear items to be sold to fans and family or created as fund-raisers for boosters clubs
POWER GRAPHICS 3 FROM DIGITAL ART SOLUTIONSPower Graphics 3 by Digital Art Solutions of
Tempe AZ is the ultimate design tool for the creation of high-end custom graphics and logos for custom signage awards vehicle graphics promotional products and apparel graphics Tuned to the latest styles and trends it provides fresh graphics that will impress even the most critical and demanding customer It includes more than 1500 images The 10 design categories include Flames Gangsta (Urban) Mascots Offroad Rebel (Biker and Hot
Rod) Retro Speed Sports Surf and Tuner
FLORIANI COMMERCIALrsquoS NEW NO-SHOW DIAMOND MESHContinuing in its tradition of research and development
to create embroidery stabilizers that meet the needs of todayrsquos embroiderers Floriani Embroidery Commercial Division of Knoxville TN released a new product called Floriani No-Show Diamond Mesh This unique nylon mesh stabilizer has a perpendicular embossed pattern that makes it more multi-directionally stable and enables it to better hold stitches for crisper design registration It is specifically designed for light-colored garments where traditional stabilizers have a tendency to show through the front of the garment
GREAT DANErsquoS NEW DIGITAL PHOTO FRAMES Tap into the lucrative team market with an
incredible collection of stock art specially designed to work for direct-to-garment printers sublimation transfers and digital transfers Digital Photo Frames Volume 1 is a collection of spectacular pre-designed layouts each with one or more frames to
insert personal photos The collection includes five categories baseball football basketball soccer and hockey Each category has four designs (20 total layouts) and each design comes in three template formats mugs mouse pads and shirts
So there are a total of 60 template designs in all
IMPRINTABLES WAREHOUSE OFFERS SPECTRA ECO FILMNew from Imprintables Warehouse of
Masontown PA is a digital cutter material that is free of PVC a plus with companies that want to be as environmentally friendly as possible Spectra Eco Film is made with ecological polyurethane and is peeled hot It is pressure sensitive (sticky backing) and extremely easy to weed While maintaining superior durability and opacity this new film is thinner than current offerings on the market and delivers the super soft hand that is in demand by todayrsquos consumers It can be used on 100 cotton 100 polyester polycotton blends and even nylon and leather
December 2007 32Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
KISSCUT TECHNOLOGIESrsquo SELF-WEEDING INKJET TRANSFER PAPER
Kiss Cut Technologies Ltd Newcastle UK has addressed the ldquopolymer windowrdquo issue and developed the worldrsquos first self-weeding inkjet transfer paper for printing to textiles In simple terms only the areas of their patented transfer paper that have been printed will be transferred to the garment when heat pressed A Kiss Cut print can be further embellished with specialized textile foils so in effect a digital foiling method is now available Foil is heat pressed onto the garment and when peeled the foil only sticks to the image areas
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW PHOTOPLAS-TIC MATERIALLaserSketchcom of Lemont IL a leading supplier of
LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble Super Black Granite and Black Onyx Jewelry introduces their new PhotoPlas-Tic This is a new material developed for front andor reverse laser engraving on micro surface impact acrylic plastic It is a premium plastic for laser engraving that is UV stable ideal for photo badges plaques trophies signage and high-end awards Each sheet of PhotoPlas-Tic is specially designed for a crisp clean burn and ultra-fine laser lettering logo and vector output For details call 630-243-6360 or visit wwwlasersketchcom
THEMAGICTOUCH LAUNCHES WOW TRANSFER PAPERTheMagicTouch USA launched WoW Professional
71 transfer paper which requires no weeding or profile cutting and the vibrant colors are achieved using digital laser technology making it great for short runs It uses PolymationTM which incorporates a newly designed catalyst that provides the ultimate compatibility with all generations of dry toner material According to the company PolymationTM is the next generation of laser heat transfer Sublimation requires the substrate to have a specialty receiving polymer coating to absorb the pigments but PolymationTM delivers everything at once polymer pigments and catalyst
December 2007 33Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
offers distinct advantages over any other process It allows for an unlimited number of colors and very fine detail which is impossible with screen printing or embroidery And the cost does not go up as colors are added These new specialty materials are so advanced they can be heat sealed to all kinds of fabrics and hot new multimedia designs can be easily done
VAPOR APPAREL LAUNCHES VAPOR ART VOLUME 1V a p o r A p p a r e l
a s u b s i d i a r y o f SourceSubstrates LLC Charleston SC announces the launch of Vapor Art - Volume 1 a collection of 127 vector graphics for digital sublimation and general use The diverse collection
of high-quality graphics comes after several years of customers requesting access to the companyrsquos sample art at trade shows and educational events The Collection of art includes vector drawings and JPGs for everything from mountain biking and snowboarding to yoga and cheerleading
BLANK PRODUCTS
COLORADO HEIRLOOMrsquoS COLOR LACQUERED FRAMES
Colorado Heirloom Inc of Loveland CO introduced their new Color Lacquered Frames This is an option to add color your unique creations It is not color fill Colored lacquer is sprayed on their high quality wood frames Because
INKTRA STRETCH TRANSFER PAPER FROM STAHLSrsquoStahlsrsquo based in St Clair
Shores MI adds InkTratrade Stretch a flexible transfer paper A revolutionary product InkTratrade Stretch provides a soft hand with an amazing stretch and recovery feature InkTratrade Stretch lets you take your favorite photo or graphic design and apply it to light colored or white hats shirts bags and more for a long lasting and completely personalized garment The highly stretchable paper can be applied to cotton polycotton blends spandex and Lycrareg
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo GOOF-PROOF TRANSFERSWant the look of screen
printing without the hassle With Goof Proofreg transfers offered by Transfer Express of Mentor OH you can custom order a transfer that has the popular athletic feel and will apply in a blazing four seconds Ordering is done step-by-step online and you can customize hundreds of designs You choose your
typeface colors and size Once your design is just the way you want it you can print it out to show a customer for approval Or Transfer Express can print from your artwork The minimum order is only five pieces and your one-color order ships in one to three working days
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo NEW FULL-COLOR DIGI PRINTSApparel decorators can now offer full-color designs on light
and dark apparel made of virtually any type of fabric without the hassle or minimums of screen printing with new state-of-the-art heat transfer technology called Digi Printstrade Offered through Transfer Express this revolutionary new method of decorating
December 2007 34Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
lacquer is used instead of paint any design can be lasered on these frames The possibilities are endless These colorful creations are offered in two different designs -- a designer frame and a frame with an insert Call 970-667-4222 or visit wwwcoloradoheirloomcom
CONDE ADDS PET MATS FOR SUBLIMATIONCondeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added food bowl placemats and litter box
mats to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Favorite photographs and pet-related artwork can be transferred to the
mats to create fun products for individual pet lovers or for the pet industry such as pet stores veterinarians groomers boarding facilities and animal adoption groups Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing Call Conde at 800-826-6332
CONDE INTRODUCES FABRIC PATCHES FOR SUBLIMATION
Condeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added fabric patches to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Custom decorators can now produce unique full-color patches that will impress organizations businesses clubs sports teams sports enthusiasts and individuals alike -- without the use of embroidery Heat seal patches are great for identification marketing awards trade show promotions or to commemorate special events Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing or call 800-826-6332
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW LASERSLABLaserSketch of Lemont IL Internationally known for
their LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble and Super Black Granite announces LaserSlab Super Black Granite at 4rsquo x 8rsquo x 7mm and 4rsquo x 4rsquo x 7mm weighting in at just over 2 pounds per square foot The surface of the LaserSlab Granite has the sheen of a black mirror The reverse side features epoxy fiberglass backing to give structure integrity to the ultra-lite granite sheet All may be viewed wwwlasersketchcom or by calling LaserSketch 630-243-6360
MATTHEWS INTRODUCES ALUMICOLORTM
Matthews International Corp of Pittsburgh PA introduced Alumicolortrade a high-resolution graphics solution for aluminum signage recognition commemoration and way finding Using cutting-edge technology Matthews embeds a four-color image into the aluminum to create an anodized reproduction of unsurpassed durability Alumicolortrade products which are designed for interior and exterior installations are resistant to extreme weather conditions graffiti scuffing grease chemicals and UV rays Additionally they will not chip crack or peel
PSI ADDS ROUND FRAMES amp STRING PUZZLES Paramount Services Inc of Hollywood FL
introduced new round resin frames for sublimation tiles Choose from Coral or RopeStone with optional Unisubreg Hardboard Tiles They will also accept the Bison 8rdquo round glass Cutting Board Why be square when round may fit better PSI also introduced a new puzzle guaranteed to string you along These String Puzzles come with a Unisubreg Hardboard puzzle and the necessary string and beads along with instructions how to string it after printing Templates to aid in design are available for download in several formats For details call 800-455-7212 or visit wwwDye-Sublimation-Productscom
CRYSTALEDGEreg LUXORTM CRYSTAL AWARDSCrystalEdgereg Chicago IL presented the Luxortrade Series
This stunning cost-effective collection comprises a series of specially designed Rosewood and Black Piano finish bases Matte Mahogany and Matte Black bases and a precision cast Satin Nickel Finish Metal Base with your choice of brass or silver hardware for mounting our twelve unique shapes making this the most versatile award yet Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks are curved 14rdquo thick crystal clear glass with 316rdquo diameter holes for mounting The Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks feature a generous engraving area and there is plenty of room on the base to add an engraving plate
December 2007 35Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
XENETECHrsquoS NEW ENGRAVABLE GIFTSXenetech of Baton Rouge
LA introduced high quality engravable gift items at wholesale and quantity discounts The Xenetech collection provides a selection of gifts created for corporate recognition weddings births holidays anniversaries retirements birthdays special occasions or just expressing appreciation Items include money clips key chains book markers desk accessories quartz movement clocks flasks amp wine accessories entertainment gifts travel gifts genuine Swiss Army knives business card holders luggage tags silver-plated jewelry boxes keepsake gift boxes silver-plated banks and baby gifts The gift items are designed primarily for diamond drag burnishing and rotary engraving personalization
UNISUBrsquoS CHROMALUXE PHOTO PANELSChromaLuxe photo panels are an exciting new line
of sublimatable products from Unisub of Louisville KY These panels allow you to sell a completely finished photo product to your customers capturing some of the additional revenue (and profit) your customers now spend elsewhere on framing Available in a range of traditional photo sizes as well as exciting new shapes these panels can be joined together to create stunning photo displays -- perfect for a fireplace mantle l i b r a r y s h e l f or the top of an armoire Available in aluminum or MDF substrates
CorelDRAWPro IndexOne of our members in Michigan
requested that we put together an Index of all the articles wersquove published during the year
He prints out all the issues and puts them in binders but an Index would make it easy to reference specific articles We think itrsquos a good idea and wersquoll send it to all subscribers in January
Product Focus TopicsJanuary 2008 -- Signage Products esp Wide FormatFebruary 2008 -- Engraving Awards amp GiftsMarch 2008 -- Apparel ProductsApril 2008 -- Laser Wood Products
Coming in 2008
December 2007 36Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETSBy Donna M Gray CRM Opportunities
December ndash Time to Review December finds everyone on our team strategizing how to get out of our parking lot Our business sits right in the middle of an up-scale strip mall which sits right behind a huge shopping mall and right along the main road to a Target Superstore and other large malls We all know that from the day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday) until 2 weeks after the New Year there are great challenges to those of us who like to leave the building for lunch or run an errandhellipso we strategize We all know every secret shortcut to the bank the post office and the warehouse club What we donrsquot know is how to find the way to merge out of our own back alley into the constant flow of traffic that carries people to their end shopping destination Whew
The year-end review So this year Dave and I have decided to stay in at lunch and do our business strategizing instead Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup are good brain food for helping us to look at all the successful things we did last year as a company all the things we thought about doing but didnrsquot because the idea didnrsquot quite fit and all the things we put off until next year We do this kind of exercise every year end and it helps us to map out our strategy for the coming year In the process we identify any mistakes wersquove made wrong turns wersquove taken and we try to find the ldquowhat could have happened had everything gone rightrdquo
The value of making mistakes Albert Einstein said ldquoAnyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything newrdquo Dave has a couple of prints in his office of Abraham Lincoln that describe his mistakes in fact it took Lincoln eight tries to win the presidency Thomas Edison made mistakeshellipand yet he perseveredhellipotherwise wersquod by ldquocomputingrdquo by candlelight And Irsquove heard that Colonel
Sanders had a thousand rejections before he sold his first chicken recipe It would be nice to get to our year end business appraisals and find that wersquove made no mistakes but our business like most others doesnrsquot have that claim to fame My mother always took the high road with mistakes She always said that one should recognize the benefits of a mistake One should learn what good came from it use it to improve and use it to help motivate success the next time So December is the time to analyze everything that made up the past year and look for ways to make the New Year successful in every way
Making a plan Most advisors say that the first step toward business success after looking at a companyrsquos year ending history is to decide on exactly what you want to do going forward in the coming year Then comes mapping out the plan What will be done How will it get done Who will do what What resources will be used When will it get done Is the right equipment in place Is the space adequate Ask these and any other questions that could relate to creating a successful year then focus on the details and follow through Those two wordshellipfocus and follow throughhellipcould mean the difference between marginal and abundant success Simply stated success comes from what you do and the way you do ithellipin your customerrsquos perception Every business wants to have a good imagehellipa good reputation so dedication to having good communication skills is important especially in an industry that does custom work The goal is to be on the same page as our clients so we have to be good mind readers We have to also concentrate on our professionalism on our appearance on our presentation style and in the pride we take in producing a well-done project This
has worked in the past and will remain the same in the future
The extra mile Success has to be nurturedhellipthen it gets celebrated Sometimes sacrifices have to be made to get to the rewards At year end when we analyze how we got from Point A to Point B itrsquos interesting to note that we sometimes had to take detours and sometimes the road blocks called for sacrificehellipof time or money Sometimes the sacrifice came in the way of a sleepless night worrying if an order that was lost in delivery would be found and re-routed to us in time to make a clientrsquos deadline Someone (unknown) said ldquoA day of worry is more exhausting than a week of workrdquo Anyone in business could testify to that Part of success is going the extra milehellipeven if it results in a sleepless night Going the extra mile is worth all the paid advertising in the world on the road to success
December 2007 37Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETS
Donna Grayrsquos 2nd book Itrsquos All Relative Surviving amp Thriving in a Family Business was published in September 2007
It describes her quest to identify the keys to suc-cess for small business and family businesses in particular She interviewed top businesses nationwide and discovered five common qualities implemented by successful business owners Check it out at the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore wwwcoreldrawprocomAllBook-storehtm
Commitments made and kept Our team felt good about some commitments we made and kept this past year like
We used a daily ldquoto-dordquo list and we set priorities in order of importance When we finished a project we ldquocelebratedrdquo and then moved on quickly to the next job We built in some time for ldquostress reliefrdquo with morning meeting breaks This was especially good when treats were served since wersquove got some good bakers on our staff We didnrsquot ldquoscreenrdquo calls through voice mail We considered every call to be important We ldquodid it right the first timerdquo even though it sometimes took longer We tied up all the ldquoloose endsrdquo We became ldquocheerleadersrdquo for each other When one of us accomplished a goal we all applauded We all tried to deliver more than we promised This can be challenging sometimes when working with a difficult project We eliminated (or tried to eliminate) unnecessary procedures and we simplified our paper flow system We spent most of our time on high priority tasks We all worked on our delegation skills We were committed to not wasting time either our own or other peoplersquos
Goals that were lacking Now all those great things being put on paper reminds me that we also had some goals we didnrsquot quite succeed athellipbut wersquoll try harder next year
We didnrsquot always ldquogrouprdquo tasks togetherhelliplike going to the bank and the post office in one trip or answering mail when it gets opened It wasnrsquot always easy to avoid procrastination Some low priority chores got put off There were still times when we couldnrsquot find enough hours to finish the work Our ldquotoolsrdquo didnrsquot always get put away when we were through with a project even though this is Daversquos pet peeve
Conclusion Experts say that we have to actively create our success not wait for it to happen This coming year hopefully none of us will sit in the comfort zone waiting for the phone to ring Therersquos an old Chinese proverb that goes ldquoIt you continually give you will continually haverdquo Our team will go on being involved in community activities When time is spent on worthwhile projects outside the business opportunities come knocking at the front counter Besideshellipat yearrsquos endhellipit makes us feel really good about the help we gave on these projects
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since1977 She can be reached by email at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
December 2007 38Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
GRAPHICS NEWS NETWORKAll these news and information products and services are part of the
Graphics News Network developed for ACDRP The goal is ldquoAll the News All the Time mdash For the World of Graphicsrdquo
GRAPHICS NewsWireThe Graphics News Wire is the always live always updated source for graphics news mdash products equipment technology and more Make it (CorelDRAWProcomNewsPagehtm) your home page or favorite to gain access to Breaking news updated regularly New Classified Ads New Job Announcements Supplier SpecialsAll news is related to graphic productsQuickSourceTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive amp Easy-To-Use
Search Engine
It gives you one-click access to suppliers products phone numbers and live links to ACDRP Member Suppliers Itrsquos always up-to-date searchable by keyword and accessible from your desktop
Quick TnTTM
The Industryrsquos Newest Resource for Graphics Tips amp Templates
Gain access to a growing library of CorelDRAW tips and templates that will make your work easier
QuickLearnTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive and
Easy-To-Use Article Library
Gain access to hundreds of articles on graphics-related and business topics searchable by keyword
The Entrepreneurial Magazine for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro Magazine is delivered to you once a month in PDF format It features in-depth content that readers rave about including articles on how to use CorelDRAW how to apply CorelDRAW and how to profit from CorelDRAW
News Tips amp Resources for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month mdash about the 15th and 25th It brings you highly targeted content that you wonrsquot find elsewhere including CorelDRAW Tips extensive product news links and a calendar of shows and training
MARKET PLACE
Quality Engravable JewelryHand-crafted in New England
GIFTS amp ACCESSORIES FOR WOMEN AND MEN
John E Lepper Inc800-835-3623 Fax 508-222-2732
wwwjeleppercom
GenuineWhite-tone
Pewter amp Gold
Some Things Were Meant To Be In Etched in Stone
Call for a free color catalog
NampR International1155 Allgood Rd 13Marietta GA 30062
678-560-4088Fax 678-560-1157
Importers amp Wholesalers of MarbleOnyx
Gifts amp Accessories
JOIN TODAY
The worldrsquos only association for CorelDRAWreg Users
wwwcoreldrawprocomJoinhtm
Place an Ad for as little as $215 per month
Find out how by calling our Ad Representative John McDaniel II
541-990-6687
the entrepreneurial magazine
GET LISTED TODAY
Generate new businessby doing jobs for others
List your company in GSG the Digital Yellow Pages for the industry wwwcoreldrawprocomListGSGhtm
December 2007 39Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Louie Alvarez started in the industry working for one of the largest trophy shops in Central California and then opened one of the first retail laser engraving businesses He has given seminars and workshops on CorelDRAW and Laser for many years and has written for several publications He is now with Vytek Industrial Lasers and is based in Las Vegas NV He can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
Kathryn Arnold is the Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
Errol Barr has a wide range of experience in sales amp marketing eventually getting into laser systems in 1999 currently with Vytek Industrial Lasers He also sold extensively in the CNC router industry selling the machines as more of a business opportunity wrapped around the machine He can be reached by email at errolbarrgmailcom
Dave Demoret founded Prolink Graphic Services to help people understand and profit from learning CorelDRAW He has been in both the Flat Graphics Industry and the Decorating Graphics Industry for 30 years He has written articles for several publications is a Corel Training Partner and conducts workshops nationwide and online He is the author of several CD Instructional programs on CorelDRAW He can be reached at 765-DO COLOR (362-6567) or davedprolinkgscom
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since 1977 She has presented seminars on a variety of topics nationwide and has won many marketing awards She is the author of two books on family business and can be reached at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
Bill Leek is a color consultant for JBL Graphics in Houston TX and has over 30 years experience in computer engineering and graphics design He has developed several lines of color imprintable products and does testing on a variety of products for different manufacturers He can be reached at wfleekjblgraphicscom or 281-970-6677
Jeff McDaniel is the owner of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon He worked as a journeyman machinist before getting into the graphic products business Creative Graphic offers laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials Contact him at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
John McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry He worked for many years with computers in electronic data processing and pioneered the use of CorelDraw for engraving applications He owned a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years and writes about hardware design software laser engraving sublimation and more He is a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals For information on training and more call 541-967-4271 or write to mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
Judy McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry Her background includes many forms of art and retail sales as well as the operation of a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years She is a regular columnist on sandblasting sublimation and diversifying business as well as a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals She can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
David Milisock is president of Custom Graphic Technologies Inc in Pennsylvania He has been in the print production business since 1975 and specializes in professional support for CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite Output includes computer-to-plate processes for all commercial digital front-end applications as well as Postscript-compliant graphic applications He offers technical and color management support for all RIP-driven corporate digital output systems He can be reached at 717-509-3523 or davidmilisockcomcastnet
Deborah Sexton former editor of Impressions Magazine has been in the apparel graphics industry since 1981 She currently does marketing and public relations for apparel graphics companies and is a columnist for several industry publications She can be reached at dsextonsbcglobalnet
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at 916-567-1867
December 2007 40Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
by Otis Veteto
Traveling Tidbits
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the
RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of
the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Itrsquos a fun and
informative column focusing on the human-interest side of
the industry Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars
for industry organizations and some of that knowledge
will rub off as well He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at
916-567-1867
Reps Volunteers People Skills amp Agreements
RS Owens Southeast RepFirst of all a Traveling Tidbits welcome to
the newest member of the RS Owens Company sales team Anita Brennan Anita is the new Regional Sales Manager for the Southeast She will be calling on you folks in Alabama Tennessee Mississippi Florida Georgia North Carolina and South Carolina Anita has worked in all phases of our industry as a retailer (her own business) multi-line rep and now as a regional sales manager When I asked Anita what she likes to do when not on the road she told me she likes to spend time with her two-year-old granddaughter Kaylee Welcome to the RS Owens family Anita Brennan
Railroad Museum VolunteerI know Christmas is the time for giving
but some people give all year long I was talking recently with Elias Athanasiou whose regular job is a server in a restaurant my wife and I frequent when I am in Sacramento Elias has been associated as a volunteer with the California State Railroad Museum for about 16 years Every Saturday during the ldquorunning seasonrdquo April-September Elias can be found working as a volunteer on the Steam Engine excursion train that runs for 6 miles along the top of the levee on the Sacramento River The ride takes about 40 minutes Elias is the Engineer now but has worked as conductor and fireman in his tenure with the train It is people like Elias Athanasiou that make this a much better world A huge Traveling Tidbits SALUTE You can find out more about the Railroad Museum at wwwcsrmorg
Real People SkillsThis next tidbit is from the PPAI Promotional
Consultant Today The author is Roy Chitwood president of Max Sacks International in Seattle Wash It is entitled To Shine Polish Your People Skills
ldquoPeople buy not because they understand your product or service but because they feel that you understand them People buy emotionally As a professional salesperson you need to be more people-oriented not product centered Here are seven quick and easy techniques to improve your people skills
SMILE It is the universal sign of friendship in any language The Chinese have a proverb ldquoA man who cannot smile should not open a storerdquo Think about that Give a smile and you will get a smile in return
DEVELOP A GENUINE INTEREST IN OTHERS When you have sincere interest it shows Look directly at people when they are talking to you Let your facial expression register your interest Ask good open-ended questions to let people know that you are interested in what they say
TALK IN TERMS OF THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS INTERESTS You will never meet anyone who doesnrsquot have time to talk about what they want to talk about Encourage your prospect to discuss his or interests rather than launching into a discussion about yourself
USE THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS NAME Using a name builds personal rapport and shows you are listening with respect Be careful about overusing the personrsquos name
GIVE COMPLIMENTS Everyone loves a compliment when it is genuine Make a
concentrated effort to give at least 3 honest compliments every day of your life You will be amazed at what it will do for your relationships
LISTEN Listening is the greatest compliment you can pay When you assume the role of the listener it relaxes the sales climate As you listen you are demonstrating that you truly care and you are genuinely interested in what he or she has to say
MAKE THE OTHER PERSON FEEL IMPORTANT When you are sincerely impressed by something the other person has achieved or owns let them know it Understand that fundamentally every person is important and treat them accordingly
Personal comment When I finished reading this I thought to myself ldquoThese make sense in our everyday life not just in salesrdquo
The Third AgreementI will close with the 3rd step from the book
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel RuizDONrsquoT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS Find the
courage to ask questions and to express what you really want Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings sadness and drama
Sounds a little like what I wrote at the beginning of the column doesnrsquot it
Thatrsquos all for now Remember to save some time for yourself and your family And when you travel please travel safe
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE
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December 2007 4Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
December 2007 5Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
GRAPHICS NEWS WIREDecember 2007
Product News Headlines
Calendar (Web Link)Check out the upcoming training
classes and trade shows of interest to CorelDRAW users
Dog Tags for Kids Project Needs Help
TheMagicTouch USA opens Florida branch
SanMar debuts its 2008 Premium Collection catalog
ASI launches Product Data Service for custom websites
Stahlsrsquo ID Direct introduces Professor Upperplaten
AWT World Trade introduces digital timer and high-output lamps
Unisub introduces new ChormaLuxeTM clock
Roland names David Goward president and CEO
Midwest Sign to carry full line of Roland printers
Midwest Sign offers Rho 600 Pictor Flatbed UV inkjet printer
Colman amp Co offers new Backing-in-a-Box
Hirsch has Third Hand Air Cap Framing system
EmbSuppliescom has Allied Grid-Lock Tubular Frames
Stahlsrsquo ID Direct releases CAD-COLORreg Solutions Opaque
Johnson Plastics offers new gift items for personalization
LaserBits adds cribbage boards and glass photos frames
December 2007 6Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
December 2007 7Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
About the Cover
Editorrsquos Note This is the 3rd cover Marian has done for us Her first one was using scientific illustrations and the second was a stained glass pattern Now for this one this versatile CorelDRAW artist has created a pattern from a real snowflake
This snowflake cover began as an image of a real snowflake (which was found on the internet and photographed by Ken Libbrecht a scientist at California Institute of Technology in Pasadena CA) He kindly offered to let me use his images as patterns for stained glass (httpPDQpatternscom) His photo gallery can be found at httpwwwsnowcrystalsnetgallery1smindexhtm
The following is what I can remember of how I created this snowflake design Usually there are numerous iterations and failed attempts in producing such a design with countless objects and fills numerous crashes and failed clipboards Saving separate versions often along the journey is imperative and sometimes things just happen serendipitously that are really great too but how they were arrived at I donrsquot always remember precisely
Initially a symmetrical hexagon was created using the polygon tool and the control key With the objectrsquos size menu it was resized to the desired dimensions A jpg image of the ldquorealrdquo snowflake was imported and viewed with the wireframe mode (altV W) and sized to match the vector hexagon I checked to see that the hexagon was rotated so that there was a point at the top (the default in x3) which makes right-to-left mirroring of objects easy Each element (object) on the right half of one arm of the snowflake was created using the bezier tool and the node edit menu (for cusprsquod and curved lines) These objects were grouped and a horizontal mirror image duplicate was created and moved to fill the left half of the snowflake arm--in alignment with the right side group To blend two objects in the center of the snowflake arm all objects were ungrouped then adjacent objects to be combined were selected and the menu chosen - arrangegtshapinggtcreate a new object surrounding selected objects The new object
Marian Millerrsquos Snowflakewas moved a notch with the up arrow key and the two original objects deleted then the new object was moved back down into place If you use the arrow keys to move the new object instead of dragging with the mouse then it will fit back into place perfectly This was done for several mirrored objects in the snowflake arm to eliminate the ldquocut and pasterdquo feeling and the line down the center of the snowflake arm When the right and left arms (halves) of the snowflakersquos single arm were complete then it was aligned with the top (point) and vertical center of the original hexagon Right and left halves of the arm were selected grouped and copied The entire snowflake image was selected (including the hexagon in the background) and rotated 30 degrees and the clipboard pasted (the pasted arm should fall exactly in the next point of the hexagon [One must select the whole hexagon and its contents to have it rotate correctly to allow the pasted snowflake arm to fall into the right place] The entire image is selected again rotated 30 degrees again then pasted (the arm) again It also should have fallen right into the next point of the hexagon This is continued until all six rays of the snowflake are filled
For the center hexagon a new symmetrical hexagon was created and reduced using the arrangegttransformgtscale menu until it matched the snowflake center then converted lsquoto curvesrsquo with arrangegtconvert to curves options All nodes were selected and the node edit icon to ldquomake-nodes-smoothrdquo was clicked which symmetrically rounded the corners of the hexagon The center hexagon was rotated by 30 degrees and centered to the snowflake outline The jpg of the original snowflake was deleted
All objects were ungrouped then regrouped as selected pairs of objects (eg similar objects in all six arms) to fill with colorful jpgs (or machine fill using the paint bucket option) For filling grouped objects with imported raster files a file is imported selected then the menu effectsgtpowerclipgtplace inside container is used A black arrow appears and the mouse is used to point to the object to be filled The position of the fill inside the object was edited by selecting
the object and choosing effectsgtpowerclipgtedit contents (move the jpg where you want or size it stretch or rotate) then in the left lower corner of the screen click on ldquofinished editing this level ldquo)
I used stained glass jpgs downloaded from websites of the numerous stained glass producers such as Armstrong and Spectrum Glass (mostly Spectrum Glass jpgs were used here) The line thickness was increased and line color was selected with a right click over the color palate
To fill the outside hexagon outline was increased to 16 pts then the object was converted to curves and filled with a colorful jpg file The whole design consisted of copied and pasted finished snowflakes into a pattern (in this instance adjacent hexagons) The arrangegtshapegttrim options were used to trim off snowflake areas that were not wanted
Finally all objects were selected grouped and the size of the snowflake design determined A rectangle of those same dimensions was created then centered to the page arrangedgtorderedgtsent to back then filled
Contact Marian at marianpdqpatternscom or visit her site at wwwpdqpatternscom 3945 Red Bud Ave Cincinnati OH 45229 513-558-1715 (w)
December 2007 8Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Inside ACDRP
By Michael Neer Executive Director
Winter ndash A Time to Prepare
In many parts of the world winter comes in with a white blanket of snow across the fields and streets People tend to stay indoors out of the cold so if you go outside itrsquos very quiet and still Therersquos less hustle and bustle in the marketplace The pace of life is slower Errands take longer Holidays put the attention more on family and less on business In fact itrsquos a time when many industry businesses either close or are open fewer hours Few new products are launched Most business owners are waiting to make announcements at the start of the new year
DECEMBER 2007
Published by Association of CorelDRAWreg Professionals
President John H McDanielVice President Judith McDaniel
Executive Director Michael R Neer Assoc Exec Director Steven V Neer
ACDRP Corporate Office Albany OR
EDITOR PUBLISHER ndash Michael R Neermikeneercoreldrawprocom
GRAPHICS ndash John MiseADVERTISING ndash John McDaniel II jhmcdaniel2coreldrawprocom
541-990-6687
OFFICES Membership amp Publishing offices located at
4709 N El Capitan Suite 103Fresno CA 93722
800-276-8428 559-276-8494 Fax 559-276-8496wwwCorelDRAWProcomeditorcoreldrawprocom
Subscriptions Free to qualified individuals and businesses Send change of address to the above
ACDRP Membership $60yr See the website for details Includes exclusive content and more
Advertising Request a Media Guide or download it from wwwCorelDRAWProcom
Writers CorelDRAWPro accepts articles from industry experts Email publisher for details
copy Copyright 2007 by ACDRP All Rights Reserved
So when this kind of mood is in the air we can make the most of it by using this time to prepare for the next year Itrsquos a time of review and planning ndash or sometimes finishing up projects that have been delayed
Thatrsquos why in this issue we provide you with several articles that will help you prepare for a great 2008
Donna Gray discusses how she reviews her business and plans for 2008
Bill Leek describes 10 ways you can prepare for more success in 2008 in terms of equipment training purchases and more
We present our annual Top Products of the Year story which is designed to call your attention to the most significant new products of 2007 ndash so you can try them out or see the trends that may be coming next year
Plus this is a good time to get the training you or your staff needs to be more competitive in 2008 Check out the CorelDRAWPro Bookstore for CDs books and videos and also the ProLink Graphics ad and the Calendar link in this issue for specific training events
Wersquod like to thank all of our subscribers and members for your loyal support during the year Thank you for your comments your questions and your attendance at MMcdr Our goal is to bring you more and better information about graphics and making money and we think 2008 will be full of both See you next year
December 2007 9Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
December 2007 10Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Using CorelDRAWregTraining
By Corel CorporationUsing Preview Modes in Image Adjustment Lab
When working with files that have poor color balance and contrast you need to use many different tools to make adjustments You can save valuable time by using the Image Adjustment Lab which is accessible from both Corel PHOTO-PAINTreg and CorelDRAWreg By uniting the most important manual and automatic controls required for common color and tone corrections the Image Adjustment Lab offers a fast intuitive way to achieve professional results with your image files
With the Image Adjustment Lab you can use different preview modes for evaluating the color and tone adjustments you make You can preview the corrected image in a single window view the original and corrected images in separate windows or view the image split into original and corrected portions within one window
The Image Adjustment Lab also lets you create snapshots of your adjustments with just one click The snapshots appear below the working preview which lets you easily compare each snapshot against the original version and then choose the best result
The preview mode buttons (A) and the Create Snapshot
button (B)
To open the Image Adjustment LabDo one of the following If yoursquore working in CorelDRAW click Bitmaps gt Image Adjustment Lab If yoursquore working in Corel PHOTO-PAINT click Adjust gt Image Adjustment Lab
To preview the corrected image in a single window
After correcting the image click the Full Preview button
To view the original and corrected images in separate windows
After correcting the image click the Before and after full preview button
To view original and corrected portions of an image in one window
After correcting the image click the Before and after split preview button
To capture the current version of your image
Click the Create Snapshot button
Thumbnails of the snapshots appear in a window below your image Each snapshot is numbered sequentially and can be deleted by clicking the Close button in the upper-right corner of the snapshot title bar
December 2007 11Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Using CorelDRAWregTraining
By Dave Demoret Contributing writerBitmap vs Vector
BITMAPSOne of the reasons bitmaps are not the desired image of choice in our industry is
that they do not reproduce well when enlarging the image Nor do they lend themselves to our process of decorating at least in screen printing embroidery and vinyl cutting to mention a few markets We need to use color in solid object form to achieve many of the end products we produce Color is very difficult to change in a bitmap image so we tend to lean towards the vector side to achieve our goals
One of the most confusing issues especially for beginners is the difference between bitmap also called raster and vector images To help clarify this take a look at the images on the side Bitmaps are made up of thousands of pixels (short for picture elements) which are tiny squares usually of different colors that form a picture These pixels are what make up the resolution of a given picture or bitmap image In lithography they are commonly referred to as dpi or dots per inch ndash thatrsquos for printing resolution We also use the dpi designation when we are talking about pixels per inch (ppi) in our industry but thatrsquos not technically correct Pixels per inch (ppi) refers to resolution on a monitor However we are looking at the scanning and the end product resolution in this article and therefore we are mostly concerned with the standard dpi measurement
Bitmaps are usually scanned into a graphics program or taken from a digital camera using the dpi designation In the illustrations here a 300 dpi (dots per inch) image is somewhat defined and appears to have clean edges but as we enlarge the image we are in effect decreasing the dots per inch We are making the dots themselves larger and therefore there are fewer dots that will fit into a one inch space By increasing the size using dpi or enlarging the bitmap using the dpi measurement we begin to see pixels and
very rough edge definition This is not especially good for printing or digitizingIf you have an image to print at 300 dpi to heat press on a t-shirt it can look pretty
good but if you want that same image to go on the back of a jacket and you try to enlarge it you will get the lsquojaggiesrsquo It is very difficult to take a low resolution image and increase the size while maintaining any kind of clarity or quality image
On the other hand if you have a low resolution image that needs to be reduced you will increase the image resolution because you will be putting more dots in that same one inch This simply means that a 300 dpi resolution image reduced by 50 will become a 600 dpi resolution
Image Size -vs- Image DPIAllow me to take this one step further to explain image dpi versus image size
When you have a 5 x 7 photo and you scan it into your CorelDRAWreg or scanning software you have the option of selecting the resolution using the dpi measurement If you want to enlarge the photo for your project increase the dpi I usually scan most everything at least a minimum of 600 dpi (figure 1) Others I will scan at 1200 to 1800 dpi to get a better quality print when I enlarge it enough to fit on a shirt Yes it does take longer to scan but the work on the other end is reduced dramatically
Remember that a 600 dpi image when reduced will become a 1200 dpi image In reverse the same 600 dpi image (figure 1) when enlarged will become a 300 dpi image (figure 2) This is all coming from the same 5 x 7 size image Size really doesnrsquot make a difference Itrsquos the resolution that will give you the quality that you are looking for
Resampling in CorelDRAWMost of the images you download
December 2007 12Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Using CorelDRAWregTraining
from the Internet will be 72 dpi (figure 3) and some are at 96 dpi These images are low grade and will need to be used at the existing size You can help them a little by using the lsquoResamplersquo in the pull down menu under Bitmaps in the Menu Bar of CorelDRAW This wonrsquot help a lot but may give you some assistance with some images The problem here is that the image will look slightly smoother but if enlarged much at all you will see it as being fuzzy or out of focus (figure 4) Play with resampling at several higher dpi choices and image sizes to get a feel for what you can and can not do
VECTOR IMAGESVector graphics are images that are made from mathematical
computations That is there is a certain shape and color associated with an outline and that area is the vector object as shown with one of the links here (figure 1) There are no definite objects or outlines in a bitmap It is simply thousands or millions of pixels each of a different color shade or tint That is why bitmaps are so hard to change easily With a vector image you simply select an object within the graphic and change the shape size and color with the tools provided in your graphics software
In contrast to the bitmap the vector image can be enlarged to any size without any distortion of edge definition This allows us to generate an image for a business card or a left chest logo on a t-shirt or a name tag then turn around and enlarge that same image to be placed on a billboard without any distortion of the image All the objects lines and integrity of the image are still intact (figure 2) no matter what size we select You can also see in figure 2 with the magnification that all the lines are still crisp sharp edges with no distortions
Vector images are the base images used in embroidery screen printing vinyl graphics and other markets within our graphics industry Many manufacturers today have geared their software as an add-on to CorelDRAW because of the ease clarity and flexibility that vector images offer
You can change a vector into a bitmap image with the click of a few buttons It takes considerably longer in most cases to change a bitmap into a vector file Most of the time
you will have to manually redraw or trace the bitmap image to convert it to a vector file There are programs out today that will convert these for you at least up to a point CorelDRAW is one of these programs PowerTrace is an auto trace feature used in the latest version of CorelDRAW
Printing ImagesWhile you will want to create your graphics in a vector
format you should know some basic principles of printing these two file choices One is that when you print a vector file it can take several times longer to print than a bitmap image of the same graphic Therefore for most of my printing in digital format like sublimation or heat transfer I will save a copy of my vector graphic as an original and make a duplicate copy to convert to a bitmap format for printing purposes
Another thing that most beginners donrsquot know is that if you are creating an image with CMYK Color Palette and print it to an inkjet printer you will throw off your color in the printed piece For example blues generally tend to turn to a violet lavender or purple shade Check with your supplier or distributor to help you set your printer to lsquoOutput color bitmaps as RGBrsquo And use your RGB Color Palette to color your graphic images
Dave Demoret founded Prolink Graphic Services to help people understand and profit from learning CorelDRAW He has been in both the Flat Graphics Industry and the Decorating Graphics Industry over the past 30 years He has written several articles for Screen Graphics Magazine on Color Control amp Matching in the past Dave has used CorelDRAWreg since version 3 and became a CorelDRAW Training Partner in 2006 During the past 5 years he has been conducting workshops all over the US and is the author of several Video CDs amp Instructional CDs on CorelDRAW Dave continues to conduct workshops in the US amp also worldwide online He can be reached at 765-DO COLOR (362-6567) or by email at davedprolinkgscom
December 2007 13Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE COLORBy David Milisock Training
Wow Powerful Controversial Useful I find the latter term to be most honest as shooting photos in the RAW format allows as much chance for the image to be ruined as it does for it to be improved The key to it being an improved experience rather then a ruined experience is of course understanding what the technology is all about work flow calibration and your skill
First off all cameras shoot RAW lower-cost cameras just wonrsquot let you save the file without an automated conversion process Here is the definition of RAW as printed in my new book Color Management in the CorelDRAW Graphics Suite for Professionals Small Office and Home Office capture C (to be released January 2008)
RAW is a file format that is proprietary to the camera manufacturer They are linear-gamma grayscale images from digital color filter arrays All these files require processing by a RAW converter to convert them to an RGB image
What this means to the user outside of the photographic ramifications is that the user needs to understand how the process is going to affect their color How this comes about is that the camera has a capture array that has red green and blue sensors Or an array that has filters to make some sensors only sensitive to red some only to blue and some only to green Each set of red blue and green sensors creates grayscale data that has to be combined to three channels Color is not only applied to the channels based on the value of the grayscale but a color space is assigned All cameras do this some just donrsquot let you do it manually
What Irsquom saying Is that as soon as the RAW converter develops a color display a color space has been assigned In fact the application has to have a
ldquoRAWrdquostandard color space to base the preview display on or your color edits would have no meaning
Stand-alone applications may allow you to choose what color space to apply to the image Some do not some force you to use an ultra-wide gamut RGB color space like Prophoto RAW Lab or plug-ins within image editing applications are most likely to use the internal (working) RGB of the application
So often it is written that RAW files have no color space and this is a true-falsehood True as long as they are still linear grayscale data streams of no value to anyone without a RAW converter but false as soon as you start the process of making a universally accepted RGB image of them
The key to the process is making sure that you understand what color space your converter assigned to the image so you can coordinate the internal RGB of Corel PHOTO-PAINTreg Make sure to activate the arrow from the internal RGB to the monitor
Any process that does not have the image
editor and RAW converter working in a coordinated manner will totally negate any benefit of using RAW You simply wonrsquot know what colors yoursquore really working with and thatrsquos not good for a process that was supposed to improve your work not make it worse
To my mind that biggest problem I see is that multiple RAW converter applications when viewing a RAW file as shot by the camera can have vastly different displays of the same image See capture A amp B (blurred on purpose) if you have a mind to try using RAW converting I suggest calibrating your display system first as this RAW image when opened in 4 different RAW converters has the white balance temperature identified
Coming Soon to the CorelDRAWPro Book Store A new book by columnist
David Milisock
Color Management in the CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
For Professionals Small Office and Home Office
Basic Color Theory bull Postscript and Non-Postscript Devices
RIPs for Ink Jets and Press bull Adobe Color Coordination
Color Continuity During Exportation bull and Much More
December 2007 14Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE COLOR
as four different values ranging from 2850 to 9980 OUCH Itrsquos hard to believe that the same data has been interpreted to be as shot by the camera judging by these two images isnrsquot it
This can only be described as an extremely painful experience Now you canrsquot rely on the software to interpret the data properly so the only thing you have that you can rely on is your calibrated work flow and your good sense
Another complaint that I have about stand-alone RAW converter applications is that in many cases the image display within the application is so poor that I cannot make a reasonable editing decision for any color or sharpening The image is glassy like in Paint Shop Pro or too soft like in Photoshopreg not sharp and clear like in PHOTO-PAINT OUCH
Please note in Capture A the Adobe RGB color space is already in play (see lower left corner) The adjustments available as shown in this capture are typical for RAW converters and
this capture will show them to you I am neither pro nor con RAW What Irsquove found is that
it is most generally used like image editor in place of good photography This is not always a bad thing Saving the cost on another shooting session through technology certainly has its selling point
Another observation Irsquove noticed is that as the cost of the cameras goes up the quality of their built-in conversion also goes up Many times they will save TIF instead of JPG files This is a real plus In studio settings with a superior camera you most likely will work your butt off and not be as good as the built-in RAW conversion of a studio quality camera On site live shoots is where the RAW conversion application seems to have a place to be most useful in my mind
Irsquom a Corel PHOTO-PAINT guy and I love my sharp clean PHOTO-PAINT display So until Corel PHOTO-PAINT has a RAW converter Irsquom sticking with the camera conversion and a TIF file for studio work But I will certainly use RAW when it benefits my client which benefits me
Watch out next month itrsquos going to be HOT
David Milisock is president of Custom Graphic Technologies Inc He has been in the print production business since 1975 and specializes in professional support for the CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite He can be reached at 717-509-3523 or davidmilisockcomcastnet See full bio on Writers Page
Itrsquos Who Knows YOU Network Your Way to Successby Chien J Wang president of Toujours Inc
Turbo-charge your networking with unique strategies that work Chien at-tends 10-12 events a week and has created a system for turning contacts into customers and customers into lifelong relationships
wwwcoreldrawprocomallbookstorehtm
Captures A amp B Two blurry images (on purpose) showing what happens to the white balance when opened in
different RAW converters This is typical
December 2007 15Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE TRANSFERSBy Bill Leek Applications
Headstart on Spring 10 Things You Can Do in January to Make 2008 a Successful Year
I have to be honesthellipMy normal inclination after the holiday season is to relax and take it easy for a few weeks It seems that after a very busy year I really deserve it But small- to medium-size business owners cannot afford to do this The few weeks of relative calm after Christmas are too valuable to squander
Every year I write up an action plan for January Hear are some ideas that you may find valuable
1) Follow the lead of the big retailers Valentinersquos Day is almost here and Easter is early this year Get your new spring displays mailings emails and catalogs out right after the holidays Highlight some new products with spring themes every year
2) Offer January specials with sizable discounts if you anticipate a slow month Use coupons and thank you gifts to show appreciation to your loyal long-term customers
3) Br igh ten up your display space with new graphics fixtures and lighting Look into new LED displays They offer superior lighting at significantly lower cost and maintenance LED
technology will replace both incandescent and neon lighting and signage in just a few years
4) Spend some time to really learn your software application January is a great time to learn new features and upgrade your Corel Software Buy a guide or an interactive CDDVD to speed up the learning curve
5) January is a great time to find new vendors equipment and imprintables You have more time and the vendors may be more responsive as sales are slower You very well might be able to make that great deal on a piece of capital equipment yoursquove wanted for some time
Ask vendors to provide you with samples of new inks imprintables and transfer papers Test washability compare color quality and evaluate production ease
Look at the new technologies -- direct printing on soft and hardgoods eco-solvent inks color laser printer transfer and new sublimation coatings are all ldquohotrdquo areas to investigate
6) Donrsquot just perform a physical inventory Evaluate inventory turnover and get rid of any dead items that are just taking up shelf space
7) Look at your customer base Are you trying to be all things to all people Are there specific niches where you have had greater success
than others Determine how to build on your strengths and possibly remove yourself from markets that are not profitable
8) Organize an email list of all your existing customers and solid leads Improve your communications with a newsletter Donrsquot overkill with your emailshelliptherersquos a fine line between informative and irritating
9) Sit down and list your major accomplishments and failures of the past year Try to assign a quantitative measure where you can Make a detailed list in each area and honestly investigate what resulted in success or failure
10) Come up with a list of 10-20 goals that you can realistically achieve in 2008 These goals can be defined as specific actions or financial results Create a small poster and display it in place where you will see it every day Go over the list every month and ask yourself how you are doing
I wish you all a Very Happy New Year I will try to keep you informed of all the exciting technical and market developments in 2008 Thanks for all your questions ideas and support during the past year
Add quality imprintables from Unisub for the
Valentinersquos Day market
December 2007 16Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE PRINTSUBLIMATIONBy Judy and John McDaniel Applications
Creating Sublimation Product Templates
Last time we finished all the background stuff now wersquoll get on to making things Wersquoll start with flat products which include plaques tiles shirts and other garments etc Later wersquoll explore specialty items like cups
Creating a Product Template FileThe first step in designing graphics for any new
product that we intend to make again and again is to create a product template Templates give us layouts into which we can place our text and graphics They may take a little time to set up initially however they make it much easier and faster to produce products once the templates are available
The first step in designing a template is to determine the page size in CorelDRAWreg For sublimated products that requires we decide what size the finished transfer will be The size of the transfer will determine the page size
The finished transfer may or may not be the size of the printed sheet For example if we are printing transfers for t-shirts generally they will be on full 11 x 17 sheets That said we have some layouts that will be printed in portrait orientation vertical on the shirt and some in landscape horizontal We have both styles available as templates If we are including a customerrsquos photo in the finished design the orientation of the photo might determine which template we use
For ceramic tiles the transfer may be the size of an individual tile or perhaps the size of a tile array For plaques the transfer is generally slightly larger than the print area of the plaque -- 4 x 6 5 x 7 8 x 10 etc For badges our template might be the size of a single badge or if we have a fixture for pressing badges our template might be the size of the fixture If wersquore pressing ceramic steins and cups we might have an array of templates some for fronts backs full wraps and full wraps edge to edge
Another variable to consider when creating a sublimation template is the size
of your printer and heat press The largest transfer that can be printed or pressed will determine the upper limit of the templatersquos page size These factors are only of concern for large items like shirts
In our shop we have both wide format (11inch) and standard (85 inch) sublimation printers We can choose roll material or standard sheets Currently our largest flat press is 14 x 16 inches so thatrsquos our upper limit for flat product images
Creating a T-shirt TemplateRemember creating a template is something you
only do one time for each item in your inventory and for any variations you would like to have available Creating
Photo 1
Photo 2
December 2007 17Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE PRINTING
a template file takes a little time in the beginning but saves a lot of time in the long run
With these factors in mind Irsquoll go through the steps of creating a special-occasion t-shirt template The first one Irsquoll create will be in portrait orientation If yoursquod like to follow along open CorelDraw to a new project 11 x 17 paper and set the orientation to portrait
Set Guidelines Next wersquoll bring in some guidelines These will
help us see the image area we have to work with For this project Irsquoll set guidelines at frac12 inch in from the left and right 1 inch in from the top and 3 inches up from bottom The guides are for visual reference This is the maximum text and graphics layout area
Since this is a vertical layout our graphic will be 1 inch down from the top edge of the transfer If we set the shirt on the press with the collar at the top edge then all wersquoll have to do is align the transfer to the top edge of the press and the image will be 1 inch down from the shirt collar
Irsquove limited the vertical image area to 13 inches Allowing an inch down from the top will make the bottom of the image 14 inches down from the collar Thatrsquos
ok for an adult large or XL shirt but you may want to adjust the area for smaller shirts
As a part of this layout Irsquove created a couple of layers One Irsquove called text and one picture These layers will be used for the graphic elements of the final template As an option you can also create a non-printing layer that contains a rectangle Since the layout is off centered you can use the rectangle to align your text and graphics but the rectangle will not print (See picture 1)
Save Your TemplateYou can now save this simple layout
as a CorelDRAW template To do that click on FileSave Ashellip and select CDT ndash CorelDRAW Template (see picture 2)
I normally save templates in a special folder however if yoursquore using Windows Vista its sort capabilities reduce the need to organize your files (See picture 3)
You can use this generic template as is You can also use it as a base for creating other templates Next time wersquoll make some additions to customize it for a special occasion Wersquoll also look at how we can use templates
Judy and John McDaniel are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry For information on training services offered and their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom They can be reached by phone at 541-967-4271 via SKYPE (user name JHMcDaniel) or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom See full bio on Writers Page
December 2007 18Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTINGBy Jeff McDaniel Applications
Using Specialty Platens Part 2Background
In our last article we touched on the steps required to create a master transfer for our specialty platen We also briefly reviewed locating the artwork and attaching the capillary film to the screen In this article we will expose our screens rinse them and produce our pocket patch CorelDRAWPro members can look up the more detailed information in the archived articles for June July and August at wwwacdrporg
Our setup and yoursOur setup is the Printa 770 series screen printing machine from Printa Systems Inc
All of the supplies and tools we will cover from here on were provided in the turn-key system from Printa with the 770 Your setup may be from another source but will most likely contain components of what we will discuss below In addition to the standard Printa 770 setup we will be using the ldquoPrint-Allrdquo system from Printa Systems Inc (see figure 1 courtesy of Printa Systems)
Exposing the capillary filmWe left off last article with our screens drying
Now that they are dry we are ready to expose the capillary film Exposing Step 1 we will gently peel the carrier sheet off of the capillary film (see figure 2)
Exposing Step 2 Next we need to put our first image back on the exposure unit and re-install the screen on the printing system Then we can bring the screen down on the
exposure unit attach our blackout board and expose the screen (see figure 3)
Exposing Step 3 After exposure we need to rinse out our screen and inspect it to be certain we have a complete rinse (see figure 4)
Exposing Step 4 Once the image is rinsed out it is time to put the screen back in the dryer (see figure 5)
Re-aligning the screens after wash outFrom the time that we first aligned the
artwork we have taken the screens in and out of the printing system twice If our artwork is even a little bit out of alignment we will lose blanks or put out low quality work It is a good idea to do a final adjustment with the original artwork
Re-Align Step 1 Leaving both of our photo positives on the exposure unit we can inspect the screen location compared to our original artwork location Here is the yellow screen location after exposure and wash out (see figure 6)
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
December 2007 19Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTING
Re-Align Step 2 The black screen is a little bit off (see figure 7) so we will need to use the Printa 770 micro-adjustment knobs to bring it back into alignment (see figure 8)
Masking off the screenNow that our artwork is
lined up correctly we can mask the rest of the screen off Wherever we donrsquot want the ink to run through the screen needs to be masked off (see figures 9 and 10)
Locating the pocket patch on the shirtThere are a couple of different ways to locate the pocket
patch on the shirt The first thing to consider is where you want it to end up on the wearer If the patch is too far toward the sleeve the image will end up under the wearerrsquos arm pit If the image is too far up toward the neck the image will not look right either A good way to figure out the correct location is by looking at a shirt that has a pocket patch on it (maybe one or two are in your closet right now)
Another way to locate the pocket patch is to put on the shirt
size that you wear and mark off where you think it feels correct and comfortable Once you have decided where you would like the patch keeping it in the same relative location on all of the different sizes is not too difficult The actual placement of the shirt can be accomplished a couple of different ways that we know of Which you prefer will depend mostly on if you are more accurate with sight or touch
The sight method involves using a masking tape strip to mark the desired location on the shirt prior to loading it onto the platen (see figure 11)
Once you have your marking in place you can load the shirt on the platen and have a nice representation that you are placing the design in the desired location (see figure 12)
Figure 7 Figure 8
Figure 9
Figure 10
Figure 11
Figure 12
December 2007 20Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTING
We prefer the sight method because it works well with our equipment The ldquoPrint Allrdquo system from Printa Systems Inc uses a smaller platen for pocket patches The smaller platen allows us to load sizes from youth XS ndash adult 5X without stretching
The touch method involves using a standard platen and adding a riser underneath where the pocket patch will be printed (a piece of cut cardboard or thin wood of the appropriate size) With this method you can feel when the shirt is in the correct location and begin printing from there
Inking the screens printing and curingSince we have resolved our location
issues with the pocket patch we are ready to ink the screens print and cure
Printing Step 1 Inking the screens is fairly straightforward (see figure 13)
Printing Step 2 Using the squeegee we will screen our first color (see figure 14) and check the quality of the image (see figure 15)
Printing Step 3 Our first color will need to be flash cured (see figure 16)
Printing Step 4 Now we can add our second color (see figure 17)
Printing Step 5 Finally we can do the finish cure step paying attention to the temperature gauge (see figure 18)
After final curing it is always a good idea to take at least a sampling of the product and wash it to be certain of the curing All of the information on post-job clean-up can be found in the CorelDRAWPro archives for September
Conclusion This time we took our screens out of
the dryer and pushed our project all the way to its completion
Jeff McDaniel is the OwnerOperator of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon Jeff has been working with computers since the age of 5 and was a journeyman machinist before working in the graphic arts business Creative Graphic offers services including laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials You can contact Jeff by email at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
Figure 14
Figure 13
Figure 15
Figure 17
Figure 16
Figure 18
December 2007 21Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SANDBLASTINGBy Judy McDaniel Applications
Screening the AbrasiveKeeping your sandblast abrasive media free
of contaminant material is essential During sandblasting abrasive is mixed with compressed air fed through the supply hose focused by the nozzle and impacts the product Then if itrsquos fine enough it leaves the system as dust or drops to the bottom of the cabinet to be recycled
Other material will also collect in the bottom of the cabinet This debris can include bits of mask (ever wonder where the center of that ldquoerdquo went) bits of tape and possibly solid material dislodged from the product yoursquore blasting This latter source of debris is especially prevalent when yoursquore working on materials other than glass like brick rock and wood
Leaving the debris in the abrasive when itrsquos recycled can cause a variety of problems First if a piece of debris is too large to fit through the nozzle it will clog it More importantly if it does fit through the nozzle and is hard like brick and rock debris it can impact the piece yoursquore working on and ruin it
The obvious solution is to screen the media when you reload the pressure pot The problem is the screen mesh size Irsquove tried the screen supplied by the cabinet manufacturers and used window screening material from a hardware store In both of these cases the mesh size would allow all but the largest pieces of debris through
What Irsquove found that works the best is a spatter screen from a local kitchen store The mesh is woven tightly and filters out much more debris The best thing is its price only a few dollars
One of our cabinets is not self-contained so we have to filter the media by hand We have found that bending the handle up on a large spatter screen
causes it to fit perfectly into the top of the pressure pot We also have a couple of other smaller pressure pots one in fact that you fill with a funnel For those I simply lay the spatter screen over the opening of the pot or the funnel when refilling
If you have a system that recycles the abrasive then it should be equipped with a screen located on top of the pressure pot Make sure to inspect and remove the debris from the top of the screen from time to time A shop-vac works well for this purpose If you find that larger pieces are getting through the screen then contact the manufacturer to see what can be done to reduce the mesh size
Keeping your media clean helps prevent unwanted delays or damage
To all of our friends out there new and old have a safe and joyful holiday season
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from John and me
Judy McDaniel with her husband John are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry In addition they provide one-on-one application support through an email subscription service exclusively for their Hotcdr Hands-On Training students or those who have purchased their CD sets (For information on training services offered visit wwwgraphic-products-trainingcom and for information on their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom) They can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
December 2007 22Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE ENGRAVINGBy John McDaniel Applications
Elements of Machine Accuracy 7 Structural Integrity
So far wersquove covered resolution speed repeatability and hysteresis This time wersquoll discuss structural integrity
What is Structural IntegrityStructural integrity is a measure of a machinersquos
strength or stiffness It is the ability of a machine to resist distortion by forces created in normal operations
Most mechanical engraving machines use single-fluted cutters As these cutters turn they apply cutting force against the material For every action though there is an equal but opposite reaction ie the material resists the cut and thereby transmits a resistive force back through the cutting tool spindle etc and ultimately to the machinersquos frame
Assuming a static bit position the force applied to the machinersquos structure will rotate 360deg with the tool (see diagram 1) As this force rotates any looseness in the structure will result in a deviation in the relationship of the material and the cutter
What machine design factors are involvedStructural integrity includes lead screws and their
hysteresis for mechanical engraving machines spindle bearings and their looseness for both mechanical and laser engravers gantry or table rails their bearings and looseness and the machinersquos frame In fact anything and everything that holds the tool and material in the proper relationship during the cuttingengraving process contributes to or detracts from structural integrity
Why is it importantIn a word Quality Structural integrity influences
the quality of the finished products the machine will produce
For illustration Irsquoll use a mechanical engraving system If the looseness in our machine and the cutting force applied were uniform throughout the 360deg of tool rotation the result would be a wobble in the tool path which might not be visible in the finished product
Cutting ForcesIn the real world however as the tool moves through
the material the cutting and reactive forces go through a cycle (see diagram 2) When the tool starts the cut there is a spike in force The force will level to a constant through the top side of the cut while itrsquos cutting against the direction of the toolrsquos movement Then it will drop somewhat when itrsquos cutting with the toolrsquos movement and finally fall off on the back side as the cutting edge of the tool enters the void area where the material has already been removed
The amount of force applied during the cutting process will vary depending on the material being
cut the tool and its sharpness the depth of cut the material feed rate and whether or not lubricant is used The cutting force may also vary over the length of the job as the toolrsquos cutting edge wears and becomes dull
Machine Component Looseness
In addition to the cutting force not being uniform throughout the 360deg of tool rotation l o o s e n e s s i n t h e machinersquos structure will also vary For example dur ing the cut t ing operation as the tool transitions through 0deg and 180deg of rotation X axis hysteresis will be a factor in overall machine looseness but Y axis hysteresis will have no effect At 90deg and 270deg the Y axis will become a factor but the X axis will have no impact
In the real world any looseness in the machine will cause an oscillation in the cut which will have its own angle If we could slow the toolrsquos movement we would see this oscillation as a sharp jump in the positional relationship between the tool and material being cut In the finished product this sharp jump in position will result in a jagged cut
December 2007 23Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE ENGRAVING Outline amp OverviewThe Nuts and Bolts of Machine AccuracyMachine accuracy or capability can be defined as a result of six features 1 Resolution ndash the smallest incremental movementpositioning of a speci-fied axis 2 Speed ndash the ability to complete a task in a reasonable amount of time without sacrificing accuracy or creating damage to the machine or product 3 Repeatability ndash the ability to duplicate a previous position without error 4 Hysteresis ndash the ldquosloprdquo or ldquoplayrdquo in motion control components 5 Structural Integrity ndash stiffness or strength ndash the ability to cut materials without error or damage This is especially important for mechanical engrav-ers 6 Structural Tolerances ndash the sum accuracy of a machinersquos mechanical components
Machine ComponentsWersquoll examine nine factors that determine a machinersquos accuracy They include 1 Motors ndash including DC Stepper DC Brushless DC Servo and AC Servo a Spindles ndash motors that rotate the cutting bit b Axis Drive ndash motors that position the material to the cutting bit c Horsepower ratings ndash real versus advertised 2 The Motion Control Drive Unit ndash including Geared Belt and Lead Screws a Lead Screws ndash including Acme Re-circulating Ball Standard and Precision b Mounting ndash including Simple Fixed and Thrust bearing types c Protection ndash Open or Closed 3 Guide Rails ndash Types include V Bearing Rail Bushing Shaft Dove Tail and Re-circulating Ball Bearing 4 Encoders ndash Types include Rotary and Linear Methodologies include incremental or absolute 5 Tachometers ndash used for speed stability acceleration and breaking control for closed loop servo systems 6 Bearings ndash including Sleeve Ball and Linear Re-circulating Ball a Applications ndash including Radial Thrust and Linear b Quality ndash Standard thru Ultra Precision 7 Spindles ndash including topbottom loading Collets and Sleeves 8 Material Hold Down ndash including mechanical clamps and vacuum sys-tems 9 Electronic Interface ndash Computer control methods
Wersquoll also examine Reliability what makes it And Serviceability is it fix-able
If the cutting oscillation is at any angle other than the direction of the cut and the oscillation is great enough a jagged cut will be visible in the finished product A cut deviation of as little as 001rdquo is visible to the naked eye and will most commonly show up on curves and circles but may show up on straight lines as well
To illustrate this point a little further and perhaps make it somewhat clearer Irsquod like to refer to diagrams 3 and 4 For purposes of these illustrations we will assume we have a machine that has some looseness on both the X and Y axes However the rest of the machine
is structurally solid the frame is rigid and no other components have any loosenessMaking these assumptions and disregarding the variation in force caused by the cutter
as it travels through the material we will have cutting oscillations at 0deg 180deg 90deg and 270deg during the toolrsquos rotation As the tool travels through the material on its path these oscillations will cause a slight variation in the centerline of the toolrsquos cut
Diagram 3 shows a horizontal tool path While the machine is cutting in this direction any X axis looseness will be masked by the cutter path itself however looseness in the Y axis will result in a slight oscillation in the cutterrsquos horizontal position and therefore a deviation in its cut Diagram 4 shows the effect of the X axis looseness which will impact vertical lines
As you can see from this discussion and these illustrations structural integrity ie looseness in the components from which a machine is constructed can make a significant difference in quality of the finished products that a machine will produce
Next time wersquoll consider structural tolerances and their impact
John McDaniel with his wife Judy are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry For information on training services offered and their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom They can be reached by phone at 541-967-4271 via SKYPE (user name JHMcDaniel) or via email at JHMcDanielCorelDRAWhelpcom See the full bio on the Writers Page
December 2007 24Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
the image the text and the red bow In the laser file for this example I have the red cut line for vectoring (See Figure 5)
5) Send the cardstock through the printer6) Place the cardstock in the laser for vector
cutting The thickness of the stock will determine what settings to use For my 35-watt laser using a medium weight cardstock I used a speed of 100 and power of 15 for a nice cut through the stock without any burn marks on the paper
7) Optional in one run I decided to let the laser take care of the bow instead of using color for it from my printer I set the outline of the bow to 100 black and the interior of the bow to 50 black (See Figure 6)
8) Then I only sent the image and text through the printer The bow and vector cutting occurred in the laser I set the raster engraving (of the bow) at speed 70 and power 40 (See Figure 7) You can see the differentiation of using 100 black as opposed to 50 black by the exterior lines
being engraved a little deeper than the rest of the fill
Take the idea of using patterns (like the birth announcement above) and wowing your clientele with the detail and intricacy that laser can provide Or add a twist to a holiday tradition (cards) Whatever you do donrsquot forget you can combine the advantages of the printer and laser for fabulous products
Submitted by Kathryn Arnold Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
LASER TIPBy Kathryn Arnold Applications
Combining Laser amp Printer PowerComing up with new and
inventive ways to use your laser is the key to a successful and growing business We will look at a way to combine the power of your computer (ink) printer with the power of the laser engraver
In this lesson we will take a look at using cardstock to create a card and an announcement See the examples of a holiday card and a birth announcement ndash gratuitously they are of my family (Figure 1 amp Figure 2)
1) In CorelDRAWreg use any pattern image text you wish Be sure that there is a clear and discernible vector line that will be laser cut and yield a cut piece from the cardstock2) See the clear (red) cut line ndash it goes fully around my object even the bow portion (important) I then duplicated my object to fit as many as possible on my 8 frac12 x 11 cardstock (See Figure 3) 3) I saved this file as my master file that I could return to at any point I then created two copies -- one that will
be used to send the file to my printer and one that will be used to send the file to my laser engraver (See Figure 4)
4) In the master file I have every part of what my end product will have In the file for my printer I only have the parts that the printer will print ndash in this example
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
December 2007 25Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
ELECTRONICS FRONTIERBy Louie Alvarez Opportunity
Webcams are an interesting subject which I am intimately familiar with Some typical questions are what are they what purpose do they serve what benefit are they what to look for and various other questions concerns and issues
Webcams surely bring back a memory or two not all that great I might add I remember when they first became usable primarily due to the Internet having affordable true broadband
First experiences The choppy poor quality of dial-up service
simply didnrsquot make this a useful technology Short of communicating with far-flung family members it left much to be desired With my immediate family living in Las Vegas and all other family (parents siblings cousins etc) living in California this was a technology I thought would be useful to keep in touch
So I set up my computer and my momrsquos computer with Webcams to stay in touch Needless to say with the poor quality terrible tracking (had to keep perfectly
sti l l because video frames didnrsquot refresh fas t enough) the hard-to-see tiny video window and poorly synchronized voices to the faces (we looked like a badly translated kung fu movie) the novelty quickly wore off (Irsquod say in about 30 minutes)
WebcamsSecond attempt
So I promptly dumped the technology for the next few years until I started seeing broadband picking up the pace and more interest in Webcams becoming obvious from all the new devices on the market So about three years ago a wireless Webcam caught my eye and I decided to put it to the test once again
Considering I was by then traveling quite extensively (about 40000 miles a year) I figured Irsquod use it to monitor my home I had two teenagers and a 5-year-old at home at the time while I was on the road and my wife was still a t work (She normally didnrsquot get off work until about two hours after school was out) So this looked to be a cool device to see if as the clicheacute goes when the catrsquos away the mice will play
I proceeded to position this wireless Webcam strategically to allow viewing of my living room including the back door Plus to get to the front door or side door you would have to pass through the field of the camera My little one loved the idea of being on camera for her daddy and would dance play and make funny faces for me Pretty cool actually That in itself almost justified the camera but needless to say my teenagers even my wife didnrsquot take to the idea too well So it was returned and life continued on as usual
That experience did show me that the broadband
speeds the quality of the video feeds the prevalence on the net of live cams and the quality of the video cameras (better known as Webcams) had progressed to a level of usefulness and I could see the potential of this technology With that said letrsquos get into the heart of this article
So what are webcams Basically they are digital cameras attached to
the computer and connected to the Web or Instant Messaging (IM) This allows the camera to be linked to a website or to each other directly and individuals who view the website or IM are able to see what the camera is viewing at that moment You can choose to get either still pictures that are updated at regular intervals (Snapshot) or live streams (Streaming) depending on what your bandwidth permits The WebCam technology has advanced sufficiently now to make it both easier and cheaper to maintain a camera that is refreshing an image 24 hours a day
Features of Web Cameras Listed here are some of the features more commonly
found in WebCams1 Live streaming video still pictures updated2 No plug-in or software necessary to view image
can be viewed with any Web browser3 Live audio4 Incorporation with other software such as Instant
Messaging (IM)5 Adding captionslogostime displays6 Archiving video7 Chat feature
December 2007 26Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
WebCams in an instructional scenario could be used to
Monitor your staff or employees thus being able to guide them better
Telecommute to companies worldwide and demonstrate project procedures
B roadcas t sem ina rs wo rkshops o r demonstrations
Share special events and programs with students enrolled in distance learning courses
Hold a video press conference online meeting or broadcast meetings and discussions
In some cases it is important for the learner to be able to establish a connection visually WebCams could be a good alternative to using text files or audio files
Join WebCam groups and allow students to take advantage of other WebCam locations for educational purposes
Using a web camera allows learners to be a part of either a conference or classstudio
Benefits of using WebCamsa The most important advantage of using a web camera is that it creates a direct link between the camera and the live site and dispenses with all the production work Production work in this context includes the cost and effort involved in shooting
editing and streaming videos Thus using a WebCam does not require
advanced skillsb The software is basically a Web server that runs on your system and pushes images out to a Web page For viewers of images delivered over a WebCam
one of the benefits is that they get the entire picture preferable in
certain cases rather than a sleek edited versionc WebCam technology can also be used for remote s u r v e i l l a n c e s y s t e m s
ELECTRONIC FRONTIER
monitoring events or places and broadcasting live eventsd Learners can link to a web camera-monitored location and just watch or also have an additional web camera in their own location enabling two-way communication
Setting up your WebCama Setting up your own WebCam obviously requires a computer a WebCam (the hardware) and WebCam software along with a broadband Internet connection Before you decide which camera to buy and which software to acquire yoursquoll have to review the different methods to show pictures or video feed through the Internet ( i e r e f r e s h e d after x amount of seconds) This will enable you to decide which hardware and software solution will fit your situation best
b P l a c e m e n t of a camera is an important decision to be made Decide whether a static angle is sufficient to demonstrate the concept or a moving camera (handheld) is required It is important however to remember the limitations of using WebCams and leave the panoramic and other fancy shots to more sophisticated video Use WebCams for videos that require more focus and ones that require a smaller viewingmovement range
c For detailed technical instructions on using WebCams visit httpdeveloperswebcamworldcommethodshtml
d Here is a good resource for inexpensive Webcams on the market httpcastlepricewatchcomssearchasps=webcams
e For an in-depth review of various Webcams on the market go to this link httpreviewscnetcom4244-6502_7-0-1htmlquery=webamptag=cat_1
f There are many Webcam examples online here are a couple httpwwwwebcamworldcom or httpwwwleonardsworldscomcamerahtml
By the way DONrsquoT TELL MY KIDS I picked up a Logitech QuickCam Pro 4000 not too long ago My family doesnrsquot know why I got it or what my intention is but I can say that now that my kids are 17 16 amp 8 my job as a parent is to ensure the mice donrsquot play when the catrsquos awayhellip
Louie Alvarez began acquiring his experience in the awards and engraving industry in Central California over 15 years ago first as an employee of the largest and oldest trophy shop and then as owner of one of the first laser engraving businesses Louie has been a featured workshop instructor and seminar speaker throughout the industry in addition to being a contributing writer to numerous industry publications Louie is based in Las Vegas NV and can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
December 2007 27Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
The Association of CorelDRAWreg Professionals is The Education amp Business Resource for CorelDRAW Users Worldwide Its goal is to help 1) IMPROVE your CorelDRAW skills and 2) MAKE MONEY with those skills You can participate in ACDRP services in four ways
THE WORLDrsquoS ONLY ASSOCIATION FOR CORELDRAWreg USERSINVITES YOU TO MAKE MORE MONEY WITH CORELDRAW
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month focused on Industry News via the Graphics News Wire Links to valuable resources and a complete educa-tion and show Calendar S
CorelDRAWPro the Entrepreneurial magazine for CorelDRAW users features in-depth content on How to Use CorelDRAW -- tips tricks advanced ar twork success s to r ies in te rv iews and more How to Apply CorelDRAW -- for graphic production processes such as embroidery engraving heat printing laser promo products printing sandblasting signmaking sublimation and screenprinting How to Profit from CorelDRAW -- Product news business columns reviews profiles and advertising with live links
SUBSCRIBE -- NO CHARGE JOIN -- $60 PER YEAR
All users of CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite are qualified to subscribe free to CorelDRAWPro magazine (PDF format) and CorelDRAWPro E-News
Subscription to CorelDRAWPro amp CorelDRAWPRo E-News
TTF Newsletter Subscription to the monthly Tips Templates amp Fixtures Newsletter only available to members
GSG Basic Listing You can list your services in the Graphic Services Guide in one category as part of membership (a $25 value)
Access to QuickLearn A keyword searchable database of 100s of articles on CorelDRAW graphics production and business
All users of CorelDRAWreg are invited to join the Association and take advantage of exclusive content discounts and profes-sional recognition ACDRP membership includes
TTF
QuickLearn
QuickTNT
Archives
BASIC GSG LISTING -- $25 PER YR
The Graphic Services Guide is the Industry Yellow Pages for Services and Finished Goods GSG is promoted in all our publi-cations and our website to the world of CorelDRAW users Your listing gives you the opportunity to promote your services (in any of 40 categories) to other CorelDRAW usersThe Basic Listing includes your company description email link and listing in one category Additional service categories are $10 each per year
The Enhanced GSG Listing is for companies that want to list in two categories and add a photo or logo
ENHANCED GSG LISTING -- $50$75 PER YR
Classifieds
Access to QuickTnT A growing database of CorelDRAW tips for understanding the fine points of the program and templates that can be downloaded to speed up your production
Access to Archives Past issues of CorelDRAWPro are available to members with live links
Bookstore Discounts Members receive a 10 discount on all products in the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore
Professional Recognition Use of the ACDRP logo for professional identification on business cards websites and letterhead You also receive a membership certificate
Classified Ads Members can place one classified ad per year at no charge with photo and run it till the item is sold (a $35 value)
HOW TO PARTICIPATE To Subscribe (no charge) To Join ($60yr) To List in the Graphic Services Guide ($25 Basic $50$75 Enhanced or $120145 for Multi-Service)
CorelDRAWreg is a registered trademark of Corel Corp and is used with permission
Visit wwwcoreldrawprocomand click on the appropriate links
800-276-8428
The Multi-Service GSG Listing allows you to list up to 40 differ-ent service categories with detailed descriptions and add a photo or logo
MULTI-SERVICE GSG LISTING -- $120$145 PER YR
December 2007 28Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Throughout the year this publication has reported on whatrsquos new in equipment tools and software and blank products for businesses that put graphics onto products
For this 2007 wrap-up CorelDRAWPro editorial staff reviewed all the product news for the year and named 33 products to its annual Top Products of the Year list
Selections were based on the criteria of innovation and impact Innovation means products that exhibit a high degree of originality or uniqueness Impact means products that influence sales or productivity for a large number of businesses
Note that the 2007 honorees are list alphabetically in the three theme sections
For more information on the products in this article click on the Info Request button at the bottom of each page and select by company name or product You might open the Info Request page and minimize it as you read That way you can quickly open it and check the products you want
EQUIPMENT
ANAJET DIRECT-TO-GARMENT DIGITAL PRINTERAnaJet Digital Apparel Printer (Model FP-125) from
AnaJet Inc in Costa Mesa CA is a direct-to-garment printer offering high quality and affordability It can print custom graphics on any cotton or poly-cotton flat textile material in one minute The printer priced affordably from under $13000 can produce up to 5000 shirts per month each retailing for about $20 Most printers installed so far are in a production plant environment but some customers have started to take the mobile printer to malls for instant printing of customer graphics According to Dr Chase Roh company president the unique printhead they have developed allows for 16x more ink flow than normal desktop printers and thus shirts only require one pass
Top Products of the Year
DTG AMERICA ECLIPSE D-1 WITH TWO HEADS DTG America of Tampa FL and Fort Worth TX now offers a new solution to
speed up digitally printing to dark shirts The Eclipse D-1 incorporates two heads instead of one One head has eight channels of white to lay down a solid white underbase The second head has four channels of white to do highlights and four channels of color to lay down the design The result of this new configuration is the underbase and color are completed in one pass at an estimated average of only two minutes per shirt for a 12-inch by 6-inch area Other innovations include an ink agitator firmware for easy updating ink vapor remover auto gap adjustment and new platen configuration for easy loading
GEO KNIGHT DK 25SP HEAT PRESSThe Digital Knight DK25SP is an air-operated automatic
20x25 oversized swing-away heat press with a state-of-the-art control system and heavy-duty solid steel welded framework The smooth automatic pressing and push-button activation provides a productive fatigue-free operation The extended 20x25 size of the heat platen is perfect for sublimation and large-format materials pressingThe press is adjustable to accommodate materials from fabric thickness all the way up to 1rdquo thick substrates For more information call 800-525-6766 or visit wwwheatpresscom
GRAPHTEC CRAFT ROBO PROGraphtec America Inc based in Santa Ana
CA introduced the new Craft ROBO Pro 15rdquo cutting plotter The Craft ROBO Pro is an ideal solution for cutting a wide variety of materials including vinyl film card stock foil heat transfer and image transfer media Incorporating Graphtecrsquos legendary
December 2007 29Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
ARMS (Advanced Registration Marks System) and combined with a desktop printer the Craft ROBO Pro makes contour cutting an easy task Innovations include a new digital servo motor first mark auto-sensing menu navigation system that includes 8 user-defined conditions Tangential Control and three software applications
ROLAND RELEASES DIRECT-TO-FABRIC PRINTERRoland DGA Corp of Irvine CA released
the new 74rdquo HeatWave DFP-74 Fabric Printer through its reseller channel in the US Based on Rolandrsquos HeatWave sublimation technology the DFP-74 Fabric Printer is a complete integrated solution and Rolandrsquos first inkjet ever to support direct printing onto polyester fabrics As a complete solution including printer sublimation unit inks and RIP software the DFP-74 makes it easier than ever for shops to enter the fast-growing textile printing market Key features include eight advanced piezo print heads an intelligent media handling system and a temperature-controlled heating system
HOTRONIX PERFECT PRESSURE HEAT PRESSHotronix of Carmichaels PA has taken heat press technology
to the next level with Perfect Pressure a new digital pressure display functionThis new feature has a single-digit LED readout
that measures the pressure of the inner platen This technology is exclusive to Hotronix and is patent pending Previously a
digital pressure display was available only on air-operated heat press machines With this new pressure display gauge all heat press users will have more consistent results from job to job reducing the number of misprints and speeding up production For more information about
the new digital pressure display contact Stahlsrsquo Hotronix at 800-478-2457 e-mail infostahlscom or visit the Web site at wwwstahlscom
SWF DREAM EMBROIDERY MACHINEWith its new DREAM Machine SWF has broken the barrier in multi-head
embroidery machine technology The DREAM machines are the first multi-head embroidery machines that truly can sew at 1500 stitches per minute During the research and development of these new machines 12 new patents were filed and granted proof that the DREAM machines are built with state-of-the-art technology
Innovations include LED control panel error codes to quickly troubleshoot problems optional devices to do sequins cording and boring automatic oiling system large memory a hoop selector and more These innovative new machines come in configurations ranging from
two to six heads It is distributed exclusively by SWF East (Tampa FL) and SWF MESA (Dallas TX)
MESArsquoS HOTFIX SPANGLE MOTIF MACHINEWith the all new YAS-11 Hotfix Spangle Motif Making
Machine the first of its kind in the United States you can create beautiful spangle transfer designs that have the look of sequins This patented machine which is distributed exclusively in the United States by MESA Distributors of Fort Worth TX cuts out shapes such as circles and squares in a range of sizes from reels of Mylar tape The machine comes with proprietary design software that allows the user to create any pattern or design up to 157 by 157 inches
SAWGRASSrsquo HYBRID SYSTEM FOR EPSON R1800Sawgrass Technologies of Mt Pleasant SC introduced
the SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid System for the Epson R1800 for both sublimation printing and cotton
decorating from one machine The affordable entry-level system features dual functionality with both SubliJet and ChromaBlast inks in one machine allowing users to create customized images with superior color and clarity on both polyester coated substrates and cotton garments This is the second
hybrid system from Sawgrass following in the footsteps of the popular SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid
System for the Epson 4800
TROTECrsquoS NEW LARGE PLATFORM LASER Trotec Laser Inc of Ypsilanti MI has introduced the SP500 series of laser
engraving and cutting systems The systems have a work area of 50rdquo X 28rdquo and X-Axis clearance of 12rdquo The systems are offered in power levels from 45W-200W There is an available pass-through option (Class 4) Exhaust fumes are captured
December 2007 30Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
at the laser head to insure an efficient extraction when using the pass-through featureTrotec systems are designed for minimal wear-and-tear and eliminate the need for periodic replacement of belts and bearings For additional information visit our web site wwwtrotecnet or call 866-226-8505 734-484-3260
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW PROFESSIONAL SERIESUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) of Scottsdale
AZ added four new models in its Professional Laser Series (PLS) line of advanced high-productivity computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving systems The new PLS line which replaces Universalrsquos M V and X laser systems incorporates a
host of evolutionary design improvements to the laser cartridge platform chassis system electronics and software interface The new PLS models include several
powerful new features most notably a unique materials-based print driver called ldquoLaser Interface +rdquo that gives users their choice
between automatic or manual control over power speed and other system settings For more information on Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit Universal Laser Systems online at wwwulsinccom
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW VERSALASERUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) added a
new version of its desktop-sized VersaLasertrade
computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving system The new VersaLaser
improves on the award-winning original thanks to a host of evolutionary design refinements It also
includes a unique next-generation materials-based print driver that automatically calculates power speed
and other system settings It was awarded a patent for the unique design of its external cabinet which also functions as a Class 1 laser safety enclosure For more information about VersaLaser or Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit wwwulsinccom
US SCREENrsquoS FAST T-JET 3US Screen Print and Inkjet Technology of Tempe
AZ adds the Fast T-Jet3TM which features 30 faster print speeds compared to the previous T-Jet2 model and has a longer low profile print bed for easier loading and unloading Now you can produce a full size 12rdquo x 12rdquo (305 x 305 cm) print in one minute on a light shirt and in under three minutes on a black shirt with white ink Small pocket images can be printed in about 15 seconds
US SCREENrsquoS AUTOMATED PRETREATMENT CENTER
Speed up production when using Fast T-Jet inkjet-to-garment printers with the AutoTREATtrade Automatic Pretreatment Center
This versatile piece of equipment allows you to treat shirts on a production level rather than spraying shirts individually one at a time For use with light or dark shirts the AutoTREATtrade
can spray up to three shirts per minute It has two application modesmdashone for lights and one for darks that can be switched over by activating the cleaning mode which flushes out the system with water
TOOLS MATERIALS SOFTWARE
CORELDRAW X3 CERTIFIED FOR WINDOWS VISTACorel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that
CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite X3 has been Certified for Windows Vista Customers who wish to install the Certified for Windows Vista version of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X3 can download the latest service pack (SP2) from wwwcorelcom This new update delivers an exceptional experience for customers on Windows Vista including an updated user interface enhanced security improved text handling and further enhancements to the popular suitersquos renowned import and export file compatibility
COREL LAUNCHES NEW ONLINE COMMUNITY Corel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that it
has launched httpcoreldrawcom a new online community for users of the CorelDRAWreg family of products ndash including CorelDRAW Graphics Suite Corel DESIGNERreg Technical Suite
December 2007 31Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
and Corelreg DRAWingsreg This new community site is the first in a series that Corel will be launching to support its various user communities Designed to fuel inspiration CorelDRAWcom combines forums blogs and galleries for design professionals and graphic hobbyists alike Forums are available in English French German and Spanish serving an international audience
DALCOrsquoS NEW REFLECTIVE HEAT TRANSFERSCater to the safety market with new reflective transfers offered
by Dalco Athletic of Dallas TX These durable transfers come in a reflective silver gray color in three styles police sheriff and fire dept They are sized for left chest and full back so
all you have to do is heat seal for 8 seconds and yoursquore done Itrsquos very fast and easy
DALCOrsquoS NEW OPTIC YELLOW CLASSIC SWB APPLIQUE
Classic SWB appliqueacute designs offered by Dalco Athletic now come in two new styles softballs and tennis balls in optic yellow fabric These new balls literally jump off any wearable and make it an eye-catching standout This appliqueacute collection is ideal for spiritwear items to be sold to fans and family or created as fund-raisers for boosters clubs
POWER GRAPHICS 3 FROM DIGITAL ART SOLUTIONSPower Graphics 3 by Digital Art Solutions of
Tempe AZ is the ultimate design tool for the creation of high-end custom graphics and logos for custom signage awards vehicle graphics promotional products and apparel graphics Tuned to the latest styles and trends it provides fresh graphics that will impress even the most critical and demanding customer It includes more than 1500 images The 10 design categories include Flames Gangsta (Urban) Mascots Offroad Rebel (Biker and Hot
Rod) Retro Speed Sports Surf and Tuner
FLORIANI COMMERCIALrsquoS NEW NO-SHOW DIAMOND MESHContinuing in its tradition of research and development
to create embroidery stabilizers that meet the needs of todayrsquos embroiderers Floriani Embroidery Commercial Division of Knoxville TN released a new product called Floriani No-Show Diamond Mesh This unique nylon mesh stabilizer has a perpendicular embossed pattern that makes it more multi-directionally stable and enables it to better hold stitches for crisper design registration It is specifically designed for light-colored garments where traditional stabilizers have a tendency to show through the front of the garment
GREAT DANErsquoS NEW DIGITAL PHOTO FRAMES Tap into the lucrative team market with an
incredible collection of stock art specially designed to work for direct-to-garment printers sublimation transfers and digital transfers Digital Photo Frames Volume 1 is a collection of spectacular pre-designed layouts each with one or more frames to
insert personal photos The collection includes five categories baseball football basketball soccer and hockey Each category has four designs (20 total layouts) and each design comes in three template formats mugs mouse pads and shirts
So there are a total of 60 template designs in all
IMPRINTABLES WAREHOUSE OFFERS SPECTRA ECO FILMNew from Imprintables Warehouse of
Masontown PA is a digital cutter material that is free of PVC a plus with companies that want to be as environmentally friendly as possible Spectra Eco Film is made with ecological polyurethane and is peeled hot It is pressure sensitive (sticky backing) and extremely easy to weed While maintaining superior durability and opacity this new film is thinner than current offerings on the market and delivers the super soft hand that is in demand by todayrsquos consumers It can be used on 100 cotton 100 polyester polycotton blends and even nylon and leather
December 2007 32Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
KISSCUT TECHNOLOGIESrsquo SELF-WEEDING INKJET TRANSFER PAPER
Kiss Cut Technologies Ltd Newcastle UK has addressed the ldquopolymer windowrdquo issue and developed the worldrsquos first self-weeding inkjet transfer paper for printing to textiles In simple terms only the areas of their patented transfer paper that have been printed will be transferred to the garment when heat pressed A Kiss Cut print can be further embellished with specialized textile foils so in effect a digital foiling method is now available Foil is heat pressed onto the garment and when peeled the foil only sticks to the image areas
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW PHOTOPLAS-TIC MATERIALLaserSketchcom of Lemont IL a leading supplier of
LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble Super Black Granite and Black Onyx Jewelry introduces their new PhotoPlas-Tic This is a new material developed for front andor reverse laser engraving on micro surface impact acrylic plastic It is a premium plastic for laser engraving that is UV stable ideal for photo badges plaques trophies signage and high-end awards Each sheet of PhotoPlas-Tic is specially designed for a crisp clean burn and ultra-fine laser lettering logo and vector output For details call 630-243-6360 or visit wwwlasersketchcom
THEMAGICTOUCH LAUNCHES WOW TRANSFER PAPERTheMagicTouch USA launched WoW Professional
71 transfer paper which requires no weeding or profile cutting and the vibrant colors are achieved using digital laser technology making it great for short runs It uses PolymationTM which incorporates a newly designed catalyst that provides the ultimate compatibility with all generations of dry toner material According to the company PolymationTM is the next generation of laser heat transfer Sublimation requires the substrate to have a specialty receiving polymer coating to absorb the pigments but PolymationTM delivers everything at once polymer pigments and catalyst
December 2007 33Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
offers distinct advantages over any other process It allows for an unlimited number of colors and very fine detail which is impossible with screen printing or embroidery And the cost does not go up as colors are added These new specialty materials are so advanced they can be heat sealed to all kinds of fabrics and hot new multimedia designs can be easily done
VAPOR APPAREL LAUNCHES VAPOR ART VOLUME 1V a p o r A p p a r e l
a s u b s i d i a r y o f SourceSubstrates LLC Charleston SC announces the launch of Vapor Art - Volume 1 a collection of 127 vector graphics for digital sublimation and general use The diverse collection
of high-quality graphics comes after several years of customers requesting access to the companyrsquos sample art at trade shows and educational events The Collection of art includes vector drawings and JPGs for everything from mountain biking and snowboarding to yoga and cheerleading
BLANK PRODUCTS
COLORADO HEIRLOOMrsquoS COLOR LACQUERED FRAMES
Colorado Heirloom Inc of Loveland CO introduced their new Color Lacquered Frames This is an option to add color your unique creations It is not color fill Colored lacquer is sprayed on their high quality wood frames Because
INKTRA STRETCH TRANSFER PAPER FROM STAHLSrsquoStahlsrsquo based in St Clair
Shores MI adds InkTratrade Stretch a flexible transfer paper A revolutionary product InkTratrade Stretch provides a soft hand with an amazing stretch and recovery feature InkTratrade Stretch lets you take your favorite photo or graphic design and apply it to light colored or white hats shirts bags and more for a long lasting and completely personalized garment The highly stretchable paper can be applied to cotton polycotton blends spandex and Lycrareg
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo GOOF-PROOF TRANSFERSWant the look of screen
printing without the hassle With Goof Proofreg transfers offered by Transfer Express of Mentor OH you can custom order a transfer that has the popular athletic feel and will apply in a blazing four seconds Ordering is done step-by-step online and you can customize hundreds of designs You choose your
typeface colors and size Once your design is just the way you want it you can print it out to show a customer for approval Or Transfer Express can print from your artwork The minimum order is only five pieces and your one-color order ships in one to three working days
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo NEW FULL-COLOR DIGI PRINTSApparel decorators can now offer full-color designs on light
and dark apparel made of virtually any type of fabric without the hassle or minimums of screen printing with new state-of-the-art heat transfer technology called Digi Printstrade Offered through Transfer Express this revolutionary new method of decorating
December 2007 34Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
lacquer is used instead of paint any design can be lasered on these frames The possibilities are endless These colorful creations are offered in two different designs -- a designer frame and a frame with an insert Call 970-667-4222 or visit wwwcoloradoheirloomcom
CONDE ADDS PET MATS FOR SUBLIMATIONCondeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added food bowl placemats and litter box
mats to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Favorite photographs and pet-related artwork can be transferred to the
mats to create fun products for individual pet lovers or for the pet industry such as pet stores veterinarians groomers boarding facilities and animal adoption groups Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing Call Conde at 800-826-6332
CONDE INTRODUCES FABRIC PATCHES FOR SUBLIMATION
Condeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added fabric patches to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Custom decorators can now produce unique full-color patches that will impress organizations businesses clubs sports teams sports enthusiasts and individuals alike -- without the use of embroidery Heat seal patches are great for identification marketing awards trade show promotions or to commemorate special events Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing or call 800-826-6332
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW LASERSLABLaserSketch of Lemont IL Internationally known for
their LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble and Super Black Granite announces LaserSlab Super Black Granite at 4rsquo x 8rsquo x 7mm and 4rsquo x 4rsquo x 7mm weighting in at just over 2 pounds per square foot The surface of the LaserSlab Granite has the sheen of a black mirror The reverse side features epoxy fiberglass backing to give structure integrity to the ultra-lite granite sheet All may be viewed wwwlasersketchcom or by calling LaserSketch 630-243-6360
MATTHEWS INTRODUCES ALUMICOLORTM
Matthews International Corp of Pittsburgh PA introduced Alumicolortrade a high-resolution graphics solution for aluminum signage recognition commemoration and way finding Using cutting-edge technology Matthews embeds a four-color image into the aluminum to create an anodized reproduction of unsurpassed durability Alumicolortrade products which are designed for interior and exterior installations are resistant to extreme weather conditions graffiti scuffing grease chemicals and UV rays Additionally they will not chip crack or peel
PSI ADDS ROUND FRAMES amp STRING PUZZLES Paramount Services Inc of Hollywood FL
introduced new round resin frames for sublimation tiles Choose from Coral or RopeStone with optional Unisubreg Hardboard Tiles They will also accept the Bison 8rdquo round glass Cutting Board Why be square when round may fit better PSI also introduced a new puzzle guaranteed to string you along These String Puzzles come with a Unisubreg Hardboard puzzle and the necessary string and beads along with instructions how to string it after printing Templates to aid in design are available for download in several formats For details call 800-455-7212 or visit wwwDye-Sublimation-Productscom
CRYSTALEDGEreg LUXORTM CRYSTAL AWARDSCrystalEdgereg Chicago IL presented the Luxortrade Series
This stunning cost-effective collection comprises a series of specially designed Rosewood and Black Piano finish bases Matte Mahogany and Matte Black bases and a precision cast Satin Nickel Finish Metal Base with your choice of brass or silver hardware for mounting our twelve unique shapes making this the most versatile award yet Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks are curved 14rdquo thick crystal clear glass with 316rdquo diameter holes for mounting The Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks feature a generous engraving area and there is plenty of room on the base to add an engraving plate
December 2007 35Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
XENETECHrsquoS NEW ENGRAVABLE GIFTSXenetech of Baton Rouge
LA introduced high quality engravable gift items at wholesale and quantity discounts The Xenetech collection provides a selection of gifts created for corporate recognition weddings births holidays anniversaries retirements birthdays special occasions or just expressing appreciation Items include money clips key chains book markers desk accessories quartz movement clocks flasks amp wine accessories entertainment gifts travel gifts genuine Swiss Army knives business card holders luggage tags silver-plated jewelry boxes keepsake gift boxes silver-plated banks and baby gifts The gift items are designed primarily for diamond drag burnishing and rotary engraving personalization
UNISUBrsquoS CHROMALUXE PHOTO PANELSChromaLuxe photo panels are an exciting new line
of sublimatable products from Unisub of Louisville KY These panels allow you to sell a completely finished photo product to your customers capturing some of the additional revenue (and profit) your customers now spend elsewhere on framing Available in a range of traditional photo sizes as well as exciting new shapes these panels can be joined together to create stunning photo displays -- perfect for a fireplace mantle l i b r a r y s h e l f or the top of an armoire Available in aluminum or MDF substrates
CorelDRAWPro IndexOne of our members in Michigan
requested that we put together an Index of all the articles wersquove published during the year
He prints out all the issues and puts them in binders but an Index would make it easy to reference specific articles We think itrsquos a good idea and wersquoll send it to all subscribers in January
Product Focus TopicsJanuary 2008 -- Signage Products esp Wide FormatFebruary 2008 -- Engraving Awards amp GiftsMarch 2008 -- Apparel ProductsApril 2008 -- Laser Wood Products
Coming in 2008
December 2007 36Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETSBy Donna M Gray CRM Opportunities
December ndash Time to Review December finds everyone on our team strategizing how to get out of our parking lot Our business sits right in the middle of an up-scale strip mall which sits right behind a huge shopping mall and right along the main road to a Target Superstore and other large malls We all know that from the day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday) until 2 weeks after the New Year there are great challenges to those of us who like to leave the building for lunch or run an errandhellipso we strategize We all know every secret shortcut to the bank the post office and the warehouse club What we donrsquot know is how to find the way to merge out of our own back alley into the constant flow of traffic that carries people to their end shopping destination Whew
The year-end review So this year Dave and I have decided to stay in at lunch and do our business strategizing instead Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup are good brain food for helping us to look at all the successful things we did last year as a company all the things we thought about doing but didnrsquot because the idea didnrsquot quite fit and all the things we put off until next year We do this kind of exercise every year end and it helps us to map out our strategy for the coming year In the process we identify any mistakes wersquove made wrong turns wersquove taken and we try to find the ldquowhat could have happened had everything gone rightrdquo
The value of making mistakes Albert Einstein said ldquoAnyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything newrdquo Dave has a couple of prints in his office of Abraham Lincoln that describe his mistakes in fact it took Lincoln eight tries to win the presidency Thomas Edison made mistakeshellipand yet he perseveredhellipotherwise wersquod by ldquocomputingrdquo by candlelight And Irsquove heard that Colonel
Sanders had a thousand rejections before he sold his first chicken recipe It would be nice to get to our year end business appraisals and find that wersquove made no mistakes but our business like most others doesnrsquot have that claim to fame My mother always took the high road with mistakes She always said that one should recognize the benefits of a mistake One should learn what good came from it use it to improve and use it to help motivate success the next time So December is the time to analyze everything that made up the past year and look for ways to make the New Year successful in every way
Making a plan Most advisors say that the first step toward business success after looking at a companyrsquos year ending history is to decide on exactly what you want to do going forward in the coming year Then comes mapping out the plan What will be done How will it get done Who will do what What resources will be used When will it get done Is the right equipment in place Is the space adequate Ask these and any other questions that could relate to creating a successful year then focus on the details and follow through Those two wordshellipfocus and follow throughhellipcould mean the difference between marginal and abundant success Simply stated success comes from what you do and the way you do ithellipin your customerrsquos perception Every business wants to have a good imagehellipa good reputation so dedication to having good communication skills is important especially in an industry that does custom work The goal is to be on the same page as our clients so we have to be good mind readers We have to also concentrate on our professionalism on our appearance on our presentation style and in the pride we take in producing a well-done project This
has worked in the past and will remain the same in the future
The extra mile Success has to be nurturedhellipthen it gets celebrated Sometimes sacrifices have to be made to get to the rewards At year end when we analyze how we got from Point A to Point B itrsquos interesting to note that we sometimes had to take detours and sometimes the road blocks called for sacrificehellipof time or money Sometimes the sacrifice came in the way of a sleepless night worrying if an order that was lost in delivery would be found and re-routed to us in time to make a clientrsquos deadline Someone (unknown) said ldquoA day of worry is more exhausting than a week of workrdquo Anyone in business could testify to that Part of success is going the extra milehellipeven if it results in a sleepless night Going the extra mile is worth all the paid advertising in the world on the road to success
December 2007 37Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETS
Donna Grayrsquos 2nd book Itrsquos All Relative Surviving amp Thriving in a Family Business was published in September 2007
It describes her quest to identify the keys to suc-cess for small business and family businesses in particular She interviewed top businesses nationwide and discovered five common qualities implemented by successful business owners Check it out at the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore wwwcoreldrawprocomAllBook-storehtm
Commitments made and kept Our team felt good about some commitments we made and kept this past year like
We used a daily ldquoto-dordquo list and we set priorities in order of importance When we finished a project we ldquocelebratedrdquo and then moved on quickly to the next job We built in some time for ldquostress reliefrdquo with morning meeting breaks This was especially good when treats were served since wersquove got some good bakers on our staff We didnrsquot ldquoscreenrdquo calls through voice mail We considered every call to be important We ldquodid it right the first timerdquo even though it sometimes took longer We tied up all the ldquoloose endsrdquo We became ldquocheerleadersrdquo for each other When one of us accomplished a goal we all applauded We all tried to deliver more than we promised This can be challenging sometimes when working with a difficult project We eliminated (or tried to eliminate) unnecessary procedures and we simplified our paper flow system We spent most of our time on high priority tasks We all worked on our delegation skills We were committed to not wasting time either our own or other peoplersquos
Goals that were lacking Now all those great things being put on paper reminds me that we also had some goals we didnrsquot quite succeed athellipbut wersquoll try harder next year
We didnrsquot always ldquogrouprdquo tasks togetherhelliplike going to the bank and the post office in one trip or answering mail when it gets opened It wasnrsquot always easy to avoid procrastination Some low priority chores got put off There were still times when we couldnrsquot find enough hours to finish the work Our ldquotoolsrdquo didnrsquot always get put away when we were through with a project even though this is Daversquos pet peeve
Conclusion Experts say that we have to actively create our success not wait for it to happen This coming year hopefully none of us will sit in the comfort zone waiting for the phone to ring Therersquos an old Chinese proverb that goes ldquoIt you continually give you will continually haverdquo Our team will go on being involved in community activities When time is spent on worthwhile projects outside the business opportunities come knocking at the front counter Besideshellipat yearrsquos endhellipit makes us feel really good about the help we gave on these projects
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since1977 She can be reached by email at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
December 2007 38Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
GRAPHICS NEWS NETWORKAll these news and information products and services are part of the
Graphics News Network developed for ACDRP The goal is ldquoAll the News All the Time mdash For the World of Graphicsrdquo
GRAPHICS NewsWireThe Graphics News Wire is the always live always updated source for graphics news mdash products equipment technology and more Make it (CorelDRAWProcomNewsPagehtm) your home page or favorite to gain access to Breaking news updated regularly New Classified Ads New Job Announcements Supplier SpecialsAll news is related to graphic productsQuickSourceTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive amp Easy-To-Use
Search Engine
It gives you one-click access to suppliers products phone numbers and live links to ACDRP Member Suppliers Itrsquos always up-to-date searchable by keyword and accessible from your desktop
Quick TnTTM
The Industryrsquos Newest Resource for Graphics Tips amp Templates
Gain access to a growing library of CorelDRAW tips and templates that will make your work easier
QuickLearnTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive and
Easy-To-Use Article Library
Gain access to hundreds of articles on graphics-related and business topics searchable by keyword
The Entrepreneurial Magazine for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro Magazine is delivered to you once a month in PDF format It features in-depth content that readers rave about including articles on how to use CorelDRAW how to apply CorelDRAW and how to profit from CorelDRAW
News Tips amp Resources for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month mdash about the 15th and 25th It brings you highly targeted content that you wonrsquot find elsewhere including CorelDRAW Tips extensive product news links and a calendar of shows and training
MARKET PLACE
Quality Engravable JewelryHand-crafted in New England
GIFTS amp ACCESSORIES FOR WOMEN AND MEN
John E Lepper Inc800-835-3623 Fax 508-222-2732
wwwjeleppercom
GenuineWhite-tone
Pewter amp Gold
Some Things Were Meant To Be In Etched in Stone
Call for a free color catalog
NampR International1155 Allgood Rd 13Marietta GA 30062
678-560-4088Fax 678-560-1157
Importers amp Wholesalers of MarbleOnyx
Gifts amp Accessories
JOIN TODAY
The worldrsquos only association for CorelDRAWreg Users
wwwcoreldrawprocomJoinhtm
Place an Ad for as little as $215 per month
Find out how by calling our Ad Representative John McDaniel II
541-990-6687
the entrepreneurial magazine
GET LISTED TODAY
Generate new businessby doing jobs for others
List your company in GSG the Digital Yellow Pages for the industry wwwcoreldrawprocomListGSGhtm
December 2007 39Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Louie Alvarez started in the industry working for one of the largest trophy shops in Central California and then opened one of the first retail laser engraving businesses He has given seminars and workshops on CorelDRAW and Laser for many years and has written for several publications He is now with Vytek Industrial Lasers and is based in Las Vegas NV He can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
Kathryn Arnold is the Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
Errol Barr has a wide range of experience in sales amp marketing eventually getting into laser systems in 1999 currently with Vytek Industrial Lasers He also sold extensively in the CNC router industry selling the machines as more of a business opportunity wrapped around the machine He can be reached by email at errolbarrgmailcom
Dave Demoret founded Prolink Graphic Services to help people understand and profit from learning CorelDRAW He has been in both the Flat Graphics Industry and the Decorating Graphics Industry for 30 years He has written articles for several publications is a Corel Training Partner and conducts workshops nationwide and online He is the author of several CD Instructional programs on CorelDRAW He can be reached at 765-DO COLOR (362-6567) or davedprolinkgscom
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since 1977 She has presented seminars on a variety of topics nationwide and has won many marketing awards She is the author of two books on family business and can be reached at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
Bill Leek is a color consultant for JBL Graphics in Houston TX and has over 30 years experience in computer engineering and graphics design He has developed several lines of color imprintable products and does testing on a variety of products for different manufacturers He can be reached at wfleekjblgraphicscom or 281-970-6677
Jeff McDaniel is the owner of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon He worked as a journeyman machinist before getting into the graphic products business Creative Graphic offers laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials Contact him at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
John McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry He worked for many years with computers in electronic data processing and pioneered the use of CorelDraw for engraving applications He owned a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years and writes about hardware design software laser engraving sublimation and more He is a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals For information on training and more call 541-967-4271 or write to mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
Judy McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry Her background includes many forms of art and retail sales as well as the operation of a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years She is a regular columnist on sandblasting sublimation and diversifying business as well as a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals She can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
David Milisock is president of Custom Graphic Technologies Inc in Pennsylvania He has been in the print production business since 1975 and specializes in professional support for CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite Output includes computer-to-plate processes for all commercial digital front-end applications as well as Postscript-compliant graphic applications He offers technical and color management support for all RIP-driven corporate digital output systems He can be reached at 717-509-3523 or davidmilisockcomcastnet
Deborah Sexton former editor of Impressions Magazine has been in the apparel graphics industry since 1981 She currently does marketing and public relations for apparel graphics companies and is a columnist for several industry publications She can be reached at dsextonsbcglobalnet
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at 916-567-1867
December 2007 40Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
by Otis Veteto
Traveling Tidbits
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the
RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of
the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Itrsquos a fun and
informative column focusing on the human-interest side of
the industry Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars
for industry organizations and some of that knowledge
will rub off as well He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at
916-567-1867
Reps Volunteers People Skills amp Agreements
RS Owens Southeast RepFirst of all a Traveling Tidbits welcome to
the newest member of the RS Owens Company sales team Anita Brennan Anita is the new Regional Sales Manager for the Southeast She will be calling on you folks in Alabama Tennessee Mississippi Florida Georgia North Carolina and South Carolina Anita has worked in all phases of our industry as a retailer (her own business) multi-line rep and now as a regional sales manager When I asked Anita what she likes to do when not on the road she told me she likes to spend time with her two-year-old granddaughter Kaylee Welcome to the RS Owens family Anita Brennan
Railroad Museum VolunteerI know Christmas is the time for giving
but some people give all year long I was talking recently with Elias Athanasiou whose regular job is a server in a restaurant my wife and I frequent when I am in Sacramento Elias has been associated as a volunteer with the California State Railroad Museum for about 16 years Every Saturday during the ldquorunning seasonrdquo April-September Elias can be found working as a volunteer on the Steam Engine excursion train that runs for 6 miles along the top of the levee on the Sacramento River The ride takes about 40 minutes Elias is the Engineer now but has worked as conductor and fireman in his tenure with the train It is people like Elias Athanasiou that make this a much better world A huge Traveling Tidbits SALUTE You can find out more about the Railroad Museum at wwwcsrmorg
Real People SkillsThis next tidbit is from the PPAI Promotional
Consultant Today The author is Roy Chitwood president of Max Sacks International in Seattle Wash It is entitled To Shine Polish Your People Skills
ldquoPeople buy not because they understand your product or service but because they feel that you understand them People buy emotionally As a professional salesperson you need to be more people-oriented not product centered Here are seven quick and easy techniques to improve your people skills
SMILE It is the universal sign of friendship in any language The Chinese have a proverb ldquoA man who cannot smile should not open a storerdquo Think about that Give a smile and you will get a smile in return
DEVELOP A GENUINE INTEREST IN OTHERS When you have sincere interest it shows Look directly at people when they are talking to you Let your facial expression register your interest Ask good open-ended questions to let people know that you are interested in what they say
TALK IN TERMS OF THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS INTERESTS You will never meet anyone who doesnrsquot have time to talk about what they want to talk about Encourage your prospect to discuss his or interests rather than launching into a discussion about yourself
USE THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS NAME Using a name builds personal rapport and shows you are listening with respect Be careful about overusing the personrsquos name
GIVE COMPLIMENTS Everyone loves a compliment when it is genuine Make a
concentrated effort to give at least 3 honest compliments every day of your life You will be amazed at what it will do for your relationships
LISTEN Listening is the greatest compliment you can pay When you assume the role of the listener it relaxes the sales climate As you listen you are demonstrating that you truly care and you are genuinely interested in what he or she has to say
MAKE THE OTHER PERSON FEEL IMPORTANT When you are sincerely impressed by something the other person has achieved or owns let them know it Understand that fundamentally every person is important and treat them accordingly
Personal comment When I finished reading this I thought to myself ldquoThese make sense in our everyday life not just in salesrdquo
The Third AgreementI will close with the 3rd step from the book
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel RuizDONrsquoT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS Find the
courage to ask questions and to express what you really want Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings sadness and drama
Sounds a little like what I wrote at the beginning of the column doesnrsquot it
Thatrsquos all for now Remember to save some time for yourself and your family And when you travel please travel safe
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE
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- News
December 2007 5Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
GRAPHICS NEWS WIREDecember 2007
Product News Headlines
Calendar (Web Link)Check out the upcoming training
classes and trade shows of interest to CorelDRAW users
Dog Tags for Kids Project Needs Help
TheMagicTouch USA opens Florida branch
SanMar debuts its 2008 Premium Collection catalog
ASI launches Product Data Service for custom websites
Stahlsrsquo ID Direct introduces Professor Upperplaten
AWT World Trade introduces digital timer and high-output lamps
Unisub introduces new ChormaLuxeTM clock
Roland names David Goward president and CEO
Midwest Sign to carry full line of Roland printers
Midwest Sign offers Rho 600 Pictor Flatbed UV inkjet printer
Colman amp Co offers new Backing-in-a-Box
Hirsch has Third Hand Air Cap Framing system
EmbSuppliescom has Allied Grid-Lock Tubular Frames
Stahlsrsquo ID Direct releases CAD-COLORreg Solutions Opaque
Johnson Plastics offers new gift items for personalization
LaserBits adds cribbage boards and glass photos frames
December 2007 6Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
December 2007 7Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
About the Cover
Editorrsquos Note This is the 3rd cover Marian has done for us Her first one was using scientific illustrations and the second was a stained glass pattern Now for this one this versatile CorelDRAW artist has created a pattern from a real snowflake
This snowflake cover began as an image of a real snowflake (which was found on the internet and photographed by Ken Libbrecht a scientist at California Institute of Technology in Pasadena CA) He kindly offered to let me use his images as patterns for stained glass (httpPDQpatternscom) His photo gallery can be found at httpwwwsnowcrystalsnetgallery1smindexhtm
The following is what I can remember of how I created this snowflake design Usually there are numerous iterations and failed attempts in producing such a design with countless objects and fills numerous crashes and failed clipboards Saving separate versions often along the journey is imperative and sometimes things just happen serendipitously that are really great too but how they were arrived at I donrsquot always remember precisely
Initially a symmetrical hexagon was created using the polygon tool and the control key With the objectrsquos size menu it was resized to the desired dimensions A jpg image of the ldquorealrdquo snowflake was imported and viewed with the wireframe mode (altV W) and sized to match the vector hexagon I checked to see that the hexagon was rotated so that there was a point at the top (the default in x3) which makes right-to-left mirroring of objects easy Each element (object) on the right half of one arm of the snowflake was created using the bezier tool and the node edit menu (for cusprsquod and curved lines) These objects were grouped and a horizontal mirror image duplicate was created and moved to fill the left half of the snowflake arm--in alignment with the right side group To blend two objects in the center of the snowflake arm all objects were ungrouped then adjacent objects to be combined were selected and the menu chosen - arrangegtshapinggtcreate a new object surrounding selected objects The new object
Marian Millerrsquos Snowflakewas moved a notch with the up arrow key and the two original objects deleted then the new object was moved back down into place If you use the arrow keys to move the new object instead of dragging with the mouse then it will fit back into place perfectly This was done for several mirrored objects in the snowflake arm to eliminate the ldquocut and pasterdquo feeling and the line down the center of the snowflake arm When the right and left arms (halves) of the snowflakersquos single arm were complete then it was aligned with the top (point) and vertical center of the original hexagon Right and left halves of the arm were selected grouped and copied The entire snowflake image was selected (including the hexagon in the background) and rotated 30 degrees and the clipboard pasted (the pasted arm should fall exactly in the next point of the hexagon [One must select the whole hexagon and its contents to have it rotate correctly to allow the pasted snowflake arm to fall into the right place] The entire image is selected again rotated 30 degrees again then pasted (the arm) again It also should have fallen right into the next point of the hexagon This is continued until all six rays of the snowflake are filled
For the center hexagon a new symmetrical hexagon was created and reduced using the arrangegttransformgtscale menu until it matched the snowflake center then converted lsquoto curvesrsquo with arrangegtconvert to curves options All nodes were selected and the node edit icon to ldquomake-nodes-smoothrdquo was clicked which symmetrically rounded the corners of the hexagon The center hexagon was rotated by 30 degrees and centered to the snowflake outline The jpg of the original snowflake was deleted
All objects were ungrouped then regrouped as selected pairs of objects (eg similar objects in all six arms) to fill with colorful jpgs (or machine fill using the paint bucket option) For filling grouped objects with imported raster files a file is imported selected then the menu effectsgtpowerclipgtplace inside container is used A black arrow appears and the mouse is used to point to the object to be filled The position of the fill inside the object was edited by selecting
the object and choosing effectsgtpowerclipgtedit contents (move the jpg where you want or size it stretch or rotate) then in the left lower corner of the screen click on ldquofinished editing this level ldquo)
I used stained glass jpgs downloaded from websites of the numerous stained glass producers such as Armstrong and Spectrum Glass (mostly Spectrum Glass jpgs were used here) The line thickness was increased and line color was selected with a right click over the color palate
To fill the outside hexagon outline was increased to 16 pts then the object was converted to curves and filled with a colorful jpg file The whole design consisted of copied and pasted finished snowflakes into a pattern (in this instance adjacent hexagons) The arrangegtshapegttrim options were used to trim off snowflake areas that were not wanted
Finally all objects were selected grouped and the size of the snowflake design determined A rectangle of those same dimensions was created then centered to the page arrangedgtorderedgtsent to back then filled
Contact Marian at marianpdqpatternscom or visit her site at wwwpdqpatternscom 3945 Red Bud Ave Cincinnati OH 45229 513-558-1715 (w)
December 2007 8Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Inside ACDRP
By Michael Neer Executive Director
Winter ndash A Time to Prepare
In many parts of the world winter comes in with a white blanket of snow across the fields and streets People tend to stay indoors out of the cold so if you go outside itrsquos very quiet and still Therersquos less hustle and bustle in the marketplace The pace of life is slower Errands take longer Holidays put the attention more on family and less on business In fact itrsquos a time when many industry businesses either close or are open fewer hours Few new products are launched Most business owners are waiting to make announcements at the start of the new year
DECEMBER 2007
Published by Association of CorelDRAWreg Professionals
President John H McDanielVice President Judith McDaniel
Executive Director Michael R Neer Assoc Exec Director Steven V Neer
ACDRP Corporate Office Albany OR
EDITOR PUBLISHER ndash Michael R Neermikeneercoreldrawprocom
GRAPHICS ndash John MiseADVERTISING ndash John McDaniel II jhmcdaniel2coreldrawprocom
541-990-6687
OFFICES Membership amp Publishing offices located at
4709 N El Capitan Suite 103Fresno CA 93722
800-276-8428 559-276-8494 Fax 559-276-8496wwwCorelDRAWProcomeditorcoreldrawprocom
Subscriptions Free to qualified individuals and businesses Send change of address to the above
ACDRP Membership $60yr See the website for details Includes exclusive content and more
Advertising Request a Media Guide or download it from wwwCorelDRAWProcom
Writers CorelDRAWPro accepts articles from industry experts Email publisher for details
copy Copyright 2007 by ACDRP All Rights Reserved
So when this kind of mood is in the air we can make the most of it by using this time to prepare for the next year Itrsquos a time of review and planning ndash or sometimes finishing up projects that have been delayed
Thatrsquos why in this issue we provide you with several articles that will help you prepare for a great 2008
Donna Gray discusses how she reviews her business and plans for 2008
Bill Leek describes 10 ways you can prepare for more success in 2008 in terms of equipment training purchases and more
We present our annual Top Products of the Year story which is designed to call your attention to the most significant new products of 2007 ndash so you can try them out or see the trends that may be coming next year
Plus this is a good time to get the training you or your staff needs to be more competitive in 2008 Check out the CorelDRAWPro Bookstore for CDs books and videos and also the ProLink Graphics ad and the Calendar link in this issue for specific training events
Wersquod like to thank all of our subscribers and members for your loyal support during the year Thank you for your comments your questions and your attendance at MMcdr Our goal is to bring you more and better information about graphics and making money and we think 2008 will be full of both See you next year
December 2007 9Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
December 2007 10Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Using CorelDRAWregTraining
By Corel CorporationUsing Preview Modes in Image Adjustment Lab
When working with files that have poor color balance and contrast you need to use many different tools to make adjustments You can save valuable time by using the Image Adjustment Lab which is accessible from both Corel PHOTO-PAINTreg and CorelDRAWreg By uniting the most important manual and automatic controls required for common color and tone corrections the Image Adjustment Lab offers a fast intuitive way to achieve professional results with your image files
With the Image Adjustment Lab you can use different preview modes for evaluating the color and tone adjustments you make You can preview the corrected image in a single window view the original and corrected images in separate windows or view the image split into original and corrected portions within one window
The Image Adjustment Lab also lets you create snapshots of your adjustments with just one click The snapshots appear below the working preview which lets you easily compare each snapshot against the original version and then choose the best result
The preview mode buttons (A) and the Create Snapshot
button (B)
To open the Image Adjustment LabDo one of the following If yoursquore working in CorelDRAW click Bitmaps gt Image Adjustment Lab If yoursquore working in Corel PHOTO-PAINT click Adjust gt Image Adjustment Lab
To preview the corrected image in a single window
After correcting the image click the Full Preview button
To view the original and corrected images in separate windows
After correcting the image click the Before and after full preview button
To view original and corrected portions of an image in one window
After correcting the image click the Before and after split preview button
To capture the current version of your image
Click the Create Snapshot button
Thumbnails of the snapshots appear in a window below your image Each snapshot is numbered sequentially and can be deleted by clicking the Close button in the upper-right corner of the snapshot title bar
December 2007 11Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Using CorelDRAWregTraining
By Dave Demoret Contributing writerBitmap vs Vector
BITMAPSOne of the reasons bitmaps are not the desired image of choice in our industry is
that they do not reproduce well when enlarging the image Nor do they lend themselves to our process of decorating at least in screen printing embroidery and vinyl cutting to mention a few markets We need to use color in solid object form to achieve many of the end products we produce Color is very difficult to change in a bitmap image so we tend to lean towards the vector side to achieve our goals
One of the most confusing issues especially for beginners is the difference between bitmap also called raster and vector images To help clarify this take a look at the images on the side Bitmaps are made up of thousands of pixels (short for picture elements) which are tiny squares usually of different colors that form a picture These pixels are what make up the resolution of a given picture or bitmap image In lithography they are commonly referred to as dpi or dots per inch ndash thatrsquos for printing resolution We also use the dpi designation when we are talking about pixels per inch (ppi) in our industry but thatrsquos not technically correct Pixels per inch (ppi) refers to resolution on a monitor However we are looking at the scanning and the end product resolution in this article and therefore we are mostly concerned with the standard dpi measurement
Bitmaps are usually scanned into a graphics program or taken from a digital camera using the dpi designation In the illustrations here a 300 dpi (dots per inch) image is somewhat defined and appears to have clean edges but as we enlarge the image we are in effect decreasing the dots per inch We are making the dots themselves larger and therefore there are fewer dots that will fit into a one inch space By increasing the size using dpi or enlarging the bitmap using the dpi measurement we begin to see pixels and
very rough edge definition This is not especially good for printing or digitizingIf you have an image to print at 300 dpi to heat press on a t-shirt it can look pretty
good but if you want that same image to go on the back of a jacket and you try to enlarge it you will get the lsquojaggiesrsquo It is very difficult to take a low resolution image and increase the size while maintaining any kind of clarity or quality image
On the other hand if you have a low resolution image that needs to be reduced you will increase the image resolution because you will be putting more dots in that same one inch This simply means that a 300 dpi resolution image reduced by 50 will become a 600 dpi resolution
Image Size -vs- Image DPIAllow me to take this one step further to explain image dpi versus image size
When you have a 5 x 7 photo and you scan it into your CorelDRAWreg or scanning software you have the option of selecting the resolution using the dpi measurement If you want to enlarge the photo for your project increase the dpi I usually scan most everything at least a minimum of 600 dpi (figure 1) Others I will scan at 1200 to 1800 dpi to get a better quality print when I enlarge it enough to fit on a shirt Yes it does take longer to scan but the work on the other end is reduced dramatically
Remember that a 600 dpi image when reduced will become a 1200 dpi image In reverse the same 600 dpi image (figure 1) when enlarged will become a 300 dpi image (figure 2) This is all coming from the same 5 x 7 size image Size really doesnrsquot make a difference Itrsquos the resolution that will give you the quality that you are looking for
Resampling in CorelDRAWMost of the images you download
December 2007 12Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Using CorelDRAWregTraining
from the Internet will be 72 dpi (figure 3) and some are at 96 dpi These images are low grade and will need to be used at the existing size You can help them a little by using the lsquoResamplersquo in the pull down menu under Bitmaps in the Menu Bar of CorelDRAW This wonrsquot help a lot but may give you some assistance with some images The problem here is that the image will look slightly smoother but if enlarged much at all you will see it as being fuzzy or out of focus (figure 4) Play with resampling at several higher dpi choices and image sizes to get a feel for what you can and can not do
VECTOR IMAGESVector graphics are images that are made from mathematical
computations That is there is a certain shape and color associated with an outline and that area is the vector object as shown with one of the links here (figure 1) There are no definite objects or outlines in a bitmap It is simply thousands or millions of pixels each of a different color shade or tint That is why bitmaps are so hard to change easily With a vector image you simply select an object within the graphic and change the shape size and color with the tools provided in your graphics software
In contrast to the bitmap the vector image can be enlarged to any size without any distortion of edge definition This allows us to generate an image for a business card or a left chest logo on a t-shirt or a name tag then turn around and enlarge that same image to be placed on a billboard without any distortion of the image All the objects lines and integrity of the image are still intact (figure 2) no matter what size we select You can also see in figure 2 with the magnification that all the lines are still crisp sharp edges with no distortions
Vector images are the base images used in embroidery screen printing vinyl graphics and other markets within our graphics industry Many manufacturers today have geared their software as an add-on to CorelDRAW because of the ease clarity and flexibility that vector images offer
You can change a vector into a bitmap image with the click of a few buttons It takes considerably longer in most cases to change a bitmap into a vector file Most of the time
you will have to manually redraw or trace the bitmap image to convert it to a vector file There are programs out today that will convert these for you at least up to a point CorelDRAW is one of these programs PowerTrace is an auto trace feature used in the latest version of CorelDRAW
Printing ImagesWhile you will want to create your graphics in a vector
format you should know some basic principles of printing these two file choices One is that when you print a vector file it can take several times longer to print than a bitmap image of the same graphic Therefore for most of my printing in digital format like sublimation or heat transfer I will save a copy of my vector graphic as an original and make a duplicate copy to convert to a bitmap format for printing purposes
Another thing that most beginners donrsquot know is that if you are creating an image with CMYK Color Palette and print it to an inkjet printer you will throw off your color in the printed piece For example blues generally tend to turn to a violet lavender or purple shade Check with your supplier or distributor to help you set your printer to lsquoOutput color bitmaps as RGBrsquo And use your RGB Color Palette to color your graphic images
Dave Demoret founded Prolink Graphic Services to help people understand and profit from learning CorelDRAW He has been in both the Flat Graphics Industry and the Decorating Graphics Industry over the past 30 years He has written several articles for Screen Graphics Magazine on Color Control amp Matching in the past Dave has used CorelDRAWreg since version 3 and became a CorelDRAW Training Partner in 2006 During the past 5 years he has been conducting workshops all over the US and is the author of several Video CDs amp Instructional CDs on CorelDRAW Dave continues to conduct workshops in the US amp also worldwide online He can be reached at 765-DO COLOR (362-6567) or by email at davedprolinkgscom
December 2007 13Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE COLORBy David Milisock Training
Wow Powerful Controversial Useful I find the latter term to be most honest as shooting photos in the RAW format allows as much chance for the image to be ruined as it does for it to be improved The key to it being an improved experience rather then a ruined experience is of course understanding what the technology is all about work flow calibration and your skill
First off all cameras shoot RAW lower-cost cameras just wonrsquot let you save the file without an automated conversion process Here is the definition of RAW as printed in my new book Color Management in the CorelDRAW Graphics Suite for Professionals Small Office and Home Office capture C (to be released January 2008)
RAW is a file format that is proprietary to the camera manufacturer They are linear-gamma grayscale images from digital color filter arrays All these files require processing by a RAW converter to convert them to an RGB image
What this means to the user outside of the photographic ramifications is that the user needs to understand how the process is going to affect their color How this comes about is that the camera has a capture array that has red green and blue sensors Or an array that has filters to make some sensors only sensitive to red some only to blue and some only to green Each set of red blue and green sensors creates grayscale data that has to be combined to three channels Color is not only applied to the channels based on the value of the grayscale but a color space is assigned All cameras do this some just donrsquot let you do it manually
What Irsquom saying Is that as soon as the RAW converter develops a color display a color space has been assigned In fact the application has to have a
ldquoRAWrdquostandard color space to base the preview display on or your color edits would have no meaning
Stand-alone applications may allow you to choose what color space to apply to the image Some do not some force you to use an ultra-wide gamut RGB color space like Prophoto RAW Lab or plug-ins within image editing applications are most likely to use the internal (working) RGB of the application
So often it is written that RAW files have no color space and this is a true-falsehood True as long as they are still linear grayscale data streams of no value to anyone without a RAW converter but false as soon as you start the process of making a universally accepted RGB image of them
The key to the process is making sure that you understand what color space your converter assigned to the image so you can coordinate the internal RGB of Corel PHOTO-PAINTreg Make sure to activate the arrow from the internal RGB to the monitor
Any process that does not have the image
editor and RAW converter working in a coordinated manner will totally negate any benefit of using RAW You simply wonrsquot know what colors yoursquore really working with and thatrsquos not good for a process that was supposed to improve your work not make it worse
To my mind that biggest problem I see is that multiple RAW converter applications when viewing a RAW file as shot by the camera can have vastly different displays of the same image See capture A amp B (blurred on purpose) if you have a mind to try using RAW converting I suggest calibrating your display system first as this RAW image when opened in 4 different RAW converters has the white balance temperature identified
Coming Soon to the CorelDRAWPro Book Store A new book by columnist
David Milisock
Color Management in the CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
For Professionals Small Office and Home Office
Basic Color Theory bull Postscript and Non-Postscript Devices
RIPs for Ink Jets and Press bull Adobe Color Coordination
Color Continuity During Exportation bull and Much More
December 2007 14Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE COLOR
as four different values ranging from 2850 to 9980 OUCH Itrsquos hard to believe that the same data has been interpreted to be as shot by the camera judging by these two images isnrsquot it
This can only be described as an extremely painful experience Now you canrsquot rely on the software to interpret the data properly so the only thing you have that you can rely on is your calibrated work flow and your good sense
Another complaint that I have about stand-alone RAW converter applications is that in many cases the image display within the application is so poor that I cannot make a reasonable editing decision for any color or sharpening The image is glassy like in Paint Shop Pro or too soft like in Photoshopreg not sharp and clear like in PHOTO-PAINT OUCH
Please note in Capture A the Adobe RGB color space is already in play (see lower left corner) The adjustments available as shown in this capture are typical for RAW converters and
this capture will show them to you I am neither pro nor con RAW What Irsquove found is that
it is most generally used like image editor in place of good photography This is not always a bad thing Saving the cost on another shooting session through technology certainly has its selling point
Another observation Irsquove noticed is that as the cost of the cameras goes up the quality of their built-in conversion also goes up Many times they will save TIF instead of JPG files This is a real plus In studio settings with a superior camera you most likely will work your butt off and not be as good as the built-in RAW conversion of a studio quality camera On site live shoots is where the RAW conversion application seems to have a place to be most useful in my mind
Irsquom a Corel PHOTO-PAINT guy and I love my sharp clean PHOTO-PAINT display So until Corel PHOTO-PAINT has a RAW converter Irsquom sticking with the camera conversion and a TIF file for studio work But I will certainly use RAW when it benefits my client which benefits me
Watch out next month itrsquos going to be HOT
David Milisock is president of Custom Graphic Technologies Inc He has been in the print production business since 1975 and specializes in professional support for the CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite He can be reached at 717-509-3523 or davidmilisockcomcastnet See full bio on Writers Page
Itrsquos Who Knows YOU Network Your Way to Successby Chien J Wang president of Toujours Inc
Turbo-charge your networking with unique strategies that work Chien at-tends 10-12 events a week and has created a system for turning contacts into customers and customers into lifelong relationships
wwwcoreldrawprocomallbookstorehtm
Captures A amp B Two blurry images (on purpose) showing what happens to the white balance when opened in
different RAW converters This is typical
December 2007 15Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE TRANSFERSBy Bill Leek Applications
Headstart on Spring 10 Things You Can Do in January to Make 2008 a Successful Year
I have to be honesthellipMy normal inclination after the holiday season is to relax and take it easy for a few weeks It seems that after a very busy year I really deserve it But small- to medium-size business owners cannot afford to do this The few weeks of relative calm after Christmas are too valuable to squander
Every year I write up an action plan for January Hear are some ideas that you may find valuable
1) Follow the lead of the big retailers Valentinersquos Day is almost here and Easter is early this year Get your new spring displays mailings emails and catalogs out right after the holidays Highlight some new products with spring themes every year
2) Offer January specials with sizable discounts if you anticipate a slow month Use coupons and thank you gifts to show appreciation to your loyal long-term customers
3) Br igh ten up your display space with new graphics fixtures and lighting Look into new LED displays They offer superior lighting at significantly lower cost and maintenance LED
technology will replace both incandescent and neon lighting and signage in just a few years
4) Spend some time to really learn your software application January is a great time to learn new features and upgrade your Corel Software Buy a guide or an interactive CDDVD to speed up the learning curve
5) January is a great time to find new vendors equipment and imprintables You have more time and the vendors may be more responsive as sales are slower You very well might be able to make that great deal on a piece of capital equipment yoursquove wanted for some time
Ask vendors to provide you with samples of new inks imprintables and transfer papers Test washability compare color quality and evaluate production ease
Look at the new technologies -- direct printing on soft and hardgoods eco-solvent inks color laser printer transfer and new sublimation coatings are all ldquohotrdquo areas to investigate
6) Donrsquot just perform a physical inventory Evaluate inventory turnover and get rid of any dead items that are just taking up shelf space
7) Look at your customer base Are you trying to be all things to all people Are there specific niches where you have had greater success
than others Determine how to build on your strengths and possibly remove yourself from markets that are not profitable
8) Organize an email list of all your existing customers and solid leads Improve your communications with a newsletter Donrsquot overkill with your emailshelliptherersquos a fine line between informative and irritating
9) Sit down and list your major accomplishments and failures of the past year Try to assign a quantitative measure where you can Make a detailed list in each area and honestly investigate what resulted in success or failure
10) Come up with a list of 10-20 goals that you can realistically achieve in 2008 These goals can be defined as specific actions or financial results Create a small poster and display it in place where you will see it every day Go over the list every month and ask yourself how you are doing
I wish you all a Very Happy New Year I will try to keep you informed of all the exciting technical and market developments in 2008 Thanks for all your questions ideas and support during the past year
Add quality imprintables from Unisub for the
Valentinersquos Day market
December 2007 16Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE PRINTSUBLIMATIONBy Judy and John McDaniel Applications
Creating Sublimation Product Templates
Last time we finished all the background stuff now wersquoll get on to making things Wersquoll start with flat products which include plaques tiles shirts and other garments etc Later wersquoll explore specialty items like cups
Creating a Product Template FileThe first step in designing graphics for any new
product that we intend to make again and again is to create a product template Templates give us layouts into which we can place our text and graphics They may take a little time to set up initially however they make it much easier and faster to produce products once the templates are available
The first step in designing a template is to determine the page size in CorelDRAWreg For sublimated products that requires we decide what size the finished transfer will be The size of the transfer will determine the page size
The finished transfer may or may not be the size of the printed sheet For example if we are printing transfers for t-shirts generally they will be on full 11 x 17 sheets That said we have some layouts that will be printed in portrait orientation vertical on the shirt and some in landscape horizontal We have both styles available as templates If we are including a customerrsquos photo in the finished design the orientation of the photo might determine which template we use
For ceramic tiles the transfer may be the size of an individual tile or perhaps the size of a tile array For plaques the transfer is generally slightly larger than the print area of the plaque -- 4 x 6 5 x 7 8 x 10 etc For badges our template might be the size of a single badge or if we have a fixture for pressing badges our template might be the size of the fixture If wersquore pressing ceramic steins and cups we might have an array of templates some for fronts backs full wraps and full wraps edge to edge
Another variable to consider when creating a sublimation template is the size
of your printer and heat press The largest transfer that can be printed or pressed will determine the upper limit of the templatersquos page size These factors are only of concern for large items like shirts
In our shop we have both wide format (11inch) and standard (85 inch) sublimation printers We can choose roll material or standard sheets Currently our largest flat press is 14 x 16 inches so thatrsquos our upper limit for flat product images
Creating a T-shirt TemplateRemember creating a template is something you
only do one time for each item in your inventory and for any variations you would like to have available Creating
Photo 1
Photo 2
December 2007 17Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE PRINTING
a template file takes a little time in the beginning but saves a lot of time in the long run
With these factors in mind Irsquoll go through the steps of creating a special-occasion t-shirt template The first one Irsquoll create will be in portrait orientation If yoursquod like to follow along open CorelDraw to a new project 11 x 17 paper and set the orientation to portrait
Set Guidelines Next wersquoll bring in some guidelines These will
help us see the image area we have to work with For this project Irsquoll set guidelines at frac12 inch in from the left and right 1 inch in from the top and 3 inches up from bottom The guides are for visual reference This is the maximum text and graphics layout area
Since this is a vertical layout our graphic will be 1 inch down from the top edge of the transfer If we set the shirt on the press with the collar at the top edge then all wersquoll have to do is align the transfer to the top edge of the press and the image will be 1 inch down from the shirt collar
Irsquove limited the vertical image area to 13 inches Allowing an inch down from the top will make the bottom of the image 14 inches down from the collar Thatrsquos
ok for an adult large or XL shirt but you may want to adjust the area for smaller shirts
As a part of this layout Irsquove created a couple of layers One Irsquove called text and one picture These layers will be used for the graphic elements of the final template As an option you can also create a non-printing layer that contains a rectangle Since the layout is off centered you can use the rectangle to align your text and graphics but the rectangle will not print (See picture 1)
Save Your TemplateYou can now save this simple layout
as a CorelDRAW template To do that click on FileSave Ashellip and select CDT ndash CorelDRAW Template (see picture 2)
I normally save templates in a special folder however if yoursquore using Windows Vista its sort capabilities reduce the need to organize your files (See picture 3)
You can use this generic template as is You can also use it as a base for creating other templates Next time wersquoll make some additions to customize it for a special occasion Wersquoll also look at how we can use templates
Judy and John McDaniel are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry For information on training services offered and their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom They can be reached by phone at 541-967-4271 via SKYPE (user name JHMcDaniel) or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom See full bio on Writers Page
December 2007 18Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTINGBy Jeff McDaniel Applications
Using Specialty Platens Part 2Background
In our last article we touched on the steps required to create a master transfer for our specialty platen We also briefly reviewed locating the artwork and attaching the capillary film to the screen In this article we will expose our screens rinse them and produce our pocket patch CorelDRAWPro members can look up the more detailed information in the archived articles for June July and August at wwwacdrporg
Our setup and yoursOur setup is the Printa 770 series screen printing machine from Printa Systems Inc
All of the supplies and tools we will cover from here on were provided in the turn-key system from Printa with the 770 Your setup may be from another source but will most likely contain components of what we will discuss below In addition to the standard Printa 770 setup we will be using the ldquoPrint-Allrdquo system from Printa Systems Inc (see figure 1 courtesy of Printa Systems)
Exposing the capillary filmWe left off last article with our screens drying
Now that they are dry we are ready to expose the capillary film Exposing Step 1 we will gently peel the carrier sheet off of the capillary film (see figure 2)
Exposing Step 2 Next we need to put our first image back on the exposure unit and re-install the screen on the printing system Then we can bring the screen down on the
exposure unit attach our blackout board and expose the screen (see figure 3)
Exposing Step 3 After exposure we need to rinse out our screen and inspect it to be certain we have a complete rinse (see figure 4)
Exposing Step 4 Once the image is rinsed out it is time to put the screen back in the dryer (see figure 5)
Re-aligning the screens after wash outFrom the time that we first aligned the
artwork we have taken the screens in and out of the printing system twice If our artwork is even a little bit out of alignment we will lose blanks or put out low quality work It is a good idea to do a final adjustment with the original artwork
Re-Align Step 1 Leaving both of our photo positives on the exposure unit we can inspect the screen location compared to our original artwork location Here is the yellow screen location after exposure and wash out (see figure 6)
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
December 2007 19Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTING
Re-Align Step 2 The black screen is a little bit off (see figure 7) so we will need to use the Printa 770 micro-adjustment knobs to bring it back into alignment (see figure 8)
Masking off the screenNow that our artwork is
lined up correctly we can mask the rest of the screen off Wherever we donrsquot want the ink to run through the screen needs to be masked off (see figures 9 and 10)
Locating the pocket patch on the shirtThere are a couple of different ways to locate the pocket
patch on the shirt The first thing to consider is where you want it to end up on the wearer If the patch is too far toward the sleeve the image will end up under the wearerrsquos arm pit If the image is too far up toward the neck the image will not look right either A good way to figure out the correct location is by looking at a shirt that has a pocket patch on it (maybe one or two are in your closet right now)
Another way to locate the pocket patch is to put on the shirt
size that you wear and mark off where you think it feels correct and comfortable Once you have decided where you would like the patch keeping it in the same relative location on all of the different sizes is not too difficult The actual placement of the shirt can be accomplished a couple of different ways that we know of Which you prefer will depend mostly on if you are more accurate with sight or touch
The sight method involves using a masking tape strip to mark the desired location on the shirt prior to loading it onto the platen (see figure 11)
Once you have your marking in place you can load the shirt on the platen and have a nice representation that you are placing the design in the desired location (see figure 12)
Figure 7 Figure 8
Figure 9
Figure 10
Figure 11
Figure 12
December 2007 20Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTING
We prefer the sight method because it works well with our equipment The ldquoPrint Allrdquo system from Printa Systems Inc uses a smaller platen for pocket patches The smaller platen allows us to load sizes from youth XS ndash adult 5X without stretching
The touch method involves using a standard platen and adding a riser underneath where the pocket patch will be printed (a piece of cut cardboard or thin wood of the appropriate size) With this method you can feel when the shirt is in the correct location and begin printing from there
Inking the screens printing and curingSince we have resolved our location
issues with the pocket patch we are ready to ink the screens print and cure
Printing Step 1 Inking the screens is fairly straightforward (see figure 13)
Printing Step 2 Using the squeegee we will screen our first color (see figure 14) and check the quality of the image (see figure 15)
Printing Step 3 Our first color will need to be flash cured (see figure 16)
Printing Step 4 Now we can add our second color (see figure 17)
Printing Step 5 Finally we can do the finish cure step paying attention to the temperature gauge (see figure 18)
After final curing it is always a good idea to take at least a sampling of the product and wash it to be certain of the curing All of the information on post-job clean-up can be found in the CorelDRAWPro archives for September
Conclusion This time we took our screens out of
the dryer and pushed our project all the way to its completion
Jeff McDaniel is the OwnerOperator of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon Jeff has been working with computers since the age of 5 and was a journeyman machinist before working in the graphic arts business Creative Graphic offers services including laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials You can contact Jeff by email at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
Figure 14
Figure 13
Figure 15
Figure 17
Figure 16
Figure 18
December 2007 21Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SANDBLASTINGBy Judy McDaniel Applications
Screening the AbrasiveKeeping your sandblast abrasive media free
of contaminant material is essential During sandblasting abrasive is mixed with compressed air fed through the supply hose focused by the nozzle and impacts the product Then if itrsquos fine enough it leaves the system as dust or drops to the bottom of the cabinet to be recycled
Other material will also collect in the bottom of the cabinet This debris can include bits of mask (ever wonder where the center of that ldquoerdquo went) bits of tape and possibly solid material dislodged from the product yoursquore blasting This latter source of debris is especially prevalent when yoursquore working on materials other than glass like brick rock and wood
Leaving the debris in the abrasive when itrsquos recycled can cause a variety of problems First if a piece of debris is too large to fit through the nozzle it will clog it More importantly if it does fit through the nozzle and is hard like brick and rock debris it can impact the piece yoursquore working on and ruin it
The obvious solution is to screen the media when you reload the pressure pot The problem is the screen mesh size Irsquove tried the screen supplied by the cabinet manufacturers and used window screening material from a hardware store In both of these cases the mesh size would allow all but the largest pieces of debris through
What Irsquove found that works the best is a spatter screen from a local kitchen store The mesh is woven tightly and filters out much more debris The best thing is its price only a few dollars
One of our cabinets is not self-contained so we have to filter the media by hand We have found that bending the handle up on a large spatter screen
causes it to fit perfectly into the top of the pressure pot We also have a couple of other smaller pressure pots one in fact that you fill with a funnel For those I simply lay the spatter screen over the opening of the pot or the funnel when refilling
If you have a system that recycles the abrasive then it should be equipped with a screen located on top of the pressure pot Make sure to inspect and remove the debris from the top of the screen from time to time A shop-vac works well for this purpose If you find that larger pieces are getting through the screen then contact the manufacturer to see what can be done to reduce the mesh size
Keeping your media clean helps prevent unwanted delays or damage
To all of our friends out there new and old have a safe and joyful holiday season
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from John and me
Judy McDaniel with her husband John are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry In addition they provide one-on-one application support through an email subscription service exclusively for their Hotcdr Hands-On Training students or those who have purchased their CD sets (For information on training services offered visit wwwgraphic-products-trainingcom and for information on their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom) They can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
December 2007 22Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE ENGRAVINGBy John McDaniel Applications
Elements of Machine Accuracy 7 Structural Integrity
So far wersquove covered resolution speed repeatability and hysteresis This time wersquoll discuss structural integrity
What is Structural IntegrityStructural integrity is a measure of a machinersquos
strength or stiffness It is the ability of a machine to resist distortion by forces created in normal operations
Most mechanical engraving machines use single-fluted cutters As these cutters turn they apply cutting force against the material For every action though there is an equal but opposite reaction ie the material resists the cut and thereby transmits a resistive force back through the cutting tool spindle etc and ultimately to the machinersquos frame
Assuming a static bit position the force applied to the machinersquos structure will rotate 360deg with the tool (see diagram 1) As this force rotates any looseness in the structure will result in a deviation in the relationship of the material and the cutter
What machine design factors are involvedStructural integrity includes lead screws and their
hysteresis for mechanical engraving machines spindle bearings and their looseness for both mechanical and laser engravers gantry or table rails their bearings and looseness and the machinersquos frame In fact anything and everything that holds the tool and material in the proper relationship during the cuttingengraving process contributes to or detracts from structural integrity
Why is it importantIn a word Quality Structural integrity influences
the quality of the finished products the machine will produce
For illustration Irsquoll use a mechanical engraving system If the looseness in our machine and the cutting force applied were uniform throughout the 360deg of tool rotation the result would be a wobble in the tool path which might not be visible in the finished product
Cutting ForcesIn the real world however as the tool moves through
the material the cutting and reactive forces go through a cycle (see diagram 2) When the tool starts the cut there is a spike in force The force will level to a constant through the top side of the cut while itrsquos cutting against the direction of the toolrsquos movement Then it will drop somewhat when itrsquos cutting with the toolrsquos movement and finally fall off on the back side as the cutting edge of the tool enters the void area where the material has already been removed
The amount of force applied during the cutting process will vary depending on the material being
cut the tool and its sharpness the depth of cut the material feed rate and whether or not lubricant is used The cutting force may also vary over the length of the job as the toolrsquos cutting edge wears and becomes dull
Machine Component Looseness
In addition to the cutting force not being uniform throughout the 360deg of tool rotation l o o s e n e s s i n t h e machinersquos structure will also vary For example dur ing the cut t ing operation as the tool transitions through 0deg and 180deg of rotation X axis hysteresis will be a factor in overall machine looseness but Y axis hysteresis will have no effect At 90deg and 270deg the Y axis will become a factor but the X axis will have no impact
In the real world any looseness in the machine will cause an oscillation in the cut which will have its own angle If we could slow the toolrsquos movement we would see this oscillation as a sharp jump in the positional relationship between the tool and material being cut In the finished product this sharp jump in position will result in a jagged cut
December 2007 23Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE ENGRAVING Outline amp OverviewThe Nuts and Bolts of Machine AccuracyMachine accuracy or capability can be defined as a result of six features 1 Resolution ndash the smallest incremental movementpositioning of a speci-fied axis 2 Speed ndash the ability to complete a task in a reasonable amount of time without sacrificing accuracy or creating damage to the machine or product 3 Repeatability ndash the ability to duplicate a previous position without error 4 Hysteresis ndash the ldquosloprdquo or ldquoplayrdquo in motion control components 5 Structural Integrity ndash stiffness or strength ndash the ability to cut materials without error or damage This is especially important for mechanical engrav-ers 6 Structural Tolerances ndash the sum accuracy of a machinersquos mechanical components
Machine ComponentsWersquoll examine nine factors that determine a machinersquos accuracy They include 1 Motors ndash including DC Stepper DC Brushless DC Servo and AC Servo a Spindles ndash motors that rotate the cutting bit b Axis Drive ndash motors that position the material to the cutting bit c Horsepower ratings ndash real versus advertised 2 The Motion Control Drive Unit ndash including Geared Belt and Lead Screws a Lead Screws ndash including Acme Re-circulating Ball Standard and Precision b Mounting ndash including Simple Fixed and Thrust bearing types c Protection ndash Open or Closed 3 Guide Rails ndash Types include V Bearing Rail Bushing Shaft Dove Tail and Re-circulating Ball Bearing 4 Encoders ndash Types include Rotary and Linear Methodologies include incremental or absolute 5 Tachometers ndash used for speed stability acceleration and breaking control for closed loop servo systems 6 Bearings ndash including Sleeve Ball and Linear Re-circulating Ball a Applications ndash including Radial Thrust and Linear b Quality ndash Standard thru Ultra Precision 7 Spindles ndash including topbottom loading Collets and Sleeves 8 Material Hold Down ndash including mechanical clamps and vacuum sys-tems 9 Electronic Interface ndash Computer control methods
Wersquoll also examine Reliability what makes it And Serviceability is it fix-able
If the cutting oscillation is at any angle other than the direction of the cut and the oscillation is great enough a jagged cut will be visible in the finished product A cut deviation of as little as 001rdquo is visible to the naked eye and will most commonly show up on curves and circles but may show up on straight lines as well
To illustrate this point a little further and perhaps make it somewhat clearer Irsquod like to refer to diagrams 3 and 4 For purposes of these illustrations we will assume we have a machine that has some looseness on both the X and Y axes However the rest of the machine
is structurally solid the frame is rigid and no other components have any loosenessMaking these assumptions and disregarding the variation in force caused by the cutter
as it travels through the material we will have cutting oscillations at 0deg 180deg 90deg and 270deg during the toolrsquos rotation As the tool travels through the material on its path these oscillations will cause a slight variation in the centerline of the toolrsquos cut
Diagram 3 shows a horizontal tool path While the machine is cutting in this direction any X axis looseness will be masked by the cutter path itself however looseness in the Y axis will result in a slight oscillation in the cutterrsquos horizontal position and therefore a deviation in its cut Diagram 4 shows the effect of the X axis looseness which will impact vertical lines
As you can see from this discussion and these illustrations structural integrity ie looseness in the components from which a machine is constructed can make a significant difference in quality of the finished products that a machine will produce
Next time wersquoll consider structural tolerances and their impact
John McDaniel with his wife Judy are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry For information on training services offered and their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom They can be reached by phone at 541-967-4271 via SKYPE (user name JHMcDaniel) or via email at JHMcDanielCorelDRAWhelpcom See the full bio on the Writers Page
December 2007 24Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
the image the text and the red bow In the laser file for this example I have the red cut line for vectoring (See Figure 5)
5) Send the cardstock through the printer6) Place the cardstock in the laser for vector
cutting The thickness of the stock will determine what settings to use For my 35-watt laser using a medium weight cardstock I used a speed of 100 and power of 15 for a nice cut through the stock without any burn marks on the paper
7) Optional in one run I decided to let the laser take care of the bow instead of using color for it from my printer I set the outline of the bow to 100 black and the interior of the bow to 50 black (See Figure 6)
8) Then I only sent the image and text through the printer The bow and vector cutting occurred in the laser I set the raster engraving (of the bow) at speed 70 and power 40 (See Figure 7) You can see the differentiation of using 100 black as opposed to 50 black by the exterior lines
being engraved a little deeper than the rest of the fill
Take the idea of using patterns (like the birth announcement above) and wowing your clientele with the detail and intricacy that laser can provide Or add a twist to a holiday tradition (cards) Whatever you do donrsquot forget you can combine the advantages of the printer and laser for fabulous products
Submitted by Kathryn Arnold Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
LASER TIPBy Kathryn Arnold Applications
Combining Laser amp Printer PowerComing up with new and
inventive ways to use your laser is the key to a successful and growing business We will look at a way to combine the power of your computer (ink) printer with the power of the laser engraver
In this lesson we will take a look at using cardstock to create a card and an announcement See the examples of a holiday card and a birth announcement ndash gratuitously they are of my family (Figure 1 amp Figure 2)
1) In CorelDRAWreg use any pattern image text you wish Be sure that there is a clear and discernible vector line that will be laser cut and yield a cut piece from the cardstock2) See the clear (red) cut line ndash it goes fully around my object even the bow portion (important) I then duplicated my object to fit as many as possible on my 8 frac12 x 11 cardstock (See Figure 3) 3) I saved this file as my master file that I could return to at any point I then created two copies -- one that will
be used to send the file to my printer and one that will be used to send the file to my laser engraver (See Figure 4)
4) In the master file I have every part of what my end product will have In the file for my printer I only have the parts that the printer will print ndash in this example
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
December 2007 25Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
ELECTRONICS FRONTIERBy Louie Alvarez Opportunity
Webcams are an interesting subject which I am intimately familiar with Some typical questions are what are they what purpose do they serve what benefit are they what to look for and various other questions concerns and issues
Webcams surely bring back a memory or two not all that great I might add I remember when they first became usable primarily due to the Internet having affordable true broadband
First experiences The choppy poor quality of dial-up service
simply didnrsquot make this a useful technology Short of communicating with far-flung family members it left much to be desired With my immediate family living in Las Vegas and all other family (parents siblings cousins etc) living in California this was a technology I thought would be useful to keep in touch
So I set up my computer and my momrsquos computer with Webcams to stay in touch Needless to say with the poor quality terrible tracking (had to keep perfectly
sti l l because video frames didnrsquot refresh fas t enough) the hard-to-see tiny video window and poorly synchronized voices to the faces (we looked like a badly translated kung fu movie) the novelty quickly wore off (Irsquod say in about 30 minutes)
WebcamsSecond attempt
So I promptly dumped the technology for the next few years until I started seeing broadband picking up the pace and more interest in Webcams becoming obvious from all the new devices on the market So about three years ago a wireless Webcam caught my eye and I decided to put it to the test once again
Considering I was by then traveling quite extensively (about 40000 miles a year) I figured Irsquod use it to monitor my home I had two teenagers and a 5-year-old at home at the time while I was on the road and my wife was still a t work (She normally didnrsquot get off work until about two hours after school was out) So this looked to be a cool device to see if as the clicheacute goes when the catrsquos away the mice will play
I proceeded to position this wireless Webcam strategically to allow viewing of my living room including the back door Plus to get to the front door or side door you would have to pass through the field of the camera My little one loved the idea of being on camera for her daddy and would dance play and make funny faces for me Pretty cool actually That in itself almost justified the camera but needless to say my teenagers even my wife didnrsquot take to the idea too well So it was returned and life continued on as usual
That experience did show me that the broadband
speeds the quality of the video feeds the prevalence on the net of live cams and the quality of the video cameras (better known as Webcams) had progressed to a level of usefulness and I could see the potential of this technology With that said letrsquos get into the heart of this article
So what are webcams Basically they are digital cameras attached to
the computer and connected to the Web or Instant Messaging (IM) This allows the camera to be linked to a website or to each other directly and individuals who view the website or IM are able to see what the camera is viewing at that moment You can choose to get either still pictures that are updated at regular intervals (Snapshot) or live streams (Streaming) depending on what your bandwidth permits The WebCam technology has advanced sufficiently now to make it both easier and cheaper to maintain a camera that is refreshing an image 24 hours a day
Features of Web Cameras Listed here are some of the features more commonly
found in WebCams1 Live streaming video still pictures updated2 No plug-in or software necessary to view image
can be viewed with any Web browser3 Live audio4 Incorporation with other software such as Instant
Messaging (IM)5 Adding captionslogostime displays6 Archiving video7 Chat feature
December 2007 26Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
WebCams in an instructional scenario could be used to
Monitor your staff or employees thus being able to guide them better
Telecommute to companies worldwide and demonstrate project procedures
B roadcas t sem ina rs wo rkshops o r demonstrations
Share special events and programs with students enrolled in distance learning courses
Hold a video press conference online meeting or broadcast meetings and discussions
In some cases it is important for the learner to be able to establish a connection visually WebCams could be a good alternative to using text files or audio files
Join WebCam groups and allow students to take advantage of other WebCam locations for educational purposes
Using a web camera allows learners to be a part of either a conference or classstudio
Benefits of using WebCamsa The most important advantage of using a web camera is that it creates a direct link between the camera and the live site and dispenses with all the production work Production work in this context includes the cost and effort involved in shooting
editing and streaming videos Thus using a WebCam does not require
advanced skillsb The software is basically a Web server that runs on your system and pushes images out to a Web page For viewers of images delivered over a WebCam
one of the benefits is that they get the entire picture preferable in
certain cases rather than a sleek edited versionc WebCam technology can also be used for remote s u r v e i l l a n c e s y s t e m s
ELECTRONIC FRONTIER
monitoring events or places and broadcasting live eventsd Learners can link to a web camera-monitored location and just watch or also have an additional web camera in their own location enabling two-way communication
Setting up your WebCama Setting up your own WebCam obviously requires a computer a WebCam (the hardware) and WebCam software along with a broadband Internet connection Before you decide which camera to buy and which software to acquire yoursquoll have to review the different methods to show pictures or video feed through the Internet ( i e r e f r e s h e d after x amount of seconds) This will enable you to decide which hardware and software solution will fit your situation best
b P l a c e m e n t of a camera is an important decision to be made Decide whether a static angle is sufficient to demonstrate the concept or a moving camera (handheld) is required It is important however to remember the limitations of using WebCams and leave the panoramic and other fancy shots to more sophisticated video Use WebCams for videos that require more focus and ones that require a smaller viewingmovement range
c For detailed technical instructions on using WebCams visit httpdeveloperswebcamworldcommethodshtml
d Here is a good resource for inexpensive Webcams on the market httpcastlepricewatchcomssearchasps=webcams
e For an in-depth review of various Webcams on the market go to this link httpreviewscnetcom4244-6502_7-0-1htmlquery=webamptag=cat_1
f There are many Webcam examples online here are a couple httpwwwwebcamworldcom or httpwwwleonardsworldscomcamerahtml
By the way DONrsquoT TELL MY KIDS I picked up a Logitech QuickCam Pro 4000 not too long ago My family doesnrsquot know why I got it or what my intention is but I can say that now that my kids are 17 16 amp 8 my job as a parent is to ensure the mice donrsquot play when the catrsquos awayhellip
Louie Alvarez began acquiring his experience in the awards and engraving industry in Central California over 15 years ago first as an employee of the largest and oldest trophy shop and then as owner of one of the first laser engraving businesses Louie has been a featured workshop instructor and seminar speaker throughout the industry in addition to being a contributing writer to numerous industry publications Louie is based in Las Vegas NV and can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
December 2007 27Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
The Association of CorelDRAWreg Professionals is The Education amp Business Resource for CorelDRAW Users Worldwide Its goal is to help 1) IMPROVE your CorelDRAW skills and 2) MAKE MONEY with those skills You can participate in ACDRP services in four ways
THE WORLDrsquoS ONLY ASSOCIATION FOR CORELDRAWreg USERSINVITES YOU TO MAKE MORE MONEY WITH CORELDRAW
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month focused on Industry News via the Graphics News Wire Links to valuable resources and a complete educa-tion and show Calendar S
CorelDRAWPro the Entrepreneurial magazine for CorelDRAW users features in-depth content on How to Use CorelDRAW -- tips tricks advanced ar twork success s to r ies in te rv iews and more How to Apply CorelDRAW -- for graphic production processes such as embroidery engraving heat printing laser promo products printing sandblasting signmaking sublimation and screenprinting How to Profit from CorelDRAW -- Product news business columns reviews profiles and advertising with live links
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TTF Newsletter Subscription to the monthly Tips Templates amp Fixtures Newsletter only available to members
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Access to QuickLearn A keyword searchable database of 100s of articles on CorelDRAW graphics production and business
All users of CorelDRAWreg are invited to join the Association and take advantage of exclusive content discounts and profes-sional recognition ACDRP membership includes
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Archives
BASIC GSG LISTING -- $25 PER YR
The Graphic Services Guide is the Industry Yellow Pages for Services and Finished Goods GSG is promoted in all our publi-cations and our website to the world of CorelDRAW users Your listing gives you the opportunity to promote your services (in any of 40 categories) to other CorelDRAW usersThe Basic Listing includes your company description email link and listing in one category Additional service categories are $10 each per year
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ENHANCED GSG LISTING -- $50$75 PER YR
Classifieds
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CorelDRAWreg is a registered trademark of Corel Corp and is used with permission
Visit wwwcoreldrawprocomand click on the appropriate links
800-276-8428
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MULTI-SERVICE GSG LISTING -- $120$145 PER YR
December 2007 28Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Throughout the year this publication has reported on whatrsquos new in equipment tools and software and blank products for businesses that put graphics onto products
For this 2007 wrap-up CorelDRAWPro editorial staff reviewed all the product news for the year and named 33 products to its annual Top Products of the Year list
Selections were based on the criteria of innovation and impact Innovation means products that exhibit a high degree of originality or uniqueness Impact means products that influence sales or productivity for a large number of businesses
Note that the 2007 honorees are list alphabetically in the three theme sections
For more information on the products in this article click on the Info Request button at the bottom of each page and select by company name or product You might open the Info Request page and minimize it as you read That way you can quickly open it and check the products you want
EQUIPMENT
ANAJET DIRECT-TO-GARMENT DIGITAL PRINTERAnaJet Digital Apparel Printer (Model FP-125) from
AnaJet Inc in Costa Mesa CA is a direct-to-garment printer offering high quality and affordability It can print custom graphics on any cotton or poly-cotton flat textile material in one minute The printer priced affordably from under $13000 can produce up to 5000 shirts per month each retailing for about $20 Most printers installed so far are in a production plant environment but some customers have started to take the mobile printer to malls for instant printing of customer graphics According to Dr Chase Roh company president the unique printhead they have developed allows for 16x more ink flow than normal desktop printers and thus shirts only require one pass
Top Products of the Year
DTG AMERICA ECLIPSE D-1 WITH TWO HEADS DTG America of Tampa FL and Fort Worth TX now offers a new solution to
speed up digitally printing to dark shirts The Eclipse D-1 incorporates two heads instead of one One head has eight channels of white to lay down a solid white underbase The second head has four channels of white to do highlights and four channels of color to lay down the design The result of this new configuration is the underbase and color are completed in one pass at an estimated average of only two minutes per shirt for a 12-inch by 6-inch area Other innovations include an ink agitator firmware for easy updating ink vapor remover auto gap adjustment and new platen configuration for easy loading
GEO KNIGHT DK 25SP HEAT PRESSThe Digital Knight DK25SP is an air-operated automatic
20x25 oversized swing-away heat press with a state-of-the-art control system and heavy-duty solid steel welded framework The smooth automatic pressing and push-button activation provides a productive fatigue-free operation The extended 20x25 size of the heat platen is perfect for sublimation and large-format materials pressingThe press is adjustable to accommodate materials from fabric thickness all the way up to 1rdquo thick substrates For more information call 800-525-6766 or visit wwwheatpresscom
GRAPHTEC CRAFT ROBO PROGraphtec America Inc based in Santa Ana
CA introduced the new Craft ROBO Pro 15rdquo cutting plotter The Craft ROBO Pro is an ideal solution for cutting a wide variety of materials including vinyl film card stock foil heat transfer and image transfer media Incorporating Graphtecrsquos legendary
December 2007 29Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
ARMS (Advanced Registration Marks System) and combined with a desktop printer the Craft ROBO Pro makes contour cutting an easy task Innovations include a new digital servo motor first mark auto-sensing menu navigation system that includes 8 user-defined conditions Tangential Control and three software applications
ROLAND RELEASES DIRECT-TO-FABRIC PRINTERRoland DGA Corp of Irvine CA released
the new 74rdquo HeatWave DFP-74 Fabric Printer through its reseller channel in the US Based on Rolandrsquos HeatWave sublimation technology the DFP-74 Fabric Printer is a complete integrated solution and Rolandrsquos first inkjet ever to support direct printing onto polyester fabrics As a complete solution including printer sublimation unit inks and RIP software the DFP-74 makes it easier than ever for shops to enter the fast-growing textile printing market Key features include eight advanced piezo print heads an intelligent media handling system and a temperature-controlled heating system
HOTRONIX PERFECT PRESSURE HEAT PRESSHotronix of Carmichaels PA has taken heat press technology
to the next level with Perfect Pressure a new digital pressure display functionThis new feature has a single-digit LED readout
that measures the pressure of the inner platen This technology is exclusive to Hotronix and is patent pending Previously a
digital pressure display was available only on air-operated heat press machines With this new pressure display gauge all heat press users will have more consistent results from job to job reducing the number of misprints and speeding up production For more information about
the new digital pressure display contact Stahlsrsquo Hotronix at 800-478-2457 e-mail infostahlscom or visit the Web site at wwwstahlscom
SWF DREAM EMBROIDERY MACHINEWith its new DREAM Machine SWF has broken the barrier in multi-head
embroidery machine technology The DREAM machines are the first multi-head embroidery machines that truly can sew at 1500 stitches per minute During the research and development of these new machines 12 new patents were filed and granted proof that the DREAM machines are built with state-of-the-art technology
Innovations include LED control panel error codes to quickly troubleshoot problems optional devices to do sequins cording and boring automatic oiling system large memory a hoop selector and more These innovative new machines come in configurations ranging from
two to six heads It is distributed exclusively by SWF East (Tampa FL) and SWF MESA (Dallas TX)
MESArsquoS HOTFIX SPANGLE MOTIF MACHINEWith the all new YAS-11 Hotfix Spangle Motif Making
Machine the first of its kind in the United States you can create beautiful spangle transfer designs that have the look of sequins This patented machine which is distributed exclusively in the United States by MESA Distributors of Fort Worth TX cuts out shapes such as circles and squares in a range of sizes from reels of Mylar tape The machine comes with proprietary design software that allows the user to create any pattern or design up to 157 by 157 inches
SAWGRASSrsquo HYBRID SYSTEM FOR EPSON R1800Sawgrass Technologies of Mt Pleasant SC introduced
the SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid System for the Epson R1800 for both sublimation printing and cotton
decorating from one machine The affordable entry-level system features dual functionality with both SubliJet and ChromaBlast inks in one machine allowing users to create customized images with superior color and clarity on both polyester coated substrates and cotton garments This is the second
hybrid system from Sawgrass following in the footsteps of the popular SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid
System for the Epson 4800
TROTECrsquoS NEW LARGE PLATFORM LASER Trotec Laser Inc of Ypsilanti MI has introduced the SP500 series of laser
engraving and cutting systems The systems have a work area of 50rdquo X 28rdquo and X-Axis clearance of 12rdquo The systems are offered in power levels from 45W-200W There is an available pass-through option (Class 4) Exhaust fumes are captured
December 2007 30Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
at the laser head to insure an efficient extraction when using the pass-through featureTrotec systems are designed for minimal wear-and-tear and eliminate the need for periodic replacement of belts and bearings For additional information visit our web site wwwtrotecnet or call 866-226-8505 734-484-3260
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW PROFESSIONAL SERIESUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) of Scottsdale
AZ added four new models in its Professional Laser Series (PLS) line of advanced high-productivity computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving systems The new PLS line which replaces Universalrsquos M V and X laser systems incorporates a
host of evolutionary design improvements to the laser cartridge platform chassis system electronics and software interface The new PLS models include several
powerful new features most notably a unique materials-based print driver called ldquoLaser Interface +rdquo that gives users their choice
between automatic or manual control over power speed and other system settings For more information on Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit Universal Laser Systems online at wwwulsinccom
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW VERSALASERUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) added a
new version of its desktop-sized VersaLasertrade
computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving system The new VersaLaser
improves on the award-winning original thanks to a host of evolutionary design refinements It also
includes a unique next-generation materials-based print driver that automatically calculates power speed
and other system settings It was awarded a patent for the unique design of its external cabinet which also functions as a Class 1 laser safety enclosure For more information about VersaLaser or Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit wwwulsinccom
US SCREENrsquoS FAST T-JET 3US Screen Print and Inkjet Technology of Tempe
AZ adds the Fast T-Jet3TM which features 30 faster print speeds compared to the previous T-Jet2 model and has a longer low profile print bed for easier loading and unloading Now you can produce a full size 12rdquo x 12rdquo (305 x 305 cm) print in one minute on a light shirt and in under three minutes on a black shirt with white ink Small pocket images can be printed in about 15 seconds
US SCREENrsquoS AUTOMATED PRETREATMENT CENTER
Speed up production when using Fast T-Jet inkjet-to-garment printers with the AutoTREATtrade Automatic Pretreatment Center
This versatile piece of equipment allows you to treat shirts on a production level rather than spraying shirts individually one at a time For use with light or dark shirts the AutoTREATtrade
can spray up to three shirts per minute It has two application modesmdashone for lights and one for darks that can be switched over by activating the cleaning mode which flushes out the system with water
TOOLS MATERIALS SOFTWARE
CORELDRAW X3 CERTIFIED FOR WINDOWS VISTACorel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that
CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite X3 has been Certified for Windows Vista Customers who wish to install the Certified for Windows Vista version of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X3 can download the latest service pack (SP2) from wwwcorelcom This new update delivers an exceptional experience for customers on Windows Vista including an updated user interface enhanced security improved text handling and further enhancements to the popular suitersquos renowned import and export file compatibility
COREL LAUNCHES NEW ONLINE COMMUNITY Corel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that it
has launched httpcoreldrawcom a new online community for users of the CorelDRAWreg family of products ndash including CorelDRAW Graphics Suite Corel DESIGNERreg Technical Suite
December 2007 31Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
and Corelreg DRAWingsreg This new community site is the first in a series that Corel will be launching to support its various user communities Designed to fuel inspiration CorelDRAWcom combines forums blogs and galleries for design professionals and graphic hobbyists alike Forums are available in English French German and Spanish serving an international audience
DALCOrsquoS NEW REFLECTIVE HEAT TRANSFERSCater to the safety market with new reflective transfers offered
by Dalco Athletic of Dallas TX These durable transfers come in a reflective silver gray color in three styles police sheriff and fire dept They are sized for left chest and full back so
all you have to do is heat seal for 8 seconds and yoursquore done Itrsquos very fast and easy
DALCOrsquoS NEW OPTIC YELLOW CLASSIC SWB APPLIQUE
Classic SWB appliqueacute designs offered by Dalco Athletic now come in two new styles softballs and tennis balls in optic yellow fabric These new balls literally jump off any wearable and make it an eye-catching standout This appliqueacute collection is ideal for spiritwear items to be sold to fans and family or created as fund-raisers for boosters clubs
POWER GRAPHICS 3 FROM DIGITAL ART SOLUTIONSPower Graphics 3 by Digital Art Solutions of
Tempe AZ is the ultimate design tool for the creation of high-end custom graphics and logos for custom signage awards vehicle graphics promotional products and apparel graphics Tuned to the latest styles and trends it provides fresh graphics that will impress even the most critical and demanding customer It includes more than 1500 images The 10 design categories include Flames Gangsta (Urban) Mascots Offroad Rebel (Biker and Hot
Rod) Retro Speed Sports Surf and Tuner
FLORIANI COMMERCIALrsquoS NEW NO-SHOW DIAMOND MESHContinuing in its tradition of research and development
to create embroidery stabilizers that meet the needs of todayrsquos embroiderers Floriani Embroidery Commercial Division of Knoxville TN released a new product called Floriani No-Show Diamond Mesh This unique nylon mesh stabilizer has a perpendicular embossed pattern that makes it more multi-directionally stable and enables it to better hold stitches for crisper design registration It is specifically designed for light-colored garments where traditional stabilizers have a tendency to show through the front of the garment
GREAT DANErsquoS NEW DIGITAL PHOTO FRAMES Tap into the lucrative team market with an
incredible collection of stock art specially designed to work for direct-to-garment printers sublimation transfers and digital transfers Digital Photo Frames Volume 1 is a collection of spectacular pre-designed layouts each with one or more frames to
insert personal photos The collection includes five categories baseball football basketball soccer and hockey Each category has four designs (20 total layouts) and each design comes in three template formats mugs mouse pads and shirts
So there are a total of 60 template designs in all
IMPRINTABLES WAREHOUSE OFFERS SPECTRA ECO FILMNew from Imprintables Warehouse of
Masontown PA is a digital cutter material that is free of PVC a plus with companies that want to be as environmentally friendly as possible Spectra Eco Film is made with ecological polyurethane and is peeled hot It is pressure sensitive (sticky backing) and extremely easy to weed While maintaining superior durability and opacity this new film is thinner than current offerings on the market and delivers the super soft hand that is in demand by todayrsquos consumers It can be used on 100 cotton 100 polyester polycotton blends and even nylon and leather
December 2007 32Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
KISSCUT TECHNOLOGIESrsquo SELF-WEEDING INKJET TRANSFER PAPER
Kiss Cut Technologies Ltd Newcastle UK has addressed the ldquopolymer windowrdquo issue and developed the worldrsquos first self-weeding inkjet transfer paper for printing to textiles In simple terms only the areas of their patented transfer paper that have been printed will be transferred to the garment when heat pressed A Kiss Cut print can be further embellished with specialized textile foils so in effect a digital foiling method is now available Foil is heat pressed onto the garment and when peeled the foil only sticks to the image areas
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW PHOTOPLAS-TIC MATERIALLaserSketchcom of Lemont IL a leading supplier of
LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble Super Black Granite and Black Onyx Jewelry introduces their new PhotoPlas-Tic This is a new material developed for front andor reverse laser engraving on micro surface impact acrylic plastic It is a premium plastic for laser engraving that is UV stable ideal for photo badges plaques trophies signage and high-end awards Each sheet of PhotoPlas-Tic is specially designed for a crisp clean burn and ultra-fine laser lettering logo and vector output For details call 630-243-6360 or visit wwwlasersketchcom
THEMAGICTOUCH LAUNCHES WOW TRANSFER PAPERTheMagicTouch USA launched WoW Professional
71 transfer paper which requires no weeding or profile cutting and the vibrant colors are achieved using digital laser technology making it great for short runs It uses PolymationTM which incorporates a newly designed catalyst that provides the ultimate compatibility with all generations of dry toner material According to the company PolymationTM is the next generation of laser heat transfer Sublimation requires the substrate to have a specialty receiving polymer coating to absorb the pigments but PolymationTM delivers everything at once polymer pigments and catalyst
December 2007 33Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
offers distinct advantages over any other process It allows for an unlimited number of colors and very fine detail which is impossible with screen printing or embroidery And the cost does not go up as colors are added These new specialty materials are so advanced they can be heat sealed to all kinds of fabrics and hot new multimedia designs can be easily done
VAPOR APPAREL LAUNCHES VAPOR ART VOLUME 1V a p o r A p p a r e l
a s u b s i d i a r y o f SourceSubstrates LLC Charleston SC announces the launch of Vapor Art - Volume 1 a collection of 127 vector graphics for digital sublimation and general use The diverse collection
of high-quality graphics comes after several years of customers requesting access to the companyrsquos sample art at trade shows and educational events The Collection of art includes vector drawings and JPGs for everything from mountain biking and snowboarding to yoga and cheerleading
BLANK PRODUCTS
COLORADO HEIRLOOMrsquoS COLOR LACQUERED FRAMES
Colorado Heirloom Inc of Loveland CO introduced their new Color Lacquered Frames This is an option to add color your unique creations It is not color fill Colored lacquer is sprayed on their high quality wood frames Because
INKTRA STRETCH TRANSFER PAPER FROM STAHLSrsquoStahlsrsquo based in St Clair
Shores MI adds InkTratrade Stretch a flexible transfer paper A revolutionary product InkTratrade Stretch provides a soft hand with an amazing stretch and recovery feature InkTratrade Stretch lets you take your favorite photo or graphic design and apply it to light colored or white hats shirts bags and more for a long lasting and completely personalized garment The highly stretchable paper can be applied to cotton polycotton blends spandex and Lycrareg
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo GOOF-PROOF TRANSFERSWant the look of screen
printing without the hassle With Goof Proofreg transfers offered by Transfer Express of Mentor OH you can custom order a transfer that has the popular athletic feel and will apply in a blazing four seconds Ordering is done step-by-step online and you can customize hundreds of designs You choose your
typeface colors and size Once your design is just the way you want it you can print it out to show a customer for approval Or Transfer Express can print from your artwork The minimum order is only five pieces and your one-color order ships in one to three working days
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo NEW FULL-COLOR DIGI PRINTSApparel decorators can now offer full-color designs on light
and dark apparel made of virtually any type of fabric without the hassle or minimums of screen printing with new state-of-the-art heat transfer technology called Digi Printstrade Offered through Transfer Express this revolutionary new method of decorating
December 2007 34Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
lacquer is used instead of paint any design can be lasered on these frames The possibilities are endless These colorful creations are offered in two different designs -- a designer frame and a frame with an insert Call 970-667-4222 or visit wwwcoloradoheirloomcom
CONDE ADDS PET MATS FOR SUBLIMATIONCondeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added food bowl placemats and litter box
mats to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Favorite photographs and pet-related artwork can be transferred to the
mats to create fun products for individual pet lovers or for the pet industry such as pet stores veterinarians groomers boarding facilities and animal adoption groups Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing Call Conde at 800-826-6332
CONDE INTRODUCES FABRIC PATCHES FOR SUBLIMATION
Condeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added fabric patches to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Custom decorators can now produce unique full-color patches that will impress organizations businesses clubs sports teams sports enthusiasts and individuals alike -- without the use of embroidery Heat seal patches are great for identification marketing awards trade show promotions or to commemorate special events Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing or call 800-826-6332
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW LASERSLABLaserSketch of Lemont IL Internationally known for
their LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble and Super Black Granite announces LaserSlab Super Black Granite at 4rsquo x 8rsquo x 7mm and 4rsquo x 4rsquo x 7mm weighting in at just over 2 pounds per square foot The surface of the LaserSlab Granite has the sheen of a black mirror The reverse side features epoxy fiberglass backing to give structure integrity to the ultra-lite granite sheet All may be viewed wwwlasersketchcom or by calling LaserSketch 630-243-6360
MATTHEWS INTRODUCES ALUMICOLORTM
Matthews International Corp of Pittsburgh PA introduced Alumicolortrade a high-resolution graphics solution for aluminum signage recognition commemoration and way finding Using cutting-edge technology Matthews embeds a four-color image into the aluminum to create an anodized reproduction of unsurpassed durability Alumicolortrade products which are designed for interior and exterior installations are resistant to extreme weather conditions graffiti scuffing grease chemicals and UV rays Additionally they will not chip crack or peel
PSI ADDS ROUND FRAMES amp STRING PUZZLES Paramount Services Inc of Hollywood FL
introduced new round resin frames for sublimation tiles Choose from Coral or RopeStone with optional Unisubreg Hardboard Tiles They will also accept the Bison 8rdquo round glass Cutting Board Why be square when round may fit better PSI also introduced a new puzzle guaranteed to string you along These String Puzzles come with a Unisubreg Hardboard puzzle and the necessary string and beads along with instructions how to string it after printing Templates to aid in design are available for download in several formats For details call 800-455-7212 or visit wwwDye-Sublimation-Productscom
CRYSTALEDGEreg LUXORTM CRYSTAL AWARDSCrystalEdgereg Chicago IL presented the Luxortrade Series
This stunning cost-effective collection comprises a series of specially designed Rosewood and Black Piano finish bases Matte Mahogany and Matte Black bases and a precision cast Satin Nickel Finish Metal Base with your choice of brass or silver hardware for mounting our twelve unique shapes making this the most versatile award yet Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks are curved 14rdquo thick crystal clear glass with 316rdquo diameter holes for mounting The Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks feature a generous engraving area and there is plenty of room on the base to add an engraving plate
December 2007 35Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
XENETECHrsquoS NEW ENGRAVABLE GIFTSXenetech of Baton Rouge
LA introduced high quality engravable gift items at wholesale and quantity discounts The Xenetech collection provides a selection of gifts created for corporate recognition weddings births holidays anniversaries retirements birthdays special occasions or just expressing appreciation Items include money clips key chains book markers desk accessories quartz movement clocks flasks amp wine accessories entertainment gifts travel gifts genuine Swiss Army knives business card holders luggage tags silver-plated jewelry boxes keepsake gift boxes silver-plated banks and baby gifts The gift items are designed primarily for diamond drag burnishing and rotary engraving personalization
UNISUBrsquoS CHROMALUXE PHOTO PANELSChromaLuxe photo panels are an exciting new line
of sublimatable products from Unisub of Louisville KY These panels allow you to sell a completely finished photo product to your customers capturing some of the additional revenue (and profit) your customers now spend elsewhere on framing Available in a range of traditional photo sizes as well as exciting new shapes these panels can be joined together to create stunning photo displays -- perfect for a fireplace mantle l i b r a r y s h e l f or the top of an armoire Available in aluminum or MDF substrates
CorelDRAWPro IndexOne of our members in Michigan
requested that we put together an Index of all the articles wersquove published during the year
He prints out all the issues and puts them in binders but an Index would make it easy to reference specific articles We think itrsquos a good idea and wersquoll send it to all subscribers in January
Product Focus TopicsJanuary 2008 -- Signage Products esp Wide FormatFebruary 2008 -- Engraving Awards amp GiftsMarch 2008 -- Apparel ProductsApril 2008 -- Laser Wood Products
Coming in 2008
December 2007 36Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETSBy Donna M Gray CRM Opportunities
December ndash Time to Review December finds everyone on our team strategizing how to get out of our parking lot Our business sits right in the middle of an up-scale strip mall which sits right behind a huge shopping mall and right along the main road to a Target Superstore and other large malls We all know that from the day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday) until 2 weeks after the New Year there are great challenges to those of us who like to leave the building for lunch or run an errandhellipso we strategize We all know every secret shortcut to the bank the post office and the warehouse club What we donrsquot know is how to find the way to merge out of our own back alley into the constant flow of traffic that carries people to their end shopping destination Whew
The year-end review So this year Dave and I have decided to stay in at lunch and do our business strategizing instead Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup are good brain food for helping us to look at all the successful things we did last year as a company all the things we thought about doing but didnrsquot because the idea didnrsquot quite fit and all the things we put off until next year We do this kind of exercise every year end and it helps us to map out our strategy for the coming year In the process we identify any mistakes wersquove made wrong turns wersquove taken and we try to find the ldquowhat could have happened had everything gone rightrdquo
The value of making mistakes Albert Einstein said ldquoAnyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything newrdquo Dave has a couple of prints in his office of Abraham Lincoln that describe his mistakes in fact it took Lincoln eight tries to win the presidency Thomas Edison made mistakeshellipand yet he perseveredhellipotherwise wersquod by ldquocomputingrdquo by candlelight And Irsquove heard that Colonel
Sanders had a thousand rejections before he sold his first chicken recipe It would be nice to get to our year end business appraisals and find that wersquove made no mistakes but our business like most others doesnrsquot have that claim to fame My mother always took the high road with mistakes She always said that one should recognize the benefits of a mistake One should learn what good came from it use it to improve and use it to help motivate success the next time So December is the time to analyze everything that made up the past year and look for ways to make the New Year successful in every way
Making a plan Most advisors say that the first step toward business success after looking at a companyrsquos year ending history is to decide on exactly what you want to do going forward in the coming year Then comes mapping out the plan What will be done How will it get done Who will do what What resources will be used When will it get done Is the right equipment in place Is the space adequate Ask these and any other questions that could relate to creating a successful year then focus on the details and follow through Those two wordshellipfocus and follow throughhellipcould mean the difference between marginal and abundant success Simply stated success comes from what you do and the way you do ithellipin your customerrsquos perception Every business wants to have a good imagehellipa good reputation so dedication to having good communication skills is important especially in an industry that does custom work The goal is to be on the same page as our clients so we have to be good mind readers We have to also concentrate on our professionalism on our appearance on our presentation style and in the pride we take in producing a well-done project This
has worked in the past and will remain the same in the future
The extra mile Success has to be nurturedhellipthen it gets celebrated Sometimes sacrifices have to be made to get to the rewards At year end when we analyze how we got from Point A to Point B itrsquos interesting to note that we sometimes had to take detours and sometimes the road blocks called for sacrificehellipof time or money Sometimes the sacrifice came in the way of a sleepless night worrying if an order that was lost in delivery would be found and re-routed to us in time to make a clientrsquos deadline Someone (unknown) said ldquoA day of worry is more exhausting than a week of workrdquo Anyone in business could testify to that Part of success is going the extra milehellipeven if it results in a sleepless night Going the extra mile is worth all the paid advertising in the world on the road to success
December 2007 37Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETS
Donna Grayrsquos 2nd book Itrsquos All Relative Surviving amp Thriving in a Family Business was published in September 2007
It describes her quest to identify the keys to suc-cess for small business and family businesses in particular She interviewed top businesses nationwide and discovered five common qualities implemented by successful business owners Check it out at the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore wwwcoreldrawprocomAllBook-storehtm
Commitments made and kept Our team felt good about some commitments we made and kept this past year like
We used a daily ldquoto-dordquo list and we set priorities in order of importance When we finished a project we ldquocelebratedrdquo and then moved on quickly to the next job We built in some time for ldquostress reliefrdquo with morning meeting breaks This was especially good when treats were served since wersquove got some good bakers on our staff We didnrsquot ldquoscreenrdquo calls through voice mail We considered every call to be important We ldquodid it right the first timerdquo even though it sometimes took longer We tied up all the ldquoloose endsrdquo We became ldquocheerleadersrdquo for each other When one of us accomplished a goal we all applauded We all tried to deliver more than we promised This can be challenging sometimes when working with a difficult project We eliminated (or tried to eliminate) unnecessary procedures and we simplified our paper flow system We spent most of our time on high priority tasks We all worked on our delegation skills We were committed to not wasting time either our own or other peoplersquos
Goals that were lacking Now all those great things being put on paper reminds me that we also had some goals we didnrsquot quite succeed athellipbut wersquoll try harder next year
We didnrsquot always ldquogrouprdquo tasks togetherhelliplike going to the bank and the post office in one trip or answering mail when it gets opened It wasnrsquot always easy to avoid procrastination Some low priority chores got put off There were still times when we couldnrsquot find enough hours to finish the work Our ldquotoolsrdquo didnrsquot always get put away when we were through with a project even though this is Daversquos pet peeve
Conclusion Experts say that we have to actively create our success not wait for it to happen This coming year hopefully none of us will sit in the comfort zone waiting for the phone to ring Therersquos an old Chinese proverb that goes ldquoIt you continually give you will continually haverdquo Our team will go on being involved in community activities When time is spent on worthwhile projects outside the business opportunities come knocking at the front counter Besideshellipat yearrsquos endhellipit makes us feel really good about the help we gave on these projects
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since1977 She can be reached by email at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
December 2007 38Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
GRAPHICS NEWS NETWORKAll these news and information products and services are part of the
Graphics News Network developed for ACDRP The goal is ldquoAll the News All the Time mdash For the World of Graphicsrdquo
GRAPHICS NewsWireThe Graphics News Wire is the always live always updated source for graphics news mdash products equipment technology and more Make it (CorelDRAWProcomNewsPagehtm) your home page or favorite to gain access to Breaking news updated regularly New Classified Ads New Job Announcements Supplier SpecialsAll news is related to graphic productsQuickSourceTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive amp Easy-To-Use
Search Engine
It gives you one-click access to suppliers products phone numbers and live links to ACDRP Member Suppliers Itrsquos always up-to-date searchable by keyword and accessible from your desktop
Quick TnTTM
The Industryrsquos Newest Resource for Graphics Tips amp Templates
Gain access to a growing library of CorelDRAW tips and templates that will make your work easier
QuickLearnTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive and
Easy-To-Use Article Library
Gain access to hundreds of articles on graphics-related and business topics searchable by keyword
The Entrepreneurial Magazine for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro Magazine is delivered to you once a month in PDF format It features in-depth content that readers rave about including articles on how to use CorelDRAW how to apply CorelDRAW and how to profit from CorelDRAW
News Tips amp Resources for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month mdash about the 15th and 25th It brings you highly targeted content that you wonrsquot find elsewhere including CorelDRAW Tips extensive product news links and a calendar of shows and training
MARKET PLACE
Quality Engravable JewelryHand-crafted in New England
GIFTS amp ACCESSORIES FOR WOMEN AND MEN
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wwwjeleppercom
GenuineWhite-tone
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Some Things Were Meant To Be In Etched in Stone
Call for a free color catalog
NampR International1155 Allgood Rd 13Marietta GA 30062
678-560-4088Fax 678-560-1157
Importers amp Wholesalers of MarbleOnyx
Gifts amp Accessories
JOIN TODAY
The worldrsquos only association for CorelDRAWreg Users
wwwcoreldrawprocomJoinhtm
Place an Ad for as little as $215 per month
Find out how by calling our Ad Representative John McDaniel II
541-990-6687
the entrepreneurial magazine
GET LISTED TODAY
Generate new businessby doing jobs for others
List your company in GSG the Digital Yellow Pages for the industry wwwcoreldrawprocomListGSGhtm
December 2007 39Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Louie Alvarez started in the industry working for one of the largest trophy shops in Central California and then opened one of the first retail laser engraving businesses He has given seminars and workshops on CorelDRAW and Laser for many years and has written for several publications He is now with Vytek Industrial Lasers and is based in Las Vegas NV He can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
Kathryn Arnold is the Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
Errol Barr has a wide range of experience in sales amp marketing eventually getting into laser systems in 1999 currently with Vytek Industrial Lasers He also sold extensively in the CNC router industry selling the machines as more of a business opportunity wrapped around the machine He can be reached by email at errolbarrgmailcom
Dave Demoret founded Prolink Graphic Services to help people understand and profit from learning CorelDRAW He has been in both the Flat Graphics Industry and the Decorating Graphics Industry for 30 years He has written articles for several publications is a Corel Training Partner and conducts workshops nationwide and online He is the author of several CD Instructional programs on CorelDRAW He can be reached at 765-DO COLOR (362-6567) or davedprolinkgscom
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since 1977 She has presented seminars on a variety of topics nationwide and has won many marketing awards She is the author of two books on family business and can be reached at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
Bill Leek is a color consultant for JBL Graphics in Houston TX and has over 30 years experience in computer engineering and graphics design He has developed several lines of color imprintable products and does testing on a variety of products for different manufacturers He can be reached at wfleekjblgraphicscom or 281-970-6677
Jeff McDaniel is the owner of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon He worked as a journeyman machinist before getting into the graphic products business Creative Graphic offers laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials Contact him at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
John McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry He worked for many years with computers in electronic data processing and pioneered the use of CorelDraw for engraving applications He owned a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years and writes about hardware design software laser engraving sublimation and more He is a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals For information on training and more call 541-967-4271 or write to mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
Judy McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry Her background includes many forms of art and retail sales as well as the operation of a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years She is a regular columnist on sandblasting sublimation and diversifying business as well as a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals She can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
David Milisock is president of Custom Graphic Technologies Inc in Pennsylvania He has been in the print production business since 1975 and specializes in professional support for CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite Output includes computer-to-plate processes for all commercial digital front-end applications as well as Postscript-compliant graphic applications He offers technical and color management support for all RIP-driven corporate digital output systems He can be reached at 717-509-3523 or davidmilisockcomcastnet
Deborah Sexton former editor of Impressions Magazine has been in the apparel graphics industry since 1981 She currently does marketing and public relations for apparel graphics companies and is a columnist for several industry publications She can be reached at dsextonsbcglobalnet
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at 916-567-1867
December 2007 40Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
by Otis Veteto
Traveling Tidbits
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the
RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of
the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Itrsquos a fun and
informative column focusing on the human-interest side of
the industry Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars
for industry organizations and some of that knowledge
will rub off as well He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at
916-567-1867
Reps Volunteers People Skills amp Agreements
RS Owens Southeast RepFirst of all a Traveling Tidbits welcome to
the newest member of the RS Owens Company sales team Anita Brennan Anita is the new Regional Sales Manager for the Southeast She will be calling on you folks in Alabama Tennessee Mississippi Florida Georgia North Carolina and South Carolina Anita has worked in all phases of our industry as a retailer (her own business) multi-line rep and now as a regional sales manager When I asked Anita what she likes to do when not on the road she told me she likes to spend time with her two-year-old granddaughter Kaylee Welcome to the RS Owens family Anita Brennan
Railroad Museum VolunteerI know Christmas is the time for giving
but some people give all year long I was talking recently with Elias Athanasiou whose regular job is a server in a restaurant my wife and I frequent when I am in Sacramento Elias has been associated as a volunteer with the California State Railroad Museum for about 16 years Every Saturday during the ldquorunning seasonrdquo April-September Elias can be found working as a volunteer on the Steam Engine excursion train that runs for 6 miles along the top of the levee on the Sacramento River The ride takes about 40 minutes Elias is the Engineer now but has worked as conductor and fireman in his tenure with the train It is people like Elias Athanasiou that make this a much better world A huge Traveling Tidbits SALUTE You can find out more about the Railroad Museum at wwwcsrmorg
Real People SkillsThis next tidbit is from the PPAI Promotional
Consultant Today The author is Roy Chitwood president of Max Sacks International in Seattle Wash It is entitled To Shine Polish Your People Skills
ldquoPeople buy not because they understand your product or service but because they feel that you understand them People buy emotionally As a professional salesperson you need to be more people-oriented not product centered Here are seven quick and easy techniques to improve your people skills
SMILE It is the universal sign of friendship in any language The Chinese have a proverb ldquoA man who cannot smile should not open a storerdquo Think about that Give a smile and you will get a smile in return
DEVELOP A GENUINE INTEREST IN OTHERS When you have sincere interest it shows Look directly at people when they are talking to you Let your facial expression register your interest Ask good open-ended questions to let people know that you are interested in what they say
TALK IN TERMS OF THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS INTERESTS You will never meet anyone who doesnrsquot have time to talk about what they want to talk about Encourage your prospect to discuss his or interests rather than launching into a discussion about yourself
USE THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS NAME Using a name builds personal rapport and shows you are listening with respect Be careful about overusing the personrsquos name
GIVE COMPLIMENTS Everyone loves a compliment when it is genuine Make a
concentrated effort to give at least 3 honest compliments every day of your life You will be amazed at what it will do for your relationships
LISTEN Listening is the greatest compliment you can pay When you assume the role of the listener it relaxes the sales climate As you listen you are demonstrating that you truly care and you are genuinely interested in what he or she has to say
MAKE THE OTHER PERSON FEEL IMPORTANT When you are sincerely impressed by something the other person has achieved or owns let them know it Understand that fundamentally every person is important and treat them accordingly
Personal comment When I finished reading this I thought to myself ldquoThese make sense in our everyday life not just in salesrdquo
The Third AgreementI will close with the 3rd step from the book
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel RuizDONrsquoT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS Find the
courage to ask questions and to express what you really want Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings sadness and drama
Sounds a little like what I wrote at the beginning of the column doesnrsquot it
Thatrsquos all for now Remember to save some time for yourself and your family And when you travel please travel safe
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE
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- News
December 2007 6Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
December 2007 7Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
About the Cover
Editorrsquos Note This is the 3rd cover Marian has done for us Her first one was using scientific illustrations and the second was a stained glass pattern Now for this one this versatile CorelDRAW artist has created a pattern from a real snowflake
This snowflake cover began as an image of a real snowflake (which was found on the internet and photographed by Ken Libbrecht a scientist at California Institute of Technology in Pasadena CA) He kindly offered to let me use his images as patterns for stained glass (httpPDQpatternscom) His photo gallery can be found at httpwwwsnowcrystalsnetgallery1smindexhtm
The following is what I can remember of how I created this snowflake design Usually there are numerous iterations and failed attempts in producing such a design with countless objects and fills numerous crashes and failed clipboards Saving separate versions often along the journey is imperative and sometimes things just happen serendipitously that are really great too but how they were arrived at I donrsquot always remember precisely
Initially a symmetrical hexagon was created using the polygon tool and the control key With the objectrsquos size menu it was resized to the desired dimensions A jpg image of the ldquorealrdquo snowflake was imported and viewed with the wireframe mode (altV W) and sized to match the vector hexagon I checked to see that the hexagon was rotated so that there was a point at the top (the default in x3) which makes right-to-left mirroring of objects easy Each element (object) on the right half of one arm of the snowflake was created using the bezier tool and the node edit menu (for cusprsquod and curved lines) These objects were grouped and a horizontal mirror image duplicate was created and moved to fill the left half of the snowflake arm--in alignment with the right side group To blend two objects in the center of the snowflake arm all objects were ungrouped then adjacent objects to be combined were selected and the menu chosen - arrangegtshapinggtcreate a new object surrounding selected objects The new object
Marian Millerrsquos Snowflakewas moved a notch with the up arrow key and the two original objects deleted then the new object was moved back down into place If you use the arrow keys to move the new object instead of dragging with the mouse then it will fit back into place perfectly This was done for several mirrored objects in the snowflake arm to eliminate the ldquocut and pasterdquo feeling and the line down the center of the snowflake arm When the right and left arms (halves) of the snowflakersquos single arm were complete then it was aligned with the top (point) and vertical center of the original hexagon Right and left halves of the arm were selected grouped and copied The entire snowflake image was selected (including the hexagon in the background) and rotated 30 degrees and the clipboard pasted (the pasted arm should fall exactly in the next point of the hexagon [One must select the whole hexagon and its contents to have it rotate correctly to allow the pasted snowflake arm to fall into the right place] The entire image is selected again rotated 30 degrees again then pasted (the arm) again It also should have fallen right into the next point of the hexagon This is continued until all six rays of the snowflake are filled
For the center hexagon a new symmetrical hexagon was created and reduced using the arrangegttransformgtscale menu until it matched the snowflake center then converted lsquoto curvesrsquo with arrangegtconvert to curves options All nodes were selected and the node edit icon to ldquomake-nodes-smoothrdquo was clicked which symmetrically rounded the corners of the hexagon The center hexagon was rotated by 30 degrees and centered to the snowflake outline The jpg of the original snowflake was deleted
All objects were ungrouped then regrouped as selected pairs of objects (eg similar objects in all six arms) to fill with colorful jpgs (or machine fill using the paint bucket option) For filling grouped objects with imported raster files a file is imported selected then the menu effectsgtpowerclipgtplace inside container is used A black arrow appears and the mouse is used to point to the object to be filled The position of the fill inside the object was edited by selecting
the object and choosing effectsgtpowerclipgtedit contents (move the jpg where you want or size it stretch or rotate) then in the left lower corner of the screen click on ldquofinished editing this level ldquo)
I used stained glass jpgs downloaded from websites of the numerous stained glass producers such as Armstrong and Spectrum Glass (mostly Spectrum Glass jpgs were used here) The line thickness was increased and line color was selected with a right click over the color palate
To fill the outside hexagon outline was increased to 16 pts then the object was converted to curves and filled with a colorful jpg file The whole design consisted of copied and pasted finished snowflakes into a pattern (in this instance adjacent hexagons) The arrangegtshapegttrim options were used to trim off snowflake areas that were not wanted
Finally all objects were selected grouped and the size of the snowflake design determined A rectangle of those same dimensions was created then centered to the page arrangedgtorderedgtsent to back then filled
Contact Marian at marianpdqpatternscom or visit her site at wwwpdqpatternscom 3945 Red Bud Ave Cincinnati OH 45229 513-558-1715 (w)
December 2007 8Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Inside ACDRP
By Michael Neer Executive Director
Winter ndash A Time to Prepare
In many parts of the world winter comes in with a white blanket of snow across the fields and streets People tend to stay indoors out of the cold so if you go outside itrsquos very quiet and still Therersquos less hustle and bustle in the marketplace The pace of life is slower Errands take longer Holidays put the attention more on family and less on business In fact itrsquos a time when many industry businesses either close or are open fewer hours Few new products are launched Most business owners are waiting to make announcements at the start of the new year
DECEMBER 2007
Published by Association of CorelDRAWreg Professionals
President John H McDanielVice President Judith McDaniel
Executive Director Michael R Neer Assoc Exec Director Steven V Neer
ACDRP Corporate Office Albany OR
EDITOR PUBLISHER ndash Michael R Neermikeneercoreldrawprocom
GRAPHICS ndash John MiseADVERTISING ndash John McDaniel II jhmcdaniel2coreldrawprocom
541-990-6687
OFFICES Membership amp Publishing offices located at
4709 N El Capitan Suite 103Fresno CA 93722
800-276-8428 559-276-8494 Fax 559-276-8496wwwCorelDRAWProcomeditorcoreldrawprocom
Subscriptions Free to qualified individuals and businesses Send change of address to the above
ACDRP Membership $60yr See the website for details Includes exclusive content and more
Advertising Request a Media Guide or download it from wwwCorelDRAWProcom
Writers CorelDRAWPro accepts articles from industry experts Email publisher for details
copy Copyright 2007 by ACDRP All Rights Reserved
So when this kind of mood is in the air we can make the most of it by using this time to prepare for the next year Itrsquos a time of review and planning ndash or sometimes finishing up projects that have been delayed
Thatrsquos why in this issue we provide you with several articles that will help you prepare for a great 2008
Donna Gray discusses how she reviews her business and plans for 2008
Bill Leek describes 10 ways you can prepare for more success in 2008 in terms of equipment training purchases and more
We present our annual Top Products of the Year story which is designed to call your attention to the most significant new products of 2007 ndash so you can try them out or see the trends that may be coming next year
Plus this is a good time to get the training you or your staff needs to be more competitive in 2008 Check out the CorelDRAWPro Bookstore for CDs books and videos and also the ProLink Graphics ad and the Calendar link in this issue for specific training events
Wersquod like to thank all of our subscribers and members for your loyal support during the year Thank you for your comments your questions and your attendance at MMcdr Our goal is to bring you more and better information about graphics and making money and we think 2008 will be full of both See you next year
December 2007 9Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
December 2007 10Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Using CorelDRAWregTraining
By Corel CorporationUsing Preview Modes in Image Adjustment Lab
When working with files that have poor color balance and contrast you need to use many different tools to make adjustments You can save valuable time by using the Image Adjustment Lab which is accessible from both Corel PHOTO-PAINTreg and CorelDRAWreg By uniting the most important manual and automatic controls required for common color and tone corrections the Image Adjustment Lab offers a fast intuitive way to achieve professional results with your image files
With the Image Adjustment Lab you can use different preview modes for evaluating the color and tone adjustments you make You can preview the corrected image in a single window view the original and corrected images in separate windows or view the image split into original and corrected portions within one window
The Image Adjustment Lab also lets you create snapshots of your adjustments with just one click The snapshots appear below the working preview which lets you easily compare each snapshot against the original version and then choose the best result
The preview mode buttons (A) and the Create Snapshot
button (B)
To open the Image Adjustment LabDo one of the following If yoursquore working in CorelDRAW click Bitmaps gt Image Adjustment Lab If yoursquore working in Corel PHOTO-PAINT click Adjust gt Image Adjustment Lab
To preview the corrected image in a single window
After correcting the image click the Full Preview button
To view the original and corrected images in separate windows
After correcting the image click the Before and after full preview button
To view original and corrected portions of an image in one window
After correcting the image click the Before and after split preview button
To capture the current version of your image
Click the Create Snapshot button
Thumbnails of the snapshots appear in a window below your image Each snapshot is numbered sequentially and can be deleted by clicking the Close button in the upper-right corner of the snapshot title bar
December 2007 11Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Using CorelDRAWregTraining
By Dave Demoret Contributing writerBitmap vs Vector
BITMAPSOne of the reasons bitmaps are not the desired image of choice in our industry is
that they do not reproduce well when enlarging the image Nor do they lend themselves to our process of decorating at least in screen printing embroidery and vinyl cutting to mention a few markets We need to use color in solid object form to achieve many of the end products we produce Color is very difficult to change in a bitmap image so we tend to lean towards the vector side to achieve our goals
One of the most confusing issues especially for beginners is the difference between bitmap also called raster and vector images To help clarify this take a look at the images on the side Bitmaps are made up of thousands of pixels (short for picture elements) which are tiny squares usually of different colors that form a picture These pixels are what make up the resolution of a given picture or bitmap image In lithography they are commonly referred to as dpi or dots per inch ndash thatrsquos for printing resolution We also use the dpi designation when we are talking about pixels per inch (ppi) in our industry but thatrsquos not technically correct Pixels per inch (ppi) refers to resolution on a monitor However we are looking at the scanning and the end product resolution in this article and therefore we are mostly concerned with the standard dpi measurement
Bitmaps are usually scanned into a graphics program or taken from a digital camera using the dpi designation In the illustrations here a 300 dpi (dots per inch) image is somewhat defined and appears to have clean edges but as we enlarge the image we are in effect decreasing the dots per inch We are making the dots themselves larger and therefore there are fewer dots that will fit into a one inch space By increasing the size using dpi or enlarging the bitmap using the dpi measurement we begin to see pixels and
very rough edge definition This is not especially good for printing or digitizingIf you have an image to print at 300 dpi to heat press on a t-shirt it can look pretty
good but if you want that same image to go on the back of a jacket and you try to enlarge it you will get the lsquojaggiesrsquo It is very difficult to take a low resolution image and increase the size while maintaining any kind of clarity or quality image
On the other hand if you have a low resolution image that needs to be reduced you will increase the image resolution because you will be putting more dots in that same one inch This simply means that a 300 dpi resolution image reduced by 50 will become a 600 dpi resolution
Image Size -vs- Image DPIAllow me to take this one step further to explain image dpi versus image size
When you have a 5 x 7 photo and you scan it into your CorelDRAWreg or scanning software you have the option of selecting the resolution using the dpi measurement If you want to enlarge the photo for your project increase the dpi I usually scan most everything at least a minimum of 600 dpi (figure 1) Others I will scan at 1200 to 1800 dpi to get a better quality print when I enlarge it enough to fit on a shirt Yes it does take longer to scan but the work on the other end is reduced dramatically
Remember that a 600 dpi image when reduced will become a 1200 dpi image In reverse the same 600 dpi image (figure 1) when enlarged will become a 300 dpi image (figure 2) This is all coming from the same 5 x 7 size image Size really doesnrsquot make a difference Itrsquos the resolution that will give you the quality that you are looking for
Resampling in CorelDRAWMost of the images you download
December 2007 12Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Using CorelDRAWregTraining
from the Internet will be 72 dpi (figure 3) and some are at 96 dpi These images are low grade and will need to be used at the existing size You can help them a little by using the lsquoResamplersquo in the pull down menu under Bitmaps in the Menu Bar of CorelDRAW This wonrsquot help a lot but may give you some assistance with some images The problem here is that the image will look slightly smoother but if enlarged much at all you will see it as being fuzzy or out of focus (figure 4) Play with resampling at several higher dpi choices and image sizes to get a feel for what you can and can not do
VECTOR IMAGESVector graphics are images that are made from mathematical
computations That is there is a certain shape and color associated with an outline and that area is the vector object as shown with one of the links here (figure 1) There are no definite objects or outlines in a bitmap It is simply thousands or millions of pixels each of a different color shade or tint That is why bitmaps are so hard to change easily With a vector image you simply select an object within the graphic and change the shape size and color with the tools provided in your graphics software
In contrast to the bitmap the vector image can be enlarged to any size without any distortion of edge definition This allows us to generate an image for a business card or a left chest logo on a t-shirt or a name tag then turn around and enlarge that same image to be placed on a billboard without any distortion of the image All the objects lines and integrity of the image are still intact (figure 2) no matter what size we select You can also see in figure 2 with the magnification that all the lines are still crisp sharp edges with no distortions
Vector images are the base images used in embroidery screen printing vinyl graphics and other markets within our graphics industry Many manufacturers today have geared their software as an add-on to CorelDRAW because of the ease clarity and flexibility that vector images offer
You can change a vector into a bitmap image with the click of a few buttons It takes considerably longer in most cases to change a bitmap into a vector file Most of the time
you will have to manually redraw or trace the bitmap image to convert it to a vector file There are programs out today that will convert these for you at least up to a point CorelDRAW is one of these programs PowerTrace is an auto trace feature used in the latest version of CorelDRAW
Printing ImagesWhile you will want to create your graphics in a vector
format you should know some basic principles of printing these two file choices One is that when you print a vector file it can take several times longer to print than a bitmap image of the same graphic Therefore for most of my printing in digital format like sublimation or heat transfer I will save a copy of my vector graphic as an original and make a duplicate copy to convert to a bitmap format for printing purposes
Another thing that most beginners donrsquot know is that if you are creating an image with CMYK Color Palette and print it to an inkjet printer you will throw off your color in the printed piece For example blues generally tend to turn to a violet lavender or purple shade Check with your supplier or distributor to help you set your printer to lsquoOutput color bitmaps as RGBrsquo And use your RGB Color Palette to color your graphic images
Dave Demoret founded Prolink Graphic Services to help people understand and profit from learning CorelDRAW He has been in both the Flat Graphics Industry and the Decorating Graphics Industry over the past 30 years He has written several articles for Screen Graphics Magazine on Color Control amp Matching in the past Dave has used CorelDRAWreg since version 3 and became a CorelDRAW Training Partner in 2006 During the past 5 years he has been conducting workshops all over the US and is the author of several Video CDs amp Instructional CDs on CorelDRAW Dave continues to conduct workshops in the US amp also worldwide online He can be reached at 765-DO COLOR (362-6567) or by email at davedprolinkgscom
December 2007 13Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE COLORBy David Milisock Training
Wow Powerful Controversial Useful I find the latter term to be most honest as shooting photos in the RAW format allows as much chance for the image to be ruined as it does for it to be improved The key to it being an improved experience rather then a ruined experience is of course understanding what the technology is all about work flow calibration and your skill
First off all cameras shoot RAW lower-cost cameras just wonrsquot let you save the file without an automated conversion process Here is the definition of RAW as printed in my new book Color Management in the CorelDRAW Graphics Suite for Professionals Small Office and Home Office capture C (to be released January 2008)
RAW is a file format that is proprietary to the camera manufacturer They are linear-gamma grayscale images from digital color filter arrays All these files require processing by a RAW converter to convert them to an RGB image
What this means to the user outside of the photographic ramifications is that the user needs to understand how the process is going to affect their color How this comes about is that the camera has a capture array that has red green and blue sensors Or an array that has filters to make some sensors only sensitive to red some only to blue and some only to green Each set of red blue and green sensors creates grayscale data that has to be combined to three channels Color is not only applied to the channels based on the value of the grayscale but a color space is assigned All cameras do this some just donrsquot let you do it manually
What Irsquom saying Is that as soon as the RAW converter develops a color display a color space has been assigned In fact the application has to have a
ldquoRAWrdquostandard color space to base the preview display on or your color edits would have no meaning
Stand-alone applications may allow you to choose what color space to apply to the image Some do not some force you to use an ultra-wide gamut RGB color space like Prophoto RAW Lab or plug-ins within image editing applications are most likely to use the internal (working) RGB of the application
So often it is written that RAW files have no color space and this is a true-falsehood True as long as they are still linear grayscale data streams of no value to anyone without a RAW converter but false as soon as you start the process of making a universally accepted RGB image of them
The key to the process is making sure that you understand what color space your converter assigned to the image so you can coordinate the internal RGB of Corel PHOTO-PAINTreg Make sure to activate the arrow from the internal RGB to the monitor
Any process that does not have the image
editor and RAW converter working in a coordinated manner will totally negate any benefit of using RAW You simply wonrsquot know what colors yoursquore really working with and thatrsquos not good for a process that was supposed to improve your work not make it worse
To my mind that biggest problem I see is that multiple RAW converter applications when viewing a RAW file as shot by the camera can have vastly different displays of the same image See capture A amp B (blurred on purpose) if you have a mind to try using RAW converting I suggest calibrating your display system first as this RAW image when opened in 4 different RAW converters has the white balance temperature identified
Coming Soon to the CorelDRAWPro Book Store A new book by columnist
David Milisock
Color Management in the CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
For Professionals Small Office and Home Office
Basic Color Theory bull Postscript and Non-Postscript Devices
RIPs for Ink Jets and Press bull Adobe Color Coordination
Color Continuity During Exportation bull and Much More
December 2007 14Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE COLOR
as four different values ranging from 2850 to 9980 OUCH Itrsquos hard to believe that the same data has been interpreted to be as shot by the camera judging by these two images isnrsquot it
This can only be described as an extremely painful experience Now you canrsquot rely on the software to interpret the data properly so the only thing you have that you can rely on is your calibrated work flow and your good sense
Another complaint that I have about stand-alone RAW converter applications is that in many cases the image display within the application is so poor that I cannot make a reasonable editing decision for any color or sharpening The image is glassy like in Paint Shop Pro or too soft like in Photoshopreg not sharp and clear like in PHOTO-PAINT OUCH
Please note in Capture A the Adobe RGB color space is already in play (see lower left corner) The adjustments available as shown in this capture are typical for RAW converters and
this capture will show them to you I am neither pro nor con RAW What Irsquove found is that
it is most generally used like image editor in place of good photography This is not always a bad thing Saving the cost on another shooting session through technology certainly has its selling point
Another observation Irsquove noticed is that as the cost of the cameras goes up the quality of their built-in conversion also goes up Many times they will save TIF instead of JPG files This is a real plus In studio settings with a superior camera you most likely will work your butt off and not be as good as the built-in RAW conversion of a studio quality camera On site live shoots is where the RAW conversion application seems to have a place to be most useful in my mind
Irsquom a Corel PHOTO-PAINT guy and I love my sharp clean PHOTO-PAINT display So until Corel PHOTO-PAINT has a RAW converter Irsquom sticking with the camera conversion and a TIF file for studio work But I will certainly use RAW when it benefits my client which benefits me
Watch out next month itrsquos going to be HOT
David Milisock is president of Custom Graphic Technologies Inc He has been in the print production business since 1975 and specializes in professional support for the CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite He can be reached at 717-509-3523 or davidmilisockcomcastnet See full bio on Writers Page
Itrsquos Who Knows YOU Network Your Way to Successby Chien J Wang president of Toujours Inc
Turbo-charge your networking with unique strategies that work Chien at-tends 10-12 events a week and has created a system for turning contacts into customers and customers into lifelong relationships
wwwcoreldrawprocomallbookstorehtm
Captures A amp B Two blurry images (on purpose) showing what happens to the white balance when opened in
different RAW converters This is typical
December 2007 15Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE TRANSFERSBy Bill Leek Applications
Headstart on Spring 10 Things You Can Do in January to Make 2008 a Successful Year
I have to be honesthellipMy normal inclination after the holiday season is to relax and take it easy for a few weeks It seems that after a very busy year I really deserve it But small- to medium-size business owners cannot afford to do this The few weeks of relative calm after Christmas are too valuable to squander
Every year I write up an action plan for January Hear are some ideas that you may find valuable
1) Follow the lead of the big retailers Valentinersquos Day is almost here and Easter is early this year Get your new spring displays mailings emails and catalogs out right after the holidays Highlight some new products with spring themes every year
2) Offer January specials with sizable discounts if you anticipate a slow month Use coupons and thank you gifts to show appreciation to your loyal long-term customers
3) Br igh ten up your display space with new graphics fixtures and lighting Look into new LED displays They offer superior lighting at significantly lower cost and maintenance LED
technology will replace both incandescent and neon lighting and signage in just a few years
4) Spend some time to really learn your software application January is a great time to learn new features and upgrade your Corel Software Buy a guide or an interactive CDDVD to speed up the learning curve
5) January is a great time to find new vendors equipment and imprintables You have more time and the vendors may be more responsive as sales are slower You very well might be able to make that great deal on a piece of capital equipment yoursquove wanted for some time
Ask vendors to provide you with samples of new inks imprintables and transfer papers Test washability compare color quality and evaluate production ease
Look at the new technologies -- direct printing on soft and hardgoods eco-solvent inks color laser printer transfer and new sublimation coatings are all ldquohotrdquo areas to investigate
6) Donrsquot just perform a physical inventory Evaluate inventory turnover and get rid of any dead items that are just taking up shelf space
7) Look at your customer base Are you trying to be all things to all people Are there specific niches where you have had greater success
than others Determine how to build on your strengths and possibly remove yourself from markets that are not profitable
8) Organize an email list of all your existing customers and solid leads Improve your communications with a newsletter Donrsquot overkill with your emailshelliptherersquos a fine line between informative and irritating
9) Sit down and list your major accomplishments and failures of the past year Try to assign a quantitative measure where you can Make a detailed list in each area and honestly investigate what resulted in success or failure
10) Come up with a list of 10-20 goals that you can realistically achieve in 2008 These goals can be defined as specific actions or financial results Create a small poster and display it in place where you will see it every day Go over the list every month and ask yourself how you are doing
I wish you all a Very Happy New Year I will try to keep you informed of all the exciting technical and market developments in 2008 Thanks for all your questions ideas and support during the past year
Add quality imprintables from Unisub for the
Valentinersquos Day market
December 2007 16Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE PRINTSUBLIMATIONBy Judy and John McDaniel Applications
Creating Sublimation Product Templates
Last time we finished all the background stuff now wersquoll get on to making things Wersquoll start with flat products which include plaques tiles shirts and other garments etc Later wersquoll explore specialty items like cups
Creating a Product Template FileThe first step in designing graphics for any new
product that we intend to make again and again is to create a product template Templates give us layouts into which we can place our text and graphics They may take a little time to set up initially however they make it much easier and faster to produce products once the templates are available
The first step in designing a template is to determine the page size in CorelDRAWreg For sublimated products that requires we decide what size the finished transfer will be The size of the transfer will determine the page size
The finished transfer may or may not be the size of the printed sheet For example if we are printing transfers for t-shirts generally they will be on full 11 x 17 sheets That said we have some layouts that will be printed in portrait orientation vertical on the shirt and some in landscape horizontal We have both styles available as templates If we are including a customerrsquos photo in the finished design the orientation of the photo might determine which template we use
For ceramic tiles the transfer may be the size of an individual tile or perhaps the size of a tile array For plaques the transfer is generally slightly larger than the print area of the plaque -- 4 x 6 5 x 7 8 x 10 etc For badges our template might be the size of a single badge or if we have a fixture for pressing badges our template might be the size of the fixture If wersquore pressing ceramic steins and cups we might have an array of templates some for fronts backs full wraps and full wraps edge to edge
Another variable to consider when creating a sublimation template is the size
of your printer and heat press The largest transfer that can be printed or pressed will determine the upper limit of the templatersquos page size These factors are only of concern for large items like shirts
In our shop we have both wide format (11inch) and standard (85 inch) sublimation printers We can choose roll material or standard sheets Currently our largest flat press is 14 x 16 inches so thatrsquos our upper limit for flat product images
Creating a T-shirt TemplateRemember creating a template is something you
only do one time for each item in your inventory and for any variations you would like to have available Creating
Photo 1
Photo 2
December 2007 17Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE PRINTING
a template file takes a little time in the beginning but saves a lot of time in the long run
With these factors in mind Irsquoll go through the steps of creating a special-occasion t-shirt template The first one Irsquoll create will be in portrait orientation If yoursquod like to follow along open CorelDraw to a new project 11 x 17 paper and set the orientation to portrait
Set Guidelines Next wersquoll bring in some guidelines These will
help us see the image area we have to work with For this project Irsquoll set guidelines at frac12 inch in from the left and right 1 inch in from the top and 3 inches up from bottom The guides are for visual reference This is the maximum text and graphics layout area
Since this is a vertical layout our graphic will be 1 inch down from the top edge of the transfer If we set the shirt on the press with the collar at the top edge then all wersquoll have to do is align the transfer to the top edge of the press and the image will be 1 inch down from the shirt collar
Irsquove limited the vertical image area to 13 inches Allowing an inch down from the top will make the bottom of the image 14 inches down from the collar Thatrsquos
ok for an adult large or XL shirt but you may want to adjust the area for smaller shirts
As a part of this layout Irsquove created a couple of layers One Irsquove called text and one picture These layers will be used for the graphic elements of the final template As an option you can also create a non-printing layer that contains a rectangle Since the layout is off centered you can use the rectangle to align your text and graphics but the rectangle will not print (See picture 1)
Save Your TemplateYou can now save this simple layout
as a CorelDRAW template To do that click on FileSave Ashellip and select CDT ndash CorelDRAW Template (see picture 2)
I normally save templates in a special folder however if yoursquore using Windows Vista its sort capabilities reduce the need to organize your files (See picture 3)
You can use this generic template as is You can also use it as a base for creating other templates Next time wersquoll make some additions to customize it for a special occasion Wersquoll also look at how we can use templates
Judy and John McDaniel are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry For information on training services offered and their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom They can be reached by phone at 541-967-4271 via SKYPE (user name JHMcDaniel) or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom See full bio on Writers Page
December 2007 18Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTINGBy Jeff McDaniel Applications
Using Specialty Platens Part 2Background
In our last article we touched on the steps required to create a master transfer for our specialty platen We also briefly reviewed locating the artwork and attaching the capillary film to the screen In this article we will expose our screens rinse them and produce our pocket patch CorelDRAWPro members can look up the more detailed information in the archived articles for June July and August at wwwacdrporg
Our setup and yoursOur setup is the Printa 770 series screen printing machine from Printa Systems Inc
All of the supplies and tools we will cover from here on were provided in the turn-key system from Printa with the 770 Your setup may be from another source but will most likely contain components of what we will discuss below In addition to the standard Printa 770 setup we will be using the ldquoPrint-Allrdquo system from Printa Systems Inc (see figure 1 courtesy of Printa Systems)
Exposing the capillary filmWe left off last article with our screens drying
Now that they are dry we are ready to expose the capillary film Exposing Step 1 we will gently peel the carrier sheet off of the capillary film (see figure 2)
Exposing Step 2 Next we need to put our first image back on the exposure unit and re-install the screen on the printing system Then we can bring the screen down on the
exposure unit attach our blackout board and expose the screen (see figure 3)
Exposing Step 3 After exposure we need to rinse out our screen and inspect it to be certain we have a complete rinse (see figure 4)
Exposing Step 4 Once the image is rinsed out it is time to put the screen back in the dryer (see figure 5)
Re-aligning the screens after wash outFrom the time that we first aligned the
artwork we have taken the screens in and out of the printing system twice If our artwork is even a little bit out of alignment we will lose blanks or put out low quality work It is a good idea to do a final adjustment with the original artwork
Re-Align Step 1 Leaving both of our photo positives on the exposure unit we can inspect the screen location compared to our original artwork location Here is the yellow screen location after exposure and wash out (see figure 6)
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
December 2007 19Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTING
Re-Align Step 2 The black screen is a little bit off (see figure 7) so we will need to use the Printa 770 micro-adjustment knobs to bring it back into alignment (see figure 8)
Masking off the screenNow that our artwork is
lined up correctly we can mask the rest of the screen off Wherever we donrsquot want the ink to run through the screen needs to be masked off (see figures 9 and 10)
Locating the pocket patch on the shirtThere are a couple of different ways to locate the pocket
patch on the shirt The first thing to consider is where you want it to end up on the wearer If the patch is too far toward the sleeve the image will end up under the wearerrsquos arm pit If the image is too far up toward the neck the image will not look right either A good way to figure out the correct location is by looking at a shirt that has a pocket patch on it (maybe one or two are in your closet right now)
Another way to locate the pocket patch is to put on the shirt
size that you wear and mark off where you think it feels correct and comfortable Once you have decided where you would like the patch keeping it in the same relative location on all of the different sizes is not too difficult The actual placement of the shirt can be accomplished a couple of different ways that we know of Which you prefer will depend mostly on if you are more accurate with sight or touch
The sight method involves using a masking tape strip to mark the desired location on the shirt prior to loading it onto the platen (see figure 11)
Once you have your marking in place you can load the shirt on the platen and have a nice representation that you are placing the design in the desired location (see figure 12)
Figure 7 Figure 8
Figure 9
Figure 10
Figure 11
Figure 12
December 2007 20Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTING
We prefer the sight method because it works well with our equipment The ldquoPrint Allrdquo system from Printa Systems Inc uses a smaller platen for pocket patches The smaller platen allows us to load sizes from youth XS ndash adult 5X without stretching
The touch method involves using a standard platen and adding a riser underneath where the pocket patch will be printed (a piece of cut cardboard or thin wood of the appropriate size) With this method you can feel when the shirt is in the correct location and begin printing from there
Inking the screens printing and curingSince we have resolved our location
issues with the pocket patch we are ready to ink the screens print and cure
Printing Step 1 Inking the screens is fairly straightforward (see figure 13)
Printing Step 2 Using the squeegee we will screen our first color (see figure 14) and check the quality of the image (see figure 15)
Printing Step 3 Our first color will need to be flash cured (see figure 16)
Printing Step 4 Now we can add our second color (see figure 17)
Printing Step 5 Finally we can do the finish cure step paying attention to the temperature gauge (see figure 18)
After final curing it is always a good idea to take at least a sampling of the product and wash it to be certain of the curing All of the information on post-job clean-up can be found in the CorelDRAWPro archives for September
Conclusion This time we took our screens out of
the dryer and pushed our project all the way to its completion
Jeff McDaniel is the OwnerOperator of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon Jeff has been working with computers since the age of 5 and was a journeyman machinist before working in the graphic arts business Creative Graphic offers services including laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials You can contact Jeff by email at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
Figure 14
Figure 13
Figure 15
Figure 17
Figure 16
Figure 18
December 2007 21Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SANDBLASTINGBy Judy McDaniel Applications
Screening the AbrasiveKeeping your sandblast abrasive media free
of contaminant material is essential During sandblasting abrasive is mixed with compressed air fed through the supply hose focused by the nozzle and impacts the product Then if itrsquos fine enough it leaves the system as dust or drops to the bottom of the cabinet to be recycled
Other material will also collect in the bottom of the cabinet This debris can include bits of mask (ever wonder where the center of that ldquoerdquo went) bits of tape and possibly solid material dislodged from the product yoursquore blasting This latter source of debris is especially prevalent when yoursquore working on materials other than glass like brick rock and wood
Leaving the debris in the abrasive when itrsquos recycled can cause a variety of problems First if a piece of debris is too large to fit through the nozzle it will clog it More importantly if it does fit through the nozzle and is hard like brick and rock debris it can impact the piece yoursquore working on and ruin it
The obvious solution is to screen the media when you reload the pressure pot The problem is the screen mesh size Irsquove tried the screen supplied by the cabinet manufacturers and used window screening material from a hardware store In both of these cases the mesh size would allow all but the largest pieces of debris through
What Irsquove found that works the best is a spatter screen from a local kitchen store The mesh is woven tightly and filters out much more debris The best thing is its price only a few dollars
One of our cabinets is not self-contained so we have to filter the media by hand We have found that bending the handle up on a large spatter screen
causes it to fit perfectly into the top of the pressure pot We also have a couple of other smaller pressure pots one in fact that you fill with a funnel For those I simply lay the spatter screen over the opening of the pot or the funnel when refilling
If you have a system that recycles the abrasive then it should be equipped with a screen located on top of the pressure pot Make sure to inspect and remove the debris from the top of the screen from time to time A shop-vac works well for this purpose If you find that larger pieces are getting through the screen then contact the manufacturer to see what can be done to reduce the mesh size
Keeping your media clean helps prevent unwanted delays or damage
To all of our friends out there new and old have a safe and joyful holiday season
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from John and me
Judy McDaniel with her husband John are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry In addition they provide one-on-one application support through an email subscription service exclusively for their Hotcdr Hands-On Training students or those who have purchased their CD sets (For information on training services offered visit wwwgraphic-products-trainingcom and for information on their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom) They can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
December 2007 22Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE ENGRAVINGBy John McDaniel Applications
Elements of Machine Accuracy 7 Structural Integrity
So far wersquove covered resolution speed repeatability and hysteresis This time wersquoll discuss structural integrity
What is Structural IntegrityStructural integrity is a measure of a machinersquos
strength or stiffness It is the ability of a machine to resist distortion by forces created in normal operations
Most mechanical engraving machines use single-fluted cutters As these cutters turn they apply cutting force against the material For every action though there is an equal but opposite reaction ie the material resists the cut and thereby transmits a resistive force back through the cutting tool spindle etc and ultimately to the machinersquos frame
Assuming a static bit position the force applied to the machinersquos structure will rotate 360deg with the tool (see diagram 1) As this force rotates any looseness in the structure will result in a deviation in the relationship of the material and the cutter
What machine design factors are involvedStructural integrity includes lead screws and their
hysteresis for mechanical engraving machines spindle bearings and their looseness for both mechanical and laser engravers gantry or table rails their bearings and looseness and the machinersquos frame In fact anything and everything that holds the tool and material in the proper relationship during the cuttingengraving process contributes to or detracts from structural integrity
Why is it importantIn a word Quality Structural integrity influences
the quality of the finished products the machine will produce
For illustration Irsquoll use a mechanical engraving system If the looseness in our machine and the cutting force applied were uniform throughout the 360deg of tool rotation the result would be a wobble in the tool path which might not be visible in the finished product
Cutting ForcesIn the real world however as the tool moves through
the material the cutting and reactive forces go through a cycle (see diagram 2) When the tool starts the cut there is a spike in force The force will level to a constant through the top side of the cut while itrsquos cutting against the direction of the toolrsquos movement Then it will drop somewhat when itrsquos cutting with the toolrsquos movement and finally fall off on the back side as the cutting edge of the tool enters the void area where the material has already been removed
The amount of force applied during the cutting process will vary depending on the material being
cut the tool and its sharpness the depth of cut the material feed rate and whether or not lubricant is used The cutting force may also vary over the length of the job as the toolrsquos cutting edge wears and becomes dull
Machine Component Looseness
In addition to the cutting force not being uniform throughout the 360deg of tool rotation l o o s e n e s s i n t h e machinersquos structure will also vary For example dur ing the cut t ing operation as the tool transitions through 0deg and 180deg of rotation X axis hysteresis will be a factor in overall machine looseness but Y axis hysteresis will have no effect At 90deg and 270deg the Y axis will become a factor but the X axis will have no impact
In the real world any looseness in the machine will cause an oscillation in the cut which will have its own angle If we could slow the toolrsquos movement we would see this oscillation as a sharp jump in the positional relationship between the tool and material being cut In the finished product this sharp jump in position will result in a jagged cut
December 2007 23Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE ENGRAVING Outline amp OverviewThe Nuts and Bolts of Machine AccuracyMachine accuracy or capability can be defined as a result of six features 1 Resolution ndash the smallest incremental movementpositioning of a speci-fied axis 2 Speed ndash the ability to complete a task in a reasonable amount of time without sacrificing accuracy or creating damage to the machine or product 3 Repeatability ndash the ability to duplicate a previous position without error 4 Hysteresis ndash the ldquosloprdquo or ldquoplayrdquo in motion control components 5 Structural Integrity ndash stiffness or strength ndash the ability to cut materials without error or damage This is especially important for mechanical engrav-ers 6 Structural Tolerances ndash the sum accuracy of a machinersquos mechanical components
Machine ComponentsWersquoll examine nine factors that determine a machinersquos accuracy They include 1 Motors ndash including DC Stepper DC Brushless DC Servo and AC Servo a Spindles ndash motors that rotate the cutting bit b Axis Drive ndash motors that position the material to the cutting bit c Horsepower ratings ndash real versus advertised 2 The Motion Control Drive Unit ndash including Geared Belt and Lead Screws a Lead Screws ndash including Acme Re-circulating Ball Standard and Precision b Mounting ndash including Simple Fixed and Thrust bearing types c Protection ndash Open or Closed 3 Guide Rails ndash Types include V Bearing Rail Bushing Shaft Dove Tail and Re-circulating Ball Bearing 4 Encoders ndash Types include Rotary and Linear Methodologies include incremental or absolute 5 Tachometers ndash used for speed stability acceleration and breaking control for closed loop servo systems 6 Bearings ndash including Sleeve Ball and Linear Re-circulating Ball a Applications ndash including Radial Thrust and Linear b Quality ndash Standard thru Ultra Precision 7 Spindles ndash including topbottom loading Collets and Sleeves 8 Material Hold Down ndash including mechanical clamps and vacuum sys-tems 9 Electronic Interface ndash Computer control methods
Wersquoll also examine Reliability what makes it And Serviceability is it fix-able
If the cutting oscillation is at any angle other than the direction of the cut and the oscillation is great enough a jagged cut will be visible in the finished product A cut deviation of as little as 001rdquo is visible to the naked eye and will most commonly show up on curves and circles but may show up on straight lines as well
To illustrate this point a little further and perhaps make it somewhat clearer Irsquod like to refer to diagrams 3 and 4 For purposes of these illustrations we will assume we have a machine that has some looseness on both the X and Y axes However the rest of the machine
is structurally solid the frame is rigid and no other components have any loosenessMaking these assumptions and disregarding the variation in force caused by the cutter
as it travels through the material we will have cutting oscillations at 0deg 180deg 90deg and 270deg during the toolrsquos rotation As the tool travels through the material on its path these oscillations will cause a slight variation in the centerline of the toolrsquos cut
Diagram 3 shows a horizontal tool path While the machine is cutting in this direction any X axis looseness will be masked by the cutter path itself however looseness in the Y axis will result in a slight oscillation in the cutterrsquos horizontal position and therefore a deviation in its cut Diagram 4 shows the effect of the X axis looseness which will impact vertical lines
As you can see from this discussion and these illustrations structural integrity ie looseness in the components from which a machine is constructed can make a significant difference in quality of the finished products that a machine will produce
Next time wersquoll consider structural tolerances and their impact
John McDaniel with his wife Judy are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry For information on training services offered and their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom They can be reached by phone at 541-967-4271 via SKYPE (user name JHMcDaniel) or via email at JHMcDanielCorelDRAWhelpcom See the full bio on the Writers Page
December 2007 24Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
the image the text and the red bow In the laser file for this example I have the red cut line for vectoring (See Figure 5)
5) Send the cardstock through the printer6) Place the cardstock in the laser for vector
cutting The thickness of the stock will determine what settings to use For my 35-watt laser using a medium weight cardstock I used a speed of 100 and power of 15 for a nice cut through the stock without any burn marks on the paper
7) Optional in one run I decided to let the laser take care of the bow instead of using color for it from my printer I set the outline of the bow to 100 black and the interior of the bow to 50 black (See Figure 6)
8) Then I only sent the image and text through the printer The bow and vector cutting occurred in the laser I set the raster engraving (of the bow) at speed 70 and power 40 (See Figure 7) You can see the differentiation of using 100 black as opposed to 50 black by the exterior lines
being engraved a little deeper than the rest of the fill
Take the idea of using patterns (like the birth announcement above) and wowing your clientele with the detail and intricacy that laser can provide Or add a twist to a holiday tradition (cards) Whatever you do donrsquot forget you can combine the advantages of the printer and laser for fabulous products
Submitted by Kathryn Arnold Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
LASER TIPBy Kathryn Arnold Applications
Combining Laser amp Printer PowerComing up with new and
inventive ways to use your laser is the key to a successful and growing business We will look at a way to combine the power of your computer (ink) printer with the power of the laser engraver
In this lesson we will take a look at using cardstock to create a card and an announcement See the examples of a holiday card and a birth announcement ndash gratuitously they are of my family (Figure 1 amp Figure 2)
1) In CorelDRAWreg use any pattern image text you wish Be sure that there is a clear and discernible vector line that will be laser cut and yield a cut piece from the cardstock2) See the clear (red) cut line ndash it goes fully around my object even the bow portion (important) I then duplicated my object to fit as many as possible on my 8 frac12 x 11 cardstock (See Figure 3) 3) I saved this file as my master file that I could return to at any point I then created two copies -- one that will
be used to send the file to my printer and one that will be used to send the file to my laser engraver (See Figure 4)
4) In the master file I have every part of what my end product will have In the file for my printer I only have the parts that the printer will print ndash in this example
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
December 2007 25Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
ELECTRONICS FRONTIERBy Louie Alvarez Opportunity
Webcams are an interesting subject which I am intimately familiar with Some typical questions are what are they what purpose do they serve what benefit are they what to look for and various other questions concerns and issues
Webcams surely bring back a memory or two not all that great I might add I remember when they first became usable primarily due to the Internet having affordable true broadband
First experiences The choppy poor quality of dial-up service
simply didnrsquot make this a useful technology Short of communicating with far-flung family members it left much to be desired With my immediate family living in Las Vegas and all other family (parents siblings cousins etc) living in California this was a technology I thought would be useful to keep in touch
So I set up my computer and my momrsquos computer with Webcams to stay in touch Needless to say with the poor quality terrible tracking (had to keep perfectly
sti l l because video frames didnrsquot refresh fas t enough) the hard-to-see tiny video window and poorly synchronized voices to the faces (we looked like a badly translated kung fu movie) the novelty quickly wore off (Irsquod say in about 30 minutes)
WebcamsSecond attempt
So I promptly dumped the technology for the next few years until I started seeing broadband picking up the pace and more interest in Webcams becoming obvious from all the new devices on the market So about three years ago a wireless Webcam caught my eye and I decided to put it to the test once again
Considering I was by then traveling quite extensively (about 40000 miles a year) I figured Irsquod use it to monitor my home I had two teenagers and a 5-year-old at home at the time while I was on the road and my wife was still a t work (She normally didnrsquot get off work until about two hours after school was out) So this looked to be a cool device to see if as the clicheacute goes when the catrsquos away the mice will play
I proceeded to position this wireless Webcam strategically to allow viewing of my living room including the back door Plus to get to the front door or side door you would have to pass through the field of the camera My little one loved the idea of being on camera for her daddy and would dance play and make funny faces for me Pretty cool actually That in itself almost justified the camera but needless to say my teenagers even my wife didnrsquot take to the idea too well So it was returned and life continued on as usual
That experience did show me that the broadband
speeds the quality of the video feeds the prevalence on the net of live cams and the quality of the video cameras (better known as Webcams) had progressed to a level of usefulness and I could see the potential of this technology With that said letrsquos get into the heart of this article
So what are webcams Basically they are digital cameras attached to
the computer and connected to the Web or Instant Messaging (IM) This allows the camera to be linked to a website or to each other directly and individuals who view the website or IM are able to see what the camera is viewing at that moment You can choose to get either still pictures that are updated at regular intervals (Snapshot) or live streams (Streaming) depending on what your bandwidth permits The WebCam technology has advanced sufficiently now to make it both easier and cheaper to maintain a camera that is refreshing an image 24 hours a day
Features of Web Cameras Listed here are some of the features more commonly
found in WebCams1 Live streaming video still pictures updated2 No plug-in or software necessary to view image
can be viewed with any Web browser3 Live audio4 Incorporation with other software such as Instant
Messaging (IM)5 Adding captionslogostime displays6 Archiving video7 Chat feature
December 2007 26Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
WebCams in an instructional scenario could be used to
Monitor your staff or employees thus being able to guide them better
Telecommute to companies worldwide and demonstrate project procedures
B roadcas t sem ina rs wo rkshops o r demonstrations
Share special events and programs with students enrolled in distance learning courses
Hold a video press conference online meeting or broadcast meetings and discussions
In some cases it is important for the learner to be able to establish a connection visually WebCams could be a good alternative to using text files or audio files
Join WebCam groups and allow students to take advantage of other WebCam locations for educational purposes
Using a web camera allows learners to be a part of either a conference or classstudio
Benefits of using WebCamsa The most important advantage of using a web camera is that it creates a direct link between the camera and the live site and dispenses with all the production work Production work in this context includes the cost and effort involved in shooting
editing and streaming videos Thus using a WebCam does not require
advanced skillsb The software is basically a Web server that runs on your system and pushes images out to a Web page For viewers of images delivered over a WebCam
one of the benefits is that they get the entire picture preferable in
certain cases rather than a sleek edited versionc WebCam technology can also be used for remote s u r v e i l l a n c e s y s t e m s
ELECTRONIC FRONTIER
monitoring events or places and broadcasting live eventsd Learners can link to a web camera-monitored location and just watch or also have an additional web camera in their own location enabling two-way communication
Setting up your WebCama Setting up your own WebCam obviously requires a computer a WebCam (the hardware) and WebCam software along with a broadband Internet connection Before you decide which camera to buy and which software to acquire yoursquoll have to review the different methods to show pictures or video feed through the Internet ( i e r e f r e s h e d after x amount of seconds) This will enable you to decide which hardware and software solution will fit your situation best
b P l a c e m e n t of a camera is an important decision to be made Decide whether a static angle is sufficient to demonstrate the concept or a moving camera (handheld) is required It is important however to remember the limitations of using WebCams and leave the panoramic and other fancy shots to more sophisticated video Use WebCams for videos that require more focus and ones that require a smaller viewingmovement range
c For detailed technical instructions on using WebCams visit httpdeveloperswebcamworldcommethodshtml
d Here is a good resource for inexpensive Webcams on the market httpcastlepricewatchcomssearchasps=webcams
e For an in-depth review of various Webcams on the market go to this link httpreviewscnetcom4244-6502_7-0-1htmlquery=webamptag=cat_1
f There are many Webcam examples online here are a couple httpwwwwebcamworldcom or httpwwwleonardsworldscomcamerahtml
By the way DONrsquoT TELL MY KIDS I picked up a Logitech QuickCam Pro 4000 not too long ago My family doesnrsquot know why I got it or what my intention is but I can say that now that my kids are 17 16 amp 8 my job as a parent is to ensure the mice donrsquot play when the catrsquos awayhellip
Louie Alvarez began acquiring his experience in the awards and engraving industry in Central California over 15 years ago first as an employee of the largest and oldest trophy shop and then as owner of one of the first laser engraving businesses Louie has been a featured workshop instructor and seminar speaker throughout the industry in addition to being a contributing writer to numerous industry publications Louie is based in Las Vegas NV and can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
December 2007 27Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
The Association of CorelDRAWreg Professionals is The Education amp Business Resource for CorelDRAW Users Worldwide Its goal is to help 1) IMPROVE your CorelDRAW skills and 2) MAKE MONEY with those skills You can participate in ACDRP services in four ways
THE WORLDrsquoS ONLY ASSOCIATION FOR CORELDRAWreg USERSINVITES YOU TO MAKE MORE MONEY WITH CORELDRAW
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month focused on Industry News via the Graphics News Wire Links to valuable resources and a complete educa-tion and show Calendar S
CorelDRAWPro the Entrepreneurial magazine for CorelDRAW users features in-depth content on How to Use CorelDRAW -- tips tricks advanced ar twork success s to r ies in te rv iews and more How to Apply CorelDRAW -- for graphic production processes such as embroidery engraving heat printing laser promo products printing sandblasting signmaking sublimation and screenprinting How to Profit from CorelDRAW -- Product news business columns reviews profiles and advertising with live links
SUBSCRIBE -- NO CHARGE JOIN -- $60 PER YEAR
All users of CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite are qualified to subscribe free to CorelDRAWPro magazine (PDF format) and CorelDRAWPro E-News
Subscription to CorelDRAWPro amp CorelDRAWPRo E-News
TTF Newsletter Subscription to the monthly Tips Templates amp Fixtures Newsletter only available to members
GSG Basic Listing You can list your services in the Graphic Services Guide in one category as part of membership (a $25 value)
Access to QuickLearn A keyword searchable database of 100s of articles on CorelDRAW graphics production and business
All users of CorelDRAWreg are invited to join the Association and take advantage of exclusive content discounts and profes-sional recognition ACDRP membership includes
TTF
QuickLearn
QuickTNT
Archives
BASIC GSG LISTING -- $25 PER YR
The Graphic Services Guide is the Industry Yellow Pages for Services and Finished Goods GSG is promoted in all our publi-cations and our website to the world of CorelDRAW users Your listing gives you the opportunity to promote your services (in any of 40 categories) to other CorelDRAW usersThe Basic Listing includes your company description email link and listing in one category Additional service categories are $10 each per year
The Enhanced GSG Listing is for companies that want to list in two categories and add a photo or logo
ENHANCED GSG LISTING -- $50$75 PER YR
Classifieds
Access to QuickTnT A growing database of CorelDRAW tips for understanding the fine points of the program and templates that can be downloaded to speed up your production
Access to Archives Past issues of CorelDRAWPro are available to members with live links
Bookstore Discounts Members receive a 10 discount on all products in the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore
Professional Recognition Use of the ACDRP logo for professional identification on business cards websites and letterhead You also receive a membership certificate
Classified Ads Members can place one classified ad per year at no charge with photo and run it till the item is sold (a $35 value)
HOW TO PARTICIPATE To Subscribe (no charge) To Join ($60yr) To List in the Graphic Services Guide ($25 Basic $50$75 Enhanced or $120145 for Multi-Service)
CorelDRAWreg is a registered trademark of Corel Corp and is used with permission
Visit wwwcoreldrawprocomand click on the appropriate links
800-276-8428
The Multi-Service GSG Listing allows you to list up to 40 differ-ent service categories with detailed descriptions and add a photo or logo
MULTI-SERVICE GSG LISTING -- $120$145 PER YR
December 2007 28Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Throughout the year this publication has reported on whatrsquos new in equipment tools and software and blank products for businesses that put graphics onto products
For this 2007 wrap-up CorelDRAWPro editorial staff reviewed all the product news for the year and named 33 products to its annual Top Products of the Year list
Selections were based on the criteria of innovation and impact Innovation means products that exhibit a high degree of originality or uniqueness Impact means products that influence sales or productivity for a large number of businesses
Note that the 2007 honorees are list alphabetically in the three theme sections
For more information on the products in this article click on the Info Request button at the bottom of each page and select by company name or product You might open the Info Request page and minimize it as you read That way you can quickly open it and check the products you want
EQUIPMENT
ANAJET DIRECT-TO-GARMENT DIGITAL PRINTERAnaJet Digital Apparel Printer (Model FP-125) from
AnaJet Inc in Costa Mesa CA is a direct-to-garment printer offering high quality and affordability It can print custom graphics on any cotton or poly-cotton flat textile material in one minute The printer priced affordably from under $13000 can produce up to 5000 shirts per month each retailing for about $20 Most printers installed so far are in a production plant environment but some customers have started to take the mobile printer to malls for instant printing of customer graphics According to Dr Chase Roh company president the unique printhead they have developed allows for 16x more ink flow than normal desktop printers and thus shirts only require one pass
Top Products of the Year
DTG AMERICA ECLIPSE D-1 WITH TWO HEADS DTG America of Tampa FL and Fort Worth TX now offers a new solution to
speed up digitally printing to dark shirts The Eclipse D-1 incorporates two heads instead of one One head has eight channels of white to lay down a solid white underbase The second head has four channels of white to do highlights and four channels of color to lay down the design The result of this new configuration is the underbase and color are completed in one pass at an estimated average of only two minutes per shirt for a 12-inch by 6-inch area Other innovations include an ink agitator firmware for easy updating ink vapor remover auto gap adjustment and new platen configuration for easy loading
GEO KNIGHT DK 25SP HEAT PRESSThe Digital Knight DK25SP is an air-operated automatic
20x25 oversized swing-away heat press with a state-of-the-art control system and heavy-duty solid steel welded framework The smooth automatic pressing and push-button activation provides a productive fatigue-free operation The extended 20x25 size of the heat platen is perfect for sublimation and large-format materials pressingThe press is adjustable to accommodate materials from fabric thickness all the way up to 1rdquo thick substrates For more information call 800-525-6766 or visit wwwheatpresscom
GRAPHTEC CRAFT ROBO PROGraphtec America Inc based in Santa Ana
CA introduced the new Craft ROBO Pro 15rdquo cutting plotter The Craft ROBO Pro is an ideal solution for cutting a wide variety of materials including vinyl film card stock foil heat transfer and image transfer media Incorporating Graphtecrsquos legendary
December 2007 29Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
ARMS (Advanced Registration Marks System) and combined with a desktop printer the Craft ROBO Pro makes contour cutting an easy task Innovations include a new digital servo motor first mark auto-sensing menu navigation system that includes 8 user-defined conditions Tangential Control and three software applications
ROLAND RELEASES DIRECT-TO-FABRIC PRINTERRoland DGA Corp of Irvine CA released
the new 74rdquo HeatWave DFP-74 Fabric Printer through its reseller channel in the US Based on Rolandrsquos HeatWave sublimation technology the DFP-74 Fabric Printer is a complete integrated solution and Rolandrsquos first inkjet ever to support direct printing onto polyester fabrics As a complete solution including printer sublimation unit inks and RIP software the DFP-74 makes it easier than ever for shops to enter the fast-growing textile printing market Key features include eight advanced piezo print heads an intelligent media handling system and a temperature-controlled heating system
HOTRONIX PERFECT PRESSURE HEAT PRESSHotronix of Carmichaels PA has taken heat press technology
to the next level with Perfect Pressure a new digital pressure display functionThis new feature has a single-digit LED readout
that measures the pressure of the inner platen This technology is exclusive to Hotronix and is patent pending Previously a
digital pressure display was available only on air-operated heat press machines With this new pressure display gauge all heat press users will have more consistent results from job to job reducing the number of misprints and speeding up production For more information about
the new digital pressure display contact Stahlsrsquo Hotronix at 800-478-2457 e-mail infostahlscom or visit the Web site at wwwstahlscom
SWF DREAM EMBROIDERY MACHINEWith its new DREAM Machine SWF has broken the barrier in multi-head
embroidery machine technology The DREAM machines are the first multi-head embroidery machines that truly can sew at 1500 stitches per minute During the research and development of these new machines 12 new patents were filed and granted proof that the DREAM machines are built with state-of-the-art technology
Innovations include LED control panel error codes to quickly troubleshoot problems optional devices to do sequins cording and boring automatic oiling system large memory a hoop selector and more These innovative new machines come in configurations ranging from
two to six heads It is distributed exclusively by SWF East (Tampa FL) and SWF MESA (Dallas TX)
MESArsquoS HOTFIX SPANGLE MOTIF MACHINEWith the all new YAS-11 Hotfix Spangle Motif Making
Machine the first of its kind in the United States you can create beautiful spangle transfer designs that have the look of sequins This patented machine which is distributed exclusively in the United States by MESA Distributors of Fort Worth TX cuts out shapes such as circles and squares in a range of sizes from reels of Mylar tape The machine comes with proprietary design software that allows the user to create any pattern or design up to 157 by 157 inches
SAWGRASSrsquo HYBRID SYSTEM FOR EPSON R1800Sawgrass Technologies of Mt Pleasant SC introduced
the SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid System for the Epson R1800 for both sublimation printing and cotton
decorating from one machine The affordable entry-level system features dual functionality with both SubliJet and ChromaBlast inks in one machine allowing users to create customized images with superior color and clarity on both polyester coated substrates and cotton garments This is the second
hybrid system from Sawgrass following in the footsteps of the popular SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid
System for the Epson 4800
TROTECrsquoS NEW LARGE PLATFORM LASER Trotec Laser Inc of Ypsilanti MI has introduced the SP500 series of laser
engraving and cutting systems The systems have a work area of 50rdquo X 28rdquo and X-Axis clearance of 12rdquo The systems are offered in power levels from 45W-200W There is an available pass-through option (Class 4) Exhaust fumes are captured
December 2007 30Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
at the laser head to insure an efficient extraction when using the pass-through featureTrotec systems are designed for minimal wear-and-tear and eliminate the need for periodic replacement of belts and bearings For additional information visit our web site wwwtrotecnet or call 866-226-8505 734-484-3260
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW PROFESSIONAL SERIESUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) of Scottsdale
AZ added four new models in its Professional Laser Series (PLS) line of advanced high-productivity computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving systems The new PLS line which replaces Universalrsquos M V and X laser systems incorporates a
host of evolutionary design improvements to the laser cartridge platform chassis system electronics and software interface The new PLS models include several
powerful new features most notably a unique materials-based print driver called ldquoLaser Interface +rdquo that gives users their choice
between automatic or manual control over power speed and other system settings For more information on Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit Universal Laser Systems online at wwwulsinccom
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW VERSALASERUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) added a
new version of its desktop-sized VersaLasertrade
computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving system The new VersaLaser
improves on the award-winning original thanks to a host of evolutionary design refinements It also
includes a unique next-generation materials-based print driver that automatically calculates power speed
and other system settings It was awarded a patent for the unique design of its external cabinet which also functions as a Class 1 laser safety enclosure For more information about VersaLaser or Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit wwwulsinccom
US SCREENrsquoS FAST T-JET 3US Screen Print and Inkjet Technology of Tempe
AZ adds the Fast T-Jet3TM which features 30 faster print speeds compared to the previous T-Jet2 model and has a longer low profile print bed for easier loading and unloading Now you can produce a full size 12rdquo x 12rdquo (305 x 305 cm) print in one minute on a light shirt and in under three minutes on a black shirt with white ink Small pocket images can be printed in about 15 seconds
US SCREENrsquoS AUTOMATED PRETREATMENT CENTER
Speed up production when using Fast T-Jet inkjet-to-garment printers with the AutoTREATtrade Automatic Pretreatment Center
This versatile piece of equipment allows you to treat shirts on a production level rather than spraying shirts individually one at a time For use with light or dark shirts the AutoTREATtrade
can spray up to three shirts per minute It has two application modesmdashone for lights and one for darks that can be switched over by activating the cleaning mode which flushes out the system with water
TOOLS MATERIALS SOFTWARE
CORELDRAW X3 CERTIFIED FOR WINDOWS VISTACorel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that
CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite X3 has been Certified for Windows Vista Customers who wish to install the Certified for Windows Vista version of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X3 can download the latest service pack (SP2) from wwwcorelcom This new update delivers an exceptional experience for customers on Windows Vista including an updated user interface enhanced security improved text handling and further enhancements to the popular suitersquos renowned import and export file compatibility
COREL LAUNCHES NEW ONLINE COMMUNITY Corel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that it
has launched httpcoreldrawcom a new online community for users of the CorelDRAWreg family of products ndash including CorelDRAW Graphics Suite Corel DESIGNERreg Technical Suite
December 2007 31Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
and Corelreg DRAWingsreg This new community site is the first in a series that Corel will be launching to support its various user communities Designed to fuel inspiration CorelDRAWcom combines forums blogs and galleries for design professionals and graphic hobbyists alike Forums are available in English French German and Spanish serving an international audience
DALCOrsquoS NEW REFLECTIVE HEAT TRANSFERSCater to the safety market with new reflective transfers offered
by Dalco Athletic of Dallas TX These durable transfers come in a reflective silver gray color in three styles police sheriff and fire dept They are sized for left chest and full back so
all you have to do is heat seal for 8 seconds and yoursquore done Itrsquos very fast and easy
DALCOrsquoS NEW OPTIC YELLOW CLASSIC SWB APPLIQUE
Classic SWB appliqueacute designs offered by Dalco Athletic now come in two new styles softballs and tennis balls in optic yellow fabric These new balls literally jump off any wearable and make it an eye-catching standout This appliqueacute collection is ideal for spiritwear items to be sold to fans and family or created as fund-raisers for boosters clubs
POWER GRAPHICS 3 FROM DIGITAL ART SOLUTIONSPower Graphics 3 by Digital Art Solutions of
Tempe AZ is the ultimate design tool for the creation of high-end custom graphics and logos for custom signage awards vehicle graphics promotional products and apparel graphics Tuned to the latest styles and trends it provides fresh graphics that will impress even the most critical and demanding customer It includes more than 1500 images The 10 design categories include Flames Gangsta (Urban) Mascots Offroad Rebel (Biker and Hot
Rod) Retro Speed Sports Surf and Tuner
FLORIANI COMMERCIALrsquoS NEW NO-SHOW DIAMOND MESHContinuing in its tradition of research and development
to create embroidery stabilizers that meet the needs of todayrsquos embroiderers Floriani Embroidery Commercial Division of Knoxville TN released a new product called Floriani No-Show Diamond Mesh This unique nylon mesh stabilizer has a perpendicular embossed pattern that makes it more multi-directionally stable and enables it to better hold stitches for crisper design registration It is specifically designed for light-colored garments where traditional stabilizers have a tendency to show through the front of the garment
GREAT DANErsquoS NEW DIGITAL PHOTO FRAMES Tap into the lucrative team market with an
incredible collection of stock art specially designed to work for direct-to-garment printers sublimation transfers and digital transfers Digital Photo Frames Volume 1 is a collection of spectacular pre-designed layouts each with one or more frames to
insert personal photos The collection includes five categories baseball football basketball soccer and hockey Each category has four designs (20 total layouts) and each design comes in three template formats mugs mouse pads and shirts
So there are a total of 60 template designs in all
IMPRINTABLES WAREHOUSE OFFERS SPECTRA ECO FILMNew from Imprintables Warehouse of
Masontown PA is a digital cutter material that is free of PVC a plus with companies that want to be as environmentally friendly as possible Spectra Eco Film is made with ecological polyurethane and is peeled hot It is pressure sensitive (sticky backing) and extremely easy to weed While maintaining superior durability and opacity this new film is thinner than current offerings on the market and delivers the super soft hand that is in demand by todayrsquos consumers It can be used on 100 cotton 100 polyester polycotton blends and even nylon and leather
December 2007 32Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
KISSCUT TECHNOLOGIESrsquo SELF-WEEDING INKJET TRANSFER PAPER
Kiss Cut Technologies Ltd Newcastle UK has addressed the ldquopolymer windowrdquo issue and developed the worldrsquos first self-weeding inkjet transfer paper for printing to textiles In simple terms only the areas of their patented transfer paper that have been printed will be transferred to the garment when heat pressed A Kiss Cut print can be further embellished with specialized textile foils so in effect a digital foiling method is now available Foil is heat pressed onto the garment and when peeled the foil only sticks to the image areas
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW PHOTOPLAS-TIC MATERIALLaserSketchcom of Lemont IL a leading supplier of
LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble Super Black Granite and Black Onyx Jewelry introduces their new PhotoPlas-Tic This is a new material developed for front andor reverse laser engraving on micro surface impact acrylic plastic It is a premium plastic for laser engraving that is UV stable ideal for photo badges plaques trophies signage and high-end awards Each sheet of PhotoPlas-Tic is specially designed for a crisp clean burn and ultra-fine laser lettering logo and vector output For details call 630-243-6360 or visit wwwlasersketchcom
THEMAGICTOUCH LAUNCHES WOW TRANSFER PAPERTheMagicTouch USA launched WoW Professional
71 transfer paper which requires no weeding or profile cutting and the vibrant colors are achieved using digital laser technology making it great for short runs It uses PolymationTM which incorporates a newly designed catalyst that provides the ultimate compatibility with all generations of dry toner material According to the company PolymationTM is the next generation of laser heat transfer Sublimation requires the substrate to have a specialty receiving polymer coating to absorb the pigments but PolymationTM delivers everything at once polymer pigments and catalyst
December 2007 33Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
offers distinct advantages over any other process It allows for an unlimited number of colors and very fine detail which is impossible with screen printing or embroidery And the cost does not go up as colors are added These new specialty materials are so advanced they can be heat sealed to all kinds of fabrics and hot new multimedia designs can be easily done
VAPOR APPAREL LAUNCHES VAPOR ART VOLUME 1V a p o r A p p a r e l
a s u b s i d i a r y o f SourceSubstrates LLC Charleston SC announces the launch of Vapor Art - Volume 1 a collection of 127 vector graphics for digital sublimation and general use The diverse collection
of high-quality graphics comes after several years of customers requesting access to the companyrsquos sample art at trade shows and educational events The Collection of art includes vector drawings and JPGs for everything from mountain biking and snowboarding to yoga and cheerleading
BLANK PRODUCTS
COLORADO HEIRLOOMrsquoS COLOR LACQUERED FRAMES
Colorado Heirloom Inc of Loveland CO introduced their new Color Lacquered Frames This is an option to add color your unique creations It is not color fill Colored lacquer is sprayed on their high quality wood frames Because
INKTRA STRETCH TRANSFER PAPER FROM STAHLSrsquoStahlsrsquo based in St Clair
Shores MI adds InkTratrade Stretch a flexible transfer paper A revolutionary product InkTratrade Stretch provides a soft hand with an amazing stretch and recovery feature InkTratrade Stretch lets you take your favorite photo or graphic design and apply it to light colored or white hats shirts bags and more for a long lasting and completely personalized garment The highly stretchable paper can be applied to cotton polycotton blends spandex and Lycrareg
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo GOOF-PROOF TRANSFERSWant the look of screen
printing without the hassle With Goof Proofreg transfers offered by Transfer Express of Mentor OH you can custom order a transfer that has the popular athletic feel and will apply in a blazing four seconds Ordering is done step-by-step online and you can customize hundreds of designs You choose your
typeface colors and size Once your design is just the way you want it you can print it out to show a customer for approval Or Transfer Express can print from your artwork The minimum order is only five pieces and your one-color order ships in one to three working days
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo NEW FULL-COLOR DIGI PRINTSApparel decorators can now offer full-color designs on light
and dark apparel made of virtually any type of fabric without the hassle or minimums of screen printing with new state-of-the-art heat transfer technology called Digi Printstrade Offered through Transfer Express this revolutionary new method of decorating
December 2007 34Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
lacquer is used instead of paint any design can be lasered on these frames The possibilities are endless These colorful creations are offered in two different designs -- a designer frame and a frame with an insert Call 970-667-4222 or visit wwwcoloradoheirloomcom
CONDE ADDS PET MATS FOR SUBLIMATIONCondeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added food bowl placemats and litter box
mats to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Favorite photographs and pet-related artwork can be transferred to the
mats to create fun products for individual pet lovers or for the pet industry such as pet stores veterinarians groomers boarding facilities and animal adoption groups Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing Call Conde at 800-826-6332
CONDE INTRODUCES FABRIC PATCHES FOR SUBLIMATION
Condeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added fabric patches to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Custom decorators can now produce unique full-color patches that will impress organizations businesses clubs sports teams sports enthusiasts and individuals alike -- without the use of embroidery Heat seal patches are great for identification marketing awards trade show promotions or to commemorate special events Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing or call 800-826-6332
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW LASERSLABLaserSketch of Lemont IL Internationally known for
their LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble and Super Black Granite announces LaserSlab Super Black Granite at 4rsquo x 8rsquo x 7mm and 4rsquo x 4rsquo x 7mm weighting in at just over 2 pounds per square foot The surface of the LaserSlab Granite has the sheen of a black mirror The reverse side features epoxy fiberglass backing to give structure integrity to the ultra-lite granite sheet All may be viewed wwwlasersketchcom or by calling LaserSketch 630-243-6360
MATTHEWS INTRODUCES ALUMICOLORTM
Matthews International Corp of Pittsburgh PA introduced Alumicolortrade a high-resolution graphics solution for aluminum signage recognition commemoration and way finding Using cutting-edge technology Matthews embeds a four-color image into the aluminum to create an anodized reproduction of unsurpassed durability Alumicolortrade products which are designed for interior and exterior installations are resistant to extreme weather conditions graffiti scuffing grease chemicals and UV rays Additionally they will not chip crack or peel
PSI ADDS ROUND FRAMES amp STRING PUZZLES Paramount Services Inc of Hollywood FL
introduced new round resin frames for sublimation tiles Choose from Coral or RopeStone with optional Unisubreg Hardboard Tiles They will also accept the Bison 8rdquo round glass Cutting Board Why be square when round may fit better PSI also introduced a new puzzle guaranteed to string you along These String Puzzles come with a Unisubreg Hardboard puzzle and the necessary string and beads along with instructions how to string it after printing Templates to aid in design are available for download in several formats For details call 800-455-7212 or visit wwwDye-Sublimation-Productscom
CRYSTALEDGEreg LUXORTM CRYSTAL AWARDSCrystalEdgereg Chicago IL presented the Luxortrade Series
This stunning cost-effective collection comprises a series of specially designed Rosewood and Black Piano finish bases Matte Mahogany and Matte Black bases and a precision cast Satin Nickel Finish Metal Base with your choice of brass or silver hardware for mounting our twelve unique shapes making this the most versatile award yet Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks are curved 14rdquo thick crystal clear glass with 316rdquo diameter holes for mounting The Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks feature a generous engraving area and there is plenty of room on the base to add an engraving plate
December 2007 35Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
XENETECHrsquoS NEW ENGRAVABLE GIFTSXenetech of Baton Rouge
LA introduced high quality engravable gift items at wholesale and quantity discounts The Xenetech collection provides a selection of gifts created for corporate recognition weddings births holidays anniversaries retirements birthdays special occasions or just expressing appreciation Items include money clips key chains book markers desk accessories quartz movement clocks flasks amp wine accessories entertainment gifts travel gifts genuine Swiss Army knives business card holders luggage tags silver-plated jewelry boxes keepsake gift boxes silver-plated banks and baby gifts The gift items are designed primarily for diamond drag burnishing and rotary engraving personalization
UNISUBrsquoS CHROMALUXE PHOTO PANELSChromaLuxe photo panels are an exciting new line
of sublimatable products from Unisub of Louisville KY These panels allow you to sell a completely finished photo product to your customers capturing some of the additional revenue (and profit) your customers now spend elsewhere on framing Available in a range of traditional photo sizes as well as exciting new shapes these panels can be joined together to create stunning photo displays -- perfect for a fireplace mantle l i b r a r y s h e l f or the top of an armoire Available in aluminum or MDF substrates
CorelDRAWPro IndexOne of our members in Michigan
requested that we put together an Index of all the articles wersquove published during the year
He prints out all the issues and puts them in binders but an Index would make it easy to reference specific articles We think itrsquos a good idea and wersquoll send it to all subscribers in January
Product Focus TopicsJanuary 2008 -- Signage Products esp Wide FormatFebruary 2008 -- Engraving Awards amp GiftsMarch 2008 -- Apparel ProductsApril 2008 -- Laser Wood Products
Coming in 2008
December 2007 36Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETSBy Donna M Gray CRM Opportunities
December ndash Time to Review December finds everyone on our team strategizing how to get out of our parking lot Our business sits right in the middle of an up-scale strip mall which sits right behind a huge shopping mall and right along the main road to a Target Superstore and other large malls We all know that from the day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday) until 2 weeks after the New Year there are great challenges to those of us who like to leave the building for lunch or run an errandhellipso we strategize We all know every secret shortcut to the bank the post office and the warehouse club What we donrsquot know is how to find the way to merge out of our own back alley into the constant flow of traffic that carries people to their end shopping destination Whew
The year-end review So this year Dave and I have decided to stay in at lunch and do our business strategizing instead Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup are good brain food for helping us to look at all the successful things we did last year as a company all the things we thought about doing but didnrsquot because the idea didnrsquot quite fit and all the things we put off until next year We do this kind of exercise every year end and it helps us to map out our strategy for the coming year In the process we identify any mistakes wersquove made wrong turns wersquove taken and we try to find the ldquowhat could have happened had everything gone rightrdquo
The value of making mistakes Albert Einstein said ldquoAnyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything newrdquo Dave has a couple of prints in his office of Abraham Lincoln that describe his mistakes in fact it took Lincoln eight tries to win the presidency Thomas Edison made mistakeshellipand yet he perseveredhellipotherwise wersquod by ldquocomputingrdquo by candlelight And Irsquove heard that Colonel
Sanders had a thousand rejections before he sold his first chicken recipe It would be nice to get to our year end business appraisals and find that wersquove made no mistakes but our business like most others doesnrsquot have that claim to fame My mother always took the high road with mistakes She always said that one should recognize the benefits of a mistake One should learn what good came from it use it to improve and use it to help motivate success the next time So December is the time to analyze everything that made up the past year and look for ways to make the New Year successful in every way
Making a plan Most advisors say that the first step toward business success after looking at a companyrsquos year ending history is to decide on exactly what you want to do going forward in the coming year Then comes mapping out the plan What will be done How will it get done Who will do what What resources will be used When will it get done Is the right equipment in place Is the space adequate Ask these and any other questions that could relate to creating a successful year then focus on the details and follow through Those two wordshellipfocus and follow throughhellipcould mean the difference between marginal and abundant success Simply stated success comes from what you do and the way you do ithellipin your customerrsquos perception Every business wants to have a good imagehellipa good reputation so dedication to having good communication skills is important especially in an industry that does custom work The goal is to be on the same page as our clients so we have to be good mind readers We have to also concentrate on our professionalism on our appearance on our presentation style and in the pride we take in producing a well-done project This
has worked in the past and will remain the same in the future
The extra mile Success has to be nurturedhellipthen it gets celebrated Sometimes sacrifices have to be made to get to the rewards At year end when we analyze how we got from Point A to Point B itrsquos interesting to note that we sometimes had to take detours and sometimes the road blocks called for sacrificehellipof time or money Sometimes the sacrifice came in the way of a sleepless night worrying if an order that was lost in delivery would be found and re-routed to us in time to make a clientrsquos deadline Someone (unknown) said ldquoA day of worry is more exhausting than a week of workrdquo Anyone in business could testify to that Part of success is going the extra milehellipeven if it results in a sleepless night Going the extra mile is worth all the paid advertising in the world on the road to success
December 2007 37Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETS
Donna Grayrsquos 2nd book Itrsquos All Relative Surviving amp Thriving in a Family Business was published in September 2007
It describes her quest to identify the keys to suc-cess for small business and family businesses in particular She interviewed top businesses nationwide and discovered five common qualities implemented by successful business owners Check it out at the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore wwwcoreldrawprocomAllBook-storehtm
Commitments made and kept Our team felt good about some commitments we made and kept this past year like
We used a daily ldquoto-dordquo list and we set priorities in order of importance When we finished a project we ldquocelebratedrdquo and then moved on quickly to the next job We built in some time for ldquostress reliefrdquo with morning meeting breaks This was especially good when treats were served since wersquove got some good bakers on our staff We didnrsquot ldquoscreenrdquo calls through voice mail We considered every call to be important We ldquodid it right the first timerdquo even though it sometimes took longer We tied up all the ldquoloose endsrdquo We became ldquocheerleadersrdquo for each other When one of us accomplished a goal we all applauded We all tried to deliver more than we promised This can be challenging sometimes when working with a difficult project We eliminated (or tried to eliminate) unnecessary procedures and we simplified our paper flow system We spent most of our time on high priority tasks We all worked on our delegation skills We were committed to not wasting time either our own or other peoplersquos
Goals that were lacking Now all those great things being put on paper reminds me that we also had some goals we didnrsquot quite succeed athellipbut wersquoll try harder next year
We didnrsquot always ldquogrouprdquo tasks togetherhelliplike going to the bank and the post office in one trip or answering mail when it gets opened It wasnrsquot always easy to avoid procrastination Some low priority chores got put off There were still times when we couldnrsquot find enough hours to finish the work Our ldquotoolsrdquo didnrsquot always get put away when we were through with a project even though this is Daversquos pet peeve
Conclusion Experts say that we have to actively create our success not wait for it to happen This coming year hopefully none of us will sit in the comfort zone waiting for the phone to ring Therersquos an old Chinese proverb that goes ldquoIt you continually give you will continually haverdquo Our team will go on being involved in community activities When time is spent on worthwhile projects outside the business opportunities come knocking at the front counter Besideshellipat yearrsquos endhellipit makes us feel really good about the help we gave on these projects
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since1977 She can be reached by email at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
December 2007 38Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
GRAPHICS NEWS NETWORKAll these news and information products and services are part of the
Graphics News Network developed for ACDRP The goal is ldquoAll the News All the Time mdash For the World of Graphicsrdquo
GRAPHICS NewsWireThe Graphics News Wire is the always live always updated source for graphics news mdash products equipment technology and more Make it (CorelDRAWProcomNewsPagehtm) your home page or favorite to gain access to Breaking news updated regularly New Classified Ads New Job Announcements Supplier SpecialsAll news is related to graphic productsQuickSourceTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive amp Easy-To-Use
Search Engine
It gives you one-click access to suppliers products phone numbers and live links to ACDRP Member Suppliers Itrsquos always up-to-date searchable by keyword and accessible from your desktop
Quick TnTTM
The Industryrsquos Newest Resource for Graphics Tips amp Templates
Gain access to a growing library of CorelDRAW tips and templates that will make your work easier
QuickLearnTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive and
Easy-To-Use Article Library
Gain access to hundreds of articles on graphics-related and business topics searchable by keyword
The Entrepreneurial Magazine for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro Magazine is delivered to you once a month in PDF format It features in-depth content that readers rave about including articles on how to use CorelDRAW how to apply CorelDRAW and how to profit from CorelDRAW
News Tips amp Resources for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month mdash about the 15th and 25th It brings you highly targeted content that you wonrsquot find elsewhere including CorelDRAW Tips extensive product news links and a calendar of shows and training
MARKET PLACE
Quality Engravable JewelryHand-crafted in New England
GIFTS amp ACCESSORIES FOR WOMEN AND MEN
John E Lepper Inc800-835-3623 Fax 508-222-2732
wwwjeleppercom
GenuineWhite-tone
Pewter amp Gold
Some Things Were Meant To Be In Etched in Stone
Call for a free color catalog
NampR International1155 Allgood Rd 13Marietta GA 30062
678-560-4088Fax 678-560-1157
Importers amp Wholesalers of MarbleOnyx
Gifts amp Accessories
JOIN TODAY
The worldrsquos only association for CorelDRAWreg Users
wwwcoreldrawprocomJoinhtm
Place an Ad for as little as $215 per month
Find out how by calling our Ad Representative John McDaniel II
541-990-6687
the entrepreneurial magazine
GET LISTED TODAY
Generate new businessby doing jobs for others
List your company in GSG the Digital Yellow Pages for the industry wwwcoreldrawprocomListGSGhtm
December 2007 39Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Louie Alvarez started in the industry working for one of the largest trophy shops in Central California and then opened one of the first retail laser engraving businesses He has given seminars and workshops on CorelDRAW and Laser for many years and has written for several publications He is now with Vytek Industrial Lasers and is based in Las Vegas NV He can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
Kathryn Arnold is the Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
Errol Barr has a wide range of experience in sales amp marketing eventually getting into laser systems in 1999 currently with Vytek Industrial Lasers He also sold extensively in the CNC router industry selling the machines as more of a business opportunity wrapped around the machine He can be reached by email at errolbarrgmailcom
Dave Demoret founded Prolink Graphic Services to help people understand and profit from learning CorelDRAW He has been in both the Flat Graphics Industry and the Decorating Graphics Industry for 30 years He has written articles for several publications is a Corel Training Partner and conducts workshops nationwide and online He is the author of several CD Instructional programs on CorelDRAW He can be reached at 765-DO COLOR (362-6567) or davedprolinkgscom
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since 1977 She has presented seminars on a variety of topics nationwide and has won many marketing awards She is the author of two books on family business and can be reached at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
Bill Leek is a color consultant for JBL Graphics in Houston TX and has over 30 years experience in computer engineering and graphics design He has developed several lines of color imprintable products and does testing on a variety of products for different manufacturers He can be reached at wfleekjblgraphicscom or 281-970-6677
Jeff McDaniel is the owner of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon He worked as a journeyman machinist before getting into the graphic products business Creative Graphic offers laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials Contact him at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
John McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry He worked for many years with computers in electronic data processing and pioneered the use of CorelDraw for engraving applications He owned a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years and writes about hardware design software laser engraving sublimation and more He is a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals For information on training and more call 541-967-4271 or write to mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
Judy McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry Her background includes many forms of art and retail sales as well as the operation of a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years She is a regular columnist on sandblasting sublimation and diversifying business as well as a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals She can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
David Milisock is president of Custom Graphic Technologies Inc in Pennsylvania He has been in the print production business since 1975 and specializes in professional support for CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite Output includes computer-to-plate processes for all commercial digital front-end applications as well as Postscript-compliant graphic applications He offers technical and color management support for all RIP-driven corporate digital output systems He can be reached at 717-509-3523 or davidmilisockcomcastnet
Deborah Sexton former editor of Impressions Magazine has been in the apparel graphics industry since 1981 She currently does marketing and public relations for apparel graphics companies and is a columnist for several industry publications She can be reached at dsextonsbcglobalnet
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at 916-567-1867
December 2007 40Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
by Otis Veteto
Traveling Tidbits
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the
RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of
the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Itrsquos a fun and
informative column focusing on the human-interest side of
the industry Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars
for industry organizations and some of that knowledge
will rub off as well He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at
916-567-1867
Reps Volunteers People Skills amp Agreements
RS Owens Southeast RepFirst of all a Traveling Tidbits welcome to
the newest member of the RS Owens Company sales team Anita Brennan Anita is the new Regional Sales Manager for the Southeast She will be calling on you folks in Alabama Tennessee Mississippi Florida Georgia North Carolina and South Carolina Anita has worked in all phases of our industry as a retailer (her own business) multi-line rep and now as a regional sales manager When I asked Anita what she likes to do when not on the road she told me she likes to spend time with her two-year-old granddaughter Kaylee Welcome to the RS Owens family Anita Brennan
Railroad Museum VolunteerI know Christmas is the time for giving
but some people give all year long I was talking recently with Elias Athanasiou whose regular job is a server in a restaurant my wife and I frequent when I am in Sacramento Elias has been associated as a volunteer with the California State Railroad Museum for about 16 years Every Saturday during the ldquorunning seasonrdquo April-September Elias can be found working as a volunteer on the Steam Engine excursion train that runs for 6 miles along the top of the levee on the Sacramento River The ride takes about 40 minutes Elias is the Engineer now but has worked as conductor and fireman in his tenure with the train It is people like Elias Athanasiou that make this a much better world A huge Traveling Tidbits SALUTE You can find out more about the Railroad Museum at wwwcsrmorg
Real People SkillsThis next tidbit is from the PPAI Promotional
Consultant Today The author is Roy Chitwood president of Max Sacks International in Seattle Wash It is entitled To Shine Polish Your People Skills
ldquoPeople buy not because they understand your product or service but because they feel that you understand them People buy emotionally As a professional salesperson you need to be more people-oriented not product centered Here are seven quick and easy techniques to improve your people skills
SMILE It is the universal sign of friendship in any language The Chinese have a proverb ldquoA man who cannot smile should not open a storerdquo Think about that Give a smile and you will get a smile in return
DEVELOP A GENUINE INTEREST IN OTHERS When you have sincere interest it shows Look directly at people when they are talking to you Let your facial expression register your interest Ask good open-ended questions to let people know that you are interested in what they say
TALK IN TERMS OF THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS INTERESTS You will never meet anyone who doesnrsquot have time to talk about what they want to talk about Encourage your prospect to discuss his or interests rather than launching into a discussion about yourself
USE THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS NAME Using a name builds personal rapport and shows you are listening with respect Be careful about overusing the personrsquos name
GIVE COMPLIMENTS Everyone loves a compliment when it is genuine Make a
concentrated effort to give at least 3 honest compliments every day of your life You will be amazed at what it will do for your relationships
LISTEN Listening is the greatest compliment you can pay When you assume the role of the listener it relaxes the sales climate As you listen you are demonstrating that you truly care and you are genuinely interested in what he or she has to say
MAKE THE OTHER PERSON FEEL IMPORTANT When you are sincerely impressed by something the other person has achieved or owns let them know it Understand that fundamentally every person is important and treat them accordingly
Personal comment When I finished reading this I thought to myself ldquoThese make sense in our everyday life not just in salesrdquo
The Third AgreementI will close with the 3rd step from the book
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel RuizDONrsquoT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS Find the
courage to ask questions and to express what you really want Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings sadness and drama
Sounds a little like what I wrote at the beginning of the column doesnrsquot it
Thatrsquos all for now Remember to save some time for yourself and your family And when you travel please travel safe
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE
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December 2007 7Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
About the Cover
Editorrsquos Note This is the 3rd cover Marian has done for us Her first one was using scientific illustrations and the second was a stained glass pattern Now for this one this versatile CorelDRAW artist has created a pattern from a real snowflake
This snowflake cover began as an image of a real snowflake (which was found on the internet and photographed by Ken Libbrecht a scientist at California Institute of Technology in Pasadena CA) He kindly offered to let me use his images as patterns for stained glass (httpPDQpatternscom) His photo gallery can be found at httpwwwsnowcrystalsnetgallery1smindexhtm
The following is what I can remember of how I created this snowflake design Usually there are numerous iterations and failed attempts in producing such a design with countless objects and fills numerous crashes and failed clipboards Saving separate versions often along the journey is imperative and sometimes things just happen serendipitously that are really great too but how they were arrived at I donrsquot always remember precisely
Initially a symmetrical hexagon was created using the polygon tool and the control key With the objectrsquos size menu it was resized to the desired dimensions A jpg image of the ldquorealrdquo snowflake was imported and viewed with the wireframe mode (altV W) and sized to match the vector hexagon I checked to see that the hexagon was rotated so that there was a point at the top (the default in x3) which makes right-to-left mirroring of objects easy Each element (object) on the right half of one arm of the snowflake was created using the bezier tool and the node edit menu (for cusprsquod and curved lines) These objects were grouped and a horizontal mirror image duplicate was created and moved to fill the left half of the snowflake arm--in alignment with the right side group To blend two objects in the center of the snowflake arm all objects were ungrouped then adjacent objects to be combined were selected and the menu chosen - arrangegtshapinggtcreate a new object surrounding selected objects The new object
Marian Millerrsquos Snowflakewas moved a notch with the up arrow key and the two original objects deleted then the new object was moved back down into place If you use the arrow keys to move the new object instead of dragging with the mouse then it will fit back into place perfectly This was done for several mirrored objects in the snowflake arm to eliminate the ldquocut and pasterdquo feeling and the line down the center of the snowflake arm When the right and left arms (halves) of the snowflakersquos single arm were complete then it was aligned with the top (point) and vertical center of the original hexagon Right and left halves of the arm were selected grouped and copied The entire snowflake image was selected (including the hexagon in the background) and rotated 30 degrees and the clipboard pasted (the pasted arm should fall exactly in the next point of the hexagon [One must select the whole hexagon and its contents to have it rotate correctly to allow the pasted snowflake arm to fall into the right place] The entire image is selected again rotated 30 degrees again then pasted (the arm) again It also should have fallen right into the next point of the hexagon This is continued until all six rays of the snowflake are filled
For the center hexagon a new symmetrical hexagon was created and reduced using the arrangegttransformgtscale menu until it matched the snowflake center then converted lsquoto curvesrsquo with arrangegtconvert to curves options All nodes were selected and the node edit icon to ldquomake-nodes-smoothrdquo was clicked which symmetrically rounded the corners of the hexagon The center hexagon was rotated by 30 degrees and centered to the snowflake outline The jpg of the original snowflake was deleted
All objects were ungrouped then regrouped as selected pairs of objects (eg similar objects in all six arms) to fill with colorful jpgs (or machine fill using the paint bucket option) For filling grouped objects with imported raster files a file is imported selected then the menu effectsgtpowerclipgtplace inside container is used A black arrow appears and the mouse is used to point to the object to be filled The position of the fill inside the object was edited by selecting
the object and choosing effectsgtpowerclipgtedit contents (move the jpg where you want or size it stretch or rotate) then in the left lower corner of the screen click on ldquofinished editing this level ldquo)
I used stained glass jpgs downloaded from websites of the numerous stained glass producers such as Armstrong and Spectrum Glass (mostly Spectrum Glass jpgs were used here) The line thickness was increased and line color was selected with a right click over the color palate
To fill the outside hexagon outline was increased to 16 pts then the object was converted to curves and filled with a colorful jpg file The whole design consisted of copied and pasted finished snowflakes into a pattern (in this instance adjacent hexagons) The arrangegtshapegttrim options were used to trim off snowflake areas that were not wanted
Finally all objects were selected grouped and the size of the snowflake design determined A rectangle of those same dimensions was created then centered to the page arrangedgtorderedgtsent to back then filled
Contact Marian at marianpdqpatternscom or visit her site at wwwpdqpatternscom 3945 Red Bud Ave Cincinnati OH 45229 513-558-1715 (w)
December 2007 8Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Inside ACDRP
By Michael Neer Executive Director
Winter ndash A Time to Prepare
In many parts of the world winter comes in with a white blanket of snow across the fields and streets People tend to stay indoors out of the cold so if you go outside itrsquos very quiet and still Therersquos less hustle and bustle in the marketplace The pace of life is slower Errands take longer Holidays put the attention more on family and less on business In fact itrsquos a time when many industry businesses either close or are open fewer hours Few new products are launched Most business owners are waiting to make announcements at the start of the new year
DECEMBER 2007
Published by Association of CorelDRAWreg Professionals
President John H McDanielVice President Judith McDaniel
Executive Director Michael R Neer Assoc Exec Director Steven V Neer
ACDRP Corporate Office Albany OR
EDITOR PUBLISHER ndash Michael R Neermikeneercoreldrawprocom
GRAPHICS ndash John MiseADVERTISING ndash John McDaniel II jhmcdaniel2coreldrawprocom
541-990-6687
OFFICES Membership amp Publishing offices located at
4709 N El Capitan Suite 103Fresno CA 93722
800-276-8428 559-276-8494 Fax 559-276-8496wwwCorelDRAWProcomeditorcoreldrawprocom
Subscriptions Free to qualified individuals and businesses Send change of address to the above
ACDRP Membership $60yr See the website for details Includes exclusive content and more
Advertising Request a Media Guide or download it from wwwCorelDRAWProcom
Writers CorelDRAWPro accepts articles from industry experts Email publisher for details
copy Copyright 2007 by ACDRP All Rights Reserved
So when this kind of mood is in the air we can make the most of it by using this time to prepare for the next year Itrsquos a time of review and planning ndash or sometimes finishing up projects that have been delayed
Thatrsquos why in this issue we provide you with several articles that will help you prepare for a great 2008
Donna Gray discusses how she reviews her business and plans for 2008
Bill Leek describes 10 ways you can prepare for more success in 2008 in terms of equipment training purchases and more
We present our annual Top Products of the Year story which is designed to call your attention to the most significant new products of 2007 ndash so you can try them out or see the trends that may be coming next year
Plus this is a good time to get the training you or your staff needs to be more competitive in 2008 Check out the CorelDRAWPro Bookstore for CDs books and videos and also the ProLink Graphics ad and the Calendar link in this issue for specific training events
Wersquod like to thank all of our subscribers and members for your loyal support during the year Thank you for your comments your questions and your attendance at MMcdr Our goal is to bring you more and better information about graphics and making money and we think 2008 will be full of both See you next year
December 2007 9Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
December 2007 10Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Using CorelDRAWregTraining
By Corel CorporationUsing Preview Modes in Image Adjustment Lab
When working with files that have poor color balance and contrast you need to use many different tools to make adjustments You can save valuable time by using the Image Adjustment Lab which is accessible from both Corel PHOTO-PAINTreg and CorelDRAWreg By uniting the most important manual and automatic controls required for common color and tone corrections the Image Adjustment Lab offers a fast intuitive way to achieve professional results with your image files
With the Image Adjustment Lab you can use different preview modes for evaluating the color and tone adjustments you make You can preview the corrected image in a single window view the original and corrected images in separate windows or view the image split into original and corrected portions within one window
The Image Adjustment Lab also lets you create snapshots of your adjustments with just one click The snapshots appear below the working preview which lets you easily compare each snapshot against the original version and then choose the best result
The preview mode buttons (A) and the Create Snapshot
button (B)
To open the Image Adjustment LabDo one of the following If yoursquore working in CorelDRAW click Bitmaps gt Image Adjustment Lab If yoursquore working in Corel PHOTO-PAINT click Adjust gt Image Adjustment Lab
To preview the corrected image in a single window
After correcting the image click the Full Preview button
To view the original and corrected images in separate windows
After correcting the image click the Before and after full preview button
To view original and corrected portions of an image in one window
After correcting the image click the Before and after split preview button
To capture the current version of your image
Click the Create Snapshot button
Thumbnails of the snapshots appear in a window below your image Each snapshot is numbered sequentially and can be deleted by clicking the Close button in the upper-right corner of the snapshot title bar
December 2007 11Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Using CorelDRAWregTraining
By Dave Demoret Contributing writerBitmap vs Vector
BITMAPSOne of the reasons bitmaps are not the desired image of choice in our industry is
that they do not reproduce well when enlarging the image Nor do they lend themselves to our process of decorating at least in screen printing embroidery and vinyl cutting to mention a few markets We need to use color in solid object form to achieve many of the end products we produce Color is very difficult to change in a bitmap image so we tend to lean towards the vector side to achieve our goals
One of the most confusing issues especially for beginners is the difference between bitmap also called raster and vector images To help clarify this take a look at the images on the side Bitmaps are made up of thousands of pixels (short for picture elements) which are tiny squares usually of different colors that form a picture These pixels are what make up the resolution of a given picture or bitmap image In lithography they are commonly referred to as dpi or dots per inch ndash thatrsquos for printing resolution We also use the dpi designation when we are talking about pixels per inch (ppi) in our industry but thatrsquos not technically correct Pixels per inch (ppi) refers to resolution on a monitor However we are looking at the scanning and the end product resolution in this article and therefore we are mostly concerned with the standard dpi measurement
Bitmaps are usually scanned into a graphics program or taken from a digital camera using the dpi designation In the illustrations here a 300 dpi (dots per inch) image is somewhat defined and appears to have clean edges but as we enlarge the image we are in effect decreasing the dots per inch We are making the dots themselves larger and therefore there are fewer dots that will fit into a one inch space By increasing the size using dpi or enlarging the bitmap using the dpi measurement we begin to see pixels and
very rough edge definition This is not especially good for printing or digitizingIf you have an image to print at 300 dpi to heat press on a t-shirt it can look pretty
good but if you want that same image to go on the back of a jacket and you try to enlarge it you will get the lsquojaggiesrsquo It is very difficult to take a low resolution image and increase the size while maintaining any kind of clarity or quality image
On the other hand if you have a low resolution image that needs to be reduced you will increase the image resolution because you will be putting more dots in that same one inch This simply means that a 300 dpi resolution image reduced by 50 will become a 600 dpi resolution
Image Size -vs- Image DPIAllow me to take this one step further to explain image dpi versus image size
When you have a 5 x 7 photo and you scan it into your CorelDRAWreg or scanning software you have the option of selecting the resolution using the dpi measurement If you want to enlarge the photo for your project increase the dpi I usually scan most everything at least a minimum of 600 dpi (figure 1) Others I will scan at 1200 to 1800 dpi to get a better quality print when I enlarge it enough to fit on a shirt Yes it does take longer to scan but the work on the other end is reduced dramatically
Remember that a 600 dpi image when reduced will become a 1200 dpi image In reverse the same 600 dpi image (figure 1) when enlarged will become a 300 dpi image (figure 2) This is all coming from the same 5 x 7 size image Size really doesnrsquot make a difference Itrsquos the resolution that will give you the quality that you are looking for
Resampling in CorelDRAWMost of the images you download
December 2007 12Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Using CorelDRAWregTraining
from the Internet will be 72 dpi (figure 3) and some are at 96 dpi These images are low grade and will need to be used at the existing size You can help them a little by using the lsquoResamplersquo in the pull down menu under Bitmaps in the Menu Bar of CorelDRAW This wonrsquot help a lot but may give you some assistance with some images The problem here is that the image will look slightly smoother but if enlarged much at all you will see it as being fuzzy or out of focus (figure 4) Play with resampling at several higher dpi choices and image sizes to get a feel for what you can and can not do
VECTOR IMAGESVector graphics are images that are made from mathematical
computations That is there is a certain shape and color associated with an outline and that area is the vector object as shown with one of the links here (figure 1) There are no definite objects or outlines in a bitmap It is simply thousands or millions of pixels each of a different color shade or tint That is why bitmaps are so hard to change easily With a vector image you simply select an object within the graphic and change the shape size and color with the tools provided in your graphics software
In contrast to the bitmap the vector image can be enlarged to any size without any distortion of edge definition This allows us to generate an image for a business card or a left chest logo on a t-shirt or a name tag then turn around and enlarge that same image to be placed on a billboard without any distortion of the image All the objects lines and integrity of the image are still intact (figure 2) no matter what size we select You can also see in figure 2 with the magnification that all the lines are still crisp sharp edges with no distortions
Vector images are the base images used in embroidery screen printing vinyl graphics and other markets within our graphics industry Many manufacturers today have geared their software as an add-on to CorelDRAW because of the ease clarity and flexibility that vector images offer
You can change a vector into a bitmap image with the click of a few buttons It takes considerably longer in most cases to change a bitmap into a vector file Most of the time
you will have to manually redraw or trace the bitmap image to convert it to a vector file There are programs out today that will convert these for you at least up to a point CorelDRAW is one of these programs PowerTrace is an auto trace feature used in the latest version of CorelDRAW
Printing ImagesWhile you will want to create your graphics in a vector
format you should know some basic principles of printing these two file choices One is that when you print a vector file it can take several times longer to print than a bitmap image of the same graphic Therefore for most of my printing in digital format like sublimation or heat transfer I will save a copy of my vector graphic as an original and make a duplicate copy to convert to a bitmap format for printing purposes
Another thing that most beginners donrsquot know is that if you are creating an image with CMYK Color Palette and print it to an inkjet printer you will throw off your color in the printed piece For example blues generally tend to turn to a violet lavender or purple shade Check with your supplier or distributor to help you set your printer to lsquoOutput color bitmaps as RGBrsquo And use your RGB Color Palette to color your graphic images
Dave Demoret founded Prolink Graphic Services to help people understand and profit from learning CorelDRAW He has been in both the Flat Graphics Industry and the Decorating Graphics Industry over the past 30 years He has written several articles for Screen Graphics Magazine on Color Control amp Matching in the past Dave has used CorelDRAWreg since version 3 and became a CorelDRAW Training Partner in 2006 During the past 5 years he has been conducting workshops all over the US and is the author of several Video CDs amp Instructional CDs on CorelDRAW Dave continues to conduct workshops in the US amp also worldwide online He can be reached at 765-DO COLOR (362-6567) or by email at davedprolinkgscom
December 2007 13Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE COLORBy David Milisock Training
Wow Powerful Controversial Useful I find the latter term to be most honest as shooting photos in the RAW format allows as much chance for the image to be ruined as it does for it to be improved The key to it being an improved experience rather then a ruined experience is of course understanding what the technology is all about work flow calibration and your skill
First off all cameras shoot RAW lower-cost cameras just wonrsquot let you save the file without an automated conversion process Here is the definition of RAW as printed in my new book Color Management in the CorelDRAW Graphics Suite for Professionals Small Office and Home Office capture C (to be released January 2008)
RAW is a file format that is proprietary to the camera manufacturer They are linear-gamma grayscale images from digital color filter arrays All these files require processing by a RAW converter to convert them to an RGB image
What this means to the user outside of the photographic ramifications is that the user needs to understand how the process is going to affect their color How this comes about is that the camera has a capture array that has red green and blue sensors Or an array that has filters to make some sensors only sensitive to red some only to blue and some only to green Each set of red blue and green sensors creates grayscale data that has to be combined to three channels Color is not only applied to the channels based on the value of the grayscale but a color space is assigned All cameras do this some just donrsquot let you do it manually
What Irsquom saying Is that as soon as the RAW converter develops a color display a color space has been assigned In fact the application has to have a
ldquoRAWrdquostandard color space to base the preview display on or your color edits would have no meaning
Stand-alone applications may allow you to choose what color space to apply to the image Some do not some force you to use an ultra-wide gamut RGB color space like Prophoto RAW Lab or plug-ins within image editing applications are most likely to use the internal (working) RGB of the application
So often it is written that RAW files have no color space and this is a true-falsehood True as long as they are still linear grayscale data streams of no value to anyone without a RAW converter but false as soon as you start the process of making a universally accepted RGB image of them
The key to the process is making sure that you understand what color space your converter assigned to the image so you can coordinate the internal RGB of Corel PHOTO-PAINTreg Make sure to activate the arrow from the internal RGB to the monitor
Any process that does not have the image
editor and RAW converter working in a coordinated manner will totally negate any benefit of using RAW You simply wonrsquot know what colors yoursquore really working with and thatrsquos not good for a process that was supposed to improve your work not make it worse
To my mind that biggest problem I see is that multiple RAW converter applications when viewing a RAW file as shot by the camera can have vastly different displays of the same image See capture A amp B (blurred on purpose) if you have a mind to try using RAW converting I suggest calibrating your display system first as this RAW image when opened in 4 different RAW converters has the white balance temperature identified
Coming Soon to the CorelDRAWPro Book Store A new book by columnist
David Milisock
Color Management in the CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
For Professionals Small Office and Home Office
Basic Color Theory bull Postscript and Non-Postscript Devices
RIPs for Ink Jets and Press bull Adobe Color Coordination
Color Continuity During Exportation bull and Much More
December 2007 14Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE COLOR
as four different values ranging from 2850 to 9980 OUCH Itrsquos hard to believe that the same data has been interpreted to be as shot by the camera judging by these two images isnrsquot it
This can only be described as an extremely painful experience Now you canrsquot rely on the software to interpret the data properly so the only thing you have that you can rely on is your calibrated work flow and your good sense
Another complaint that I have about stand-alone RAW converter applications is that in many cases the image display within the application is so poor that I cannot make a reasonable editing decision for any color or sharpening The image is glassy like in Paint Shop Pro or too soft like in Photoshopreg not sharp and clear like in PHOTO-PAINT OUCH
Please note in Capture A the Adobe RGB color space is already in play (see lower left corner) The adjustments available as shown in this capture are typical for RAW converters and
this capture will show them to you I am neither pro nor con RAW What Irsquove found is that
it is most generally used like image editor in place of good photography This is not always a bad thing Saving the cost on another shooting session through technology certainly has its selling point
Another observation Irsquove noticed is that as the cost of the cameras goes up the quality of their built-in conversion also goes up Many times they will save TIF instead of JPG files This is a real plus In studio settings with a superior camera you most likely will work your butt off and not be as good as the built-in RAW conversion of a studio quality camera On site live shoots is where the RAW conversion application seems to have a place to be most useful in my mind
Irsquom a Corel PHOTO-PAINT guy and I love my sharp clean PHOTO-PAINT display So until Corel PHOTO-PAINT has a RAW converter Irsquom sticking with the camera conversion and a TIF file for studio work But I will certainly use RAW when it benefits my client which benefits me
Watch out next month itrsquos going to be HOT
David Milisock is president of Custom Graphic Technologies Inc He has been in the print production business since 1975 and specializes in professional support for the CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite He can be reached at 717-509-3523 or davidmilisockcomcastnet See full bio on Writers Page
Itrsquos Who Knows YOU Network Your Way to Successby Chien J Wang president of Toujours Inc
Turbo-charge your networking with unique strategies that work Chien at-tends 10-12 events a week and has created a system for turning contacts into customers and customers into lifelong relationships
wwwcoreldrawprocomallbookstorehtm
Captures A amp B Two blurry images (on purpose) showing what happens to the white balance when opened in
different RAW converters This is typical
December 2007 15Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE TRANSFERSBy Bill Leek Applications
Headstart on Spring 10 Things You Can Do in January to Make 2008 a Successful Year
I have to be honesthellipMy normal inclination after the holiday season is to relax and take it easy for a few weeks It seems that after a very busy year I really deserve it But small- to medium-size business owners cannot afford to do this The few weeks of relative calm after Christmas are too valuable to squander
Every year I write up an action plan for January Hear are some ideas that you may find valuable
1) Follow the lead of the big retailers Valentinersquos Day is almost here and Easter is early this year Get your new spring displays mailings emails and catalogs out right after the holidays Highlight some new products with spring themes every year
2) Offer January specials with sizable discounts if you anticipate a slow month Use coupons and thank you gifts to show appreciation to your loyal long-term customers
3) Br igh ten up your display space with new graphics fixtures and lighting Look into new LED displays They offer superior lighting at significantly lower cost and maintenance LED
technology will replace both incandescent and neon lighting and signage in just a few years
4) Spend some time to really learn your software application January is a great time to learn new features and upgrade your Corel Software Buy a guide or an interactive CDDVD to speed up the learning curve
5) January is a great time to find new vendors equipment and imprintables You have more time and the vendors may be more responsive as sales are slower You very well might be able to make that great deal on a piece of capital equipment yoursquove wanted for some time
Ask vendors to provide you with samples of new inks imprintables and transfer papers Test washability compare color quality and evaluate production ease
Look at the new technologies -- direct printing on soft and hardgoods eco-solvent inks color laser printer transfer and new sublimation coatings are all ldquohotrdquo areas to investigate
6) Donrsquot just perform a physical inventory Evaluate inventory turnover and get rid of any dead items that are just taking up shelf space
7) Look at your customer base Are you trying to be all things to all people Are there specific niches where you have had greater success
than others Determine how to build on your strengths and possibly remove yourself from markets that are not profitable
8) Organize an email list of all your existing customers and solid leads Improve your communications with a newsletter Donrsquot overkill with your emailshelliptherersquos a fine line between informative and irritating
9) Sit down and list your major accomplishments and failures of the past year Try to assign a quantitative measure where you can Make a detailed list in each area and honestly investigate what resulted in success or failure
10) Come up with a list of 10-20 goals that you can realistically achieve in 2008 These goals can be defined as specific actions or financial results Create a small poster and display it in place where you will see it every day Go over the list every month and ask yourself how you are doing
I wish you all a Very Happy New Year I will try to keep you informed of all the exciting technical and market developments in 2008 Thanks for all your questions ideas and support during the past year
Add quality imprintables from Unisub for the
Valentinersquos Day market
December 2007 16Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE PRINTSUBLIMATIONBy Judy and John McDaniel Applications
Creating Sublimation Product Templates
Last time we finished all the background stuff now wersquoll get on to making things Wersquoll start with flat products which include plaques tiles shirts and other garments etc Later wersquoll explore specialty items like cups
Creating a Product Template FileThe first step in designing graphics for any new
product that we intend to make again and again is to create a product template Templates give us layouts into which we can place our text and graphics They may take a little time to set up initially however they make it much easier and faster to produce products once the templates are available
The first step in designing a template is to determine the page size in CorelDRAWreg For sublimated products that requires we decide what size the finished transfer will be The size of the transfer will determine the page size
The finished transfer may or may not be the size of the printed sheet For example if we are printing transfers for t-shirts generally they will be on full 11 x 17 sheets That said we have some layouts that will be printed in portrait orientation vertical on the shirt and some in landscape horizontal We have both styles available as templates If we are including a customerrsquos photo in the finished design the orientation of the photo might determine which template we use
For ceramic tiles the transfer may be the size of an individual tile or perhaps the size of a tile array For plaques the transfer is generally slightly larger than the print area of the plaque -- 4 x 6 5 x 7 8 x 10 etc For badges our template might be the size of a single badge or if we have a fixture for pressing badges our template might be the size of the fixture If wersquore pressing ceramic steins and cups we might have an array of templates some for fronts backs full wraps and full wraps edge to edge
Another variable to consider when creating a sublimation template is the size
of your printer and heat press The largest transfer that can be printed or pressed will determine the upper limit of the templatersquos page size These factors are only of concern for large items like shirts
In our shop we have both wide format (11inch) and standard (85 inch) sublimation printers We can choose roll material or standard sheets Currently our largest flat press is 14 x 16 inches so thatrsquos our upper limit for flat product images
Creating a T-shirt TemplateRemember creating a template is something you
only do one time for each item in your inventory and for any variations you would like to have available Creating
Photo 1
Photo 2
December 2007 17Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE PRINTING
a template file takes a little time in the beginning but saves a lot of time in the long run
With these factors in mind Irsquoll go through the steps of creating a special-occasion t-shirt template The first one Irsquoll create will be in portrait orientation If yoursquod like to follow along open CorelDraw to a new project 11 x 17 paper and set the orientation to portrait
Set Guidelines Next wersquoll bring in some guidelines These will
help us see the image area we have to work with For this project Irsquoll set guidelines at frac12 inch in from the left and right 1 inch in from the top and 3 inches up from bottom The guides are for visual reference This is the maximum text and graphics layout area
Since this is a vertical layout our graphic will be 1 inch down from the top edge of the transfer If we set the shirt on the press with the collar at the top edge then all wersquoll have to do is align the transfer to the top edge of the press and the image will be 1 inch down from the shirt collar
Irsquove limited the vertical image area to 13 inches Allowing an inch down from the top will make the bottom of the image 14 inches down from the collar Thatrsquos
ok for an adult large or XL shirt but you may want to adjust the area for smaller shirts
As a part of this layout Irsquove created a couple of layers One Irsquove called text and one picture These layers will be used for the graphic elements of the final template As an option you can also create a non-printing layer that contains a rectangle Since the layout is off centered you can use the rectangle to align your text and graphics but the rectangle will not print (See picture 1)
Save Your TemplateYou can now save this simple layout
as a CorelDRAW template To do that click on FileSave Ashellip and select CDT ndash CorelDRAW Template (see picture 2)
I normally save templates in a special folder however if yoursquore using Windows Vista its sort capabilities reduce the need to organize your files (See picture 3)
You can use this generic template as is You can also use it as a base for creating other templates Next time wersquoll make some additions to customize it for a special occasion Wersquoll also look at how we can use templates
Judy and John McDaniel are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry For information on training services offered and their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom They can be reached by phone at 541-967-4271 via SKYPE (user name JHMcDaniel) or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom See full bio on Writers Page
December 2007 18Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTINGBy Jeff McDaniel Applications
Using Specialty Platens Part 2Background
In our last article we touched on the steps required to create a master transfer for our specialty platen We also briefly reviewed locating the artwork and attaching the capillary film to the screen In this article we will expose our screens rinse them and produce our pocket patch CorelDRAWPro members can look up the more detailed information in the archived articles for June July and August at wwwacdrporg
Our setup and yoursOur setup is the Printa 770 series screen printing machine from Printa Systems Inc
All of the supplies and tools we will cover from here on were provided in the turn-key system from Printa with the 770 Your setup may be from another source but will most likely contain components of what we will discuss below In addition to the standard Printa 770 setup we will be using the ldquoPrint-Allrdquo system from Printa Systems Inc (see figure 1 courtesy of Printa Systems)
Exposing the capillary filmWe left off last article with our screens drying
Now that they are dry we are ready to expose the capillary film Exposing Step 1 we will gently peel the carrier sheet off of the capillary film (see figure 2)
Exposing Step 2 Next we need to put our first image back on the exposure unit and re-install the screen on the printing system Then we can bring the screen down on the
exposure unit attach our blackout board and expose the screen (see figure 3)
Exposing Step 3 After exposure we need to rinse out our screen and inspect it to be certain we have a complete rinse (see figure 4)
Exposing Step 4 Once the image is rinsed out it is time to put the screen back in the dryer (see figure 5)
Re-aligning the screens after wash outFrom the time that we first aligned the
artwork we have taken the screens in and out of the printing system twice If our artwork is even a little bit out of alignment we will lose blanks or put out low quality work It is a good idea to do a final adjustment with the original artwork
Re-Align Step 1 Leaving both of our photo positives on the exposure unit we can inspect the screen location compared to our original artwork location Here is the yellow screen location after exposure and wash out (see figure 6)
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
December 2007 19Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTING
Re-Align Step 2 The black screen is a little bit off (see figure 7) so we will need to use the Printa 770 micro-adjustment knobs to bring it back into alignment (see figure 8)
Masking off the screenNow that our artwork is
lined up correctly we can mask the rest of the screen off Wherever we donrsquot want the ink to run through the screen needs to be masked off (see figures 9 and 10)
Locating the pocket patch on the shirtThere are a couple of different ways to locate the pocket
patch on the shirt The first thing to consider is where you want it to end up on the wearer If the patch is too far toward the sleeve the image will end up under the wearerrsquos arm pit If the image is too far up toward the neck the image will not look right either A good way to figure out the correct location is by looking at a shirt that has a pocket patch on it (maybe one or two are in your closet right now)
Another way to locate the pocket patch is to put on the shirt
size that you wear and mark off where you think it feels correct and comfortable Once you have decided where you would like the patch keeping it in the same relative location on all of the different sizes is not too difficult The actual placement of the shirt can be accomplished a couple of different ways that we know of Which you prefer will depend mostly on if you are more accurate with sight or touch
The sight method involves using a masking tape strip to mark the desired location on the shirt prior to loading it onto the platen (see figure 11)
Once you have your marking in place you can load the shirt on the platen and have a nice representation that you are placing the design in the desired location (see figure 12)
Figure 7 Figure 8
Figure 9
Figure 10
Figure 11
Figure 12
December 2007 20Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTING
We prefer the sight method because it works well with our equipment The ldquoPrint Allrdquo system from Printa Systems Inc uses a smaller platen for pocket patches The smaller platen allows us to load sizes from youth XS ndash adult 5X without stretching
The touch method involves using a standard platen and adding a riser underneath where the pocket patch will be printed (a piece of cut cardboard or thin wood of the appropriate size) With this method you can feel when the shirt is in the correct location and begin printing from there
Inking the screens printing and curingSince we have resolved our location
issues with the pocket patch we are ready to ink the screens print and cure
Printing Step 1 Inking the screens is fairly straightforward (see figure 13)
Printing Step 2 Using the squeegee we will screen our first color (see figure 14) and check the quality of the image (see figure 15)
Printing Step 3 Our first color will need to be flash cured (see figure 16)
Printing Step 4 Now we can add our second color (see figure 17)
Printing Step 5 Finally we can do the finish cure step paying attention to the temperature gauge (see figure 18)
After final curing it is always a good idea to take at least a sampling of the product and wash it to be certain of the curing All of the information on post-job clean-up can be found in the CorelDRAWPro archives for September
Conclusion This time we took our screens out of
the dryer and pushed our project all the way to its completion
Jeff McDaniel is the OwnerOperator of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon Jeff has been working with computers since the age of 5 and was a journeyman machinist before working in the graphic arts business Creative Graphic offers services including laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials You can contact Jeff by email at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
Figure 14
Figure 13
Figure 15
Figure 17
Figure 16
Figure 18
December 2007 21Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SANDBLASTINGBy Judy McDaniel Applications
Screening the AbrasiveKeeping your sandblast abrasive media free
of contaminant material is essential During sandblasting abrasive is mixed with compressed air fed through the supply hose focused by the nozzle and impacts the product Then if itrsquos fine enough it leaves the system as dust or drops to the bottom of the cabinet to be recycled
Other material will also collect in the bottom of the cabinet This debris can include bits of mask (ever wonder where the center of that ldquoerdquo went) bits of tape and possibly solid material dislodged from the product yoursquore blasting This latter source of debris is especially prevalent when yoursquore working on materials other than glass like brick rock and wood
Leaving the debris in the abrasive when itrsquos recycled can cause a variety of problems First if a piece of debris is too large to fit through the nozzle it will clog it More importantly if it does fit through the nozzle and is hard like brick and rock debris it can impact the piece yoursquore working on and ruin it
The obvious solution is to screen the media when you reload the pressure pot The problem is the screen mesh size Irsquove tried the screen supplied by the cabinet manufacturers and used window screening material from a hardware store In both of these cases the mesh size would allow all but the largest pieces of debris through
What Irsquove found that works the best is a spatter screen from a local kitchen store The mesh is woven tightly and filters out much more debris The best thing is its price only a few dollars
One of our cabinets is not self-contained so we have to filter the media by hand We have found that bending the handle up on a large spatter screen
causes it to fit perfectly into the top of the pressure pot We also have a couple of other smaller pressure pots one in fact that you fill with a funnel For those I simply lay the spatter screen over the opening of the pot or the funnel when refilling
If you have a system that recycles the abrasive then it should be equipped with a screen located on top of the pressure pot Make sure to inspect and remove the debris from the top of the screen from time to time A shop-vac works well for this purpose If you find that larger pieces are getting through the screen then contact the manufacturer to see what can be done to reduce the mesh size
Keeping your media clean helps prevent unwanted delays or damage
To all of our friends out there new and old have a safe and joyful holiday season
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from John and me
Judy McDaniel with her husband John are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry In addition they provide one-on-one application support through an email subscription service exclusively for their Hotcdr Hands-On Training students or those who have purchased their CD sets (For information on training services offered visit wwwgraphic-products-trainingcom and for information on their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom) They can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
December 2007 22Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE ENGRAVINGBy John McDaniel Applications
Elements of Machine Accuracy 7 Structural Integrity
So far wersquove covered resolution speed repeatability and hysteresis This time wersquoll discuss structural integrity
What is Structural IntegrityStructural integrity is a measure of a machinersquos
strength or stiffness It is the ability of a machine to resist distortion by forces created in normal operations
Most mechanical engraving machines use single-fluted cutters As these cutters turn they apply cutting force against the material For every action though there is an equal but opposite reaction ie the material resists the cut and thereby transmits a resistive force back through the cutting tool spindle etc and ultimately to the machinersquos frame
Assuming a static bit position the force applied to the machinersquos structure will rotate 360deg with the tool (see diagram 1) As this force rotates any looseness in the structure will result in a deviation in the relationship of the material and the cutter
What machine design factors are involvedStructural integrity includes lead screws and their
hysteresis for mechanical engraving machines spindle bearings and their looseness for both mechanical and laser engravers gantry or table rails their bearings and looseness and the machinersquos frame In fact anything and everything that holds the tool and material in the proper relationship during the cuttingengraving process contributes to or detracts from structural integrity
Why is it importantIn a word Quality Structural integrity influences
the quality of the finished products the machine will produce
For illustration Irsquoll use a mechanical engraving system If the looseness in our machine and the cutting force applied were uniform throughout the 360deg of tool rotation the result would be a wobble in the tool path which might not be visible in the finished product
Cutting ForcesIn the real world however as the tool moves through
the material the cutting and reactive forces go through a cycle (see diagram 2) When the tool starts the cut there is a spike in force The force will level to a constant through the top side of the cut while itrsquos cutting against the direction of the toolrsquos movement Then it will drop somewhat when itrsquos cutting with the toolrsquos movement and finally fall off on the back side as the cutting edge of the tool enters the void area where the material has already been removed
The amount of force applied during the cutting process will vary depending on the material being
cut the tool and its sharpness the depth of cut the material feed rate and whether or not lubricant is used The cutting force may also vary over the length of the job as the toolrsquos cutting edge wears and becomes dull
Machine Component Looseness
In addition to the cutting force not being uniform throughout the 360deg of tool rotation l o o s e n e s s i n t h e machinersquos structure will also vary For example dur ing the cut t ing operation as the tool transitions through 0deg and 180deg of rotation X axis hysteresis will be a factor in overall machine looseness but Y axis hysteresis will have no effect At 90deg and 270deg the Y axis will become a factor but the X axis will have no impact
In the real world any looseness in the machine will cause an oscillation in the cut which will have its own angle If we could slow the toolrsquos movement we would see this oscillation as a sharp jump in the positional relationship between the tool and material being cut In the finished product this sharp jump in position will result in a jagged cut
December 2007 23Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE ENGRAVING Outline amp OverviewThe Nuts and Bolts of Machine AccuracyMachine accuracy or capability can be defined as a result of six features 1 Resolution ndash the smallest incremental movementpositioning of a speci-fied axis 2 Speed ndash the ability to complete a task in a reasonable amount of time without sacrificing accuracy or creating damage to the machine or product 3 Repeatability ndash the ability to duplicate a previous position without error 4 Hysteresis ndash the ldquosloprdquo or ldquoplayrdquo in motion control components 5 Structural Integrity ndash stiffness or strength ndash the ability to cut materials without error or damage This is especially important for mechanical engrav-ers 6 Structural Tolerances ndash the sum accuracy of a machinersquos mechanical components
Machine ComponentsWersquoll examine nine factors that determine a machinersquos accuracy They include 1 Motors ndash including DC Stepper DC Brushless DC Servo and AC Servo a Spindles ndash motors that rotate the cutting bit b Axis Drive ndash motors that position the material to the cutting bit c Horsepower ratings ndash real versus advertised 2 The Motion Control Drive Unit ndash including Geared Belt and Lead Screws a Lead Screws ndash including Acme Re-circulating Ball Standard and Precision b Mounting ndash including Simple Fixed and Thrust bearing types c Protection ndash Open or Closed 3 Guide Rails ndash Types include V Bearing Rail Bushing Shaft Dove Tail and Re-circulating Ball Bearing 4 Encoders ndash Types include Rotary and Linear Methodologies include incremental or absolute 5 Tachometers ndash used for speed stability acceleration and breaking control for closed loop servo systems 6 Bearings ndash including Sleeve Ball and Linear Re-circulating Ball a Applications ndash including Radial Thrust and Linear b Quality ndash Standard thru Ultra Precision 7 Spindles ndash including topbottom loading Collets and Sleeves 8 Material Hold Down ndash including mechanical clamps and vacuum sys-tems 9 Electronic Interface ndash Computer control methods
Wersquoll also examine Reliability what makes it And Serviceability is it fix-able
If the cutting oscillation is at any angle other than the direction of the cut and the oscillation is great enough a jagged cut will be visible in the finished product A cut deviation of as little as 001rdquo is visible to the naked eye and will most commonly show up on curves and circles but may show up on straight lines as well
To illustrate this point a little further and perhaps make it somewhat clearer Irsquod like to refer to diagrams 3 and 4 For purposes of these illustrations we will assume we have a machine that has some looseness on both the X and Y axes However the rest of the machine
is structurally solid the frame is rigid and no other components have any loosenessMaking these assumptions and disregarding the variation in force caused by the cutter
as it travels through the material we will have cutting oscillations at 0deg 180deg 90deg and 270deg during the toolrsquos rotation As the tool travels through the material on its path these oscillations will cause a slight variation in the centerline of the toolrsquos cut
Diagram 3 shows a horizontal tool path While the machine is cutting in this direction any X axis looseness will be masked by the cutter path itself however looseness in the Y axis will result in a slight oscillation in the cutterrsquos horizontal position and therefore a deviation in its cut Diagram 4 shows the effect of the X axis looseness which will impact vertical lines
As you can see from this discussion and these illustrations structural integrity ie looseness in the components from which a machine is constructed can make a significant difference in quality of the finished products that a machine will produce
Next time wersquoll consider structural tolerances and their impact
John McDaniel with his wife Judy are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry For information on training services offered and their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom They can be reached by phone at 541-967-4271 via SKYPE (user name JHMcDaniel) or via email at JHMcDanielCorelDRAWhelpcom See the full bio on the Writers Page
December 2007 24Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
the image the text and the red bow In the laser file for this example I have the red cut line for vectoring (See Figure 5)
5) Send the cardstock through the printer6) Place the cardstock in the laser for vector
cutting The thickness of the stock will determine what settings to use For my 35-watt laser using a medium weight cardstock I used a speed of 100 and power of 15 for a nice cut through the stock without any burn marks on the paper
7) Optional in one run I decided to let the laser take care of the bow instead of using color for it from my printer I set the outline of the bow to 100 black and the interior of the bow to 50 black (See Figure 6)
8) Then I only sent the image and text through the printer The bow and vector cutting occurred in the laser I set the raster engraving (of the bow) at speed 70 and power 40 (See Figure 7) You can see the differentiation of using 100 black as opposed to 50 black by the exterior lines
being engraved a little deeper than the rest of the fill
Take the idea of using patterns (like the birth announcement above) and wowing your clientele with the detail and intricacy that laser can provide Or add a twist to a holiday tradition (cards) Whatever you do donrsquot forget you can combine the advantages of the printer and laser for fabulous products
Submitted by Kathryn Arnold Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
LASER TIPBy Kathryn Arnold Applications
Combining Laser amp Printer PowerComing up with new and
inventive ways to use your laser is the key to a successful and growing business We will look at a way to combine the power of your computer (ink) printer with the power of the laser engraver
In this lesson we will take a look at using cardstock to create a card and an announcement See the examples of a holiday card and a birth announcement ndash gratuitously they are of my family (Figure 1 amp Figure 2)
1) In CorelDRAWreg use any pattern image text you wish Be sure that there is a clear and discernible vector line that will be laser cut and yield a cut piece from the cardstock2) See the clear (red) cut line ndash it goes fully around my object even the bow portion (important) I then duplicated my object to fit as many as possible on my 8 frac12 x 11 cardstock (See Figure 3) 3) I saved this file as my master file that I could return to at any point I then created two copies -- one that will
be used to send the file to my printer and one that will be used to send the file to my laser engraver (See Figure 4)
4) In the master file I have every part of what my end product will have In the file for my printer I only have the parts that the printer will print ndash in this example
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
December 2007 25Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
ELECTRONICS FRONTIERBy Louie Alvarez Opportunity
Webcams are an interesting subject which I am intimately familiar with Some typical questions are what are they what purpose do they serve what benefit are they what to look for and various other questions concerns and issues
Webcams surely bring back a memory or two not all that great I might add I remember when they first became usable primarily due to the Internet having affordable true broadband
First experiences The choppy poor quality of dial-up service
simply didnrsquot make this a useful technology Short of communicating with far-flung family members it left much to be desired With my immediate family living in Las Vegas and all other family (parents siblings cousins etc) living in California this was a technology I thought would be useful to keep in touch
So I set up my computer and my momrsquos computer with Webcams to stay in touch Needless to say with the poor quality terrible tracking (had to keep perfectly
sti l l because video frames didnrsquot refresh fas t enough) the hard-to-see tiny video window and poorly synchronized voices to the faces (we looked like a badly translated kung fu movie) the novelty quickly wore off (Irsquod say in about 30 minutes)
WebcamsSecond attempt
So I promptly dumped the technology for the next few years until I started seeing broadband picking up the pace and more interest in Webcams becoming obvious from all the new devices on the market So about three years ago a wireless Webcam caught my eye and I decided to put it to the test once again
Considering I was by then traveling quite extensively (about 40000 miles a year) I figured Irsquod use it to monitor my home I had two teenagers and a 5-year-old at home at the time while I was on the road and my wife was still a t work (She normally didnrsquot get off work until about two hours after school was out) So this looked to be a cool device to see if as the clicheacute goes when the catrsquos away the mice will play
I proceeded to position this wireless Webcam strategically to allow viewing of my living room including the back door Plus to get to the front door or side door you would have to pass through the field of the camera My little one loved the idea of being on camera for her daddy and would dance play and make funny faces for me Pretty cool actually That in itself almost justified the camera but needless to say my teenagers even my wife didnrsquot take to the idea too well So it was returned and life continued on as usual
That experience did show me that the broadband
speeds the quality of the video feeds the prevalence on the net of live cams and the quality of the video cameras (better known as Webcams) had progressed to a level of usefulness and I could see the potential of this technology With that said letrsquos get into the heart of this article
So what are webcams Basically they are digital cameras attached to
the computer and connected to the Web or Instant Messaging (IM) This allows the camera to be linked to a website or to each other directly and individuals who view the website or IM are able to see what the camera is viewing at that moment You can choose to get either still pictures that are updated at regular intervals (Snapshot) or live streams (Streaming) depending on what your bandwidth permits The WebCam technology has advanced sufficiently now to make it both easier and cheaper to maintain a camera that is refreshing an image 24 hours a day
Features of Web Cameras Listed here are some of the features more commonly
found in WebCams1 Live streaming video still pictures updated2 No plug-in or software necessary to view image
can be viewed with any Web browser3 Live audio4 Incorporation with other software such as Instant
Messaging (IM)5 Adding captionslogostime displays6 Archiving video7 Chat feature
December 2007 26Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
WebCams in an instructional scenario could be used to
Monitor your staff or employees thus being able to guide them better
Telecommute to companies worldwide and demonstrate project procedures
B roadcas t sem ina rs wo rkshops o r demonstrations
Share special events and programs with students enrolled in distance learning courses
Hold a video press conference online meeting or broadcast meetings and discussions
In some cases it is important for the learner to be able to establish a connection visually WebCams could be a good alternative to using text files or audio files
Join WebCam groups and allow students to take advantage of other WebCam locations for educational purposes
Using a web camera allows learners to be a part of either a conference or classstudio
Benefits of using WebCamsa The most important advantage of using a web camera is that it creates a direct link between the camera and the live site and dispenses with all the production work Production work in this context includes the cost and effort involved in shooting
editing and streaming videos Thus using a WebCam does not require
advanced skillsb The software is basically a Web server that runs on your system and pushes images out to a Web page For viewers of images delivered over a WebCam
one of the benefits is that they get the entire picture preferable in
certain cases rather than a sleek edited versionc WebCam technology can also be used for remote s u r v e i l l a n c e s y s t e m s
ELECTRONIC FRONTIER
monitoring events or places and broadcasting live eventsd Learners can link to a web camera-monitored location and just watch or also have an additional web camera in their own location enabling two-way communication
Setting up your WebCama Setting up your own WebCam obviously requires a computer a WebCam (the hardware) and WebCam software along with a broadband Internet connection Before you decide which camera to buy and which software to acquire yoursquoll have to review the different methods to show pictures or video feed through the Internet ( i e r e f r e s h e d after x amount of seconds) This will enable you to decide which hardware and software solution will fit your situation best
b P l a c e m e n t of a camera is an important decision to be made Decide whether a static angle is sufficient to demonstrate the concept or a moving camera (handheld) is required It is important however to remember the limitations of using WebCams and leave the panoramic and other fancy shots to more sophisticated video Use WebCams for videos that require more focus and ones that require a smaller viewingmovement range
c For detailed technical instructions on using WebCams visit httpdeveloperswebcamworldcommethodshtml
d Here is a good resource for inexpensive Webcams on the market httpcastlepricewatchcomssearchasps=webcams
e For an in-depth review of various Webcams on the market go to this link httpreviewscnetcom4244-6502_7-0-1htmlquery=webamptag=cat_1
f There are many Webcam examples online here are a couple httpwwwwebcamworldcom or httpwwwleonardsworldscomcamerahtml
By the way DONrsquoT TELL MY KIDS I picked up a Logitech QuickCam Pro 4000 not too long ago My family doesnrsquot know why I got it or what my intention is but I can say that now that my kids are 17 16 amp 8 my job as a parent is to ensure the mice donrsquot play when the catrsquos awayhellip
Louie Alvarez began acquiring his experience in the awards and engraving industry in Central California over 15 years ago first as an employee of the largest and oldest trophy shop and then as owner of one of the first laser engraving businesses Louie has been a featured workshop instructor and seminar speaker throughout the industry in addition to being a contributing writer to numerous industry publications Louie is based in Las Vegas NV and can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
December 2007 27Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
The Association of CorelDRAWreg Professionals is The Education amp Business Resource for CorelDRAW Users Worldwide Its goal is to help 1) IMPROVE your CorelDRAW skills and 2) MAKE MONEY with those skills You can participate in ACDRP services in four ways
THE WORLDrsquoS ONLY ASSOCIATION FOR CORELDRAWreg USERSINVITES YOU TO MAKE MORE MONEY WITH CORELDRAW
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month focused on Industry News via the Graphics News Wire Links to valuable resources and a complete educa-tion and show Calendar S
CorelDRAWPro the Entrepreneurial magazine for CorelDRAW users features in-depth content on How to Use CorelDRAW -- tips tricks advanced ar twork success s to r ies in te rv iews and more How to Apply CorelDRAW -- for graphic production processes such as embroidery engraving heat printing laser promo products printing sandblasting signmaking sublimation and screenprinting How to Profit from CorelDRAW -- Product news business columns reviews profiles and advertising with live links
SUBSCRIBE -- NO CHARGE JOIN -- $60 PER YEAR
All users of CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite are qualified to subscribe free to CorelDRAWPro magazine (PDF format) and CorelDRAWPro E-News
Subscription to CorelDRAWPro amp CorelDRAWPRo E-News
TTF Newsletter Subscription to the monthly Tips Templates amp Fixtures Newsletter only available to members
GSG Basic Listing You can list your services in the Graphic Services Guide in one category as part of membership (a $25 value)
Access to QuickLearn A keyword searchable database of 100s of articles on CorelDRAW graphics production and business
All users of CorelDRAWreg are invited to join the Association and take advantage of exclusive content discounts and profes-sional recognition ACDRP membership includes
TTF
QuickLearn
QuickTNT
Archives
BASIC GSG LISTING -- $25 PER YR
The Graphic Services Guide is the Industry Yellow Pages for Services and Finished Goods GSG is promoted in all our publi-cations and our website to the world of CorelDRAW users Your listing gives you the opportunity to promote your services (in any of 40 categories) to other CorelDRAW usersThe Basic Listing includes your company description email link and listing in one category Additional service categories are $10 each per year
The Enhanced GSG Listing is for companies that want to list in two categories and add a photo or logo
ENHANCED GSG LISTING -- $50$75 PER YR
Classifieds
Access to QuickTnT A growing database of CorelDRAW tips for understanding the fine points of the program and templates that can be downloaded to speed up your production
Access to Archives Past issues of CorelDRAWPro are available to members with live links
Bookstore Discounts Members receive a 10 discount on all products in the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore
Professional Recognition Use of the ACDRP logo for professional identification on business cards websites and letterhead You also receive a membership certificate
Classified Ads Members can place one classified ad per year at no charge with photo and run it till the item is sold (a $35 value)
HOW TO PARTICIPATE To Subscribe (no charge) To Join ($60yr) To List in the Graphic Services Guide ($25 Basic $50$75 Enhanced or $120145 for Multi-Service)
CorelDRAWreg is a registered trademark of Corel Corp and is used with permission
Visit wwwcoreldrawprocomand click on the appropriate links
800-276-8428
The Multi-Service GSG Listing allows you to list up to 40 differ-ent service categories with detailed descriptions and add a photo or logo
MULTI-SERVICE GSG LISTING -- $120$145 PER YR
December 2007 28Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Throughout the year this publication has reported on whatrsquos new in equipment tools and software and blank products for businesses that put graphics onto products
For this 2007 wrap-up CorelDRAWPro editorial staff reviewed all the product news for the year and named 33 products to its annual Top Products of the Year list
Selections were based on the criteria of innovation and impact Innovation means products that exhibit a high degree of originality or uniqueness Impact means products that influence sales or productivity for a large number of businesses
Note that the 2007 honorees are list alphabetically in the three theme sections
For more information on the products in this article click on the Info Request button at the bottom of each page and select by company name or product You might open the Info Request page and minimize it as you read That way you can quickly open it and check the products you want
EQUIPMENT
ANAJET DIRECT-TO-GARMENT DIGITAL PRINTERAnaJet Digital Apparel Printer (Model FP-125) from
AnaJet Inc in Costa Mesa CA is a direct-to-garment printer offering high quality and affordability It can print custom graphics on any cotton or poly-cotton flat textile material in one minute The printer priced affordably from under $13000 can produce up to 5000 shirts per month each retailing for about $20 Most printers installed so far are in a production plant environment but some customers have started to take the mobile printer to malls for instant printing of customer graphics According to Dr Chase Roh company president the unique printhead they have developed allows for 16x more ink flow than normal desktop printers and thus shirts only require one pass
Top Products of the Year
DTG AMERICA ECLIPSE D-1 WITH TWO HEADS DTG America of Tampa FL and Fort Worth TX now offers a new solution to
speed up digitally printing to dark shirts The Eclipse D-1 incorporates two heads instead of one One head has eight channels of white to lay down a solid white underbase The second head has four channels of white to do highlights and four channels of color to lay down the design The result of this new configuration is the underbase and color are completed in one pass at an estimated average of only two minutes per shirt for a 12-inch by 6-inch area Other innovations include an ink agitator firmware for easy updating ink vapor remover auto gap adjustment and new platen configuration for easy loading
GEO KNIGHT DK 25SP HEAT PRESSThe Digital Knight DK25SP is an air-operated automatic
20x25 oversized swing-away heat press with a state-of-the-art control system and heavy-duty solid steel welded framework The smooth automatic pressing and push-button activation provides a productive fatigue-free operation The extended 20x25 size of the heat platen is perfect for sublimation and large-format materials pressingThe press is adjustable to accommodate materials from fabric thickness all the way up to 1rdquo thick substrates For more information call 800-525-6766 or visit wwwheatpresscom
GRAPHTEC CRAFT ROBO PROGraphtec America Inc based in Santa Ana
CA introduced the new Craft ROBO Pro 15rdquo cutting plotter The Craft ROBO Pro is an ideal solution for cutting a wide variety of materials including vinyl film card stock foil heat transfer and image transfer media Incorporating Graphtecrsquos legendary
December 2007 29Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
ARMS (Advanced Registration Marks System) and combined with a desktop printer the Craft ROBO Pro makes contour cutting an easy task Innovations include a new digital servo motor first mark auto-sensing menu navigation system that includes 8 user-defined conditions Tangential Control and three software applications
ROLAND RELEASES DIRECT-TO-FABRIC PRINTERRoland DGA Corp of Irvine CA released
the new 74rdquo HeatWave DFP-74 Fabric Printer through its reseller channel in the US Based on Rolandrsquos HeatWave sublimation technology the DFP-74 Fabric Printer is a complete integrated solution and Rolandrsquos first inkjet ever to support direct printing onto polyester fabrics As a complete solution including printer sublimation unit inks and RIP software the DFP-74 makes it easier than ever for shops to enter the fast-growing textile printing market Key features include eight advanced piezo print heads an intelligent media handling system and a temperature-controlled heating system
HOTRONIX PERFECT PRESSURE HEAT PRESSHotronix of Carmichaels PA has taken heat press technology
to the next level with Perfect Pressure a new digital pressure display functionThis new feature has a single-digit LED readout
that measures the pressure of the inner platen This technology is exclusive to Hotronix and is patent pending Previously a
digital pressure display was available only on air-operated heat press machines With this new pressure display gauge all heat press users will have more consistent results from job to job reducing the number of misprints and speeding up production For more information about
the new digital pressure display contact Stahlsrsquo Hotronix at 800-478-2457 e-mail infostahlscom or visit the Web site at wwwstahlscom
SWF DREAM EMBROIDERY MACHINEWith its new DREAM Machine SWF has broken the barrier in multi-head
embroidery machine technology The DREAM machines are the first multi-head embroidery machines that truly can sew at 1500 stitches per minute During the research and development of these new machines 12 new patents were filed and granted proof that the DREAM machines are built with state-of-the-art technology
Innovations include LED control panel error codes to quickly troubleshoot problems optional devices to do sequins cording and boring automatic oiling system large memory a hoop selector and more These innovative new machines come in configurations ranging from
two to six heads It is distributed exclusively by SWF East (Tampa FL) and SWF MESA (Dallas TX)
MESArsquoS HOTFIX SPANGLE MOTIF MACHINEWith the all new YAS-11 Hotfix Spangle Motif Making
Machine the first of its kind in the United States you can create beautiful spangle transfer designs that have the look of sequins This patented machine which is distributed exclusively in the United States by MESA Distributors of Fort Worth TX cuts out shapes such as circles and squares in a range of sizes from reels of Mylar tape The machine comes with proprietary design software that allows the user to create any pattern or design up to 157 by 157 inches
SAWGRASSrsquo HYBRID SYSTEM FOR EPSON R1800Sawgrass Technologies of Mt Pleasant SC introduced
the SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid System for the Epson R1800 for both sublimation printing and cotton
decorating from one machine The affordable entry-level system features dual functionality with both SubliJet and ChromaBlast inks in one machine allowing users to create customized images with superior color and clarity on both polyester coated substrates and cotton garments This is the second
hybrid system from Sawgrass following in the footsteps of the popular SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid
System for the Epson 4800
TROTECrsquoS NEW LARGE PLATFORM LASER Trotec Laser Inc of Ypsilanti MI has introduced the SP500 series of laser
engraving and cutting systems The systems have a work area of 50rdquo X 28rdquo and X-Axis clearance of 12rdquo The systems are offered in power levels from 45W-200W There is an available pass-through option (Class 4) Exhaust fumes are captured
December 2007 30Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
at the laser head to insure an efficient extraction when using the pass-through featureTrotec systems are designed for minimal wear-and-tear and eliminate the need for periodic replacement of belts and bearings For additional information visit our web site wwwtrotecnet or call 866-226-8505 734-484-3260
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW PROFESSIONAL SERIESUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) of Scottsdale
AZ added four new models in its Professional Laser Series (PLS) line of advanced high-productivity computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving systems The new PLS line which replaces Universalrsquos M V and X laser systems incorporates a
host of evolutionary design improvements to the laser cartridge platform chassis system electronics and software interface The new PLS models include several
powerful new features most notably a unique materials-based print driver called ldquoLaser Interface +rdquo that gives users their choice
between automatic or manual control over power speed and other system settings For more information on Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit Universal Laser Systems online at wwwulsinccom
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW VERSALASERUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) added a
new version of its desktop-sized VersaLasertrade
computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving system The new VersaLaser
improves on the award-winning original thanks to a host of evolutionary design refinements It also
includes a unique next-generation materials-based print driver that automatically calculates power speed
and other system settings It was awarded a patent for the unique design of its external cabinet which also functions as a Class 1 laser safety enclosure For more information about VersaLaser or Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit wwwulsinccom
US SCREENrsquoS FAST T-JET 3US Screen Print and Inkjet Technology of Tempe
AZ adds the Fast T-Jet3TM which features 30 faster print speeds compared to the previous T-Jet2 model and has a longer low profile print bed for easier loading and unloading Now you can produce a full size 12rdquo x 12rdquo (305 x 305 cm) print in one minute on a light shirt and in under three minutes on a black shirt with white ink Small pocket images can be printed in about 15 seconds
US SCREENrsquoS AUTOMATED PRETREATMENT CENTER
Speed up production when using Fast T-Jet inkjet-to-garment printers with the AutoTREATtrade Automatic Pretreatment Center
This versatile piece of equipment allows you to treat shirts on a production level rather than spraying shirts individually one at a time For use with light or dark shirts the AutoTREATtrade
can spray up to three shirts per minute It has two application modesmdashone for lights and one for darks that can be switched over by activating the cleaning mode which flushes out the system with water
TOOLS MATERIALS SOFTWARE
CORELDRAW X3 CERTIFIED FOR WINDOWS VISTACorel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that
CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite X3 has been Certified for Windows Vista Customers who wish to install the Certified for Windows Vista version of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X3 can download the latest service pack (SP2) from wwwcorelcom This new update delivers an exceptional experience for customers on Windows Vista including an updated user interface enhanced security improved text handling and further enhancements to the popular suitersquos renowned import and export file compatibility
COREL LAUNCHES NEW ONLINE COMMUNITY Corel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that it
has launched httpcoreldrawcom a new online community for users of the CorelDRAWreg family of products ndash including CorelDRAW Graphics Suite Corel DESIGNERreg Technical Suite
December 2007 31Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
and Corelreg DRAWingsreg This new community site is the first in a series that Corel will be launching to support its various user communities Designed to fuel inspiration CorelDRAWcom combines forums blogs and galleries for design professionals and graphic hobbyists alike Forums are available in English French German and Spanish serving an international audience
DALCOrsquoS NEW REFLECTIVE HEAT TRANSFERSCater to the safety market with new reflective transfers offered
by Dalco Athletic of Dallas TX These durable transfers come in a reflective silver gray color in three styles police sheriff and fire dept They are sized for left chest and full back so
all you have to do is heat seal for 8 seconds and yoursquore done Itrsquos very fast and easy
DALCOrsquoS NEW OPTIC YELLOW CLASSIC SWB APPLIQUE
Classic SWB appliqueacute designs offered by Dalco Athletic now come in two new styles softballs and tennis balls in optic yellow fabric These new balls literally jump off any wearable and make it an eye-catching standout This appliqueacute collection is ideal for spiritwear items to be sold to fans and family or created as fund-raisers for boosters clubs
POWER GRAPHICS 3 FROM DIGITAL ART SOLUTIONSPower Graphics 3 by Digital Art Solutions of
Tempe AZ is the ultimate design tool for the creation of high-end custom graphics and logos for custom signage awards vehicle graphics promotional products and apparel graphics Tuned to the latest styles and trends it provides fresh graphics that will impress even the most critical and demanding customer It includes more than 1500 images The 10 design categories include Flames Gangsta (Urban) Mascots Offroad Rebel (Biker and Hot
Rod) Retro Speed Sports Surf and Tuner
FLORIANI COMMERCIALrsquoS NEW NO-SHOW DIAMOND MESHContinuing in its tradition of research and development
to create embroidery stabilizers that meet the needs of todayrsquos embroiderers Floriani Embroidery Commercial Division of Knoxville TN released a new product called Floriani No-Show Diamond Mesh This unique nylon mesh stabilizer has a perpendicular embossed pattern that makes it more multi-directionally stable and enables it to better hold stitches for crisper design registration It is specifically designed for light-colored garments where traditional stabilizers have a tendency to show through the front of the garment
GREAT DANErsquoS NEW DIGITAL PHOTO FRAMES Tap into the lucrative team market with an
incredible collection of stock art specially designed to work for direct-to-garment printers sublimation transfers and digital transfers Digital Photo Frames Volume 1 is a collection of spectacular pre-designed layouts each with one or more frames to
insert personal photos The collection includes five categories baseball football basketball soccer and hockey Each category has four designs (20 total layouts) and each design comes in three template formats mugs mouse pads and shirts
So there are a total of 60 template designs in all
IMPRINTABLES WAREHOUSE OFFERS SPECTRA ECO FILMNew from Imprintables Warehouse of
Masontown PA is a digital cutter material that is free of PVC a plus with companies that want to be as environmentally friendly as possible Spectra Eco Film is made with ecological polyurethane and is peeled hot It is pressure sensitive (sticky backing) and extremely easy to weed While maintaining superior durability and opacity this new film is thinner than current offerings on the market and delivers the super soft hand that is in demand by todayrsquos consumers It can be used on 100 cotton 100 polyester polycotton blends and even nylon and leather
December 2007 32Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
KISSCUT TECHNOLOGIESrsquo SELF-WEEDING INKJET TRANSFER PAPER
Kiss Cut Technologies Ltd Newcastle UK has addressed the ldquopolymer windowrdquo issue and developed the worldrsquos first self-weeding inkjet transfer paper for printing to textiles In simple terms only the areas of their patented transfer paper that have been printed will be transferred to the garment when heat pressed A Kiss Cut print can be further embellished with specialized textile foils so in effect a digital foiling method is now available Foil is heat pressed onto the garment and when peeled the foil only sticks to the image areas
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW PHOTOPLAS-TIC MATERIALLaserSketchcom of Lemont IL a leading supplier of
LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble Super Black Granite and Black Onyx Jewelry introduces their new PhotoPlas-Tic This is a new material developed for front andor reverse laser engraving on micro surface impact acrylic plastic It is a premium plastic for laser engraving that is UV stable ideal for photo badges plaques trophies signage and high-end awards Each sheet of PhotoPlas-Tic is specially designed for a crisp clean burn and ultra-fine laser lettering logo and vector output For details call 630-243-6360 or visit wwwlasersketchcom
THEMAGICTOUCH LAUNCHES WOW TRANSFER PAPERTheMagicTouch USA launched WoW Professional
71 transfer paper which requires no weeding or profile cutting and the vibrant colors are achieved using digital laser technology making it great for short runs It uses PolymationTM which incorporates a newly designed catalyst that provides the ultimate compatibility with all generations of dry toner material According to the company PolymationTM is the next generation of laser heat transfer Sublimation requires the substrate to have a specialty receiving polymer coating to absorb the pigments but PolymationTM delivers everything at once polymer pigments and catalyst
December 2007 33Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
offers distinct advantages over any other process It allows for an unlimited number of colors and very fine detail which is impossible with screen printing or embroidery And the cost does not go up as colors are added These new specialty materials are so advanced they can be heat sealed to all kinds of fabrics and hot new multimedia designs can be easily done
VAPOR APPAREL LAUNCHES VAPOR ART VOLUME 1V a p o r A p p a r e l
a s u b s i d i a r y o f SourceSubstrates LLC Charleston SC announces the launch of Vapor Art - Volume 1 a collection of 127 vector graphics for digital sublimation and general use The diverse collection
of high-quality graphics comes after several years of customers requesting access to the companyrsquos sample art at trade shows and educational events The Collection of art includes vector drawings and JPGs for everything from mountain biking and snowboarding to yoga and cheerleading
BLANK PRODUCTS
COLORADO HEIRLOOMrsquoS COLOR LACQUERED FRAMES
Colorado Heirloom Inc of Loveland CO introduced their new Color Lacquered Frames This is an option to add color your unique creations It is not color fill Colored lacquer is sprayed on their high quality wood frames Because
INKTRA STRETCH TRANSFER PAPER FROM STAHLSrsquoStahlsrsquo based in St Clair
Shores MI adds InkTratrade Stretch a flexible transfer paper A revolutionary product InkTratrade Stretch provides a soft hand with an amazing stretch and recovery feature InkTratrade Stretch lets you take your favorite photo or graphic design and apply it to light colored or white hats shirts bags and more for a long lasting and completely personalized garment The highly stretchable paper can be applied to cotton polycotton blends spandex and Lycrareg
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo GOOF-PROOF TRANSFERSWant the look of screen
printing without the hassle With Goof Proofreg transfers offered by Transfer Express of Mentor OH you can custom order a transfer that has the popular athletic feel and will apply in a blazing four seconds Ordering is done step-by-step online and you can customize hundreds of designs You choose your
typeface colors and size Once your design is just the way you want it you can print it out to show a customer for approval Or Transfer Express can print from your artwork The minimum order is only five pieces and your one-color order ships in one to three working days
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo NEW FULL-COLOR DIGI PRINTSApparel decorators can now offer full-color designs on light
and dark apparel made of virtually any type of fabric without the hassle or minimums of screen printing with new state-of-the-art heat transfer technology called Digi Printstrade Offered through Transfer Express this revolutionary new method of decorating
December 2007 34Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
lacquer is used instead of paint any design can be lasered on these frames The possibilities are endless These colorful creations are offered in two different designs -- a designer frame and a frame with an insert Call 970-667-4222 or visit wwwcoloradoheirloomcom
CONDE ADDS PET MATS FOR SUBLIMATIONCondeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added food bowl placemats and litter box
mats to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Favorite photographs and pet-related artwork can be transferred to the
mats to create fun products for individual pet lovers or for the pet industry such as pet stores veterinarians groomers boarding facilities and animal adoption groups Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing Call Conde at 800-826-6332
CONDE INTRODUCES FABRIC PATCHES FOR SUBLIMATION
Condeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added fabric patches to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Custom decorators can now produce unique full-color patches that will impress organizations businesses clubs sports teams sports enthusiasts and individuals alike -- without the use of embroidery Heat seal patches are great for identification marketing awards trade show promotions or to commemorate special events Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing or call 800-826-6332
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW LASERSLABLaserSketch of Lemont IL Internationally known for
their LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble and Super Black Granite announces LaserSlab Super Black Granite at 4rsquo x 8rsquo x 7mm and 4rsquo x 4rsquo x 7mm weighting in at just over 2 pounds per square foot The surface of the LaserSlab Granite has the sheen of a black mirror The reverse side features epoxy fiberglass backing to give structure integrity to the ultra-lite granite sheet All may be viewed wwwlasersketchcom or by calling LaserSketch 630-243-6360
MATTHEWS INTRODUCES ALUMICOLORTM
Matthews International Corp of Pittsburgh PA introduced Alumicolortrade a high-resolution graphics solution for aluminum signage recognition commemoration and way finding Using cutting-edge technology Matthews embeds a four-color image into the aluminum to create an anodized reproduction of unsurpassed durability Alumicolortrade products which are designed for interior and exterior installations are resistant to extreme weather conditions graffiti scuffing grease chemicals and UV rays Additionally they will not chip crack or peel
PSI ADDS ROUND FRAMES amp STRING PUZZLES Paramount Services Inc of Hollywood FL
introduced new round resin frames for sublimation tiles Choose from Coral or RopeStone with optional Unisubreg Hardboard Tiles They will also accept the Bison 8rdquo round glass Cutting Board Why be square when round may fit better PSI also introduced a new puzzle guaranteed to string you along These String Puzzles come with a Unisubreg Hardboard puzzle and the necessary string and beads along with instructions how to string it after printing Templates to aid in design are available for download in several formats For details call 800-455-7212 or visit wwwDye-Sublimation-Productscom
CRYSTALEDGEreg LUXORTM CRYSTAL AWARDSCrystalEdgereg Chicago IL presented the Luxortrade Series
This stunning cost-effective collection comprises a series of specially designed Rosewood and Black Piano finish bases Matte Mahogany and Matte Black bases and a precision cast Satin Nickel Finish Metal Base with your choice of brass or silver hardware for mounting our twelve unique shapes making this the most versatile award yet Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks are curved 14rdquo thick crystal clear glass with 316rdquo diameter holes for mounting The Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks feature a generous engraving area and there is plenty of room on the base to add an engraving plate
December 2007 35Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
XENETECHrsquoS NEW ENGRAVABLE GIFTSXenetech of Baton Rouge
LA introduced high quality engravable gift items at wholesale and quantity discounts The Xenetech collection provides a selection of gifts created for corporate recognition weddings births holidays anniversaries retirements birthdays special occasions or just expressing appreciation Items include money clips key chains book markers desk accessories quartz movement clocks flasks amp wine accessories entertainment gifts travel gifts genuine Swiss Army knives business card holders luggage tags silver-plated jewelry boxes keepsake gift boxes silver-plated banks and baby gifts The gift items are designed primarily for diamond drag burnishing and rotary engraving personalization
UNISUBrsquoS CHROMALUXE PHOTO PANELSChromaLuxe photo panels are an exciting new line
of sublimatable products from Unisub of Louisville KY These panels allow you to sell a completely finished photo product to your customers capturing some of the additional revenue (and profit) your customers now spend elsewhere on framing Available in a range of traditional photo sizes as well as exciting new shapes these panels can be joined together to create stunning photo displays -- perfect for a fireplace mantle l i b r a r y s h e l f or the top of an armoire Available in aluminum or MDF substrates
CorelDRAWPro IndexOne of our members in Michigan
requested that we put together an Index of all the articles wersquove published during the year
He prints out all the issues and puts them in binders but an Index would make it easy to reference specific articles We think itrsquos a good idea and wersquoll send it to all subscribers in January
Product Focus TopicsJanuary 2008 -- Signage Products esp Wide FormatFebruary 2008 -- Engraving Awards amp GiftsMarch 2008 -- Apparel ProductsApril 2008 -- Laser Wood Products
Coming in 2008
December 2007 36Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETSBy Donna M Gray CRM Opportunities
December ndash Time to Review December finds everyone on our team strategizing how to get out of our parking lot Our business sits right in the middle of an up-scale strip mall which sits right behind a huge shopping mall and right along the main road to a Target Superstore and other large malls We all know that from the day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday) until 2 weeks after the New Year there are great challenges to those of us who like to leave the building for lunch or run an errandhellipso we strategize We all know every secret shortcut to the bank the post office and the warehouse club What we donrsquot know is how to find the way to merge out of our own back alley into the constant flow of traffic that carries people to their end shopping destination Whew
The year-end review So this year Dave and I have decided to stay in at lunch and do our business strategizing instead Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup are good brain food for helping us to look at all the successful things we did last year as a company all the things we thought about doing but didnrsquot because the idea didnrsquot quite fit and all the things we put off until next year We do this kind of exercise every year end and it helps us to map out our strategy for the coming year In the process we identify any mistakes wersquove made wrong turns wersquove taken and we try to find the ldquowhat could have happened had everything gone rightrdquo
The value of making mistakes Albert Einstein said ldquoAnyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything newrdquo Dave has a couple of prints in his office of Abraham Lincoln that describe his mistakes in fact it took Lincoln eight tries to win the presidency Thomas Edison made mistakeshellipand yet he perseveredhellipotherwise wersquod by ldquocomputingrdquo by candlelight And Irsquove heard that Colonel
Sanders had a thousand rejections before he sold his first chicken recipe It would be nice to get to our year end business appraisals and find that wersquove made no mistakes but our business like most others doesnrsquot have that claim to fame My mother always took the high road with mistakes She always said that one should recognize the benefits of a mistake One should learn what good came from it use it to improve and use it to help motivate success the next time So December is the time to analyze everything that made up the past year and look for ways to make the New Year successful in every way
Making a plan Most advisors say that the first step toward business success after looking at a companyrsquos year ending history is to decide on exactly what you want to do going forward in the coming year Then comes mapping out the plan What will be done How will it get done Who will do what What resources will be used When will it get done Is the right equipment in place Is the space adequate Ask these and any other questions that could relate to creating a successful year then focus on the details and follow through Those two wordshellipfocus and follow throughhellipcould mean the difference between marginal and abundant success Simply stated success comes from what you do and the way you do ithellipin your customerrsquos perception Every business wants to have a good imagehellipa good reputation so dedication to having good communication skills is important especially in an industry that does custom work The goal is to be on the same page as our clients so we have to be good mind readers We have to also concentrate on our professionalism on our appearance on our presentation style and in the pride we take in producing a well-done project This
has worked in the past and will remain the same in the future
The extra mile Success has to be nurturedhellipthen it gets celebrated Sometimes sacrifices have to be made to get to the rewards At year end when we analyze how we got from Point A to Point B itrsquos interesting to note that we sometimes had to take detours and sometimes the road blocks called for sacrificehellipof time or money Sometimes the sacrifice came in the way of a sleepless night worrying if an order that was lost in delivery would be found and re-routed to us in time to make a clientrsquos deadline Someone (unknown) said ldquoA day of worry is more exhausting than a week of workrdquo Anyone in business could testify to that Part of success is going the extra milehellipeven if it results in a sleepless night Going the extra mile is worth all the paid advertising in the world on the road to success
December 2007 37Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETS
Donna Grayrsquos 2nd book Itrsquos All Relative Surviving amp Thriving in a Family Business was published in September 2007
It describes her quest to identify the keys to suc-cess for small business and family businesses in particular She interviewed top businesses nationwide and discovered five common qualities implemented by successful business owners Check it out at the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore wwwcoreldrawprocomAllBook-storehtm
Commitments made and kept Our team felt good about some commitments we made and kept this past year like
We used a daily ldquoto-dordquo list and we set priorities in order of importance When we finished a project we ldquocelebratedrdquo and then moved on quickly to the next job We built in some time for ldquostress reliefrdquo with morning meeting breaks This was especially good when treats were served since wersquove got some good bakers on our staff We didnrsquot ldquoscreenrdquo calls through voice mail We considered every call to be important We ldquodid it right the first timerdquo even though it sometimes took longer We tied up all the ldquoloose endsrdquo We became ldquocheerleadersrdquo for each other When one of us accomplished a goal we all applauded We all tried to deliver more than we promised This can be challenging sometimes when working with a difficult project We eliminated (or tried to eliminate) unnecessary procedures and we simplified our paper flow system We spent most of our time on high priority tasks We all worked on our delegation skills We were committed to not wasting time either our own or other peoplersquos
Goals that were lacking Now all those great things being put on paper reminds me that we also had some goals we didnrsquot quite succeed athellipbut wersquoll try harder next year
We didnrsquot always ldquogrouprdquo tasks togetherhelliplike going to the bank and the post office in one trip or answering mail when it gets opened It wasnrsquot always easy to avoid procrastination Some low priority chores got put off There were still times when we couldnrsquot find enough hours to finish the work Our ldquotoolsrdquo didnrsquot always get put away when we were through with a project even though this is Daversquos pet peeve
Conclusion Experts say that we have to actively create our success not wait for it to happen This coming year hopefully none of us will sit in the comfort zone waiting for the phone to ring Therersquos an old Chinese proverb that goes ldquoIt you continually give you will continually haverdquo Our team will go on being involved in community activities When time is spent on worthwhile projects outside the business opportunities come knocking at the front counter Besideshellipat yearrsquos endhellipit makes us feel really good about the help we gave on these projects
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since1977 She can be reached by email at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
December 2007 38Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
GRAPHICS NEWS NETWORKAll these news and information products and services are part of the
Graphics News Network developed for ACDRP The goal is ldquoAll the News All the Time mdash For the World of Graphicsrdquo
GRAPHICS NewsWireThe Graphics News Wire is the always live always updated source for graphics news mdash products equipment technology and more Make it (CorelDRAWProcomNewsPagehtm) your home page or favorite to gain access to Breaking news updated regularly New Classified Ads New Job Announcements Supplier SpecialsAll news is related to graphic productsQuickSourceTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive amp Easy-To-Use
Search Engine
It gives you one-click access to suppliers products phone numbers and live links to ACDRP Member Suppliers Itrsquos always up-to-date searchable by keyword and accessible from your desktop
Quick TnTTM
The Industryrsquos Newest Resource for Graphics Tips amp Templates
Gain access to a growing library of CorelDRAW tips and templates that will make your work easier
QuickLearnTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive and
Easy-To-Use Article Library
Gain access to hundreds of articles on graphics-related and business topics searchable by keyword
The Entrepreneurial Magazine for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro Magazine is delivered to you once a month in PDF format It features in-depth content that readers rave about including articles on how to use CorelDRAW how to apply CorelDRAW and how to profit from CorelDRAW
News Tips amp Resources for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month mdash about the 15th and 25th It brings you highly targeted content that you wonrsquot find elsewhere including CorelDRAW Tips extensive product news links and a calendar of shows and training
MARKET PLACE
Quality Engravable JewelryHand-crafted in New England
GIFTS amp ACCESSORIES FOR WOMEN AND MEN
John E Lepper Inc800-835-3623 Fax 508-222-2732
wwwjeleppercom
GenuineWhite-tone
Pewter amp Gold
Some Things Were Meant To Be In Etched in Stone
Call for a free color catalog
NampR International1155 Allgood Rd 13Marietta GA 30062
678-560-4088Fax 678-560-1157
Importers amp Wholesalers of MarbleOnyx
Gifts amp Accessories
JOIN TODAY
The worldrsquos only association for CorelDRAWreg Users
wwwcoreldrawprocomJoinhtm
Place an Ad for as little as $215 per month
Find out how by calling our Ad Representative John McDaniel II
541-990-6687
the entrepreneurial magazine
GET LISTED TODAY
Generate new businessby doing jobs for others
List your company in GSG the Digital Yellow Pages for the industry wwwcoreldrawprocomListGSGhtm
December 2007 39Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Louie Alvarez started in the industry working for one of the largest trophy shops in Central California and then opened one of the first retail laser engraving businesses He has given seminars and workshops on CorelDRAW and Laser for many years and has written for several publications He is now with Vytek Industrial Lasers and is based in Las Vegas NV He can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
Kathryn Arnold is the Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
Errol Barr has a wide range of experience in sales amp marketing eventually getting into laser systems in 1999 currently with Vytek Industrial Lasers He also sold extensively in the CNC router industry selling the machines as more of a business opportunity wrapped around the machine He can be reached by email at errolbarrgmailcom
Dave Demoret founded Prolink Graphic Services to help people understand and profit from learning CorelDRAW He has been in both the Flat Graphics Industry and the Decorating Graphics Industry for 30 years He has written articles for several publications is a Corel Training Partner and conducts workshops nationwide and online He is the author of several CD Instructional programs on CorelDRAW He can be reached at 765-DO COLOR (362-6567) or davedprolinkgscom
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since 1977 She has presented seminars on a variety of topics nationwide and has won many marketing awards She is the author of two books on family business and can be reached at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
Bill Leek is a color consultant for JBL Graphics in Houston TX and has over 30 years experience in computer engineering and graphics design He has developed several lines of color imprintable products and does testing on a variety of products for different manufacturers He can be reached at wfleekjblgraphicscom or 281-970-6677
Jeff McDaniel is the owner of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon He worked as a journeyman machinist before getting into the graphic products business Creative Graphic offers laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials Contact him at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
John McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry He worked for many years with computers in electronic data processing and pioneered the use of CorelDraw for engraving applications He owned a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years and writes about hardware design software laser engraving sublimation and more He is a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals For information on training and more call 541-967-4271 or write to mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
Judy McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry Her background includes many forms of art and retail sales as well as the operation of a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years She is a regular columnist on sandblasting sublimation and diversifying business as well as a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals She can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
David Milisock is president of Custom Graphic Technologies Inc in Pennsylvania He has been in the print production business since 1975 and specializes in professional support for CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite Output includes computer-to-plate processes for all commercial digital front-end applications as well as Postscript-compliant graphic applications He offers technical and color management support for all RIP-driven corporate digital output systems He can be reached at 717-509-3523 or davidmilisockcomcastnet
Deborah Sexton former editor of Impressions Magazine has been in the apparel graphics industry since 1981 She currently does marketing and public relations for apparel graphics companies and is a columnist for several industry publications She can be reached at dsextonsbcglobalnet
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at 916-567-1867
December 2007 40Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
by Otis Veteto
Traveling Tidbits
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the
RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of
the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Itrsquos a fun and
informative column focusing on the human-interest side of
the industry Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars
for industry organizations and some of that knowledge
will rub off as well He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at
916-567-1867
Reps Volunteers People Skills amp Agreements
RS Owens Southeast RepFirst of all a Traveling Tidbits welcome to
the newest member of the RS Owens Company sales team Anita Brennan Anita is the new Regional Sales Manager for the Southeast She will be calling on you folks in Alabama Tennessee Mississippi Florida Georgia North Carolina and South Carolina Anita has worked in all phases of our industry as a retailer (her own business) multi-line rep and now as a regional sales manager When I asked Anita what she likes to do when not on the road she told me she likes to spend time with her two-year-old granddaughter Kaylee Welcome to the RS Owens family Anita Brennan
Railroad Museum VolunteerI know Christmas is the time for giving
but some people give all year long I was talking recently with Elias Athanasiou whose regular job is a server in a restaurant my wife and I frequent when I am in Sacramento Elias has been associated as a volunteer with the California State Railroad Museum for about 16 years Every Saturday during the ldquorunning seasonrdquo April-September Elias can be found working as a volunteer on the Steam Engine excursion train that runs for 6 miles along the top of the levee on the Sacramento River The ride takes about 40 minutes Elias is the Engineer now but has worked as conductor and fireman in his tenure with the train It is people like Elias Athanasiou that make this a much better world A huge Traveling Tidbits SALUTE You can find out more about the Railroad Museum at wwwcsrmorg
Real People SkillsThis next tidbit is from the PPAI Promotional
Consultant Today The author is Roy Chitwood president of Max Sacks International in Seattle Wash It is entitled To Shine Polish Your People Skills
ldquoPeople buy not because they understand your product or service but because they feel that you understand them People buy emotionally As a professional salesperson you need to be more people-oriented not product centered Here are seven quick and easy techniques to improve your people skills
SMILE It is the universal sign of friendship in any language The Chinese have a proverb ldquoA man who cannot smile should not open a storerdquo Think about that Give a smile and you will get a smile in return
DEVELOP A GENUINE INTEREST IN OTHERS When you have sincere interest it shows Look directly at people when they are talking to you Let your facial expression register your interest Ask good open-ended questions to let people know that you are interested in what they say
TALK IN TERMS OF THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS INTERESTS You will never meet anyone who doesnrsquot have time to talk about what they want to talk about Encourage your prospect to discuss his or interests rather than launching into a discussion about yourself
USE THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS NAME Using a name builds personal rapport and shows you are listening with respect Be careful about overusing the personrsquos name
GIVE COMPLIMENTS Everyone loves a compliment when it is genuine Make a
concentrated effort to give at least 3 honest compliments every day of your life You will be amazed at what it will do for your relationships
LISTEN Listening is the greatest compliment you can pay When you assume the role of the listener it relaxes the sales climate As you listen you are demonstrating that you truly care and you are genuinely interested in what he or she has to say
MAKE THE OTHER PERSON FEEL IMPORTANT When you are sincerely impressed by something the other person has achieved or owns let them know it Understand that fundamentally every person is important and treat them accordingly
Personal comment When I finished reading this I thought to myself ldquoThese make sense in our everyday life not just in salesrdquo
The Third AgreementI will close with the 3rd step from the book
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel RuizDONrsquoT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS Find the
courage to ask questions and to express what you really want Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings sadness and drama
Sounds a little like what I wrote at the beginning of the column doesnrsquot it
Thatrsquos all for now Remember to save some time for yourself and your family And when you travel please travel safe
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE
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December 2007 8Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Inside ACDRP
By Michael Neer Executive Director
Winter ndash A Time to Prepare
In many parts of the world winter comes in with a white blanket of snow across the fields and streets People tend to stay indoors out of the cold so if you go outside itrsquos very quiet and still Therersquos less hustle and bustle in the marketplace The pace of life is slower Errands take longer Holidays put the attention more on family and less on business In fact itrsquos a time when many industry businesses either close or are open fewer hours Few new products are launched Most business owners are waiting to make announcements at the start of the new year
DECEMBER 2007
Published by Association of CorelDRAWreg Professionals
President John H McDanielVice President Judith McDaniel
Executive Director Michael R Neer Assoc Exec Director Steven V Neer
ACDRP Corporate Office Albany OR
EDITOR PUBLISHER ndash Michael R Neermikeneercoreldrawprocom
GRAPHICS ndash John MiseADVERTISING ndash John McDaniel II jhmcdaniel2coreldrawprocom
541-990-6687
OFFICES Membership amp Publishing offices located at
4709 N El Capitan Suite 103Fresno CA 93722
800-276-8428 559-276-8494 Fax 559-276-8496wwwCorelDRAWProcomeditorcoreldrawprocom
Subscriptions Free to qualified individuals and businesses Send change of address to the above
ACDRP Membership $60yr See the website for details Includes exclusive content and more
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Writers CorelDRAWPro accepts articles from industry experts Email publisher for details
copy Copyright 2007 by ACDRP All Rights Reserved
So when this kind of mood is in the air we can make the most of it by using this time to prepare for the next year Itrsquos a time of review and planning ndash or sometimes finishing up projects that have been delayed
Thatrsquos why in this issue we provide you with several articles that will help you prepare for a great 2008
Donna Gray discusses how she reviews her business and plans for 2008
Bill Leek describes 10 ways you can prepare for more success in 2008 in terms of equipment training purchases and more
We present our annual Top Products of the Year story which is designed to call your attention to the most significant new products of 2007 ndash so you can try them out or see the trends that may be coming next year
Plus this is a good time to get the training you or your staff needs to be more competitive in 2008 Check out the CorelDRAWPro Bookstore for CDs books and videos and also the ProLink Graphics ad and the Calendar link in this issue for specific training events
Wersquod like to thank all of our subscribers and members for your loyal support during the year Thank you for your comments your questions and your attendance at MMcdr Our goal is to bring you more and better information about graphics and making money and we think 2008 will be full of both See you next year
December 2007 9Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
December 2007 10Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Using CorelDRAWregTraining
By Corel CorporationUsing Preview Modes in Image Adjustment Lab
When working with files that have poor color balance and contrast you need to use many different tools to make adjustments You can save valuable time by using the Image Adjustment Lab which is accessible from both Corel PHOTO-PAINTreg and CorelDRAWreg By uniting the most important manual and automatic controls required for common color and tone corrections the Image Adjustment Lab offers a fast intuitive way to achieve professional results with your image files
With the Image Adjustment Lab you can use different preview modes for evaluating the color and tone adjustments you make You can preview the corrected image in a single window view the original and corrected images in separate windows or view the image split into original and corrected portions within one window
The Image Adjustment Lab also lets you create snapshots of your adjustments with just one click The snapshots appear below the working preview which lets you easily compare each snapshot against the original version and then choose the best result
The preview mode buttons (A) and the Create Snapshot
button (B)
To open the Image Adjustment LabDo one of the following If yoursquore working in CorelDRAW click Bitmaps gt Image Adjustment Lab If yoursquore working in Corel PHOTO-PAINT click Adjust gt Image Adjustment Lab
To preview the corrected image in a single window
After correcting the image click the Full Preview button
To view the original and corrected images in separate windows
After correcting the image click the Before and after full preview button
To view original and corrected portions of an image in one window
After correcting the image click the Before and after split preview button
To capture the current version of your image
Click the Create Snapshot button
Thumbnails of the snapshots appear in a window below your image Each snapshot is numbered sequentially and can be deleted by clicking the Close button in the upper-right corner of the snapshot title bar
December 2007 11Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Using CorelDRAWregTraining
By Dave Demoret Contributing writerBitmap vs Vector
BITMAPSOne of the reasons bitmaps are not the desired image of choice in our industry is
that they do not reproduce well when enlarging the image Nor do they lend themselves to our process of decorating at least in screen printing embroidery and vinyl cutting to mention a few markets We need to use color in solid object form to achieve many of the end products we produce Color is very difficult to change in a bitmap image so we tend to lean towards the vector side to achieve our goals
One of the most confusing issues especially for beginners is the difference between bitmap also called raster and vector images To help clarify this take a look at the images on the side Bitmaps are made up of thousands of pixels (short for picture elements) which are tiny squares usually of different colors that form a picture These pixels are what make up the resolution of a given picture or bitmap image In lithography they are commonly referred to as dpi or dots per inch ndash thatrsquos for printing resolution We also use the dpi designation when we are talking about pixels per inch (ppi) in our industry but thatrsquos not technically correct Pixels per inch (ppi) refers to resolution on a monitor However we are looking at the scanning and the end product resolution in this article and therefore we are mostly concerned with the standard dpi measurement
Bitmaps are usually scanned into a graphics program or taken from a digital camera using the dpi designation In the illustrations here a 300 dpi (dots per inch) image is somewhat defined and appears to have clean edges but as we enlarge the image we are in effect decreasing the dots per inch We are making the dots themselves larger and therefore there are fewer dots that will fit into a one inch space By increasing the size using dpi or enlarging the bitmap using the dpi measurement we begin to see pixels and
very rough edge definition This is not especially good for printing or digitizingIf you have an image to print at 300 dpi to heat press on a t-shirt it can look pretty
good but if you want that same image to go on the back of a jacket and you try to enlarge it you will get the lsquojaggiesrsquo It is very difficult to take a low resolution image and increase the size while maintaining any kind of clarity or quality image
On the other hand if you have a low resolution image that needs to be reduced you will increase the image resolution because you will be putting more dots in that same one inch This simply means that a 300 dpi resolution image reduced by 50 will become a 600 dpi resolution
Image Size -vs- Image DPIAllow me to take this one step further to explain image dpi versus image size
When you have a 5 x 7 photo and you scan it into your CorelDRAWreg or scanning software you have the option of selecting the resolution using the dpi measurement If you want to enlarge the photo for your project increase the dpi I usually scan most everything at least a minimum of 600 dpi (figure 1) Others I will scan at 1200 to 1800 dpi to get a better quality print when I enlarge it enough to fit on a shirt Yes it does take longer to scan but the work on the other end is reduced dramatically
Remember that a 600 dpi image when reduced will become a 1200 dpi image In reverse the same 600 dpi image (figure 1) when enlarged will become a 300 dpi image (figure 2) This is all coming from the same 5 x 7 size image Size really doesnrsquot make a difference Itrsquos the resolution that will give you the quality that you are looking for
Resampling in CorelDRAWMost of the images you download
December 2007 12Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Using CorelDRAWregTraining
from the Internet will be 72 dpi (figure 3) and some are at 96 dpi These images are low grade and will need to be used at the existing size You can help them a little by using the lsquoResamplersquo in the pull down menu under Bitmaps in the Menu Bar of CorelDRAW This wonrsquot help a lot but may give you some assistance with some images The problem here is that the image will look slightly smoother but if enlarged much at all you will see it as being fuzzy or out of focus (figure 4) Play with resampling at several higher dpi choices and image sizes to get a feel for what you can and can not do
VECTOR IMAGESVector graphics are images that are made from mathematical
computations That is there is a certain shape and color associated with an outline and that area is the vector object as shown with one of the links here (figure 1) There are no definite objects or outlines in a bitmap It is simply thousands or millions of pixels each of a different color shade or tint That is why bitmaps are so hard to change easily With a vector image you simply select an object within the graphic and change the shape size and color with the tools provided in your graphics software
In contrast to the bitmap the vector image can be enlarged to any size without any distortion of edge definition This allows us to generate an image for a business card or a left chest logo on a t-shirt or a name tag then turn around and enlarge that same image to be placed on a billboard without any distortion of the image All the objects lines and integrity of the image are still intact (figure 2) no matter what size we select You can also see in figure 2 with the magnification that all the lines are still crisp sharp edges with no distortions
Vector images are the base images used in embroidery screen printing vinyl graphics and other markets within our graphics industry Many manufacturers today have geared their software as an add-on to CorelDRAW because of the ease clarity and flexibility that vector images offer
You can change a vector into a bitmap image with the click of a few buttons It takes considerably longer in most cases to change a bitmap into a vector file Most of the time
you will have to manually redraw or trace the bitmap image to convert it to a vector file There are programs out today that will convert these for you at least up to a point CorelDRAW is one of these programs PowerTrace is an auto trace feature used in the latest version of CorelDRAW
Printing ImagesWhile you will want to create your graphics in a vector
format you should know some basic principles of printing these two file choices One is that when you print a vector file it can take several times longer to print than a bitmap image of the same graphic Therefore for most of my printing in digital format like sublimation or heat transfer I will save a copy of my vector graphic as an original and make a duplicate copy to convert to a bitmap format for printing purposes
Another thing that most beginners donrsquot know is that if you are creating an image with CMYK Color Palette and print it to an inkjet printer you will throw off your color in the printed piece For example blues generally tend to turn to a violet lavender or purple shade Check with your supplier or distributor to help you set your printer to lsquoOutput color bitmaps as RGBrsquo And use your RGB Color Palette to color your graphic images
Dave Demoret founded Prolink Graphic Services to help people understand and profit from learning CorelDRAW He has been in both the Flat Graphics Industry and the Decorating Graphics Industry over the past 30 years He has written several articles for Screen Graphics Magazine on Color Control amp Matching in the past Dave has used CorelDRAWreg since version 3 and became a CorelDRAW Training Partner in 2006 During the past 5 years he has been conducting workshops all over the US and is the author of several Video CDs amp Instructional CDs on CorelDRAW Dave continues to conduct workshops in the US amp also worldwide online He can be reached at 765-DO COLOR (362-6567) or by email at davedprolinkgscom
December 2007 13Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE COLORBy David Milisock Training
Wow Powerful Controversial Useful I find the latter term to be most honest as shooting photos in the RAW format allows as much chance for the image to be ruined as it does for it to be improved The key to it being an improved experience rather then a ruined experience is of course understanding what the technology is all about work flow calibration and your skill
First off all cameras shoot RAW lower-cost cameras just wonrsquot let you save the file without an automated conversion process Here is the definition of RAW as printed in my new book Color Management in the CorelDRAW Graphics Suite for Professionals Small Office and Home Office capture C (to be released January 2008)
RAW is a file format that is proprietary to the camera manufacturer They are linear-gamma grayscale images from digital color filter arrays All these files require processing by a RAW converter to convert them to an RGB image
What this means to the user outside of the photographic ramifications is that the user needs to understand how the process is going to affect their color How this comes about is that the camera has a capture array that has red green and blue sensors Or an array that has filters to make some sensors only sensitive to red some only to blue and some only to green Each set of red blue and green sensors creates grayscale data that has to be combined to three channels Color is not only applied to the channels based on the value of the grayscale but a color space is assigned All cameras do this some just donrsquot let you do it manually
What Irsquom saying Is that as soon as the RAW converter develops a color display a color space has been assigned In fact the application has to have a
ldquoRAWrdquostandard color space to base the preview display on or your color edits would have no meaning
Stand-alone applications may allow you to choose what color space to apply to the image Some do not some force you to use an ultra-wide gamut RGB color space like Prophoto RAW Lab or plug-ins within image editing applications are most likely to use the internal (working) RGB of the application
So often it is written that RAW files have no color space and this is a true-falsehood True as long as they are still linear grayscale data streams of no value to anyone without a RAW converter but false as soon as you start the process of making a universally accepted RGB image of them
The key to the process is making sure that you understand what color space your converter assigned to the image so you can coordinate the internal RGB of Corel PHOTO-PAINTreg Make sure to activate the arrow from the internal RGB to the monitor
Any process that does not have the image
editor and RAW converter working in a coordinated manner will totally negate any benefit of using RAW You simply wonrsquot know what colors yoursquore really working with and thatrsquos not good for a process that was supposed to improve your work not make it worse
To my mind that biggest problem I see is that multiple RAW converter applications when viewing a RAW file as shot by the camera can have vastly different displays of the same image See capture A amp B (blurred on purpose) if you have a mind to try using RAW converting I suggest calibrating your display system first as this RAW image when opened in 4 different RAW converters has the white balance temperature identified
Coming Soon to the CorelDRAWPro Book Store A new book by columnist
David Milisock
Color Management in the CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
For Professionals Small Office and Home Office
Basic Color Theory bull Postscript and Non-Postscript Devices
RIPs for Ink Jets and Press bull Adobe Color Coordination
Color Continuity During Exportation bull and Much More
December 2007 14Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE COLOR
as four different values ranging from 2850 to 9980 OUCH Itrsquos hard to believe that the same data has been interpreted to be as shot by the camera judging by these two images isnrsquot it
This can only be described as an extremely painful experience Now you canrsquot rely on the software to interpret the data properly so the only thing you have that you can rely on is your calibrated work flow and your good sense
Another complaint that I have about stand-alone RAW converter applications is that in many cases the image display within the application is so poor that I cannot make a reasonable editing decision for any color or sharpening The image is glassy like in Paint Shop Pro or too soft like in Photoshopreg not sharp and clear like in PHOTO-PAINT OUCH
Please note in Capture A the Adobe RGB color space is already in play (see lower left corner) The adjustments available as shown in this capture are typical for RAW converters and
this capture will show them to you I am neither pro nor con RAW What Irsquove found is that
it is most generally used like image editor in place of good photography This is not always a bad thing Saving the cost on another shooting session through technology certainly has its selling point
Another observation Irsquove noticed is that as the cost of the cameras goes up the quality of their built-in conversion also goes up Many times they will save TIF instead of JPG files This is a real plus In studio settings with a superior camera you most likely will work your butt off and not be as good as the built-in RAW conversion of a studio quality camera On site live shoots is where the RAW conversion application seems to have a place to be most useful in my mind
Irsquom a Corel PHOTO-PAINT guy and I love my sharp clean PHOTO-PAINT display So until Corel PHOTO-PAINT has a RAW converter Irsquom sticking with the camera conversion and a TIF file for studio work But I will certainly use RAW when it benefits my client which benefits me
Watch out next month itrsquos going to be HOT
David Milisock is president of Custom Graphic Technologies Inc He has been in the print production business since 1975 and specializes in professional support for the CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite He can be reached at 717-509-3523 or davidmilisockcomcastnet See full bio on Writers Page
Itrsquos Who Knows YOU Network Your Way to Successby Chien J Wang president of Toujours Inc
Turbo-charge your networking with unique strategies that work Chien at-tends 10-12 events a week and has created a system for turning contacts into customers and customers into lifelong relationships
wwwcoreldrawprocomallbookstorehtm
Captures A amp B Two blurry images (on purpose) showing what happens to the white balance when opened in
different RAW converters This is typical
December 2007 15Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE TRANSFERSBy Bill Leek Applications
Headstart on Spring 10 Things You Can Do in January to Make 2008 a Successful Year
I have to be honesthellipMy normal inclination after the holiday season is to relax and take it easy for a few weeks It seems that after a very busy year I really deserve it But small- to medium-size business owners cannot afford to do this The few weeks of relative calm after Christmas are too valuable to squander
Every year I write up an action plan for January Hear are some ideas that you may find valuable
1) Follow the lead of the big retailers Valentinersquos Day is almost here and Easter is early this year Get your new spring displays mailings emails and catalogs out right after the holidays Highlight some new products with spring themes every year
2) Offer January specials with sizable discounts if you anticipate a slow month Use coupons and thank you gifts to show appreciation to your loyal long-term customers
3) Br igh ten up your display space with new graphics fixtures and lighting Look into new LED displays They offer superior lighting at significantly lower cost and maintenance LED
technology will replace both incandescent and neon lighting and signage in just a few years
4) Spend some time to really learn your software application January is a great time to learn new features and upgrade your Corel Software Buy a guide or an interactive CDDVD to speed up the learning curve
5) January is a great time to find new vendors equipment and imprintables You have more time and the vendors may be more responsive as sales are slower You very well might be able to make that great deal on a piece of capital equipment yoursquove wanted for some time
Ask vendors to provide you with samples of new inks imprintables and transfer papers Test washability compare color quality and evaluate production ease
Look at the new technologies -- direct printing on soft and hardgoods eco-solvent inks color laser printer transfer and new sublimation coatings are all ldquohotrdquo areas to investigate
6) Donrsquot just perform a physical inventory Evaluate inventory turnover and get rid of any dead items that are just taking up shelf space
7) Look at your customer base Are you trying to be all things to all people Are there specific niches where you have had greater success
than others Determine how to build on your strengths and possibly remove yourself from markets that are not profitable
8) Organize an email list of all your existing customers and solid leads Improve your communications with a newsletter Donrsquot overkill with your emailshelliptherersquos a fine line between informative and irritating
9) Sit down and list your major accomplishments and failures of the past year Try to assign a quantitative measure where you can Make a detailed list in each area and honestly investigate what resulted in success or failure
10) Come up with a list of 10-20 goals that you can realistically achieve in 2008 These goals can be defined as specific actions or financial results Create a small poster and display it in place where you will see it every day Go over the list every month and ask yourself how you are doing
I wish you all a Very Happy New Year I will try to keep you informed of all the exciting technical and market developments in 2008 Thanks for all your questions ideas and support during the past year
Add quality imprintables from Unisub for the
Valentinersquos Day market
December 2007 16Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE PRINTSUBLIMATIONBy Judy and John McDaniel Applications
Creating Sublimation Product Templates
Last time we finished all the background stuff now wersquoll get on to making things Wersquoll start with flat products which include plaques tiles shirts and other garments etc Later wersquoll explore specialty items like cups
Creating a Product Template FileThe first step in designing graphics for any new
product that we intend to make again and again is to create a product template Templates give us layouts into which we can place our text and graphics They may take a little time to set up initially however they make it much easier and faster to produce products once the templates are available
The first step in designing a template is to determine the page size in CorelDRAWreg For sublimated products that requires we decide what size the finished transfer will be The size of the transfer will determine the page size
The finished transfer may or may not be the size of the printed sheet For example if we are printing transfers for t-shirts generally they will be on full 11 x 17 sheets That said we have some layouts that will be printed in portrait orientation vertical on the shirt and some in landscape horizontal We have both styles available as templates If we are including a customerrsquos photo in the finished design the orientation of the photo might determine which template we use
For ceramic tiles the transfer may be the size of an individual tile or perhaps the size of a tile array For plaques the transfer is generally slightly larger than the print area of the plaque -- 4 x 6 5 x 7 8 x 10 etc For badges our template might be the size of a single badge or if we have a fixture for pressing badges our template might be the size of the fixture If wersquore pressing ceramic steins and cups we might have an array of templates some for fronts backs full wraps and full wraps edge to edge
Another variable to consider when creating a sublimation template is the size
of your printer and heat press The largest transfer that can be printed or pressed will determine the upper limit of the templatersquos page size These factors are only of concern for large items like shirts
In our shop we have both wide format (11inch) and standard (85 inch) sublimation printers We can choose roll material or standard sheets Currently our largest flat press is 14 x 16 inches so thatrsquos our upper limit for flat product images
Creating a T-shirt TemplateRemember creating a template is something you
only do one time for each item in your inventory and for any variations you would like to have available Creating
Photo 1
Photo 2
December 2007 17Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE PRINTING
a template file takes a little time in the beginning but saves a lot of time in the long run
With these factors in mind Irsquoll go through the steps of creating a special-occasion t-shirt template The first one Irsquoll create will be in portrait orientation If yoursquod like to follow along open CorelDraw to a new project 11 x 17 paper and set the orientation to portrait
Set Guidelines Next wersquoll bring in some guidelines These will
help us see the image area we have to work with For this project Irsquoll set guidelines at frac12 inch in from the left and right 1 inch in from the top and 3 inches up from bottom The guides are for visual reference This is the maximum text and graphics layout area
Since this is a vertical layout our graphic will be 1 inch down from the top edge of the transfer If we set the shirt on the press with the collar at the top edge then all wersquoll have to do is align the transfer to the top edge of the press and the image will be 1 inch down from the shirt collar
Irsquove limited the vertical image area to 13 inches Allowing an inch down from the top will make the bottom of the image 14 inches down from the collar Thatrsquos
ok for an adult large or XL shirt but you may want to adjust the area for smaller shirts
As a part of this layout Irsquove created a couple of layers One Irsquove called text and one picture These layers will be used for the graphic elements of the final template As an option you can also create a non-printing layer that contains a rectangle Since the layout is off centered you can use the rectangle to align your text and graphics but the rectangle will not print (See picture 1)
Save Your TemplateYou can now save this simple layout
as a CorelDRAW template To do that click on FileSave Ashellip and select CDT ndash CorelDRAW Template (see picture 2)
I normally save templates in a special folder however if yoursquore using Windows Vista its sort capabilities reduce the need to organize your files (See picture 3)
You can use this generic template as is You can also use it as a base for creating other templates Next time wersquoll make some additions to customize it for a special occasion Wersquoll also look at how we can use templates
Judy and John McDaniel are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry For information on training services offered and their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom They can be reached by phone at 541-967-4271 via SKYPE (user name JHMcDaniel) or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom See full bio on Writers Page
December 2007 18Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTINGBy Jeff McDaniel Applications
Using Specialty Platens Part 2Background
In our last article we touched on the steps required to create a master transfer for our specialty platen We also briefly reviewed locating the artwork and attaching the capillary film to the screen In this article we will expose our screens rinse them and produce our pocket patch CorelDRAWPro members can look up the more detailed information in the archived articles for June July and August at wwwacdrporg
Our setup and yoursOur setup is the Printa 770 series screen printing machine from Printa Systems Inc
All of the supplies and tools we will cover from here on were provided in the turn-key system from Printa with the 770 Your setup may be from another source but will most likely contain components of what we will discuss below In addition to the standard Printa 770 setup we will be using the ldquoPrint-Allrdquo system from Printa Systems Inc (see figure 1 courtesy of Printa Systems)
Exposing the capillary filmWe left off last article with our screens drying
Now that they are dry we are ready to expose the capillary film Exposing Step 1 we will gently peel the carrier sheet off of the capillary film (see figure 2)
Exposing Step 2 Next we need to put our first image back on the exposure unit and re-install the screen on the printing system Then we can bring the screen down on the
exposure unit attach our blackout board and expose the screen (see figure 3)
Exposing Step 3 After exposure we need to rinse out our screen and inspect it to be certain we have a complete rinse (see figure 4)
Exposing Step 4 Once the image is rinsed out it is time to put the screen back in the dryer (see figure 5)
Re-aligning the screens after wash outFrom the time that we first aligned the
artwork we have taken the screens in and out of the printing system twice If our artwork is even a little bit out of alignment we will lose blanks or put out low quality work It is a good idea to do a final adjustment with the original artwork
Re-Align Step 1 Leaving both of our photo positives on the exposure unit we can inspect the screen location compared to our original artwork location Here is the yellow screen location after exposure and wash out (see figure 6)
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
December 2007 19Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTING
Re-Align Step 2 The black screen is a little bit off (see figure 7) so we will need to use the Printa 770 micro-adjustment knobs to bring it back into alignment (see figure 8)
Masking off the screenNow that our artwork is
lined up correctly we can mask the rest of the screen off Wherever we donrsquot want the ink to run through the screen needs to be masked off (see figures 9 and 10)
Locating the pocket patch on the shirtThere are a couple of different ways to locate the pocket
patch on the shirt The first thing to consider is where you want it to end up on the wearer If the patch is too far toward the sleeve the image will end up under the wearerrsquos arm pit If the image is too far up toward the neck the image will not look right either A good way to figure out the correct location is by looking at a shirt that has a pocket patch on it (maybe one or two are in your closet right now)
Another way to locate the pocket patch is to put on the shirt
size that you wear and mark off where you think it feels correct and comfortable Once you have decided where you would like the patch keeping it in the same relative location on all of the different sizes is not too difficult The actual placement of the shirt can be accomplished a couple of different ways that we know of Which you prefer will depend mostly on if you are more accurate with sight or touch
The sight method involves using a masking tape strip to mark the desired location on the shirt prior to loading it onto the platen (see figure 11)
Once you have your marking in place you can load the shirt on the platen and have a nice representation that you are placing the design in the desired location (see figure 12)
Figure 7 Figure 8
Figure 9
Figure 10
Figure 11
Figure 12
December 2007 20Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTING
We prefer the sight method because it works well with our equipment The ldquoPrint Allrdquo system from Printa Systems Inc uses a smaller platen for pocket patches The smaller platen allows us to load sizes from youth XS ndash adult 5X without stretching
The touch method involves using a standard platen and adding a riser underneath where the pocket patch will be printed (a piece of cut cardboard or thin wood of the appropriate size) With this method you can feel when the shirt is in the correct location and begin printing from there
Inking the screens printing and curingSince we have resolved our location
issues with the pocket patch we are ready to ink the screens print and cure
Printing Step 1 Inking the screens is fairly straightforward (see figure 13)
Printing Step 2 Using the squeegee we will screen our first color (see figure 14) and check the quality of the image (see figure 15)
Printing Step 3 Our first color will need to be flash cured (see figure 16)
Printing Step 4 Now we can add our second color (see figure 17)
Printing Step 5 Finally we can do the finish cure step paying attention to the temperature gauge (see figure 18)
After final curing it is always a good idea to take at least a sampling of the product and wash it to be certain of the curing All of the information on post-job clean-up can be found in the CorelDRAWPro archives for September
Conclusion This time we took our screens out of
the dryer and pushed our project all the way to its completion
Jeff McDaniel is the OwnerOperator of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon Jeff has been working with computers since the age of 5 and was a journeyman machinist before working in the graphic arts business Creative Graphic offers services including laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials You can contact Jeff by email at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
Figure 14
Figure 13
Figure 15
Figure 17
Figure 16
Figure 18
December 2007 21Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SANDBLASTINGBy Judy McDaniel Applications
Screening the AbrasiveKeeping your sandblast abrasive media free
of contaminant material is essential During sandblasting abrasive is mixed with compressed air fed through the supply hose focused by the nozzle and impacts the product Then if itrsquos fine enough it leaves the system as dust or drops to the bottom of the cabinet to be recycled
Other material will also collect in the bottom of the cabinet This debris can include bits of mask (ever wonder where the center of that ldquoerdquo went) bits of tape and possibly solid material dislodged from the product yoursquore blasting This latter source of debris is especially prevalent when yoursquore working on materials other than glass like brick rock and wood
Leaving the debris in the abrasive when itrsquos recycled can cause a variety of problems First if a piece of debris is too large to fit through the nozzle it will clog it More importantly if it does fit through the nozzle and is hard like brick and rock debris it can impact the piece yoursquore working on and ruin it
The obvious solution is to screen the media when you reload the pressure pot The problem is the screen mesh size Irsquove tried the screen supplied by the cabinet manufacturers and used window screening material from a hardware store In both of these cases the mesh size would allow all but the largest pieces of debris through
What Irsquove found that works the best is a spatter screen from a local kitchen store The mesh is woven tightly and filters out much more debris The best thing is its price only a few dollars
One of our cabinets is not self-contained so we have to filter the media by hand We have found that bending the handle up on a large spatter screen
causes it to fit perfectly into the top of the pressure pot We also have a couple of other smaller pressure pots one in fact that you fill with a funnel For those I simply lay the spatter screen over the opening of the pot or the funnel when refilling
If you have a system that recycles the abrasive then it should be equipped with a screen located on top of the pressure pot Make sure to inspect and remove the debris from the top of the screen from time to time A shop-vac works well for this purpose If you find that larger pieces are getting through the screen then contact the manufacturer to see what can be done to reduce the mesh size
Keeping your media clean helps prevent unwanted delays or damage
To all of our friends out there new and old have a safe and joyful holiday season
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from John and me
Judy McDaniel with her husband John are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry In addition they provide one-on-one application support through an email subscription service exclusively for their Hotcdr Hands-On Training students or those who have purchased their CD sets (For information on training services offered visit wwwgraphic-products-trainingcom and for information on their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom) They can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
December 2007 22Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE ENGRAVINGBy John McDaniel Applications
Elements of Machine Accuracy 7 Structural Integrity
So far wersquove covered resolution speed repeatability and hysteresis This time wersquoll discuss structural integrity
What is Structural IntegrityStructural integrity is a measure of a machinersquos
strength or stiffness It is the ability of a machine to resist distortion by forces created in normal operations
Most mechanical engraving machines use single-fluted cutters As these cutters turn they apply cutting force against the material For every action though there is an equal but opposite reaction ie the material resists the cut and thereby transmits a resistive force back through the cutting tool spindle etc and ultimately to the machinersquos frame
Assuming a static bit position the force applied to the machinersquos structure will rotate 360deg with the tool (see diagram 1) As this force rotates any looseness in the structure will result in a deviation in the relationship of the material and the cutter
What machine design factors are involvedStructural integrity includes lead screws and their
hysteresis for mechanical engraving machines spindle bearings and their looseness for both mechanical and laser engravers gantry or table rails their bearings and looseness and the machinersquos frame In fact anything and everything that holds the tool and material in the proper relationship during the cuttingengraving process contributes to or detracts from structural integrity
Why is it importantIn a word Quality Structural integrity influences
the quality of the finished products the machine will produce
For illustration Irsquoll use a mechanical engraving system If the looseness in our machine and the cutting force applied were uniform throughout the 360deg of tool rotation the result would be a wobble in the tool path which might not be visible in the finished product
Cutting ForcesIn the real world however as the tool moves through
the material the cutting and reactive forces go through a cycle (see diagram 2) When the tool starts the cut there is a spike in force The force will level to a constant through the top side of the cut while itrsquos cutting against the direction of the toolrsquos movement Then it will drop somewhat when itrsquos cutting with the toolrsquos movement and finally fall off on the back side as the cutting edge of the tool enters the void area where the material has already been removed
The amount of force applied during the cutting process will vary depending on the material being
cut the tool and its sharpness the depth of cut the material feed rate and whether or not lubricant is used The cutting force may also vary over the length of the job as the toolrsquos cutting edge wears and becomes dull
Machine Component Looseness
In addition to the cutting force not being uniform throughout the 360deg of tool rotation l o o s e n e s s i n t h e machinersquos structure will also vary For example dur ing the cut t ing operation as the tool transitions through 0deg and 180deg of rotation X axis hysteresis will be a factor in overall machine looseness but Y axis hysteresis will have no effect At 90deg and 270deg the Y axis will become a factor but the X axis will have no impact
In the real world any looseness in the machine will cause an oscillation in the cut which will have its own angle If we could slow the toolrsquos movement we would see this oscillation as a sharp jump in the positional relationship between the tool and material being cut In the finished product this sharp jump in position will result in a jagged cut
December 2007 23Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE ENGRAVING Outline amp OverviewThe Nuts and Bolts of Machine AccuracyMachine accuracy or capability can be defined as a result of six features 1 Resolution ndash the smallest incremental movementpositioning of a speci-fied axis 2 Speed ndash the ability to complete a task in a reasonable amount of time without sacrificing accuracy or creating damage to the machine or product 3 Repeatability ndash the ability to duplicate a previous position without error 4 Hysteresis ndash the ldquosloprdquo or ldquoplayrdquo in motion control components 5 Structural Integrity ndash stiffness or strength ndash the ability to cut materials without error or damage This is especially important for mechanical engrav-ers 6 Structural Tolerances ndash the sum accuracy of a machinersquos mechanical components
Machine ComponentsWersquoll examine nine factors that determine a machinersquos accuracy They include 1 Motors ndash including DC Stepper DC Brushless DC Servo and AC Servo a Spindles ndash motors that rotate the cutting bit b Axis Drive ndash motors that position the material to the cutting bit c Horsepower ratings ndash real versus advertised 2 The Motion Control Drive Unit ndash including Geared Belt and Lead Screws a Lead Screws ndash including Acme Re-circulating Ball Standard and Precision b Mounting ndash including Simple Fixed and Thrust bearing types c Protection ndash Open or Closed 3 Guide Rails ndash Types include V Bearing Rail Bushing Shaft Dove Tail and Re-circulating Ball Bearing 4 Encoders ndash Types include Rotary and Linear Methodologies include incremental or absolute 5 Tachometers ndash used for speed stability acceleration and breaking control for closed loop servo systems 6 Bearings ndash including Sleeve Ball and Linear Re-circulating Ball a Applications ndash including Radial Thrust and Linear b Quality ndash Standard thru Ultra Precision 7 Spindles ndash including topbottom loading Collets and Sleeves 8 Material Hold Down ndash including mechanical clamps and vacuum sys-tems 9 Electronic Interface ndash Computer control methods
Wersquoll also examine Reliability what makes it And Serviceability is it fix-able
If the cutting oscillation is at any angle other than the direction of the cut and the oscillation is great enough a jagged cut will be visible in the finished product A cut deviation of as little as 001rdquo is visible to the naked eye and will most commonly show up on curves and circles but may show up on straight lines as well
To illustrate this point a little further and perhaps make it somewhat clearer Irsquod like to refer to diagrams 3 and 4 For purposes of these illustrations we will assume we have a machine that has some looseness on both the X and Y axes However the rest of the machine
is structurally solid the frame is rigid and no other components have any loosenessMaking these assumptions and disregarding the variation in force caused by the cutter
as it travels through the material we will have cutting oscillations at 0deg 180deg 90deg and 270deg during the toolrsquos rotation As the tool travels through the material on its path these oscillations will cause a slight variation in the centerline of the toolrsquos cut
Diagram 3 shows a horizontal tool path While the machine is cutting in this direction any X axis looseness will be masked by the cutter path itself however looseness in the Y axis will result in a slight oscillation in the cutterrsquos horizontal position and therefore a deviation in its cut Diagram 4 shows the effect of the X axis looseness which will impact vertical lines
As you can see from this discussion and these illustrations structural integrity ie looseness in the components from which a machine is constructed can make a significant difference in quality of the finished products that a machine will produce
Next time wersquoll consider structural tolerances and their impact
John McDaniel with his wife Judy are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry For information on training services offered and their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom They can be reached by phone at 541-967-4271 via SKYPE (user name JHMcDaniel) or via email at JHMcDanielCorelDRAWhelpcom See the full bio on the Writers Page
December 2007 24Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
the image the text and the red bow In the laser file for this example I have the red cut line for vectoring (See Figure 5)
5) Send the cardstock through the printer6) Place the cardstock in the laser for vector
cutting The thickness of the stock will determine what settings to use For my 35-watt laser using a medium weight cardstock I used a speed of 100 and power of 15 for a nice cut through the stock without any burn marks on the paper
7) Optional in one run I decided to let the laser take care of the bow instead of using color for it from my printer I set the outline of the bow to 100 black and the interior of the bow to 50 black (See Figure 6)
8) Then I only sent the image and text through the printer The bow and vector cutting occurred in the laser I set the raster engraving (of the bow) at speed 70 and power 40 (See Figure 7) You can see the differentiation of using 100 black as opposed to 50 black by the exterior lines
being engraved a little deeper than the rest of the fill
Take the idea of using patterns (like the birth announcement above) and wowing your clientele with the detail and intricacy that laser can provide Or add a twist to a holiday tradition (cards) Whatever you do donrsquot forget you can combine the advantages of the printer and laser for fabulous products
Submitted by Kathryn Arnold Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
LASER TIPBy Kathryn Arnold Applications
Combining Laser amp Printer PowerComing up with new and
inventive ways to use your laser is the key to a successful and growing business We will look at a way to combine the power of your computer (ink) printer with the power of the laser engraver
In this lesson we will take a look at using cardstock to create a card and an announcement See the examples of a holiday card and a birth announcement ndash gratuitously they are of my family (Figure 1 amp Figure 2)
1) In CorelDRAWreg use any pattern image text you wish Be sure that there is a clear and discernible vector line that will be laser cut and yield a cut piece from the cardstock2) See the clear (red) cut line ndash it goes fully around my object even the bow portion (important) I then duplicated my object to fit as many as possible on my 8 frac12 x 11 cardstock (See Figure 3) 3) I saved this file as my master file that I could return to at any point I then created two copies -- one that will
be used to send the file to my printer and one that will be used to send the file to my laser engraver (See Figure 4)
4) In the master file I have every part of what my end product will have In the file for my printer I only have the parts that the printer will print ndash in this example
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
December 2007 25Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
ELECTRONICS FRONTIERBy Louie Alvarez Opportunity
Webcams are an interesting subject which I am intimately familiar with Some typical questions are what are they what purpose do they serve what benefit are they what to look for and various other questions concerns and issues
Webcams surely bring back a memory or two not all that great I might add I remember when they first became usable primarily due to the Internet having affordable true broadband
First experiences The choppy poor quality of dial-up service
simply didnrsquot make this a useful technology Short of communicating with far-flung family members it left much to be desired With my immediate family living in Las Vegas and all other family (parents siblings cousins etc) living in California this was a technology I thought would be useful to keep in touch
So I set up my computer and my momrsquos computer with Webcams to stay in touch Needless to say with the poor quality terrible tracking (had to keep perfectly
sti l l because video frames didnrsquot refresh fas t enough) the hard-to-see tiny video window and poorly synchronized voices to the faces (we looked like a badly translated kung fu movie) the novelty quickly wore off (Irsquod say in about 30 minutes)
WebcamsSecond attempt
So I promptly dumped the technology for the next few years until I started seeing broadband picking up the pace and more interest in Webcams becoming obvious from all the new devices on the market So about three years ago a wireless Webcam caught my eye and I decided to put it to the test once again
Considering I was by then traveling quite extensively (about 40000 miles a year) I figured Irsquod use it to monitor my home I had two teenagers and a 5-year-old at home at the time while I was on the road and my wife was still a t work (She normally didnrsquot get off work until about two hours after school was out) So this looked to be a cool device to see if as the clicheacute goes when the catrsquos away the mice will play
I proceeded to position this wireless Webcam strategically to allow viewing of my living room including the back door Plus to get to the front door or side door you would have to pass through the field of the camera My little one loved the idea of being on camera for her daddy and would dance play and make funny faces for me Pretty cool actually That in itself almost justified the camera but needless to say my teenagers even my wife didnrsquot take to the idea too well So it was returned and life continued on as usual
That experience did show me that the broadband
speeds the quality of the video feeds the prevalence on the net of live cams and the quality of the video cameras (better known as Webcams) had progressed to a level of usefulness and I could see the potential of this technology With that said letrsquos get into the heart of this article
So what are webcams Basically they are digital cameras attached to
the computer and connected to the Web or Instant Messaging (IM) This allows the camera to be linked to a website or to each other directly and individuals who view the website or IM are able to see what the camera is viewing at that moment You can choose to get either still pictures that are updated at regular intervals (Snapshot) or live streams (Streaming) depending on what your bandwidth permits The WebCam technology has advanced sufficiently now to make it both easier and cheaper to maintain a camera that is refreshing an image 24 hours a day
Features of Web Cameras Listed here are some of the features more commonly
found in WebCams1 Live streaming video still pictures updated2 No plug-in or software necessary to view image
can be viewed with any Web browser3 Live audio4 Incorporation with other software such as Instant
Messaging (IM)5 Adding captionslogostime displays6 Archiving video7 Chat feature
December 2007 26Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
WebCams in an instructional scenario could be used to
Monitor your staff or employees thus being able to guide them better
Telecommute to companies worldwide and demonstrate project procedures
B roadcas t sem ina rs wo rkshops o r demonstrations
Share special events and programs with students enrolled in distance learning courses
Hold a video press conference online meeting or broadcast meetings and discussions
In some cases it is important for the learner to be able to establish a connection visually WebCams could be a good alternative to using text files or audio files
Join WebCam groups and allow students to take advantage of other WebCam locations for educational purposes
Using a web camera allows learners to be a part of either a conference or classstudio
Benefits of using WebCamsa The most important advantage of using a web camera is that it creates a direct link between the camera and the live site and dispenses with all the production work Production work in this context includes the cost and effort involved in shooting
editing and streaming videos Thus using a WebCam does not require
advanced skillsb The software is basically a Web server that runs on your system and pushes images out to a Web page For viewers of images delivered over a WebCam
one of the benefits is that they get the entire picture preferable in
certain cases rather than a sleek edited versionc WebCam technology can also be used for remote s u r v e i l l a n c e s y s t e m s
ELECTRONIC FRONTIER
monitoring events or places and broadcasting live eventsd Learners can link to a web camera-monitored location and just watch or also have an additional web camera in their own location enabling two-way communication
Setting up your WebCama Setting up your own WebCam obviously requires a computer a WebCam (the hardware) and WebCam software along with a broadband Internet connection Before you decide which camera to buy and which software to acquire yoursquoll have to review the different methods to show pictures or video feed through the Internet ( i e r e f r e s h e d after x amount of seconds) This will enable you to decide which hardware and software solution will fit your situation best
b P l a c e m e n t of a camera is an important decision to be made Decide whether a static angle is sufficient to demonstrate the concept or a moving camera (handheld) is required It is important however to remember the limitations of using WebCams and leave the panoramic and other fancy shots to more sophisticated video Use WebCams for videos that require more focus and ones that require a smaller viewingmovement range
c For detailed technical instructions on using WebCams visit httpdeveloperswebcamworldcommethodshtml
d Here is a good resource for inexpensive Webcams on the market httpcastlepricewatchcomssearchasps=webcams
e For an in-depth review of various Webcams on the market go to this link httpreviewscnetcom4244-6502_7-0-1htmlquery=webamptag=cat_1
f There are many Webcam examples online here are a couple httpwwwwebcamworldcom or httpwwwleonardsworldscomcamerahtml
By the way DONrsquoT TELL MY KIDS I picked up a Logitech QuickCam Pro 4000 not too long ago My family doesnrsquot know why I got it or what my intention is but I can say that now that my kids are 17 16 amp 8 my job as a parent is to ensure the mice donrsquot play when the catrsquos awayhellip
Louie Alvarez began acquiring his experience in the awards and engraving industry in Central California over 15 years ago first as an employee of the largest and oldest trophy shop and then as owner of one of the first laser engraving businesses Louie has been a featured workshop instructor and seminar speaker throughout the industry in addition to being a contributing writer to numerous industry publications Louie is based in Las Vegas NV and can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
December 2007 27Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
The Association of CorelDRAWreg Professionals is The Education amp Business Resource for CorelDRAW Users Worldwide Its goal is to help 1) IMPROVE your CorelDRAW skills and 2) MAKE MONEY with those skills You can participate in ACDRP services in four ways
THE WORLDrsquoS ONLY ASSOCIATION FOR CORELDRAWreg USERSINVITES YOU TO MAKE MORE MONEY WITH CORELDRAW
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month focused on Industry News via the Graphics News Wire Links to valuable resources and a complete educa-tion and show Calendar S
CorelDRAWPro the Entrepreneurial magazine for CorelDRAW users features in-depth content on How to Use CorelDRAW -- tips tricks advanced ar twork success s to r ies in te rv iews and more How to Apply CorelDRAW -- for graphic production processes such as embroidery engraving heat printing laser promo products printing sandblasting signmaking sublimation and screenprinting How to Profit from CorelDRAW -- Product news business columns reviews profiles and advertising with live links
SUBSCRIBE -- NO CHARGE JOIN -- $60 PER YEAR
All users of CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite are qualified to subscribe free to CorelDRAWPro magazine (PDF format) and CorelDRAWPro E-News
Subscription to CorelDRAWPro amp CorelDRAWPRo E-News
TTF Newsletter Subscription to the monthly Tips Templates amp Fixtures Newsletter only available to members
GSG Basic Listing You can list your services in the Graphic Services Guide in one category as part of membership (a $25 value)
Access to QuickLearn A keyword searchable database of 100s of articles on CorelDRAW graphics production and business
All users of CorelDRAWreg are invited to join the Association and take advantage of exclusive content discounts and profes-sional recognition ACDRP membership includes
TTF
QuickLearn
QuickTNT
Archives
BASIC GSG LISTING -- $25 PER YR
The Graphic Services Guide is the Industry Yellow Pages for Services and Finished Goods GSG is promoted in all our publi-cations and our website to the world of CorelDRAW users Your listing gives you the opportunity to promote your services (in any of 40 categories) to other CorelDRAW usersThe Basic Listing includes your company description email link and listing in one category Additional service categories are $10 each per year
The Enhanced GSG Listing is for companies that want to list in two categories and add a photo or logo
ENHANCED GSG LISTING -- $50$75 PER YR
Classifieds
Access to QuickTnT A growing database of CorelDRAW tips for understanding the fine points of the program and templates that can be downloaded to speed up your production
Access to Archives Past issues of CorelDRAWPro are available to members with live links
Bookstore Discounts Members receive a 10 discount on all products in the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore
Professional Recognition Use of the ACDRP logo for professional identification on business cards websites and letterhead You also receive a membership certificate
Classified Ads Members can place one classified ad per year at no charge with photo and run it till the item is sold (a $35 value)
HOW TO PARTICIPATE To Subscribe (no charge) To Join ($60yr) To List in the Graphic Services Guide ($25 Basic $50$75 Enhanced or $120145 for Multi-Service)
CorelDRAWreg is a registered trademark of Corel Corp and is used with permission
Visit wwwcoreldrawprocomand click on the appropriate links
800-276-8428
The Multi-Service GSG Listing allows you to list up to 40 differ-ent service categories with detailed descriptions and add a photo or logo
MULTI-SERVICE GSG LISTING -- $120$145 PER YR
December 2007 28Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Throughout the year this publication has reported on whatrsquos new in equipment tools and software and blank products for businesses that put graphics onto products
For this 2007 wrap-up CorelDRAWPro editorial staff reviewed all the product news for the year and named 33 products to its annual Top Products of the Year list
Selections were based on the criteria of innovation and impact Innovation means products that exhibit a high degree of originality or uniqueness Impact means products that influence sales or productivity for a large number of businesses
Note that the 2007 honorees are list alphabetically in the three theme sections
For more information on the products in this article click on the Info Request button at the bottom of each page and select by company name or product You might open the Info Request page and minimize it as you read That way you can quickly open it and check the products you want
EQUIPMENT
ANAJET DIRECT-TO-GARMENT DIGITAL PRINTERAnaJet Digital Apparel Printer (Model FP-125) from
AnaJet Inc in Costa Mesa CA is a direct-to-garment printer offering high quality and affordability It can print custom graphics on any cotton or poly-cotton flat textile material in one minute The printer priced affordably from under $13000 can produce up to 5000 shirts per month each retailing for about $20 Most printers installed so far are in a production plant environment but some customers have started to take the mobile printer to malls for instant printing of customer graphics According to Dr Chase Roh company president the unique printhead they have developed allows for 16x more ink flow than normal desktop printers and thus shirts only require one pass
Top Products of the Year
DTG AMERICA ECLIPSE D-1 WITH TWO HEADS DTG America of Tampa FL and Fort Worth TX now offers a new solution to
speed up digitally printing to dark shirts The Eclipse D-1 incorporates two heads instead of one One head has eight channels of white to lay down a solid white underbase The second head has four channels of white to do highlights and four channels of color to lay down the design The result of this new configuration is the underbase and color are completed in one pass at an estimated average of only two minutes per shirt for a 12-inch by 6-inch area Other innovations include an ink agitator firmware for easy updating ink vapor remover auto gap adjustment and new platen configuration for easy loading
GEO KNIGHT DK 25SP HEAT PRESSThe Digital Knight DK25SP is an air-operated automatic
20x25 oversized swing-away heat press with a state-of-the-art control system and heavy-duty solid steel welded framework The smooth automatic pressing and push-button activation provides a productive fatigue-free operation The extended 20x25 size of the heat platen is perfect for sublimation and large-format materials pressingThe press is adjustable to accommodate materials from fabric thickness all the way up to 1rdquo thick substrates For more information call 800-525-6766 or visit wwwheatpresscom
GRAPHTEC CRAFT ROBO PROGraphtec America Inc based in Santa Ana
CA introduced the new Craft ROBO Pro 15rdquo cutting plotter The Craft ROBO Pro is an ideal solution for cutting a wide variety of materials including vinyl film card stock foil heat transfer and image transfer media Incorporating Graphtecrsquos legendary
December 2007 29Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
ARMS (Advanced Registration Marks System) and combined with a desktop printer the Craft ROBO Pro makes contour cutting an easy task Innovations include a new digital servo motor first mark auto-sensing menu navigation system that includes 8 user-defined conditions Tangential Control and three software applications
ROLAND RELEASES DIRECT-TO-FABRIC PRINTERRoland DGA Corp of Irvine CA released
the new 74rdquo HeatWave DFP-74 Fabric Printer through its reseller channel in the US Based on Rolandrsquos HeatWave sublimation technology the DFP-74 Fabric Printer is a complete integrated solution and Rolandrsquos first inkjet ever to support direct printing onto polyester fabrics As a complete solution including printer sublimation unit inks and RIP software the DFP-74 makes it easier than ever for shops to enter the fast-growing textile printing market Key features include eight advanced piezo print heads an intelligent media handling system and a temperature-controlled heating system
HOTRONIX PERFECT PRESSURE HEAT PRESSHotronix of Carmichaels PA has taken heat press technology
to the next level with Perfect Pressure a new digital pressure display functionThis new feature has a single-digit LED readout
that measures the pressure of the inner platen This technology is exclusive to Hotronix and is patent pending Previously a
digital pressure display was available only on air-operated heat press machines With this new pressure display gauge all heat press users will have more consistent results from job to job reducing the number of misprints and speeding up production For more information about
the new digital pressure display contact Stahlsrsquo Hotronix at 800-478-2457 e-mail infostahlscom or visit the Web site at wwwstahlscom
SWF DREAM EMBROIDERY MACHINEWith its new DREAM Machine SWF has broken the barrier in multi-head
embroidery machine technology The DREAM machines are the first multi-head embroidery machines that truly can sew at 1500 stitches per minute During the research and development of these new machines 12 new patents were filed and granted proof that the DREAM machines are built with state-of-the-art technology
Innovations include LED control panel error codes to quickly troubleshoot problems optional devices to do sequins cording and boring automatic oiling system large memory a hoop selector and more These innovative new machines come in configurations ranging from
two to six heads It is distributed exclusively by SWF East (Tampa FL) and SWF MESA (Dallas TX)
MESArsquoS HOTFIX SPANGLE MOTIF MACHINEWith the all new YAS-11 Hotfix Spangle Motif Making
Machine the first of its kind in the United States you can create beautiful spangle transfer designs that have the look of sequins This patented machine which is distributed exclusively in the United States by MESA Distributors of Fort Worth TX cuts out shapes such as circles and squares in a range of sizes from reels of Mylar tape The machine comes with proprietary design software that allows the user to create any pattern or design up to 157 by 157 inches
SAWGRASSrsquo HYBRID SYSTEM FOR EPSON R1800Sawgrass Technologies of Mt Pleasant SC introduced
the SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid System for the Epson R1800 for both sublimation printing and cotton
decorating from one machine The affordable entry-level system features dual functionality with both SubliJet and ChromaBlast inks in one machine allowing users to create customized images with superior color and clarity on both polyester coated substrates and cotton garments This is the second
hybrid system from Sawgrass following in the footsteps of the popular SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid
System for the Epson 4800
TROTECrsquoS NEW LARGE PLATFORM LASER Trotec Laser Inc of Ypsilanti MI has introduced the SP500 series of laser
engraving and cutting systems The systems have a work area of 50rdquo X 28rdquo and X-Axis clearance of 12rdquo The systems are offered in power levels from 45W-200W There is an available pass-through option (Class 4) Exhaust fumes are captured
December 2007 30Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
at the laser head to insure an efficient extraction when using the pass-through featureTrotec systems are designed for minimal wear-and-tear and eliminate the need for periodic replacement of belts and bearings For additional information visit our web site wwwtrotecnet or call 866-226-8505 734-484-3260
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW PROFESSIONAL SERIESUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) of Scottsdale
AZ added four new models in its Professional Laser Series (PLS) line of advanced high-productivity computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving systems The new PLS line which replaces Universalrsquos M V and X laser systems incorporates a
host of evolutionary design improvements to the laser cartridge platform chassis system electronics and software interface The new PLS models include several
powerful new features most notably a unique materials-based print driver called ldquoLaser Interface +rdquo that gives users their choice
between automatic or manual control over power speed and other system settings For more information on Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit Universal Laser Systems online at wwwulsinccom
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW VERSALASERUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) added a
new version of its desktop-sized VersaLasertrade
computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving system The new VersaLaser
improves on the award-winning original thanks to a host of evolutionary design refinements It also
includes a unique next-generation materials-based print driver that automatically calculates power speed
and other system settings It was awarded a patent for the unique design of its external cabinet which also functions as a Class 1 laser safety enclosure For more information about VersaLaser or Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit wwwulsinccom
US SCREENrsquoS FAST T-JET 3US Screen Print and Inkjet Technology of Tempe
AZ adds the Fast T-Jet3TM which features 30 faster print speeds compared to the previous T-Jet2 model and has a longer low profile print bed for easier loading and unloading Now you can produce a full size 12rdquo x 12rdquo (305 x 305 cm) print in one minute on a light shirt and in under three minutes on a black shirt with white ink Small pocket images can be printed in about 15 seconds
US SCREENrsquoS AUTOMATED PRETREATMENT CENTER
Speed up production when using Fast T-Jet inkjet-to-garment printers with the AutoTREATtrade Automatic Pretreatment Center
This versatile piece of equipment allows you to treat shirts on a production level rather than spraying shirts individually one at a time For use with light or dark shirts the AutoTREATtrade
can spray up to three shirts per minute It has two application modesmdashone for lights and one for darks that can be switched over by activating the cleaning mode which flushes out the system with water
TOOLS MATERIALS SOFTWARE
CORELDRAW X3 CERTIFIED FOR WINDOWS VISTACorel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that
CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite X3 has been Certified for Windows Vista Customers who wish to install the Certified for Windows Vista version of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X3 can download the latest service pack (SP2) from wwwcorelcom This new update delivers an exceptional experience for customers on Windows Vista including an updated user interface enhanced security improved text handling and further enhancements to the popular suitersquos renowned import and export file compatibility
COREL LAUNCHES NEW ONLINE COMMUNITY Corel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that it
has launched httpcoreldrawcom a new online community for users of the CorelDRAWreg family of products ndash including CorelDRAW Graphics Suite Corel DESIGNERreg Technical Suite
December 2007 31Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
and Corelreg DRAWingsreg This new community site is the first in a series that Corel will be launching to support its various user communities Designed to fuel inspiration CorelDRAWcom combines forums blogs and galleries for design professionals and graphic hobbyists alike Forums are available in English French German and Spanish serving an international audience
DALCOrsquoS NEW REFLECTIVE HEAT TRANSFERSCater to the safety market with new reflective transfers offered
by Dalco Athletic of Dallas TX These durable transfers come in a reflective silver gray color in three styles police sheriff and fire dept They are sized for left chest and full back so
all you have to do is heat seal for 8 seconds and yoursquore done Itrsquos very fast and easy
DALCOrsquoS NEW OPTIC YELLOW CLASSIC SWB APPLIQUE
Classic SWB appliqueacute designs offered by Dalco Athletic now come in two new styles softballs and tennis balls in optic yellow fabric These new balls literally jump off any wearable and make it an eye-catching standout This appliqueacute collection is ideal for spiritwear items to be sold to fans and family or created as fund-raisers for boosters clubs
POWER GRAPHICS 3 FROM DIGITAL ART SOLUTIONSPower Graphics 3 by Digital Art Solutions of
Tempe AZ is the ultimate design tool for the creation of high-end custom graphics and logos for custom signage awards vehicle graphics promotional products and apparel graphics Tuned to the latest styles and trends it provides fresh graphics that will impress even the most critical and demanding customer It includes more than 1500 images The 10 design categories include Flames Gangsta (Urban) Mascots Offroad Rebel (Biker and Hot
Rod) Retro Speed Sports Surf and Tuner
FLORIANI COMMERCIALrsquoS NEW NO-SHOW DIAMOND MESHContinuing in its tradition of research and development
to create embroidery stabilizers that meet the needs of todayrsquos embroiderers Floriani Embroidery Commercial Division of Knoxville TN released a new product called Floriani No-Show Diamond Mesh This unique nylon mesh stabilizer has a perpendicular embossed pattern that makes it more multi-directionally stable and enables it to better hold stitches for crisper design registration It is specifically designed for light-colored garments where traditional stabilizers have a tendency to show through the front of the garment
GREAT DANErsquoS NEW DIGITAL PHOTO FRAMES Tap into the lucrative team market with an
incredible collection of stock art specially designed to work for direct-to-garment printers sublimation transfers and digital transfers Digital Photo Frames Volume 1 is a collection of spectacular pre-designed layouts each with one or more frames to
insert personal photos The collection includes five categories baseball football basketball soccer and hockey Each category has four designs (20 total layouts) and each design comes in three template formats mugs mouse pads and shirts
So there are a total of 60 template designs in all
IMPRINTABLES WAREHOUSE OFFERS SPECTRA ECO FILMNew from Imprintables Warehouse of
Masontown PA is a digital cutter material that is free of PVC a plus with companies that want to be as environmentally friendly as possible Spectra Eco Film is made with ecological polyurethane and is peeled hot It is pressure sensitive (sticky backing) and extremely easy to weed While maintaining superior durability and opacity this new film is thinner than current offerings on the market and delivers the super soft hand that is in demand by todayrsquos consumers It can be used on 100 cotton 100 polyester polycotton blends and even nylon and leather
December 2007 32Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
KISSCUT TECHNOLOGIESrsquo SELF-WEEDING INKJET TRANSFER PAPER
Kiss Cut Technologies Ltd Newcastle UK has addressed the ldquopolymer windowrdquo issue and developed the worldrsquos first self-weeding inkjet transfer paper for printing to textiles In simple terms only the areas of their patented transfer paper that have been printed will be transferred to the garment when heat pressed A Kiss Cut print can be further embellished with specialized textile foils so in effect a digital foiling method is now available Foil is heat pressed onto the garment and when peeled the foil only sticks to the image areas
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW PHOTOPLAS-TIC MATERIALLaserSketchcom of Lemont IL a leading supplier of
LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble Super Black Granite and Black Onyx Jewelry introduces their new PhotoPlas-Tic This is a new material developed for front andor reverse laser engraving on micro surface impact acrylic plastic It is a premium plastic for laser engraving that is UV stable ideal for photo badges plaques trophies signage and high-end awards Each sheet of PhotoPlas-Tic is specially designed for a crisp clean burn and ultra-fine laser lettering logo and vector output For details call 630-243-6360 or visit wwwlasersketchcom
THEMAGICTOUCH LAUNCHES WOW TRANSFER PAPERTheMagicTouch USA launched WoW Professional
71 transfer paper which requires no weeding or profile cutting and the vibrant colors are achieved using digital laser technology making it great for short runs It uses PolymationTM which incorporates a newly designed catalyst that provides the ultimate compatibility with all generations of dry toner material According to the company PolymationTM is the next generation of laser heat transfer Sublimation requires the substrate to have a specialty receiving polymer coating to absorb the pigments but PolymationTM delivers everything at once polymer pigments and catalyst
December 2007 33Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
offers distinct advantages over any other process It allows for an unlimited number of colors and very fine detail which is impossible with screen printing or embroidery And the cost does not go up as colors are added These new specialty materials are so advanced they can be heat sealed to all kinds of fabrics and hot new multimedia designs can be easily done
VAPOR APPAREL LAUNCHES VAPOR ART VOLUME 1V a p o r A p p a r e l
a s u b s i d i a r y o f SourceSubstrates LLC Charleston SC announces the launch of Vapor Art - Volume 1 a collection of 127 vector graphics for digital sublimation and general use The diverse collection
of high-quality graphics comes after several years of customers requesting access to the companyrsquos sample art at trade shows and educational events The Collection of art includes vector drawings and JPGs for everything from mountain biking and snowboarding to yoga and cheerleading
BLANK PRODUCTS
COLORADO HEIRLOOMrsquoS COLOR LACQUERED FRAMES
Colorado Heirloom Inc of Loveland CO introduced their new Color Lacquered Frames This is an option to add color your unique creations It is not color fill Colored lacquer is sprayed on their high quality wood frames Because
INKTRA STRETCH TRANSFER PAPER FROM STAHLSrsquoStahlsrsquo based in St Clair
Shores MI adds InkTratrade Stretch a flexible transfer paper A revolutionary product InkTratrade Stretch provides a soft hand with an amazing stretch and recovery feature InkTratrade Stretch lets you take your favorite photo or graphic design and apply it to light colored or white hats shirts bags and more for a long lasting and completely personalized garment The highly stretchable paper can be applied to cotton polycotton blends spandex and Lycrareg
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo GOOF-PROOF TRANSFERSWant the look of screen
printing without the hassle With Goof Proofreg transfers offered by Transfer Express of Mentor OH you can custom order a transfer that has the popular athletic feel and will apply in a blazing four seconds Ordering is done step-by-step online and you can customize hundreds of designs You choose your
typeface colors and size Once your design is just the way you want it you can print it out to show a customer for approval Or Transfer Express can print from your artwork The minimum order is only five pieces and your one-color order ships in one to three working days
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo NEW FULL-COLOR DIGI PRINTSApparel decorators can now offer full-color designs on light
and dark apparel made of virtually any type of fabric without the hassle or minimums of screen printing with new state-of-the-art heat transfer technology called Digi Printstrade Offered through Transfer Express this revolutionary new method of decorating
December 2007 34Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
lacquer is used instead of paint any design can be lasered on these frames The possibilities are endless These colorful creations are offered in two different designs -- a designer frame and a frame with an insert Call 970-667-4222 or visit wwwcoloradoheirloomcom
CONDE ADDS PET MATS FOR SUBLIMATIONCondeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added food bowl placemats and litter box
mats to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Favorite photographs and pet-related artwork can be transferred to the
mats to create fun products for individual pet lovers or for the pet industry such as pet stores veterinarians groomers boarding facilities and animal adoption groups Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing Call Conde at 800-826-6332
CONDE INTRODUCES FABRIC PATCHES FOR SUBLIMATION
Condeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added fabric patches to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Custom decorators can now produce unique full-color patches that will impress organizations businesses clubs sports teams sports enthusiasts and individuals alike -- without the use of embroidery Heat seal patches are great for identification marketing awards trade show promotions or to commemorate special events Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing or call 800-826-6332
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW LASERSLABLaserSketch of Lemont IL Internationally known for
their LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble and Super Black Granite announces LaserSlab Super Black Granite at 4rsquo x 8rsquo x 7mm and 4rsquo x 4rsquo x 7mm weighting in at just over 2 pounds per square foot The surface of the LaserSlab Granite has the sheen of a black mirror The reverse side features epoxy fiberglass backing to give structure integrity to the ultra-lite granite sheet All may be viewed wwwlasersketchcom or by calling LaserSketch 630-243-6360
MATTHEWS INTRODUCES ALUMICOLORTM
Matthews International Corp of Pittsburgh PA introduced Alumicolortrade a high-resolution graphics solution for aluminum signage recognition commemoration and way finding Using cutting-edge technology Matthews embeds a four-color image into the aluminum to create an anodized reproduction of unsurpassed durability Alumicolortrade products which are designed for interior and exterior installations are resistant to extreme weather conditions graffiti scuffing grease chemicals and UV rays Additionally they will not chip crack or peel
PSI ADDS ROUND FRAMES amp STRING PUZZLES Paramount Services Inc of Hollywood FL
introduced new round resin frames for sublimation tiles Choose from Coral or RopeStone with optional Unisubreg Hardboard Tiles They will also accept the Bison 8rdquo round glass Cutting Board Why be square when round may fit better PSI also introduced a new puzzle guaranteed to string you along These String Puzzles come with a Unisubreg Hardboard puzzle and the necessary string and beads along with instructions how to string it after printing Templates to aid in design are available for download in several formats For details call 800-455-7212 or visit wwwDye-Sublimation-Productscom
CRYSTALEDGEreg LUXORTM CRYSTAL AWARDSCrystalEdgereg Chicago IL presented the Luxortrade Series
This stunning cost-effective collection comprises a series of specially designed Rosewood and Black Piano finish bases Matte Mahogany and Matte Black bases and a precision cast Satin Nickel Finish Metal Base with your choice of brass or silver hardware for mounting our twelve unique shapes making this the most versatile award yet Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks are curved 14rdquo thick crystal clear glass with 316rdquo diameter holes for mounting The Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks feature a generous engraving area and there is plenty of room on the base to add an engraving plate
December 2007 35Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
XENETECHrsquoS NEW ENGRAVABLE GIFTSXenetech of Baton Rouge
LA introduced high quality engravable gift items at wholesale and quantity discounts The Xenetech collection provides a selection of gifts created for corporate recognition weddings births holidays anniversaries retirements birthdays special occasions or just expressing appreciation Items include money clips key chains book markers desk accessories quartz movement clocks flasks amp wine accessories entertainment gifts travel gifts genuine Swiss Army knives business card holders luggage tags silver-plated jewelry boxes keepsake gift boxes silver-plated banks and baby gifts The gift items are designed primarily for diamond drag burnishing and rotary engraving personalization
UNISUBrsquoS CHROMALUXE PHOTO PANELSChromaLuxe photo panels are an exciting new line
of sublimatable products from Unisub of Louisville KY These panels allow you to sell a completely finished photo product to your customers capturing some of the additional revenue (and profit) your customers now spend elsewhere on framing Available in a range of traditional photo sizes as well as exciting new shapes these panels can be joined together to create stunning photo displays -- perfect for a fireplace mantle l i b r a r y s h e l f or the top of an armoire Available in aluminum or MDF substrates
CorelDRAWPro IndexOne of our members in Michigan
requested that we put together an Index of all the articles wersquove published during the year
He prints out all the issues and puts them in binders but an Index would make it easy to reference specific articles We think itrsquos a good idea and wersquoll send it to all subscribers in January
Product Focus TopicsJanuary 2008 -- Signage Products esp Wide FormatFebruary 2008 -- Engraving Awards amp GiftsMarch 2008 -- Apparel ProductsApril 2008 -- Laser Wood Products
Coming in 2008
December 2007 36Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETSBy Donna M Gray CRM Opportunities
December ndash Time to Review December finds everyone on our team strategizing how to get out of our parking lot Our business sits right in the middle of an up-scale strip mall which sits right behind a huge shopping mall and right along the main road to a Target Superstore and other large malls We all know that from the day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday) until 2 weeks after the New Year there are great challenges to those of us who like to leave the building for lunch or run an errandhellipso we strategize We all know every secret shortcut to the bank the post office and the warehouse club What we donrsquot know is how to find the way to merge out of our own back alley into the constant flow of traffic that carries people to their end shopping destination Whew
The year-end review So this year Dave and I have decided to stay in at lunch and do our business strategizing instead Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup are good brain food for helping us to look at all the successful things we did last year as a company all the things we thought about doing but didnrsquot because the idea didnrsquot quite fit and all the things we put off until next year We do this kind of exercise every year end and it helps us to map out our strategy for the coming year In the process we identify any mistakes wersquove made wrong turns wersquove taken and we try to find the ldquowhat could have happened had everything gone rightrdquo
The value of making mistakes Albert Einstein said ldquoAnyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything newrdquo Dave has a couple of prints in his office of Abraham Lincoln that describe his mistakes in fact it took Lincoln eight tries to win the presidency Thomas Edison made mistakeshellipand yet he perseveredhellipotherwise wersquod by ldquocomputingrdquo by candlelight And Irsquove heard that Colonel
Sanders had a thousand rejections before he sold his first chicken recipe It would be nice to get to our year end business appraisals and find that wersquove made no mistakes but our business like most others doesnrsquot have that claim to fame My mother always took the high road with mistakes She always said that one should recognize the benefits of a mistake One should learn what good came from it use it to improve and use it to help motivate success the next time So December is the time to analyze everything that made up the past year and look for ways to make the New Year successful in every way
Making a plan Most advisors say that the first step toward business success after looking at a companyrsquos year ending history is to decide on exactly what you want to do going forward in the coming year Then comes mapping out the plan What will be done How will it get done Who will do what What resources will be used When will it get done Is the right equipment in place Is the space adequate Ask these and any other questions that could relate to creating a successful year then focus on the details and follow through Those two wordshellipfocus and follow throughhellipcould mean the difference between marginal and abundant success Simply stated success comes from what you do and the way you do ithellipin your customerrsquos perception Every business wants to have a good imagehellipa good reputation so dedication to having good communication skills is important especially in an industry that does custom work The goal is to be on the same page as our clients so we have to be good mind readers We have to also concentrate on our professionalism on our appearance on our presentation style and in the pride we take in producing a well-done project This
has worked in the past and will remain the same in the future
The extra mile Success has to be nurturedhellipthen it gets celebrated Sometimes sacrifices have to be made to get to the rewards At year end when we analyze how we got from Point A to Point B itrsquos interesting to note that we sometimes had to take detours and sometimes the road blocks called for sacrificehellipof time or money Sometimes the sacrifice came in the way of a sleepless night worrying if an order that was lost in delivery would be found and re-routed to us in time to make a clientrsquos deadline Someone (unknown) said ldquoA day of worry is more exhausting than a week of workrdquo Anyone in business could testify to that Part of success is going the extra milehellipeven if it results in a sleepless night Going the extra mile is worth all the paid advertising in the world on the road to success
December 2007 37Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETS
Donna Grayrsquos 2nd book Itrsquos All Relative Surviving amp Thriving in a Family Business was published in September 2007
It describes her quest to identify the keys to suc-cess for small business and family businesses in particular She interviewed top businesses nationwide and discovered five common qualities implemented by successful business owners Check it out at the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore wwwcoreldrawprocomAllBook-storehtm
Commitments made and kept Our team felt good about some commitments we made and kept this past year like
We used a daily ldquoto-dordquo list and we set priorities in order of importance When we finished a project we ldquocelebratedrdquo and then moved on quickly to the next job We built in some time for ldquostress reliefrdquo with morning meeting breaks This was especially good when treats were served since wersquove got some good bakers on our staff We didnrsquot ldquoscreenrdquo calls through voice mail We considered every call to be important We ldquodid it right the first timerdquo even though it sometimes took longer We tied up all the ldquoloose endsrdquo We became ldquocheerleadersrdquo for each other When one of us accomplished a goal we all applauded We all tried to deliver more than we promised This can be challenging sometimes when working with a difficult project We eliminated (or tried to eliminate) unnecessary procedures and we simplified our paper flow system We spent most of our time on high priority tasks We all worked on our delegation skills We were committed to not wasting time either our own or other peoplersquos
Goals that were lacking Now all those great things being put on paper reminds me that we also had some goals we didnrsquot quite succeed athellipbut wersquoll try harder next year
We didnrsquot always ldquogrouprdquo tasks togetherhelliplike going to the bank and the post office in one trip or answering mail when it gets opened It wasnrsquot always easy to avoid procrastination Some low priority chores got put off There were still times when we couldnrsquot find enough hours to finish the work Our ldquotoolsrdquo didnrsquot always get put away when we were through with a project even though this is Daversquos pet peeve
Conclusion Experts say that we have to actively create our success not wait for it to happen This coming year hopefully none of us will sit in the comfort zone waiting for the phone to ring Therersquos an old Chinese proverb that goes ldquoIt you continually give you will continually haverdquo Our team will go on being involved in community activities When time is spent on worthwhile projects outside the business opportunities come knocking at the front counter Besideshellipat yearrsquos endhellipit makes us feel really good about the help we gave on these projects
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since1977 She can be reached by email at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
December 2007 38Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
GRAPHICS NEWS NETWORKAll these news and information products and services are part of the
Graphics News Network developed for ACDRP The goal is ldquoAll the News All the Time mdash For the World of Graphicsrdquo
GRAPHICS NewsWireThe Graphics News Wire is the always live always updated source for graphics news mdash products equipment technology and more Make it (CorelDRAWProcomNewsPagehtm) your home page or favorite to gain access to Breaking news updated regularly New Classified Ads New Job Announcements Supplier SpecialsAll news is related to graphic productsQuickSourceTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive amp Easy-To-Use
Search Engine
It gives you one-click access to suppliers products phone numbers and live links to ACDRP Member Suppliers Itrsquos always up-to-date searchable by keyword and accessible from your desktop
Quick TnTTM
The Industryrsquos Newest Resource for Graphics Tips amp Templates
Gain access to a growing library of CorelDRAW tips and templates that will make your work easier
QuickLearnTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive and
Easy-To-Use Article Library
Gain access to hundreds of articles on graphics-related and business topics searchable by keyword
The Entrepreneurial Magazine for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro Magazine is delivered to you once a month in PDF format It features in-depth content that readers rave about including articles on how to use CorelDRAW how to apply CorelDRAW and how to profit from CorelDRAW
News Tips amp Resources for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month mdash about the 15th and 25th It brings you highly targeted content that you wonrsquot find elsewhere including CorelDRAW Tips extensive product news links and a calendar of shows and training
MARKET PLACE
Quality Engravable JewelryHand-crafted in New England
GIFTS amp ACCESSORIES FOR WOMEN AND MEN
John E Lepper Inc800-835-3623 Fax 508-222-2732
wwwjeleppercom
GenuineWhite-tone
Pewter amp Gold
Some Things Were Meant To Be In Etched in Stone
Call for a free color catalog
NampR International1155 Allgood Rd 13Marietta GA 30062
678-560-4088Fax 678-560-1157
Importers amp Wholesalers of MarbleOnyx
Gifts amp Accessories
JOIN TODAY
The worldrsquos only association for CorelDRAWreg Users
wwwcoreldrawprocomJoinhtm
Place an Ad for as little as $215 per month
Find out how by calling our Ad Representative John McDaniel II
541-990-6687
the entrepreneurial magazine
GET LISTED TODAY
Generate new businessby doing jobs for others
List your company in GSG the Digital Yellow Pages for the industry wwwcoreldrawprocomListGSGhtm
December 2007 39Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Louie Alvarez started in the industry working for one of the largest trophy shops in Central California and then opened one of the first retail laser engraving businesses He has given seminars and workshops on CorelDRAW and Laser for many years and has written for several publications He is now with Vytek Industrial Lasers and is based in Las Vegas NV He can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
Kathryn Arnold is the Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
Errol Barr has a wide range of experience in sales amp marketing eventually getting into laser systems in 1999 currently with Vytek Industrial Lasers He also sold extensively in the CNC router industry selling the machines as more of a business opportunity wrapped around the machine He can be reached by email at errolbarrgmailcom
Dave Demoret founded Prolink Graphic Services to help people understand and profit from learning CorelDRAW He has been in both the Flat Graphics Industry and the Decorating Graphics Industry for 30 years He has written articles for several publications is a Corel Training Partner and conducts workshops nationwide and online He is the author of several CD Instructional programs on CorelDRAW He can be reached at 765-DO COLOR (362-6567) or davedprolinkgscom
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since 1977 She has presented seminars on a variety of topics nationwide and has won many marketing awards She is the author of two books on family business and can be reached at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
Bill Leek is a color consultant for JBL Graphics in Houston TX and has over 30 years experience in computer engineering and graphics design He has developed several lines of color imprintable products and does testing on a variety of products for different manufacturers He can be reached at wfleekjblgraphicscom or 281-970-6677
Jeff McDaniel is the owner of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon He worked as a journeyman machinist before getting into the graphic products business Creative Graphic offers laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials Contact him at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
John McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry He worked for many years with computers in electronic data processing and pioneered the use of CorelDraw for engraving applications He owned a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years and writes about hardware design software laser engraving sublimation and more He is a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals For information on training and more call 541-967-4271 or write to mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
Judy McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry Her background includes many forms of art and retail sales as well as the operation of a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years She is a regular columnist on sandblasting sublimation and diversifying business as well as a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals She can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
David Milisock is president of Custom Graphic Technologies Inc in Pennsylvania He has been in the print production business since 1975 and specializes in professional support for CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite Output includes computer-to-plate processes for all commercial digital front-end applications as well as Postscript-compliant graphic applications He offers technical and color management support for all RIP-driven corporate digital output systems He can be reached at 717-509-3523 or davidmilisockcomcastnet
Deborah Sexton former editor of Impressions Magazine has been in the apparel graphics industry since 1981 She currently does marketing and public relations for apparel graphics companies and is a columnist for several industry publications She can be reached at dsextonsbcglobalnet
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at 916-567-1867
December 2007 40Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
by Otis Veteto
Traveling Tidbits
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the
RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of
the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Itrsquos a fun and
informative column focusing on the human-interest side of
the industry Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars
for industry organizations and some of that knowledge
will rub off as well He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at
916-567-1867
Reps Volunteers People Skills amp Agreements
RS Owens Southeast RepFirst of all a Traveling Tidbits welcome to
the newest member of the RS Owens Company sales team Anita Brennan Anita is the new Regional Sales Manager for the Southeast She will be calling on you folks in Alabama Tennessee Mississippi Florida Georgia North Carolina and South Carolina Anita has worked in all phases of our industry as a retailer (her own business) multi-line rep and now as a regional sales manager When I asked Anita what she likes to do when not on the road she told me she likes to spend time with her two-year-old granddaughter Kaylee Welcome to the RS Owens family Anita Brennan
Railroad Museum VolunteerI know Christmas is the time for giving
but some people give all year long I was talking recently with Elias Athanasiou whose regular job is a server in a restaurant my wife and I frequent when I am in Sacramento Elias has been associated as a volunteer with the California State Railroad Museum for about 16 years Every Saturday during the ldquorunning seasonrdquo April-September Elias can be found working as a volunteer on the Steam Engine excursion train that runs for 6 miles along the top of the levee on the Sacramento River The ride takes about 40 minutes Elias is the Engineer now but has worked as conductor and fireman in his tenure with the train It is people like Elias Athanasiou that make this a much better world A huge Traveling Tidbits SALUTE You can find out more about the Railroad Museum at wwwcsrmorg
Real People SkillsThis next tidbit is from the PPAI Promotional
Consultant Today The author is Roy Chitwood president of Max Sacks International in Seattle Wash It is entitled To Shine Polish Your People Skills
ldquoPeople buy not because they understand your product or service but because they feel that you understand them People buy emotionally As a professional salesperson you need to be more people-oriented not product centered Here are seven quick and easy techniques to improve your people skills
SMILE It is the universal sign of friendship in any language The Chinese have a proverb ldquoA man who cannot smile should not open a storerdquo Think about that Give a smile and you will get a smile in return
DEVELOP A GENUINE INTEREST IN OTHERS When you have sincere interest it shows Look directly at people when they are talking to you Let your facial expression register your interest Ask good open-ended questions to let people know that you are interested in what they say
TALK IN TERMS OF THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS INTERESTS You will never meet anyone who doesnrsquot have time to talk about what they want to talk about Encourage your prospect to discuss his or interests rather than launching into a discussion about yourself
USE THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS NAME Using a name builds personal rapport and shows you are listening with respect Be careful about overusing the personrsquos name
GIVE COMPLIMENTS Everyone loves a compliment when it is genuine Make a
concentrated effort to give at least 3 honest compliments every day of your life You will be amazed at what it will do for your relationships
LISTEN Listening is the greatest compliment you can pay When you assume the role of the listener it relaxes the sales climate As you listen you are demonstrating that you truly care and you are genuinely interested in what he or she has to say
MAKE THE OTHER PERSON FEEL IMPORTANT When you are sincerely impressed by something the other person has achieved or owns let them know it Understand that fundamentally every person is important and treat them accordingly
Personal comment When I finished reading this I thought to myself ldquoThese make sense in our everyday life not just in salesrdquo
The Third AgreementI will close with the 3rd step from the book
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel RuizDONrsquoT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS Find the
courage to ask questions and to express what you really want Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings sadness and drama
Sounds a little like what I wrote at the beginning of the column doesnrsquot it
Thatrsquos all for now Remember to save some time for yourself and your family And when you travel please travel safe
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE
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- Info Request
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- News
December 2007 9Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
December 2007 10Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Using CorelDRAWregTraining
By Corel CorporationUsing Preview Modes in Image Adjustment Lab
When working with files that have poor color balance and contrast you need to use many different tools to make adjustments You can save valuable time by using the Image Adjustment Lab which is accessible from both Corel PHOTO-PAINTreg and CorelDRAWreg By uniting the most important manual and automatic controls required for common color and tone corrections the Image Adjustment Lab offers a fast intuitive way to achieve professional results with your image files
With the Image Adjustment Lab you can use different preview modes for evaluating the color and tone adjustments you make You can preview the corrected image in a single window view the original and corrected images in separate windows or view the image split into original and corrected portions within one window
The Image Adjustment Lab also lets you create snapshots of your adjustments with just one click The snapshots appear below the working preview which lets you easily compare each snapshot against the original version and then choose the best result
The preview mode buttons (A) and the Create Snapshot
button (B)
To open the Image Adjustment LabDo one of the following If yoursquore working in CorelDRAW click Bitmaps gt Image Adjustment Lab If yoursquore working in Corel PHOTO-PAINT click Adjust gt Image Adjustment Lab
To preview the corrected image in a single window
After correcting the image click the Full Preview button
To view the original and corrected images in separate windows
After correcting the image click the Before and after full preview button
To view original and corrected portions of an image in one window
After correcting the image click the Before and after split preview button
To capture the current version of your image
Click the Create Snapshot button
Thumbnails of the snapshots appear in a window below your image Each snapshot is numbered sequentially and can be deleted by clicking the Close button in the upper-right corner of the snapshot title bar
December 2007 11Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Using CorelDRAWregTraining
By Dave Demoret Contributing writerBitmap vs Vector
BITMAPSOne of the reasons bitmaps are not the desired image of choice in our industry is
that they do not reproduce well when enlarging the image Nor do they lend themselves to our process of decorating at least in screen printing embroidery and vinyl cutting to mention a few markets We need to use color in solid object form to achieve many of the end products we produce Color is very difficult to change in a bitmap image so we tend to lean towards the vector side to achieve our goals
One of the most confusing issues especially for beginners is the difference between bitmap also called raster and vector images To help clarify this take a look at the images on the side Bitmaps are made up of thousands of pixels (short for picture elements) which are tiny squares usually of different colors that form a picture These pixels are what make up the resolution of a given picture or bitmap image In lithography they are commonly referred to as dpi or dots per inch ndash thatrsquos for printing resolution We also use the dpi designation when we are talking about pixels per inch (ppi) in our industry but thatrsquos not technically correct Pixels per inch (ppi) refers to resolution on a monitor However we are looking at the scanning and the end product resolution in this article and therefore we are mostly concerned with the standard dpi measurement
Bitmaps are usually scanned into a graphics program or taken from a digital camera using the dpi designation In the illustrations here a 300 dpi (dots per inch) image is somewhat defined and appears to have clean edges but as we enlarge the image we are in effect decreasing the dots per inch We are making the dots themselves larger and therefore there are fewer dots that will fit into a one inch space By increasing the size using dpi or enlarging the bitmap using the dpi measurement we begin to see pixels and
very rough edge definition This is not especially good for printing or digitizingIf you have an image to print at 300 dpi to heat press on a t-shirt it can look pretty
good but if you want that same image to go on the back of a jacket and you try to enlarge it you will get the lsquojaggiesrsquo It is very difficult to take a low resolution image and increase the size while maintaining any kind of clarity or quality image
On the other hand if you have a low resolution image that needs to be reduced you will increase the image resolution because you will be putting more dots in that same one inch This simply means that a 300 dpi resolution image reduced by 50 will become a 600 dpi resolution
Image Size -vs- Image DPIAllow me to take this one step further to explain image dpi versus image size
When you have a 5 x 7 photo and you scan it into your CorelDRAWreg or scanning software you have the option of selecting the resolution using the dpi measurement If you want to enlarge the photo for your project increase the dpi I usually scan most everything at least a minimum of 600 dpi (figure 1) Others I will scan at 1200 to 1800 dpi to get a better quality print when I enlarge it enough to fit on a shirt Yes it does take longer to scan but the work on the other end is reduced dramatically
Remember that a 600 dpi image when reduced will become a 1200 dpi image In reverse the same 600 dpi image (figure 1) when enlarged will become a 300 dpi image (figure 2) This is all coming from the same 5 x 7 size image Size really doesnrsquot make a difference Itrsquos the resolution that will give you the quality that you are looking for
Resampling in CorelDRAWMost of the images you download
December 2007 12Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Using CorelDRAWregTraining
from the Internet will be 72 dpi (figure 3) and some are at 96 dpi These images are low grade and will need to be used at the existing size You can help them a little by using the lsquoResamplersquo in the pull down menu under Bitmaps in the Menu Bar of CorelDRAW This wonrsquot help a lot but may give you some assistance with some images The problem here is that the image will look slightly smoother but if enlarged much at all you will see it as being fuzzy or out of focus (figure 4) Play with resampling at several higher dpi choices and image sizes to get a feel for what you can and can not do
VECTOR IMAGESVector graphics are images that are made from mathematical
computations That is there is a certain shape and color associated with an outline and that area is the vector object as shown with one of the links here (figure 1) There are no definite objects or outlines in a bitmap It is simply thousands or millions of pixels each of a different color shade or tint That is why bitmaps are so hard to change easily With a vector image you simply select an object within the graphic and change the shape size and color with the tools provided in your graphics software
In contrast to the bitmap the vector image can be enlarged to any size without any distortion of edge definition This allows us to generate an image for a business card or a left chest logo on a t-shirt or a name tag then turn around and enlarge that same image to be placed on a billboard without any distortion of the image All the objects lines and integrity of the image are still intact (figure 2) no matter what size we select You can also see in figure 2 with the magnification that all the lines are still crisp sharp edges with no distortions
Vector images are the base images used in embroidery screen printing vinyl graphics and other markets within our graphics industry Many manufacturers today have geared their software as an add-on to CorelDRAW because of the ease clarity and flexibility that vector images offer
You can change a vector into a bitmap image with the click of a few buttons It takes considerably longer in most cases to change a bitmap into a vector file Most of the time
you will have to manually redraw or trace the bitmap image to convert it to a vector file There are programs out today that will convert these for you at least up to a point CorelDRAW is one of these programs PowerTrace is an auto trace feature used in the latest version of CorelDRAW
Printing ImagesWhile you will want to create your graphics in a vector
format you should know some basic principles of printing these two file choices One is that when you print a vector file it can take several times longer to print than a bitmap image of the same graphic Therefore for most of my printing in digital format like sublimation or heat transfer I will save a copy of my vector graphic as an original and make a duplicate copy to convert to a bitmap format for printing purposes
Another thing that most beginners donrsquot know is that if you are creating an image with CMYK Color Palette and print it to an inkjet printer you will throw off your color in the printed piece For example blues generally tend to turn to a violet lavender or purple shade Check with your supplier or distributor to help you set your printer to lsquoOutput color bitmaps as RGBrsquo And use your RGB Color Palette to color your graphic images
Dave Demoret founded Prolink Graphic Services to help people understand and profit from learning CorelDRAW He has been in both the Flat Graphics Industry and the Decorating Graphics Industry over the past 30 years He has written several articles for Screen Graphics Magazine on Color Control amp Matching in the past Dave has used CorelDRAWreg since version 3 and became a CorelDRAW Training Partner in 2006 During the past 5 years he has been conducting workshops all over the US and is the author of several Video CDs amp Instructional CDs on CorelDRAW Dave continues to conduct workshops in the US amp also worldwide online He can be reached at 765-DO COLOR (362-6567) or by email at davedprolinkgscom
December 2007 13Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE COLORBy David Milisock Training
Wow Powerful Controversial Useful I find the latter term to be most honest as shooting photos in the RAW format allows as much chance for the image to be ruined as it does for it to be improved The key to it being an improved experience rather then a ruined experience is of course understanding what the technology is all about work flow calibration and your skill
First off all cameras shoot RAW lower-cost cameras just wonrsquot let you save the file without an automated conversion process Here is the definition of RAW as printed in my new book Color Management in the CorelDRAW Graphics Suite for Professionals Small Office and Home Office capture C (to be released January 2008)
RAW is a file format that is proprietary to the camera manufacturer They are linear-gamma grayscale images from digital color filter arrays All these files require processing by a RAW converter to convert them to an RGB image
What this means to the user outside of the photographic ramifications is that the user needs to understand how the process is going to affect their color How this comes about is that the camera has a capture array that has red green and blue sensors Or an array that has filters to make some sensors only sensitive to red some only to blue and some only to green Each set of red blue and green sensors creates grayscale data that has to be combined to three channels Color is not only applied to the channels based on the value of the grayscale but a color space is assigned All cameras do this some just donrsquot let you do it manually
What Irsquom saying Is that as soon as the RAW converter develops a color display a color space has been assigned In fact the application has to have a
ldquoRAWrdquostandard color space to base the preview display on or your color edits would have no meaning
Stand-alone applications may allow you to choose what color space to apply to the image Some do not some force you to use an ultra-wide gamut RGB color space like Prophoto RAW Lab or plug-ins within image editing applications are most likely to use the internal (working) RGB of the application
So often it is written that RAW files have no color space and this is a true-falsehood True as long as they are still linear grayscale data streams of no value to anyone without a RAW converter but false as soon as you start the process of making a universally accepted RGB image of them
The key to the process is making sure that you understand what color space your converter assigned to the image so you can coordinate the internal RGB of Corel PHOTO-PAINTreg Make sure to activate the arrow from the internal RGB to the monitor
Any process that does not have the image
editor and RAW converter working in a coordinated manner will totally negate any benefit of using RAW You simply wonrsquot know what colors yoursquore really working with and thatrsquos not good for a process that was supposed to improve your work not make it worse
To my mind that biggest problem I see is that multiple RAW converter applications when viewing a RAW file as shot by the camera can have vastly different displays of the same image See capture A amp B (blurred on purpose) if you have a mind to try using RAW converting I suggest calibrating your display system first as this RAW image when opened in 4 different RAW converters has the white balance temperature identified
Coming Soon to the CorelDRAWPro Book Store A new book by columnist
David Milisock
Color Management in the CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
For Professionals Small Office and Home Office
Basic Color Theory bull Postscript and Non-Postscript Devices
RIPs for Ink Jets and Press bull Adobe Color Coordination
Color Continuity During Exportation bull and Much More
December 2007 14Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE COLOR
as four different values ranging from 2850 to 9980 OUCH Itrsquos hard to believe that the same data has been interpreted to be as shot by the camera judging by these two images isnrsquot it
This can only be described as an extremely painful experience Now you canrsquot rely on the software to interpret the data properly so the only thing you have that you can rely on is your calibrated work flow and your good sense
Another complaint that I have about stand-alone RAW converter applications is that in many cases the image display within the application is so poor that I cannot make a reasonable editing decision for any color or sharpening The image is glassy like in Paint Shop Pro or too soft like in Photoshopreg not sharp and clear like in PHOTO-PAINT OUCH
Please note in Capture A the Adobe RGB color space is already in play (see lower left corner) The adjustments available as shown in this capture are typical for RAW converters and
this capture will show them to you I am neither pro nor con RAW What Irsquove found is that
it is most generally used like image editor in place of good photography This is not always a bad thing Saving the cost on another shooting session through technology certainly has its selling point
Another observation Irsquove noticed is that as the cost of the cameras goes up the quality of their built-in conversion also goes up Many times they will save TIF instead of JPG files This is a real plus In studio settings with a superior camera you most likely will work your butt off and not be as good as the built-in RAW conversion of a studio quality camera On site live shoots is where the RAW conversion application seems to have a place to be most useful in my mind
Irsquom a Corel PHOTO-PAINT guy and I love my sharp clean PHOTO-PAINT display So until Corel PHOTO-PAINT has a RAW converter Irsquom sticking with the camera conversion and a TIF file for studio work But I will certainly use RAW when it benefits my client which benefits me
Watch out next month itrsquos going to be HOT
David Milisock is president of Custom Graphic Technologies Inc He has been in the print production business since 1975 and specializes in professional support for the CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite He can be reached at 717-509-3523 or davidmilisockcomcastnet See full bio on Writers Page
Itrsquos Who Knows YOU Network Your Way to Successby Chien J Wang president of Toujours Inc
Turbo-charge your networking with unique strategies that work Chien at-tends 10-12 events a week and has created a system for turning contacts into customers and customers into lifelong relationships
wwwcoreldrawprocomallbookstorehtm
Captures A amp B Two blurry images (on purpose) showing what happens to the white balance when opened in
different RAW converters This is typical
December 2007 15Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE TRANSFERSBy Bill Leek Applications
Headstart on Spring 10 Things You Can Do in January to Make 2008 a Successful Year
I have to be honesthellipMy normal inclination after the holiday season is to relax and take it easy for a few weeks It seems that after a very busy year I really deserve it But small- to medium-size business owners cannot afford to do this The few weeks of relative calm after Christmas are too valuable to squander
Every year I write up an action plan for January Hear are some ideas that you may find valuable
1) Follow the lead of the big retailers Valentinersquos Day is almost here and Easter is early this year Get your new spring displays mailings emails and catalogs out right after the holidays Highlight some new products with spring themes every year
2) Offer January specials with sizable discounts if you anticipate a slow month Use coupons and thank you gifts to show appreciation to your loyal long-term customers
3) Br igh ten up your display space with new graphics fixtures and lighting Look into new LED displays They offer superior lighting at significantly lower cost and maintenance LED
technology will replace both incandescent and neon lighting and signage in just a few years
4) Spend some time to really learn your software application January is a great time to learn new features and upgrade your Corel Software Buy a guide or an interactive CDDVD to speed up the learning curve
5) January is a great time to find new vendors equipment and imprintables You have more time and the vendors may be more responsive as sales are slower You very well might be able to make that great deal on a piece of capital equipment yoursquove wanted for some time
Ask vendors to provide you with samples of new inks imprintables and transfer papers Test washability compare color quality and evaluate production ease
Look at the new technologies -- direct printing on soft and hardgoods eco-solvent inks color laser printer transfer and new sublimation coatings are all ldquohotrdquo areas to investigate
6) Donrsquot just perform a physical inventory Evaluate inventory turnover and get rid of any dead items that are just taking up shelf space
7) Look at your customer base Are you trying to be all things to all people Are there specific niches where you have had greater success
than others Determine how to build on your strengths and possibly remove yourself from markets that are not profitable
8) Organize an email list of all your existing customers and solid leads Improve your communications with a newsletter Donrsquot overkill with your emailshelliptherersquos a fine line between informative and irritating
9) Sit down and list your major accomplishments and failures of the past year Try to assign a quantitative measure where you can Make a detailed list in each area and honestly investigate what resulted in success or failure
10) Come up with a list of 10-20 goals that you can realistically achieve in 2008 These goals can be defined as specific actions or financial results Create a small poster and display it in place where you will see it every day Go over the list every month and ask yourself how you are doing
I wish you all a Very Happy New Year I will try to keep you informed of all the exciting technical and market developments in 2008 Thanks for all your questions ideas and support during the past year
Add quality imprintables from Unisub for the
Valentinersquos Day market
December 2007 16Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE PRINTSUBLIMATIONBy Judy and John McDaniel Applications
Creating Sublimation Product Templates
Last time we finished all the background stuff now wersquoll get on to making things Wersquoll start with flat products which include plaques tiles shirts and other garments etc Later wersquoll explore specialty items like cups
Creating a Product Template FileThe first step in designing graphics for any new
product that we intend to make again and again is to create a product template Templates give us layouts into which we can place our text and graphics They may take a little time to set up initially however they make it much easier and faster to produce products once the templates are available
The first step in designing a template is to determine the page size in CorelDRAWreg For sublimated products that requires we decide what size the finished transfer will be The size of the transfer will determine the page size
The finished transfer may or may not be the size of the printed sheet For example if we are printing transfers for t-shirts generally they will be on full 11 x 17 sheets That said we have some layouts that will be printed in portrait orientation vertical on the shirt and some in landscape horizontal We have both styles available as templates If we are including a customerrsquos photo in the finished design the orientation of the photo might determine which template we use
For ceramic tiles the transfer may be the size of an individual tile or perhaps the size of a tile array For plaques the transfer is generally slightly larger than the print area of the plaque -- 4 x 6 5 x 7 8 x 10 etc For badges our template might be the size of a single badge or if we have a fixture for pressing badges our template might be the size of the fixture If wersquore pressing ceramic steins and cups we might have an array of templates some for fronts backs full wraps and full wraps edge to edge
Another variable to consider when creating a sublimation template is the size
of your printer and heat press The largest transfer that can be printed or pressed will determine the upper limit of the templatersquos page size These factors are only of concern for large items like shirts
In our shop we have both wide format (11inch) and standard (85 inch) sublimation printers We can choose roll material or standard sheets Currently our largest flat press is 14 x 16 inches so thatrsquos our upper limit for flat product images
Creating a T-shirt TemplateRemember creating a template is something you
only do one time for each item in your inventory and for any variations you would like to have available Creating
Photo 1
Photo 2
December 2007 17Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE PRINTING
a template file takes a little time in the beginning but saves a lot of time in the long run
With these factors in mind Irsquoll go through the steps of creating a special-occasion t-shirt template The first one Irsquoll create will be in portrait orientation If yoursquod like to follow along open CorelDraw to a new project 11 x 17 paper and set the orientation to portrait
Set Guidelines Next wersquoll bring in some guidelines These will
help us see the image area we have to work with For this project Irsquoll set guidelines at frac12 inch in from the left and right 1 inch in from the top and 3 inches up from bottom The guides are for visual reference This is the maximum text and graphics layout area
Since this is a vertical layout our graphic will be 1 inch down from the top edge of the transfer If we set the shirt on the press with the collar at the top edge then all wersquoll have to do is align the transfer to the top edge of the press and the image will be 1 inch down from the shirt collar
Irsquove limited the vertical image area to 13 inches Allowing an inch down from the top will make the bottom of the image 14 inches down from the collar Thatrsquos
ok for an adult large or XL shirt but you may want to adjust the area for smaller shirts
As a part of this layout Irsquove created a couple of layers One Irsquove called text and one picture These layers will be used for the graphic elements of the final template As an option you can also create a non-printing layer that contains a rectangle Since the layout is off centered you can use the rectangle to align your text and graphics but the rectangle will not print (See picture 1)
Save Your TemplateYou can now save this simple layout
as a CorelDRAW template To do that click on FileSave Ashellip and select CDT ndash CorelDRAW Template (see picture 2)
I normally save templates in a special folder however if yoursquore using Windows Vista its sort capabilities reduce the need to organize your files (See picture 3)
You can use this generic template as is You can also use it as a base for creating other templates Next time wersquoll make some additions to customize it for a special occasion Wersquoll also look at how we can use templates
Judy and John McDaniel are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry For information on training services offered and their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom They can be reached by phone at 541-967-4271 via SKYPE (user name JHMcDaniel) or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom See full bio on Writers Page
December 2007 18Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTINGBy Jeff McDaniel Applications
Using Specialty Platens Part 2Background
In our last article we touched on the steps required to create a master transfer for our specialty platen We also briefly reviewed locating the artwork and attaching the capillary film to the screen In this article we will expose our screens rinse them and produce our pocket patch CorelDRAWPro members can look up the more detailed information in the archived articles for June July and August at wwwacdrporg
Our setup and yoursOur setup is the Printa 770 series screen printing machine from Printa Systems Inc
All of the supplies and tools we will cover from here on were provided in the turn-key system from Printa with the 770 Your setup may be from another source but will most likely contain components of what we will discuss below In addition to the standard Printa 770 setup we will be using the ldquoPrint-Allrdquo system from Printa Systems Inc (see figure 1 courtesy of Printa Systems)
Exposing the capillary filmWe left off last article with our screens drying
Now that they are dry we are ready to expose the capillary film Exposing Step 1 we will gently peel the carrier sheet off of the capillary film (see figure 2)
Exposing Step 2 Next we need to put our first image back on the exposure unit and re-install the screen on the printing system Then we can bring the screen down on the
exposure unit attach our blackout board and expose the screen (see figure 3)
Exposing Step 3 After exposure we need to rinse out our screen and inspect it to be certain we have a complete rinse (see figure 4)
Exposing Step 4 Once the image is rinsed out it is time to put the screen back in the dryer (see figure 5)
Re-aligning the screens after wash outFrom the time that we first aligned the
artwork we have taken the screens in and out of the printing system twice If our artwork is even a little bit out of alignment we will lose blanks or put out low quality work It is a good idea to do a final adjustment with the original artwork
Re-Align Step 1 Leaving both of our photo positives on the exposure unit we can inspect the screen location compared to our original artwork location Here is the yellow screen location after exposure and wash out (see figure 6)
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
December 2007 19Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTING
Re-Align Step 2 The black screen is a little bit off (see figure 7) so we will need to use the Printa 770 micro-adjustment knobs to bring it back into alignment (see figure 8)
Masking off the screenNow that our artwork is
lined up correctly we can mask the rest of the screen off Wherever we donrsquot want the ink to run through the screen needs to be masked off (see figures 9 and 10)
Locating the pocket patch on the shirtThere are a couple of different ways to locate the pocket
patch on the shirt The first thing to consider is where you want it to end up on the wearer If the patch is too far toward the sleeve the image will end up under the wearerrsquos arm pit If the image is too far up toward the neck the image will not look right either A good way to figure out the correct location is by looking at a shirt that has a pocket patch on it (maybe one or two are in your closet right now)
Another way to locate the pocket patch is to put on the shirt
size that you wear and mark off where you think it feels correct and comfortable Once you have decided where you would like the patch keeping it in the same relative location on all of the different sizes is not too difficult The actual placement of the shirt can be accomplished a couple of different ways that we know of Which you prefer will depend mostly on if you are more accurate with sight or touch
The sight method involves using a masking tape strip to mark the desired location on the shirt prior to loading it onto the platen (see figure 11)
Once you have your marking in place you can load the shirt on the platen and have a nice representation that you are placing the design in the desired location (see figure 12)
Figure 7 Figure 8
Figure 9
Figure 10
Figure 11
Figure 12
December 2007 20Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTING
We prefer the sight method because it works well with our equipment The ldquoPrint Allrdquo system from Printa Systems Inc uses a smaller platen for pocket patches The smaller platen allows us to load sizes from youth XS ndash adult 5X without stretching
The touch method involves using a standard platen and adding a riser underneath where the pocket patch will be printed (a piece of cut cardboard or thin wood of the appropriate size) With this method you can feel when the shirt is in the correct location and begin printing from there
Inking the screens printing and curingSince we have resolved our location
issues with the pocket patch we are ready to ink the screens print and cure
Printing Step 1 Inking the screens is fairly straightforward (see figure 13)
Printing Step 2 Using the squeegee we will screen our first color (see figure 14) and check the quality of the image (see figure 15)
Printing Step 3 Our first color will need to be flash cured (see figure 16)
Printing Step 4 Now we can add our second color (see figure 17)
Printing Step 5 Finally we can do the finish cure step paying attention to the temperature gauge (see figure 18)
After final curing it is always a good idea to take at least a sampling of the product and wash it to be certain of the curing All of the information on post-job clean-up can be found in the CorelDRAWPro archives for September
Conclusion This time we took our screens out of
the dryer and pushed our project all the way to its completion
Jeff McDaniel is the OwnerOperator of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon Jeff has been working with computers since the age of 5 and was a journeyman machinist before working in the graphic arts business Creative Graphic offers services including laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials You can contact Jeff by email at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
Figure 14
Figure 13
Figure 15
Figure 17
Figure 16
Figure 18
December 2007 21Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SANDBLASTINGBy Judy McDaniel Applications
Screening the AbrasiveKeeping your sandblast abrasive media free
of contaminant material is essential During sandblasting abrasive is mixed with compressed air fed through the supply hose focused by the nozzle and impacts the product Then if itrsquos fine enough it leaves the system as dust or drops to the bottom of the cabinet to be recycled
Other material will also collect in the bottom of the cabinet This debris can include bits of mask (ever wonder where the center of that ldquoerdquo went) bits of tape and possibly solid material dislodged from the product yoursquore blasting This latter source of debris is especially prevalent when yoursquore working on materials other than glass like brick rock and wood
Leaving the debris in the abrasive when itrsquos recycled can cause a variety of problems First if a piece of debris is too large to fit through the nozzle it will clog it More importantly if it does fit through the nozzle and is hard like brick and rock debris it can impact the piece yoursquore working on and ruin it
The obvious solution is to screen the media when you reload the pressure pot The problem is the screen mesh size Irsquove tried the screen supplied by the cabinet manufacturers and used window screening material from a hardware store In both of these cases the mesh size would allow all but the largest pieces of debris through
What Irsquove found that works the best is a spatter screen from a local kitchen store The mesh is woven tightly and filters out much more debris The best thing is its price only a few dollars
One of our cabinets is not self-contained so we have to filter the media by hand We have found that bending the handle up on a large spatter screen
causes it to fit perfectly into the top of the pressure pot We also have a couple of other smaller pressure pots one in fact that you fill with a funnel For those I simply lay the spatter screen over the opening of the pot or the funnel when refilling
If you have a system that recycles the abrasive then it should be equipped with a screen located on top of the pressure pot Make sure to inspect and remove the debris from the top of the screen from time to time A shop-vac works well for this purpose If you find that larger pieces are getting through the screen then contact the manufacturer to see what can be done to reduce the mesh size
Keeping your media clean helps prevent unwanted delays or damage
To all of our friends out there new and old have a safe and joyful holiday season
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from John and me
Judy McDaniel with her husband John are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry In addition they provide one-on-one application support through an email subscription service exclusively for their Hotcdr Hands-On Training students or those who have purchased their CD sets (For information on training services offered visit wwwgraphic-products-trainingcom and for information on their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom) They can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
December 2007 22Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE ENGRAVINGBy John McDaniel Applications
Elements of Machine Accuracy 7 Structural Integrity
So far wersquove covered resolution speed repeatability and hysteresis This time wersquoll discuss structural integrity
What is Structural IntegrityStructural integrity is a measure of a machinersquos
strength or stiffness It is the ability of a machine to resist distortion by forces created in normal operations
Most mechanical engraving machines use single-fluted cutters As these cutters turn they apply cutting force against the material For every action though there is an equal but opposite reaction ie the material resists the cut and thereby transmits a resistive force back through the cutting tool spindle etc and ultimately to the machinersquos frame
Assuming a static bit position the force applied to the machinersquos structure will rotate 360deg with the tool (see diagram 1) As this force rotates any looseness in the structure will result in a deviation in the relationship of the material and the cutter
What machine design factors are involvedStructural integrity includes lead screws and their
hysteresis for mechanical engraving machines spindle bearings and their looseness for both mechanical and laser engravers gantry or table rails their bearings and looseness and the machinersquos frame In fact anything and everything that holds the tool and material in the proper relationship during the cuttingengraving process contributes to or detracts from structural integrity
Why is it importantIn a word Quality Structural integrity influences
the quality of the finished products the machine will produce
For illustration Irsquoll use a mechanical engraving system If the looseness in our machine and the cutting force applied were uniform throughout the 360deg of tool rotation the result would be a wobble in the tool path which might not be visible in the finished product
Cutting ForcesIn the real world however as the tool moves through
the material the cutting and reactive forces go through a cycle (see diagram 2) When the tool starts the cut there is a spike in force The force will level to a constant through the top side of the cut while itrsquos cutting against the direction of the toolrsquos movement Then it will drop somewhat when itrsquos cutting with the toolrsquos movement and finally fall off on the back side as the cutting edge of the tool enters the void area where the material has already been removed
The amount of force applied during the cutting process will vary depending on the material being
cut the tool and its sharpness the depth of cut the material feed rate and whether or not lubricant is used The cutting force may also vary over the length of the job as the toolrsquos cutting edge wears and becomes dull
Machine Component Looseness
In addition to the cutting force not being uniform throughout the 360deg of tool rotation l o o s e n e s s i n t h e machinersquos structure will also vary For example dur ing the cut t ing operation as the tool transitions through 0deg and 180deg of rotation X axis hysteresis will be a factor in overall machine looseness but Y axis hysteresis will have no effect At 90deg and 270deg the Y axis will become a factor but the X axis will have no impact
In the real world any looseness in the machine will cause an oscillation in the cut which will have its own angle If we could slow the toolrsquos movement we would see this oscillation as a sharp jump in the positional relationship between the tool and material being cut In the finished product this sharp jump in position will result in a jagged cut
December 2007 23Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE ENGRAVING Outline amp OverviewThe Nuts and Bolts of Machine AccuracyMachine accuracy or capability can be defined as a result of six features 1 Resolution ndash the smallest incremental movementpositioning of a speci-fied axis 2 Speed ndash the ability to complete a task in a reasonable amount of time without sacrificing accuracy or creating damage to the machine or product 3 Repeatability ndash the ability to duplicate a previous position without error 4 Hysteresis ndash the ldquosloprdquo or ldquoplayrdquo in motion control components 5 Structural Integrity ndash stiffness or strength ndash the ability to cut materials without error or damage This is especially important for mechanical engrav-ers 6 Structural Tolerances ndash the sum accuracy of a machinersquos mechanical components
Machine ComponentsWersquoll examine nine factors that determine a machinersquos accuracy They include 1 Motors ndash including DC Stepper DC Brushless DC Servo and AC Servo a Spindles ndash motors that rotate the cutting bit b Axis Drive ndash motors that position the material to the cutting bit c Horsepower ratings ndash real versus advertised 2 The Motion Control Drive Unit ndash including Geared Belt and Lead Screws a Lead Screws ndash including Acme Re-circulating Ball Standard and Precision b Mounting ndash including Simple Fixed and Thrust bearing types c Protection ndash Open or Closed 3 Guide Rails ndash Types include V Bearing Rail Bushing Shaft Dove Tail and Re-circulating Ball Bearing 4 Encoders ndash Types include Rotary and Linear Methodologies include incremental or absolute 5 Tachometers ndash used for speed stability acceleration and breaking control for closed loop servo systems 6 Bearings ndash including Sleeve Ball and Linear Re-circulating Ball a Applications ndash including Radial Thrust and Linear b Quality ndash Standard thru Ultra Precision 7 Spindles ndash including topbottom loading Collets and Sleeves 8 Material Hold Down ndash including mechanical clamps and vacuum sys-tems 9 Electronic Interface ndash Computer control methods
Wersquoll also examine Reliability what makes it And Serviceability is it fix-able
If the cutting oscillation is at any angle other than the direction of the cut and the oscillation is great enough a jagged cut will be visible in the finished product A cut deviation of as little as 001rdquo is visible to the naked eye and will most commonly show up on curves and circles but may show up on straight lines as well
To illustrate this point a little further and perhaps make it somewhat clearer Irsquod like to refer to diagrams 3 and 4 For purposes of these illustrations we will assume we have a machine that has some looseness on both the X and Y axes However the rest of the machine
is structurally solid the frame is rigid and no other components have any loosenessMaking these assumptions and disregarding the variation in force caused by the cutter
as it travels through the material we will have cutting oscillations at 0deg 180deg 90deg and 270deg during the toolrsquos rotation As the tool travels through the material on its path these oscillations will cause a slight variation in the centerline of the toolrsquos cut
Diagram 3 shows a horizontal tool path While the machine is cutting in this direction any X axis looseness will be masked by the cutter path itself however looseness in the Y axis will result in a slight oscillation in the cutterrsquos horizontal position and therefore a deviation in its cut Diagram 4 shows the effect of the X axis looseness which will impact vertical lines
As you can see from this discussion and these illustrations structural integrity ie looseness in the components from which a machine is constructed can make a significant difference in quality of the finished products that a machine will produce
Next time wersquoll consider structural tolerances and their impact
John McDaniel with his wife Judy are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry For information on training services offered and their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom They can be reached by phone at 541-967-4271 via SKYPE (user name JHMcDaniel) or via email at JHMcDanielCorelDRAWhelpcom See the full bio on the Writers Page
December 2007 24Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
the image the text and the red bow In the laser file for this example I have the red cut line for vectoring (See Figure 5)
5) Send the cardstock through the printer6) Place the cardstock in the laser for vector
cutting The thickness of the stock will determine what settings to use For my 35-watt laser using a medium weight cardstock I used a speed of 100 and power of 15 for a nice cut through the stock without any burn marks on the paper
7) Optional in one run I decided to let the laser take care of the bow instead of using color for it from my printer I set the outline of the bow to 100 black and the interior of the bow to 50 black (See Figure 6)
8) Then I only sent the image and text through the printer The bow and vector cutting occurred in the laser I set the raster engraving (of the bow) at speed 70 and power 40 (See Figure 7) You can see the differentiation of using 100 black as opposed to 50 black by the exterior lines
being engraved a little deeper than the rest of the fill
Take the idea of using patterns (like the birth announcement above) and wowing your clientele with the detail and intricacy that laser can provide Or add a twist to a holiday tradition (cards) Whatever you do donrsquot forget you can combine the advantages of the printer and laser for fabulous products
Submitted by Kathryn Arnold Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
LASER TIPBy Kathryn Arnold Applications
Combining Laser amp Printer PowerComing up with new and
inventive ways to use your laser is the key to a successful and growing business We will look at a way to combine the power of your computer (ink) printer with the power of the laser engraver
In this lesson we will take a look at using cardstock to create a card and an announcement See the examples of a holiday card and a birth announcement ndash gratuitously they are of my family (Figure 1 amp Figure 2)
1) In CorelDRAWreg use any pattern image text you wish Be sure that there is a clear and discernible vector line that will be laser cut and yield a cut piece from the cardstock2) See the clear (red) cut line ndash it goes fully around my object even the bow portion (important) I then duplicated my object to fit as many as possible on my 8 frac12 x 11 cardstock (See Figure 3) 3) I saved this file as my master file that I could return to at any point I then created two copies -- one that will
be used to send the file to my printer and one that will be used to send the file to my laser engraver (See Figure 4)
4) In the master file I have every part of what my end product will have In the file for my printer I only have the parts that the printer will print ndash in this example
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
December 2007 25Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
ELECTRONICS FRONTIERBy Louie Alvarez Opportunity
Webcams are an interesting subject which I am intimately familiar with Some typical questions are what are they what purpose do they serve what benefit are they what to look for and various other questions concerns and issues
Webcams surely bring back a memory or two not all that great I might add I remember when they first became usable primarily due to the Internet having affordable true broadband
First experiences The choppy poor quality of dial-up service
simply didnrsquot make this a useful technology Short of communicating with far-flung family members it left much to be desired With my immediate family living in Las Vegas and all other family (parents siblings cousins etc) living in California this was a technology I thought would be useful to keep in touch
So I set up my computer and my momrsquos computer with Webcams to stay in touch Needless to say with the poor quality terrible tracking (had to keep perfectly
sti l l because video frames didnrsquot refresh fas t enough) the hard-to-see tiny video window and poorly synchronized voices to the faces (we looked like a badly translated kung fu movie) the novelty quickly wore off (Irsquod say in about 30 minutes)
WebcamsSecond attempt
So I promptly dumped the technology for the next few years until I started seeing broadband picking up the pace and more interest in Webcams becoming obvious from all the new devices on the market So about three years ago a wireless Webcam caught my eye and I decided to put it to the test once again
Considering I was by then traveling quite extensively (about 40000 miles a year) I figured Irsquod use it to monitor my home I had two teenagers and a 5-year-old at home at the time while I was on the road and my wife was still a t work (She normally didnrsquot get off work until about two hours after school was out) So this looked to be a cool device to see if as the clicheacute goes when the catrsquos away the mice will play
I proceeded to position this wireless Webcam strategically to allow viewing of my living room including the back door Plus to get to the front door or side door you would have to pass through the field of the camera My little one loved the idea of being on camera for her daddy and would dance play and make funny faces for me Pretty cool actually That in itself almost justified the camera but needless to say my teenagers even my wife didnrsquot take to the idea too well So it was returned and life continued on as usual
That experience did show me that the broadband
speeds the quality of the video feeds the prevalence on the net of live cams and the quality of the video cameras (better known as Webcams) had progressed to a level of usefulness and I could see the potential of this technology With that said letrsquos get into the heart of this article
So what are webcams Basically they are digital cameras attached to
the computer and connected to the Web or Instant Messaging (IM) This allows the camera to be linked to a website or to each other directly and individuals who view the website or IM are able to see what the camera is viewing at that moment You can choose to get either still pictures that are updated at regular intervals (Snapshot) or live streams (Streaming) depending on what your bandwidth permits The WebCam technology has advanced sufficiently now to make it both easier and cheaper to maintain a camera that is refreshing an image 24 hours a day
Features of Web Cameras Listed here are some of the features more commonly
found in WebCams1 Live streaming video still pictures updated2 No plug-in or software necessary to view image
can be viewed with any Web browser3 Live audio4 Incorporation with other software such as Instant
Messaging (IM)5 Adding captionslogostime displays6 Archiving video7 Chat feature
December 2007 26Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
WebCams in an instructional scenario could be used to
Monitor your staff or employees thus being able to guide them better
Telecommute to companies worldwide and demonstrate project procedures
B roadcas t sem ina rs wo rkshops o r demonstrations
Share special events and programs with students enrolled in distance learning courses
Hold a video press conference online meeting or broadcast meetings and discussions
In some cases it is important for the learner to be able to establish a connection visually WebCams could be a good alternative to using text files or audio files
Join WebCam groups and allow students to take advantage of other WebCam locations for educational purposes
Using a web camera allows learners to be a part of either a conference or classstudio
Benefits of using WebCamsa The most important advantage of using a web camera is that it creates a direct link between the camera and the live site and dispenses with all the production work Production work in this context includes the cost and effort involved in shooting
editing and streaming videos Thus using a WebCam does not require
advanced skillsb The software is basically a Web server that runs on your system and pushes images out to a Web page For viewers of images delivered over a WebCam
one of the benefits is that they get the entire picture preferable in
certain cases rather than a sleek edited versionc WebCam technology can also be used for remote s u r v e i l l a n c e s y s t e m s
ELECTRONIC FRONTIER
monitoring events or places and broadcasting live eventsd Learners can link to a web camera-monitored location and just watch or also have an additional web camera in their own location enabling two-way communication
Setting up your WebCama Setting up your own WebCam obviously requires a computer a WebCam (the hardware) and WebCam software along with a broadband Internet connection Before you decide which camera to buy and which software to acquire yoursquoll have to review the different methods to show pictures or video feed through the Internet ( i e r e f r e s h e d after x amount of seconds) This will enable you to decide which hardware and software solution will fit your situation best
b P l a c e m e n t of a camera is an important decision to be made Decide whether a static angle is sufficient to demonstrate the concept or a moving camera (handheld) is required It is important however to remember the limitations of using WebCams and leave the panoramic and other fancy shots to more sophisticated video Use WebCams for videos that require more focus and ones that require a smaller viewingmovement range
c For detailed technical instructions on using WebCams visit httpdeveloperswebcamworldcommethodshtml
d Here is a good resource for inexpensive Webcams on the market httpcastlepricewatchcomssearchasps=webcams
e For an in-depth review of various Webcams on the market go to this link httpreviewscnetcom4244-6502_7-0-1htmlquery=webamptag=cat_1
f There are many Webcam examples online here are a couple httpwwwwebcamworldcom or httpwwwleonardsworldscomcamerahtml
By the way DONrsquoT TELL MY KIDS I picked up a Logitech QuickCam Pro 4000 not too long ago My family doesnrsquot know why I got it or what my intention is but I can say that now that my kids are 17 16 amp 8 my job as a parent is to ensure the mice donrsquot play when the catrsquos awayhellip
Louie Alvarez began acquiring his experience in the awards and engraving industry in Central California over 15 years ago first as an employee of the largest and oldest trophy shop and then as owner of one of the first laser engraving businesses Louie has been a featured workshop instructor and seminar speaker throughout the industry in addition to being a contributing writer to numerous industry publications Louie is based in Las Vegas NV and can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
December 2007 27Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
The Association of CorelDRAWreg Professionals is The Education amp Business Resource for CorelDRAW Users Worldwide Its goal is to help 1) IMPROVE your CorelDRAW skills and 2) MAKE MONEY with those skills You can participate in ACDRP services in four ways
THE WORLDrsquoS ONLY ASSOCIATION FOR CORELDRAWreg USERSINVITES YOU TO MAKE MORE MONEY WITH CORELDRAW
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month focused on Industry News via the Graphics News Wire Links to valuable resources and a complete educa-tion and show Calendar S
CorelDRAWPro the Entrepreneurial magazine for CorelDRAW users features in-depth content on How to Use CorelDRAW -- tips tricks advanced ar twork success s to r ies in te rv iews and more How to Apply CorelDRAW -- for graphic production processes such as embroidery engraving heat printing laser promo products printing sandblasting signmaking sublimation and screenprinting How to Profit from CorelDRAW -- Product news business columns reviews profiles and advertising with live links
SUBSCRIBE -- NO CHARGE JOIN -- $60 PER YEAR
All users of CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite are qualified to subscribe free to CorelDRAWPro magazine (PDF format) and CorelDRAWPro E-News
Subscription to CorelDRAWPro amp CorelDRAWPRo E-News
TTF Newsletter Subscription to the monthly Tips Templates amp Fixtures Newsletter only available to members
GSG Basic Listing You can list your services in the Graphic Services Guide in one category as part of membership (a $25 value)
Access to QuickLearn A keyword searchable database of 100s of articles on CorelDRAW graphics production and business
All users of CorelDRAWreg are invited to join the Association and take advantage of exclusive content discounts and profes-sional recognition ACDRP membership includes
TTF
QuickLearn
QuickTNT
Archives
BASIC GSG LISTING -- $25 PER YR
The Graphic Services Guide is the Industry Yellow Pages for Services and Finished Goods GSG is promoted in all our publi-cations and our website to the world of CorelDRAW users Your listing gives you the opportunity to promote your services (in any of 40 categories) to other CorelDRAW usersThe Basic Listing includes your company description email link and listing in one category Additional service categories are $10 each per year
The Enhanced GSG Listing is for companies that want to list in two categories and add a photo or logo
ENHANCED GSG LISTING -- $50$75 PER YR
Classifieds
Access to QuickTnT A growing database of CorelDRAW tips for understanding the fine points of the program and templates that can be downloaded to speed up your production
Access to Archives Past issues of CorelDRAWPro are available to members with live links
Bookstore Discounts Members receive a 10 discount on all products in the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore
Professional Recognition Use of the ACDRP logo for professional identification on business cards websites and letterhead You also receive a membership certificate
Classified Ads Members can place one classified ad per year at no charge with photo and run it till the item is sold (a $35 value)
HOW TO PARTICIPATE To Subscribe (no charge) To Join ($60yr) To List in the Graphic Services Guide ($25 Basic $50$75 Enhanced or $120145 for Multi-Service)
CorelDRAWreg is a registered trademark of Corel Corp and is used with permission
Visit wwwcoreldrawprocomand click on the appropriate links
800-276-8428
The Multi-Service GSG Listing allows you to list up to 40 differ-ent service categories with detailed descriptions and add a photo or logo
MULTI-SERVICE GSG LISTING -- $120$145 PER YR
December 2007 28Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Throughout the year this publication has reported on whatrsquos new in equipment tools and software and blank products for businesses that put graphics onto products
For this 2007 wrap-up CorelDRAWPro editorial staff reviewed all the product news for the year and named 33 products to its annual Top Products of the Year list
Selections were based on the criteria of innovation and impact Innovation means products that exhibit a high degree of originality or uniqueness Impact means products that influence sales or productivity for a large number of businesses
Note that the 2007 honorees are list alphabetically in the three theme sections
For more information on the products in this article click on the Info Request button at the bottom of each page and select by company name or product You might open the Info Request page and minimize it as you read That way you can quickly open it and check the products you want
EQUIPMENT
ANAJET DIRECT-TO-GARMENT DIGITAL PRINTERAnaJet Digital Apparel Printer (Model FP-125) from
AnaJet Inc in Costa Mesa CA is a direct-to-garment printer offering high quality and affordability It can print custom graphics on any cotton or poly-cotton flat textile material in one minute The printer priced affordably from under $13000 can produce up to 5000 shirts per month each retailing for about $20 Most printers installed so far are in a production plant environment but some customers have started to take the mobile printer to malls for instant printing of customer graphics According to Dr Chase Roh company president the unique printhead they have developed allows for 16x more ink flow than normal desktop printers and thus shirts only require one pass
Top Products of the Year
DTG AMERICA ECLIPSE D-1 WITH TWO HEADS DTG America of Tampa FL and Fort Worth TX now offers a new solution to
speed up digitally printing to dark shirts The Eclipse D-1 incorporates two heads instead of one One head has eight channels of white to lay down a solid white underbase The second head has four channels of white to do highlights and four channels of color to lay down the design The result of this new configuration is the underbase and color are completed in one pass at an estimated average of only two minutes per shirt for a 12-inch by 6-inch area Other innovations include an ink agitator firmware for easy updating ink vapor remover auto gap adjustment and new platen configuration for easy loading
GEO KNIGHT DK 25SP HEAT PRESSThe Digital Knight DK25SP is an air-operated automatic
20x25 oversized swing-away heat press with a state-of-the-art control system and heavy-duty solid steel welded framework The smooth automatic pressing and push-button activation provides a productive fatigue-free operation The extended 20x25 size of the heat platen is perfect for sublimation and large-format materials pressingThe press is adjustable to accommodate materials from fabric thickness all the way up to 1rdquo thick substrates For more information call 800-525-6766 or visit wwwheatpresscom
GRAPHTEC CRAFT ROBO PROGraphtec America Inc based in Santa Ana
CA introduced the new Craft ROBO Pro 15rdquo cutting plotter The Craft ROBO Pro is an ideal solution for cutting a wide variety of materials including vinyl film card stock foil heat transfer and image transfer media Incorporating Graphtecrsquos legendary
December 2007 29Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
ARMS (Advanced Registration Marks System) and combined with a desktop printer the Craft ROBO Pro makes contour cutting an easy task Innovations include a new digital servo motor first mark auto-sensing menu navigation system that includes 8 user-defined conditions Tangential Control and three software applications
ROLAND RELEASES DIRECT-TO-FABRIC PRINTERRoland DGA Corp of Irvine CA released
the new 74rdquo HeatWave DFP-74 Fabric Printer through its reseller channel in the US Based on Rolandrsquos HeatWave sublimation technology the DFP-74 Fabric Printer is a complete integrated solution and Rolandrsquos first inkjet ever to support direct printing onto polyester fabrics As a complete solution including printer sublimation unit inks and RIP software the DFP-74 makes it easier than ever for shops to enter the fast-growing textile printing market Key features include eight advanced piezo print heads an intelligent media handling system and a temperature-controlled heating system
HOTRONIX PERFECT PRESSURE HEAT PRESSHotronix of Carmichaels PA has taken heat press technology
to the next level with Perfect Pressure a new digital pressure display functionThis new feature has a single-digit LED readout
that measures the pressure of the inner platen This technology is exclusive to Hotronix and is patent pending Previously a
digital pressure display was available only on air-operated heat press machines With this new pressure display gauge all heat press users will have more consistent results from job to job reducing the number of misprints and speeding up production For more information about
the new digital pressure display contact Stahlsrsquo Hotronix at 800-478-2457 e-mail infostahlscom or visit the Web site at wwwstahlscom
SWF DREAM EMBROIDERY MACHINEWith its new DREAM Machine SWF has broken the barrier in multi-head
embroidery machine technology The DREAM machines are the first multi-head embroidery machines that truly can sew at 1500 stitches per minute During the research and development of these new machines 12 new patents were filed and granted proof that the DREAM machines are built with state-of-the-art technology
Innovations include LED control panel error codes to quickly troubleshoot problems optional devices to do sequins cording and boring automatic oiling system large memory a hoop selector and more These innovative new machines come in configurations ranging from
two to six heads It is distributed exclusively by SWF East (Tampa FL) and SWF MESA (Dallas TX)
MESArsquoS HOTFIX SPANGLE MOTIF MACHINEWith the all new YAS-11 Hotfix Spangle Motif Making
Machine the first of its kind in the United States you can create beautiful spangle transfer designs that have the look of sequins This patented machine which is distributed exclusively in the United States by MESA Distributors of Fort Worth TX cuts out shapes such as circles and squares in a range of sizes from reels of Mylar tape The machine comes with proprietary design software that allows the user to create any pattern or design up to 157 by 157 inches
SAWGRASSrsquo HYBRID SYSTEM FOR EPSON R1800Sawgrass Technologies of Mt Pleasant SC introduced
the SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid System for the Epson R1800 for both sublimation printing and cotton
decorating from one machine The affordable entry-level system features dual functionality with both SubliJet and ChromaBlast inks in one machine allowing users to create customized images with superior color and clarity on both polyester coated substrates and cotton garments This is the second
hybrid system from Sawgrass following in the footsteps of the popular SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid
System for the Epson 4800
TROTECrsquoS NEW LARGE PLATFORM LASER Trotec Laser Inc of Ypsilanti MI has introduced the SP500 series of laser
engraving and cutting systems The systems have a work area of 50rdquo X 28rdquo and X-Axis clearance of 12rdquo The systems are offered in power levels from 45W-200W There is an available pass-through option (Class 4) Exhaust fumes are captured
December 2007 30Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
at the laser head to insure an efficient extraction when using the pass-through featureTrotec systems are designed for minimal wear-and-tear and eliminate the need for periodic replacement of belts and bearings For additional information visit our web site wwwtrotecnet or call 866-226-8505 734-484-3260
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW PROFESSIONAL SERIESUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) of Scottsdale
AZ added four new models in its Professional Laser Series (PLS) line of advanced high-productivity computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving systems The new PLS line which replaces Universalrsquos M V and X laser systems incorporates a
host of evolutionary design improvements to the laser cartridge platform chassis system electronics and software interface The new PLS models include several
powerful new features most notably a unique materials-based print driver called ldquoLaser Interface +rdquo that gives users their choice
between automatic or manual control over power speed and other system settings For more information on Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit Universal Laser Systems online at wwwulsinccom
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW VERSALASERUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) added a
new version of its desktop-sized VersaLasertrade
computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving system The new VersaLaser
improves on the award-winning original thanks to a host of evolutionary design refinements It also
includes a unique next-generation materials-based print driver that automatically calculates power speed
and other system settings It was awarded a patent for the unique design of its external cabinet which also functions as a Class 1 laser safety enclosure For more information about VersaLaser or Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit wwwulsinccom
US SCREENrsquoS FAST T-JET 3US Screen Print and Inkjet Technology of Tempe
AZ adds the Fast T-Jet3TM which features 30 faster print speeds compared to the previous T-Jet2 model and has a longer low profile print bed for easier loading and unloading Now you can produce a full size 12rdquo x 12rdquo (305 x 305 cm) print in one minute on a light shirt and in under three minutes on a black shirt with white ink Small pocket images can be printed in about 15 seconds
US SCREENrsquoS AUTOMATED PRETREATMENT CENTER
Speed up production when using Fast T-Jet inkjet-to-garment printers with the AutoTREATtrade Automatic Pretreatment Center
This versatile piece of equipment allows you to treat shirts on a production level rather than spraying shirts individually one at a time For use with light or dark shirts the AutoTREATtrade
can spray up to three shirts per minute It has two application modesmdashone for lights and one for darks that can be switched over by activating the cleaning mode which flushes out the system with water
TOOLS MATERIALS SOFTWARE
CORELDRAW X3 CERTIFIED FOR WINDOWS VISTACorel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that
CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite X3 has been Certified for Windows Vista Customers who wish to install the Certified for Windows Vista version of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X3 can download the latest service pack (SP2) from wwwcorelcom This new update delivers an exceptional experience for customers on Windows Vista including an updated user interface enhanced security improved text handling and further enhancements to the popular suitersquos renowned import and export file compatibility
COREL LAUNCHES NEW ONLINE COMMUNITY Corel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that it
has launched httpcoreldrawcom a new online community for users of the CorelDRAWreg family of products ndash including CorelDRAW Graphics Suite Corel DESIGNERreg Technical Suite
December 2007 31Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
and Corelreg DRAWingsreg This new community site is the first in a series that Corel will be launching to support its various user communities Designed to fuel inspiration CorelDRAWcom combines forums blogs and galleries for design professionals and graphic hobbyists alike Forums are available in English French German and Spanish serving an international audience
DALCOrsquoS NEW REFLECTIVE HEAT TRANSFERSCater to the safety market with new reflective transfers offered
by Dalco Athletic of Dallas TX These durable transfers come in a reflective silver gray color in three styles police sheriff and fire dept They are sized for left chest and full back so
all you have to do is heat seal for 8 seconds and yoursquore done Itrsquos very fast and easy
DALCOrsquoS NEW OPTIC YELLOW CLASSIC SWB APPLIQUE
Classic SWB appliqueacute designs offered by Dalco Athletic now come in two new styles softballs and tennis balls in optic yellow fabric These new balls literally jump off any wearable and make it an eye-catching standout This appliqueacute collection is ideal for spiritwear items to be sold to fans and family or created as fund-raisers for boosters clubs
POWER GRAPHICS 3 FROM DIGITAL ART SOLUTIONSPower Graphics 3 by Digital Art Solutions of
Tempe AZ is the ultimate design tool for the creation of high-end custom graphics and logos for custom signage awards vehicle graphics promotional products and apparel graphics Tuned to the latest styles and trends it provides fresh graphics that will impress even the most critical and demanding customer It includes more than 1500 images The 10 design categories include Flames Gangsta (Urban) Mascots Offroad Rebel (Biker and Hot
Rod) Retro Speed Sports Surf and Tuner
FLORIANI COMMERCIALrsquoS NEW NO-SHOW DIAMOND MESHContinuing in its tradition of research and development
to create embroidery stabilizers that meet the needs of todayrsquos embroiderers Floriani Embroidery Commercial Division of Knoxville TN released a new product called Floriani No-Show Diamond Mesh This unique nylon mesh stabilizer has a perpendicular embossed pattern that makes it more multi-directionally stable and enables it to better hold stitches for crisper design registration It is specifically designed for light-colored garments where traditional stabilizers have a tendency to show through the front of the garment
GREAT DANErsquoS NEW DIGITAL PHOTO FRAMES Tap into the lucrative team market with an
incredible collection of stock art specially designed to work for direct-to-garment printers sublimation transfers and digital transfers Digital Photo Frames Volume 1 is a collection of spectacular pre-designed layouts each with one or more frames to
insert personal photos The collection includes five categories baseball football basketball soccer and hockey Each category has four designs (20 total layouts) and each design comes in three template formats mugs mouse pads and shirts
So there are a total of 60 template designs in all
IMPRINTABLES WAREHOUSE OFFERS SPECTRA ECO FILMNew from Imprintables Warehouse of
Masontown PA is a digital cutter material that is free of PVC a plus with companies that want to be as environmentally friendly as possible Spectra Eco Film is made with ecological polyurethane and is peeled hot It is pressure sensitive (sticky backing) and extremely easy to weed While maintaining superior durability and opacity this new film is thinner than current offerings on the market and delivers the super soft hand that is in demand by todayrsquos consumers It can be used on 100 cotton 100 polyester polycotton blends and even nylon and leather
December 2007 32Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
KISSCUT TECHNOLOGIESrsquo SELF-WEEDING INKJET TRANSFER PAPER
Kiss Cut Technologies Ltd Newcastle UK has addressed the ldquopolymer windowrdquo issue and developed the worldrsquos first self-weeding inkjet transfer paper for printing to textiles In simple terms only the areas of their patented transfer paper that have been printed will be transferred to the garment when heat pressed A Kiss Cut print can be further embellished with specialized textile foils so in effect a digital foiling method is now available Foil is heat pressed onto the garment and when peeled the foil only sticks to the image areas
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW PHOTOPLAS-TIC MATERIALLaserSketchcom of Lemont IL a leading supplier of
LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble Super Black Granite and Black Onyx Jewelry introduces their new PhotoPlas-Tic This is a new material developed for front andor reverse laser engraving on micro surface impact acrylic plastic It is a premium plastic for laser engraving that is UV stable ideal for photo badges plaques trophies signage and high-end awards Each sheet of PhotoPlas-Tic is specially designed for a crisp clean burn and ultra-fine laser lettering logo and vector output For details call 630-243-6360 or visit wwwlasersketchcom
THEMAGICTOUCH LAUNCHES WOW TRANSFER PAPERTheMagicTouch USA launched WoW Professional
71 transfer paper which requires no weeding or profile cutting and the vibrant colors are achieved using digital laser technology making it great for short runs It uses PolymationTM which incorporates a newly designed catalyst that provides the ultimate compatibility with all generations of dry toner material According to the company PolymationTM is the next generation of laser heat transfer Sublimation requires the substrate to have a specialty receiving polymer coating to absorb the pigments but PolymationTM delivers everything at once polymer pigments and catalyst
December 2007 33Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
offers distinct advantages over any other process It allows for an unlimited number of colors and very fine detail which is impossible with screen printing or embroidery And the cost does not go up as colors are added These new specialty materials are so advanced they can be heat sealed to all kinds of fabrics and hot new multimedia designs can be easily done
VAPOR APPAREL LAUNCHES VAPOR ART VOLUME 1V a p o r A p p a r e l
a s u b s i d i a r y o f SourceSubstrates LLC Charleston SC announces the launch of Vapor Art - Volume 1 a collection of 127 vector graphics for digital sublimation and general use The diverse collection
of high-quality graphics comes after several years of customers requesting access to the companyrsquos sample art at trade shows and educational events The Collection of art includes vector drawings and JPGs for everything from mountain biking and snowboarding to yoga and cheerleading
BLANK PRODUCTS
COLORADO HEIRLOOMrsquoS COLOR LACQUERED FRAMES
Colorado Heirloom Inc of Loveland CO introduced their new Color Lacquered Frames This is an option to add color your unique creations It is not color fill Colored lacquer is sprayed on their high quality wood frames Because
INKTRA STRETCH TRANSFER PAPER FROM STAHLSrsquoStahlsrsquo based in St Clair
Shores MI adds InkTratrade Stretch a flexible transfer paper A revolutionary product InkTratrade Stretch provides a soft hand with an amazing stretch and recovery feature InkTratrade Stretch lets you take your favorite photo or graphic design and apply it to light colored or white hats shirts bags and more for a long lasting and completely personalized garment The highly stretchable paper can be applied to cotton polycotton blends spandex and Lycrareg
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo GOOF-PROOF TRANSFERSWant the look of screen
printing without the hassle With Goof Proofreg transfers offered by Transfer Express of Mentor OH you can custom order a transfer that has the popular athletic feel and will apply in a blazing four seconds Ordering is done step-by-step online and you can customize hundreds of designs You choose your
typeface colors and size Once your design is just the way you want it you can print it out to show a customer for approval Or Transfer Express can print from your artwork The minimum order is only five pieces and your one-color order ships in one to three working days
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo NEW FULL-COLOR DIGI PRINTSApparel decorators can now offer full-color designs on light
and dark apparel made of virtually any type of fabric without the hassle or minimums of screen printing with new state-of-the-art heat transfer technology called Digi Printstrade Offered through Transfer Express this revolutionary new method of decorating
December 2007 34Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
lacquer is used instead of paint any design can be lasered on these frames The possibilities are endless These colorful creations are offered in two different designs -- a designer frame and a frame with an insert Call 970-667-4222 or visit wwwcoloradoheirloomcom
CONDE ADDS PET MATS FOR SUBLIMATIONCondeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added food bowl placemats and litter box
mats to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Favorite photographs and pet-related artwork can be transferred to the
mats to create fun products for individual pet lovers or for the pet industry such as pet stores veterinarians groomers boarding facilities and animal adoption groups Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing Call Conde at 800-826-6332
CONDE INTRODUCES FABRIC PATCHES FOR SUBLIMATION
Condeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added fabric patches to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Custom decorators can now produce unique full-color patches that will impress organizations businesses clubs sports teams sports enthusiasts and individuals alike -- without the use of embroidery Heat seal patches are great for identification marketing awards trade show promotions or to commemorate special events Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing or call 800-826-6332
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW LASERSLABLaserSketch of Lemont IL Internationally known for
their LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble and Super Black Granite announces LaserSlab Super Black Granite at 4rsquo x 8rsquo x 7mm and 4rsquo x 4rsquo x 7mm weighting in at just over 2 pounds per square foot The surface of the LaserSlab Granite has the sheen of a black mirror The reverse side features epoxy fiberglass backing to give structure integrity to the ultra-lite granite sheet All may be viewed wwwlasersketchcom or by calling LaserSketch 630-243-6360
MATTHEWS INTRODUCES ALUMICOLORTM
Matthews International Corp of Pittsburgh PA introduced Alumicolortrade a high-resolution graphics solution for aluminum signage recognition commemoration and way finding Using cutting-edge technology Matthews embeds a four-color image into the aluminum to create an anodized reproduction of unsurpassed durability Alumicolortrade products which are designed for interior and exterior installations are resistant to extreme weather conditions graffiti scuffing grease chemicals and UV rays Additionally they will not chip crack or peel
PSI ADDS ROUND FRAMES amp STRING PUZZLES Paramount Services Inc of Hollywood FL
introduced new round resin frames for sublimation tiles Choose from Coral or RopeStone with optional Unisubreg Hardboard Tiles They will also accept the Bison 8rdquo round glass Cutting Board Why be square when round may fit better PSI also introduced a new puzzle guaranteed to string you along These String Puzzles come with a Unisubreg Hardboard puzzle and the necessary string and beads along with instructions how to string it after printing Templates to aid in design are available for download in several formats For details call 800-455-7212 or visit wwwDye-Sublimation-Productscom
CRYSTALEDGEreg LUXORTM CRYSTAL AWARDSCrystalEdgereg Chicago IL presented the Luxortrade Series
This stunning cost-effective collection comprises a series of specially designed Rosewood and Black Piano finish bases Matte Mahogany and Matte Black bases and a precision cast Satin Nickel Finish Metal Base with your choice of brass or silver hardware for mounting our twelve unique shapes making this the most versatile award yet Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks are curved 14rdquo thick crystal clear glass with 316rdquo diameter holes for mounting The Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks feature a generous engraving area and there is plenty of room on the base to add an engraving plate
December 2007 35Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
XENETECHrsquoS NEW ENGRAVABLE GIFTSXenetech of Baton Rouge
LA introduced high quality engravable gift items at wholesale and quantity discounts The Xenetech collection provides a selection of gifts created for corporate recognition weddings births holidays anniversaries retirements birthdays special occasions or just expressing appreciation Items include money clips key chains book markers desk accessories quartz movement clocks flasks amp wine accessories entertainment gifts travel gifts genuine Swiss Army knives business card holders luggage tags silver-plated jewelry boxes keepsake gift boxes silver-plated banks and baby gifts The gift items are designed primarily for diamond drag burnishing and rotary engraving personalization
UNISUBrsquoS CHROMALUXE PHOTO PANELSChromaLuxe photo panels are an exciting new line
of sublimatable products from Unisub of Louisville KY These panels allow you to sell a completely finished photo product to your customers capturing some of the additional revenue (and profit) your customers now spend elsewhere on framing Available in a range of traditional photo sizes as well as exciting new shapes these panels can be joined together to create stunning photo displays -- perfect for a fireplace mantle l i b r a r y s h e l f or the top of an armoire Available in aluminum or MDF substrates
CorelDRAWPro IndexOne of our members in Michigan
requested that we put together an Index of all the articles wersquove published during the year
He prints out all the issues and puts them in binders but an Index would make it easy to reference specific articles We think itrsquos a good idea and wersquoll send it to all subscribers in January
Product Focus TopicsJanuary 2008 -- Signage Products esp Wide FormatFebruary 2008 -- Engraving Awards amp GiftsMarch 2008 -- Apparel ProductsApril 2008 -- Laser Wood Products
Coming in 2008
December 2007 36Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETSBy Donna M Gray CRM Opportunities
December ndash Time to Review December finds everyone on our team strategizing how to get out of our parking lot Our business sits right in the middle of an up-scale strip mall which sits right behind a huge shopping mall and right along the main road to a Target Superstore and other large malls We all know that from the day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday) until 2 weeks after the New Year there are great challenges to those of us who like to leave the building for lunch or run an errandhellipso we strategize We all know every secret shortcut to the bank the post office and the warehouse club What we donrsquot know is how to find the way to merge out of our own back alley into the constant flow of traffic that carries people to their end shopping destination Whew
The year-end review So this year Dave and I have decided to stay in at lunch and do our business strategizing instead Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup are good brain food for helping us to look at all the successful things we did last year as a company all the things we thought about doing but didnrsquot because the idea didnrsquot quite fit and all the things we put off until next year We do this kind of exercise every year end and it helps us to map out our strategy for the coming year In the process we identify any mistakes wersquove made wrong turns wersquove taken and we try to find the ldquowhat could have happened had everything gone rightrdquo
The value of making mistakes Albert Einstein said ldquoAnyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything newrdquo Dave has a couple of prints in his office of Abraham Lincoln that describe his mistakes in fact it took Lincoln eight tries to win the presidency Thomas Edison made mistakeshellipand yet he perseveredhellipotherwise wersquod by ldquocomputingrdquo by candlelight And Irsquove heard that Colonel
Sanders had a thousand rejections before he sold his first chicken recipe It would be nice to get to our year end business appraisals and find that wersquove made no mistakes but our business like most others doesnrsquot have that claim to fame My mother always took the high road with mistakes She always said that one should recognize the benefits of a mistake One should learn what good came from it use it to improve and use it to help motivate success the next time So December is the time to analyze everything that made up the past year and look for ways to make the New Year successful in every way
Making a plan Most advisors say that the first step toward business success after looking at a companyrsquos year ending history is to decide on exactly what you want to do going forward in the coming year Then comes mapping out the plan What will be done How will it get done Who will do what What resources will be used When will it get done Is the right equipment in place Is the space adequate Ask these and any other questions that could relate to creating a successful year then focus on the details and follow through Those two wordshellipfocus and follow throughhellipcould mean the difference between marginal and abundant success Simply stated success comes from what you do and the way you do ithellipin your customerrsquos perception Every business wants to have a good imagehellipa good reputation so dedication to having good communication skills is important especially in an industry that does custom work The goal is to be on the same page as our clients so we have to be good mind readers We have to also concentrate on our professionalism on our appearance on our presentation style and in the pride we take in producing a well-done project This
has worked in the past and will remain the same in the future
The extra mile Success has to be nurturedhellipthen it gets celebrated Sometimes sacrifices have to be made to get to the rewards At year end when we analyze how we got from Point A to Point B itrsquos interesting to note that we sometimes had to take detours and sometimes the road blocks called for sacrificehellipof time or money Sometimes the sacrifice came in the way of a sleepless night worrying if an order that was lost in delivery would be found and re-routed to us in time to make a clientrsquos deadline Someone (unknown) said ldquoA day of worry is more exhausting than a week of workrdquo Anyone in business could testify to that Part of success is going the extra milehellipeven if it results in a sleepless night Going the extra mile is worth all the paid advertising in the world on the road to success
December 2007 37Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETS
Donna Grayrsquos 2nd book Itrsquos All Relative Surviving amp Thriving in a Family Business was published in September 2007
It describes her quest to identify the keys to suc-cess for small business and family businesses in particular She interviewed top businesses nationwide and discovered five common qualities implemented by successful business owners Check it out at the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore wwwcoreldrawprocomAllBook-storehtm
Commitments made and kept Our team felt good about some commitments we made and kept this past year like
We used a daily ldquoto-dordquo list and we set priorities in order of importance When we finished a project we ldquocelebratedrdquo and then moved on quickly to the next job We built in some time for ldquostress reliefrdquo with morning meeting breaks This was especially good when treats were served since wersquove got some good bakers on our staff We didnrsquot ldquoscreenrdquo calls through voice mail We considered every call to be important We ldquodid it right the first timerdquo even though it sometimes took longer We tied up all the ldquoloose endsrdquo We became ldquocheerleadersrdquo for each other When one of us accomplished a goal we all applauded We all tried to deliver more than we promised This can be challenging sometimes when working with a difficult project We eliminated (or tried to eliminate) unnecessary procedures and we simplified our paper flow system We spent most of our time on high priority tasks We all worked on our delegation skills We were committed to not wasting time either our own or other peoplersquos
Goals that were lacking Now all those great things being put on paper reminds me that we also had some goals we didnrsquot quite succeed athellipbut wersquoll try harder next year
We didnrsquot always ldquogrouprdquo tasks togetherhelliplike going to the bank and the post office in one trip or answering mail when it gets opened It wasnrsquot always easy to avoid procrastination Some low priority chores got put off There were still times when we couldnrsquot find enough hours to finish the work Our ldquotoolsrdquo didnrsquot always get put away when we were through with a project even though this is Daversquos pet peeve
Conclusion Experts say that we have to actively create our success not wait for it to happen This coming year hopefully none of us will sit in the comfort zone waiting for the phone to ring Therersquos an old Chinese proverb that goes ldquoIt you continually give you will continually haverdquo Our team will go on being involved in community activities When time is spent on worthwhile projects outside the business opportunities come knocking at the front counter Besideshellipat yearrsquos endhellipit makes us feel really good about the help we gave on these projects
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since1977 She can be reached by email at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
December 2007 38Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
GRAPHICS NEWS NETWORKAll these news and information products and services are part of the
Graphics News Network developed for ACDRP The goal is ldquoAll the News All the Time mdash For the World of Graphicsrdquo
GRAPHICS NewsWireThe Graphics News Wire is the always live always updated source for graphics news mdash products equipment technology and more Make it (CorelDRAWProcomNewsPagehtm) your home page or favorite to gain access to Breaking news updated regularly New Classified Ads New Job Announcements Supplier SpecialsAll news is related to graphic productsQuickSourceTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive amp Easy-To-Use
Search Engine
It gives you one-click access to suppliers products phone numbers and live links to ACDRP Member Suppliers Itrsquos always up-to-date searchable by keyword and accessible from your desktop
Quick TnTTM
The Industryrsquos Newest Resource for Graphics Tips amp Templates
Gain access to a growing library of CorelDRAW tips and templates that will make your work easier
QuickLearnTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive and
Easy-To-Use Article Library
Gain access to hundreds of articles on graphics-related and business topics searchable by keyword
The Entrepreneurial Magazine for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro Magazine is delivered to you once a month in PDF format It features in-depth content that readers rave about including articles on how to use CorelDRAW how to apply CorelDRAW and how to profit from CorelDRAW
News Tips amp Resources for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month mdash about the 15th and 25th It brings you highly targeted content that you wonrsquot find elsewhere including CorelDRAW Tips extensive product news links and a calendar of shows and training
MARKET PLACE
Quality Engravable JewelryHand-crafted in New England
GIFTS amp ACCESSORIES FOR WOMEN AND MEN
John E Lepper Inc800-835-3623 Fax 508-222-2732
wwwjeleppercom
GenuineWhite-tone
Pewter amp Gold
Some Things Were Meant To Be In Etched in Stone
Call for a free color catalog
NampR International1155 Allgood Rd 13Marietta GA 30062
678-560-4088Fax 678-560-1157
Importers amp Wholesalers of MarbleOnyx
Gifts amp Accessories
JOIN TODAY
The worldrsquos only association for CorelDRAWreg Users
wwwcoreldrawprocomJoinhtm
Place an Ad for as little as $215 per month
Find out how by calling our Ad Representative John McDaniel II
541-990-6687
the entrepreneurial magazine
GET LISTED TODAY
Generate new businessby doing jobs for others
List your company in GSG the Digital Yellow Pages for the industry wwwcoreldrawprocomListGSGhtm
December 2007 39Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Louie Alvarez started in the industry working for one of the largest trophy shops in Central California and then opened one of the first retail laser engraving businesses He has given seminars and workshops on CorelDRAW and Laser for many years and has written for several publications He is now with Vytek Industrial Lasers and is based in Las Vegas NV He can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
Kathryn Arnold is the Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
Errol Barr has a wide range of experience in sales amp marketing eventually getting into laser systems in 1999 currently with Vytek Industrial Lasers He also sold extensively in the CNC router industry selling the machines as more of a business opportunity wrapped around the machine He can be reached by email at errolbarrgmailcom
Dave Demoret founded Prolink Graphic Services to help people understand and profit from learning CorelDRAW He has been in both the Flat Graphics Industry and the Decorating Graphics Industry for 30 years He has written articles for several publications is a Corel Training Partner and conducts workshops nationwide and online He is the author of several CD Instructional programs on CorelDRAW He can be reached at 765-DO COLOR (362-6567) or davedprolinkgscom
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since 1977 She has presented seminars on a variety of topics nationwide and has won many marketing awards She is the author of two books on family business and can be reached at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
Bill Leek is a color consultant for JBL Graphics in Houston TX and has over 30 years experience in computer engineering and graphics design He has developed several lines of color imprintable products and does testing on a variety of products for different manufacturers He can be reached at wfleekjblgraphicscom or 281-970-6677
Jeff McDaniel is the owner of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon He worked as a journeyman machinist before getting into the graphic products business Creative Graphic offers laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials Contact him at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
John McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry He worked for many years with computers in electronic data processing and pioneered the use of CorelDraw for engraving applications He owned a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years and writes about hardware design software laser engraving sublimation and more He is a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals For information on training and more call 541-967-4271 or write to mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
Judy McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry Her background includes many forms of art and retail sales as well as the operation of a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years She is a regular columnist on sandblasting sublimation and diversifying business as well as a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals She can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
David Milisock is president of Custom Graphic Technologies Inc in Pennsylvania He has been in the print production business since 1975 and specializes in professional support for CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite Output includes computer-to-plate processes for all commercial digital front-end applications as well as Postscript-compliant graphic applications He offers technical and color management support for all RIP-driven corporate digital output systems He can be reached at 717-509-3523 or davidmilisockcomcastnet
Deborah Sexton former editor of Impressions Magazine has been in the apparel graphics industry since 1981 She currently does marketing and public relations for apparel graphics companies and is a columnist for several industry publications She can be reached at dsextonsbcglobalnet
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at 916-567-1867
December 2007 40Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
by Otis Veteto
Traveling Tidbits
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the
RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of
the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Itrsquos a fun and
informative column focusing on the human-interest side of
the industry Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars
for industry organizations and some of that knowledge
will rub off as well He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at
916-567-1867
Reps Volunteers People Skills amp Agreements
RS Owens Southeast RepFirst of all a Traveling Tidbits welcome to
the newest member of the RS Owens Company sales team Anita Brennan Anita is the new Regional Sales Manager for the Southeast She will be calling on you folks in Alabama Tennessee Mississippi Florida Georgia North Carolina and South Carolina Anita has worked in all phases of our industry as a retailer (her own business) multi-line rep and now as a regional sales manager When I asked Anita what she likes to do when not on the road she told me she likes to spend time with her two-year-old granddaughter Kaylee Welcome to the RS Owens family Anita Brennan
Railroad Museum VolunteerI know Christmas is the time for giving
but some people give all year long I was talking recently with Elias Athanasiou whose regular job is a server in a restaurant my wife and I frequent when I am in Sacramento Elias has been associated as a volunteer with the California State Railroad Museum for about 16 years Every Saturday during the ldquorunning seasonrdquo April-September Elias can be found working as a volunteer on the Steam Engine excursion train that runs for 6 miles along the top of the levee on the Sacramento River The ride takes about 40 minutes Elias is the Engineer now but has worked as conductor and fireman in his tenure with the train It is people like Elias Athanasiou that make this a much better world A huge Traveling Tidbits SALUTE You can find out more about the Railroad Museum at wwwcsrmorg
Real People SkillsThis next tidbit is from the PPAI Promotional
Consultant Today The author is Roy Chitwood president of Max Sacks International in Seattle Wash It is entitled To Shine Polish Your People Skills
ldquoPeople buy not because they understand your product or service but because they feel that you understand them People buy emotionally As a professional salesperson you need to be more people-oriented not product centered Here are seven quick and easy techniques to improve your people skills
SMILE It is the universal sign of friendship in any language The Chinese have a proverb ldquoA man who cannot smile should not open a storerdquo Think about that Give a smile and you will get a smile in return
DEVELOP A GENUINE INTEREST IN OTHERS When you have sincere interest it shows Look directly at people when they are talking to you Let your facial expression register your interest Ask good open-ended questions to let people know that you are interested in what they say
TALK IN TERMS OF THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS INTERESTS You will never meet anyone who doesnrsquot have time to talk about what they want to talk about Encourage your prospect to discuss his or interests rather than launching into a discussion about yourself
USE THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS NAME Using a name builds personal rapport and shows you are listening with respect Be careful about overusing the personrsquos name
GIVE COMPLIMENTS Everyone loves a compliment when it is genuine Make a
concentrated effort to give at least 3 honest compliments every day of your life You will be amazed at what it will do for your relationships
LISTEN Listening is the greatest compliment you can pay When you assume the role of the listener it relaxes the sales climate As you listen you are demonstrating that you truly care and you are genuinely interested in what he or she has to say
MAKE THE OTHER PERSON FEEL IMPORTANT When you are sincerely impressed by something the other person has achieved or owns let them know it Understand that fundamentally every person is important and treat them accordingly
Personal comment When I finished reading this I thought to myself ldquoThese make sense in our everyday life not just in salesrdquo
The Third AgreementI will close with the 3rd step from the book
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel RuizDONrsquoT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS Find the
courage to ask questions and to express what you really want Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings sadness and drama
Sounds a little like what I wrote at the beginning of the column doesnrsquot it
Thatrsquos all for now Remember to save some time for yourself and your family And when you travel please travel safe
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE
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December 2007 10Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Using CorelDRAWregTraining
By Corel CorporationUsing Preview Modes in Image Adjustment Lab
When working with files that have poor color balance and contrast you need to use many different tools to make adjustments You can save valuable time by using the Image Adjustment Lab which is accessible from both Corel PHOTO-PAINTreg and CorelDRAWreg By uniting the most important manual and automatic controls required for common color and tone corrections the Image Adjustment Lab offers a fast intuitive way to achieve professional results with your image files
With the Image Adjustment Lab you can use different preview modes for evaluating the color and tone adjustments you make You can preview the corrected image in a single window view the original and corrected images in separate windows or view the image split into original and corrected portions within one window
The Image Adjustment Lab also lets you create snapshots of your adjustments with just one click The snapshots appear below the working preview which lets you easily compare each snapshot against the original version and then choose the best result
The preview mode buttons (A) and the Create Snapshot
button (B)
To open the Image Adjustment LabDo one of the following If yoursquore working in CorelDRAW click Bitmaps gt Image Adjustment Lab If yoursquore working in Corel PHOTO-PAINT click Adjust gt Image Adjustment Lab
To preview the corrected image in a single window
After correcting the image click the Full Preview button
To view the original and corrected images in separate windows
After correcting the image click the Before and after full preview button
To view original and corrected portions of an image in one window
After correcting the image click the Before and after split preview button
To capture the current version of your image
Click the Create Snapshot button
Thumbnails of the snapshots appear in a window below your image Each snapshot is numbered sequentially and can be deleted by clicking the Close button in the upper-right corner of the snapshot title bar
December 2007 11Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Using CorelDRAWregTraining
By Dave Demoret Contributing writerBitmap vs Vector
BITMAPSOne of the reasons bitmaps are not the desired image of choice in our industry is
that they do not reproduce well when enlarging the image Nor do they lend themselves to our process of decorating at least in screen printing embroidery and vinyl cutting to mention a few markets We need to use color in solid object form to achieve many of the end products we produce Color is very difficult to change in a bitmap image so we tend to lean towards the vector side to achieve our goals
One of the most confusing issues especially for beginners is the difference between bitmap also called raster and vector images To help clarify this take a look at the images on the side Bitmaps are made up of thousands of pixels (short for picture elements) which are tiny squares usually of different colors that form a picture These pixels are what make up the resolution of a given picture or bitmap image In lithography they are commonly referred to as dpi or dots per inch ndash thatrsquos for printing resolution We also use the dpi designation when we are talking about pixels per inch (ppi) in our industry but thatrsquos not technically correct Pixels per inch (ppi) refers to resolution on a monitor However we are looking at the scanning and the end product resolution in this article and therefore we are mostly concerned with the standard dpi measurement
Bitmaps are usually scanned into a graphics program or taken from a digital camera using the dpi designation In the illustrations here a 300 dpi (dots per inch) image is somewhat defined and appears to have clean edges but as we enlarge the image we are in effect decreasing the dots per inch We are making the dots themselves larger and therefore there are fewer dots that will fit into a one inch space By increasing the size using dpi or enlarging the bitmap using the dpi measurement we begin to see pixels and
very rough edge definition This is not especially good for printing or digitizingIf you have an image to print at 300 dpi to heat press on a t-shirt it can look pretty
good but if you want that same image to go on the back of a jacket and you try to enlarge it you will get the lsquojaggiesrsquo It is very difficult to take a low resolution image and increase the size while maintaining any kind of clarity or quality image
On the other hand if you have a low resolution image that needs to be reduced you will increase the image resolution because you will be putting more dots in that same one inch This simply means that a 300 dpi resolution image reduced by 50 will become a 600 dpi resolution
Image Size -vs- Image DPIAllow me to take this one step further to explain image dpi versus image size
When you have a 5 x 7 photo and you scan it into your CorelDRAWreg or scanning software you have the option of selecting the resolution using the dpi measurement If you want to enlarge the photo for your project increase the dpi I usually scan most everything at least a minimum of 600 dpi (figure 1) Others I will scan at 1200 to 1800 dpi to get a better quality print when I enlarge it enough to fit on a shirt Yes it does take longer to scan but the work on the other end is reduced dramatically
Remember that a 600 dpi image when reduced will become a 1200 dpi image In reverse the same 600 dpi image (figure 1) when enlarged will become a 300 dpi image (figure 2) This is all coming from the same 5 x 7 size image Size really doesnrsquot make a difference Itrsquos the resolution that will give you the quality that you are looking for
Resampling in CorelDRAWMost of the images you download
December 2007 12Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Using CorelDRAWregTraining
from the Internet will be 72 dpi (figure 3) and some are at 96 dpi These images are low grade and will need to be used at the existing size You can help them a little by using the lsquoResamplersquo in the pull down menu under Bitmaps in the Menu Bar of CorelDRAW This wonrsquot help a lot but may give you some assistance with some images The problem here is that the image will look slightly smoother but if enlarged much at all you will see it as being fuzzy or out of focus (figure 4) Play with resampling at several higher dpi choices and image sizes to get a feel for what you can and can not do
VECTOR IMAGESVector graphics are images that are made from mathematical
computations That is there is a certain shape and color associated with an outline and that area is the vector object as shown with one of the links here (figure 1) There are no definite objects or outlines in a bitmap It is simply thousands or millions of pixels each of a different color shade or tint That is why bitmaps are so hard to change easily With a vector image you simply select an object within the graphic and change the shape size and color with the tools provided in your graphics software
In contrast to the bitmap the vector image can be enlarged to any size without any distortion of edge definition This allows us to generate an image for a business card or a left chest logo on a t-shirt or a name tag then turn around and enlarge that same image to be placed on a billboard without any distortion of the image All the objects lines and integrity of the image are still intact (figure 2) no matter what size we select You can also see in figure 2 with the magnification that all the lines are still crisp sharp edges with no distortions
Vector images are the base images used in embroidery screen printing vinyl graphics and other markets within our graphics industry Many manufacturers today have geared their software as an add-on to CorelDRAW because of the ease clarity and flexibility that vector images offer
You can change a vector into a bitmap image with the click of a few buttons It takes considerably longer in most cases to change a bitmap into a vector file Most of the time
you will have to manually redraw or trace the bitmap image to convert it to a vector file There are programs out today that will convert these for you at least up to a point CorelDRAW is one of these programs PowerTrace is an auto trace feature used in the latest version of CorelDRAW
Printing ImagesWhile you will want to create your graphics in a vector
format you should know some basic principles of printing these two file choices One is that when you print a vector file it can take several times longer to print than a bitmap image of the same graphic Therefore for most of my printing in digital format like sublimation or heat transfer I will save a copy of my vector graphic as an original and make a duplicate copy to convert to a bitmap format for printing purposes
Another thing that most beginners donrsquot know is that if you are creating an image with CMYK Color Palette and print it to an inkjet printer you will throw off your color in the printed piece For example blues generally tend to turn to a violet lavender or purple shade Check with your supplier or distributor to help you set your printer to lsquoOutput color bitmaps as RGBrsquo And use your RGB Color Palette to color your graphic images
Dave Demoret founded Prolink Graphic Services to help people understand and profit from learning CorelDRAW He has been in both the Flat Graphics Industry and the Decorating Graphics Industry over the past 30 years He has written several articles for Screen Graphics Magazine on Color Control amp Matching in the past Dave has used CorelDRAWreg since version 3 and became a CorelDRAW Training Partner in 2006 During the past 5 years he has been conducting workshops all over the US and is the author of several Video CDs amp Instructional CDs on CorelDRAW Dave continues to conduct workshops in the US amp also worldwide online He can be reached at 765-DO COLOR (362-6567) or by email at davedprolinkgscom
December 2007 13Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE COLORBy David Milisock Training
Wow Powerful Controversial Useful I find the latter term to be most honest as shooting photos in the RAW format allows as much chance for the image to be ruined as it does for it to be improved The key to it being an improved experience rather then a ruined experience is of course understanding what the technology is all about work flow calibration and your skill
First off all cameras shoot RAW lower-cost cameras just wonrsquot let you save the file without an automated conversion process Here is the definition of RAW as printed in my new book Color Management in the CorelDRAW Graphics Suite for Professionals Small Office and Home Office capture C (to be released January 2008)
RAW is a file format that is proprietary to the camera manufacturer They are linear-gamma grayscale images from digital color filter arrays All these files require processing by a RAW converter to convert them to an RGB image
What this means to the user outside of the photographic ramifications is that the user needs to understand how the process is going to affect their color How this comes about is that the camera has a capture array that has red green and blue sensors Or an array that has filters to make some sensors only sensitive to red some only to blue and some only to green Each set of red blue and green sensors creates grayscale data that has to be combined to three channels Color is not only applied to the channels based on the value of the grayscale but a color space is assigned All cameras do this some just donrsquot let you do it manually
What Irsquom saying Is that as soon as the RAW converter develops a color display a color space has been assigned In fact the application has to have a
ldquoRAWrdquostandard color space to base the preview display on or your color edits would have no meaning
Stand-alone applications may allow you to choose what color space to apply to the image Some do not some force you to use an ultra-wide gamut RGB color space like Prophoto RAW Lab or plug-ins within image editing applications are most likely to use the internal (working) RGB of the application
So often it is written that RAW files have no color space and this is a true-falsehood True as long as they are still linear grayscale data streams of no value to anyone without a RAW converter but false as soon as you start the process of making a universally accepted RGB image of them
The key to the process is making sure that you understand what color space your converter assigned to the image so you can coordinate the internal RGB of Corel PHOTO-PAINTreg Make sure to activate the arrow from the internal RGB to the monitor
Any process that does not have the image
editor and RAW converter working in a coordinated manner will totally negate any benefit of using RAW You simply wonrsquot know what colors yoursquore really working with and thatrsquos not good for a process that was supposed to improve your work not make it worse
To my mind that biggest problem I see is that multiple RAW converter applications when viewing a RAW file as shot by the camera can have vastly different displays of the same image See capture A amp B (blurred on purpose) if you have a mind to try using RAW converting I suggest calibrating your display system first as this RAW image when opened in 4 different RAW converters has the white balance temperature identified
Coming Soon to the CorelDRAWPro Book Store A new book by columnist
David Milisock
Color Management in the CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
For Professionals Small Office and Home Office
Basic Color Theory bull Postscript and Non-Postscript Devices
RIPs for Ink Jets and Press bull Adobe Color Coordination
Color Continuity During Exportation bull and Much More
December 2007 14Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE COLOR
as four different values ranging from 2850 to 9980 OUCH Itrsquos hard to believe that the same data has been interpreted to be as shot by the camera judging by these two images isnrsquot it
This can only be described as an extremely painful experience Now you canrsquot rely on the software to interpret the data properly so the only thing you have that you can rely on is your calibrated work flow and your good sense
Another complaint that I have about stand-alone RAW converter applications is that in many cases the image display within the application is so poor that I cannot make a reasonable editing decision for any color or sharpening The image is glassy like in Paint Shop Pro or too soft like in Photoshopreg not sharp and clear like in PHOTO-PAINT OUCH
Please note in Capture A the Adobe RGB color space is already in play (see lower left corner) The adjustments available as shown in this capture are typical for RAW converters and
this capture will show them to you I am neither pro nor con RAW What Irsquove found is that
it is most generally used like image editor in place of good photography This is not always a bad thing Saving the cost on another shooting session through technology certainly has its selling point
Another observation Irsquove noticed is that as the cost of the cameras goes up the quality of their built-in conversion also goes up Many times they will save TIF instead of JPG files This is a real plus In studio settings with a superior camera you most likely will work your butt off and not be as good as the built-in RAW conversion of a studio quality camera On site live shoots is where the RAW conversion application seems to have a place to be most useful in my mind
Irsquom a Corel PHOTO-PAINT guy and I love my sharp clean PHOTO-PAINT display So until Corel PHOTO-PAINT has a RAW converter Irsquom sticking with the camera conversion and a TIF file for studio work But I will certainly use RAW when it benefits my client which benefits me
Watch out next month itrsquos going to be HOT
David Milisock is president of Custom Graphic Technologies Inc He has been in the print production business since 1975 and specializes in professional support for the CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite He can be reached at 717-509-3523 or davidmilisockcomcastnet See full bio on Writers Page
Itrsquos Who Knows YOU Network Your Way to Successby Chien J Wang president of Toujours Inc
Turbo-charge your networking with unique strategies that work Chien at-tends 10-12 events a week and has created a system for turning contacts into customers and customers into lifelong relationships
wwwcoreldrawprocomallbookstorehtm
Captures A amp B Two blurry images (on purpose) showing what happens to the white balance when opened in
different RAW converters This is typical
December 2007 15Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE TRANSFERSBy Bill Leek Applications
Headstart on Spring 10 Things You Can Do in January to Make 2008 a Successful Year
I have to be honesthellipMy normal inclination after the holiday season is to relax and take it easy for a few weeks It seems that after a very busy year I really deserve it But small- to medium-size business owners cannot afford to do this The few weeks of relative calm after Christmas are too valuable to squander
Every year I write up an action plan for January Hear are some ideas that you may find valuable
1) Follow the lead of the big retailers Valentinersquos Day is almost here and Easter is early this year Get your new spring displays mailings emails and catalogs out right after the holidays Highlight some new products with spring themes every year
2) Offer January specials with sizable discounts if you anticipate a slow month Use coupons and thank you gifts to show appreciation to your loyal long-term customers
3) Br igh ten up your display space with new graphics fixtures and lighting Look into new LED displays They offer superior lighting at significantly lower cost and maintenance LED
technology will replace both incandescent and neon lighting and signage in just a few years
4) Spend some time to really learn your software application January is a great time to learn new features and upgrade your Corel Software Buy a guide or an interactive CDDVD to speed up the learning curve
5) January is a great time to find new vendors equipment and imprintables You have more time and the vendors may be more responsive as sales are slower You very well might be able to make that great deal on a piece of capital equipment yoursquove wanted for some time
Ask vendors to provide you with samples of new inks imprintables and transfer papers Test washability compare color quality and evaluate production ease
Look at the new technologies -- direct printing on soft and hardgoods eco-solvent inks color laser printer transfer and new sublimation coatings are all ldquohotrdquo areas to investigate
6) Donrsquot just perform a physical inventory Evaluate inventory turnover and get rid of any dead items that are just taking up shelf space
7) Look at your customer base Are you trying to be all things to all people Are there specific niches where you have had greater success
than others Determine how to build on your strengths and possibly remove yourself from markets that are not profitable
8) Organize an email list of all your existing customers and solid leads Improve your communications with a newsletter Donrsquot overkill with your emailshelliptherersquos a fine line between informative and irritating
9) Sit down and list your major accomplishments and failures of the past year Try to assign a quantitative measure where you can Make a detailed list in each area and honestly investigate what resulted in success or failure
10) Come up with a list of 10-20 goals that you can realistically achieve in 2008 These goals can be defined as specific actions or financial results Create a small poster and display it in place where you will see it every day Go over the list every month and ask yourself how you are doing
I wish you all a Very Happy New Year I will try to keep you informed of all the exciting technical and market developments in 2008 Thanks for all your questions ideas and support during the past year
Add quality imprintables from Unisub for the
Valentinersquos Day market
December 2007 16Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE PRINTSUBLIMATIONBy Judy and John McDaniel Applications
Creating Sublimation Product Templates
Last time we finished all the background stuff now wersquoll get on to making things Wersquoll start with flat products which include plaques tiles shirts and other garments etc Later wersquoll explore specialty items like cups
Creating a Product Template FileThe first step in designing graphics for any new
product that we intend to make again and again is to create a product template Templates give us layouts into which we can place our text and graphics They may take a little time to set up initially however they make it much easier and faster to produce products once the templates are available
The first step in designing a template is to determine the page size in CorelDRAWreg For sublimated products that requires we decide what size the finished transfer will be The size of the transfer will determine the page size
The finished transfer may or may not be the size of the printed sheet For example if we are printing transfers for t-shirts generally they will be on full 11 x 17 sheets That said we have some layouts that will be printed in portrait orientation vertical on the shirt and some in landscape horizontal We have both styles available as templates If we are including a customerrsquos photo in the finished design the orientation of the photo might determine which template we use
For ceramic tiles the transfer may be the size of an individual tile or perhaps the size of a tile array For plaques the transfer is generally slightly larger than the print area of the plaque -- 4 x 6 5 x 7 8 x 10 etc For badges our template might be the size of a single badge or if we have a fixture for pressing badges our template might be the size of the fixture If wersquore pressing ceramic steins and cups we might have an array of templates some for fronts backs full wraps and full wraps edge to edge
Another variable to consider when creating a sublimation template is the size
of your printer and heat press The largest transfer that can be printed or pressed will determine the upper limit of the templatersquos page size These factors are only of concern for large items like shirts
In our shop we have both wide format (11inch) and standard (85 inch) sublimation printers We can choose roll material or standard sheets Currently our largest flat press is 14 x 16 inches so thatrsquos our upper limit for flat product images
Creating a T-shirt TemplateRemember creating a template is something you
only do one time for each item in your inventory and for any variations you would like to have available Creating
Photo 1
Photo 2
December 2007 17Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE PRINTING
a template file takes a little time in the beginning but saves a lot of time in the long run
With these factors in mind Irsquoll go through the steps of creating a special-occasion t-shirt template The first one Irsquoll create will be in portrait orientation If yoursquod like to follow along open CorelDraw to a new project 11 x 17 paper and set the orientation to portrait
Set Guidelines Next wersquoll bring in some guidelines These will
help us see the image area we have to work with For this project Irsquoll set guidelines at frac12 inch in from the left and right 1 inch in from the top and 3 inches up from bottom The guides are for visual reference This is the maximum text and graphics layout area
Since this is a vertical layout our graphic will be 1 inch down from the top edge of the transfer If we set the shirt on the press with the collar at the top edge then all wersquoll have to do is align the transfer to the top edge of the press and the image will be 1 inch down from the shirt collar
Irsquove limited the vertical image area to 13 inches Allowing an inch down from the top will make the bottom of the image 14 inches down from the collar Thatrsquos
ok for an adult large or XL shirt but you may want to adjust the area for smaller shirts
As a part of this layout Irsquove created a couple of layers One Irsquove called text and one picture These layers will be used for the graphic elements of the final template As an option you can also create a non-printing layer that contains a rectangle Since the layout is off centered you can use the rectangle to align your text and graphics but the rectangle will not print (See picture 1)
Save Your TemplateYou can now save this simple layout
as a CorelDRAW template To do that click on FileSave Ashellip and select CDT ndash CorelDRAW Template (see picture 2)
I normally save templates in a special folder however if yoursquore using Windows Vista its sort capabilities reduce the need to organize your files (See picture 3)
You can use this generic template as is You can also use it as a base for creating other templates Next time wersquoll make some additions to customize it for a special occasion Wersquoll also look at how we can use templates
Judy and John McDaniel are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry For information on training services offered and their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom They can be reached by phone at 541-967-4271 via SKYPE (user name JHMcDaniel) or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom See full bio on Writers Page
December 2007 18Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTINGBy Jeff McDaniel Applications
Using Specialty Platens Part 2Background
In our last article we touched on the steps required to create a master transfer for our specialty platen We also briefly reviewed locating the artwork and attaching the capillary film to the screen In this article we will expose our screens rinse them and produce our pocket patch CorelDRAWPro members can look up the more detailed information in the archived articles for June July and August at wwwacdrporg
Our setup and yoursOur setup is the Printa 770 series screen printing machine from Printa Systems Inc
All of the supplies and tools we will cover from here on were provided in the turn-key system from Printa with the 770 Your setup may be from another source but will most likely contain components of what we will discuss below In addition to the standard Printa 770 setup we will be using the ldquoPrint-Allrdquo system from Printa Systems Inc (see figure 1 courtesy of Printa Systems)
Exposing the capillary filmWe left off last article with our screens drying
Now that they are dry we are ready to expose the capillary film Exposing Step 1 we will gently peel the carrier sheet off of the capillary film (see figure 2)
Exposing Step 2 Next we need to put our first image back on the exposure unit and re-install the screen on the printing system Then we can bring the screen down on the
exposure unit attach our blackout board and expose the screen (see figure 3)
Exposing Step 3 After exposure we need to rinse out our screen and inspect it to be certain we have a complete rinse (see figure 4)
Exposing Step 4 Once the image is rinsed out it is time to put the screen back in the dryer (see figure 5)
Re-aligning the screens after wash outFrom the time that we first aligned the
artwork we have taken the screens in and out of the printing system twice If our artwork is even a little bit out of alignment we will lose blanks or put out low quality work It is a good idea to do a final adjustment with the original artwork
Re-Align Step 1 Leaving both of our photo positives on the exposure unit we can inspect the screen location compared to our original artwork location Here is the yellow screen location after exposure and wash out (see figure 6)
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
December 2007 19Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTING
Re-Align Step 2 The black screen is a little bit off (see figure 7) so we will need to use the Printa 770 micro-adjustment knobs to bring it back into alignment (see figure 8)
Masking off the screenNow that our artwork is
lined up correctly we can mask the rest of the screen off Wherever we donrsquot want the ink to run through the screen needs to be masked off (see figures 9 and 10)
Locating the pocket patch on the shirtThere are a couple of different ways to locate the pocket
patch on the shirt The first thing to consider is where you want it to end up on the wearer If the patch is too far toward the sleeve the image will end up under the wearerrsquos arm pit If the image is too far up toward the neck the image will not look right either A good way to figure out the correct location is by looking at a shirt that has a pocket patch on it (maybe one or two are in your closet right now)
Another way to locate the pocket patch is to put on the shirt
size that you wear and mark off where you think it feels correct and comfortable Once you have decided where you would like the patch keeping it in the same relative location on all of the different sizes is not too difficult The actual placement of the shirt can be accomplished a couple of different ways that we know of Which you prefer will depend mostly on if you are more accurate with sight or touch
The sight method involves using a masking tape strip to mark the desired location on the shirt prior to loading it onto the platen (see figure 11)
Once you have your marking in place you can load the shirt on the platen and have a nice representation that you are placing the design in the desired location (see figure 12)
Figure 7 Figure 8
Figure 9
Figure 10
Figure 11
Figure 12
December 2007 20Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTING
We prefer the sight method because it works well with our equipment The ldquoPrint Allrdquo system from Printa Systems Inc uses a smaller platen for pocket patches The smaller platen allows us to load sizes from youth XS ndash adult 5X without stretching
The touch method involves using a standard platen and adding a riser underneath where the pocket patch will be printed (a piece of cut cardboard or thin wood of the appropriate size) With this method you can feel when the shirt is in the correct location and begin printing from there
Inking the screens printing and curingSince we have resolved our location
issues with the pocket patch we are ready to ink the screens print and cure
Printing Step 1 Inking the screens is fairly straightforward (see figure 13)
Printing Step 2 Using the squeegee we will screen our first color (see figure 14) and check the quality of the image (see figure 15)
Printing Step 3 Our first color will need to be flash cured (see figure 16)
Printing Step 4 Now we can add our second color (see figure 17)
Printing Step 5 Finally we can do the finish cure step paying attention to the temperature gauge (see figure 18)
After final curing it is always a good idea to take at least a sampling of the product and wash it to be certain of the curing All of the information on post-job clean-up can be found in the CorelDRAWPro archives for September
Conclusion This time we took our screens out of
the dryer and pushed our project all the way to its completion
Jeff McDaniel is the OwnerOperator of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon Jeff has been working with computers since the age of 5 and was a journeyman machinist before working in the graphic arts business Creative Graphic offers services including laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials You can contact Jeff by email at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
Figure 14
Figure 13
Figure 15
Figure 17
Figure 16
Figure 18
December 2007 21Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SANDBLASTINGBy Judy McDaniel Applications
Screening the AbrasiveKeeping your sandblast abrasive media free
of contaminant material is essential During sandblasting abrasive is mixed with compressed air fed through the supply hose focused by the nozzle and impacts the product Then if itrsquos fine enough it leaves the system as dust or drops to the bottom of the cabinet to be recycled
Other material will also collect in the bottom of the cabinet This debris can include bits of mask (ever wonder where the center of that ldquoerdquo went) bits of tape and possibly solid material dislodged from the product yoursquore blasting This latter source of debris is especially prevalent when yoursquore working on materials other than glass like brick rock and wood
Leaving the debris in the abrasive when itrsquos recycled can cause a variety of problems First if a piece of debris is too large to fit through the nozzle it will clog it More importantly if it does fit through the nozzle and is hard like brick and rock debris it can impact the piece yoursquore working on and ruin it
The obvious solution is to screen the media when you reload the pressure pot The problem is the screen mesh size Irsquove tried the screen supplied by the cabinet manufacturers and used window screening material from a hardware store In both of these cases the mesh size would allow all but the largest pieces of debris through
What Irsquove found that works the best is a spatter screen from a local kitchen store The mesh is woven tightly and filters out much more debris The best thing is its price only a few dollars
One of our cabinets is not self-contained so we have to filter the media by hand We have found that bending the handle up on a large spatter screen
causes it to fit perfectly into the top of the pressure pot We also have a couple of other smaller pressure pots one in fact that you fill with a funnel For those I simply lay the spatter screen over the opening of the pot or the funnel when refilling
If you have a system that recycles the abrasive then it should be equipped with a screen located on top of the pressure pot Make sure to inspect and remove the debris from the top of the screen from time to time A shop-vac works well for this purpose If you find that larger pieces are getting through the screen then contact the manufacturer to see what can be done to reduce the mesh size
Keeping your media clean helps prevent unwanted delays or damage
To all of our friends out there new and old have a safe and joyful holiday season
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from John and me
Judy McDaniel with her husband John are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry In addition they provide one-on-one application support through an email subscription service exclusively for their Hotcdr Hands-On Training students or those who have purchased their CD sets (For information on training services offered visit wwwgraphic-products-trainingcom and for information on their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom) They can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
December 2007 22Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE ENGRAVINGBy John McDaniel Applications
Elements of Machine Accuracy 7 Structural Integrity
So far wersquove covered resolution speed repeatability and hysteresis This time wersquoll discuss structural integrity
What is Structural IntegrityStructural integrity is a measure of a machinersquos
strength or stiffness It is the ability of a machine to resist distortion by forces created in normal operations
Most mechanical engraving machines use single-fluted cutters As these cutters turn they apply cutting force against the material For every action though there is an equal but opposite reaction ie the material resists the cut and thereby transmits a resistive force back through the cutting tool spindle etc and ultimately to the machinersquos frame
Assuming a static bit position the force applied to the machinersquos structure will rotate 360deg with the tool (see diagram 1) As this force rotates any looseness in the structure will result in a deviation in the relationship of the material and the cutter
What machine design factors are involvedStructural integrity includes lead screws and their
hysteresis for mechanical engraving machines spindle bearings and their looseness for both mechanical and laser engravers gantry or table rails their bearings and looseness and the machinersquos frame In fact anything and everything that holds the tool and material in the proper relationship during the cuttingengraving process contributes to or detracts from structural integrity
Why is it importantIn a word Quality Structural integrity influences
the quality of the finished products the machine will produce
For illustration Irsquoll use a mechanical engraving system If the looseness in our machine and the cutting force applied were uniform throughout the 360deg of tool rotation the result would be a wobble in the tool path which might not be visible in the finished product
Cutting ForcesIn the real world however as the tool moves through
the material the cutting and reactive forces go through a cycle (see diagram 2) When the tool starts the cut there is a spike in force The force will level to a constant through the top side of the cut while itrsquos cutting against the direction of the toolrsquos movement Then it will drop somewhat when itrsquos cutting with the toolrsquos movement and finally fall off on the back side as the cutting edge of the tool enters the void area where the material has already been removed
The amount of force applied during the cutting process will vary depending on the material being
cut the tool and its sharpness the depth of cut the material feed rate and whether or not lubricant is used The cutting force may also vary over the length of the job as the toolrsquos cutting edge wears and becomes dull
Machine Component Looseness
In addition to the cutting force not being uniform throughout the 360deg of tool rotation l o o s e n e s s i n t h e machinersquos structure will also vary For example dur ing the cut t ing operation as the tool transitions through 0deg and 180deg of rotation X axis hysteresis will be a factor in overall machine looseness but Y axis hysteresis will have no effect At 90deg and 270deg the Y axis will become a factor but the X axis will have no impact
In the real world any looseness in the machine will cause an oscillation in the cut which will have its own angle If we could slow the toolrsquos movement we would see this oscillation as a sharp jump in the positional relationship between the tool and material being cut In the finished product this sharp jump in position will result in a jagged cut
December 2007 23Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE ENGRAVING Outline amp OverviewThe Nuts and Bolts of Machine AccuracyMachine accuracy or capability can be defined as a result of six features 1 Resolution ndash the smallest incremental movementpositioning of a speci-fied axis 2 Speed ndash the ability to complete a task in a reasonable amount of time without sacrificing accuracy or creating damage to the machine or product 3 Repeatability ndash the ability to duplicate a previous position without error 4 Hysteresis ndash the ldquosloprdquo or ldquoplayrdquo in motion control components 5 Structural Integrity ndash stiffness or strength ndash the ability to cut materials without error or damage This is especially important for mechanical engrav-ers 6 Structural Tolerances ndash the sum accuracy of a machinersquos mechanical components
Machine ComponentsWersquoll examine nine factors that determine a machinersquos accuracy They include 1 Motors ndash including DC Stepper DC Brushless DC Servo and AC Servo a Spindles ndash motors that rotate the cutting bit b Axis Drive ndash motors that position the material to the cutting bit c Horsepower ratings ndash real versus advertised 2 The Motion Control Drive Unit ndash including Geared Belt and Lead Screws a Lead Screws ndash including Acme Re-circulating Ball Standard and Precision b Mounting ndash including Simple Fixed and Thrust bearing types c Protection ndash Open or Closed 3 Guide Rails ndash Types include V Bearing Rail Bushing Shaft Dove Tail and Re-circulating Ball Bearing 4 Encoders ndash Types include Rotary and Linear Methodologies include incremental or absolute 5 Tachometers ndash used for speed stability acceleration and breaking control for closed loop servo systems 6 Bearings ndash including Sleeve Ball and Linear Re-circulating Ball a Applications ndash including Radial Thrust and Linear b Quality ndash Standard thru Ultra Precision 7 Spindles ndash including topbottom loading Collets and Sleeves 8 Material Hold Down ndash including mechanical clamps and vacuum sys-tems 9 Electronic Interface ndash Computer control methods
Wersquoll also examine Reliability what makes it And Serviceability is it fix-able
If the cutting oscillation is at any angle other than the direction of the cut and the oscillation is great enough a jagged cut will be visible in the finished product A cut deviation of as little as 001rdquo is visible to the naked eye and will most commonly show up on curves and circles but may show up on straight lines as well
To illustrate this point a little further and perhaps make it somewhat clearer Irsquod like to refer to diagrams 3 and 4 For purposes of these illustrations we will assume we have a machine that has some looseness on both the X and Y axes However the rest of the machine
is structurally solid the frame is rigid and no other components have any loosenessMaking these assumptions and disregarding the variation in force caused by the cutter
as it travels through the material we will have cutting oscillations at 0deg 180deg 90deg and 270deg during the toolrsquos rotation As the tool travels through the material on its path these oscillations will cause a slight variation in the centerline of the toolrsquos cut
Diagram 3 shows a horizontal tool path While the machine is cutting in this direction any X axis looseness will be masked by the cutter path itself however looseness in the Y axis will result in a slight oscillation in the cutterrsquos horizontal position and therefore a deviation in its cut Diagram 4 shows the effect of the X axis looseness which will impact vertical lines
As you can see from this discussion and these illustrations structural integrity ie looseness in the components from which a machine is constructed can make a significant difference in quality of the finished products that a machine will produce
Next time wersquoll consider structural tolerances and their impact
John McDaniel with his wife Judy are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry For information on training services offered and their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom They can be reached by phone at 541-967-4271 via SKYPE (user name JHMcDaniel) or via email at JHMcDanielCorelDRAWhelpcom See the full bio on the Writers Page
December 2007 24Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
the image the text and the red bow In the laser file for this example I have the red cut line for vectoring (See Figure 5)
5) Send the cardstock through the printer6) Place the cardstock in the laser for vector
cutting The thickness of the stock will determine what settings to use For my 35-watt laser using a medium weight cardstock I used a speed of 100 and power of 15 for a nice cut through the stock without any burn marks on the paper
7) Optional in one run I decided to let the laser take care of the bow instead of using color for it from my printer I set the outline of the bow to 100 black and the interior of the bow to 50 black (See Figure 6)
8) Then I only sent the image and text through the printer The bow and vector cutting occurred in the laser I set the raster engraving (of the bow) at speed 70 and power 40 (See Figure 7) You can see the differentiation of using 100 black as opposed to 50 black by the exterior lines
being engraved a little deeper than the rest of the fill
Take the idea of using patterns (like the birth announcement above) and wowing your clientele with the detail and intricacy that laser can provide Or add a twist to a holiday tradition (cards) Whatever you do donrsquot forget you can combine the advantages of the printer and laser for fabulous products
Submitted by Kathryn Arnold Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
LASER TIPBy Kathryn Arnold Applications
Combining Laser amp Printer PowerComing up with new and
inventive ways to use your laser is the key to a successful and growing business We will look at a way to combine the power of your computer (ink) printer with the power of the laser engraver
In this lesson we will take a look at using cardstock to create a card and an announcement See the examples of a holiday card and a birth announcement ndash gratuitously they are of my family (Figure 1 amp Figure 2)
1) In CorelDRAWreg use any pattern image text you wish Be sure that there is a clear and discernible vector line that will be laser cut and yield a cut piece from the cardstock2) See the clear (red) cut line ndash it goes fully around my object even the bow portion (important) I then duplicated my object to fit as many as possible on my 8 frac12 x 11 cardstock (See Figure 3) 3) I saved this file as my master file that I could return to at any point I then created two copies -- one that will
be used to send the file to my printer and one that will be used to send the file to my laser engraver (See Figure 4)
4) In the master file I have every part of what my end product will have In the file for my printer I only have the parts that the printer will print ndash in this example
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
December 2007 25Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
ELECTRONICS FRONTIERBy Louie Alvarez Opportunity
Webcams are an interesting subject which I am intimately familiar with Some typical questions are what are they what purpose do they serve what benefit are they what to look for and various other questions concerns and issues
Webcams surely bring back a memory or two not all that great I might add I remember when they first became usable primarily due to the Internet having affordable true broadband
First experiences The choppy poor quality of dial-up service
simply didnrsquot make this a useful technology Short of communicating with far-flung family members it left much to be desired With my immediate family living in Las Vegas and all other family (parents siblings cousins etc) living in California this was a technology I thought would be useful to keep in touch
So I set up my computer and my momrsquos computer with Webcams to stay in touch Needless to say with the poor quality terrible tracking (had to keep perfectly
sti l l because video frames didnrsquot refresh fas t enough) the hard-to-see tiny video window and poorly synchronized voices to the faces (we looked like a badly translated kung fu movie) the novelty quickly wore off (Irsquod say in about 30 minutes)
WebcamsSecond attempt
So I promptly dumped the technology for the next few years until I started seeing broadband picking up the pace and more interest in Webcams becoming obvious from all the new devices on the market So about three years ago a wireless Webcam caught my eye and I decided to put it to the test once again
Considering I was by then traveling quite extensively (about 40000 miles a year) I figured Irsquod use it to monitor my home I had two teenagers and a 5-year-old at home at the time while I was on the road and my wife was still a t work (She normally didnrsquot get off work until about two hours after school was out) So this looked to be a cool device to see if as the clicheacute goes when the catrsquos away the mice will play
I proceeded to position this wireless Webcam strategically to allow viewing of my living room including the back door Plus to get to the front door or side door you would have to pass through the field of the camera My little one loved the idea of being on camera for her daddy and would dance play and make funny faces for me Pretty cool actually That in itself almost justified the camera but needless to say my teenagers even my wife didnrsquot take to the idea too well So it was returned and life continued on as usual
That experience did show me that the broadband
speeds the quality of the video feeds the prevalence on the net of live cams and the quality of the video cameras (better known as Webcams) had progressed to a level of usefulness and I could see the potential of this technology With that said letrsquos get into the heart of this article
So what are webcams Basically they are digital cameras attached to
the computer and connected to the Web or Instant Messaging (IM) This allows the camera to be linked to a website or to each other directly and individuals who view the website or IM are able to see what the camera is viewing at that moment You can choose to get either still pictures that are updated at regular intervals (Snapshot) or live streams (Streaming) depending on what your bandwidth permits The WebCam technology has advanced sufficiently now to make it both easier and cheaper to maintain a camera that is refreshing an image 24 hours a day
Features of Web Cameras Listed here are some of the features more commonly
found in WebCams1 Live streaming video still pictures updated2 No plug-in or software necessary to view image
can be viewed with any Web browser3 Live audio4 Incorporation with other software such as Instant
Messaging (IM)5 Adding captionslogostime displays6 Archiving video7 Chat feature
December 2007 26Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
WebCams in an instructional scenario could be used to
Monitor your staff or employees thus being able to guide them better
Telecommute to companies worldwide and demonstrate project procedures
B roadcas t sem ina rs wo rkshops o r demonstrations
Share special events and programs with students enrolled in distance learning courses
Hold a video press conference online meeting or broadcast meetings and discussions
In some cases it is important for the learner to be able to establish a connection visually WebCams could be a good alternative to using text files or audio files
Join WebCam groups and allow students to take advantage of other WebCam locations for educational purposes
Using a web camera allows learners to be a part of either a conference or classstudio
Benefits of using WebCamsa The most important advantage of using a web camera is that it creates a direct link between the camera and the live site and dispenses with all the production work Production work in this context includes the cost and effort involved in shooting
editing and streaming videos Thus using a WebCam does not require
advanced skillsb The software is basically a Web server that runs on your system and pushes images out to a Web page For viewers of images delivered over a WebCam
one of the benefits is that they get the entire picture preferable in
certain cases rather than a sleek edited versionc WebCam technology can also be used for remote s u r v e i l l a n c e s y s t e m s
ELECTRONIC FRONTIER
monitoring events or places and broadcasting live eventsd Learners can link to a web camera-monitored location and just watch or also have an additional web camera in their own location enabling two-way communication
Setting up your WebCama Setting up your own WebCam obviously requires a computer a WebCam (the hardware) and WebCam software along with a broadband Internet connection Before you decide which camera to buy and which software to acquire yoursquoll have to review the different methods to show pictures or video feed through the Internet ( i e r e f r e s h e d after x amount of seconds) This will enable you to decide which hardware and software solution will fit your situation best
b P l a c e m e n t of a camera is an important decision to be made Decide whether a static angle is sufficient to demonstrate the concept or a moving camera (handheld) is required It is important however to remember the limitations of using WebCams and leave the panoramic and other fancy shots to more sophisticated video Use WebCams for videos that require more focus and ones that require a smaller viewingmovement range
c For detailed technical instructions on using WebCams visit httpdeveloperswebcamworldcommethodshtml
d Here is a good resource for inexpensive Webcams on the market httpcastlepricewatchcomssearchasps=webcams
e For an in-depth review of various Webcams on the market go to this link httpreviewscnetcom4244-6502_7-0-1htmlquery=webamptag=cat_1
f There are many Webcam examples online here are a couple httpwwwwebcamworldcom or httpwwwleonardsworldscomcamerahtml
By the way DONrsquoT TELL MY KIDS I picked up a Logitech QuickCam Pro 4000 not too long ago My family doesnrsquot know why I got it or what my intention is but I can say that now that my kids are 17 16 amp 8 my job as a parent is to ensure the mice donrsquot play when the catrsquos awayhellip
Louie Alvarez began acquiring his experience in the awards and engraving industry in Central California over 15 years ago first as an employee of the largest and oldest trophy shop and then as owner of one of the first laser engraving businesses Louie has been a featured workshop instructor and seminar speaker throughout the industry in addition to being a contributing writer to numerous industry publications Louie is based in Las Vegas NV and can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
December 2007 27Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
The Association of CorelDRAWreg Professionals is The Education amp Business Resource for CorelDRAW Users Worldwide Its goal is to help 1) IMPROVE your CorelDRAW skills and 2) MAKE MONEY with those skills You can participate in ACDRP services in four ways
THE WORLDrsquoS ONLY ASSOCIATION FOR CORELDRAWreg USERSINVITES YOU TO MAKE MORE MONEY WITH CORELDRAW
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month focused on Industry News via the Graphics News Wire Links to valuable resources and a complete educa-tion and show Calendar S
CorelDRAWPro the Entrepreneurial magazine for CorelDRAW users features in-depth content on How to Use CorelDRAW -- tips tricks advanced ar twork success s to r ies in te rv iews and more How to Apply CorelDRAW -- for graphic production processes such as embroidery engraving heat printing laser promo products printing sandblasting signmaking sublimation and screenprinting How to Profit from CorelDRAW -- Product news business columns reviews profiles and advertising with live links
SUBSCRIBE -- NO CHARGE JOIN -- $60 PER YEAR
All users of CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite are qualified to subscribe free to CorelDRAWPro magazine (PDF format) and CorelDRAWPro E-News
Subscription to CorelDRAWPro amp CorelDRAWPRo E-News
TTF Newsletter Subscription to the monthly Tips Templates amp Fixtures Newsletter only available to members
GSG Basic Listing You can list your services in the Graphic Services Guide in one category as part of membership (a $25 value)
Access to QuickLearn A keyword searchable database of 100s of articles on CorelDRAW graphics production and business
All users of CorelDRAWreg are invited to join the Association and take advantage of exclusive content discounts and profes-sional recognition ACDRP membership includes
TTF
QuickLearn
QuickTNT
Archives
BASIC GSG LISTING -- $25 PER YR
The Graphic Services Guide is the Industry Yellow Pages for Services and Finished Goods GSG is promoted in all our publi-cations and our website to the world of CorelDRAW users Your listing gives you the opportunity to promote your services (in any of 40 categories) to other CorelDRAW usersThe Basic Listing includes your company description email link and listing in one category Additional service categories are $10 each per year
The Enhanced GSG Listing is for companies that want to list in two categories and add a photo or logo
ENHANCED GSG LISTING -- $50$75 PER YR
Classifieds
Access to QuickTnT A growing database of CorelDRAW tips for understanding the fine points of the program and templates that can be downloaded to speed up your production
Access to Archives Past issues of CorelDRAWPro are available to members with live links
Bookstore Discounts Members receive a 10 discount on all products in the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore
Professional Recognition Use of the ACDRP logo for professional identification on business cards websites and letterhead You also receive a membership certificate
Classified Ads Members can place one classified ad per year at no charge with photo and run it till the item is sold (a $35 value)
HOW TO PARTICIPATE To Subscribe (no charge) To Join ($60yr) To List in the Graphic Services Guide ($25 Basic $50$75 Enhanced or $120145 for Multi-Service)
CorelDRAWreg is a registered trademark of Corel Corp and is used with permission
Visit wwwcoreldrawprocomand click on the appropriate links
800-276-8428
The Multi-Service GSG Listing allows you to list up to 40 differ-ent service categories with detailed descriptions and add a photo or logo
MULTI-SERVICE GSG LISTING -- $120$145 PER YR
December 2007 28Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Throughout the year this publication has reported on whatrsquos new in equipment tools and software and blank products for businesses that put graphics onto products
For this 2007 wrap-up CorelDRAWPro editorial staff reviewed all the product news for the year and named 33 products to its annual Top Products of the Year list
Selections were based on the criteria of innovation and impact Innovation means products that exhibit a high degree of originality or uniqueness Impact means products that influence sales or productivity for a large number of businesses
Note that the 2007 honorees are list alphabetically in the three theme sections
For more information on the products in this article click on the Info Request button at the bottom of each page and select by company name or product You might open the Info Request page and minimize it as you read That way you can quickly open it and check the products you want
EQUIPMENT
ANAJET DIRECT-TO-GARMENT DIGITAL PRINTERAnaJet Digital Apparel Printer (Model FP-125) from
AnaJet Inc in Costa Mesa CA is a direct-to-garment printer offering high quality and affordability It can print custom graphics on any cotton or poly-cotton flat textile material in one minute The printer priced affordably from under $13000 can produce up to 5000 shirts per month each retailing for about $20 Most printers installed so far are in a production plant environment but some customers have started to take the mobile printer to malls for instant printing of customer graphics According to Dr Chase Roh company president the unique printhead they have developed allows for 16x more ink flow than normal desktop printers and thus shirts only require one pass
Top Products of the Year
DTG AMERICA ECLIPSE D-1 WITH TWO HEADS DTG America of Tampa FL and Fort Worth TX now offers a new solution to
speed up digitally printing to dark shirts The Eclipse D-1 incorporates two heads instead of one One head has eight channels of white to lay down a solid white underbase The second head has four channels of white to do highlights and four channels of color to lay down the design The result of this new configuration is the underbase and color are completed in one pass at an estimated average of only two minutes per shirt for a 12-inch by 6-inch area Other innovations include an ink agitator firmware for easy updating ink vapor remover auto gap adjustment and new platen configuration for easy loading
GEO KNIGHT DK 25SP HEAT PRESSThe Digital Knight DK25SP is an air-operated automatic
20x25 oversized swing-away heat press with a state-of-the-art control system and heavy-duty solid steel welded framework The smooth automatic pressing and push-button activation provides a productive fatigue-free operation The extended 20x25 size of the heat platen is perfect for sublimation and large-format materials pressingThe press is adjustable to accommodate materials from fabric thickness all the way up to 1rdquo thick substrates For more information call 800-525-6766 or visit wwwheatpresscom
GRAPHTEC CRAFT ROBO PROGraphtec America Inc based in Santa Ana
CA introduced the new Craft ROBO Pro 15rdquo cutting plotter The Craft ROBO Pro is an ideal solution for cutting a wide variety of materials including vinyl film card stock foil heat transfer and image transfer media Incorporating Graphtecrsquos legendary
December 2007 29Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
ARMS (Advanced Registration Marks System) and combined with a desktop printer the Craft ROBO Pro makes contour cutting an easy task Innovations include a new digital servo motor first mark auto-sensing menu navigation system that includes 8 user-defined conditions Tangential Control and three software applications
ROLAND RELEASES DIRECT-TO-FABRIC PRINTERRoland DGA Corp of Irvine CA released
the new 74rdquo HeatWave DFP-74 Fabric Printer through its reseller channel in the US Based on Rolandrsquos HeatWave sublimation technology the DFP-74 Fabric Printer is a complete integrated solution and Rolandrsquos first inkjet ever to support direct printing onto polyester fabrics As a complete solution including printer sublimation unit inks and RIP software the DFP-74 makes it easier than ever for shops to enter the fast-growing textile printing market Key features include eight advanced piezo print heads an intelligent media handling system and a temperature-controlled heating system
HOTRONIX PERFECT PRESSURE HEAT PRESSHotronix of Carmichaels PA has taken heat press technology
to the next level with Perfect Pressure a new digital pressure display functionThis new feature has a single-digit LED readout
that measures the pressure of the inner platen This technology is exclusive to Hotronix and is patent pending Previously a
digital pressure display was available only on air-operated heat press machines With this new pressure display gauge all heat press users will have more consistent results from job to job reducing the number of misprints and speeding up production For more information about
the new digital pressure display contact Stahlsrsquo Hotronix at 800-478-2457 e-mail infostahlscom or visit the Web site at wwwstahlscom
SWF DREAM EMBROIDERY MACHINEWith its new DREAM Machine SWF has broken the barrier in multi-head
embroidery machine technology The DREAM machines are the first multi-head embroidery machines that truly can sew at 1500 stitches per minute During the research and development of these new machines 12 new patents were filed and granted proof that the DREAM machines are built with state-of-the-art technology
Innovations include LED control panel error codes to quickly troubleshoot problems optional devices to do sequins cording and boring automatic oiling system large memory a hoop selector and more These innovative new machines come in configurations ranging from
two to six heads It is distributed exclusively by SWF East (Tampa FL) and SWF MESA (Dallas TX)
MESArsquoS HOTFIX SPANGLE MOTIF MACHINEWith the all new YAS-11 Hotfix Spangle Motif Making
Machine the first of its kind in the United States you can create beautiful spangle transfer designs that have the look of sequins This patented machine which is distributed exclusively in the United States by MESA Distributors of Fort Worth TX cuts out shapes such as circles and squares in a range of sizes from reels of Mylar tape The machine comes with proprietary design software that allows the user to create any pattern or design up to 157 by 157 inches
SAWGRASSrsquo HYBRID SYSTEM FOR EPSON R1800Sawgrass Technologies of Mt Pleasant SC introduced
the SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid System for the Epson R1800 for both sublimation printing and cotton
decorating from one machine The affordable entry-level system features dual functionality with both SubliJet and ChromaBlast inks in one machine allowing users to create customized images with superior color and clarity on both polyester coated substrates and cotton garments This is the second
hybrid system from Sawgrass following in the footsteps of the popular SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid
System for the Epson 4800
TROTECrsquoS NEW LARGE PLATFORM LASER Trotec Laser Inc of Ypsilanti MI has introduced the SP500 series of laser
engraving and cutting systems The systems have a work area of 50rdquo X 28rdquo and X-Axis clearance of 12rdquo The systems are offered in power levels from 45W-200W There is an available pass-through option (Class 4) Exhaust fumes are captured
December 2007 30Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
at the laser head to insure an efficient extraction when using the pass-through featureTrotec systems are designed for minimal wear-and-tear and eliminate the need for periodic replacement of belts and bearings For additional information visit our web site wwwtrotecnet or call 866-226-8505 734-484-3260
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW PROFESSIONAL SERIESUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) of Scottsdale
AZ added four new models in its Professional Laser Series (PLS) line of advanced high-productivity computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving systems The new PLS line which replaces Universalrsquos M V and X laser systems incorporates a
host of evolutionary design improvements to the laser cartridge platform chassis system electronics and software interface The new PLS models include several
powerful new features most notably a unique materials-based print driver called ldquoLaser Interface +rdquo that gives users their choice
between automatic or manual control over power speed and other system settings For more information on Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit Universal Laser Systems online at wwwulsinccom
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW VERSALASERUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) added a
new version of its desktop-sized VersaLasertrade
computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving system The new VersaLaser
improves on the award-winning original thanks to a host of evolutionary design refinements It also
includes a unique next-generation materials-based print driver that automatically calculates power speed
and other system settings It was awarded a patent for the unique design of its external cabinet which also functions as a Class 1 laser safety enclosure For more information about VersaLaser or Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit wwwulsinccom
US SCREENrsquoS FAST T-JET 3US Screen Print and Inkjet Technology of Tempe
AZ adds the Fast T-Jet3TM which features 30 faster print speeds compared to the previous T-Jet2 model and has a longer low profile print bed for easier loading and unloading Now you can produce a full size 12rdquo x 12rdquo (305 x 305 cm) print in one minute on a light shirt and in under three minutes on a black shirt with white ink Small pocket images can be printed in about 15 seconds
US SCREENrsquoS AUTOMATED PRETREATMENT CENTER
Speed up production when using Fast T-Jet inkjet-to-garment printers with the AutoTREATtrade Automatic Pretreatment Center
This versatile piece of equipment allows you to treat shirts on a production level rather than spraying shirts individually one at a time For use with light or dark shirts the AutoTREATtrade
can spray up to three shirts per minute It has two application modesmdashone for lights and one for darks that can be switched over by activating the cleaning mode which flushes out the system with water
TOOLS MATERIALS SOFTWARE
CORELDRAW X3 CERTIFIED FOR WINDOWS VISTACorel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that
CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite X3 has been Certified for Windows Vista Customers who wish to install the Certified for Windows Vista version of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X3 can download the latest service pack (SP2) from wwwcorelcom This new update delivers an exceptional experience for customers on Windows Vista including an updated user interface enhanced security improved text handling and further enhancements to the popular suitersquos renowned import and export file compatibility
COREL LAUNCHES NEW ONLINE COMMUNITY Corel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that it
has launched httpcoreldrawcom a new online community for users of the CorelDRAWreg family of products ndash including CorelDRAW Graphics Suite Corel DESIGNERreg Technical Suite
December 2007 31Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
and Corelreg DRAWingsreg This new community site is the first in a series that Corel will be launching to support its various user communities Designed to fuel inspiration CorelDRAWcom combines forums blogs and galleries for design professionals and graphic hobbyists alike Forums are available in English French German and Spanish serving an international audience
DALCOrsquoS NEW REFLECTIVE HEAT TRANSFERSCater to the safety market with new reflective transfers offered
by Dalco Athletic of Dallas TX These durable transfers come in a reflective silver gray color in three styles police sheriff and fire dept They are sized for left chest and full back so
all you have to do is heat seal for 8 seconds and yoursquore done Itrsquos very fast and easy
DALCOrsquoS NEW OPTIC YELLOW CLASSIC SWB APPLIQUE
Classic SWB appliqueacute designs offered by Dalco Athletic now come in two new styles softballs and tennis balls in optic yellow fabric These new balls literally jump off any wearable and make it an eye-catching standout This appliqueacute collection is ideal for spiritwear items to be sold to fans and family or created as fund-raisers for boosters clubs
POWER GRAPHICS 3 FROM DIGITAL ART SOLUTIONSPower Graphics 3 by Digital Art Solutions of
Tempe AZ is the ultimate design tool for the creation of high-end custom graphics and logos for custom signage awards vehicle graphics promotional products and apparel graphics Tuned to the latest styles and trends it provides fresh graphics that will impress even the most critical and demanding customer It includes more than 1500 images The 10 design categories include Flames Gangsta (Urban) Mascots Offroad Rebel (Biker and Hot
Rod) Retro Speed Sports Surf and Tuner
FLORIANI COMMERCIALrsquoS NEW NO-SHOW DIAMOND MESHContinuing in its tradition of research and development
to create embroidery stabilizers that meet the needs of todayrsquos embroiderers Floriani Embroidery Commercial Division of Knoxville TN released a new product called Floriani No-Show Diamond Mesh This unique nylon mesh stabilizer has a perpendicular embossed pattern that makes it more multi-directionally stable and enables it to better hold stitches for crisper design registration It is specifically designed for light-colored garments where traditional stabilizers have a tendency to show through the front of the garment
GREAT DANErsquoS NEW DIGITAL PHOTO FRAMES Tap into the lucrative team market with an
incredible collection of stock art specially designed to work for direct-to-garment printers sublimation transfers and digital transfers Digital Photo Frames Volume 1 is a collection of spectacular pre-designed layouts each with one or more frames to
insert personal photos The collection includes five categories baseball football basketball soccer and hockey Each category has four designs (20 total layouts) and each design comes in three template formats mugs mouse pads and shirts
So there are a total of 60 template designs in all
IMPRINTABLES WAREHOUSE OFFERS SPECTRA ECO FILMNew from Imprintables Warehouse of
Masontown PA is a digital cutter material that is free of PVC a plus with companies that want to be as environmentally friendly as possible Spectra Eco Film is made with ecological polyurethane and is peeled hot It is pressure sensitive (sticky backing) and extremely easy to weed While maintaining superior durability and opacity this new film is thinner than current offerings on the market and delivers the super soft hand that is in demand by todayrsquos consumers It can be used on 100 cotton 100 polyester polycotton blends and even nylon and leather
December 2007 32Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
KISSCUT TECHNOLOGIESrsquo SELF-WEEDING INKJET TRANSFER PAPER
Kiss Cut Technologies Ltd Newcastle UK has addressed the ldquopolymer windowrdquo issue and developed the worldrsquos first self-weeding inkjet transfer paper for printing to textiles In simple terms only the areas of their patented transfer paper that have been printed will be transferred to the garment when heat pressed A Kiss Cut print can be further embellished with specialized textile foils so in effect a digital foiling method is now available Foil is heat pressed onto the garment and when peeled the foil only sticks to the image areas
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW PHOTOPLAS-TIC MATERIALLaserSketchcom of Lemont IL a leading supplier of
LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble Super Black Granite and Black Onyx Jewelry introduces their new PhotoPlas-Tic This is a new material developed for front andor reverse laser engraving on micro surface impact acrylic plastic It is a premium plastic for laser engraving that is UV stable ideal for photo badges plaques trophies signage and high-end awards Each sheet of PhotoPlas-Tic is specially designed for a crisp clean burn and ultra-fine laser lettering logo and vector output For details call 630-243-6360 or visit wwwlasersketchcom
THEMAGICTOUCH LAUNCHES WOW TRANSFER PAPERTheMagicTouch USA launched WoW Professional
71 transfer paper which requires no weeding or profile cutting and the vibrant colors are achieved using digital laser technology making it great for short runs It uses PolymationTM which incorporates a newly designed catalyst that provides the ultimate compatibility with all generations of dry toner material According to the company PolymationTM is the next generation of laser heat transfer Sublimation requires the substrate to have a specialty receiving polymer coating to absorb the pigments but PolymationTM delivers everything at once polymer pigments and catalyst
December 2007 33Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
offers distinct advantages over any other process It allows for an unlimited number of colors and very fine detail which is impossible with screen printing or embroidery And the cost does not go up as colors are added These new specialty materials are so advanced they can be heat sealed to all kinds of fabrics and hot new multimedia designs can be easily done
VAPOR APPAREL LAUNCHES VAPOR ART VOLUME 1V a p o r A p p a r e l
a s u b s i d i a r y o f SourceSubstrates LLC Charleston SC announces the launch of Vapor Art - Volume 1 a collection of 127 vector graphics for digital sublimation and general use The diverse collection
of high-quality graphics comes after several years of customers requesting access to the companyrsquos sample art at trade shows and educational events The Collection of art includes vector drawings and JPGs for everything from mountain biking and snowboarding to yoga and cheerleading
BLANK PRODUCTS
COLORADO HEIRLOOMrsquoS COLOR LACQUERED FRAMES
Colorado Heirloom Inc of Loveland CO introduced their new Color Lacquered Frames This is an option to add color your unique creations It is not color fill Colored lacquer is sprayed on their high quality wood frames Because
INKTRA STRETCH TRANSFER PAPER FROM STAHLSrsquoStahlsrsquo based in St Clair
Shores MI adds InkTratrade Stretch a flexible transfer paper A revolutionary product InkTratrade Stretch provides a soft hand with an amazing stretch and recovery feature InkTratrade Stretch lets you take your favorite photo or graphic design and apply it to light colored or white hats shirts bags and more for a long lasting and completely personalized garment The highly stretchable paper can be applied to cotton polycotton blends spandex and Lycrareg
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo GOOF-PROOF TRANSFERSWant the look of screen
printing without the hassle With Goof Proofreg transfers offered by Transfer Express of Mentor OH you can custom order a transfer that has the popular athletic feel and will apply in a blazing four seconds Ordering is done step-by-step online and you can customize hundreds of designs You choose your
typeface colors and size Once your design is just the way you want it you can print it out to show a customer for approval Or Transfer Express can print from your artwork The minimum order is only five pieces and your one-color order ships in one to three working days
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo NEW FULL-COLOR DIGI PRINTSApparel decorators can now offer full-color designs on light
and dark apparel made of virtually any type of fabric without the hassle or minimums of screen printing with new state-of-the-art heat transfer technology called Digi Printstrade Offered through Transfer Express this revolutionary new method of decorating
December 2007 34Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
lacquer is used instead of paint any design can be lasered on these frames The possibilities are endless These colorful creations are offered in two different designs -- a designer frame and a frame with an insert Call 970-667-4222 or visit wwwcoloradoheirloomcom
CONDE ADDS PET MATS FOR SUBLIMATIONCondeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added food bowl placemats and litter box
mats to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Favorite photographs and pet-related artwork can be transferred to the
mats to create fun products for individual pet lovers or for the pet industry such as pet stores veterinarians groomers boarding facilities and animal adoption groups Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing Call Conde at 800-826-6332
CONDE INTRODUCES FABRIC PATCHES FOR SUBLIMATION
Condeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added fabric patches to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Custom decorators can now produce unique full-color patches that will impress organizations businesses clubs sports teams sports enthusiasts and individuals alike -- without the use of embroidery Heat seal patches are great for identification marketing awards trade show promotions or to commemorate special events Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing or call 800-826-6332
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW LASERSLABLaserSketch of Lemont IL Internationally known for
their LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble and Super Black Granite announces LaserSlab Super Black Granite at 4rsquo x 8rsquo x 7mm and 4rsquo x 4rsquo x 7mm weighting in at just over 2 pounds per square foot The surface of the LaserSlab Granite has the sheen of a black mirror The reverse side features epoxy fiberglass backing to give structure integrity to the ultra-lite granite sheet All may be viewed wwwlasersketchcom or by calling LaserSketch 630-243-6360
MATTHEWS INTRODUCES ALUMICOLORTM
Matthews International Corp of Pittsburgh PA introduced Alumicolortrade a high-resolution graphics solution for aluminum signage recognition commemoration and way finding Using cutting-edge technology Matthews embeds a four-color image into the aluminum to create an anodized reproduction of unsurpassed durability Alumicolortrade products which are designed for interior and exterior installations are resistant to extreme weather conditions graffiti scuffing grease chemicals and UV rays Additionally they will not chip crack or peel
PSI ADDS ROUND FRAMES amp STRING PUZZLES Paramount Services Inc of Hollywood FL
introduced new round resin frames for sublimation tiles Choose from Coral or RopeStone with optional Unisubreg Hardboard Tiles They will also accept the Bison 8rdquo round glass Cutting Board Why be square when round may fit better PSI also introduced a new puzzle guaranteed to string you along These String Puzzles come with a Unisubreg Hardboard puzzle and the necessary string and beads along with instructions how to string it after printing Templates to aid in design are available for download in several formats For details call 800-455-7212 or visit wwwDye-Sublimation-Productscom
CRYSTALEDGEreg LUXORTM CRYSTAL AWARDSCrystalEdgereg Chicago IL presented the Luxortrade Series
This stunning cost-effective collection comprises a series of specially designed Rosewood and Black Piano finish bases Matte Mahogany and Matte Black bases and a precision cast Satin Nickel Finish Metal Base with your choice of brass or silver hardware for mounting our twelve unique shapes making this the most versatile award yet Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks are curved 14rdquo thick crystal clear glass with 316rdquo diameter holes for mounting The Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks feature a generous engraving area and there is plenty of room on the base to add an engraving plate
December 2007 35Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
XENETECHrsquoS NEW ENGRAVABLE GIFTSXenetech of Baton Rouge
LA introduced high quality engravable gift items at wholesale and quantity discounts The Xenetech collection provides a selection of gifts created for corporate recognition weddings births holidays anniversaries retirements birthdays special occasions or just expressing appreciation Items include money clips key chains book markers desk accessories quartz movement clocks flasks amp wine accessories entertainment gifts travel gifts genuine Swiss Army knives business card holders luggage tags silver-plated jewelry boxes keepsake gift boxes silver-plated banks and baby gifts The gift items are designed primarily for diamond drag burnishing and rotary engraving personalization
UNISUBrsquoS CHROMALUXE PHOTO PANELSChromaLuxe photo panels are an exciting new line
of sublimatable products from Unisub of Louisville KY These panels allow you to sell a completely finished photo product to your customers capturing some of the additional revenue (and profit) your customers now spend elsewhere on framing Available in a range of traditional photo sizes as well as exciting new shapes these panels can be joined together to create stunning photo displays -- perfect for a fireplace mantle l i b r a r y s h e l f or the top of an armoire Available in aluminum or MDF substrates
CorelDRAWPro IndexOne of our members in Michigan
requested that we put together an Index of all the articles wersquove published during the year
He prints out all the issues and puts them in binders but an Index would make it easy to reference specific articles We think itrsquos a good idea and wersquoll send it to all subscribers in January
Product Focus TopicsJanuary 2008 -- Signage Products esp Wide FormatFebruary 2008 -- Engraving Awards amp GiftsMarch 2008 -- Apparel ProductsApril 2008 -- Laser Wood Products
Coming in 2008
December 2007 36Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETSBy Donna M Gray CRM Opportunities
December ndash Time to Review December finds everyone on our team strategizing how to get out of our parking lot Our business sits right in the middle of an up-scale strip mall which sits right behind a huge shopping mall and right along the main road to a Target Superstore and other large malls We all know that from the day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday) until 2 weeks after the New Year there are great challenges to those of us who like to leave the building for lunch or run an errandhellipso we strategize We all know every secret shortcut to the bank the post office and the warehouse club What we donrsquot know is how to find the way to merge out of our own back alley into the constant flow of traffic that carries people to their end shopping destination Whew
The year-end review So this year Dave and I have decided to stay in at lunch and do our business strategizing instead Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup are good brain food for helping us to look at all the successful things we did last year as a company all the things we thought about doing but didnrsquot because the idea didnrsquot quite fit and all the things we put off until next year We do this kind of exercise every year end and it helps us to map out our strategy for the coming year In the process we identify any mistakes wersquove made wrong turns wersquove taken and we try to find the ldquowhat could have happened had everything gone rightrdquo
The value of making mistakes Albert Einstein said ldquoAnyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything newrdquo Dave has a couple of prints in his office of Abraham Lincoln that describe his mistakes in fact it took Lincoln eight tries to win the presidency Thomas Edison made mistakeshellipand yet he perseveredhellipotherwise wersquod by ldquocomputingrdquo by candlelight And Irsquove heard that Colonel
Sanders had a thousand rejections before he sold his first chicken recipe It would be nice to get to our year end business appraisals and find that wersquove made no mistakes but our business like most others doesnrsquot have that claim to fame My mother always took the high road with mistakes She always said that one should recognize the benefits of a mistake One should learn what good came from it use it to improve and use it to help motivate success the next time So December is the time to analyze everything that made up the past year and look for ways to make the New Year successful in every way
Making a plan Most advisors say that the first step toward business success after looking at a companyrsquos year ending history is to decide on exactly what you want to do going forward in the coming year Then comes mapping out the plan What will be done How will it get done Who will do what What resources will be used When will it get done Is the right equipment in place Is the space adequate Ask these and any other questions that could relate to creating a successful year then focus on the details and follow through Those two wordshellipfocus and follow throughhellipcould mean the difference between marginal and abundant success Simply stated success comes from what you do and the way you do ithellipin your customerrsquos perception Every business wants to have a good imagehellipa good reputation so dedication to having good communication skills is important especially in an industry that does custom work The goal is to be on the same page as our clients so we have to be good mind readers We have to also concentrate on our professionalism on our appearance on our presentation style and in the pride we take in producing a well-done project This
has worked in the past and will remain the same in the future
The extra mile Success has to be nurturedhellipthen it gets celebrated Sometimes sacrifices have to be made to get to the rewards At year end when we analyze how we got from Point A to Point B itrsquos interesting to note that we sometimes had to take detours and sometimes the road blocks called for sacrificehellipof time or money Sometimes the sacrifice came in the way of a sleepless night worrying if an order that was lost in delivery would be found and re-routed to us in time to make a clientrsquos deadline Someone (unknown) said ldquoA day of worry is more exhausting than a week of workrdquo Anyone in business could testify to that Part of success is going the extra milehellipeven if it results in a sleepless night Going the extra mile is worth all the paid advertising in the world on the road to success
December 2007 37Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETS
Donna Grayrsquos 2nd book Itrsquos All Relative Surviving amp Thriving in a Family Business was published in September 2007
It describes her quest to identify the keys to suc-cess for small business and family businesses in particular She interviewed top businesses nationwide and discovered five common qualities implemented by successful business owners Check it out at the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore wwwcoreldrawprocomAllBook-storehtm
Commitments made and kept Our team felt good about some commitments we made and kept this past year like
We used a daily ldquoto-dordquo list and we set priorities in order of importance When we finished a project we ldquocelebratedrdquo and then moved on quickly to the next job We built in some time for ldquostress reliefrdquo with morning meeting breaks This was especially good when treats were served since wersquove got some good bakers on our staff We didnrsquot ldquoscreenrdquo calls through voice mail We considered every call to be important We ldquodid it right the first timerdquo even though it sometimes took longer We tied up all the ldquoloose endsrdquo We became ldquocheerleadersrdquo for each other When one of us accomplished a goal we all applauded We all tried to deliver more than we promised This can be challenging sometimes when working with a difficult project We eliminated (or tried to eliminate) unnecessary procedures and we simplified our paper flow system We spent most of our time on high priority tasks We all worked on our delegation skills We were committed to not wasting time either our own or other peoplersquos
Goals that were lacking Now all those great things being put on paper reminds me that we also had some goals we didnrsquot quite succeed athellipbut wersquoll try harder next year
We didnrsquot always ldquogrouprdquo tasks togetherhelliplike going to the bank and the post office in one trip or answering mail when it gets opened It wasnrsquot always easy to avoid procrastination Some low priority chores got put off There were still times when we couldnrsquot find enough hours to finish the work Our ldquotoolsrdquo didnrsquot always get put away when we were through with a project even though this is Daversquos pet peeve
Conclusion Experts say that we have to actively create our success not wait for it to happen This coming year hopefully none of us will sit in the comfort zone waiting for the phone to ring Therersquos an old Chinese proverb that goes ldquoIt you continually give you will continually haverdquo Our team will go on being involved in community activities When time is spent on worthwhile projects outside the business opportunities come knocking at the front counter Besideshellipat yearrsquos endhellipit makes us feel really good about the help we gave on these projects
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since1977 She can be reached by email at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
December 2007 38Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
GRAPHICS NEWS NETWORKAll these news and information products and services are part of the
Graphics News Network developed for ACDRP The goal is ldquoAll the News All the Time mdash For the World of Graphicsrdquo
GRAPHICS NewsWireThe Graphics News Wire is the always live always updated source for graphics news mdash products equipment technology and more Make it (CorelDRAWProcomNewsPagehtm) your home page or favorite to gain access to Breaking news updated regularly New Classified Ads New Job Announcements Supplier SpecialsAll news is related to graphic productsQuickSourceTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive amp Easy-To-Use
Search Engine
It gives you one-click access to suppliers products phone numbers and live links to ACDRP Member Suppliers Itrsquos always up-to-date searchable by keyword and accessible from your desktop
Quick TnTTM
The Industryrsquos Newest Resource for Graphics Tips amp Templates
Gain access to a growing library of CorelDRAW tips and templates that will make your work easier
QuickLearnTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive and
Easy-To-Use Article Library
Gain access to hundreds of articles on graphics-related and business topics searchable by keyword
The Entrepreneurial Magazine for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro Magazine is delivered to you once a month in PDF format It features in-depth content that readers rave about including articles on how to use CorelDRAW how to apply CorelDRAW and how to profit from CorelDRAW
News Tips amp Resources for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month mdash about the 15th and 25th It brings you highly targeted content that you wonrsquot find elsewhere including CorelDRAW Tips extensive product news links and a calendar of shows and training
MARKET PLACE
Quality Engravable JewelryHand-crafted in New England
GIFTS amp ACCESSORIES FOR WOMEN AND MEN
John E Lepper Inc800-835-3623 Fax 508-222-2732
wwwjeleppercom
GenuineWhite-tone
Pewter amp Gold
Some Things Were Meant To Be In Etched in Stone
Call for a free color catalog
NampR International1155 Allgood Rd 13Marietta GA 30062
678-560-4088Fax 678-560-1157
Importers amp Wholesalers of MarbleOnyx
Gifts amp Accessories
JOIN TODAY
The worldrsquos only association for CorelDRAWreg Users
wwwcoreldrawprocomJoinhtm
Place an Ad for as little as $215 per month
Find out how by calling our Ad Representative John McDaniel II
541-990-6687
the entrepreneurial magazine
GET LISTED TODAY
Generate new businessby doing jobs for others
List your company in GSG the Digital Yellow Pages for the industry wwwcoreldrawprocomListGSGhtm
December 2007 39Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Louie Alvarez started in the industry working for one of the largest trophy shops in Central California and then opened one of the first retail laser engraving businesses He has given seminars and workshops on CorelDRAW and Laser for many years and has written for several publications He is now with Vytek Industrial Lasers and is based in Las Vegas NV He can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
Kathryn Arnold is the Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
Errol Barr has a wide range of experience in sales amp marketing eventually getting into laser systems in 1999 currently with Vytek Industrial Lasers He also sold extensively in the CNC router industry selling the machines as more of a business opportunity wrapped around the machine He can be reached by email at errolbarrgmailcom
Dave Demoret founded Prolink Graphic Services to help people understand and profit from learning CorelDRAW He has been in both the Flat Graphics Industry and the Decorating Graphics Industry for 30 years He has written articles for several publications is a Corel Training Partner and conducts workshops nationwide and online He is the author of several CD Instructional programs on CorelDRAW He can be reached at 765-DO COLOR (362-6567) or davedprolinkgscom
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since 1977 She has presented seminars on a variety of topics nationwide and has won many marketing awards She is the author of two books on family business and can be reached at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
Bill Leek is a color consultant for JBL Graphics in Houston TX and has over 30 years experience in computer engineering and graphics design He has developed several lines of color imprintable products and does testing on a variety of products for different manufacturers He can be reached at wfleekjblgraphicscom or 281-970-6677
Jeff McDaniel is the owner of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon He worked as a journeyman machinist before getting into the graphic products business Creative Graphic offers laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials Contact him at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
John McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry He worked for many years with computers in electronic data processing and pioneered the use of CorelDraw for engraving applications He owned a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years and writes about hardware design software laser engraving sublimation and more He is a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals For information on training and more call 541-967-4271 or write to mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
Judy McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry Her background includes many forms of art and retail sales as well as the operation of a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years She is a regular columnist on sandblasting sublimation and diversifying business as well as a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals She can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
David Milisock is president of Custom Graphic Technologies Inc in Pennsylvania He has been in the print production business since 1975 and specializes in professional support for CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite Output includes computer-to-plate processes for all commercial digital front-end applications as well as Postscript-compliant graphic applications He offers technical and color management support for all RIP-driven corporate digital output systems He can be reached at 717-509-3523 or davidmilisockcomcastnet
Deborah Sexton former editor of Impressions Magazine has been in the apparel graphics industry since 1981 She currently does marketing and public relations for apparel graphics companies and is a columnist for several industry publications She can be reached at dsextonsbcglobalnet
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at 916-567-1867
December 2007 40Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
by Otis Veteto
Traveling Tidbits
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the
RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of
the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Itrsquos a fun and
informative column focusing on the human-interest side of
the industry Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars
for industry organizations and some of that knowledge
will rub off as well He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at
916-567-1867
Reps Volunteers People Skills amp Agreements
RS Owens Southeast RepFirst of all a Traveling Tidbits welcome to
the newest member of the RS Owens Company sales team Anita Brennan Anita is the new Regional Sales Manager for the Southeast She will be calling on you folks in Alabama Tennessee Mississippi Florida Georgia North Carolina and South Carolina Anita has worked in all phases of our industry as a retailer (her own business) multi-line rep and now as a regional sales manager When I asked Anita what she likes to do when not on the road she told me she likes to spend time with her two-year-old granddaughter Kaylee Welcome to the RS Owens family Anita Brennan
Railroad Museum VolunteerI know Christmas is the time for giving
but some people give all year long I was talking recently with Elias Athanasiou whose regular job is a server in a restaurant my wife and I frequent when I am in Sacramento Elias has been associated as a volunteer with the California State Railroad Museum for about 16 years Every Saturday during the ldquorunning seasonrdquo April-September Elias can be found working as a volunteer on the Steam Engine excursion train that runs for 6 miles along the top of the levee on the Sacramento River The ride takes about 40 minutes Elias is the Engineer now but has worked as conductor and fireman in his tenure with the train It is people like Elias Athanasiou that make this a much better world A huge Traveling Tidbits SALUTE You can find out more about the Railroad Museum at wwwcsrmorg
Real People SkillsThis next tidbit is from the PPAI Promotional
Consultant Today The author is Roy Chitwood president of Max Sacks International in Seattle Wash It is entitled To Shine Polish Your People Skills
ldquoPeople buy not because they understand your product or service but because they feel that you understand them People buy emotionally As a professional salesperson you need to be more people-oriented not product centered Here are seven quick and easy techniques to improve your people skills
SMILE It is the universal sign of friendship in any language The Chinese have a proverb ldquoA man who cannot smile should not open a storerdquo Think about that Give a smile and you will get a smile in return
DEVELOP A GENUINE INTEREST IN OTHERS When you have sincere interest it shows Look directly at people when they are talking to you Let your facial expression register your interest Ask good open-ended questions to let people know that you are interested in what they say
TALK IN TERMS OF THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS INTERESTS You will never meet anyone who doesnrsquot have time to talk about what they want to talk about Encourage your prospect to discuss his or interests rather than launching into a discussion about yourself
USE THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS NAME Using a name builds personal rapport and shows you are listening with respect Be careful about overusing the personrsquos name
GIVE COMPLIMENTS Everyone loves a compliment when it is genuine Make a
concentrated effort to give at least 3 honest compliments every day of your life You will be amazed at what it will do for your relationships
LISTEN Listening is the greatest compliment you can pay When you assume the role of the listener it relaxes the sales climate As you listen you are demonstrating that you truly care and you are genuinely interested in what he or she has to say
MAKE THE OTHER PERSON FEEL IMPORTANT When you are sincerely impressed by something the other person has achieved or owns let them know it Understand that fundamentally every person is important and treat them accordingly
Personal comment When I finished reading this I thought to myself ldquoThese make sense in our everyday life not just in salesrdquo
The Third AgreementI will close with the 3rd step from the book
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel RuizDONrsquoT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS Find the
courage to ask questions and to express what you really want Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings sadness and drama
Sounds a little like what I wrote at the beginning of the column doesnrsquot it
Thatrsquos all for now Remember to save some time for yourself and your family And when you travel please travel safe
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE
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December 2007 11Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Using CorelDRAWregTraining
By Dave Demoret Contributing writerBitmap vs Vector
BITMAPSOne of the reasons bitmaps are not the desired image of choice in our industry is
that they do not reproduce well when enlarging the image Nor do they lend themselves to our process of decorating at least in screen printing embroidery and vinyl cutting to mention a few markets We need to use color in solid object form to achieve many of the end products we produce Color is very difficult to change in a bitmap image so we tend to lean towards the vector side to achieve our goals
One of the most confusing issues especially for beginners is the difference between bitmap also called raster and vector images To help clarify this take a look at the images on the side Bitmaps are made up of thousands of pixels (short for picture elements) which are tiny squares usually of different colors that form a picture These pixels are what make up the resolution of a given picture or bitmap image In lithography they are commonly referred to as dpi or dots per inch ndash thatrsquos for printing resolution We also use the dpi designation when we are talking about pixels per inch (ppi) in our industry but thatrsquos not technically correct Pixels per inch (ppi) refers to resolution on a monitor However we are looking at the scanning and the end product resolution in this article and therefore we are mostly concerned with the standard dpi measurement
Bitmaps are usually scanned into a graphics program or taken from a digital camera using the dpi designation In the illustrations here a 300 dpi (dots per inch) image is somewhat defined and appears to have clean edges but as we enlarge the image we are in effect decreasing the dots per inch We are making the dots themselves larger and therefore there are fewer dots that will fit into a one inch space By increasing the size using dpi or enlarging the bitmap using the dpi measurement we begin to see pixels and
very rough edge definition This is not especially good for printing or digitizingIf you have an image to print at 300 dpi to heat press on a t-shirt it can look pretty
good but if you want that same image to go on the back of a jacket and you try to enlarge it you will get the lsquojaggiesrsquo It is very difficult to take a low resolution image and increase the size while maintaining any kind of clarity or quality image
On the other hand if you have a low resolution image that needs to be reduced you will increase the image resolution because you will be putting more dots in that same one inch This simply means that a 300 dpi resolution image reduced by 50 will become a 600 dpi resolution
Image Size -vs- Image DPIAllow me to take this one step further to explain image dpi versus image size
When you have a 5 x 7 photo and you scan it into your CorelDRAWreg or scanning software you have the option of selecting the resolution using the dpi measurement If you want to enlarge the photo for your project increase the dpi I usually scan most everything at least a minimum of 600 dpi (figure 1) Others I will scan at 1200 to 1800 dpi to get a better quality print when I enlarge it enough to fit on a shirt Yes it does take longer to scan but the work on the other end is reduced dramatically
Remember that a 600 dpi image when reduced will become a 1200 dpi image In reverse the same 600 dpi image (figure 1) when enlarged will become a 300 dpi image (figure 2) This is all coming from the same 5 x 7 size image Size really doesnrsquot make a difference Itrsquos the resolution that will give you the quality that you are looking for
Resampling in CorelDRAWMost of the images you download
December 2007 12Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Using CorelDRAWregTraining
from the Internet will be 72 dpi (figure 3) and some are at 96 dpi These images are low grade and will need to be used at the existing size You can help them a little by using the lsquoResamplersquo in the pull down menu under Bitmaps in the Menu Bar of CorelDRAW This wonrsquot help a lot but may give you some assistance with some images The problem here is that the image will look slightly smoother but if enlarged much at all you will see it as being fuzzy or out of focus (figure 4) Play with resampling at several higher dpi choices and image sizes to get a feel for what you can and can not do
VECTOR IMAGESVector graphics are images that are made from mathematical
computations That is there is a certain shape and color associated with an outline and that area is the vector object as shown with one of the links here (figure 1) There are no definite objects or outlines in a bitmap It is simply thousands or millions of pixels each of a different color shade or tint That is why bitmaps are so hard to change easily With a vector image you simply select an object within the graphic and change the shape size and color with the tools provided in your graphics software
In contrast to the bitmap the vector image can be enlarged to any size without any distortion of edge definition This allows us to generate an image for a business card or a left chest logo on a t-shirt or a name tag then turn around and enlarge that same image to be placed on a billboard without any distortion of the image All the objects lines and integrity of the image are still intact (figure 2) no matter what size we select You can also see in figure 2 with the magnification that all the lines are still crisp sharp edges with no distortions
Vector images are the base images used in embroidery screen printing vinyl graphics and other markets within our graphics industry Many manufacturers today have geared their software as an add-on to CorelDRAW because of the ease clarity and flexibility that vector images offer
You can change a vector into a bitmap image with the click of a few buttons It takes considerably longer in most cases to change a bitmap into a vector file Most of the time
you will have to manually redraw or trace the bitmap image to convert it to a vector file There are programs out today that will convert these for you at least up to a point CorelDRAW is one of these programs PowerTrace is an auto trace feature used in the latest version of CorelDRAW
Printing ImagesWhile you will want to create your graphics in a vector
format you should know some basic principles of printing these two file choices One is that when you print a vector file it can take several times longer to print than a bitmap image of the same graphic Therefore for most of my printing in digital format like sublimation or heat transfer I will save a copy of my vector graphic as an original and make a duplicate copy to convert to a bitmap format for printing purposes
Another thing that most beginners donrsquot know is that if you are creating an image with CMYK Color Palette and print it to an inkjet printer you will throw off your color in the printed piece For example blues generally tend to turn to a violet lavender or purple shade Check with your supplier or distributor to help you set your printer to lsquoOutput color bitmaps as RGBrsquo And use your RGB Color Palette to color your graphic images
Dave Demoret founded Prolink Graphic Services to help people understand and profit from learning CorelDRAW He has been in both the Flat Graphics Industry and the Decorating Graphics Industry over the past 30 years He has written several articles for Screen Graphics Magazine on Color Control amp Matching in the past Dave has used CorelDRAWreg since version 3 and became a CorelDRAW Training Partner in 2006 During the past 5 years he has been conducting workshops all over the US and is the author of several Video CDs amp Instructional CDs on CorelDRAW Dave continues to conduct workshops in the US amp also worldwide online He can be reached at 765-DO COLOR (362-6567) or by email at davedprolinkgscom
December 2007 13Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE COLORBy David Milisock Training
Wow Powerful Controversial Useful I find the latter term to be most honest as shooting photos in the RAW format allows as much chance for the image to be ruined as it does for it to be improved The key to it being an improved experience rather then a ruined experience is of course understanding what the technology is all about work flow calibration and your skill
First off all cameras shoot RAW lower-cost cameras just wonrsquot let you save the file without an automated conversion process Here is the definition of RAW as printed in my new book Color Management in the CorelDRAW Graphics Suite for Professionals Small Office and Home Office capture C (to be released January 2008)
RAW is a file format that is proprietary to the camera manufacturer They are linear-gamma grayscale images from digital color filter arrays All these files require processing by a RAW converter to convert them to an RGB image
What this means to the user outside of the photographic ramifications is that the user needs to understand how the process is going to affect their color How this comes about is that the camera has a capture array that has red green and blue sensors Or an array that has filters to make some sensors only sensitive to red some only to blue and some only to green Each set of red blue and green sensors creates grayscale data that has to be combined to three channels Color is not only applied to the channels based on the value of the grayscale but a color space is assigned All cameras do this some just donrsquot let you do it manually
What Irsquom saying Is that as soon as the RAW converter develops a color display a color space has been assigned In fact the application has to have a
ldquoRAWrdquostandard color space to base the preview display on or your color edits would have no meaning
Stand-alone applications may allow you to choose what color space to apply to the image Some do not some force you to use an ultra-wide gamut RGB color space like Prophoto RAW Lab or plug-ins within image editing applications are most likely to use the internal (working) RGB of the application
So often it is written that RAW files have no color space and this is a true-falsehood True as long as they are still linear grayscale data streams of no value to anyone without a RAW converter but false as soon as you start the process of making a universally accepted RGB image of them
The key to the process is making sure that you understand what color space your converter assigned to the image so you can coordinate the internal RGB of Corel PHOTO-PAINTreg Make sure to activate the arrow from the internal RGB to the monitor
Any process that does not have the image
editor and RAW converter working in a coordinated manner will totally negate any benefit of using RAW You simply wonrsquot know what colors yoursquore really working with and thatrsquos not good for a process that was supposed to improve your work not make it worse
To my mind that biggest problem I see is that multiple RAW converter applications when viewing a RAW file as shot by the camera can have vastly different displays of the same image See capture A amp B (blurred on purpose) if you have a mind to try using RAW converting I suggest calibrating your display system first as this RAW image when opened in 4 different RAW converters has the white balance temperature identified
Coming Soon to the CorelDRAWPro Book Store A new book by columnist
David Milisock
Color Management in the CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
For Professionals Small Office and Home Office
Basic Color Theory bull Postscript and Non-Postscript Devices
RIPs for Ink Jets and Press bull Adobe Color Coordination
Color Continuity During Exportation bull and Much More
December 2007 14Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE COLOR
as four different values ranging from 2850 to 9980 OUCH Itrsquos hard to believe that the same data has been interpreted to be as shot by the camera judging by these two images isnrsquot it
This can only be described as an extremely painful experience Now you canrsquot rely on the software to interpret the data properly so the only thing you have that you can rely on is your calibrated work flow and your good sense
Another complaint that I have about stand-alone RAW converter applications is that in many cases the image display within the application is so poor that I cannot make a reasonable editing decision for any color or sharpening The image is glassy like in Paint Shop Pro or too soft like in Photoshopreg not sharp and clear like in PHOTO-PAINT OUCH
Please note in Capture A the Adobe RGB color space is already in play (see lower left corner) The adjustments available as shown in this capture are typical for RAW converters and
this capture will show them to you I am neither pro nor con RAW What Irsquove found is that
it is most generally used like image editor in place of good photography This is not always a bad thing Saving the cost on another shooting session through technology certainly has its selling point
Another observation Irsquove noticed is that as the cost of the cameras goes up the quality of their built-in conversion also goes up Many times they will save TIF instead of JPG files This is a real plus In studio settings with a superior camera you most likely will work your butt off and not be as good as the built-in RAW conversion of a studio quality camera On site live shoots is where the RAW conversion application seems to have a place to be most useful in my mind
Irsquom a Corel PHOTO-PAINT guy and I love my sharp clean PHOTO-PAINT display So until Corel PHOTO-PAINT has a RAW converter Irsquom sticking with the camera conversion and a TIF file for studio work But I will certainly use RAW when it benefits my client which benefits me
Watch out next month itrsquos going to be HOT
David Milisock is president of Custom Graphic Technologies Inc He has been in the print production business since 1975 and specializes in professional support for the CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite He can be reached at 717-509-3523 or davidmilisockcomcastnet See full bio on Writers Page
Itrsquos Who Knows YOU Network Your Way to Successby Chien J Wang president of Toujours Inc
Turbo-charge your networking with unique strategies that work Chien at-tends 10-12 events a week and has created a system for turning contacts into customers and customers into lifelong relationships
wwwcoreldrawprocomallbookstorehtm
Captures A amp B Two blurry images (on purpose) showing what happens to the white balance when opened in
different RAW converters This is typical
December 2007 15Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE TRANSFERSBy Bill Leek Applications
Headstart on Spring 10 Things You Can Do in January to Make 2008 a Successful Year
I have to be honesthellipMy normal inclination after the holiday season is to relax and take it easy for a few weeks It seems that after a very busy year I really deserve it But small- to medium-size business owners cannot afford to do this The few weeks of relative calm after Christmas are too valuable to squander
Every year I write up an action plan for January Hear are some ideas that you may find valuable
1) Follow the lead of the big retailers Valentinersquos Day is almost here and Easter is early this year Get your new spring displays mailings emails and catalogs out right after the holidays Highlight some new products with spring themes every year
2) Offer January specials with sizable discounts if you anticipate a slow month Use coupons and thank you gifts to show appreciation to your loyal long-term customers
3) Br igh ten up your display space with new graphics fixtures and lighting Look into new LED displays They offer superior lighting at significantly lower cost and maintenance LED
technology will replace both incandescent and neon lighting and signage in just a few years
4) Spend some time to really learn your software application January is a great time to learn new features and upgrade your Corel Software Buy a guide or an interactive CDDVD to speed up the learning curve
5) January is a great time to find new vendors equipment and imprintables You have more time and the vendors may be more responsive as sales are slower You very well might be able to make that great deal on a piece of capital equipment yoursquove wanted for some time
Ask vendors to provide you with samples of new inks imprintables and transfer papers Test washability compare color quality and evaluate production ease
Look at the new technologies -- direct printing on soft and hardgoods eco-solvent inks color laser printer transfer and new sublimation coatings are all ldquohotrdquo areas to investigate
6) Donrsquot just perform a physical inventory Evaluate inventory turnover and get rid of any dead items that are just taking up shelf space
7) Look at your customer base Are you trying to be all things to all people Are there specific niches where you have had greater success
than others Determine how to build on your strengths and possibly remove yourself from markets that are not profitable
8) Organize an email list of all your existing customers and solid leads Improve your communications with a newsletter Donrsquot overkill with your emailshelliptherersquos a fine line between informative and irritating
9) Sit down and list your major accomplishments and failures of the past year Try to assign a quantitative measure where you can Make a detailed list in each area and honestly investigate what resulted in success or failure
10) Come up with a list of 10-20 goals that you can realistically achieve in 2008 These goals can be defined as specific actions or financial results Create a small poster and display it in place where you will see it every day Go over the list every month and ask yourself how you are doing
I wish you all a Very Happy New Year I will try to keep you informed of all the exciting technical and market developments in 2008 Thanks for all your questions ideas and support during the past year
Add quality imprintables from Unisub for the
Valentinersquos Day market
December 2007 16Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE PRINTSUBLIMATIONBy Judy and John McDaniel Applications
Creating Sublimation Product Templates
Last time we finished all the background stuff now wersquoll get on to making things Wersquoll start with flat products which include plaques tiles shirts and other garments etc Later wersquoll explore specialty items like cups
Creating a Product Template FileThe first step in designing graphics for any new
product that we intend to make again and again is to create a product template Templates give us layouts into which we can place our text and graphics They may take a little time to set up initially however they make it much easier and faster to produce products once the templates are available
The first step in designing a template is to determine the page size in CorelDRAWreg For sublimated products that requires we decide what size the finished transfer will be The size of the transfer will determine the page size
The finished transfer may or may not be the size of the printed sheet For example if we are printing transfers for t-shirts generally they will be on full 11 x 17 sheets That said we have some layouts that will be printed in portrait orientation vertical on the shirt and some in landscape horizontal We have both styles available as templates If we are including a customerrsquos photo in the finished design the orientation of the photo might determine which template we use
For ceramic tiles the transfer may be the size of an individual tile or perhaps the size of a tile array For plaques the transfer is generally slightly larger than the print area of the plaque -- 4 x 6 5 x 7 8 x 10 etc For badges our template might be the size of a single badge or if we have a fixture for pressing badges our template might be the size of the fixture If wersquore pressing ceramic steins and cups we might have an array of templates some for fronts backs full wraps and full wraps edge to edge
Another variable to consider when creating a sublimation template is the size
of your printer and heat press The largest transfer that can be printed or pressed will determine the upper limit of the templatersquos page size These factors are only of concern for large items like shirts
In our shop we have both wide format (11inch) and standard (85 inch) sublimation printers We can choose roll material or standard sheets Currently our largest flat press is 14 x 16 inches so thatrsquos our upper limit for flat product images
Creating a T-shirt TemplateRemember creating a template is something you
only do one time for each item in your inventory and for any variations you would like to have available Creating
Photo 1
Photo 2
December 2007 17Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE PRINTING
a template file takes a little time in the beginning but saves a lot of time in the long run
With these factors in mind Irsquoll go through the steps of creating a special-occasion t-shirt template The first one Irsquoll create will be in portrait orientation If yoursquod like to follow along open CorelDraw to a new project 11 x 17 paper and set the orientation to portrait
Set Guidelines Next wersquoll bring in some guidelines These will
help us see the image area we have to work with For this project Irsquoll set guidelines at frac12 inch in from the left and right 1 inch in from the top and 3 inches up from bottom The guides are for visual reference This is the maximum text and graphics layout area
Since this is a vertical layout our graphic will be 1 inch down from the top edge of the transfer If we set the shirt on the press with the collar at the top edge then all wersquoll have to do is align the transfer to the top edge of the press and the image will be 1 inch down from the shirt collar
Irsquove limited the vertical image area to 13 inches Allowing an inch down from the top will make the bottom of the image 14 inches down from the collar Thatrsquos
ok for an adult large or XL shirt but you may want to adjust the area for smaller shirts
As a part of this layout Irsquove created a couple of layers One Irsquove called text and one picture These layers will be used for the graphic elements of the final template As an option you can also create a non-printing layer that contains a rectangle Since the layout is off centered you can use the rectangle to align your text and graphics but the rectangle will not print (See picture 1)
Save Your TemplateYou can now save this simple layout
as a CorelDRAW template To do that click on FileSave Ashellip and select CDT ndash CorelDRAW Template (see picture 2)
I normally save templates in a special folder however if yoursquore using Windows Vista its sort capabilities reduce the need to organize your files (See picture 3)
You can use this generic template as is You can also use it as a base for creating other templates Next time wersquoll make some additions to customize it for a special occasion Wersquoll also look at how we can use templates
Judy and John McDaniel are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry For information on training services offered and their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom They can be reached by phone at 541-967-4271 via SKYPE (user name JHMcDaniel) or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom See full bio on Writers Page
December 2007 18Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTINGBy Jeff McDaniel Applications
Using Specialty Platens Part 2Background
In our last article we touched on the steps required to create a master transfer for our specialty platen We also briefly reviewed locating the artwork and attaching the capillary film to the screen In this article we will expose our screens rinse them and produce our pocket patch CorelDRAWPro members can look up the more detailed information in the archived articles for June July and August at wwwacdrporg
Our setup and yoursOur setup is the Printa 770 series screen printing machine from Printa Systems Inc
All of the supplies and tools we will cover from here on were provided in the turn-key system from Printa with the 770 Your setup may be from another source but will most likely contain components of what we will discuss below In addition to the standard Printa 770 setup we will be using the ldquoPrint-Allrdquo system from Printa Systems Inc (see figure 1 courtesy of Printa Systems)
Exposing the capillary filmWe left off last article with our screens drying
Now that they are dry we are ready to expose the capillary film Exposing Step 1 we will gently peel the carrier sheet off of the capillary film (see figure 2)
Exposing Step 2 Next we need to put our first image back on the exposure unit and re-install the screen on the printing system Then we can bring the screen down on the
exposure unit attach our blackout board and expose the screen (see figure 3)
Exposing Step 3 After exposure we need to rinse out our screen and inspect it to be certain we have a complete rinse (see figure 4)
Exposing Step 4 Once the image is rinsed out it is time to put the screen back in the dryer (see figure 5)
Re-aligning the screens after wash outFrom the time that we first aligned the
artwork we have taken the screens in and out of the printing system twice If our artwork is even a little bit out of alignment we will lose blanks or put out low quality work It is a good idea to do a final adjustment with the original artwork
Re-Align Step 1 Leaving both of our photo positives on the exposure unit we can inspect the screen location compared to our original artwork location Here is the yellow screen location after exposure and wash out (see figure 6)
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
December 2007 19Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTING
Re-Align Step 2 The black screen is a little bit off (see figure 7) so we will need to use the Printa 770 micro-adjustment knobs to bring it back into alignment (see figure 8)
Masking off the screenNow that our artwork is
lined up correctly we can mask the rest of the screen off Wherever we donrsquot want the ink to run through the screen needs to be masked off (see figures 9 and 10)
Locating the pocket patch on the shirtThere are a couple of different ways to locate the pocket
patch on the shirt The first thing to consider is where you want it to end up on the wearer If the patch is too far toward the sleeve the image will end up under the wearerrsquos arm pit If the image is too far up toward the neck the image will not look right either A good way to figure out the correct location is by looking at a shirt that has a pocket patch on it (maybe one or two are in your closet right now)
Another way to locate the pocket patch is to put on the shirt
size that you wear and mark off where you think it feels correct and comfortable Once you have decided where you would like the patch keeping it in the same relative location on all of the different sizes is not too difficult The actual placement of the shirt can be accomplished a couple of different ways that we know of Which you prefer will depend mostly on if you are more accurate with sight or touch
The sight method involves using a masking tape strip to mark the desired location on the shirt prior to loading it onto the platen (see figure 11)
Once you have your marking in place you can load the shirt on the platen and have a nice representation that you are placing the design in the desired location (see figure 12)
Figure 7 Figure 8
Figure 9
Figure 10
Figure 11
Figure 12
December 2007 20Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTING
We prefer the sight method because it works well with our equipment The ldquoPrint Allrdquo system from Printa Systems Inc uses a smaller platen for pocket patches The smaller platen allows us to load sizes from youth XS ndash adult 5X without stretching
The touch method involves using a standard platen and adding a riser underneath where the pocket patch will be printed (a piece of cut cardboard or thin wood of the appropriate size) With this method you can feel when the shirt is in the correct location and begin printing from there
Inking the screens printing and curingSince we have resolved our location
issues with the pocket patch we are ready to ink the screens print and cure
Printing Step 1 Inking the screens is fairly straightforward (see figure 13)
Printing Step 2 Using the squeegee we will screen our first color (see figure 14) and check the quality of the image (see figure 15)
Printing Step 3 Our first color will need to be flash cured (see figure 16)
Printing Step 4 Now we can add our second color (see figure 17)
Printing Step 5 Finally we can do the finish cure step paying attention to the temperature gauge (see figure 18)
After final curing it is always a good idea to take at least a sampling of the product and wash it to be certain of the curing All of the information on post-job clean-up can be found in the CorelDRAWPro archives for September
Conclusion This time we took our screens out of
the dryer and pushed our project all the way to its completion
Jeff McDaniel is the OwnerOperator of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon Jeff has been working with computers since the age of 5 and was a journeyman machinist before working in the graphic arts business Creative Graphic offers services including laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials You can contact Jeff by email at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
Figure 14
Figure 13
Figure 15
Figure 17
Figure 16
Figure 18
December 2007 21Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SANDBLASTINGBy Judy McDaniel Applications
Screening the AbrasiveKeeping your sandblast abrasive media free
of contaminant material is essential During sandblasting abrasive is mixed with compressed air fed through the supply hose focused by the nozzle and impacts the product Then if itrsquos fine enough it leaves the system as dust or drops to the bottom of the cabinet to be recycled
Other material will also collect in the bottom of the cabinet This debris can include bits of mask (ever wonder where the center of that ldquoerdquo went) bits of tape and possibly solid material dislodged from the product yoursquore blasting This latter source of debris is especially prevalent when yoursquore working on materials other than glass like brick rock and wood
Leaving the debris in the abrasive when itrsquos recycled can cause a variety of problems First if a piece of debris is too large to fit through the nozzle it will clog it More importantly if it does fit through the nozzle and is hard like brick and rock debris it can impact the piece yoursquore working on and ruin it
The obvious solution is to screen the media when you reload the pressure pot The problem is the screen mesh size Irsquove tried the screen supplied by the cabinet manufacturers and used window screening material from a hardware store In both of these cases the mesh size would allow all but the largest pieces of debris through
What Irsquove found that works the best is a spatter screen from a local kitchen store The mesh is woven tightly and filters out much more debris The best thing is its price only a few dollars
One of our cabinets is not self-contained so we have to filter the media by hand We have found that bending the handle up on a large spatter screen
causes it to fit perfectly into the top of the pressure pot We also have a couple of other smaller pressure pots one in fact that you fill with a funnel For those I simply lay the spatter screen over the opening of the pot or the funnel when refilling
If you have a system that recycles the abrasive then it should be equipped with a screen located on top of the pressure pot Make sure to inspect and remove the debris from the top of the screen from time to time A shop-vac works well for this purpose If you find that larger pieces are getting through the screen then contact the manufacturer to see what can be done to reduce the mesh size
Keeping your media clean helps prevent unwanted delays or damage
To all of our friends out there new and old have a safe and joyful holiday season
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from John and me
Judy McDaniel with her husband John are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry In addition they provide one-on-one application support through an email subscription service exclusively for their Hotcdr Hands-On Training students or those who have purchased their CD sets (For information on training services offered visit wwwgraphic-products-trainingcom and for information on their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom) They can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
December 2007 22Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE ENGRAVINGBy John McDaniel Applications
Elements of Machine Accuracy 7 Structural Integrity
So far wersquove covered resolution speed repeatability and hysteresis This time wersquoll discuss structural integrity
What is Structural IntegrityStructural integrity is a measure of a machinersquos
strength or stiffness It is the ability of a machine to resist distortion by forces created in normal operations
Most mechanical engraving machines use single-fluted cutters As these cutters turn they apply cutting force against the material For every action though there is an equal but opposite reaction ie the material resists the cut and thereby transmits a resistive force back through the cutting tool spindle etc and ultimately to the machinersquos frame
Assuming a static bit position the force applied to the machinersquos structure will rotate 360deg with the tool (see diagram 1) As this force rotates any looseness in the structure will result in a deviation in the relationship of the material and the cutter
What machine design factors are involvedStructural integrity includes lead screws and their
hysteresis for mechanical engraving machines spindle bearings and their looseness for both mechanical and laser engravers gantry or table rails their bearings and looseness and the machinersquos frame In fact anything and everything that holds the tool and material in the proper relationship during the cuttingengraving process contributes to or detracts from structural integrity
Why is it importantIn a word Quality Structural integrity influences
the quality of the finished products the machine will produce
For illustration Irsquoll use a mechanical engraving system If the looseness in our machine and the cutting force applied were uniform throughout the 360deg of tool rotation the result would be a wobble in the tool path which might not be visible in the finished product
Cutting ForcesIn the real world however as the tool moves through
the material the cutting and reactive forces go through a cycle (see diagram 2) When the tool starts the cut there is a spike in force The force will level to a constant through the top side of the cut while itrsquos cutting against the direction of the toolrsquos movement Then it will drop somewhat when itrsquos cutting with the toolrsquos movement and finally fall off on the back side as the cutting edge of the tool enters the void area where the material has already been removed
The amount of force applied during the cutting process will vary depending on the material being
cut the tool and its sharpness the depth of cut the material feed rate and whether or not lubricant is used The cutting force may also vary over the length of the job as the toolrsquos cutting edge wears and becomes dull
Machine Component Looseness
In addition to the cutting force not being uniform throughout the 360deg of tool rotation l o o s e n e s s i n t h e machinersquos structure will also vary For example dur ing the cut t ing operation as the tool transitions through 0deg and 180deg of rotation X axis hysteresis will be a factor in overall machine looseness but Y axis hysteresis will have no effect At 90deg and 270deg the Y axis will become a factor but the X axis will have no impact
In the real world any looseness in the machine will cause an oscillation in the cut which will have its own angle If we could slow the toolrsquos movement we would see this oscillation as a sharp jump in the positional relationship between the tool and material being cut In the finished product this sharp jump in position will result in a jagged cut
December 2007 23Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE ENGRAVING Outline amp OverviewThe Nuts and Bolts of Machine AccuracyMachine accuracy or capability can be defined as a result of six features 1 Resolution ndash the smallest incremental movementpositioning of a speci-fied axis 2 Speed ndash the ability to complete a task in a reasonable amount of time without sacrificing accuracy or creating damage to the machine or product 3 Repeatability ndash the ability to duplicate a previous position without error 4 Hysteresis ndash the ldquosloprdquo or ldquoplayrdquo in motion control components 5 Structural Integrity ndash stiffness or strength ndash the ability to cut materials without error or damage This is especially important for mechanical engrav-ers 6 Structural Tolerances ndash the sum accuracy of a machinersquos mechanical components
Machine ComponentsWersquoll examine nine factors that determine a machinersquos accuracy They include 1 Motors ndash including DC Stepper DC Brushless DC Servo and AC Servo a Spindles ndash motors that rotate the cutting bit b Axis Drive ndash motors that position the material to the cutting bit c Horsepower ratings ndash real versus advertised 2 The Motion Control Drive Unit ndash including Geared Belt and Lead Screws a Lead Screws ndash including Acme Re-circulating Ball Standard and Precision b Mounting ndash including Simple Fixed and Thrust bearing types c Protection ndash Open or Closed 3 Guide Rails ndash Types include V Bearing Rail Bushing Shaft Dove Tail and Re-circulating Ball Bearing 4 Encoders ndash Types include Rotary and Linear Methodologies include incremental or absolute 5 Tachometers ndash used for speed stability acceleration and breaking control for closed loop servo systems 6 Bearings ndash including Sleeve Ball and Linear Re-circulating Ball a Applications ndash including Radial Thrust and Linear b Quality ndash Standard thru Ultra Precision 7 Spindles ndash including topbottom loading Collets and Sleeves 8 Material Hold Down ndash including mechanical clamps and vacuum sys-tems 9 Electronic Interface ndash Computer control methods
Wersquoll also examine Reliability what makes it And Serviceability is it fix-able
If the cutting oscillation is at any angle other than the direction of the cut and the oscillation is great enough a jagged cut will be visible in the finished product A cut deviation of as little as 001rdquo is visible to the naked eye and will most commonly show up on curves and circles but may show up on straight lines as well
To illustrate this point a little further and perhaps make it somewhat clearer Irsquod like to refer to diagrams 3 and 4 For purposes of these illustrations we will assume we have a machine that has some looseness on both the X and Y axes However the rest of the machine
is structurally solid the frame is rigid and no other components have any loosenessMaking these assumptions and disregarding the variation in force caused by the cutter
as it travels through the material we will have cutting oscillations at 0deg 180deg 90deg and 270deg during the toolrsquos rotation As the tool travels through the material on its path these oscillations will cause a slight variation in the centerline of the toolrsquos cut
Diagram 3 shows a horizontal tool path While the machine is cutting in this direction any X axis looseness will be masked by the cutter path itself however looseness in the Y axis will result in a slight oscillation in the cutterrsquos horizontal position and therefore a deviation in its cut Diagram 4 shows the effect of the X axis looseness which will impact vertical lines
As you can see from this discussion and these illustrations structural integrity ie looseness in the components from which a machine is constructed can make a significant difference in quality of the finished products that a machine will produce
Next time wersquoll consider structural tolerances and their impact
John McDaniel with his wife Judy are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry For information on training services offered and their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom They can be reached by phone at 541-967-4271 via SKYPE (user name JHMcDaniel) or via email at JHMcDanielCorelDRAWhelpcom See the full bio on the Writers Page
December 2007 24Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
the image the text and the red bow In the laser file for this example I have the red cut line for vectoring (See Figure 5)
5) Send the cardstock through the printer6) Place the cardstock in the laser for vector
cutting The thickness of the stock will determine what settings to use For my 35-watt laser using a medium weight cardstock I used a speed of 100 and power of 15 for a nice cut through the stock without any burn marks on the paper
7) Optional in one run I decided to let the laser take care of the bow instead of using color for it from my printer I set the outline of the bow to 100 black and the interior of the bow to 50 black (See Figure 6)
8) Then I only sent the image and text through the printer The bow and vector cutting occurred in the laser I set the raster engraving (of the bow) at speed 70 and power 40 (See Figure 7) You can see the differentiation of using 100 black as opposed to 50 black by the exterior lines
being engraved a little deeper than the rest of the fill
Take the idea of using patterns (like the birth announcement above) and wowing your clientele with the detail and intricacy that laser can provide Or add a twist to a holiday tradition (cards) Whatever you do donrsquot forget you can combine the advantages of the printer and laser for fabulous products
Submitted by Kathryn Arnold Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
LASER TIPBy Kathryn Arnold Applications
Combining Laser amp Printer PowerComing up with new and
inventive ways to use your laser is the key to a successful and growing business We will look at a way to combine the power of your computer (ink) printer with the power of the laser engraver
In this lesson we will take a look at using cardstock to create a card and an announcement See the examples of a holiday card and a birth announcement ndash gratuitously they are of my family (Figure 1 amp Figure 2)
1) In CorelDRAWreg use any pattern image text you wish Be sure that there is a clear and discernible vector line that will be laser cut and yield a cut piece from the cardstock2) See the clear (red) cut line ndash it goes fully around my object even the bow portion (important) I then duplicated my object to fit as many as possible on my 8 frac12 x 11 cardstock (See Figure 3) 3) I saved this file as my master file that I could return to at any point I then created two copies -- one that will
be used to send the file to my printer and one that will be used to send the file to my laser engraver (See Figure 4)
4) In the master file I have every part of what my end product will have In the file for my printer I only have the parts that the printer will print ndash in this example
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
December 2007 25Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
ELECTRONICS FRONTIERBy Louie Alvarez Opportunity
Webcams are an interesting subject which I am intimately familiar with Some typical questions are what are they what purpose do they serve what benefit are they what to look for and various other questions concerns and issues
Webcams surely bring back a memory or two not all that great I might add I remember when they first became usable primarily due to the Internet having affordable true broadband
First experiences The choppy poor quality of dial-up service
simply didnrsquot make this a useful technology Short of communicating with far-flung family members it left much to be desired With my immediate family living in Las Vegas and all other family (parents siblings cousins etc) living in California this was a technology I thought would be useful to keep in touch
So I set up my computer and my momrsquos computer with Webcams to stay in touch Needless to say with the poor quality terrible tracking (had to keep perfectly
sti l l because video frames didnrsquot refresh fas t enough) the hard-to-see tiny video window and poorly synchronized voices to the faces (we looked like a badly translated kung fu movie) the novelty quickly wore off (Irsquod say in about 30 minutes)
WebcamsSecond attempt
So I promptly dumped the technology for the next few years until I started seeing broadband picking up the pace and more interest in Webcams becoming obvious from all the new devices on the market So about three years ago a wireless Webcam caught my eye and I decided to put it to the test once again
Considering I was by then traveling quite extensively (about 40000 miles a year) I figured Irsquod use it to monitor my home I had two teenagers and a 5-year-old at home at the time while I was on the road and my wife was still a t work (She normally didnrsquot get off work until about two hours after school was out) So this looked to be a cool device to see if as the clicheacute goes when the catrsquos away the mice will play
I proceeded to position this wireless Webcam strategically to allow viewing of my living room including the back door Plus to get to the front door or side door you would have to pass through the field of the camera My little one loved the idea of being on camera for her daddy and would dance play and make funny faces for me Pretty cool actually That in itself almost justified the camera but needless to say my teenagers even my wife didnrsquot take to the idea too well So it was returned and life continued on as usual
That experience did show me that the broadband
speeds the quality of the video feeds the prevalence on the net of live cams and the quality of the video cameras (better known as Webcams) had progressed to a level of usefulness and I could see the potential of this technology With that said letrsquos get into the heart of this article
So what are webcams Basically they are digital cameras attached to
the computer and connected to the Web or Instant Messaging (IM) This allows the camera to be linked to a website or to each other directly and individuals who view the website or IM are able to see what the camera is viewing at that moment You can choose to get either still pictures that are updated at regular intervals (Snapshot) or live streams (Streaming) depending on what your bandwidth permits The WebCam technology has advanced sufficiently now to make it both easier and cheaper to maintain a camera that is refreshing an image 24 hours a day
Features of Web Cameras Listed here are some of the features more commonly
found in WebCams1 Live streaming video still pictures updated2 No plug-in or software necessary to view image
can be viewed with any Web browser3 Live audio4 Incorporation with other software such as Instant
Messaging (IM)5 Adding captionslogostime displays6 Archiving video7 Chat feature
December 2007 26Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
WebCams in an instructional scenario could be used to
Monitor your staff or employees thus being able to guide them better
Telecommute to companies worldwide and demonstrate project procedures
B roadcas t sem ina rs wo rkshops o r demonstrations
Share special events and programs with students enrolled in distance learning courses
Hold a video press conference online meeting or broadcast meetings and discussions
In some cases it is important for the learner to be able to establish a connection visually WebCams could be a good alternative to using text files or audio files
Join WebCam groups and allow students to take advantage of other WebCam locations for educational purposes
Using a web camera allows learners to be a part of either a conference or classstudio
Benefits of using WebCamsa The most important advantage of using a web camera is that it creates a direct link between the camera and the live site and dispenses with all the production work Production work in this context includes the cost and effort involved in shooting
editing and streaming videos Thus using a WebCam does not require
advanced skillsb The software is basically a Web server that runs on your system and pushes images out to a Web page For viewers of images delivered over a WebCam
one of the benefits is that they get the entire picture preferable in
certain cases rather than a sleek edited versionc WebCam technology can also be used for remote s u r v e i l l a n c e s y s t e m s
ELECTRONIC FRONTIER
monitoring events or places and broadcasting live eventsd Learners can link to a web camera-monitored location and just watch or also have an additional web camera in their own location enabling two-way communication
Setting up your WebCama Setting up your own WebCam obviously requires a computer a WebCam (the hardware) and WebCam software along with a broadband Internet connection Before you decide which camera to buy and which software to acquire yoursquoll have to review the different methods to show pictures or video feed through the Internet ( i e r e f r e s h e d after x amount of seconds) This will enable you to decide which hardware and software solution will fit your situation best
b P l a c e m e n t of a camera is an important decision to be made Decide whether a static angle is sufficient to demonstrate the concept or a moving camera (handheld) is required It is important however to remember the limitations of using WebCams and leave the panoramic and other fancy shots to more sophisticated video Use WebCams for videos that require more focus and ones that require a smaller viewingmovement range
c For detailed technical instructions on using WebCams visit httpdeveloperswebcamworldcommethodshtml
d Here is a good resource for inexpensive Webcams on the market httpcastlepricewatchcomssearchasps=webcams
e For an in-depth review of various Webcams on the market go to this link httpreviewscnetcom4244-6502_7-0-1htmlquery=webamptag=cat_1
f There are many Webcam examples online here are a couple httpwwwwebcamworldcom or httpwwwleonardsworldscomcamerahtml
By the way DONrsquoT TELL MY KIDS I picked up a Logitech QuickCam Pro 4000 not too long ago My family doesnrsquot know why I got it or what my intention is but I can say that now that my kids are 17 16 amp 8 my job as a parent is to ensure the mice donrsquot play when the catrsquos awayhellip
Louie Alvarez began acquiring his experience in the awards and engraving industry in Central California over 15 years ago first as an employee of the largest and oldest trophy shop and then as owner of one of the first laser engraving businesses Louie has been a featured workshop instructor and seminar speaker throughout the industry in addition to being a contributing writer to numerous industry publications Louie is based in Las Vegas NV and can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
December 2007 27Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
The Association of CorelDRAWreg Professionals is The Education amp Business Resource for CorelDRAW Users Worldwide Its goal is to help 1) IMPROVE your CorelDRAW skills and 2) MAKE MONEY with those skills You can participate in ACDRP services in four ways
THE WORLDrsquoS ONLY ASSOCIATION FOR CORELDRAWreg USERSINVITES YOU TO MAKE MORE MONEY WITH CORELDRAW
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month focused on Industry News via the Graphics News Wire Links to valuable resources and a complete educa-tion and show Calendar S
CorelDRAWPro the Entrepreneurial magazine for CorelDRAW users features in-depth content on How to Use CorelDRAW -- tips tricks advanced ar twork success s to r ies in te rv iews and more How to Apply CorelDRAW -- for graphic production processes such as embroidery engraving heat printing laser promo products printing sandblasting signmaking sublimation and screenprinting How to Profit from CorelDRAW -- Product news business columns reviews profiles and advertising with live links
SUBSCRIBE -- NO CHARGE JOIN -- $60 PER YEAR
All users of CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite are qualified to subscribe free to CorelDRAWPro magazine (PDF format) and CorelDRAWPro E-News
Subscription to CorelDRAWPro amp CorelDRAWPRo E-News
TTF Newsletter Subscription to the monthly Tips Templates amp Fixtures Newsletter only available to members
GSG Basic Listing You can list your services in the Graphic Services Guide in one category as part of membership (a $25 value)
Access to QuickLearn A keyword searchable database of 100s of articles on CorelDRAW graphics production and business
All users of CorelDRAWreg are invited to join the Association and take advantage of exclusive content discounts and profes-sional recognition ACDRP membership includes
TTF
QuickLearn
QuickTNT
Archives
BASIC GSG LISTING -- $25 PER YR
The Graphic Services Guide is the Industry Yellow Pages for Services and Finished Goods GSG is promoted in all our publi-cations and our website to the world of CorelDRAW users Your listing gives you the opportunity to promote your services (in any of 40 categories) to other CorelDRAW usersThe Basic Listing includes your company description email link and listing in one category Additional service categories are $10 each per year
The Enhanced GSG Listing is for companies that want to list in two categories and add a photo or logo
ENHANCED GSG LISTING -- $50$75 PER YR
Classifieds
Access to QuickTnT A growing database of CorelDRAW tips for understanding the fine points of the program and templates that can be downloaded to speed up your production
Access to Archives Past issues of CorelDRAWPro are available to members with live links
Bookstore Discounts Members receive a 10 discount on all products in the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore
Professional Recognition Use of the ACDRP logo for professional identification on business cards websites and letterhead You also receive a membership certificate
Classified Ads Members can place one classified ad per year at no charge with photo and run it till the item is sold (a $35 value)
HOW TO PARTICIPATE To Subscribe (no charge) To Join ($60yr) To List in the Graphic Services Guide ($25 Basic $50$75 Enhanced or $120145 for Multi-Service)
CorelDRAWreg is a registered trademark of Corel Corp and is used with permission
Visit wwwcoreldrawprocomand click on the appropriate links
800-276-8428
The Multi-Service GSG Listing allows you to list up to 40 differ-ent service categories with detailed descriptions and add a photo or logo
MULTI-SERVICE GSG LISTING -- $120$145 PER YR
December 2007 28Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Throughout the year this publication has reported on whatrsquos new in equipment tools and software and blank products for businesses that put graphics onto products
For this 2007 wrap-up CorelDRAWPro editorial staff reviewed all the product news for the year and named 33 products to its annual Top Products of the Year list
Selections were based on the criteria of innovation and impact Innovation means products that exhibit a high degree of originality or uniqueness Impact means products that influence sales or productivity for a large number of businesses
Note that the 2007 honorees are list alphabetically in the three theme sections
For more information on the products in this article click on the Info Request button at the bottom of each page and select by company name or product You might open the Info Request page and minimize it as you read That way you can quickly open it and check the products you want
EQUIPMENT
ANAJET DIRECT-TO-GARMENT DIGITAL PRINTERAnaJet Digital Apparel Printer (Model FP-125) from
AnaJet Inc in Costa Mesa CA is a direct-to-garment printer offering high quality and affordability It can print custom graphics on any cotton or poly-cotton flat textile material in one minute The printer priced affordably from under $13000 can produce up to 5000 shirts per month each retailing for about $20 Most printers installed so far are in a production plant environment but some customers have started to take the mobile printer to malls for instant printing of customer graphics According to Dr Chase Roh company president the unique printhead they have developed allows for 16x more ink flow than normal desktop printers and thus shirts only require one pass
Top Products of the Year
DTG AMERICA ECLIPSE D-1 WITH TWO HEADS DTG America of Tampa FL and Fort Worth TX now offers a new solution to
speed up digitally printing to dark shirts The Eclipse D-1 incorporates two heads instead of one One head has eight channels of white to lay down a solid white underbase The second head has four channels of white to do highlights and four channels of color to lay down the design The result of this new configuration is the underbase and color are completed in one pass at an estimated average of only two minutes per shirt for a 12-inch by 6-inch area Other innovations include an ink agitator firmware for easy updating ink vapor remover auto gap adjustment and new platen configuration for easy loading
GEO KNIGHT DK 25SP HEAT PRESSThe Digital Knight DK25SP is an air-operated automatic
20x25 oversized swing-away heat press with a state-of-the-art control system and heavy-duty solid steel welded framework The smooth automatic pressing and push-button activation provides a productive fatigue-free operation The extended 20x25 size of the heat platen is perfect for sublimation and large-format materials pressingThe press is adjustable to accommodate materials from fabric thickness all the way up to 1rdquo thick substrates For more information call 800-525-6766 or visit wwwheatpresscom
GRAPHTEC CRAFT ROBO PROGraphtec America Inc based in Santa Ana
CA introduced the new Craft ROBO Pro 15rdquo cutting plotter The Craft ROBO Pro is an ideal solution for cutting a wide variety of materials including vinyl film card stock foil heat transfer and image transfer media Incorporating Graphtecrsquos legendary
December 2007 29Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
ARMS (Advanced Registration Marks System) and combined with a desktop printer the Craft ROBO Pro makes contour cutting an easy task Innovations include a new digital servo motor first mark auto-sensing menu navigation system that includes 8 user-defined conditions Tangential Control and three software applications
ROLAND RELEASES DIRECT-TO-FABRIC PRINTERRoland DGA Corp of Irvine CA released
the new 74rdquo HeatWave DFP-74 Fabric Printer through its reseller channel in the US Based on Rolandrsquos HeatWave sublimation technology the DFP-74 Fabric Printer is a complete integrated solution and Rolandrsquos first inkjet ever to support direct printing onto polyester fabrics As a complete solution including printer sublimation unit inks and RIP software the DFP-74 makes it easier than ever for shops to enter the fast-growing textile printing market Key features include eight advanced piezo print heads an intelligent media handling system and a temperature-controlled heating system
HOTRONIX PERFECT PRESSURE HEAT PRESSHotronix of Carmichaels PA has taken heat press technology
to the next level with Perfect Pressure a new digital pressure display functionThis new feature has a single-digit LED readout
that measures the pressure of the inner platen This technology is exclusive to Hotronix and is patent pending Previously a
digital pressure display was available only on air-operated heat press machines With this new pressure display gauge all heat press users will have more consistent results from job to job reducing the number of misprints and speeding up production For more information about
the new digital pressure display contact Stahlsrsquo Hotronix at 800-478-2457 e-mail infostahlscom or visit the Web site at wwwstahlscom
SWF DREAM EMBROIDERY MACHINEWith its new DREAM Machine SWF has broken the barrier in multi-head
embroidery machine technology The DREAM machines are the first multi-head embroidery machines that truly can sew at 1500 stitches per minute During the research and development of these new machines 12 new patents were filed and granted proof that the DREAM machines are built with state-of-the-art technology
Innovations include LED control panel error codes to quickly troubleshoot problems optional devices to do sequins cording and boring automatic oiling system large memory a hoop selector and more These innovative new machines come in configurations ranging from
two to six heads It is distributed exclusively by SWF East (Tampa FL) and SWF MESA (Dallas TX)
MESArsquoS HOTFIX SPANGLE MOTIF MACHINEWith the all new YAS-11 Hotfix Spangle Motif Making
Machine the first of its kind in the United States you can create beautiful spangle transfer designs that have the look of sequins This patented machine which is distributed exclusively in the United States by MESA Distributors of Fort Worth TX cuts out shapes such as circles and squares in a range of sizes from reels of Mylar tape The machine comes with proprietary design software that allows the user to create any pattern or design up to 157 by 157 inches
SAWGRASSrsquo HYBRID SYSTEM FOR EPSON R1800Sawgrass Technologies of Mt Pleasant SC introduced
the SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid System for the Epson R1800 for both sublimation printing and cotton
decorating from one machine The affordable entry-level system features dual functionality with both SubliJet and ChromaBlast inks in one machine allowing users to create customized images with superior color and clarity on both polyester coated substrates and cotton garments This is the second
hybrid system from Sawgrass following in the footsteps of the popular SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid
System for the Epson 4800
TROTECrsquoS NEW LARGE PLATFORM LASER Trotec Laser Inc of Ypsilanti MI has introduced the SP500 series of laser
engraving and cutting systems The systems have a work area of 50rdquo X 28rdquo and X-Axis clearance of 12rdquo The systems are offered in power levels from 45W-200W There is an available pass-through option (Class 4) Exhaust fumes are captured
December 2007 30Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
at the laser head to insure an efficient extraction when using the pass-through featureTrotec systems are designed for minimal wear-and-tear and eliminate the need for periodic replacement of belts and bearings For additional information visit our web site wwwtrotecnet or call 866-226-8505 734-484-3260
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW PROFESSIONAL SERIESUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) of Scottsdale
AZ added four new models in its Professional Laser Series (PLS) line of advanced high-productivity computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving systems The new PLS line which replaces Universalrsquos M V and X laser systems incorporates a
host of evolutionary design improvements to the laser cartridge platform chassis system electronics and software interface The new PLS models include several
powerful new features most notably a unique materials-based print driver called ldquoLaser Interface +rdquo that gives users their choice
between automatic or manual control over power speed and other system settings For more information on Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit Universal Laser Systems online at wwwulsinccom
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW VERSALASERUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) added a
new version of its desktop-sized VersaLasertrade
computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving system The new VersaLaser
improves on the award-winning original thanks to a host of evolutionary design refinements It also
includes a unique next-generation materials-based print driver that automatically calculates power speed
and other system settings It was awarded a patent for the unique design of its external cabinet which also functions as a Class 1 laser safety enclosure For more information about VersaLaser or Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit wwwulsinccom
US SCREENrsquoS FAST T-JET 3US Screen Print and Inkjet Technology of Tempe
AZ adds the Fast T-Jet3TM which features 30 faster print speeds compared to the previous T-Jet2 model and has a longer low profile print bed for easier loading and unloading Now you can produce a full size 12rdquo x 12rdquo (305 x 305 cm) print in one minute on a light shirt and in under three minutes on a black shirt with white ink Small pocket images can be printed in about 15 seconds
US SCREENrsquoS AUTOMATED PRETREATMENT CENTER
Speed up production when using Fast T-Jet inkjet-to-garment printers with the AutoTREATtrade Automatic Pretreatment Center
This versatile piece of equipment allows you to treat shirts on a production level rather than spraying shirts individually one at a time For use with light or dark shirts the AutoTREATtrade
can spray up to three shirts per minute It has two application modesmdashone for lights and one for darks that can be switched over by activating the cleaning mode which flushes out the system with water
TOOLS MATERIALS SOFTWARE
CORELDRAW X3 CERTIFIED FOR WINDOWS VISTACorel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that
CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite X3 has been Certified for Windows Vista Customers who wish to install the Certified for Windows Vista version of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X3 can download the latest service pack (SP2) from wwwcorelcom This new update delivers an exceptional experience for customers on Windows Vista including an updated user interface enhanced security improved text handling and further enhancements to the popular suitersquos renowned import and export file compatibility
COREL LAUNCHES NEW ONLINE COMMUNITY Corel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that it
has launched httpcoreldrawcom a new online community for users of the CorelDRAWreg family of products ndash including CorelDRAW Graphics Suite Corel DESIGNERreg Technical Suite
December 2007 31Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
and Corelreg DRAWingsreg This new community site is the first in a series that Corel will be launching to support its various user communities Designed to fuel inspiration CorelDRAWcom combines forums blogs and galleries for design professionals and graphic hobbyists alike Forums are available in English French German and Spanish serving an international audience
DALCOrsquoS NEW REFLECTIVE HEAT TRANSFERSCater to the safety market with new reflective transfers offered
by Dalco Athletic of Dallas TX These durable transfers come in a reflective silver gray color in three styles police sheriff and fire dept They are sized for left chest and full back so
all you have to do is heat seal for 8 seconds and yoursquore done Itrsquos very fast and easy
DALCOrsquoS NEW OPTIC YELLOW CLASSIC SWB APPLIQUE
Classic SWB appliqueacute designs offered by Dalco Athletic now come in two new styles softballs and tennis balls in optic yellow fabric These new balls literally jump off any wearable and make it an eye-catching standout This appliqueacute collection is ideal for spiritwear items to be sold to fans and family or created as fund-raisers for boosters clubs
POWER GRAPHICS 3 FROM DIGITAL ART SOLUTIONSPower Graphics 3 by Digital Art Solutions of
Tempe AZ is the ultimate design tool for the creation of high-end custom graphics and logos for custom signage awards vehicle graphics promotional products and apparel graphics Tuned to the latest styles and trends it provides fresh graphics that will impress even the most critical and demanding customer It includes more than 1500 images The 10 design categories include Flames Gangsta (Urban) Mascots Offroad Rebel (Biker and Hot
Rod) Retro Speed Sports Surf and Tuner
FLORIANI COMMERCIALrsquoS NEW NO-SHOW DIAMOND MESHContinuing in its tradition of research and development
to create embroidery stabilizers that meet the needs of todayrsquos embroiderers Floriani Embroidery Commercial Division of Knoxville TN released a new product called Floriani No-Show Diamond Mesh This unique nylon mesh stabilizer has a perpendicular embossed pattern that makes it more multi-directionally stable and enables it to better hold stitches for crisper design registration It is specifically designed for light-colored garments where traditional stabilizers have a tendency to show through the front of the garment
GREAT DANErsquoS NEW DIGITAL PHOTO FRAMES Tap into the lucrative team market with an
incredible collection of stock art specially designed to work for direct-to-garment printers sublimation transfers and digital transfers Digital Photo Frames Volume 1 is a collection of spectacular pre-designed layouts each with one or more frames to
insert personal photos The collection includes five categories baseball football basketball soccer and hockey Each category has four designs (20 total layouts) and each design comes in three template formats mugs mouse pads and shirts
So there are a total of 60 template designs in all
IMPRINTABLES WAREHOUSE OFFERS SPECTRA ECO FILMNew from Imprintables Warehouse of
Masontown PA is a digital cutter material that is free of PVC a plus with companies that want to be as environmentally friendly as possible Spectra Eco Film is made with ecological polyurethane and is peeled hot It is pressure sensitive (sticky backing) and extremely easy to weed While maintaining superior durability and opacity this new film is thinner than current offerings on the market and delivers the super soft hand that is in demand by todayrsquos consumers It can be used on 100 cotton 100 polyester polycotton blends and even nylon and leather
December 2007 32Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
KISSCUT TECHNOLOGIESrsquo SELF-WEEDING INKJET TRANSFER PAPER
Kiss Cut Technologies Ltd Newcastle UK has addressed the ldquopolymer windowrdquo issue and developed the worldrsquos first self-weeding inkjet transfer paper for printing to textiles In simple terms only the areas of their patented transfer paper that have been printed will be transferred to the garment when heat pressed A Kiss Cut print can be further embellished with specialized textile foils so in effect a digital foiling method is now available Foil is heat pressed onto the garment and when peeled the foil only sticks to the image areas
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW PHOTOPLAS-TIC MATERIALLaserSketchcom of Lemont IL a leading supplier of
LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble Super Black Granite and Black Onyx Jewelry introduces their new PhotoPlas-Tic This is a new material developed for front andor reverse laser engraving on micro surface impact acrylic plastic It is a premium plastic for laser engraving that is UV stable ideal for photo badges plaques trophies signage and high-end awards Each sheet of PhotoPlas-Tic is specially designed for a crisp clean burn and ultra-fine laser lettering logo and vector output For details call 630-243-6360 or visit wwwlasersketchcom
THEMAGICTOUCH LAUNCHES WOW TRANSFER PAPERTheMagicTouch USA launched WoW Professional
71 transfer paper which requires no weeding or profile cutting and the vibrant colors are achieved using digital laser technology making it great for short runs It uses PolymationTM which incorporates a newly designed catalyst that provides the ultimate compatibility with all generations of dry toner material According to the company PolymationTM is the next generation of laser heat transfer Sublimation requires the substrate to have a specialty receiving polymer coating to absorb the pigments but PolymationTM delivers everything at once polymer pigments and catalyst
December 2007 33Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
offers distinct advantages over any other process It allows for an unlimited number of colors and very fine detail which is impossible with screen printing or embroidery And the cost does not go up as colors are added These new specialty materials are so advanced they can be heat sealed to all kinds of fabrics and hot new multimedia designs can be easily done
VAPOR APPAREL LAUNCHES VAPOR ART VOLUME 1V a p o r A p p a r e l
a s u b s i d i a r y o f SourceSubstrates LLC Charleston SC announces the launch of Vapor Art - Volume 1 a collection of 127 vector graphics for digital sublimation and general use The diverse collection
of high-quality graphics comes after several years of customers requesting access to the companyrsquos sample art at trade shows and educational events The Collection of art includes vector drawings and JPGs for everything from mountain biking and snowboarding to yoga and cheerleading
BLANK PRODUCTS
COLORADO HEIRLOOMrsquoS COLOR LACQUERED FRAMES
Colorado Heirloom Inc of Loveland CO introduced their new Color Lacquered Frames This is an option to add color your unique creations It is not color fill Colored lacquer is sprayed on their high quality wood frames Because
INKTRA STRETCH TRANSFER PAPER FROM STAHLSrsquoStahlsrsquo based in St Clair
Shores MI adds InkTratrade Stretch a flexible transfer paper A revolutionary product InkTratrade Stretch provides a soft hand with an amazing stretch and recovery feature InkTratrade Stretch lets you take your favorite photo or graphic design and apply it to light colored or white hats shirts bags and more for a long lasting and completely personalized garment The highly stretchable paper can be applied to cotton polycotton blends spandex and Lycrareg
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo GOOF-PROOF TRANSFERSWant the look of screen
printing without the hassle With Goof Proofreg transfers offered by Transfer Express of Mentor OH you can custom order a transfer that has the popular athletic feel and will apply in a blazing four seconds Ordering is done step-by-step online and you can customize hundreds of designs You choose your
typeface colors and size Once your design is just the way you want it you can print it out to show a customer for approval Or Transfer Express can print from your artwork The minimum order is only five pieces and your one-color order ships in one to three working days
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo NEW FULL-COLOR DIGI PRINTSApparel decorators can now offer full-color designs on light
and dark apparel made of virtually any type of fabric without the hassle or minimums of screen printing with new state-of-the-art heat transfer technology called Digi Printstrade Offered through Transfer Express this revolutionary new method of decorating
December 2007 34Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
lacquer is used instead of paint any design can be lasered on these frames The possibilities are endless These colorful creations are offered in two different designs -- a designer frame and a frame with an insert Call 970-667-4222 or visit wwwcoloradoheirloomcom
CONDE ADDS PET MATS FOR SUBLIMATIONCondeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added food bowl placemats and litter box
mats to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Favorite photographs and pet-related artwork can be transferred to the
mats to create fun products for individual pet lovers or for the pet industry such as pet stores veterinarians groomers boarding facilities and animal adoption groups Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing Call Conde at 800-826-6332
CONDE INTRODUCES FABRIC PATCHES FOR SUBLIMATION
Condeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added fabric patches to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Custom decorators can now produce unique full-color patches that will impress organizations businesses clubs sports teams sports enthusiasts and individuals alike -- without the use of embroidery Heat seal patches are great for identification marketing awards trade show promotions or to commemorate special events Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing or call 800-826-6332
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW LASERSLABLaserSketch of Lemont IL Internationally known for
their LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble and Super Black Granite announces LaserSlab Super Black Granite at 4rsquo x 8rsquo x 7mm and 4rsquo x 4rsquo x 7mm weighting in at just over 2 pounds per square foot The surface of the LaserSlab Granite has the sheen of a black mirror The reverse side features epoxy fiberglass backing to give structure integrity to the ultra-lite granite sheet All may be viewed wwwlasersketchcom or by calling LaserSketch 630-243-6360
MATTHEWS INTRODUCES ALUMICOLORTM
Matthews International Corp of Pittsburgh PA introduced Alumicolortrade a high-resolution graphics solution for aluminum signage recognition commemoration and way finding Using cutting-edge technology Matthews embeds a four-color image into the aluminum to create an anodized reproduction of unsurpassed durability Alumicolortrade products which are designed for interior and exterior installations are resistant to extreme weather conditions graffiti scuffing grease chemicals and UV rays Additionally they will not chip crack or peel
PSI ADDS ROUND FRAMES amp STRING PUZZLES Paramount Services Inc of Hollywood FL
introduced new round resin frames for sublimation tiles Choose from Coral or RopeStone with optional Unisubreg Hardboard Tiles They will also accept the Bison 8rdquo round glass Cutting Board Why be square when round may fit better PSI also introduced a new puzzle guaranteed to string you along These String Puzzles come with a Unisubreg Hardboard puzzle and the necessary string and beads along with instructions how to string it after printing Templates to aid in design are available for download in several formats For details call 800-455-7212 or visit wwwDye-Sublimation-Productscom
CRYSTALEDGEreg LUXORTM CRYSTAL AWARDSCrystalEdgereg Chicago IL presented the Luxortrade Series
This stunning cost-effective collection comprises a series of specially designed Rosewood and Black Piano finish bases Matte Mahogany and Matte Black bases and a precision cast Satin Nickel Finish Metal Base with your choice of brass or silver hardware for mounting our twelve unique shapes making this the most versatile award yet Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks are curved 14rdquo thick crystal clear glass with 316rdquo diameter holes for mounting The Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks feature a generous engraving area and there is plenty of room on the base to add an engraving plate
December 2007 35Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
XENETECHrsquoS NEW ENGRAVABLE GIFTSXenetech of Baton Rouge
LA introduced high quality engravable gift items at wholesale and quantity discounts The Xenetech collection provides a selection of gifts created for corporate recognition weddings births holidays anniversaries retirements birthdays special occasions or just expressing appreciation Items include money clips key chains book markers desk accessories quartz movement clocks flasks amp wine accessories entertainment gifts travel gifts genuine Swiss Army knives business card holders luggage tags silver-plated jewelry boxes keepsake gift boxes silver-plated banks and baby gifts The gift items are designed primarily for diamond drag burnishing and rotary engraving personalization
UNISUBrsquoS CHROMALUXE PHOTO PANELSChromaLuxe photo panels are an exciting new line
of sublimatable products from Unisub of Louisville KY These panels allow you to sell a completely finished photo product to your customers capturing some of the additional revenue (and profit) your customers now spend elsewhere on framing Available in a range of traditional photo sizes as well as exciting new shapes these panels can be joined together to create stunning photo displays -- perfect for a fireplace mantle l i b r a r y s h e l f or the top of an armoire Available in aluminum or MDF substrates
CorelDRAWPro IndexOne of our members in Michigan
requested that we put together an Index of all the articles wersquove published during the year
He prints out all the issues and puts them in binders but an Index would make it easy to reference specific articles We think itrsquos a good idea and wersquoll send it to all subscribers in January
Product Focus TopicsJanuary 2008 -- Signage Products esp Wide FormatFebruary 2008 -- Engraving Awards amp GiftsMarch 2008 -- Apparel ProductsApril 2008 -- Laser Wood Products
Coming in 2008
December 2007 36Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETSBy Donna M Gray CRM Opportunities
December ndash Time to Review December finds everyone on our team strategizing how to get out of our parking lot Our business sits right in the middle of an up-scale strip mall which sits right behind a huge shopping mall and right along the main road to a Target Superstore and other large malls We all know that from the day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday) until 2 weeks after the New Year there are great challenges to those of us who like to leave the building for lunch or run an errandhellipso we strategize We all know every secret shortcut to the bank the post office and the warehouse club What we donrsquot know is how to find the way to merge out of our own back alley into the constant flow of traffic that carries people to their end shopping destination Whew
The year-end review So this year Dave and I have decided to stay in at lunch and do our business strategizing instead Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup are good brain food for helping us to look at all the successful things we did last year as a company all the things we thought about doing but didnrsquot because the idea didnrsquot quite fit and all the things we put off until next year We do this kind of exercise every year end and it helps us to map out our strategy for the coming year In the process we identify any mistakes wersquove made wrong turns wersquove taken and we try to find the ldquowhat could have happened had everything gone rightrdquo
The value of making mistakes Albert Einstein said ldquoAnyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything newrdquo Dave has a couple of prints in his office of Abraham Lincoln that describe his mistakes in fact it took Lincoln eight tries to win the presidency Thomas Edison made mistakeshellipand yet he perseveredhellipotherwise wersquod by ldquocomputingrdquo by candlelight And Irsquove heard that Colonel
Sanders had a thousand rejections before he sold his first chicken recipe It would be nice to get to our year end business appraisals and find that wersquove made no mistakes but our business like most others doesnrsquot have that claim to fame My mother always took the high road with mistakes She always said that one should recognize the benefits of a mistake One should learn what good came from it use it to improve and use it to help motivate success the next time So December is the time to analyze everything that made up the past year and look for ways to make the New Year successful in every way
Making a plan Most advisors say that the first step toward business success after looking at a companyrsquos year ending history is to decide on exactly what you want to do going forward in the coming year Then comes mapping out the plan What will be done How will it get done Who will do what What resources will be used When will it get done Is the right equipment in place Is the space adequate Ask these and any other questions that could relate to creating a successful year then focus on the details and follow through Those two wordshellipfocus and follow throughhellipcould mean the difference between marginal and abundant success Simply stated success comes from what you do and the way you do ithellipin your customerrsquos perception Every business wants to have a good imagehellipa good reputation so dedication to having good communication skills is important especially in an industry that does custom work The goal is to be on the same page as our clients so we have to be good mind readers We have to also concentrate on our professionalism on our appearance on our presentation style and in the pride we take in producing a well-done project This
has worked in the past and will remain the same in the future
The extra mile Success has to be nurturedhellipthen it gets celebrated Sometimes sacrifices have to be made to get to the rewards At year end when we analyze how we got from Point A to Point B itrsquos interesting to note that we sometimes had to take detours and sometimes the road blocks called for sacrificehellipof time or money Sometimes the sacrifice came in the way of a sleepless night worrying if an order that was lost in delivery would be found and re-routed to us in time to make a clientrsquos deadline Someone (unknown) said ldquoA day of worry is more exhausting than a week of workrdquo Anyone in business could testify to that Part of success is going the extra milehellipeven if it results in a sleepless night Going the extra mile is worth all the paid advertising in the world on the road to success
December 2007 37Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETS
Donna Grayrsquos 2nd book Itrsquos All Relative Surviving amp Thriving in a Family Business was published in September 2007
It describes her quest to identify the keys to suc-cess for small business and family businesses in particular She interviewed top businesses nationwide and discovered five common qualities implemented by successful business owners Check it out at the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore wwwcoreldrawprocomAllBook-storehtm
Commitments made and kept Our team felt good about some commitments we made and kept this past year like
We used a daily ldquoto-dordquo list and we set priorities in order of importance When we finished a project we ldquocelebratedrdquo and then moved on quickly to the next job We built in some time for ldquostress reliefrdquo with morning meeting breaks This was especially good when treats were served since wersquove got some good bakers on our staff We didnrsquot ldquoscreenrdquo calls through voice mail We considered every call to be important We ldquodid it right the first timerdquo even though it sometimes took longer We tied up all the ldquoloose endsrdquo We became ldquocheerleadersrdquo for each other When one of us accomplished a goal we all applauded We all tried to deliver more than we promised This can be challenging sometimes when working with a difficult project We eliminated (or tried to eliminate) unnecessary procedures and we simplified our paper flow system We spent most of our time on high priority tasks We all worked on our delegation skills We were committed to not wasting time either our own or other peoplersquos
Goals that were lacking Now all those great things being put on paper reminds me that we also had some goals we didnrsquot quite succeed athellipbut wersquoll try harder next year
We didnrsquot always ldquogrouprdquo tasks togetherhelliplike going to the bank and the post office in one trip or answering mail when it gets opened It wasnrsquot always easy to avoid procrastination Some low priority chores got put off There were still times when we couldnrsquot find enough hours to finish the work Our ldquotoolsrdquo didnrsquot always get put away when we were through with a project even though this is Daversquos pet peeve
Conclusion Experts say that we have to actively create our success not wait for it to happen This coming year hopefully none of us will sit in the comfort zone waiting for the phone to ring Therersquos an old Chinese proverb that goes ldquoIt you continually give you will continually haverdquo Our team will go on being involved in community activities When time is spent on worthwhile projects outside the business opportunities come knocking at the front counter Besideshellipat yearrsquos endhellipit makes us feel really good about the help we gave on these projects
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since1977 She can be reached by email at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
December 2007 38Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
GRAPHICS NEWS NETWORKAll these news and information products and services are part of the
Graphics News Network developed for ACDRP The goal is ldquoAll the News All the Time mdash For the World of Graphicsrdquo
GRAPHICS NewsWireThe Graphics News Wire is the always live always updated source for graphics news mdash products equipment technology and more Make it (CorelDRAWProcomNewsPagehtm) your home page or favorite to gain access to Breaking news updated regularly New Classified Ads New Job Announcements Supplier SpecialsAll news is related to graphic productsQuickSourceTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive amp Easy-To-Use
Search Engine
It gives you one-click access to suppliers products phone numbers and live links to ACDRP Member Suppliers Itrsquos always up-to-date searchable by keyword and accessible from your desktop
Quick TnTTM
The Industryrsquos Newest Resource for Graphics Tips amp Templates
Gain access to a growing library of CorelDRAW tips and templates that will make your work easier
QuickLearnTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive and
Easy-To-Use Article Library
Gain access to hundreds of articles on graphics-related and business topics searchable by keyword
The Entrepreneurial Magazine for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro Magazine is delivered to you once a month in PDF format It features in-depth content that readers rave about including articles on how to use CorelDRAW how to apply CorelDRAW and how to profit from CorelDRAW
News Tips amp Resources for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month mdash about the 15th and 25th It brings you highly targeted content that you wonrsquot find elsewhere including CorelDRAW Tips extensive product news links and a calendar of shows and training
MARKET PLACE
Quality Engravable JewelryHand-crafted in New England
GIFTS amp ACCESSORIES FOR WOMEN AND MEN
John E Lepper Inc800-835-3623 Fax 508-222-2732
wwwjeleppercom
GenuineWhite-tone
Pewter amp Gold
Some Things Were Meant To Be In Etched in Stone
Call for a free color catalog
NampR International1155 Allgood Rd 13Marietta GA 30062
678-560-4088Fax 678-560-1157
Importers amp Wholesalers of MarbleOnyx
Gifts amp Accessories
JOIN TODAY
The worldrsquos only association for CorelDRAWreg Users
wwwcoreldrawprocomJoinhtm
Place an Ad for as little as $215 per month
Find out how by calling our Ad Representative John McDaniel II
541-990-6687
the entrepreneurial magazine
GET LISTED TODAY
Generate new businessby doing jobs for others
List your company in GSG the Digital Yellow Pages for the industry wwwcoreldrawprocomListGSGhtm
December 2007 39Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Louie Alvarez started in the industry working for one of the largest trophy shops in Central California and then opened one of the first retail laser engraving businesses He has given seminars and workshops on CorelDRAW and Laser for many years and has written for several publications He is now with Vytek Industrial Lasers and is based in Las Vegas NV He can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
Kathryn Arnold is the Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
Errol Barr has a wide range of experience in sales amp marketing eventually getting into laser systems in 1999 currently with Vytek Industrial Lasers He also sold extensively in the CNC router industry selling the machines as more of a business opportunity wrapped around the machine He can be reached by email at errolbarrgmailcom
Dave Demoret founded Prolink Graphic Services to help people understand and profit from learning CorelDRAW He has been in both the Flat Graphics Industry and the Decorating Graphics Industry for 30 years He has written articles for several publications is a Corel Training Partner and conducts workshops nationwide and online He is the author of several CD Instructional programs on CorelDRAW He can be reached at 765-DO COLOR (362-6567) or davedprolinkgscom
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since 1977 She has presented seminars on a variety of topics nationwide and has won many marketing awards She is the author of two books on family business and can be reached at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
Bill Leek is a color consultant for JBL Graphics in Houston TX and has over 30 years experience in computer engineering and graphics design He has developed several lines of color imprintable products and does testing on a variety of products for different manufacturers He can be reached at wfleekjblgraphicscom or 281-970-6677
Jeff McDaniel is the owner of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon He worked as a journeyman machinist before getting into the graphic products business Creative Graphic offers laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials Contact him at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
John McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry He worked for many years with computers in electronic data processing and pioneered the use of CorelDraw for engraving applications He owned a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years and writes about hardware design software laser engraving sublimation and more He is a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals For information on training and more call 541-967-4271 or write to mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
Judy McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry Her background includes many forms of art and retail sales as well as the operation of a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years She is a regular columnist on sandblasting sublimation and diversifying business as well as a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals She can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
David Milisock is president of Custom Graphic Technologies Inc in Pennsylvania He has been in the print production business since 1975 and specializes in professional support for CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite Output includes computer-to-plate processes for all commercial digital front-end applications as well as Postscript-compliant graphic applications He offers technical and color management support for all RIP-driven corporate digital output systems He can be reached at 717-509-3523 or davidmilisockcomcastnet
Deborah Sexton former editor of Impressions Magazine has been in the apparel graphics industry since 1981 She currently does marketing and public relations for apparel graphics companies and is a columnist for several industry publications She can be reached at dsextonsbcglobalnet
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at 916-567-1867
December 2007 40Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
by Otis Veteto
Traveling Tidbits
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the
RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of
the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Itrsquos a fun and
informative column focusing on the human-interest side of
the industry Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars
for industry organizations and some of that knowledge
will rub off as well He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at
916-567-1867
Reps Volunteers People Skills amp Agreements
RS Owens Southeast RepFirst of all a Traveling Tidbits welcome to
the newest member of the RS Owens Company sales team Anita Brennan Anita is the new Regional Sales Manager for the Southeast She will be calling on you folks in Alabama Tennessee Mississippi Florida Georgia North Carolina and South Carolina Anita has worked in all phases of our industry as a retailer (her own business) multi-line rep and now as a regional sales manager When I asked Anita what she likes to do when not on the road she told me she likes to spend time with her two-year-old granddaughter Kaylee Welcome to the RS Owens family Anita Brennan
Railroad Museum VolunteerI know Christmas is the time for giving
but some people give all year long I was talking recently with Elias Athanasiou whose regular job is a server in a restaurant my wife and I frequent when I am in Sacramento Elias has been associated as a volunteer with the California State Railroad Museum for about 16 years Every Saturday during the ldquorunning seasonrdquo April-September Elias can be found working as a volunteer on the Steam Engine excursion train that runs for 6 miles along the top of the levee on the Sacramento River The ride takes about 40 minutes Elias is the Engineer now but has worked as conductor and fireman in his tenure with the train It is people like Elias Athanasiou that make this a much better world A huge Traveling Tidbits SALUTE You can find out more about the Railroad Museum at wwwcsrmorg
Real People SkillsThis next tidbit is from the PPAI Promotional
Consultant Today The author is Roy Chitwood president of Max Sacks International in Seattle Wash It is entitled To Shine Polish Your People Skills
ldquoPeople buy not because they understand your product or service but because they feel that you understand them People buy emotionally As a professional salesperson you need to be more people-oriented not product centered Here are seven quick and easy techniques to improve your people skills
SMILE It is the universal sign of friendship in any language The Chinese have a proverb ldquoA man who cannot smile should not open a storerdquo Think about that Give a smile and you will get a smile in return
DEVELOP A GENUINE INTEREST IN OTHERS When you have sincere interest it shows Look directly at people when they are talking to you Let your facial expression register your interest Ask good open-ended questions to let people know that you are interested in what they say
TALK IN TERMS OF THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS INTERESTS You will never meet anyone who doesnrsquot have time to talk about what they want to talk about Encourage your prospect to discuss his or interests rather than launching into a discussion about yourself
USE THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS NAME Using a name builds personal rapport and shows you are listening with respect Be careful about overusing the personrsquos name
GIVE COMPLIMENTS Everyone loves a compliment when it is genuine Make a
concentrated effort to give at least 3 honest compliments every day of your life You will be amazed at what it will do for your relationships
LISTEN Listening is the greatest compliment you can pay When you assume the role of the listener it relaxes the sales climate As you listen you are demonstrating that you truly care and you are genuinely interested in what he or she has to say
MAKE THE OTHER PERSON FEEL IMPORTANT When you are sincerely impressed by something the other person has achieved or owns let them know it Understand that fundamentally every person is important and treat them accordingly
Personal comment When I finished reading this I thought to myself ldquoThese make sense in our everyday life not just in salesrdquo
The Third AgreementI will close with the 3rd step from the book
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel RuizDONrsquoT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS Find the
courage to ask questions and to express what you really want Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings sadness and drama
Sounds a little like what I wrote at the beginning of the column doesnrsquot it
Thatrsquos all for now Remember to save some time for yourself and your family And when you travel please travel safe
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE
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December 2007 12Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Using CorelDRAWregTraining
from the Internet will be 72 dpi (figure 3) and some are at 96 dpi These images are low grade and will need to be used at the existing size You can help them a little by using the lsquoResamplersquo in the pull down menu under Bitmaps in the Menu Bar of CorelDRAW This wonrsquot help a lot but may give you some assistance with some images The problem here is that the image will look slightly smoother but if enlarged much at all you will see it as being fuzzy or out of focus (figure 4) Play with resampling at several higher dpi choices and image sizes to get a feel for what you can and can not do
VECTOR IMAGESVector graphics are images that are made from mathematical
computations That is there is a certain shape and color associated with an outline and that area is the vector object as shown with one of the links here (figure 1) There are no definite objects or outlines in a bitmap It is simply thousands or millions of pixels each of a different color shade or tint That is why bitmaps are so hard to change easily With a vector image you simply select an object within the graphic and change the shape size and color with the tools provided in your graphics software
In contrast to the bitmap the vector image can be enlarged to any size without any distortion of edge definition This allows us to generate an image for a business card or a left chest logo on a t-shirt or a name tag then turn around and enlarge that same image to be placed on a billboard without any distortion of the image All the objects lines and integrity of the image are still intact (figure 2) no matter what size we select You can also see in figure 2 with the magnification that all the lines are still crisp sharp edges with no distortions
Vector images are the base images used in embroidery screen printing vinyl graphics and other markets within our graphics industry Many manufacturers today have geared their software as an add-on to CorelDRAW because of the ease clarity and flexibility that vector images offer
You can change a vector into a bitmap image with the click of a few buttons It takes considerably longer in most cases to change a bitmap into a vector file Most of the time
you will have to manually redraw or trace the bitmap image to convert it to a vector file There are programs out today that will convert these for you at least up to a point CorelDRAW is one of these programs PowerTrace is an auto trace feature used in the latest version of CorelDRAW
Printing ImagesWhile you will want to create your graphics in a vector
format you should know some basic principles of printing these two file choices One is that when you print a vector file it can take several times longer to print than a bitmap image of the same graphic Therefore for most of my printing in digital format like sublimation or heat transfer I will save a copy of my vector graphic as an original and make a duplicate copy to convert to a bitmap format for printing purposes
Another thing that most beginners donrsquot know is that if you are creating an image with CMYK Color Palette and print it to an inkjet printer you will throw off your color in the printed piece For example blues generally tend to turn to a violet lavender or purple shade Check with your supplier or distributor to help you set your printer to lsquoOutput color bitmaps as RGBrsquo And use your RGB Color Palette to color your graphic images
Dave Demoret founded Prolink Graphic Services to help people understand and profit from learning CorelDRAW He has been in both the Flat Graphics Industry and the Decorating Graphics Industry over the past 30 years He has written several articles for Screen Graphics Magazine on Color Control amp Matching in the past Dave has used CorelDRAWreg since version 3 and became a CorelDRAW Training Partner in 2006 During the past 5 years he has been conducting workshops all over the US and is the author of several Video CDs amp Instructional CDs on CorelDRAW Dave continues to conduct workshops in the US amp also worldwide online He can be reached at 765-DO COLOR (362-6567) or by email at davedprolinkgscom
December 2007 13Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE COLORBy David Milisock Training
Wow Powerful Controversial Useful I find the latter term to be most honest as shooting photos in the RAW format allows as much chance for the image to be ruined as it does for it to be improved The key to it being an improved experience rather then a ruined experience is of course understanding what the technology is all about work flow calibration and your skill
First off all cameras shoot RAW lower-cost cameras just wonrsquot let you save the file without an automated conversion process Here is the definition of RAW as printed in my new book Color Management in the CorelDRAW Graphics Suite for Professionals Small Office and Home Office capture C (to be released January 2008)
RAW is a file format that is proprietary to the camera manufacturer They are linear-gamma grayscale images from digital color filter arrays All these files require processing by a RAW converter to convert them to an RGB image
What this means to the user outside of the photographic ramifications is that the user needs to understand how the process is going to affect their color How this comes about is that the camera has a capture array that has red green and blue sensors Or an array that has filters to make some sensors only sensitive to red some only to blue and some only to green Each set of red blue and green sensors creates grayscale data that has to be combined to three channels Color is not only applied to the channels based on the value of the grayscale but a color space is assigned All cameras do this some just donrsquot let you do it manually
What Irsquom saying Is that as soon as the RAW converter develops a color display a color space has been assigned In fact the application has to have a
ldquoRAWrdquostandard color space to base the preview display on or your color edits would have no meaning
Stand-alone applications may allow you to choose what color space to apply to the image Some do not some force you to use an ultra-wide gamut RGB color space like Prophoto RAW Lab or plug-ins within image editing applications are most likely to use the internal (working) RGB of the application
So often it is written that RAW files have no color space and this is a true-falsehood True as long as they are still linear grayscale data streams of no value to anyone without a RAW converter but false as soon as you start the process of making a universally accepted RGB image of them
The key to the process is making sure that you understand what color space your converter assigned to the image so you can coordinate the internal RGB of Corel PHOTO-PAINTreg Make sure to activate the arrow from the internal RGB to the monitor
Any process that does not have the image
editor and RAW converter working in a coordinated manner will totally negate any benefit of using RAW You simply wonrsquot know what colors yoursquore really working with and thatrsquos not good for a process that was supposed to improve your work not make it worse
To my mind that biggest problem I see is that multiple RAW converter applications when viewing a RAW file as shot by the camera can have vastly different displays of the same image See capture A amp B (blurred on purpose) if you have a mind to try using RAW converting I suggest calibrating your display system first as this RAW image when opened in 4 different RAW converters has the white balance temperature identified
Coming Soon to the CorelDRAWPro Book Store A new book by columnist
David Milisock
Color Management in the CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
For Professionals Small Office and Home Office
Basic Color Theory bull Postscript and Non-Postscript Devices
RIPs for Ink Jets and Press bull Adobe Color Coordination
Color Continuity During Exportation bull and Much More
December 2007 14Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE COLOR
as four different values ranging from 2850 to 9980 OUCH Itrsquos hard to believe that the same data has been interpreted to be as shot by the camera judging by these two images isnrsquot it
This can only be described as an extremely painful experience Now you canrsquot rely on the software to interpret the data properly so the only thing you have that you can rely on is your calibrated work flow and your good sense
Another complaint that I have about stand-alone RAW converter applications is that in many cases the image display within the application is so poor that I cannot make a reasonable editing decision for any color or sharpening The image is glassy like in Paint Shop Pro or too soft like in Photoshopreg not sharp and clear like in PHOTO-PAINT OUCH
Please note in Capture A the Adobe RGB color space is already in play (see lower left corner) The adjustments available as shown in this capture are typical for RAW converters and
this capture will show them to you I am neither pro nor con RAW What Irsquove found is that
it is most generally used like image editor in place of good photography This is not always a bad thing Saving the cost on another shooting session through technology certainly has its selling point
Another observation Irsquove noticed is that as the cost of the cameras goes up the quality of their built-in conversion also goes up Many times they will save TIF instead of JPG files This is a real plus In studio settings with a superior camera you most likely will work your butt off and not be as good as the built-in RAW conversion of a studio quality camera On site live shoots is where the RAW conversion application seems to have a place to be most useful in my mind
Irsquom a Corel PHOTO-PAINT guy and I love my sharp clean PHOTO-PAINT display So until Corel PHOTO-PAINT has a RAW converter Irsquom sticking with the camera conversion and a TIF file for studio work But I will certainly use RAW when it benefits my client which benefits me
Watch out next month itrsquos going to be HOT
David Milisock is president of Custom Graphic Technologies Inc He has been in the print production business since 1975 and specializes in professional support for the CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite He can be reached at 717-509-3523 or davidmilisockcomcastnet See full bio on Writers Page
Itrsquos Who Knows YOU Network Your Way to Successby Chien J Wang president of Toujours Inc
Turbo-charge your networking with unique strategies that work Chien at-tends 10-12 events a week and has created a system for turning contacts into customers and customers into lifelong relationships
wwwcoreldrawprocomallbookstorehtm
Captures A amp B Two blurry images (on purpose) showing what happens to the white balance when opened in
different RAW converters This is typical
December 2007 15Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE TRANSFERSBy Bill Leek Applications
Headstart on Spring 10 Things You Can Do in January to Make 2008 a Successful Year
I have to be honesthellipMy normal inclination after the holiday season is to relax and take it easy for a few weeks It seems that after a very busy year I really deserve it But small- to medium-size business owners cannot afford to do this The few weeks of relative calm after Christmas are too valuable to squander
Every year I write up an action plan for January Hear are some ideas that you may find valuable
1) Follow the lead of the big retailers Valentinersquos Day is almost here and Easter is early this year Get your new spring displays mailings emails and catalogs out right after the holidays Highlight some new products with spring themes every year
2) Offer January specials with sizable discounts if you anticipate a slow month Use coupons and thank you gifts to show appreciation to your loyal long-term customers
3) Br igh ten up your display space with new graphics fixtures and lighting Look into new LED displays They offer superior lighting at significantly lower cost and maintenance LED
technology will replace both incandescent and neon lighting and signage in just a few years
4) Spend some time to really learn your software application January is a great time to learn new features and upgrade your Corel Software Buy a guide or an interactive CDDVD to speed up the learning curve
5) January is a great time to find new vendors equipment and imprintables You have more time and the vendors may be more responsive as sales are slower You very well might be able to make that great deal on a piece of capital equipment yoursquove wanted for some time
Ask vendors to provide you with samples of new inks imprintables and transfer papers Test washability compare color quality and evaluate production ease
Look at the new technologies -- direct printing on soft and hardgoods eco-solvent inks color laser printer transfer and new sublimation coatings are all ldquohotrdquo areas to investigate
6) Donrsquot just perform a physical inventory Evaluate inventory turnover and get rid of any dead items that are just taking up shelf space
7) Look at your customer base Are you trying to be all things to all people Are there specific niches where you have had greater success
than others Determine how to build on your strengths and possibly remove yourself from markets that are not profitable
8) Organize an email list of all your existing customers and solid leads Improve your communications with a newsletter Donrsquot overkill with your emailshelliptherersquos a fine line between informative and irritating
9) Sit down and list your major accomplishments and failures of the past year Try to assign a quantitative measure where you can Make a detailed list in each area and honestly investigate what resulted in success or failure
10) Come up with a list of 10-20 goals that you can realistically achieve in 2008 These goals can be defined as specific actions or financial results Create a small poster and display it in place where you will see it every day Go over the list every month and ask yourself how you are doing
I wish you all a Very Happy New Year I will try to keep you informed of all the exciting technical and market developments in 2008 Thanks for all your questions ideas and support during the past year
Add quality imprintables from Unisub for the
Valentinersquos Day market
December 2007 16Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE PRINTSUBLIMATIONBy Judy and John McDaniel Applications
Creating Sublimation Product Templates
Last time we finished all the background stuff now wersquoll get on to making things Wersquoll start with flat products which include plaques tiles shirts and other garments etc Later wersquoll explore specialty items like cups
Creating a Product Template FileThe first step in designing graphics for any new
product that we intend to make again and again is to create a product template Templates give us layouts into which we can place our text and graphics They may take a little time to set up initially however they make it much easier and faster to produce products once the templates are available
The first step in designing a template is to determine the page size in CorelDRAWreg For sublimated products that requires we decide what size the finished transfer will be The size of the transfer will determine the page size
The finished transfer may or may not be the size of the printed sheet For example if we are printing transfers for t-shirts generally they will be on full 11 x 17 sheets That said we have some layouts that will be printed in portrait orientation vertical on the shirt and some in landscape horizontal We have both styles available as templates If we are including a customerrsquos photo in the finished design the orientation of the photo might determine which template we use
For ceramic tiles the transfer may be the size of an individual tile or perhaps the size of a tile array For plaques the transfer is generally slightly larger than the print area of the plaque -- 4 x 6 5 x 7 8 x 10 etc For badges our template might be the size of a single badge or if we have a fixture for pressing badges our template might be the size of the fixture If wersquore pressing ceramic steins and cups we might have an array of templates some for fronts backs full wraps and full wraps edge to edge
Another variable to consider when creating a sublimation template is the size
of your printer and heat press The largest transfer that can be printed or pressed will determine the upper limit of the templatersquos page size These factors are only of concern for large items like shirts
In our shop we have both wide format (11inch) and standard (85 inch) sublimation printers We can choose roll material or standard sheets Currently our largest flat press is 14 x 16 inches so thatrsquos our upper limit for flat product images
Creating a T-shirt TemplateRemember creating a template is something you
only do one time for each item in your inventory and for any variations you would like to have available Creating
Photo 1
Photo 2
December 2007 17Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE PRINTING
a template file takes a little time in the beginning but saves a lot of time in the long run
With these factors in mind Irsquoll go through the steps of creating a special-occasion t-shirt template The first one Irsquoll create will be in portrait orientation If yoursquod like to follow along open CorelDraw to a new project 11 x 17 paper and set the orientation to portrait
Set Guidelines Next wersquoll bring in some guidelines These will
help us see the image area we have to work with For this project Irsquoll set guidelines at frac12 inch in from the left and right 1 inch in from the top and 3 inches up from bottom The guides are for visual reference This is the maximum text and graphics layout area
Since this is a vertical layout our graphic will be 1 inch down from the top edge of the transfer If we set the shirt on the press with the collar at the top edge then all wersquoll have to do is align the transfer to the top edge of the press and the image will be 1 inch down from the shirt collar
Irsquove limited the vertical image area to 13 inches Allowing an inch down from the top will make the bottom of the image 14 inches down from the collar Thatrsquos
ok for an adult large or XL shirt but you may want to adjust the area for smaller shirts
As a part of this layout Irsquove created a couple of layers One Irsquove called text and one picture These layers will be used for the graphic elements of the final template As an option you can also create a non-printing layer that contains a rectangle Since the layout is off centered you can use the rectangle to align your text and graphics but the rectangle will not print (See picture 1)
Save Your TemplateYou can now save this simple layout
as a CorelDRAW template To do that click on FileSave Ashellip and select CDT ndash CorelDRAW Template (see picture 2)
I normally save templates in a special folder however if yoursquore using Windows Vista its sort capabilities reduce the need to organize your files (See picture 3)
You can use this generic template as is You can also use it as a base for creating other templates Next time wersquoll make some additions to customize it for a special occasion Wersquoll also look at how we can use templates
Judy and John McDaniel are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry For information on training services offered and their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom They can be reached by phone at 541-967-4271 via SKYPE (user name JHMcDaniel) or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom See full bio on Writers Page
December 2007 18Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTINGBy Jeff McDaniel Applications
Using Specialty Platens Part 2Background
In our last article we touched on the steps required to create a master transfer for our specialty platen We also briefly reviewed locating the artwork and attaching the capillary film to the screen In this article we will expose our screens rinse them and produce our pocket patch CorelDRAWPro members can look up the more detailed information in the archived articles for June July and August at wwwacdrporg
Our setup and yoursOur setup is the Printa 770 series screen printing machine from Printa Systems Inc
All of the supplies and tools we will cover from here on were provided in the turn-key system from Printa with the 770 Your setup may be from another source but will most likely contain components of what we will discuss below In addition to the standard Printa 770 setup we will be using the ldquoPrint-Allrdquo system from Printa Systems Inc (see figure 1 courtesy of Printa Systems)
Exposing the capillary filmWe left off last article with our screens drying
Now that they are dry we are ready to expose the capillary film Exposing Step 1 we will gently peel the carrier sheet off of the capillary film (see figure 2)
Exposing Step 2 Next we need to put our first image back on the exposure unit and re-install the screen on the printing system Then we can bring the screen down on the
exposure unit attach our blackout board and expose the screen (see figure 3)
Exposing Step 3 After exposure we need to rinse out our screen and inspect it to be certain we have a complete rinse (see figure 4)
Exposing Step 4 Once the image is rinsed out it is time to put the screen back in the dryer (see figure 5)
Re-aligning the screens after wash outFrom the time that we first aligned the
artwork we have taken the screens in and out of the printing system twice If our artwork is even a little bit out of alignment we will lose blanks or put out low quality work It is a good idea to do a final adjustment with the original artwork
Re-Align Step 1 Leaving both of our photo positives on the exposure unit we can inspect the screen location compared to our original artwork location Here is the yellow screen location after exposure and wash out (see figure 6)
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
December 2007 19Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTING
Re-Align Step 2 The black screen is a little bit off (see figure 7) so we will need to use the Printa 770 micro-adjustment knobs to bring it back into alignment (see figure 8)
Masking off the screenNow that our artwork is
lined up correctly we can mask the rest of the screen off Wherever we donrsquot want the ink to run through the screen needs to be masked off (see figures 9 and 10)
Locating the pocket patch on the shirtThere are a couple of different ways to locate the pocket
patch on the shirt The first thing to consider is where you want it to end up on the wearer If the patch is too far toward the sleeve the image will end up under the wearerrsquos arm pit If the image is too far up toward the neck the image will not look right either A good way to figure out the correct location is by looking at a shirt that has a pocket patch on it (maybe one or two are in your closet right now)
Another way to locate the pocket patch is to put on the shirt
size that you wear and mark off where you think it feels correct and comfortable Once you have decided where you would like the patch keeping it in the same relative location on all of the different sizes is not too difficult The actual placement of the shirt can be accomplished a couple of different ways that we know of Which you prefer will depend mostly on if you are more accurate with sight or touch
The sight method involves using a masking tape strip to mark the desired location on the shirt prior to loading it onto the platen (see figure 11)
Once you have your marking in place you can load the shirt on the platen and have a nice representation that you are placing the design in the desired location (see figure 12)
Figure 7 Figure 8
Figure 9
Figure 10
Figure 11
Figure 12
December 2007 20Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTING
We prefer the sight method because it works well with our equipment The ldquoPrint Allrdquo system from Printa Systems Inc uses a smaller platen for pocket patches The smaller platen allows us to load sizes from youth XS ndash adult 5X without stretching
The touch method involves using a standard platen and adding a riser underneath where the pocket patch will be printed (a piece of cut cardboard or thin wood of the appropriate size) With this method you can feel when the shirt is in the correct location and begin printing from there
Inking the screens printing and curingSince we have resolved our location
issues with the pocket patch we are ready to ink the screens print and cure
Printing Step 1 Inking the screens is fairly straightforward (see figure 13)
Printing Step 2 Using the squeegee we will screen our first color (see figure 14) and check the quality of the image (see figure 15)
Printing Step 3 Our first color will need to be flash cured (see figure 16)
Printing Step 4 Now we can add our second color (see figure 17)
Printing Step 5 Finally we can do the finish cure step paying attention to the temperature gauge (see figure 18)
After final curing it is always a good idea to take at least a sampling of the product and wash it to be certain of the curing All of the information on post-job clean-up can be found in the CorelDRAWPro archives for September
Conclusion This time we took our screens out of
the dryer and pushed our project all the way to its completion
Jeff McDaniel is the OwnerOperator of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon Jeff has been working with computers since the age of 5 and was a journeyman machinist before working in the graphic arts business Creative Graphic offers services including laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials You can contact Jeff by email at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
Figure 14
Figure 13
Figure 15
Figure 17
Figure 16
Figure 18
December 2007 21Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SANDBLASTINGBy Judy McDaniel Applications
Screening the AbrasiveKeeping your sandblast abrasive media free
of contaminant material is essential During sandblasting abrasive is mixed with compressed air fed through the supply hose focused by the nozzle and impacts the product Then if itrsquos fine enough it leaves the system as dust or drops to the bottom of the cabinet to be recycled
Other material will also collect in the bottom of the cabinet This debris can include bits of mask (ever wonder where the center of that ldquoerdquo went) bits of tape and possibly solid material dislodged from the product yoursquore blasting This latter source of debris is especially prevalent when yoursquore working on materials other than glass like brick rock and wood
Leaving the debris in the abrasive when itrsquos recycled can cause a variety of problems First if a piece of debris is too large to fit through the nozzle it will clog it More importantly if it does fit through the nozzle and is hard like brick and rock debris it can impact the piece yoursquore working on and ruin it
The obvious solution is to screen the media when you reload the pressure pot The problem is the screen mesh size Irsquove tried the screen supplied by the cabinet manufacturers and used window screening material from a hardware store In both of these cases the mesh size would allow all but the largest pieces of debris through
What Irsquove found that works the best is a spatter screen from a local kitchen store The mesh is woven tightly and filters out much more debris The best thing is its price only a few dollars
One of our cabinets is not self-contained so we have to filter the media by hand We have found that bending the handle up on a large spatter screen
causes it to fit perfectly into the top of the pressure pot We also have a couple of other smaller pressure pots one in fact that you fill with a funnel For those I simply lay the spatter screen over the opening of the pot or the funnel when refilling
If you have a system that recycles the abrasive then it should be equipped with a screen located on top of the pressure pot Make sure to inspect and remove the debris from the top of the screen from time to time A shop-vac works well for this purpose If you find that larger pieces are getting through the screen then contact the manufacturer to see what can be done to reduce the mesh size
Keeping your media clean helps prevent unwanted delays or damage
To all of our friends out there new and old have a safe and joyful holiday season
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from John and me
Judy McDaniel with her husband John are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry In addition they provide one-on-one application support through an email subscription service exclusively for their Hotcdr Hands-On Training students or those who have purchased their CD sets (For information on training services offered visit wwwgraphic-products-trainingcom and for information on their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom) They can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
December 2007 22Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE ENGRAVINGBy John McDaniel Applications
Elements of Machine Accuracy 7 Structural Integrity
So far wersquove covered resolution speed repeatability and hysteresis This time wersquoll discuss structural integrity
What is Structural IntegrityStructural integrity is a measure of a machinersquos
strength or stiffness It is the ability of a machine to resist distortion by forces created in normal operations
Most mechanical engraving machines use single-fluted cutters As these cutters turn they apply cutting force against the material For every action though there is an equal but opposite reaction ie the material resists the cut and thereby transmits a resistive force back through the cutting tool spindle etc and ultimately to the machinersquos frame
Assuming a static bit position the force applied to the machinersquos structure will rotate 360deg with the tool (see diagram 1) As this force rotates any looseness in the structure will result in a deviation in the relationship of the material and the cutter
What machine design factors are involvedStructural integrity includes lead screws and their
hysteresis for mechanical engraving machines spindle bearings and their looseness for both mechanical and laser engravers gantry or table rails their bearings and looseness and the machinersquos frame In fact anything and everything that holds the tool and material in the proper relationship during the cuttingengraving process contributes to or detracts from structural integrity
Why is it importantIn a word Quality Structural integrity influences
the quality of the finished products the machine will produce
For illustration Irsquoll use a mechanical engraving system If the looseness in our machine and the cutting force applied were uniform throughout the 360deg of tool rotation the result would be a wobble in the tool path which might not be visible in the finished product
Cutting ForcesIn the real world however as the tool moves through
the material the cutting and reactive forces go through a cycle (see diagram 2) When the tool starts the cut there is a spike in force The force will level to a constant through the top side of the cut while itrsquos cutting against the direction of the toolrsquos movement Then it will drop somewhat when itrsquos cutting with the toolrsquos movement and finally fall off on the back side as the cutting edge of the tool enters the void area where the material has already been removed
The amount of force applied during the cutting process will vary depending on the material being
cut the tool and its sharpness the depth of cut the material feed rate and whether or not lubricant is used The cutting force may also vary over the length of the job as the toolrsquos cutting edge wears and becomes dull
Machine Component Looseness
In addition to the cutting force not being uniform throughout the 360deg of tool rotation l o o s e n e s s i n t h e machinersquos structure will also vary For example dur ing the cut t ing operation as the tool transitions through 0deg and 180deg of rotation X axis hysteresis will be a factor in overall machine looseness but Y axis hysteresis will have no effect At 90deg and 270deg the Y axis will become a factor but the X axis will have no impact
In the real world any looseness in the machine will cause an oscillation in the cut which will have its own angle If we could slow the toolrsquos movement we would see this oscillation as a sharp jump in the positional relationship between the tool and material being cut In the finished product this sharp jump in position will result in a jagged cut
December 2007 23Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE ENGRAVING Outline amp OverviewThe Nuts and Bolts of Machine AccuracyMachine accuracy or capability can be defined as a result of six features 1 Resolution ndash the smallest incremental movementpositioning of a speci-fied axis 2 Speed ndash the ability to complete a task in a reasonable amount of time without sacrificing accuracy or creating damage to the machine or product 3 Repeatability ndash the ability to duplicate a previous position without error 4 Hysteresis ndash the ldquosloprdquo or ldquoplayrdquo in motion control components 5 Structural Integrity ndash stiffness or strength ndash the ability to cut materials without error or damage This is especially important for mechanical engrav-ers 6 Structural Tolerances ndash the sum accuracy of a machinersquos mechanical components
Machine ComponentsWersquoll examine nine factors that determine a machinersquos accuracy They include 1 Motors ndash including DC Stepper DC Brushless DC Servo and AC Servo a Spindles ndash motors that rotate the cutting bit b Axis Drive ndash motors that position the material to the cutting bit c Horsepower ratings ndash real versus advertised 2 The Motion Control Drive Unit ndash including Geared Belt and Lead Screws a Lead Screws ndash including Acme Re-circulating Ball Standard and Precision b Mounting ndash including Simple Fixed and Thrust bearing types c Protection ndash Open or Closed 3 Guide Rails ndash Types include V Bearing Rail Bushing Shaft Dove Tail and Re-circulating Ball Bearing 4 Encoders ndash Types include Rotary and Linear Methodologies include incremental or absolute 5 Tachometers ndash used for speed stability acceleration and breaking control for closed loop servo systems 6 Bearings ndash including Sleeve Ball and Linear Re-circulating Ball a Applications ndash including Radial Thrust and Linear b Quality ndash Standard thru Ultra Precision 7 Spindles ndash including topbottom loading Collets and Sleeves 8 Material Hold Down ndash including mechanical clamps and vacuum sys-tems 9 Electronic Interface ndash Computer control methods
Wersquoll also examine Reliability what makes it And Serviceability is it fix-able
If the cutting oscillation is at any angle other than the direction of the cut and the oscillation is great enough a jagged cut will be visible in the finished product A cut deviation of as little as 001rdquo is visible to the naked eye and will most commonly show up on curves and circles but may show up on straight lines as well
To illustrate this point a little further and perhaps make it somewhat clearer Irsquod like to refer to diagrams 3 and 4 For purposes of these illustrations we will assume we have a machine that has some looseness on both the X and Y axes However the rest of the machine
is structurally solid the frame is rigid and no other components have any loosenessMaking these assumptions and disregarding the variation in force caused by the cutter
as it travels through the material we will have cutting oscillations at 0deg 180deg 90deg and 270deg during the toolrsquos rotation As the tool travels through the material on its path these oscillations will cause a slight variation in the centerline of the toolrsquos cut
Diagram 3 shows a horizontal tool path While the machine is cutting in this direction any X axis looseness will be masked by the cutter path itself however looseness in the Y axis will result in a slight oscillation in the cutterrsquos horizontal position and therefore a deviation in its cut Diagram 4 shows the effect of the X axis looseness which will impact vertical lines
As you can see from this discussion and these illustrations structural integrity ie looseness in the components from which a machine is constructed can make a significant difference in quality of the finished products that a machine will produce
Next time wersquoll consider structural tolerances and their impact
John McDaniel with his wife Judy are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry For information on training services offered and their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom They can be reached by phone at 541-967-4271 via SKYPE (user name JHMcDaniel) or via email at JHMcDanielCorelDRAWhelpcom See the full bio on the Writers Page
December 2007 24Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
the image the text and the red bow In the laser file for this example I have the red cut line for vectoring (See Figure 5)
5) Send the cardstock through the printer6) Place the cardstock in the laser for vector
cutting The thickness of the stock will determine what settings to use For my 35-watt laser using a medium weight cardstock I used a speed of 100 and power of 15 for a nice cut through the stock without any burn marks on the paper
7) Optional in one run I decided to let the laser take care of the bow instead of using color for it from my printer I set the outline of the bow to 100 black and the interior of the bow to 50 black (See Figure 6)
8) Then I only sent the image and text through the printer The bow and vector cutting occurred in the laser I set the raster engraving (of the bow) at speed 70 and power 40 (See Figure 7) You can see the differentiation of using 100 black as opposed to 50 black by the exterior lines
being engraved a little deeper than the rest of the fill
Take the idea of using patterns (like the birth announcement above) and wowing your clientele with the detail and intricacy that laser can provide Or add a twist to a holiday tradition (cards) Whatever you do donrsquot forget you can combine the advantages of the printer and laser for fabulous products
Submitted by Kathryn Arnold Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
LASER TIPBy Kathryn Arnold Applications
Combining Laser amp Printer PowerComing up with new and
inventive ways to use your laser is the key to a successful and growing business We will look at a way to combine the power of your computer (ink) printer with the power of the laser engraver
In this lesson we will take a look at using cardstock to create a card and an announcement See the examples of a holiday card and a birth announcement ndash gratuitously they are of my family (Figure 1 amp Figure 2)
1) In CorelDRAWreg use any pattern image text you wish Be sure that there is a clear and discernible vector line that will be laser cut and yield a cut piece from the cardstock2) See the clear (red) cut line ndash it goes fully around my object even the bow portion (important) I then duplicated my object to fit as many as possible on my 8 frac12 x 11 cardstock (See Figure 3) 3) I saved this file as my master file that I could return to at any point I then created two copies -- one that will
be used to send the file to my printer and one that will be used to send the file to my laser engraver (See Figure 4)
4) In the master file I have every part of what my end product will have In the file for my printer I only have the parts that the printer will print ndash in this example
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
December 2007 25Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
ELECTRONICS FRONTIERBy Louie Alvarez Opportunity
Webcams are an interesting subject which I am intimately familiar with Some typical questions are what are they what purpose do they serve what benefit are they what to look for and various other questions concerns and issues
Webcams surely bring back a memory or two not all that great I might add I remember when they first became usable primarily due to the Internet having affordable true broadband
First experiences The choppy poor quality of dial-up service
simply didnrsquot make this a useful technology Short of communicating with far-flung family members it left much to be desired With my immediate family living in Las Vegas and all other family (parents siblings cousins etc) living in California this was a technology I thought would be useful to keep in touch
So I set up my computer and my momrsquos computer with Webcams to stay in touch Needless to say with the poor quality terrible tracking (had to keep perfectly
sti l l because video frames didnrsquot refresh fas t enough) the hard-to-see tiny video window and poorly synchronized voices to the faces (we looked like a badly translated kung fu movie) the novelty quickly wore off (Irsquod say in about 30 minutes)
WebcamsSecond attempt
So I promptly dumped the technology for the next few years until I started seeing broadband picking up the pace and more interest in Webcams becoming obvious from all the new devices on the market So about three years ago a wireless Webcam caught my eye and I decided to put it to the test once again
Considering I was by then traveling quite extensively (about 40000 miles a year) I figured Irsquod use it to monitor my home I had two teenagers and a 5-year-old at home at the time while I was on the road and my wife was still a t work (She normally didnrsquot get off work until about two hours after school was out) So this looked to be a cool device to see if as the clicheacute goes when the catrsquos away the mice will play
I proceeded to position this wireless Webcam strategically to allow viewing of my living room including the back door Plus to get to the front door or side door you would have to pass through the field of the camera My little one loved the idea of being on camera for her daddy and would dance play and make funny faces for me Pretty cool actually That in itself almost justified the camera but needless to say my teenagers even my wife didnrsquot take to the idea too well So it was returned and life continued on as usual
That experience did show me that the broadband
speeds the quality of the video feeds the prevalence on the net of live cams and the quality of the video cameras (better known as Webcams) had progressed to a level of usefulness and I could see the potential of this technology With that said letrsquos get into the heart of this article
So what are webcams Basically they are digital cameras attached to
the computer and connected to the Web or Instant Messaging (IM) This allows the camera to be linked to a website or to each other directly and individuals who view the website or IM are able to see what the camera is viewing at that moment You can choose to get either still pictures that are updated at regular intervals (Snapshot) or live streams (Streaming) depending on what your bandwidth permits The WebCam technology has advanced sufficiently now to make it both easier and cheaper to maintain a camera that is refreshing an image 24 hours a day
Features of Web Cameras Listed here are some of the features more commonly
found in WebCams1 Live streaming video still pictures updated2 No plug-in or software necessary to view image
can be viewed with any Web browser3 Live audio4 Incorporation with other software such as Instant
Messaging (IM)5 Adding captionslogostime displays6 Archiving video7 Chat feature
December 2007 26Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
WebCams in an instructional scenario could be used to
Monitor your staff or employees thus being able to guide them better
Telecommute to companies worldwide and demonstrate project procedures
B roadcas t sem ina rs wo rkshops o r demonstrations
Share special events and programs with students enrolled in distance learning courses
Hold a video press conference online meeting or broadcast meetings and discussions
In some cases it is important for the learner to be able to establish a connection visually WebCams could be a good alternative to using text files or audio files
Join WebCam groups and allow students to take advantage of other WebCam locations for educational purposes
Using a web camera allows learners to be a part of either a conference or classstudio
Benefits of using WebCamsa The most important advantage of using a web camera is that it creates a direct link between the camera and the live site and dispenses with all the production work Production work in this context includes the cost and effort involved in shooting
editing and streaming videos Thus using a WebCam does not require
advanced skillsb The software is basically a Web server that runs on your system and pushes images out to a Web page For viewers of images delivered over a WebCam
one of the benefits is that they get the entire picture preferable in
certain cases rather than a sleek edited versionc WebCam technology can also be used for remote s u r v e i l l a n c e s y s t e m s
ELECTRONIC FRONTIER
monitoring events or places and broadcasting live eventsd Learners can link to a web camera-monitored location and just watch or also have an additional web camera in their own location enabling two-way communication
Setting up your WebCama Setting up your own WebCam obviously requires a computer a WebCam (the hardware) and WebCam software along with a broadband Internet connection Before you decide which camera to buy and which software to acquire yoursquoll have to review the different methods to show pictures or video feed through the Internet ( i e r e f r e s h e d after x amount of seconds) This will enable you to decide which hardware and software solution will fit your situation best
b P l a c e m e n t of a camera is an important decision to be made Decide whether a static angle is sufficient to demonstrate the concept or a moving camera (handheld) is required It is important however to remember the limitations of using WebCams and leave the panoramic and other fancy shots to more sophisticated video Use WebCams for videos that require more focus and ones that require a smaller viewingmovement range
c For detailed technical instructions on using WebCams visit httpdeveloperswebcamworldcommethodshtml
d Here is a good resource for inexpensive Webcams on the market httpcastlepricewatchcomssearchasps=webcams
e For an in-depth review of various Webcams on the market go to this link httpreviewscnetcom4244-6502_7-0-1htmlquery=webamptag=cat_1
f There are many Webcam examples online here are a couple httpwwwwebcamworldcom or httpwwwleonardsworldscomcamerahtml
By the way DONrsquoT TELL MY KIDS I picked up a Logitech QuickCam Pro 4000 not too long ago My family doesnrsquot know why I got it or what my intention is but I can say that now that my kids are 17 16 amp 8 my job as a parent is to ensure the mice donrsquot play when the catrsquos awayhellip
Louie Alvarez began acquiring his experience in the awards and engraving industry in Central California over 15 years ago first as an employee of the largest and oldest trophy shop and then as owner of one of the first laser engraving businesses Louie has been a featured workshop instructor and seminar speaker throughout the industry in addition to being a contributing writer to numerous industry publications Louie is based in Las Vegas NV and can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
December 2007 27Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
The Association of CorelDRAWreg Professionals is The Education amp Business Resource for CorelDRAW Users Worldwide Its goal is to help 1) IMPROVE your CorelDRAW skills and 2) MAKE MONEY with those skills You can participate in ACDRP services in four ways
THE WORLDrsquoS ONLY ASSOCIATION FOR CORELDRAWreg USERSINVITES YOU TO MAKE MORE MONEY WITH CORELDRAW
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month focused on Industry News via the Graphics News Wire Links to valuable resources and a complete educa-tion and show Calendar S
CorelDRAWPro the Entrepreneurial magazine for CorelDRAW users features in-depth content on How to Use CorelDRAW -- tips tricks advanced ar twork success s to r ies in te rv iews and more How to Apply CorelDRAW -- for graphic production processes such as embroidery engraving heat printing laser promo products printing sandblasting signmaking sublimation and screenprinting How to Profit from CorelDRAW -- Product news business columns reviews profiles and advertising with live links
SUBSCRIBE -- NO CHARGE JOIN -- $60 PER YEAR
All users of CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite are qualified to subscribe free to CorelDRAWPro magazine (PDF format) and CorelDRAWPro E-News
Subscription to CorelDRAWPro amp CorelDRAWPRo E-News
TTF Newsletter Subscription to the monthly Tips Templates amp Fixtures Newsletter only available to members
GSG Basic Listing You can list your services in the Graphic Services Guide in one category as part of membership (a $25 value)
Access to QuickLearn A keyword searchable database of 100s of articles on CorelDRAW graphics production and business
All users of CorelDRAWreg are invited to join the Association and take advantage of exclusive content discounts and profes-sional recognition ACDRP membership includes
TTF
QuickLearn
QuickTNT
Archives
BASIC GSG LISTING -- $25 PER YR
The Graphic Services Guide is the Industry Yellow Pages for Services and Finished Goods GSG is promoted in all our publi-cations and our website to the world of CorelDRAW users Your listing gives you the opportunity to promote your services (in any of 40 categories) to other CorelDRAW usersThe Basic Listing includes your company description email link and listing in one category Additional service categories are $10 each per year
The Enhanced GSG Listing is for companies that want to list in two categories and add a photo or logo
ENHANCED GSG LISTING -- $50$75 PER YR
Classifieds
Access to QuickTnT A growing database of CorelDRAW tips for understanding the fine points of the program and templates that can be downloaded to speed up your production
Access to Archives Past issues of CorelDRAWPro are available to members with live links
Bookstore Discounts Members receive a 10 discount on all products in the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore
Professional Recognition Use of the ACDRP logo for professional identification on business cards websites and letterhead You also receive a membership certificate
Classified Ads Members can place one classified ad per year at no charge with photo and run it till the item is sold (a $35 value)
HOW TO PARTICIPATE To Subscribe (no charge) To Join ($60yr) To List in the Graphic Services Guide ($25 Basic $50$75 Enhanced or $120145 for Multi-Service)
CorelDRAWreg is a registered trademark of Corel Corp and is used with permission
Visit wwwcoreldrawprocomand click on the appropriate links
800-276-8428
The Multi-Service GSG Listing allows you to list up to 40 differ-ent service categories with detailed descriptions and add a photo or logo
MULTI-SERVICE GSG LISTING -- $120$145 PER YR
December 2007 28Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Throughout the year this publication has reported on whatrsquos new in equipment tools and software and blank products for businesses that put graphics onto products
For this 2007 wrap-up CorelDRAWPro editorial staff reviewed all the product news for the year and named 33 products to its annual Top Products of the Year list
Selections were based on the criteria of innovation and impact Innovation means products that exhibit a high degree of originality or uniqueness Impact means products that influence sales or productivity for a large number of businesses
Note that the 2007 honorees are list alphabetically in the three theme sections
For more information on the products in this article click on the Info Request button at the bottom of each page and select by company name or product You might open the Info Request page and minimize it as you read That way you can quickly open it and check the products you want
EQUIPMENT
ANAJET DIRECT-TO-GARMENT DIGITAL PRINTERAnaJet Digital Apparel Printer (Model FP-125) from
AnaJet Inc in Costa Mesa CA is a direct-to-garment printer offering high quality and affordability It can print custom graphics on any cotton or poly-cotton flat textile material in one minute The printer priced affordably from under $13000 can produce up to 5000 shirts per month each retailing for about $20 Most printers installed so far are in a production plant environment but some customers have started to take the mobile printer to malls for instant printing of customer graphics According to Dr Chase Roh company president the unique printhead they have developed allows for 16x more ink flow than normal desktop printers and thus shirts only require one pass
Top Products of the Year
DTG AMERICA ECLIPSE D-1 WITH TWO HEADS DTG America of Tampa FL and Fort Worth TX now offers a new solution to
speed up digitally printing to dark shirts The Eclipse D-1 incorporates two heads instead of one One head has eight channels of white to lay down a solid white underbase The second head has four channels of white to do highlights and four channels of color to lay down the design The result of this new configuration is the underbase and color are completed in one pass at an estimated average of only two minutes per shirt for a 12-inch by 6-inch area Other innovations include an ink agitator firmware for easy updating ink vapor remover auto gap adjustment and new platen configuration for easy loading
GEO KNIGHT DK 25SP HEAT PRESSThe Digital Knight DK25SP is an air-operated automatic
20x25 oversized swing-away heat press with a state-of-the-art control system and heavy-duty solid steel welded framework The smooth automatic pressing and push-button activation provides a productive fatigue-free operation The extended 20x25 size of the heat platen is perfect for sublimation and large-format materials pressingThe press is adjustable to accommodate materials from fabric thickness all the way up to 1rdquo thick substrates For more information call 800-525-6766 or visit wwwheatpresscom
GRAPHTEC CRAFT ROBO PROGraphtec America Inc based in Santa Ana
CA introduced the new Craft ROBO Pro 15rdquo cutting plotter The Craft ROBO Pro is an ideal solution for cutting a wide variety of materials including vinyl film card stock foil heat transfer and image transfer media Incorporating Graphtecrsquos legendary
December 2007 29Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
ARMS (Advanced Registration Marks System) and combined with a desktop printer the Craft ROBO Pro makes contour cutting an easy task Innovations include a new digital servo motor first mark auto-sensing menu navigation system that includes 8 user-defined conditions Tangential Control and three software applications
ROLAND RELEASES DIRECT-TO-FABRIC PRINTERRoland DGA Corp of Irvine CA released
the new 74rdquo HeatWave DFP-74 Fabric Printer through its reseller channel in the US Based on Rolandrsquos HeatWave sublimation technology the DFP-74 Fabric Printer is a complete integrated solution and Rolandrsquos first inkjet ever to support direct printing onto polyester fabrics As a complete solution including printer sublimation unit inks and RIP software the DFP-74 makes it easier than ever for shops to enter the fast-growing textile printing market Key features include eight advanced piezo print heads an intelligent media handling system and a temperature-controlled heating system
HOTRONIX PERFECT PRESSURE HEAT PRESSHotronix of Carmichaels PA has taken heat press technology
to the next level with Perfect Pressure a new digital pressure display functionThis new feature has a single-digit LED readout
that measures the pressure of the inner platen This technology is exclusive to Hotronix and is patent pending Previously a
digital pressure display was available only on air-operated heat press machines With this new pressure display gauge all heat press users will have more consistent results from job to job reducing the number of misprints and speeding up production For more information about
the new digital pressure display contact Stahlsrsquo Hotronix at 800-478-2457 e-mail infostahlscom or visit the Web site at wwwstahlscom
SWF DREAM EMBROIDERY MACHINEWith its new DREAM Machine SWF has broken the barrier in multi-head
embroidery machine technology The DREAM machines are the first multi-head embroidery machines that truly can sew at 1500 stitches per minute During the research and development of these new machines 12 new patents were filed and granted proof that the DREAM machines are built with state-of-the-art technology
Innovations include LED control panel error codes to quickly troubleshoot problems optional devices to do sequins cording and boring automatic oiling system large memory a hoop selector and more These innovative new machines come in configurations ranging from
two to six heads It is distributed exclusively by SWF East (Tampa FL) and SWF MESA (Dallas TX)
MESArsquoS HOTFIX SPANGLE MOTIF MACHINEWith the all new YAS-11 Hotfix Spangle Motif Making
Machine the first of its kind in the United States you can create beautiful spangle transfer designs that have the look of sequins This patented machine which is distributed exclusively in the United States by MESA Distributors of Fort Worth TX cuts out shapes such as circles and squares in a range of sizes from reels of Mylar tape The machine comes with proprietary design software that allows the user to create any pattern or design up to 157 by 157 inches
SAWGRASSrsquo HYBRID SYSTEM FOR EPSON R1800Sawgrass Technologies of Mt Pleasant SC introduced
the SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid System for the Epson R1800 for both sublimation printing and cotton
decorating from one machine The affordable entry-level system features dual functionality with both SubliJet and ChromaBlast inks in one machine allowing users to create customized images with superior color and clarity on both polyester coated substrates and cotton garments This is the second
hybrid system from Sawgrass following in the footsteps of the popular SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid
System for the Epson 4800
TROTECrsquoS NEW LARGE PLATFORM LASER Trotec Laser Inc of Ypsilanti MI has introduced the SP500 series of laser
engraving and cutting systems The systems have a work area of 50rdquo X 28rdquo and X-Axis clearance of 12rdquo The systems are offered in power levels from 45W-200W There is an available pass-through option (Class 4) Exhaust fumes are captured
December 2007 30Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
at the laser head to insure an efficient extraction when using the pass-through featureTrotec systems are designed for minimal wear-and-tear and eliminate the need for periodic replacement of belts and bearings For additional information visit our web site wwwtrotecnet or call 866-226-8505 734-484-3260
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW PROFESSIONAL SERIESUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) of Scottsdale
AZ added four new models in its Professional Laser Series (PLS) line of advanced high-productivity computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving systems The new PLS line which replaces Universalrsquos M V and X laser systems incorporates a
host of evolutionary design improvements to the laser cartridge platform chassis system electronics and software interface The new PLS models include several
powerful new features most notably a unique materials-based print driver called ldquoLaser Interface +rdquo that gives users their choice
between automatic or manual control over power speed and other system settings For more information on Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit Universal Laser Systems online at wwwulsinccom
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW VERSALASERUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) added a
new version of its desktop-sized VersaLasertrade
computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving system The new VersaLaser
improves on the award-winning original thanks to a host of evolutionary design refinements It also
includes a unique next-generation materials-based print driver that automatically calculates power speed
and other system settings It was awarded a patent for the unique design of its external cabinet which also functions as a Class 1 laser safety enclosure For more information about VersaLaser or Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit wwwulsinccom
US SCREENrsquoS FAST T-JET 3US Screen Print and Inkjet Technology of Tempe
AZ adds the Fast T-Jet3TM which features 30 faster print speeds compared to the previous T-Jet2 model and has a longer low profile print bed for easier loading and unloading Now you can produce a full size 12rdquo x 12rdquo (305 x 305 cm) print in one minute on a light shirt and in under three minutes on a black shirt with white ink Small pocket images can be printed in about 15 seconds
US SCREENrsquoS AUTOMATED PRETREATMENT CENTER
Speed up production when using Fast T-Jet inkjet-to-garment printers with the AutoTREATtrade Automatic Pretreatment Center
This versatile piece of equipment allows you to treat shirts on a production level rather than spraying shirts individually one at a time For use with light or dark shirts the AutoTREATtrade
can spray up to three shirts per minute It has two application modesmdashone for lights and one for darks that can be switched over by activating the cleaning mode which flushes out the system with water
TOOLS MATERIALS SOFTWARE
CORELDRAW X3 CERTIFIED FOR WINDOWS VISTACorel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that
CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite X3 has been Certified for Windows Vista Customers who wish to install the Certified for Windows Vista version of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X3 can download the latest service pack (SP2) from wwwcorelcom This new update delivers an exceptional experience for customers on Windows Vista including an updated user interface enhanced security improved text handling and further enhancements to the popular suitersquos renowned import and export file compatibility
COREL LAUNCHES NEW ONLINE COMMUNITY Corel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that it
has launched httpcoreldrawcom a new online community for users of the CorelDRAWreg family of products ndash including CorelDRAW Graphics Suite Corel DESIGNERreg Technical Suite
December 2007 31Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
and Corelreg DRAWingsreg This new community site is the first in a series that Corel will be launching to support its various user communities Designed to fuel inspiration CorelDRAWcom combines forums blogs and galleries for design professionals and graphic hobbyists alike Forums are available in English French German and Spanish serving an international audience
DALCOrsquoS NEW REFLECTIVE HEAT TRANSFERSCater to the safety market with new reflective transfers offered
by Dalco Athletic of Dallas TX These durable transfers come in a reflective silver gray color in three styles police sheriff and fire dept They are sized for left chest and full back so
all you have to do is heat seal for 8 seconds and yoursquore done Itrsquos very fast and easy
DALCOrsquoS NEW OPTIC YELLOW CLASSIC SWB APPLIQUE
Classic SWB appliqueacute designs offered by Dalco Athletic now come in two new styles softballs and tennis balls in optic yellow fabric These new balls literally jump off any wearable and make it an eye-catching standout This appliqueacute collection is ideal for spiritwear items to be sold to fans and family or created as fund-raisers for boosters clubs
POWER GRAPHICS 3 FROM DIGITAL ART SOLUTIONSPower Graphics 3 by Digital Art Solutions of
Tempe AZ is the ultimate design tool for the creation of high-end custom graphics and logos for custom signage awards vehicle graphics promotional products and apparel graphics Tuned to the latest styles and trends it provides fresh graphics that will impress even the most critical and demanding customer It includes more than 1500 images The 10 design categories include Flames Gangsta (Urban) Mascots Offroad Rebel (Biker and Hot
Rod) Retro Speed Sports Surf and Tuner
FLORIANI COMMERCIALrsquoS NEW NO-SHOW DIAMOND MESHContinuing in its tradition of research and development
to create embroidery stabilizers that meet the needs of todayrsquos embroiderers Floriani Embroidery Commercial Division of Knoxville TN released a new product called Floriani No-Show Diamond Mesh This unique nylon mesh stabilizer has a perpendicular embossed pattern that makes it more multi-directionally stable and enables it to better hold stitches for crisper design registration It is specifically designed for light-colored garments where traditional stabilizers have a tendency to show through the front of the garment
GREAT DANErsquoS NEW DIGITAL PHOTO FRAMES Tap into the lucrative team market with an
incredible collection of stock art specially designed to work for direct-to-garment printers sublimation transfers and digital transfers Digital Photo Frames Volume 1 is a collection of spectacular pre-designed layouts each with one or more frames to
insert personal photos The collection includes five categories baseball football basketball soccer and hockey Each category has four designs (20 total layouts) and each design comes in three template formats mugs mouse pads and shirts
So there are a total of 60 template designs in all
IMPRINTABLES WAREHOUSE OFFERS SPECTRA ECO FILMNew from Imprintables Warehouse of
Masontown PA is a digital cutter material that is free of PVC a plus with companies that want to be as environmentally friendly as possible Spectra Eco Film is made with ecological polyurethane and is peeled hot It is pressure sensitive (sticky backing) and extremely easy to weed While maintaining superior durability and opacity this new film is thinner than current offerings on the market and delivers the super soft hand that is in demand by todayrsquos consumers It can be used on 100 cotton 100 polyester polycotton blends and even nylon and leather
December 2007 32Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
KISSCUT TECHNOLOGIESrsquo SELF-WEEDING INKJET TRANSFER PAPER
Kiss Cut Technologies Ltd Newcastle UK has addressed the ldquopolymer windowrdquo issue and developed the worldrsquos first self-weeding inkjet transfer paper for printing to textiles In simple terms only the areas of their patented transfer paper that have been printed will be transferred to the garment when heat pressed A Kiss Cut print can be further embellished with specialized textile foils so in effect a digital foiling method is now available Foil is heat pressed onto the garment and when peeled the foil only sticks to the image areas
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW PHOTOPLAS-TIC MATERIALLaserSketchcom of Lemont IL a leading supplier of
LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble Super Black Granite and Black Onyx Jewelry introduces their new PhotoPlas-Tic This is a new material developed for front andor reverse laser engraving on micro surface impact acrylic plastic It is a premium plastic for laser engraving that is UV stable ideal for photo badges plaques trophies signage and high-end awards Each sheet of PhotoPlas-Tic is specially designed for a crisp clean burn and ultra-fine laser lettering logo and vector output For details call 630-243-6360 or visit wwwlasersketchcom
THEMAGICTOUCH LAUNCHES WOW TRANSFER PAPERTheMagicTouch USA launched WoW Professional
71 transfer paper which requires no weeding or profile cutting and the vibrant colors are achieved using digital laser technology making it great for short runs It uses PolymationTM which incorporates a newly designed catalyst that provides the ultimate compatibility with all generations of dry toner material According to the company PolymationTM is the next generation of laser heat transfer Sublimation requires the substrate to have a specialty receiving polymer coating to absorb the pigments but PolymationTM delivers everything at once polymer pigments and catalyst
December 2007 33Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
offers distinct advantages over any other process It allows for an unlimited number of colors and very fine detail which is impossible with screen printing or embroidery And the cost does not go up as colors are added These new specialty materials are so advanced they can be heat sealed to all kinds of fabrics and hot new multimedia designs can be easily done
VAPOR APPAREL LAUNCHES VAPOR ART VOLUME 1V a p o r A p p a r e l
a s u b s i d i a r y o f SourceSubstrates LLC Charleston SC announces the launch of Vapor Art - Volume 1 a collection of 127 vector graphics for digital sublimation and general use The diverse collection
of high-quality graphics comes after several years of customers requesting access to the companyrsquos sample art at trade shows and educational events The Collection of art includes vector drawings and JPGs for everything from mountain biking and snowboarding to yoga and cheerleading
BLANK PRODUCTS
COLORADO HEIRLOOMrsquoS COLOR LACQUERED FRAMES
Colorado Heirloom Inc of Loveland CO introduced their new Color Lacquered Frames This is an option to add color your unique creations It is not color fill Colored lacquer is sprayed on their high quality wood frames Because
INKTRA STRETCH TRANSFER PAPER FROM STAHLSrsquoStahlsrsquo based in St Clair
Shores MI adds InkTratrade Stretch a flexible transfer paper A revolutionary product InkTratrade Stretch provides a soft hand with an amazing stretch and recovery feature InkTratrade Stretch lets you take your favorite photo or graphic design and apply it to light colored or white hats shirts bags and more for a long lasting and completely personalized garment The highly stretchable paper can be applied to cotton polycotton blends spandex and Lycrareg
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo GOOF-PROOF TRANSFERSWant the look of screen
printing without the hassle With Goof Proofreg transfers offered by Transfer Express of Mentor OH you can custom order a transfer that has the popular athletic feel and will apply in a blazing four seconds Ordering is done step-by-step online and you can customize hundreds of designs You choose your
typeface colors and size Once your design is just the way you want it you can print it out to show a customer for approval Or Transfer Express can print from your artwork The minimum order is only five pieces and your one-color order ships in one to three working days
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo NEW FULL-COLOR DIGI PRINTSApparel decorators can now offer full-color designs on light
and dark apparel made of virtually any type of fabric without the hassle or minimums of screen printing with new state-of-the-art heat transfer technology called Digi Printstrade Offered through Transfer Express this revolutionary new method of decorating
December 2007 34Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
lacquer is used instead of paint any design can be lasered on these frames The possibilities are endless These colorful creations are offered in two different designs -- a designer frame and a frame with an insert Call 970-667-4222 or visit wwwcoloradoheirloomcom
CONDE ADDS PET MATS FOR SUBLIMATIONCondeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added food bowl placemats and litter box
mats to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Favorite photographs and pet-related artwork can be transferred to the
mats to create fun products for individual pet lovers or for the pet industry such as pet stores veterinarians groomers boarding facilities and animal adoption groups Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing Call Conde at 800-826-6332
CONDE INTRODUCES FABRIC PATCHES FOR SUBLIMATION
Condeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added fabric patches to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Custom decorators can now produce unique full-color patches that will impress organizations businesses clubs sports teams sports enthusiasts and individuals alike -- without the use of embroidery Heat seal patches are great for identification marketing awards trade show promotions or to commemorate special events Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing or call 800-826-6332
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW LASERSLABLaserSketch of Lemont IL Internationally known for
their LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble and Super Black Granite announces LaserSlab Super Black Granite at 4rsquo x 8rsquo x 7mm and 4rsquo x 4rsquo x 7mm weighting in at just over 2 pounds per square foot The surface of the LaserSlab Granite has the sheen of a black mirror The reverse side features epoxy fiberglass backing to give structure integrity to the ultra-lite granite sheet All may be viewed wwwlasersketchcom or by calling LaserSketch 630-243-6360
MATTHEWS INTRODUCES ALUMICOLORTM
Matthews International Corp of Pittsburgh PA introduced Alumicolortrade a high-resolution graphics solution for aluminum signage recognition commemoration and way finding Using cutting-edge technology Matthews embeds a four-color image into the aluminum to create an anodized reproduction of unsurpassed durability Alumicolortrade products which are designed for interior and exterior installations are resistant to extreme weather conditions graffiti scuffing grease chemicals and UV rays Additionally they will not chip crack or peel
PSI ADDS ROUND FRAMES amp STRING PUZZLES Paramount Services Inc of Hollywood FL
introduced new round resin frames for sublimation tiles Choose from Coral or RopeStone with optional Unisubreg Hardboard Tiles They will also accept the Bison 8rdquo round glass Cutting Board Why be square when round may fit better PSI also introduced a new puzzle guaranteed to string you along These String Puzzles come with a Unisubreg Hardboard puzzle and the necessary string and beads along with instructions how to string it after printing Templates to aid in design are available for download in several formats For details call 800-455-7212 or visit wwwDye-Sublimation-Productscom
CRYSTALEDGEreg LUXORTM CRYSTAL AWARDSCrystalEdgereg Chicago IL presented the Luxortrade Series
This stunning cost-effective collection comprises a series of specially designed Rosewood and Black Piano finish bases Matte Mahogany and Matte Black bases and a precision cast Satin Nickel Finish Metal Base with your choice of brass or silver hardware for mounting our twelve unique shapes making this the most versatile award yet Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks are curved 14rdquo thick crystal clear glass with 316rdquo diameter holes for mounting The Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks feature a generous engraving area and there is plenty of room on the base to add an engraving plate
December 2007 35Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
XENETECHrsquoS NEW ENGRAVABLE GIFTSXenetech of Baton Rouge
LA introduced high quality engravable gift items at wholesale and quantity discounts The Xenetech collection provides a selection of gifts created for corporate recognition weddings births holidays anniversaries retirements birthdays special occasions or just expressing appreciation Items include money clips key chains book markers desk accessories quartz movement clocks flasks amp wine accessories entertainment gifts travel gifts genuine Swiss Army knives business card holders luggage tags silver-plated jewelry boxes keepsake gift boxes silver-plated banks and baby gifts The gift items are designed primarily for diamond drag burnishing and rotary engraving personalization
UNISUBrsquoS CHROMALUXE PHOTO PANELSChromaLuxe photo panels are an exciting new line
of sublimatable products from Unisub of Louisville KY These panels allow you to sell a completely finished photo product to your customers capturing some of the additional revenue (and profit) your customers now spend elsewhere on framing Available in a range of traditional photo sizes as well as exciting new shapes these panels can be joined together to create stunning photo displays -- perfect for a fireplace mantle l i b r a r y s h e l f or the top of an armoire Available in aluminum or MDF substrates
CorelDRAWPro IndexOne of our members in Michigan
requested that we put together an Index of all the articles wersquove published during the year
He prints out all the issues and puts them in binders but an Index would make it easy to reference specific articles We think itrsquos a good idea and wersquoll send it to all subscribers in January
Product Focus TopicsJanuary 2008 -- Signage Products esp Wide FormatFebruary 2008 -- Engraving Awards amp GiftsMarch 2008 -- Apparel ProductsApril 2008 -- Laser Wood Products
Coming in 2008
December 2007 36Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETSBy Donna M Gray CRM Opportunities
December ndash Time to Review December finds everyone on our team strategizing how to get out of our parking lot Our business sits right in the middle of an up-scale strip mall which sits right behind a huge shopping mall and right along the main road to a Target Superstore and other large malls We all know that from the day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday) until 2 weeks after the New Year there are great challenges to those of us who like to leave the building for lunch or run an errandhellipso we strategize We all know every secret shortcut to the bank the post office and the warehouse club What we donrsquot know is how to find the way to merge out of our own back alley into the constant flow of traffic that carries people to their end shopping destination Whew
The year-end review So this year Dave and I have decided to stay in at lunch and do our business strategizing instead Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup are good brain food for helping us to look at all the successful things we did last year as a company all the things we thought about doing but didnrsquot because the idea didnrsquot quite fit and all the things we put off until next year We do this kind of exercise every year end and it helps us to map out our strategy for the coming year In the process we identify any mistakes wersquove made wrong turns wersquove taken and we try to find the ldquowhat could have happened had everything gone rightrdquo
The value of making mistakes Albert Einstein said ldquoAnyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything newrdquo Dave has a couple of prints in his office of Abraham Lincoln that describe his mistakes in fact it took Lincoln eight tries to win the presidency Thomas Edison made mistakeshellipand yet he perseveredhellipotherwise wersquod by ldquocomputingrdquo by candlelight And Irsquove heard that Colonel
Sanders had a thousand rejections before he sold his first chicken recipe It would be nice to get to our year end business appraisals and find that wersquove made no mistakes but our business like most others doesnrsquot have that claim to fame My mother always took the high road with mistakes She always said that one should recognize the benefits of a mistake One should learn what good came from it use it to improve and use it to help motivate success the next time So December is the time to analyze everything that made up the past year and look for ways to make the New Year successful in every way
Making a plan Most advisors say that the first step toward business success after looking at a companyrsquos year ending history is to decide on exactly what you want to do going forward in the coming year Then comes mapping out the plan What will be done How will it get done Who will do what What resources will be used When will it get done Is the right equipment in place Is the space adequate Ask these and any other questions that could relate to creating a successful year then focus on the details and follow through Those two wordshellipfocus and follow throughhellipcould mean the difference between marginal and abundant success Simply stated success comes from what you do and the way you do ithellipin your customerrsquos perception Every business wants to have a good imagehellipa good reputation so dedication to having good communication skills is important especially in an industry that does custom work The goal is to be on the same page as our clients so we have to be good mind readers We have to also concentrate on our professionalism on our appearance on our presentation style and in the pride we take in producing a well-done project This
has worked in the past and will remain the same in the future
The extra mile Success has to be nurturedhellipthen it gets celebrated Sometimes sacrifices have to be made to get to the rewards At year end when we analyze how we got from Point A to Point B itrsquos interesting to note that we sometimes had to take detours and sometimes the road blocks called for sacrificehellipof time or money Sometimes the sacrifice came in the way of a sleepless night worrying if an order that was lost in delivery would be found and re-routed to us in time to make a clientrsquos deadline Someone (unknown) said ldquoA day of worry is more exhausting than a week of workrdquo Anyone in business could testify to that Part of success is going the extra milehellipeven if it results in a sleepless night Going the extra mile is worth all the paid advertising in the world on the road to success
December 2007 37Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETS
Donna Grayrsquos 2nd book Itrsquos All Relative Surviving amp Thriving in a Family Business was published in September 2007
It describes her quest to identify the keys to suc-cess for small business and family businesses in particular She interviewed top businesses nationwide and discovered five common qualities implemented by successful business owners Check it out at the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore wwwcoreldrawprocomAllBook-storehtm
Commitments made and kept Our team felt good about some commitments we made and kept this past year like
We used a daily ldquoto-dordquo list and we set priorities in order of importance When we finished a project we ldquocelebratedrdquo and then moved on quickly to the next job We built in some time for ldquostress reliefrdquo with morning meeting breaks This was especially good when treats were served since wersquove got some good bakers on our staff We didnrsquot ldquoscreenrdquo calls through voice mail We considered every call to be important We ldquodid it right the first timerdquo even though it sometimes took longer We tied up all the ldquoloose endsrdquo We became ldquocheerleadersrdquo for each other When one of us accomplished a goal we all applauded We all tried to deliver more than we promised This can be challenging sometimes when working with a difficult project We eliminated (or tried to eliminate) unnecessary procedures and we simplified our paper flow system We spent most of our time on high priority tasks We all worked on our delegation skills We were committed to not wasting time either our own or other peoplersquos
Goals that were lacking Now all those great things being put on paper reminds me that we also had some goals we didnrsquot quite succeed athellipbut wersquoll try harder next year
We didnrsquot always ldquogrouprdquo tasks togetherhelliplike going to the bank and the post office in one trip or answering mail when it gets opened It wasnrsquot always easy to avoid procrastination Some low priority chores got put off There were still times when we couldnrsquot find enough hours to finish the work Our ldquotoolsrdquo didnrsquot always get put away when we were through with a project even though this is Daversquos pet peeve
Conclusion Experts say that we have to actively create our success not wait for it to happen This coming year hopefully none of us will sit in the comfort zone waiting for the phone to ring Therersquos an old Chinese proverb that goes ldquoIt you continually give you will continually haverdquo Our team will go on being involved in community activities When time is spent on worthwhile projects outside the business opportunities come knocking at the front counter Besideshellipat yearrsquos endhellipit makes us feel really good about the help we gave on these projects
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since1977 She can be reached by email at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
December 2007 38Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
GRAPHICS NEWS NETWORKAll these news and information products and services are part of the
Graphics News Network developed for ACDRP The goal is ldquoAll the News All the Time mdash For the World of Graphicsrdquo
GRAPHICS NewsWireThe Graphics News Wire is the always live always updated source for graphics news mdash products equipment technology and more Make it (CorelDRAWProcomNewsPagehtm) your home page or favorite to gain access to Breaking news updated regularly New Classified Ads New Job Announcements Supplier SpecialsAll news is related to graphic productsQuickSourceTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive amp Easy-To-Use
Search Engine
It gives you one-click access to suppliers products phone numbers and live links to ACDRP Member Suppliers Itrsquos always up-to-date searchable by keyword and accessible from your desktop
Quick TnTTM
The Industryrsquos Newest Resource for Graphics Tips amp Templates
Gain access to a growing library of CorelDRAW tips and templates that will make your work easier
QuickLearnTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive and
Easy-To-Use Article Library
Gain access to hundreds of articles on graphics-related and business topics searchable by keyword
The Entrepreneurial Magazine for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro Magazine is delivered to you once a month in PDF format It features in-depth content that readers rave about including articles on how to use CorelDRAW how to apply CorelDRAW and how to profit from CorelDRAW
News Tips amp Resources for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month mdash about the 15th and 25th It brings you highly targeted content that you wonrsquot find elsewhere including CorelDRAW Tips extensive product news links and a calendar of shows and training
MARKET PLACE
Quality Engravable JewelryHand-crafted in New England
GIFTS amp ACCESSORIES FOR WOMEN AND MEN
John E Lepper Inc800-835-3623 Fax 508-222-2732
wwwjeleppercom
GenuineWhite-tone
Pewter amp Gold
Some Things Were Meant To Be In Etched in Stone
Call for a free color catalog
NampR International1155 Allgood Rd 13Marietta GA 30062
678-560-4088Fax 678-560-1157
Importers amp Wholesalers of MarbleOnyx
Gifts amp Accessories
JOIN TODAY
The worldrsquos only association for CorelDRAWreg Users
wwwcoreldrawprocomJoinhtm
Place an Ad for as little as $215 per month
Find out how by calling our Ad Representative John McDaniel II
541-990-6687
the entrepreneurial magazine
GET LISTED TODAY
Generate new businessby doing jobs for others
List your company in GSG the Digital Yellow Pages for the industry wwwcoreldrawprocomListGSGhtm
December 2007 39Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Louie Alvarez started in the industry working for one of the largest trophy shops in Central California and then opened one of the first retail laser engraving businesses He has given seminars and workshops on CorelDRAW and Laser for many years and has written for several publications He is now with Vytek Industrial Lasers and is based in Las Vegas NV He can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
Kathryn Arnold is the Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
Errol Barr has a wide range of experience in sales amp marketing eventually getting into laser systems in 1999 currently with Vytek Industrial Lasers He also sold extensively in the CNC router industry selling the machines as more of a business opportunity wrapped around the machine He can be reached by email at errolbarrgmailcom
Dave Demoret founded Prolink Graphic Services to help people understand and profit from learning CorelDRAW He has been in both the Flat Graphics Industry and the Decorating Graphics Industry for 30 years He has written articles for several publications is a Corel Training Partner and conducts workshops nationwide and online He is the author of several CD Instructional programs on CorelDRAW He can be reached at 765-DO COLOR (362-6567) or davedprolinkgscom
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since 1977 She has presented seminars on a variety of topics nationwide and has won many marketing awards She is the author of two books on family business and can be reached at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
Bill Leek is a color consultant for JBL Graphics in Houston TX and has over 30 years experience in computer engineering and graphics design He has developed several lines of color imprintable products and does testing on a variety of products for different manufacturers He can be reached at wfleekjblgraphicscom or 281-970-6677
Jeff McDaniel is the owner of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon He worked as a journeyman machinist before getting into the graphic products business Creative Graphic offers laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials Contact him at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
John McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry He worked for many years with computers in electronic data processing and pioneered the use of CorelDraw for engraving applications He owned a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years and writes about hardware design software laser engraving sublimation and more He is a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals For information on training and more call 541-967-4271 or write to mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
Judy McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry Her background includes many forms of art and retail sales as well as the operation of a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years She is a regular columnist on sandblasting sublimation and diversifying business as well as a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals She can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
David Milisock is president of Custom Graphic Technologies Inc in Pennsylvania He has been in the print production business since 1975 and specializes in professional support for CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite Output includes computer-to-plate processes for all commercial digital front-end applications as well as Postscript-compliant graphic applications He offers technical and color management support for all RIP-driven corporate digital output systems He can be reached at 717-509-3523 or davidmilisockcomcastnet
Deborah Sexton former editor of Impressions Magazine has been in the apparel graphics industry since 1981 She currently does marketing and public relations for apparel graphics companies and is a columnist for several industry publications She can be reached at dsextonsbcglobalnet
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at 916-567-1867
December 2007 40Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
by Otis Veteto
Traveling Tidbits
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the
RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of
the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Itrsquos a fun and
informative column focusing on the human-interest side of
the industry Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars
for industry organizations and some of that knowledge
will rub off as well He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at
916-567-1867
Reps Volunteers People Skills amp Agreements
RS Owens Southeast RepFirst of all a Traveling Tidbits welcome to
the newest member of the RS Owens Company sales team Anita Brennan Anita is the new Regional Sales Manager for the Southeast She will be calling on you folks in Alabama Tennessee Mississippi Florida Georgia North Carolina and South Carolina Anita has worked in all phases of our industry as a retailer (her own business) multi-line rep and now as a regional sales manager When I asked Anita what she likes to do when not on the road she told me she likes to spend time with her two-year-old granddaughter Kaylee Welcome to the RS Owens family Anita Brennan
Railroad Museum VolunteerI know Christmas is the time for giving
but some people give all year long I was talking recently with Elias Athanasiou whose regular job is a server in a restaurant my wife and I frequent when I am in Sacramento Elias has been associated as a volunteer with the California State Railroad Museum for about 16 years Every Saturday during the ldquorunning seasonrdquo April-September Elias can be found working as a volunteer on the Steam Engine excursion train that runs for 6 miles along the top of the levee on the Sacramento River The ride takes about 40 minutes Elias is the Engineer now but has worked as conductor and fireman in his tenure with the train It is people like Elias Athanasiou that make this a much better world A huge Traveling Tidbits SALUTE You can find out more about the Railroad Museum at wwwcsrmorg
Real People SkillsThis next tidbit is from the PPAI Promotional
Consultant Today The author is Roy Chitwood president of Max Sacks International in Seattle Wash It is entitled To Shine Polish Your People Skills
ldquoPeople buy not because they understand your product or service but because they feel that you understand them People buy emotionally As a professional salesperson you need to be more people-oriented not product centered Here are seven quick and easy techniques to improve your people skills
SMILE It is the universal sign of friendship in any language The Chinese have a proverb ldquoA man who cannot smile should not open a storerdquo Think about that Give a smile and you will get a smile in return
DEVELOP A GENUINE INTEREST IN OTHERS When you have sincere interest it shows Look directly at people when they are talking to you Let your facial expression register your interest Ask good open-ended questions to let people know that you are interested in what they say
TALK IN TERMS OF THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS INTERESTS You will never meet anyone who doesnrsquot have time to talk about what they want to talk about Encourage your prospect to discuss his or interests rather than launching into a discussion about yourself
USE THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS NAME Using a name builds personal rapport and shows you are listening with respect Be careful about overusing the personrsquos name
GIVE COMPLIMENTS Everyone loves a compliment when it is genuine Make a
concentrated effort to give at least 3 honest compliments every day of your life You will be amazed at what it will do for your relationships
LISTEN Listening is the greatest compliment you can pay When you assume the role of the listener it relaxes the sales climate As you listen you are demonstrating that you truly care and you are genuinely interested in what he or she has to say
MAKE THE OTHER PERSON FEEL IMPORTANT When you are sincerely impressed by something the other person has achieved or owns let them know it Understand that fundamentally every person is important and treat them accordingly
Personal comment When I finished reading this I thought to myself ldquoThese make sense in our everyday life not just in salesrdquo
The Third AgreementI will close with the 3rd step from the book
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel RuizDONrsquoT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS Find the
courage to ask questions and to express what you really want Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings sadness and drama
Sounds a little like what I wrote at the beginning of the column doesnrsquot it
Thatrsquos all for now Remember to save some time for yourself and your family And when you travel please travel safe
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE
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December 2007 13Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE COLORBy David Milisock Training
Wow Powerful Controversial Useful I find the latter term to be most honest as shooting photos in the RAW format allows as much chance for the image to be ruined as it does for it to be improved The key to it being an improved experience rather then a ruined experience is of course understanding what the technology is all about work flow calibration and your skill
First off all cameras shoot RAW lower-cost cameras just wonrsquot let you save the file without an automated conversion process Here is the definition of RAW as printed in my new book Color Management in the CorelDRAW Graphics Suite for Professionals Small Office and Home Office capture C (to be released January 2008)
RAW is a file format that is proprietary to the camera manufacturer They are linear-gamma grayscale images from digital color filter arrays All these files require processing by a RAW converter to convert them to an RGB image
What this means to the user outside of the photographic ramifications is that the user needs to understand how the process is going to affect their color How this comes about is that the camera has a capture array that has red green and blue sensors Or an array that has filters to make some sensors only sensitive to red some only to blue and some only to green Each set of red blue and green sensors creates grayscale data that has to be combined to three channels Color is not only applied to the channels based on the value of the grayscale but a color space is assigned All cameras do this some just donrsquot let you do it manually
What Irsquom saying Is that as soon as the RAW converter develops a color display a color space has been assigned In fact the application has to have a
ldquoRAWrdquostandard color space to base the preview display on or your color edits would have no meaning
Stand-alone applications may allow you to choose what color space to apply to the image Some do not some force you to use an ultra-wide gamut RGB color space like Prophoto RAW Lab or plug-ins within image editing applications are most likely to use the internal (working) RGB of the application
So often it is written that RAW files have no color space and this is a true-falsehood True as long as they are still linear grayscale data streams of no value to anyone without a RAW converter but false as soon as you start the process of making a universally accepted RGB image of them
The key to the process is making sure that you understand what color space your converter assigned to the image so you can coordinate the internal RGB of Corel PHOTO-PAINTreg Make sure to activate the arrow from the internal RGB to the monitor
Any process that does not have the image
editor and RAW converter working in a coordinated manner will totally negate any benefit of using RAW You simply wonrsquot know what colors yoursquore really working with and thatrsquos not good for a process that was supposed to improve your work not make it worse
To my mind that biggest problem I see is that multiple RAW converter applications when viewing a RAW file as shot by the camera can have vastly different displays of the same image See capture A amp B (blurred on purpose) if you have a mind to try using RAW converting I suggest calibrating your display system first as this RAW image when opened in 4 different RAW converters has the white balance temperature identified
Coming Soon to the CorelDRAWPro Book Store A new book by columnist
David Milisock
Color Management in the CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
For Professionals Small Office and Home Office
Basic Color Theory bull Postscript and Non-Postscript Devices
RIPs for Ink Jets and Press bull Adobe Color Coordination
Color Continuity During Exportation bull and Much More
December 2007 14Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE COLOR
as four different values ranging from 2850 to 9980 OUCH Itrsquos hard to believe that the same data has been interpreted to be as shot by the camera judging by these two images isnrsquot it
This can only be described as an extremely painful experience Now you canrsquot rely on the software to interpret the data properly so the only thing you have that you can rely on is your calibrated work flow and your good sense
Another complaint that I have about stand-alone RAW converter applications is that in many cases the image display within the application is so poor that I cannot make a reasonable editing decision for any color or sharpening The image is glassy like in Paint Shop Pro or too soft like in Photoshopreg not sharp and clear like in PHOTO-PAINT OUCH
Please note in Capture A the Adobe RGB color space is already in play (see lower left corner) The adjustments available as shown in this capture are typical for RAW converters and
this capture will show them to you I am neither pro nor con RAW What Irsquove found is that
it is most generally used like image editor in place of good photography This is not always a bad thing Saving the cost on another shooting session through technology certainly has its selling point
Another observation Irsquove noticed is that as the cost of the cameras goes up the quality of their built-in conversion also goes up Many times they will save TIF instead of JPG files This is a real plus In studio settings with a superior camera you most likely will work your butt off and not be as good as the built-in RAW conversion of a studio quality camera On site live shoots is where the RAW conversion application seems to have a place to be most useful in my mind
Irsquom a Corel PHOTO-PAINT guy and I love my sharp clean PHOTO-PAINT display So until Corel PHOTO-PAINT has a RAW converter Irsquom sticking with the camera conversion and a TIF file for studio work But I will certainly use RAW when it benefits my client which benefits me
Watch out next month itrsquos going to be HOT
David Milisock is president of Custom Graphic Technologies Inc He has been in the print production business since 1975 and specializes in professional support for the CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite He can be reached at 717-509-3523 or davidmilisockcomcastnet See full bio on Writers Page
Itrsquos Who Knows YOU Network Your Way to Successby Chien J Wang president of Toujours Inc
Turbo-charge your networking with unique strategies that work Chien at-tends 10-12 events a week and has created a system for turning contacts into customers and customers into lifelong relationships
wwwcoreldrawprocomallbookstorehtm
Captures A amp B Two blurry images (on purpose) showing what happens to the white balance when opened in
different RAW converters This is typical
December 2007 15Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE TRANSFERSBy Bill Leek Applications
Headstart on Spring 10 Things You Can Do in January to Make 2008 a Successful Year
I have to be honesthellipMy normal inclination after the holiday season is to relax and take it easy for a few weeks It seems that after a very busy year I really deserve it But small- to medium-size business owners cannot afford to do this The few weeks of relative calm after Christmas are too valuable to squander
Every year I write up an action plan for January Hear are some ideas that you may find valuable
1) Follow the lead of the big retailers Valentinersquos Day is almost here and Easter is early this year Get your new spring displays mailings emails and catalogs out right after the holidays Highlight some new products with spring themes every year
2) Offer January specials with sizable discounts if you anticipate a slow month Use coupons and thank you gifts to show appreciation to your loyal long-term customers
3) Br igh ten up your display space with new graphics fixtures and lighting Look into new LED displays They offer superior lighting at significantly lower cost and maintenance LED
technology will replace both incandescent and neon lighting and signage in just a few years
4) Spend some time to really learn your software application January is a great time to learn new features and upgrade your Corel Software Buy a guide or an interactive CDDVD to speed up the learning curve
5) January is a great time to find new vendors equipment and imprintables You have more time and the vendors may be more responsive as sales are slower You very well might be able to make that great deal on a piece of capital equipment yoursquove wanted for some time
Ask vendors to provide you with samples of new inks imprintables and transfer papers Test washability compare color quality and evaluate production ease
Look at the new technologies -- direct printing on soft and hardgoods eco-solvent inks color laser printer transfer and new sublimation coatings are all ldquohotrdquo areas to investigate
6) Donrsquot just perform a physical inventory Evaluate inventory turnover and get rid of any dead items that are just taking up shelf space
7) Look at your customer base Are you trying to be all things to all people Are there specific niches where you have had greater success
than others Determine how to build on your strengths and possibly remove yourself from markets that are not profitable
8) Organize an email list of all your existing customers and solid leads Improve your communications with a newsletter Donrsquot overkill with your emailshelliptherersquos a fine line between informative and irritating
9) Sit down and list your major accomplishments and failures of the past year Try to assign a quantitative measure where you can Make a detailed list in each area and honestly investigate what resulted in success or failure
10) Come up with a list of 10-20 goals that you can realistically achieve in 2008 These goals can be defined as specific actions or financial results Create a small poster and display it in place where you will see it every day Go over the list every month and ask yourself how you are doing
I wish you all a Very Happy New Year I will try to keep you informed of all the exciting technical and market developments in 2008 Thanks for all your questions ideas and support during the past year
Add quality imprintables from Unisub for the
Valentinersquos Day market
December 2007 16Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE PRINTSUBLIMATIONBy Judy and John McDaniel Applications
Creating Sublimation Product Templates
Last time we finished all the background stuff now wersquoll get on to making things Wersquoll start with flat products which include plaques tiles shirts and other garments etc Later wersquoll explore specialty items like cups
Creating a Product Template FileThe first step in designing graphics for any new
product that we intend to make again and again is to create a product template Templates give us layouts into which we can place our text and graphics They may take a little time to set up initially however they make it much easier and faster to produce products once the templates are available
The first step in designing a template is to determine the page size in CorelDRAWreg For sublimated products that requires we decide what size the finished transfer will be The size of the transfer will determine the page size
The finished transfer may or may not be the size of the printed sheet For example if we are printing transfers for t-shirts generally they will be on full 11 x 17 sheets That said we have some layouts that will be printed in portrait orientation vertical on the shirt and some in landscape horizontal We have both styles available as templates If we are including a customerrsquos photo in the finished design the orientation of the photo might determine which template we use
For ceramic tiles the transfer may be the size of an individual tile or perhaps the size of a tile array For plaques the transfer is generally slightly larger than the print area of the plaque -- 4 x 6 5 x 7 8 x 10 etc For badges our template might be the size of a single badge or if we have a fixture for pressing badges our template might be the size of the fixture If wersquore pressing ceramic steins and cups we might have an array of templates some for fronts backs full wraps and full wraps edge to edge
Another variable to consider when creating a sublimation template is the size
of your printer and heat press The largest transfer that can be printed or pressed will determine the upper limit of the templatersquos page size These factors are only of concern for large items like shirts
In our shop we have both wide format (11inch) and standard (85 inch) sublimation printers We can choose roll material or standard sheets Currently our largest flat press is 14 x 16 inches so thatrsquos our upper limit for flat product images
Creating a T-shirt TemplateRemember creating a template is something you
only do one time for each item in your inventory and for any variations you would like to have available Creating
Photo 1
Photo 2
December 2007 17Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE PRINTING
a template file takes a little time in the beginning but saves a lot of time in the long run
With these factors in mind Irsquoll go through the steps of creating a special-occasion t-shirt template The first one Irsquoll create will be in portrait orientation If yoursquod like to follow along open CorelDraw to a new project 11 x 17 paper and set the orientation to portrait
Set Guidelines Next wersquoll bring in some guidelines These will
help us see the image area we have to work with For this project Irsquoll set guidelines at frac12 inch in from the left and right 1 inch in from the top and 3 inches up from bottom The guides are for visual reference This is the maximum text and graphics layout area
Since this is a vertical layout our graphic will be 1 inch down from the top edge of the transfer If we set the shirt on the press with the collar at the top edge then all wersquoll have to do is align the transfer to the top edge of the press and the image will be 1 inch down from the shirt collar
Irsquove limited the vertical image area to 13 inches Allowing an inch down from the top will make the bottom of the image 14 inches down from the collar Thatrsquos
ok for an adult large or XL shirt but you may want to adjust the area for smaller shirts
As a part of this layout Irsquove created a couple of layers One Irsquove called text and one picture These layers will be used for the graphic elements of the final template As an option you can also create a non-printing layer that contains a rectangle Since the layout is off centered you can use the rectangle to align your text and graphics but the rectangle will not print (See picture 1)
Save Your TemplateYou can now save this simple layout
as a CorelDRAW template To do that click on FileSave Ashellip and select CDT ndash CorelDRAW Template (see picture 2)
I normally save templates in a special folder however if yoursquore using Windows Vista its sort capabilities reduce the need to organize your files (See picture 3)
You can use this generic template as is You can also use it as a base for creating other templates Next time wersquoll make some additions to customize it for a special occasion Wersquoll also look at how we can use templates
Judy and John McDaniel are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry For information on training services offered and their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom They can be reached by phone at 541-967-4271 via SKYPE (user name JHMcDaniel) or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom See full bio on Writers Page
December 2007 18Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTINGBy Jeff McDaniel Applications
Using Specialty Platens Part 2Background
In our last article we touched on the steps required to create a master transfer for our specialty platen We also briefly reviewed locating the artwork and attaching the capillary film to the screen In this article we will expose our screens rinse them and produce our pocket patch CorelDRAWPro members can look up the more detailed information in the archived articles for June July and August at wwwacdrporg
Our setup and yoursOur setup is the Printa 770 series screen printing machine from Printa Systems Inc
All of the supplies and tools we will cover from here on were provided in the turn-key system from Printa with the 770 Your setup may be from another source but will most likely contain components of what we will discuss below In addition to the standard Printa 770 setup we will be using the ldquoPrint-Allrdquo system from Printa Systems Inc (see figure 1 courtesy of Printa Systems)
Exposing the capillary filmWe left off last article with our screens drying
Now that they are dry we are ready to expose the capillary film Exposing Step 1 we will gently peel the carrier sheet off of the capillary film (see figure 2)
Exposing Step 2 Next we need to put our first image back on the exposure unit and re-install the screen on the printing system Then we can bring the screen down on the
exposure unit attach our blackout board and expose the screen (see figure 3)
Exposing Step 3 After exposure we need to rinse out our screen and inspect it to be certain we have a complete rinse (see figure 4)
Exposing Step 4 Once the image is rinsed out it is time to put the screen back in the dryer (see figure 5)
Re-aligning the screens after wash outFrom the time that we first aligned the
artwork we have taken the screens in and out of the printing system twice If our artwork is even a little bit out of alignment we will lose blanks or put out low quality work It is a good idea to do a final adjustment with the original artwork
Re-Align Step 1 Leaving both of our photo positives on the exposure unit we can inspect the screen location compared to our original artwork location Here is the yellow screen location after exposure and wash out (see figure 6)
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
December 2007 19Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTING
Re-Align Step 2 The black screen is a little bit off (see figure 7) so we will need to use the Printa 770 micro-adjustment knobs to bring it back into alignment (see figure 8)
Masking off the screenNow that our artwork is
lined up correctly we can mask the rest of the screen off Wherever we donrsquot want the ink to run through the screen needs to be masked off (see figures 9 and 10)
Locating the pocket patch on the shirtThere are a couple of different ways to locate the pocket
patch on the shirt The first thing to consider is where you want it to end up on the wearer If the patch is too far toward the sleeve the image will end up under the wearerrsquos arm pit If the image is too far up toward the neck the image will not look right either A good way to figure out the correct location is by looking at a shirt that has a pocket patch on it (maybe one or two are in your closet right now)
Another way to locate the pocket patch is to put on the shirt
size that you wear and mark off where you think it feels correct and comfortable Once you have decided where you would like the patch keeping it in the same relative location on all of the different sizes is not too difficult The actual placement of the shirt can be accomplished a couple of different ways that we know of Which you prefer will depend mostly on if you are more accurate with sight or touch
The sight method involves using a masking tape strip to mark the desired location on the shirt prior to loading it onto the platen (see figure 11)
Once you have your marking in place you can load the shirt on the platen and have a nice representation that you are placing the design in the desired location (see figure 12)
Figure 7 Figure 8
Figure 9
Figure 10
Figure 11
Figure 12
December 2007 20Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTING
We prefer the sight method because it works well with our equipment The ldquoPrint Allrdquo system from Printa Systems Inc uses a smaller platen for pocket patches The smaller platen allows us to load sizes from youth XS ndash adult 5X without stretching
The touch method involves using a standard platen and adding a riser underneath where the pocket patch will be printed (a piece of cut cardboard or thin wood of the appropriate size) With this method you can feel when the shirt is in the correct location and begin printing from there
Inking the screens printing and curingSince we have resolved our location
issues with the pocket patch we are ready to ink the screens print and cure
Printing Step 1 Inking the screens is fairly straightforward (see figure 13)
Printing Step 2 Using the squeegee we will screen our first color (see figure 14) and check the quality of the image (see figure 15)
Printing Step 3 Our first color will need to be flash cured (see figure 16)
Printing Step 4 Now we can add our second color (see figure 17)
Printing Step 5 Finally we can do the finish cure step paying attention to the temperature gauge (see figure 18)
After final curing it is always a good idea to take at least a sampling of the product and wash it to be certain of the curing All of the information on post-job clean-up can be found in the CorelDRAWPro archives for September
Conclusion This time we took our screens out of
the dryer and pushed our project all the way to its completion
Jeff McDaniel is the OwnerOperator of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon Jeff has been working with computers since the age of 5 and was a journeyman machinist before working in the graphic arts business Creative Graphic offers services including laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials You can contact Jeff by email at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
Figure 14
Figure 13
Figure 15
Figure 17
Figure 16
Figure 18
December 2007 21Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SANDBLASTINGBy Judy McDaniel Applications
Screening the AbrasiveKeeping your sandblast abrasive media free
of contaminant material is essential During sandblasting abrasive is mixed with compressed air fed through the supply hose focused by the nozzle and impacts the product Then if itrsquos fine enough it leaves the system as dust or drops to the bottom of the cabinet to be recycled
Other material will also collect in the bottom of the cabinet This debris can include bits of mask (ever wonder where the center of that ldquoerdquo went) bits of tape and possibly solid material dislodged from the product yoursquore blasting This latter source of debris is especially prevalent when yoursquore working on materials other than glass like brick rock and wood
Leaving the debris in the abrasive when itrsquos recycled can cause a variety of problems First if a piece of debris is too large to fit through the nozzle it will clog it More importantly if it does fit through the nozzle and is hard like brick and rock debris it can impact the piece yoursquore working on and ruin it
The obvious solution is to screen the media when you reload the pressure pot The problem is the screen mesh size Irsquove tried the screen supplied by the cabinet manufacturers and used window screening material from a hardware store In both of these cases the mesh size would allow all but the largest pieces of debris through
What Irsquove found that works the best is a spatter screen from a local kitchen store The mesh is woven tightly and filters out much more debris The best thing is its price only a few dollars
One of our cabinets is not self-contained so we have to filter the media by hand We have found that bending the handle up on a large spatter screen
causes it to fit perfectly into the top of the pressure pot We also have a couple of other smaller pressure pots one in fact that you fill with a funnel For those I simply lay the spatter screen over the opening of the pot or the funnel when refilling
If you have a system that recycles the abrasive then it should be equipped with a screen located on top of the pressure pot Make sure to inspect and remove the debris from the top of the screen from time to time A shop-vac works well for this purpose If you find that larger pieces are getting through the screen then contact the manufacturer to see what can be done to reduce the mesh size
Keeping your media clean helps prevent unwanted delays or damage
To all of our friends out there new and old have a safe and joyful holiday season
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from John and me
Judy McDaniel with her husband John are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry In addition they provide one-on-one application support through an email subscription service exclusively for their Hotcdr Hands-On Training students or those who have purchased their CD sets (For information on training services offered visit wwwgraphic-products-trainingcom and for information on their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom) They can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
December 2007 22Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE ENGRAVINGBy John McDaniel Applications
Elements of Machine Accuracy 7 Structural Integrity
So far wersquove covered resolution speed repeatability and hysteresis This time wersquoll discuss structural integrity
What is Structural IntegrityStructural integrity is a measure of a machinersquos
strength or stiffness It is the ability of a machine to resist distortion by forces created in normal operations
Most mechanical engraving machines use single-fluted cutters As these cutters turn they apply cutting force against the material For every action though there is an equal but opposite reaction ie the material resists the cut and thereby transmits a resistive force back through the cutting tool spindle etc and ultimately to the machinersquos frame
Assuming a static bit position the force applied to the machinersquos structure will rotate 360deg with the tool (see diagram 1) As this force rotates any looseness in the structure will result in a deviation in the relationship of the material and the cutter
What machine design factors are involvedStructural integrity includes lead screws and their
hysteresis for mechanical engraving machines spindle bearings and their looseness for both mechanical and laser engravers gantry or table rails their bearings and looseness and the machinersquos frame In fact anything and everything that holds the tool and material in the proper relationship during the cuttingengraving process contributes to or detracts from structural integrity
Why is it importantIn a word Quality Structural integrity influences
the quality of the finished products the machine will produce
For illustration Irsquoll use a mechanical engraving system If the looseness in our machine and the cutting force applied were uniform throughout the 360deg of tool rotation the result would be a wobble in the tool path which might not be visible in the finished product
Cutting ForcesIn the real world however as the tool moves through
the material the cutting and reactive forces go through a cycle (see diagram 2) When the tool starts the cut there is a spike in force The force will level to a constant through the top side of the cut while itrsquos cutting against the direction of the toolrsquos movement Then it will drop somewhat when itrsquos cutting with the toolrsquos movement and finally fall off on the back side as the cutting edge of the tool enters the void area where the material has already been removed
The amount of force applied during the cutting process will vary depending on the material being
cut the tool and its sharpness the depth of cut the material feed rate and whether or not lubricant is used The cutting force may also vary over the length of the job as the toolrsquos cutting edge wears and becomes dull
Machine Component Looseness
In addition to the cutting force not being uniform throughout the 360deg of tool rotation l o o s e n e s s i n t h e machinersquos structure will also vary For example dur ing the cut t ing operation as the tool transitions through 0deg and 180deg of rotation X axis hysteresis will be a factor in overall machine looseness but Y axis hysteresis will have no effect At 90deg and 270deg the Y axis will become a factor but the X axis will have no impact
In the real world any looseness in the machine will cause an oscillation in the cut which will have its own angle If we could slow the toolrsquos movement we would see this oscillation as a sharp jump in the positional relationship between the tool and material being cut In the finished product this sharp jump in position will result in a jagged cut
December 2007 23Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE ENGRAVING Outline amp OverviewThe Nuts and Bolts of Machine AccuracyMachine accuracy or capability can be defined as a result of six features 1 Resolution ndash the smallest incremental movementpositioning of a speci-fied axis 2 Speed ndash the ability to complete a task in a reasonable amount of time without sacrificing accuracy or creating damage to the machine or product 3 Repeatability ndash the ability to duplicate a previous position without error 4 Hysteresis ndash the ldquosloprdquo or ldquoplayrdquo in motion control components 5 Structural Integrity ndash stiffness or strength ndash the ability to cut materials without error or damage This is especially important for mechanical engrav-ers 6 Structural Tolerances ndash the sum accuracy of a machinersquos mechanical components
Machine ComponentsWersquoll examine nine factors that determine a machinersquos accuracy They include 1 Motors ndash including DC Stepper DC Brushless DC Servo and AC Servo a Spindles ndash motors that rotate the cutting bit b Axis Drive ndash motors that position the material to the cutting bit c Horsepower ratings ndash real versus advertised 2 The Motion Control Drive Unit ndash including Geared Belt and Lead Screws a Lead Screws ndash including Acme Re-circulating Ball Standard and Precision b Mounting ndash including Simple Fixed and Thrust bearing types c Protection ndash Open or Closed 3 Guide Rails ndash Types include V Bearing Rail Bushing Shaft Dove Tail and Re-circulating Ball Bearing 4 Encoders ndash Types include Rotary and Linear Methodologies include incremental or absolute 5 Tachometers ndash used for speed stability acceleration and breaking control for closed loop servo systems 6 Bearings ndash including Sleeve Ball and Linear Re-circulating Ball a Applications ndash including Radial Thrust and Linear b Quality ndash Standard thru Ultra Precision 7 Spindles ndash including topbottom loading Collets and Sleeves 8 Material Hold Down ndash including mechanical clamps and vacuum sys-tems 9 Electronic Interface ndash Computer control methods
Wersquoll also examine Reliability what makes it And Serviceability is it fix-able
If the cutting oscillation is at any angle other than the direction of the cut and the oscillation is great enough a jagged cut will be visible in the finished product A cut deviation of as little as 001rdquo is visible to the naked eye and will most commonly show up on curves and circles but may show up on straight lines as well
To illustrate this point a little further and perhaps make it somewhat clearer Irsquod like to refer to diagrams 3 and 4 For purposes of these illustrations we will assume we have a machine that has some looseness on both the X and Y axes However the rest of the machine
is structurally solid the frame is rigid and no other components have any loosenessMaking these assumptions and disregarding the variation in force caused by the cutter
as it travels through the material we will have cutting oscillations at 0deg 180deg 90deg and 270deg during the toolrsquos rotation As the tool travels through the material on its path these oscillations will cause a slight variation in the centerline of the toolrsquos cut
Diagram 3 shows a horizontal tool path While the machine is cutting in this direction any X axis looseness will be masked by the cutter path itself however looseness in the Y axis will result in a slight oscillation in the cutterrsquos horizontal position and therefore a deviation in its cut Diagram 4 shows the effect of the X axis looseness which will impact vertical lines
As you can see from this discussion and these illustrations structural integrity ie looseness in the components from which a machine is constructed can make a significant difference in quality of the finished products that a machine will produce
Next time wersquoll consider structural tolerances and their impact
John McDaniel with his wife Judy are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry For information on training services offered and their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom They can be reached by phone at 541-967-4271 via SKYPE (user name JHMcDaniel) or via email at JHMcDanielCorelDRAWhelpcom See the full bio on the Writers Page
December 2007 24Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
the image the text and the red bow In the laser file for this example I have the red cut line for vectoring (See Figure 5)
5) Send the cardstock through the printer6) Place the cardstock in the laser for vector
cutting The thickness of the stock will determine what settings to use For my 35-watt laser using a medium weight cardstock I used a speed of 100 and power of 15 for a nice cut through the stock without any burn marks on the paper
7) Optional in one run I decided to let the laser take care of the bow instead of using color for it from my printer I set the outline of the bow to 100 black and the interior of the bow to 50 black (See Figure 6)
8) Then I only sent the image and text through the printer The bow and vector cutting occurred in the laser I set the raster engraving (of the bow) at speed 70 and power 40 (See Figure 7) You can see the differentiation of using 100 black as opposed to 50 black by the exterior lines
being engraved a little deeper than the rest of the fill
Take the idea of using patterns (like the birth announcement above) and wowing your clientele with the detail and intricacy that laser can provide Or add a twist to a holiday tradition (cards) Whatever you do donrsquot forget you can combine the advantages of the printer and laser for fabulous products
Submitted by Kathryn Arnold Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
LASER TIPBy Kathryn Arnold Applications
Combining Laser amp Printer PowerComing up with new and
inventive ways to use your laser is the key to a successful and growing business We will look at a way to combine the power of your computer (ink) printer with the power of the laser engraver
In this lesson we will take a look at using cardstock to create a card and an announcement See the examples of a holiday card and a birth announcement ndash gratuitously they are of my family (Figure 1 amp Figure 2)
1) In CorelDRAWreg use any pattern image text you wish Be sure that there is a clear and discernible vector line that will be laser cut and yield a cut piece from the cardstock2) See the clear (red) cut line ndash it goes fully around my object even the bow portion (important) I then duplicated my object to fit as many as possible on my 8 frac12 x 11 cardstock (See Figure 3) 3) I saved this file as my master file that I could return to at any point I then created two copies -- one that will
be used to send the file to my printer and one that will be used to send the file to my laser engraver (See Figure 4)
4) In the master file I have every part of what my end product will have In the file for my printer I only have the parts that the printer will print ndash in this example
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
December 2007 25Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
ELECTRONICS FRONTIERBy Louie Alvarez Opportunity
Webcams are an interesting subject which I am intimately familiar with Some typical questions are what are they what purpose do they serve what benefit are they what to look for and various other questions concerns and issues
Webcams surely bring back a memory or two not all that great I might add I remember when they first became usable primarily due to the Internet having affordable true broadband
First experiences The choppy poor quality of dial-up service
simply didnrsquot make this a useful technology Short of communicating with far-flung family members it left much to be desired With my immediate family living in Las Vegas and all other family (parents siblings cousins etc) living in California this was a technology I thought would be useful to keep in touch
So I set up my computer and my momrsquos computer with Webcams to stay in touch Needless to say with the poor quality terrible tracking (had to keep perfectly
sti l l because video frames didnrsquot refresh fas t enough) the hard-to-see tiny video window and poorly synchronized voices to the faces (we looked like a badly translated kung fu movie) the novelty quickly wore off (Irsquod say in about 30 minutes)
WebcamsSecond attempt
So I promptly dumped the technology for the next few years until I started seeing broadband picking up the pace and more interest in Webcams becoming obvious from all the new devices on the market So about three years ago a wireless Webcam caught my eye and I decided to put it to the test once again
Considering I was by then traveling quite extensively (about 40000 miles a year) I figured Irsquod use it to monitor my home I had two teenagers and a 5-year-old at home at the time while I was on the road and my wife was still a t work (She normally didnrsquot get off work until about two hours after school was out) So this looked to be a cool device to see if as the clicheacute goes when the catrsquos away the mice will play
I proceeded to position this wireless Webcam strategically to allow viewing of my living room including the back door Plus to get to the front door or side door you would have to pass through the field of the camera My little one loved the idea of being on camera for her daddy and would dance play and make funny faces for me Pretty cool actually That in itself almost justified the camera but needless to say my teenagers even my wife didnrsquot take to the idea too well So it was returned and life continued on as usual
That experience did show me that the broadband
speeds the quality of the video feeds the prevalence on the net of live cams and the quality of the video cameras (better known as Webcams) had progressed to a level of usefulness and I could see the potential of this technology With that said letrsquos get into the heart of this article
So what are webcams Basically they are digital cameras attached to
the computer and connected to the Web or Instant Messaging (IM) This allows the camera to be linked to a website or to each other directly and individuals who view the website or IM are able to see what the camera is viewing at that moment You can choose to get either still pictures that are updated at regular intervals (Snapshot) or live streams (Streaming) depending on what your bandwidth permits The WebCam technology has advanced sufficiently now to make it both easier and cheaper to maintain a camera that is refreshing an image 24 hours a day
Features of Web Cameras Listed here are some of the features more commonly
found in WebCams1 Live streaming video still pictures updated2 No plug-in or software necessary to view image
can be viewed with any Web browser3 Live audio4 Incorporation with other software such as Instant
Messaging (IM)5 Adding captionslogostime displays6 Archiving video7 Chat feature
December 2007 26Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
WebCams in an instructional scenario could be used to
Monitor your staff or employees thus being able to guide them better
Telecommute to companies worldwide and demonstrate project procedures
B roadcas t sem ina rs wo rkshops o r demonstrations
Share special events and programs with students enrolled in distance learning courses
Hold a video press conference online meeting or broadcast meetings and discussions
In some cases it is important for the learner to be able to establish a connection visually WebCams could be a good alternative to using text files or audio files
Join WebCam groups and allow students to take advantage of other WebCam locations for educational purposes
Using a web camera allows learners to be a part of either a conference or classstudio
Benefits of using WebCamsa The most important advantage of using a web camera is that it creates a direct link between the camera and the live site and dispenses with all the production work Production work in this context includes the cost and effort involved in shooting
editing and streaming videos Thus using a WebCam does not require
advanced skillsb The software is basically a Web server that runs on your system and pushes images out to a Web page For viewers of images delivered over a WebCam
one of the benefits is that they get the entire picture preferable in
certain cases rather than a sleek edited versionc WebCam technology can also be used for remote s u r v e i l l a n c e s y s t e m s
ELECTRONIC FRONTIER
monitoring events or places and broadcasting live eventsd Learners can link to a web camera-monitored location and just watch or also have an additional web camera in their own location enabling two-way communication
Setting up your WebCama Setting up your own WebCam obviously requires a computer a WebCam (the hardware) and WebCam software along with a broadband Internet connection Before you decide which camera to buy and which software to acquire yoursquoll have to review the different methods to show pictures or video feed through the Internet ( i e r e f r e s h e d after x amount of seconds) This will enable you to decide which hardware and software solution will fit your situation best
b P l a c e m e n t of a camera is an important decision to be made Decide whether a static angle is sufficient to demonstrate the concept or a moving camera (handheld) is required It is important however to remember the limitations of using WebCams and leave the panoramic and other fancy shots to more sophisticated video Use WebCams for videos that require more focus and ones that require a smaller viewingmovement range
c For detailed technical instructions on using WebCams visit httpdeveloperswebcamworldcommethodshtml
d Here is a good resource for inexpensive Webcams on the market httpcastlepricewatchcomssearchasps=webcams
e For an in-depth review of various Webcams on the market go to this link httpreviewscnetcom4244-6502_7-0-1htmlquery=webamptag=cat_1
f There are many Webcam examples online here are a couple httpwwwwebcamworldcom or httpwwwleonardsworldscomcamerahtml
By the way DONrsquoT TELL MY KIDS I picked up a Logitech QuickCam Pro 4000 not too long ago My family doesnrsquot know why I got it or what my intention is but I can say that now that my kids are 17 16 amp 8 my job as a parent is to ensure the mice donrsquot play when the catrsquos awayhellip
Louie Alvarez began acquiring his experience in the awards and engraving industry in Central California over 15 years ago first as an employee of the largest and oldest trophy shop and then as owner of one of the first laser engraving businesses Louie has been a featured workshop instructor and seminar speaker throughout the industry in addition to being a contributing writer to numerous industry publications Louie is based in Las Vegas NV and can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
December 2007 27Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
The Association of CorelDRAWreg Professionals is The Education amp Business Resource for CorelDRAW Users Worldwide Its goal is to help 1) IMPROVE your CorelDRAW skills and 2) MAKE MONEY with those skills You can participate in ACDRP services in four ways
THE WORLDrsquoS ONLY ASSOCIATION FOR CORELDRAWreg USERSINVITES YOU TO MAKE MORE MONEY WITH CORELDRAW
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month focused on Industry News via the Graphics News Wire Links to valuable resources and a complete educa-tion and show Calendar S
CorelDRAWPro the Entrepreneurial magazine for CorelDRAW users features in-depth content on How to Use CorelDRAW -- tips tricks advanced ar twork success s to r ies in te rv iews and more How to Apply CorelDRAW -- for graphic production processes such as embroidery engraving heat printing laser promo products printing sandblasting signmaking sublimation and screenprinting How to Profit from CorelDRAW -- Product news business columns reviews profiles and advertising with live links
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TTF Newsletter Subscription to the monthly Tips Templates amp Fixtures Newsletter only available to members
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Access to QuickLearn A keyword searchable database of 100s of articles on CorelDRAW graphics production and business
All users of CorelDRAWreg are invited to join the Association and take advantage of exclusive content discounts and profes-sional recognition ACDRP membership includes
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Archives
BASIC GSG LISTING -- $25 PER YR
The Graphic Services Guide is the Industry Yellow Pages for Services and Finished Goods GSG is promoted in all our publi-cations and our website to the world of CorelDRAW users Your listing gives you the opportunity to promote your services (in any of 40 categories) to other CorelDRAW usersThe Basic Listing includes your company description email link and listing in one category Additional service categories are $10 each per year
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ENHANCED GSG LISTING -- $50$75 PER YR
Classifieds
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CorelDRAWreg is a registered trademark of Corel Corp and is used with permission
Visit wwwcoreldrawprocomand click on the appropriate links
800-276-8428
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MULTI-SERVICE GSG LISTING -- $120$145 PER YR
December 2007 28Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Throughout the year this publication has reported on whatrsquos new in equipment tools and software and blank products for businesses that put graphics onto products
For this 2007 wrap-up CorelDRAWPro editorial staff reviewed all the product news for the year and named 33 products to its annual Top Products of the Year list
Selections were based on the criteria of innovation and impact Innovation means products that exhibit a high degree of originality or uniqueness Impact means products that influence sales or productivity for a large number of businesses
Note that the 2007 honorees are list alphabetically in the three theme sections
For more information on the products in this article click on the Info Request button at the bottom of each page and select by company name or product You might open the Info Request page and minimize it as you read That way you can quickly open it and check the products you want
EQUIPMENT
ANAJET DIRECT-TO-GARMENT DIGITAL PRINTERAnaJet Digital Apparel Printer (Model FP-125) from
AnaJet Inc in Costa Mesa CA is a direct-to-garment printer offering high quality and affordability It can print custom graphics on any cotton or poly-cotton flat textile material in one minute The printer priced affordably from under $13000 can produce up to 5000 shirts per month each retailing for about $20 Most printers installed so far are in a production plant environment but some customers have started to take the mobile printer to malls for instant printing of customer graphics According to Dr Chase Roh company president the unique printhead they have developed allows for 16x more ink flow than normal desktop printers and thus shirts only require one pass
Top Products of the Year
DTG AMERICA ECLIPSE D-1 WITH TWO HEADS DTG America of Tampa FL and Fort Worth TX now offers a new solution to
speed up digitally printing to dark shirts The Eclipse D-1 incorporates two heads instead of one One head has eight channels of white to lay down a solid white underbase The second head has four channels of white to do highlights and four channels of color to lay down the design The result of this new configuration is the underbase and color are completed in one pass at an estimated average of only two minutes per shirt for a 12-inch by 6-inch area Other innovations include an ink agitator firmware for easy updating ink vapor remover auto gap adjustment and new platen configuration for easy loading
GEO KNIGHT DK 25SP HEAT PRESSThe Digital Knight DK25SP is an air-operated automatic
20x25 oversized swing-away heat press with a state-of-the-art control system and heavy-duty solid steel welded framework The smooth automatic pressing and push-button activation provides a productive fatigue-free operation The extended 20x25 size of the heat platen is perfect for sublimation and large-format materials pressingThe press is adjustable to accommodate materials from fabric thickness all the way up to 1rdquo thick substrates For more information call 800-525-6766 or visit wwwheatpresscom
GRAPHTEC CRAFT ROBO PROGraphtec America Inc based in Santa Ana
CA introduced the new Craft ROBO Pro 15rdquo cutting plotter The Craft ROBO Pro is an ideal solution for cutting a wide variety of materials including vinyl film card stock foil heat transfer and image transfer media Incorporating Graphtecrsquos legendary
December 2007 29Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
ARMS (Advanced Registration Marks System) and combined with a desktop printer the Craft ROBO Pro makes contour cutting an easy task Innovations include a new digital servo motor first mark auto-sensing menu navigation system that includes 8 user-defined conditions Tangential Control and three software applications
ROLAND RELEASES DIRECT-TO-FABRIC PRINTERRoland DGA Corp of Irvine CA released
the new 74rdquo HeatWave DFP-74 Fabric Printer through its reseller channel in the US Based on Rolandrsquos HeatWave sublimation technology the DFP-74 Fabric Printer is a complete integrated solution and Rolandrsquos first inkjet ever to support direct printing onto polyester fabrics As a complete solution including printer sublimation unit inks and RIP software the DFP-74 makes it easier than ever for shops to enter the fast-growing textile printing market Key features include eight advanced piezo print heads an intelligent media handling system and a temperature-controlled heating system
HOTRONIX PERFECT PRESSURE HEAT PRESSHotronix of Carmichaels PA has taken heat press technology
to the next level with Perfect Pressure a new digital pressure display functionThis new feature has a single-digit LED readout
that measures the pressure of the inner platen This technology is exclusive to Hotronix and is patent pending Previously a
digital pressure display was available only on air-operated heat press machines With this new pressure display gauge all heat press users will have more consistent results from job to job reducing the number of misprints and speeding up production For more information about
the new digital pressure display contact Stahlsrsquo Hotronix at 800-478-2457 e-mail infostahlscom or visit the Web site at wwwstahlscom
SWF DREAM EMBROIDERY MACHINEWith its new DREAM Machine SWF has broken the barrier in multi-head
embroidery machine technology The DREAM machines are the first multi-head embroidery machines that truly can sew at 1500 stitches per minute During the research and development of these new machines 12 new patents were filed and granted proof that the DREAM machines are built with state-of-the-art technology
Innovations include LED control panel error codes to quickly troubleshoot problems optional devices to do sequins cording and boring automatic oiling system large memory a hoop selector and more These innovative new machines come in configurations ranging from
two to six heads It is distributed exclusively by SWF East (Tampa FL) and SWF MESA (Dallas TX)
MESArsquoS HOTFIX SPANGLE MOTIF MACHINEWith the all new YAS-11 Hotfix Spangle Motif Making
Machine the first of its kind in the United States you can create beautiful spangle transfer designs that have the look of sequins This patented machine which is distributed exclusively in the United States by MESA Distributors of Fort Worth TX cuts out shapes such as circles and squares in a range of sizes from reels of Mylar tape The machine comes with proprietary design software that allows the user to create any pattern or design up to 157 by 157 inches
SAWGRASSrsquo HYBRID SYSTEM FOR EPSON R1800Sawgrass Technologies of Mt Pleasant SC introduced
the SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid System for the Epson R1800 for both sublimation printing and cotton
decorating from one machine The affordable entry-level system features dual functionality with both SubliJet and ChromaBlast inks in one machine allowing users to create customized images with superior color and clarity on both polyester coated substrates and cotton garments This is the second
hybrid system from Sawgrass following in the footsteps of the popular SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid
System for the Epson 4800
TROTECrsquoS NEW LARGE PLATFORM LASER Trotec Laser Inc of Ypsilanti MI has introduced the SP500 series of laser
engraving and cutting systems The systems have a work area of 50rdquo X 28rdquo and X-Axis clearance of 12rdquo The systems are offered in power levels from 45W-200W There is an available pass-through option (Class 4) Exhaust fumes are captured
December 2007 30Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
at the laser head to insure an efficient extraction when using the pass-through featureTrotec systems are designed for minimal wear-and-tear and eliminate the need for periodic replacement of belts and bearings For additional information visit our web site wwwtrotecnet or call 866-226-8505 734-484-3260
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW PROFESSIONAL SERIESUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) of Scottsdale
AZ added four new models in its Professional Laser Series (PLS) line of advanced high-productivity computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving systems The new PLS line which replaces Universalrsquos M V and X laser systems incorporates a
host of evolutionary design improvements to the laser cartridge platform chassis system electronics and software interface The new PLS models include several
powerful new features most notably a unique materials-based print driver called ldquoLaser Interface +rdquo that gives users their choice
between automatic or manual control over power speed and other system settings For more information on Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit Universal Laser Systems online at wwwulsinccom
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW VERSALASERUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) added a
new version of its desktop-sized VersaLasertrade
computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving system The new VersaLaser
improves on the award-winning original thanks to a host of evolutionary design refinements It also
includes a unique next-generation materials-based print driver that automatically calculates power speed
and other system settings It was awarded a patent for the unique design of its external cabinet which also functions as a Class 1 laser safety enclosure For more information about VersaLaser or Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit wwwulsinccom
US SCREENrsquoS FAST T-JET 3US Screen Print and Inkjet Technology of Tempe
AZ adds the Fast T-Jet3TM which features 30 faster print speeds compared to the previous T-Jet2 model and has a longer low profile print bed for easier loading and unloading Now you can produce a full size 12rdquo x 12rdquo (305 x 305 cm) print in one minute on a light shirt and in under three minutes on a black shirt with white ink Small pocket images can be printed in about 15 seconds
US SCREENrsquoS AUTOMATED PRETREATMENT CENTER
Speed up production when using Fast T-Jet inkjet-to-garment printers with the AutoTREATtrade Automatic Pretreatment Center
This versatile piece of equipment allows you to treat shirts on a production level rather than spraying shirts individually one at a time For use with light or dark shirts the AutoTREATtrade
can spray up to three shirts per minute It has two application modesmdashone for lights and one for darks that can be switched over by activating the cleaning mode which flushes out the system with water
TOOLS MATERIALS SOFTWARE
CORELDRAW X3 CERTIFIED FOR WINDOWS VISTACorel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that
CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite X3 has been Certified for Windows Vista Customers who wish to install the Certified for Windows Vista version of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X3 can download the latest service pack (SP2) from wwwcorelcom This new update delivers an exceptional experience for customers on Windows Vista including an updated user interface enhanced security improved text handling and further enhancements to the popular suitersquos renowned import and export file compatibility
COREL LAUNCHES NEW ONLINE COMMUNITY Corel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that it
has launched httpcoreldrawcom a new online community for users of the CorelDRAWreg family of products ndash including CorelDRAW Graphics Suite Corel DESIGNERreg Technical Suite
December 2007 31Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
and Corelreg DRAWingsreg This new community site is the first in a series that Corel will be launching to support its various user communities Designed to fuel inspiration CorelDRAWcom combines forums blogs and galleries for design professionals and graphic hobbyists alike Forums are available in English French German and Spanish serving an international audience
DALCOrsquoS NEW REFLECTIVE HEAT TRANSFERSCater to the safety market with new reflective transfers offered
by Dalco Athletic of Dallas TX These durable transfers come in a reflective silver gray color in three styles police sheriff and fire dept They are sized for left chest and full back so
all you have to do is heat seal for 8 seconds and yoursquore done Itrsquos very fast and easy
DALCOrsquoS NEW OPTIC YELLOW CLASSIC SWB APPLIQUE
Classic SWB appliqueacute designs offered by Dalco Athletic now come in two new styles softballs and tennis balls in optic yellow fabric These new balls literally jump off any wearable and make it an eye-catching standout This appliqueacute collection is ideal for spiritwear items to be sold to fans and family or created as fund-raisers for boosters clubs
POWER GRAPHICS 3 FROM DIGITAL ART SOLUTIONSPower Graphics 3 by Digital Art Solutions of
Tempe AZ is the ultimate design tool for the creation of high-end custom graphics and logos for custom signage awards vehicle graphics promotional products and apparel graphics Tuned to the latest styles and trends it provides fresh graphics that will impress even the most critical and demanding customer It includes more than 1500 images The 10 design categories include Flames Gangsta (Urban) Mascots Offroad Rebel (Biker and Hot
Rod) Retro Speed Sports Surf and Tuner
FLORIANI COMMERCIALrsquoS NEW NO-SHOW DIAMOND MESHContinuing in its tradition of research and development
to create embroidery stabilizers that meet the needs of todayrsquos embroiderers Floriani Embroidery Commercial Division of Knoxville TN released a new product called Floriani No-Show Diamond Mesh This unique nylon mesh stabilizer has a perpendicular embossed pattern that makes it more multi-directionally stable and enables it to better hold stitches for crisper design registration It is specifically designed for light-colored garments where traditional stabilizers have a tendency to show through the front of the garment
GREAT DANErsquoS NEW DIGITAL PHOTO FRAMES Tap into the lucrative team market with an
incredible collection of stock art specially designed to work for direct-to-garment printers sublimation transfers and digital transfers Digital Photo Frames Volume 1 is a collection of spectacular pre-designed layouts each with one or more frames to
insert personal photos The collection includes five categories baseball football basketball soccer and hockey Each category has four designs (20 total layouts) and each design comes in three template formats mugs mouse pads and shirts
So there are a total of 60 template designs in all
IMPRINTABLES WAREHOUSE OFFERS SPECTRA ECO FILMNew from Imprintables Warehouse of
Masontown PA is a digital cutter material that is free of PVC a plus with companies that want to be as environmentally friendly as possible Spectra Eco Film is made with ecological polyurethane and is peeled hot It is pressure sensitive (sticky backing) and extremely easy to weed While maintaining superior durability and opacity this new film is thinner than current offerings on the market and delivers the super soft hand that is in demand by todayrsquos consumers It can be used on 100 cotton 100 polyester polycotton blends and even nylon and leather
December 2007 32Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
KISSCUT TECHNOLOGIESrsquo SELF-WEEDING INKJET TRANSFER PAPER
Kiss Cut Technologies Ltd Newcastle UK has addressed the ldquopolymer windowrdquo issue and developed the worldrsquos first self-weeding inkjet transfer paper for printing to textiles In simple terms only the areas of their patented transfer paper that have been printed will be transferred to the garment when heat pressed A Kiss Cut print can be further embellished with specialized textile foils so in effect a digital foiling method is now available Foil is heat pressed onto the garment and when peeled the foil only sticks to the image areas
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW PHOTOPLAS-TIC MATERIALLaserSketchcom of Lemont IL a leading supplier of
LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble Super Black Granite and Black Onyx Jewelry introduces their new PhotoPlas-Tic This is a new material developed for front andor reverse laser engraving on micro surface impact acrylic plastic It is a premium plastic for laser engraving that is UV stable ideal for photo badges plaques trophies signage and high-end awards Each sheet of PhotoPlas-Tic is specially designed for a crisp clean burn and ultra-fine laser lettering logo and vector output For details call 630-243-6360 or visit wwwlasersketchcom
THEMAGICTOUCH LAUNCHES WOW TRANSFER PAPERTheMagicTouch USA launched WoW Professional
71 transfer paper which requires no weeding or profile cutting and the vibrant colors are achieved using digital laser technology making it great for short runs It uses PolymationTM which incorporates a newly designed catalyst that provides the ultimate compatibility with all generations of dry toner material According to the company PolymationTM is the next generation of laser heat transfer Sublimation requires the substrate to have a specialty receiving polymer coating to absorb the pigments but PolymationTM delivers everything at once polymer pigments and catalyst
December 2007 33Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
offers distinct advantages over any other process It allows for an unlimited number of colors and very fine detail which is impossible with screen printing or embroidery And the cost does not go up as colors are added These new specialty materials are so advanced they can be heat sealed to all kinds of fabrics and hot new multimedia designs can be easily done
VAPOR APPAREL LAUNCHES VAPOR ART VOLUME 1V a p o r A p p a r e l
a s u b s i d i a r y o f SourceSubstrates LLC Charleston SC announces the launch of Vapor Art - Volume 1 a collection of 127 vector graphics for digital sublimation and general use The diverse collection
of high-quality graphics comes after several years of customers requesting access to the companyrsquos sample art at trade shows and educational events The Collection of art includes vector drawings and JPGs for everything from mountain biking and snowboarding to yoga and cheerleading
BLANK PRODUCTS
COLORADO HEIRLOOMrsquoS COLOR LACQUERED FRAMES
Colorado Heirloom Inc of Loveland CO introduced their new Color Lacquered Frames This is an option to add color your unique creations It is not color fill Colored lacquer is sprayed on their high quality wood frames Because
INKTRA STRETCH TRANSFER PAPER FROM STAHLSrsquoStahlsrsquo based in St Clair
Shores MI adds InkTratrade Stretch a flexible transfer paper A revolutionary product InkTratrade Stretch provides a soft hand with an amazing stretch and recovery feature InkTratrade Stretch lets you take your favorite photo or graphic design and apply it to light colored or white hats shirts bags and more for a long lasting and completely personalized garment The highly stretchable paper can be applied to cotton polycotton blends spandex and Lycrareg
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo GOOF-PROOF TRANSFERSWant the look of screen
printing without the hassle With Goof Proofreg transfers offered by Transfer Express of Mentor OH you can custom order a transfer that has the popular athletic feel and will apply in a blazing four seconds Ordering is done step-by-step online and you can customize hundreds of designs You choose your
typeface colors and size Once your design is just the way you want it you can print it out to show a customer for approval Or Transfer Express can print from your artwork The minimum order is only five pieces and your one-color order ships in one to three working days
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo NEW FULL-COLOR DIGI PRINTSApparel decorators can now offer full-color designs on light
and dark apparel made of virtually any type of fabric without the hassle or minimums of screen printing with new state-of-the-art heat transfer technology called Digi Printstrade Offered through Transfer Express this revolutionary new method of decorating
December 2007 34Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
lacquer is used instead of paint any design can be lasered on these frames The possibilities are endless These colorful creations are offered in two different designs -- a designer frame and a frame with an insert Call 970-667-4222 or visit wwwcoloradoheirloomcom
CONDE ADDS PET MATS FOR SUBLIMATIONCondeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added food bowl placemats and litter box
mats to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Favorite photographs and pet-related artwork can be transferred to the
mats to create fun products for individual pet lovers or for the pet industry such as pet stores veterinarians groomers boarding facilities and animal adoption groups Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing Call Conde at 800-826-6332
CONDE INTRODUCES FABRIC PATCHES FOR SUBLIMATION
Condeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added fabric patches to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Custom decorators can now produce unique full-color patches that will impress organizations businesses clubs sports teams sports enthusiasts and individuals alike -- without the use of embroidery Heat seal patches are great for identification marketing awards trade show promotions or to commemorate special events Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing or call 800-826-6332
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW LASERSLABLaserSketch of Lemont IL Internationally known for
their LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble and Super Black Granite announces LaserSlab Super Black Granite at 4rsquo x 8rsquo x 7mm and 4rsquo x 4rsquo x 7mm weighting in at just over 2 pounds per square foot The surface of the LaserSlab Granite has the sheen of a black mirror The reverse side features epoxy fiberglass backing to give structure integrity to the ultra-lite granite sheet All may be viewed wwwlasersketchcom or by calling LaserSketch 630-243-6360
MATTHEWS INTRODUCES ALUMICOLORTM
Matthews International Corp of Pittsburgh PA introduced Alumicolortrade a high-resolution graphics solution for aluminum signage recognition commemoration and way finding Using cutting-edge technology Matthews embeds a four-color image into the aluminum to create an anodized reproduction of unsurpassed durability Alumicolortrade products which are designed for interior and exterior installations are resistant to extreme weather conditions graffiti scuffing grease chemicals and UV rays Additionally they will not chip crack or peel
PSI ADDS ROUND FRAMES amp STRING PUZZLES Paramount Services Inc of Hollywood FL
introduced new round resin frames for sublimation tiles Choose from Coral or RopeStone with optional Unisubreg Hardboard Tiles They will also accept the Bison 8rdquo round glass Cutting Board Why be square when round may fit better PSI also introduced a new puzzle guaranteed to string you along These String Puzzles come with a Unisubreg Hardboard puzzle and the necessary string and beads along with instructions how to string it after printing Templates to aid in design are available for download in several formats For details call 800-455-7212 or visit wwwDye-Sublimation-Productscom
CRYSTALEDGEreg LUXORTM CRYSTAL AWARDSCrystalEdgereg Chicago IL presented the Luxortrade Series
This stunning cost-effective collection comprises a series of specially designed Rosewood and Black Piano finish bases Matte Mahogany and Matte Black bases and a precision cast Satin Nickel Finish Metal Base with your choice of brass or silver hardware for mounting our twelve unique shapes making this the most versatile award yet Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks are curved 14rdquo thick crystal clear glass with 316rdquo diameter holes for mounting The Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks feature a generous engraving area and there is plenty of room on the base to add an engraving plate
December 2007 35Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
XENETECHrsquoS NEW ENGRAVABLE GIFTSXenetech of Baton Rouge
LA introduced high quality engravable gift items at wholesale and quantity discounts The Xenetech collection provides a selection of gifts created for corporate recognition weddings births holidays anniversaries retirements birthdays special occasions or just expressing appreciation Items include money clips key chains book markers desk accessories quartz movement clocks flasks amp wine accessories entertainment gifts travel gifts genuine Swiss Army knives business card holders luggage tags silver-plated jewelry boxes keepsake gift boxes silver-plated banks and baby gifts The gift items are designed primarily for diamond drag burnishing and rotary engraving personalization
UNISUBrsquoS CHROMALUXE PHOTO PANELSChromaLuxe photo panels are an exciting new line
of sublimatable products from Unisub of Louisville KY These panels allow you to sell a completely finished photo product to your customers capturing some of the additional revenue (and profit) your customers now spend elsewhere on framing Available in a range of traditional photo sizes as well as exciting new shapes these panels can be joined together to create stunning photo displays -- perfect for a fireplace mantle l i b r a r y s h e l f or the top of an armoire Available in aluminum or MDF substrates
CorelDRAWPro IndexOne of our members in Michigan
requested that we put together an Index of all the articles wersquove published during the year
He prints out all the issues and puts them in binders but an Index would make it easy to reference specific articles We think itrsquos a good idea and wersquoll send it to all subscribers in January
Product Focus TopicsJanuary 2008 -- Signage Products esp Wide FormatFebruary 2008 -- Engraving Awards amp GiftsMarch 2008 -- Apparel ProductsApril 2008 -- Laser Wood Products
Coming in 2008
December 2007 36Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETSBy Donna M Gray CRM Opportunities
December ndash Time to Review December finds everyone on our team strategizing how to get out of our parking lot Our business sits right in the middle of an up-scale strip mall which sits right behind a huge shopping mall and right along the main road to a Target Superstore and other large malls We all know that from the day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday) until 2 weeks after the New Year there are great challenges to those of us who like to leave the building for lunch or run an errandhellipso we strategize We all know every secret shortcut to the bank the post office and the warehouse club What we donrsquot know is how to find the way to merge out of our own back alley into the constant flow of traffic that carries people to their end shopping destination Whew
The year-end review So this year Dave and I have decided to stay in at lunch and do our business strategizing instead Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup are good brain food for helping us to look at all the successful things we did last year as a company all the things we thought about doing but didnrsquot because the idea didnrsquot quite fit and all the things we put off until next year We do this kind of exercise every year end and it helps us to map out our strategy for the coming year In the process we identify any mistakes wersquove made wrong turns wersquove taken and we try to find the ldquowhat could have happened had everything gone rightrdquo
The value of making mistakes Albert Einstein said ldquoAnyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything newrdquo Dave has a couple of prints in his office of Abraham Lincoln that describe his mistakes in fact it took Lincoln eight tries to win the presidency Thomas Edison made mistakeshellipand yet he perseveredhellipotherwise wersquod by ldquocomputingrdquo by candlelight And Irsquove heard that Colonel
Sanders had a thousand rejections before he sold his first chicken recipe It would be nice to get to our year end business appraisals and find that wersquove made no mistakes but our business like most others doesnrsquot have that claim to fame My mother always took the high road with mistakes She always said that one should recognize the benefits of a mistake One should learn what good came from it use it to improve and use it to help motivate success the next time So December is the time to analyze everything that made up the past year and look for ways to make the New Year successful in every way
Making a plan Most advisors say that the first step toward business success after looking at a companyrsquos year ending history is to decide on exactly what you want to do going forward in the coming year Then comes mapping out the plan What will be done How will it get done Who will do what What resources will be used When will it get done Is the right equipment in place Is the space adequate Ask these and any other questions that could relate to creating a successful year then focus on the details and follow through Those two wordshellipfocus and follow throughhellipcould mean the difference between marginal and abundant success Simply stated success comes from what you do and the way you do ithellipin your customerrsquos perception Every business wants to have a good imagehellipa good reputation so dedication to having good communication skills is important especially in an industry that does custom work The goal is to be on the same page as our clients so we have to be good mind readers We have to also concentrate on our professionalism on our appearance on our presentation style and in the pride we take in producing a well-done project This
has worked in the past and will remain the same in the future
The extra mile Success has to be nurturedhellipthen it gets celebrated Sometimes sacrifices have to be made to get to the rewards At year end when we analyze how we got from Point A to Point B itrsquos interesting to note that we sometimes had to take detours and sometimes the road blocks called for sacrificehellipof time or money Sometimes the sacrifice came in the way of a sleepless night worrying if an order that was lost in delivery would be found and re-routed to us in time to make a clientrsquos deadline Someone (unknown) said ldquoA day of worry is more exhausting than a week of workrdquo Anyone in business could testify to that Part of success is going the extra milehellipeven if it results in a sleepless night Going the extra mile is worth all the paid advertising in the world on the road to success
December 2007 37Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETS
Donna Grayrsquos 2nd book Itrsquos All Relative Surviving amp Thriving in a Family Business was published in September 2007
It describes her quest to identify the keys to suc-cess for small business and family businesses in particular She interviewed top businesses nationwide and discovered five common qualities implemented by successful business owners Check it out at the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore wwwcoreldrawprocomAllBook-storehtm
Commitments made and kept Our team felt good about some commitments we made and kept this past year like
We used a daily ldquoto-dordquo list and we set priorities in order of importance When we finished a project we ldquocelebratedrdquo and then moved on quickly to the next job We built in some time for ldquostress reliefrdquo with morning meeting breaks This was especially good when treats were served since wersquove got some good bakers on our staff We didnrsquot ldquoscreenrdquo calls through voice mail We considered every call to be important We ldquodid it right the first timerdquo even though it sometimes took longer We tied up all the ldquoloose endsrdquo We became ldquocheerleadersrdquo for each other When one of us accomplished a goal we all applauded We all tried to deliver more than we promised This can be challenging sometimes when working with a difficult project We eliminated (or tried to eliminate) unnecessary procedures and we simplified our paper flow system We spent most of our time on high priority tasks We all worked on our delegation skills We were committed to not wasting time either our own or other peoplersquos
Goals that were lacking Now all those great things being put on paper reminds me that we also had some goals we didnrsquot quite succeed athellipbut wersquoll try harder next year
We didnrsquot always ldquogrouprdquo tasks togetherhelliplike going to the bank and the post office in one trip or answering mail when it gets opened It wasnrsquot always easy to avoid procrastination Some low priority chores got put off There were still times when we couldnrsquot find enough hours to finish the work Our ldquotoolsrdquo didnrsquot always get put away when we were through with a project even though this is Daversquos pet peeve
Conclusion Experts say that we have to actively create our success not wait for it to happen This coming year hopefully none of us will sit in the comfort zone waiting for the phone to ring Therersquos an old Chinese proverb that goes ldquoIt you continually give you will continually haverdquo Our team will go on being involved in community activities When time is spent on worthwhile projects outside the business opportunities come knocking at the front counter Besideshellipat yearrsquos endhellipit makes us feel really good about the help we gave on these projects
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since1977 She can be reached by email at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
December 2007 38Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
GRAPHICS NEWS NETWORKAll these news and information products and services are part of the
Graphics News Network developed for ACDRP The goal is ldquoAll the News All the Time mdash For the World of Graphicsrdquo
GRAPHICS NewsWireThe Graphics News Wire is the always live always updated source for graphics news mdash products equipment technology and more Make it (CorelDRAWProcomNewsPagehtm) your home page or favorite to gain access to Breaking news updated regularly New Classified Ads New Job Announcements Supplier SpecialsAll news is related to graphic productsQuickSourceTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive amp Easy-To-Use
Search Engine
It gives you one-click access to suppliers products phone numbers and live links to ACDRP Member Suppliers Itrsquos always up-to-date searchable by keyword and accessible from your desktop
Quick TnTTM
The Industryrsquos Newest Resource for Graphics Tips amp Templates
Gain access to a growing library of CorelDRAW tips and templates that will make your work easier
QuickLearnTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive and
Easy-To-Use Article Library
Gain access to hundreds of articles on graphics-related and business topics searchable by keyword
The Entrepreneurial Magazine for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro Magazine is delivered to you once a month in PDF format It features in-depth content that readers rave about including articles on how to use CorelDRAW how to apply CorelDRAW and how to profit from CorelDRAW
News Tips amp Resources for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month mdash about the 15th and 25th It brings you highly targeted content that you wonrsquot find elsewhere including CorelDRAW Tips extensive product news links and a calendar of shows and training
MARKET PLACE
Quality Engravable JewelryHand-crafted in New England
GIFTS amp ACCESSORIES FOR WOMEN AND MEN
John E Lepper Inc800-835-3623 Fax 508-222-2732
wwwjeleppercom
GenuineWhite-tone
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Some Things Were Meant To Be In Etched in Stone
Call for a free color catalog
NampR International1155 Allgood Rd 13Marietta GA 30062
678-560-4088Fax 678-560-1157
Importers amp Wholesalers of MarbleOnyx
Gifts amp Accessories
JOIN TODAY
The worldrsquos only association for CorelDRAWreg Users
wwwcoreldrawprocomJoinhtm
Place an Ad for as little as $215 per month
Find out how by calling our Ad Representative John McDaniel II
541-990-6687
the entrepreneurial magazine
GET LISTED TODAY
Generate new businessby doing jobs for others
List your company in GSG the Digital Yellow Pages for the industry wwwcoreldrawprocomListGSGhtm
December 2007 39Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Louie Alvarez started in the industry working for one of the largest trophy shops in Central California and then opened one of the first retail laser engraving businesses He has given seminars and workshops on CorelDRAW and Laser for many years and has written for several publications He is now with Vytek Industrial Lasers and is based in Las Vegas NV He can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
Kathryn Arnold is the Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
Errol Barr has a wide range of experience in sales amp marketing eventually getting into laser systems in 1999 currently with Vytek Industrial Lasers He also sold extensively in the CNC router industry selling the machines as more of a business opportunity wrapped around the machine He can be reached by email at errolbarrgmailcom
Dave Demoret founded Prolink Graphic Services to help people understand and profit from learning CorelDRAW He has been in both the Flat Graphics Industry and the Decorating Graphics Industry for 30 years He has written articles for several publications is a Corel Training Partner and conducts workshops nationwide and online He is the author of several CD Instructional programs on CorelDRAW He can be reached at 765-DO COLOR (362-6567) or davedprolinkgscom
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since 1977 She has presented seminars on a variety of topics nationwide and has won many marketing awards She is the author of two books on family business and can be reached at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
Bill Leek is a color consultant for JBL Graphics in Houston TX and has over 30 years experience in computer engineering and graphics design He has developed several lines of color imprintable products and does testing on a variety of products for different manufacturers He can be reached at wfleekjblgraphicscom or 281-970-6677
Jeff McDaniel is the owner of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon He worked as a journeyman machinist before getting into the graphic products business Creative Graphic offers laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials Contact him at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
John McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry He worked for many years with computers in electronic data processing and pioneered the use of CorelDraw for engraving applications He owned a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years and writes about hardware design software laser engraving sublimation and more He is a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals For information on training and more call 541-967-4271 or write to mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
Judy McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry Her background includes many forms of art and retail sales as well as the operation of a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years She is a regular columnist on sandblasting sublimation and diversifying business as well as a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals She can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
David Milisock is president of Custom Graphic Technologies Inc in Pennsylvania He has been in the print production business since 1975 and specializes in professional support for CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite Output includes computer-to-plate processes for all commercial digital front-end applications as well as Postscript-compliant graphic applications He offers technical and color management support for all RIP-driven corporate digital output systems He can be reached at 717-509-3523 or davidmilisockcomcastnet
Deborah Sexton former editor of Impressions Magazine has been in the apparel graphics industry since 1981 She currently does marketing and public relations for apparel graphics companies and is a columnist for several industry publications She can be reached at dsextonsbcglobalnet
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at 916-567-1867
December 2007 40Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
by Otis Veteto
Traveling Tidbits
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the
RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of
the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Itrsquos a fun and
informative column focusing on the human-interest side of
the industry Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars
for industry organizations and some of that knowledge
will rub off as well He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at
916-567-1867
Reps Volunteers People Skills amp Agreements
RS Owens Southeast RepFirst of all a Traveling Tidbits welcome to
the newest member of the RS Owens Company sales team Anita Brennan Anita is the new Regional Sales Manager for the Southeast She will be calling on you folks in Alabama Tennessee Mississippi Florida Georgia North Carolina and South Carolina Anita has worked in all phases of our industry as a retailer (her own business) multi-line rep and now as a regional sales manager When I asked Anita what she likes to do when not on the road she told me she likes to spend time with her two-year-old granddaughter Kaylee Welcome to the RS Owens family Anita Brennan
Railroad Museum VolunteerI know Christmas is the time for giving
but some people give all year long I was talking recently with Elias Athanasiou whose regular job is a server in a restaurant my wife and I frequent when I am in Sacramento Elias has been associated as a volunteer with the California State Railroad Museum for about 16 years Every Saturday during the ldquorunning seasonrdquo April-September Elias can be found working as a volunteer on the Steam Engine excursion train that runs for 6 miles along the top of the levee on the Sacramento River The ride takes about 40 minutes Elias is the Engineer now but has worked as conductor and fireman in his tenure with the train It is people like Elias Athanasiou that make this a much better world A huge Traveling Tidbits SALUTE You can find out more about the Railroad Museum at wwwcsrmorg
Real People SkillsThis next tidbit is from the PPAI Promotional
Consultant Today The author is Roy Chitwood president of Max Sacks International in Seattle Wash It is entitled To Shine Polish Your People Skills
ldquoPeople buy not because they understand your product or service but because they feel that you understand them People buy emotionally As a professional salesperson you need to be more people-oriented not product centered Here are seven quick and easy techniques to improve your people skills
SMILE It is the universal sign of friendship in any language The Chinese have a proverb ldquoA man who cannot smile should not open a storerdquo Think about that Give a smile and you will get a smile in return
DEVELOP A GENUINE INTEREST IN OTHERS When you have sincere interest it shows Look directly at people when they are talking to you Let your facial expression register your interest Ask good open-ended questions to let people know that you are interested in what they say
TALK IN TERMS OF THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS INTERESTS You will never meet anyone who doesnrsquot have time to talk about what they want to talk about Encourage your prospect to discuss his or interests rather than launching into a discussion about yourself
USE THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS NAME Using a name builds personal rapport and shows you are listening with respect Be careful about overusing the personrsquos name
GIVE COMPLIMENTS Everyone loves a compliment when it is genuine Make a
concentrated effort to give at least 3 honest compliments every day of your life You will be amazed at what it will do for your relationships
LISTEN Listening is the greatest compliment you can pay When you assume the role of the listener it relaxes the sales climate As you listen you are demonstrating that you truly care and you are genuinely interested in what he or she has to say
MAKE THE OTHER PERSON FEEL IMPORTANT When you are sincerely impressed by something the other person has achieved or owns let them know it Understand that fundamentally every person is important and treat them accordingly
Personal comment When I finished reading this I thought to myself ldquoThese make sense in our everyday life not just in salesrdquo
The Third AgreementI will close with the 3rd step from the book
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel RuizDONrsquoT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS Find the
courage to ask questions and to express what you really want Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings sadness and drama
Sounds a little like what I wrote at the beginning of the column doesnrsquot it
Thatrsquos all for now Remember to save some time for yourself and your family And when you travel please travel safe
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE
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- News
December 2007 14Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE COLOR
as four different values ranging from 2850 to 9980 OUCH Itrsquos hard to believe that the same data has been interpreted to be as shot by the camera judging by these two images isnrsquot it
This can only be described as an extremely painful experience Now you canrsquot rely on the software to interpret the data properly so the only thing you have that you can rely on is your calibrated work flow and your good sense
Another complaint that I have about stand-alone RAW converter applications is that in many cases the image display within the application is so poor that I cannot make a reasonable editing decision for any color or sharpening The image is glassy like in Paint Shop Pro or too soft like in Photoshopreg not sharp and clear like in PHOTO-PAINT OUCH
Please note in Capture A the Adobe RGB color space is already in play (see lower left corner) The adjustments available as shown in this capture are typical for RAW converters and
this capture will show them to you I am neither pro nor con RAW What Irsquove found is that
it is most generally used like image editor in place of good photography This is not always a bad thing Saving the cost on another shooting session through technology certainly has its selling point
Another observation Irsquove noticed is that as the cost of the cameras goes up the quality of their built-in conversion also goes up Many times they will save TIF instead of JPG files This is a real plus In studio settings with a superior camera you most likely will work your butt off and not be as good as the built-in RAW conversion of a studio quality camera On site live shoots is where the RAW conversion application seems to have a place to be most useful in my mind
Irsquom a Corel PHOTO-PAINT guy and I love my sharp clean PHOTO-PAINT display So until Corel PHOTO-PAINT has a RAW converter Irsquom sticking with the camera conversion and a TIF file for studio work But I will certainly use RAW when it benefits my client which benefits me
Watch out next month itrsquos going to be HOT
David Milisock is president of Custom Graphic Technologies Inc He has been in the print production business since 1975 and specializes in professional support for the CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite He can be reached at 717-509-3523 or davidmilisockcomcastnet See full bio on Writers Page
Itrsquos Who Knows YOU Network Your Way to Successby Chien J Wang president of Toujours Inc
Turbo-charge your networking with unique strategies that work Chien at-tends 10-12 events a week and has created a system for turning contacts into customers and customers into lifelong relationships
wwwcoreldrawprocomallbookstorehtm
Captures A amp B Two blurry images (on purpose) showing what happens to the white balance when opened in
different RAW converters This is typical
December 2007 15Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE TRANSFERSBy Bill Leek Applications
Headstart on Spring 10 Things You Can Do in January to Make 2008 a Successful Year
I have to be honesthellipMy normal inclination after the holiday season is to relax and take it easy for a few weeks It seems that after a very busy year I really deserve it But small- to medium-size business owners cannot afford to do this The few weeks of relative calm after Christmas are too valuable to squander
Every year I write up an action plan for January Hear are some ideas that you may find valuable
1) Follow the lead of the big retailers Valentinersquos Day is almost here and Easter is early this year Get your new spring displays mailings emails and catalogs out right after the holidays Highlight some new products with spring themes every year
2) Offer January specials with sizable discounts if you anticipate a slow month Use coupons and thank you gifts to show appreciation to your loyal long-term customers
3) Br igh ten up your display space with new graphics fixtures and lighting Look into new LED displays They offer superior lighting at significantly lower cost and maintenance LED
technology will replace both incandescent and neon lighting and signage in just a few years
4) Spend some time to really learn your software application January is a great time to learn new features and upgrade your Corel Software Buy a guide or an interactive CDDVD to speed up the learning curve
5) January is a great time to find new vendors equipment and imprintables You have more time and the vendors may be more responsive as sales are slower You very well might be able to make that great deal on a piece of capital equipment yoursquove wanted for some time
Ask vendors to provide you with samples of new inks imprintables and transfer papers Test washability compare color quality and evaluate production ease
Look at the new technologies -- direct printing on soft and hardgoods eco-solvent inks color laser printer transfer and new sublimation coatings are all ldquohotrdquo areas to investigate
6) Donrsquot just perform a physical inventory Evaluate inventory turnover and get rid of any dead items that are just taking up shelf space
7) Look at your customer base Are you trying to be all things to all people Are there specific niches where you have had greater success
than others Determine how to build on your strengths and possibly remove yourself from markets that are not profitable
8) Organize an email list of all your existing customers and solid leads Improve your communications with a newsletter Donrsquot overkill with your emailshelliptherersquos a fine line between informative and irritating
9) Sit down and list your major accomplishments and failures of the past year Try to assign a quantitative measure where you can Make a detailed list in each area and honestly investigate what resulted in success or failure
10) Come up with a list of 10-20 goals that you can realistically achieve in 2008 These goals can be defined as specific actions or financial results Create a small poster and display it in place where you will see it every day Go over the list every month and ask yourself how you are doing
I wish you all a Very Happy New Year I will try to keep you informed of all the exciting technical and market developments in 2008 Thanks for all your questions ideas and support during the past year
Add quality imprintables from Unisub for the
Valentinersquos Day market
December 2007 16Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE PRINTSUBLIMATIONBy Judy and John McDaniel Applications
Creating Sublimation Product Templates
Last time we finished all the background stuff now wersquoll get on to making things Wersquoll start with flat products which include plaques tiles shirts and other garments etc Later wersquoll explore specialty items like cups
Creating a Product Template FileThe first step in designing graphics for any new
product that we intend to make again and again is to create a product template Templates give us layouts into which we can place our text and graphics They may take a little time to set up initially however they make it much easier and faster to produce products once the templates are available
The first step in designing a template is to determine the page size in CorelDRAWreg For sublimated products that requires we decide what size the finished transfer will be The size of the transfer will determine the page size
The finished transfer may or may not be the size of the printed sheet For example if we are printing transfers for t-shirts generally they will be on full 11 x 17 sheets That said we have some layouts that will be printed in portrait orientation vertical on the shirt and some in landscape horizontal We have both styles available as templates If we are including a customerrsquos photo in the finished design the orientation of the photo might determine which template we use
For ceramic tiles the transfer may be the size of an individual tile or perhaps the size of a tile array For plaques the transfer is generally slightly larger than the print area of the plaque -- 4 x 6 5 x 7 8 x 10 etc For badges our template might be the size of a single badge or if we have a fixture for pressing badges our template might be the size of the fixture If wersquore pressing ceramic steins and cups we might have an array of templates some for fronts backs full wraps and full wraps edge to edge
Another variable to consider when creating a sublimation template is the size
of your printer and heat press The largest transfer that can be printed or pressed will determine the upper limit of the templatersquos page size These factors are only of concern for large items like shirts
In our shop we have both wide format (11inch) and standard (85 inch) sublimation printers We can choose roll material or standard sheets Currently our largest flat press is 14 x 16 inches so thatrsquos our upper limit for flat product images
Creating a T-shirt TemplateRemember creating a template is something you
only do one time for each item in your inventory and for any variations you would like to have available Creating
Photo 1
Photo 2
December 2007 17Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE PRINTING
a template file takes a little time in the beginning but saves a lot of time in the long run
With these factors in mind Irsquoll go through the steps of creating a special-occasion t-shirt template The first one Irsquoll create will be in portrait orientation If yoursquod like to follow along open CorelDraw to a new project 11 x 17 paper and set the orientation to portrait
Set Guidelines Next wersquoll bring in some guidelines These will
help us see the image area we have to work with For this project Irsquoll set guidelines at frac12 inch in from the left and right 1 inch in from the top and 3 inches up from bottom The guides are for visual reference This is the maximum text and graphics layout area
Since this is a vertical layout our graphic will be 1 inch down from the top edge of the transfer If we set the shirt on the press with the collar at the top edge then all wersquoll have to do is align the transfer to the top edge of the press and the image will be 1 inch down from the shirt collar
Irsquove limited the vertical image area to 13 inches Allowing an inch down from the top will make the bottom of the image 14 inches down from the collar Thatrsquos
ok for an adult large or XL shirt but you may want to adjust the area for smaller shirts
As a part of this layout Irsquove created a couple of layers One Irsquove called text and one picture These layers will be used for the graphic elements of the final template As an option you can also create a non-printing layer that contains a rectangle Since the layout is off centered you can use the rectangle to align your text and graphics but the rectangle will not print (See picture 1)
Save Your TemplateYou can now save this simple layout
as a CorelDRAW template To do that click on FileSave Ashellip and select CDT ndash CorelDRAW Template (see picture 2)
I normally save templates in a special folder however if yoursquore using Windows Vista its sort capabilities reduce the need to organize your files (See picture 3)
You can use this generic template as is You can also use it as a base for creating other templates Next time wersquoll make some additions to customize it for a special occasion Wersquoll also look at how we can use templates
Judy and John McDaniel are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry For information on training services offered and their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom They can be reached by phone at 541-967-4271 via SKYPE (user name JHMcDaniel) or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom See full bio on Writers Page
December 2007 18Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTINGBy Jeff McDaniel Applications
Using Specialty Platens Part 2Background
In our last article we touched on the steps required to create a master transfer for our specialty platen We also briefly reviewed locating the artwork and attaching the capillary film to the screen In this article we will expose our screens rinse them and produce our pocket patch CorelDRAWPro members can look up the more detailed information in the archived articles for June July and August at wwwacdrporg
Our setup and yoursOur setup is the Printa 770 series screen printing machine from Printa Systems Inc
All of the supplies and tools we will cover from here on were provided in the turn-key system from Printa with the 770 Your setup may be from another source but will most likely contain components of what we will discuss below In addition to the standard Printa 770 setup we will be using the ldquoPrint-Allrdquo system from Printa Systems Inc (see figure 1 courtesy of Printa Systems)
Exposing the capillary filmWe left off last article with our screens drying
Now that they are dry we are ready to expose the capillary film Exposing Step 1 we will gently peel the carrier sheet off of the capillary film (see figure 2)
Exposing Step 2 Next we need to put our first image back on the exposure unit and re-install the screen on the printing system Then we can bring the screen down on the
exposure unit attach our blackout board and expose the screen (see figure 3)
Exposing Step 3 After exposure we need to rinse out our screen and inspect it to be certain we have a complete rinse (see figure 4)
Exposing Step 4 Once the image is rinsed out it is time to put the screen back in the dryer (see figure 5)
Re-aligning the screens after wash outFrom the time that we first aligned the
artwork we have taken the screens in and out of the printing system twice If our artwork is even a little bit out of alignment we will lose blanks or put out low quality work It is a good idea to do a final adjustment with the original artwork
Re-Align Step 1 Leaving both of our photo positives on the exposure unit we can inspect the screen location compared to our original artwork location Here is the yellow screen location after exposure and wash out (see figure 6)
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
December 2007 19Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTING
Re-Align Step 2 The black screen is a little bit off (see figure 7) so we will need to use the Printa 770 micro-adjustment knobs to bring it back into alignment (see figure 8)
Masking off the screenNow that our artwork is
lined up correctly we can mask the rest of the screen off Wherever we donrsquot want the ink to run through the screen needs to be masked off (see figures 9 and 10)
Locating the pocket patch on the shirtThere are a couple of different ways to locate the pocket
patch on the shirt The first thing to consider is where you want it to end up on the wearer If the patch is too far toward the sleeve the image will end up under the wearerrsquos arm pit If the image is too far up toward the neck the image will not look right either A good way to figure out the correct location is by looking at a shirt that has a pocket patch on it (maybe one or two are in your closet right now)
Another way to locate the pocket patch is to put on the shirt
size that you wear and mark off where you think it feels correct and comfortable Once you have decided where you would like the patch keeping it in the same relative location on all of the different sizes is not too difficult The actual placement of the shirt can be accomplished a couple of different ways that we know of Which you prefer will depend mostly on if you are more accurate with sight or touch
The sight method involves using a masking tape strip to mark the desired location on the shirt prior to loading it onto the platen (see figure 11)
Once you have your marking in place you can load the shirt on the platen and have a nice representation that you are placing the design in the desired location (see figure 12)
Figure 7 Figure 8
Figure 9
Figure 10
Figure 11
Figure 12
December 2007 20Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTING
We prefer the sight method because it works well with our equipment The ldquoPrint Allrdquo system from Printa Systems Inc uses a smaller platen for pocket patches The smaller platen allows us to load sizes from youth XS ndash adult 5X without stretching
The touch method involves using a standard platen and adding a riser underneath where the pocket patch will be printed (a piece of cut cardboard or thin wood of the appropriate size) With this method you can feel when the shirt is in the correct location and begin printing from there
Inking the screens printing and curingSince we have resolved our location
issues with the pocket patch we are ready to ink the screens print and cure
Printing Step 1 Inking the screens is fairly straightforward (see figure 13)
Printing Step 2 Using the squeegee we will screen our first color (see figure 14) and check the quality of the image (see figure 15)
Printing Step 3 Our first color will need to be flash cured (see figure 16)
Printing Step 4 Now we can add our second color (see figure 17)
Printing Step 5 Finally we can do the finish cure step paying attention to the temperature gauge (see figure 18)
After final curing it is always a good idea to take at least a sampling of the product and wash it to be certain of the curing All of the information on post-job clean-up can be found in the CorelDRAWPro archives for September
Conclusion This time we took our screens out of
the dryer and pushed our project all the way to its completion
Jeff McDaniel is the OwnerOperator of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon Jeff has been working with computers since the age of 5 and was a journeyman machinist before working in the graphic arts business Creative Graphic offers services including laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials You can contact Jeff by email at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
Figure 14
Figure 13
Figure 15
Figure 17
Figure 16
Figure 18
December 2007 21Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SANDBLASTINGBy Judy McDaniel Applications
Screening the AbrasiveKeeping your sandblast abrasive media free
of contaminant material is essential During sandblasting abrasive is mixed with compressed air fed through the supply hose focused by the nozzle and impacts the product Then if itrsquos fine enough it leaves the system as dust or drops to the bottom of the cabinet to be recycled
Other material will also collect in the bottom of the cabinet This debris can include bits of mask (ever wonder where the center of that ldquoerdquo went) bits of tape and possibly solid material dislodged from the product yoursquore blasting This latter source of debris is especially prevalent when yoursquore working on materials other than glass like brick rock and wood
Leaving the debris in the abrasive when itrsquos recycled can cause a variety of problems First if a piece of debris is too large to fit through the nozzle it will clog it More importantly if it does fit through the nozzle and is hard like brick and rock debris it can impact the piece yoursquore working on and ruin it
The obvious solution is to screen the media when you reload the pressure pot The problem is the screen mesh size Irsquove tried the screen supplied by the cabinet manufacturers and used window screening material from a hardware store In both of these cases the mesh size would allow all but the largest pieces of debris through
What Irsquove found that works the best is a spatter screen from a local kitchen store The mesh is woven tightly and filters out much more debris The best thing is its price only a few dollars
One of our cabinets is not self-contained so we have to filter the media by hand We have found that bending the handle up on a large spatter screen
causes it to fit perfectly into the top of the pressure pot We also have a couple of other smaller pressure pots one in fact that you fill with a funnel For those I simply lay the spatter screen over the opening of the pot or the funnel when refilling
If you have a system that recycles the abrasive then it should be equipped with a screen located on top of the pressure pot Make sure to inspect and remove the debris from the top of the screen from time to time A shop-vac works well for this purpose If you find that larger pieces are getting through the screen then contact the manufacturer to see what can be done to reduce the mesh size
Keeping your media clean helps prevent unwanted delays or damage
To all of our friends out there new and old have a safe and joyful holiday season
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from John and me
Judy McDaniel with her husband John are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry In addition they provide one-on-one application support through an email subscription service exclusively for their Hotcdr Hands-On Training students or those who have purchased their CD sets (For information on training services offered visit wwwgraphic-products-trainingcom and for information on their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom) They can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
December 2007 22Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE ENGRAVINGBy John McDaniel Applications
Elements of Machine Accuracy 7 Structural Integrity
So far wersquove covered resolution speed repeatability and hysteresis This time wersquoll discuss structural integrity
What is Structural IntegrityStructural integrity is a measure of a machinersquos
strength or stiffness It is the ability of a machine to resist distortion by forces created in normal operations
Most mechanical engraving machines use single-fluted cutters As these cutters turn they apply cutting force against the material For every action though there is an equal but opposite reaction ie the material resists the cut and thereby transmits a resistive force back through the cutting tool spindle etc and ultimately to the machinersquos frame
Assuming a static bit position the force applied to the machinersquos structure will rotate 360deg with the tool (see diagram 1) As this force rotates any looseness in the structure will result in a deviation in the relationship of the material and the cutter
What machine design factors are involvedStructural integrity includes lead screws and their
hysteresis for mechanical engraving machines spindle bearings and their looseness for both mechanical and laser engravers gantry or table rails their bearings and looseness and the machinersquos frame In fact anything and everything that holds the tool and material in the proper relationship during the cuttingengraving process contributes to or detracts from structural integrity
Why is it importantIn a word Quality Structural integrity influences
the quality of the finished products the machine will produce
For illustration Irsquoll use a mechanical engraving system If the looseness in our machine and the cutting force applied were uniform throughout the 360deg of tool rotation the result would be a wobble in the tool path which might not be visible in the finished product
Cutting ForcesIn the real world however as the tool moves through
the material the cutting and reactive forces go through a cycle (see diagram 2) When the tool starts the cut there is a spike in force The force will level to a constant through the top side of the cut while itrsquos cutting against the direction of the toolrsquos movement Then it will drop somewhat when itrsquos cutting with the toolrsquos movement and finally fall off on the back side as the cutting edge of the tool enters the void area where the material has already been removed
The amount of force applied during the cutting process will vary depending on the material being
cut the tool and its sharpness the depth of cut the material feed rate and whether or not lubricant is used The cutting force may also vary over the length of the job as the toolrsquos cutting edge wears and becomes dull
Machine Component Looseness
In addition to the cutting force not being uniform throughout the 360deg of tool rotation l o o s e n e s s i n t h e machinersquos structure will also vary For example dur ing the cut t ing operation as the tool transitions through 0deg and 180deg of rotation X axis hysteresis will be a factor in overall machine looseness but Y axis hysteresis will have no effect At 90deg and 270deg the Y axis will become a factor but the X axis will have no impact
In the real world any looseness in the machine will cause an oscillation in the cut which will have its own angle If we could slow the toolrsquos movement we would see this oscillation as a sharp jump in the positional relationship between the tool and material being cut In the finished product this sharp jump in position will result in a jagged cut
December 2007 23Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE ENGRAVING Outline amp OverviewThe Nuts and Bolts of Machine AccuracyMachine accuracy or capability can be defined as a result of six features 1 Resolution ndash the smallest incremental movementpositioning of a speci-fied axis 2 Speed ndash the ability to complete a task in a reasonable amount of time without sacrificing accuracy or creating damage to the machine or product 3 Repeatability ndash the ability to duplicate a previous position without error 4 Hysteresis ndash the ldquosloprdquo or ldquoplayrdquo in motion control components 5 Structural Integrity ndash stiffness or strength ndash the ability to cut materials without error or damage This is especially important for mechanical engrav-ers 6 Structural Tolerances ndash the sum accuracy of a machinersquos mechanical components
Machine ComponentsWersquoll examine nine factors that determine a machinersquos accuracy They include 1 Motors ndash including DC Stepper DC Brushless DC Servo and AC Servo a Spindles ndash motors that rotate the cutting bit b Axis Drive ndash motors that position the material to the cutting bit c Horsepower ratings ndash real versus advertised 2 The Motion Control Drive Unit ndash including Geared Belt and Lead Screws a Lead Screws ndash including Acme Re-circulating Ball Standard and Precision b Mounting ndash including Simple Fixed and Thrust bearing types c Protection ndash Open or Closed 3 Guide Rails ndash Types include V Bearing Rail Bushing Shaft Dove Tail and Re-circulating Ball Bearing 4 Encoders ndash Types include Rotary and Linear Methodologies include incremental or absolute 5 Tachometers ndash used for speed stability acceleration and breaking control for closed loop servo systems 6 Bearings ndash including Sleeve Ball and Linear Re-circulating Ball a Applications ndash including Radial Thrust and Linear b Quality ndash Standard thru Ultra Precision 7 Spindles ndash including topbottom loading Collets and Sleeves 8 Material Hold Down ndash including mechanical clamps and vacuum sys-tems 9 Electronic Interface ndash Computer control methods
Wersquoll also examine Reliability what makes it And Serviceability is it fix-able
If the cutting oscillation is at any angle other than the direction of the cut and the oscillation is great enough a jagged cut will be visible in the finished product A cut deviation of as little as 001rdquo is visible to the naked eye and will most commonly show up on curves and circles but may show up on straight lines as well
To illustrate this point a little further and perhaps make it somewhat clearer Irsquod like to refer to diagrams 3 and 4 For purposes of these illustrations we will assume we have a machine that has some looseness on both the X and Y axes However the rest of the machine
is structurally solid the frame is rigid and no other components have any loosenessMaking these assumptions and disregarding the variation in force caused by the cutter
as it travels through the material we will have cutting oscillations at 0deg 180deg 90deg and 270deg during the toolrsquos rotation As the tool travels through the material on its path these oscillations will cause a slight variation in the centerline of the toolrsquos cut
Diagram 3 shows a horizontal tool path While the machine is cutting in this direction any X axis looseness will be masked by the cutter path itself however looseness in the Y axis will result in a slight oscillation in the cutterrsquos horizontal position and therefore a deviation in its cut Diagram 4 shows the effect of the X axis looseness which will impact vertical lines
As you can see from this discussion and these illustrations structural integrity ie looseness in the components from which a machine is constructed can make a significant difference in quality of the finished products that a machine will produce
Next time wersquoll consider structural tolerances and their impact
John McDaniel with his wife Judy are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry For information on training services offered and their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom They can be reached by phone at 541-967-4271 via SKYPE (user name JHMcDaniel) or via email at JHMcDanielCorelDRAWhelpcom See the full bio on the Writers Page
December 2007 24Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
the image the text and the red bow In the laser file for this example I have the red cut line for vectoring (See Figure 5)
5) Send the cardstock through the printer6) Place the cardstock in the laser for vector
cutting The thickness of the stock will determine what settings to use For my 35-watt laser using a medium weight cardstock I used a speed of 100 and power of 15 for a nice cut through the stock without any burn marks on the paper
7) Optional in one run I decided to let the laser take care of the bow instead of using color for it from my printer I set the outline of the bow to 100 black and the interior of the bow to 50 black (See Figure 6)
8) Then I only sent the image and text through the printer The bow and vector cutting occurred in the laser I set the raster engraving (of the bow) at speed 70 and power 40 (See Figure 7) You can see the differentiation of using 100 black as opposed to 50 black by the exterior lines
being engraved a little deeper than the rest of the fill
Take the idea of using patterns (like the birth announcement above) and wowing your clientele with the detail and intricacy that laser can provide Or add a twist to a holiday tradition (cards) Whatever you do donrsquot forget you can combine the advantages of the printer and laser for fabulous products
Submitted by Kathryn Arnold Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
LASER TIPBy Kathryn Arnold Applications
Combining Laser amp Printer PowerComing up with new and
inventive ways to use your laser is the key to a successful and growing business We will look at a way to combine the power of your computer (ink) printer with the power of the laser engraver
In this lesson we will take a look at using cardstock to create a card and an announcement See the examples of a holiday card and a birth announcement ndash gratuitously they are of my family (Figure 1 amp Figure 2)
1) In CorelDRAWreg use any pattern image text you wish Be sure that there is a clear and discernible vector line that will be laser cut and yield a cut piece from the cardstock2) See the clear (red) cut line ndash it goes fully around my object even the bow portion (important) I then duplicated my object to fit as many as possible on my 8 frac12 x 11 cardstock (See Figure 3) 3) I saved this file as my master file that I could return to at any point I then created two copies -- one that will
be used to send the file to my printer and one that will be used to send the file to my laser engraver (See Figure 4)
4) In the master file I have every part of what my end product will have In the file for my printer I only have the parts that the printer will print ndash in this example
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
December 2007 25Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
ELECTRONICS FRONTIERBy Louie Alvarez Opportunity
Webcams are an interesting subject which I am intimately familiar with Some typical questions are what are they what purpose do they serve what benefit are they what to look for and various other questions concerns and issues
Webcams surely bring back a memory or two not all that great I might add I remember when they first became usable primarily due to the Internet having affordable true broadband
First experiences The choppy poor quality of dial-up service
simply didnrsquot make this a useful technology Short of communicating with far-flung family members it left much to be desired With my immediate family living in Las Vegas and all other family (parents siblings cousins etc) living in California this was a technology I thought would be useful to keep in touch
So I set up my computer and my momrsquos computer with Webcams to stay in touch Needless to say with the poor quality terrible tracking (had to keep perfectly
sti l l because video frames didnrsquot refresh fas t enough) the hard-to-see tiny video window and poorly synchronized voices to the faces (we looked like a badly translated kung fu movie) the novelty quickly wore off (Irsquod say in about 30 minutes)
WebcamsSecond attempt
So I promptly dumped the technology for the next few years until I started seeing broadband picking up the pace and more interest in Webcams becoming obvious from all the new devices on the market So about three years ago a wireless Webcam caught my eye and I decided to put it to the test once again
Considering I was by then traveling quite extensively (about 40000 miles a year) I figured Irsquod use it to monitor my home I had two teenagers and a 5-year-old at home at the time while I was on the road and my wife was still a t work (She normally didnrsquot get off work until about two hours after school was out) So this looked to be a cool device to see if as the clicheacute goes when the catrsquos away the mice will play
I proceeded to position this wireless Webcam strategically to allow viewing of my living room including the back door Plus to get to the front door or side door you would have to pass through the field of the camera My little one loved the idea of being on camera for her daddy and would dance play and make funny faces for me Pretty cool actually That in itself almost justified the camera but needless to say my teenagers even my wife didnrsquot take to the idea too well So it was returned and life continued on as usual
That experience did show me that the broadband
speeds the quality of the video feeds the prevalence on the net of live cams and the quality of the video cameras (better known as Webcams) had progressed to a level of usefulness and I could see the potential of this technology With that said letrsquos get into the heart of this article
So what are webcams Basically they are digital cameras attached to
the computer and connected to the Web or Instant Messaging (IM) This allows the camera to be linked to a website or to each other directly and individuals who view the website or IM are able to see what the camera is viewing at that moment You can choose to get either still pictures that are updated at regular intervals (Snapshot) or live streams (Streaming) depending on what your bandwidth permits The WebCam technology has advanced sufficiently now to make it both easier and cheaper to maintain a camera that is refreshing an image 24 hours a day
Features of Web Cameras Listed here are some of the features more commonly
found in WebCams1 Live streaming video still pictures updated2 No plug-in or software necessary to view image
can be viewed with any Web browser3 Live audio4 Incorporation with other software such as Instant
Messaging (IM)5 Adding captionslogostime displays6 Archiving video7 Chat feature
December 2007 26Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
WebCams in an instructional scenario could be used to
Monitor your staff or employees thus being able to guide them better
Telecommute to companies worldwide and demonstrate project procedures
B roadcas t sem ina rs wo rkshops o r demonstrations
Share special events and programs with students enrolled in distance learning courses
Hold a video press conference online meeting or broadcast meetings and discussions
In some cases it is important for the learner to be able to establish a connection visually WebCams could be a good alternative to using text files or audio files
Join WebCam groups and allow students to take advantage of other WebCam locations for educational purposes
Using a web camera allows learners to be a part of either a conference or classstudio
Benefits of using WebCamsa The most important advantage of using a web camera is that it creates a direct link between the camera and the live site and dispenses with all the production work Production work in this context includes the cost and effort involved in shooting
editing and streaming videos Thus using a WebCam does not require
advanced skillsb The software is basically a Web server that runs on your system and pushes images out to a Web page For viewers of images delivered over a WebCam
one of the benefits is that they get the entire picture preferable in
certain cases rather than a sleek edited versionc WebCam technology can also be used for remote s u r v e i l l a n c e s y s t e m s
ELECTRONIC FRONTIER
monitoring events or places and broadcasting live eventsd Learners can link to a web camera-monitored location and just watch or also have an additional web camera in their own location enabling two-way communication
Setting up your WebCama Setting up your own WebCam obviously requires a computer a WebCam (the hardware) and WebCam software along with a broadband Internet connection Before you decide which camera to buy and which software to acquire yoursquoll have to review the different methods to show pictures or video feed through the Internet ( i e r e f r e s h e d after x amount of seconds) This will enable you to decide which hardware and software solution will fit your situation best
b P l a c e m e n t of a camera is an important decision to be made Decide whether a static angle is sufficient to demonstrate the concept or a moving camera (handheld) is required It is important however to remember the limitations of using WebCams and leave the panoramic and other fancy shots to more sophisticated video Use WebCams for videos that require more focus and ones that require a smaller viewingmovement range
c For detailed technical instructions on using WebCams visit httpdeveloperswebcamworldcommethodshtml
d Here is a good resource for inexpensive Webcams on the market httpcastlepricewatchcomssearchasps=webcams
e For an in-depth review of various Webcams on the market go to this link httpreviewscnetcom4244-6502_7-0-1htmlquery=webamptag=cat_1
f There are many Webcam examples online here are a couple httpwwwwebcamworldcom or httpwwwleonardsworldscomcamerahtml
By the way DONrsquoT TELL MY KIDS I picked up a Logitech QuickCam Pro 4000 not too long ago My family doesnrsquot know why I got it or what my intention is but I can say that now that my kids are 17 16 amp 8 my job as a parent is to ensure the mice donrsquot play when the catrsquos awayhellip
Louie Alvarez began acquiring his experience in the awards and engraving industry in Central California over 15 years ago first as an employee of the largest and oldest trophy shop and then as owner of one of the first laser engraving businesses Louie has been a featured workshop instructor and seminar speaker throughout the industry in addition to being a contributing writer to numerous industry publications Louie is based in Las Vegas NV and can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
December 2007 27Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
The Association of CorelDRAWreg Professionals is The Education amp Business Resource for CorelDRAW Users Worldwide Its goal is to help 1) IMPROVE your CorelDRAW skills and 2) MAKE MONEY with those skills You can participate in ACDRP services in four ways
THE WORLDrsquoS ONLY ASSOCIATION FOR CORELDRAWreg USERSINVITES YOU TO MAKE MORE MONEY WITH CORELDRAW
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month focused on Industry News via the Graphics News Wire Links to valuable resources and a complete educa-tion and show Calendar S
CorelDRAWPro the Entrepreneurial magazine for CorelDRAW users features in-depth content on How to Use CorelDRAW -- tips tricks advanced ar twork success s to r ies in te rv iews and more How to Apply CorelDRAW -- for graphic production processes such as embroidery engraving heat printing laser promo products printing sandblasting signmaking sublimation and screenprinting How to Profit from CorelDRAW -- Product news business columns reviews profiles and advertising with live links
SUBSCRIBE -- NO CHARGE JOIN -- $60 PER YEAR
All users of CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite are qualified to subscribe free to CorelDRAWPro magazine (PDF format) and CorelDRAWPro E-News
Subscription to CorelDRAWPro amp CorelDRAWPRo E-News
TTF Newsletter Subscription to the monthly Tips Templates amp Fixtures Newsletter only available to members
GSG Basic Listing You can list your services in the Graphic Services Guide in one category as part of membership (a $25 value)
Access to QuickLearn A keyword searchable database of 100s of articles on CorelDRAW graphics production and business
All users of CorelDRAWreg are invited to join the Association and take advantage of exclusive content discounts and profes-sional recognition ACDRP membership includes
TTF
QuickLearn
QuickTNT
Archives
BASIC GSG LISTING -- $25 PER YR
The Graphic Services Guide is the Industry Yellow Pages for Services and Finished Goods GSG is promoted in all our publi-cations and our website to the world of CorelDRAW users Your listing gives you the opportunity to promote your services (in any of 40 categories) to other CorelDRAW usersThe Basic Listing includes your company description email link and listing in one category Additional service categories are $10 each per year
The Enhanced GSG Listing is for companies that want to list in two categories and add a photo or logo
ENHANCED GSG LISTING -- $50$75 PER YR
Classifieds
Access to QuickTnT A growing database of CorelDRAW tips for understanding the fine points of the program and templates that can be downloaded to speed up your production
Access to Archives Past issues of CorelDRAWPro are available to members with live links
Bookstore Discounts Members receive a 10 discount on all products in the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore
Professional Recognition Use of the ACDRP logo for professional identification on business cards websites and letterhead You also receive a membership certificate
Classified Ads Members can place one classified ad per year at no charge with photo and run it till the item is sold (a $35 value)
HOW TO PARTICIPATE To Subscribe (no charge) To Join ($60yr) To List in the Graphic Services Guide ($25 Basic $50$75 Enhanced or $120145 for Multi-Service)
CorelDRAWreg is a registered trademark of Corel Corp and is used with permission
Visit wwwcoreldrawprocomand click on the appropriate links
800-276-8428
The Multi-Service GSG Listing allows you to list up to 40 differ-ent service categories with detailed descriptions and add a photo or logo
MULTI-SERVICE GSG LISTING -- $120$145 PER YR
December 2007 28Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Throughout the year this publication has reported on whatrsquos new in equipment tools and software and blank products for businesses that put graphics onto products
For this 2007 wrap-up CorelDRAWPro editorial staff reviewed all the product news for the year and named 33 products to its annual Top Products of the Year list
Selections were based on the criteria of innovation and impact Innovation means products that exhibit a high degree of originality or uniqueness Impact means products that influence sales or productivity for a large number of businesses
Note that the 2007 honorees are list alphabetically in the three theme sections
For more information on the products in this article click on the Info Request button at the bottom of each page and select by company name or product You might open the Info Request page and minimize it as you read That way you can quickly open it and check the products you want
EQUIPMENT
ANAJET DIRECT-TO-GARMENT DIGITAL PRINTERAnaJet Digital Apparel Printer (Model FP-125) from
AnaJet Inc in Costa Mesa CA is a direct-to-garment printer offering high quality and affordability It can print custom graphics on any cotton or poly-cotton flat textile material in one minute The printer priced affordably from under $13000 can produce up to 5000 shirts per month each retailing for about $20 Most printers installed so far are in a production plant environment but some customers have started to take the mobile printer to malls for instant printing of customer graphics According to Dr Chase Roh company president the unique printhead they have developed allows for 16x more ink flow than normal desktop printers and thus shirts only require one pass
Top Products of the Year
DTG AMERICA ECLIPSE D-1 WITH TWO HEADS DTG America of Tampa FL and Fort Worth TX now offers a new solution to
speed up digitally printing to dark shirts The Eclipse D-1 incorporates two heads instead of one One head has eight channels of white to lay down a solid white underbase The second head has four channels of white to do highlights and four channels of color to lay down the design The result of this new configuration is the underbase and color are completed in one pass at an estimated average of only two minutes per shirt for a 12-inch by 6-inch area Other innovations include an ink agitator firmware for easy updating ink vapor remover auto gap adjustment and new platen configuration for easy loading
GEO KNIGHT DK 25SP HEAT PRESSThe Digital Knight DK25SP is an air-operated automatic
20x25 oversized swing-away heat press with a state-of-the-art control system and heavy-duty solid steel welded framework The smooth automatic pressing and push-button activation provides a productive fatigue-free operation The extended 20x25 size of the heat platen is perfect for sublimation and large-format materials pressingThe press is adjustable to accommodate materials from fabric thickness all the way up to 1rdquo thick substrates For more information call 800-525-6766 or visit wwwheatpresscom
GRAPHTEC CRAFT ROBO PROGraphtec America Inc based in Santa Ana
CA introduced the new Craft ROBO Pro 15rdquo cutting plotter The Craft ROBO Pro is an ideal solution for cutting a wide variety of materials including vinyl film card stock foil heat transfer and image transfer media Incorporating Graphtecrsquos legendary
December 2007 29Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
ARMS (Advanced Registration Marks System) and combined with a desktop printer the Craft ROBO Pro makes contour cutting an easy task Innovations include a new digital servo motor first mark auto-sensing menu navigation system that includes 8 user-defined conditions Tangential Control and three software applications
ROLAND RELEASES DIRECT-TO-FABRIC PRINTERRoland DGA Corp of Irvine CA released
the new 74rdquo HeatWave DFP-74 Fabric Printer through its reseller channel in the US Based on Rolandrsquos HeatWave sublimation technology the DFP-74 Fabric Printer is a complete integrated solution and Rolandrsquos first inkjet ever to support direct printing onto polyester fabrics As a complete solution including printer sublimation unit inks and RIP software the DFP-74 makes it easier than ever for shops to enter the fast-growing textile printing market Key features include eight advanced piezo print heads an intelligent media handling system and a temperature-controlled heating system
HOTRONIX PERFECT PRESSURE HEAT PRESSHotronix of Carmichaels PA has taken heat press technology
to the next level with Perfect Pressure a new digital pressure display functionThis new feature has a single-digit LED readout
that measures the pressure of the inner platen This technology is exclusive to Hotronix and is patent pending Previously a
digital pressure display was available only on air-operated heat press machines With this new pressure display gauge all heat press users will have more consistent results from job to job reducing the number of misprints and speeding up production For more information about
the new digital pressure display contact Stahlsrsquo Hotronix at 800-478-2457 e-mail infostahlscom or visit the Web site at wwwstahlscom
SWF DREAM EMBROIDERY MACHINEWith its new DREAM Machine SWF has broken the barrier in multi-head
embroidery machine technology The DREAM machines are the first multi-head embroidery machines that truly can sew at 1500 stitches per minute During the research and development of these new machines 12 new patents were filed and granted proof that the DREAM machines are built with state-of-the-art technology
Innovations include LED control panel error codes to quickly troubleshoot problems optional devices to do sequins cording and boring automatic oiling system large memory a hoop selector and more These innovative new machines come in configurations ranging from
two to six heads It is distributed exclusively by SWF East (Tampa FL) and SWF MESA (Dallas TX)
MESArsquoS HOTFIX SPANGLE MOTIF MACHINEWith the all new YAS-11 Hotfix Spangle Motif Making
Machine the first of its kind in the United States you can create beautiful spangle transfer designs that have the look of sequins This patented machine which is distributed exclusively in the United States by MESA Distributors of Fort Worth TX cuts out shapes such as circles and squares in a range of sizes from reels of Mylar tape The machine comes with proprietary design software that allows the user to create any pattern or design up to 157 by 157 inches
SAWGRASSrsquo HYBRID SYSTEM FOR EPSON R1800Sawgrass Technologies of Mt Pleasant SC introduced
the SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid System for the Epson R1800 for both sublimation printing and cotton
decorating from one machine The affordable entry-level system features dual functionality with both SubliJet and ChromaBlast inks in one machine allowing users to create customized images with superior color and clarity on both polyester coated substrates and cotton garments This is the second
hybrid system from Sawgrass following in the footsteps of the popular SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid
System for the Epson 4800
TROTECrsquoS NEW LARGE PLATFORM LASER Trotec Laser Inc of Ypsilanti MI has introduced the SP500 series of laser
engraving and cutting systems The systems have a work area of 50rdquo X 28rdquo and X-Axis clearance of 12rdquo The systems are offered in power levels from 45W-200W There is an available pass-through option (Class 4) Exhaust fumes are captured
December 2007 30Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
at the laser head to insure an efficient extraction when using the pass-through featureTrotec systems are designed for minimal wear-and-tear and eliminate the need for periodic replacement of belts and bearings For additional information visit our web site wwwtrotecnet or call 866-226-8505 734-484-3260
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW PROFESSIONAL SERIESUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) of Scottsdale
AZ added four new models in its Professional Laser Series (PLS) line of advanced high-productivity computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving systems The new PLS line which replaces Universalrsquos M V and X laser systems incorporates a
host of evolutionary design improvements to the laser cartridge platform chassis system electronics and software interface The new PLS models include several
powerful new features most notably a unique materials-based print driver called ldquoLaser Interface +rdquo that gives users their choice
between automatic or manual control over power speed and other system settings For more information on Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit Universal Laser Systems online at wwwulsinccom
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW VERSALASERUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) added a
new version of its desktop-sized VersaLasertrade
computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving system The new VersaLaser
improves on the award-winning original thanks to a host of evolutionary design refinements It also
includes a unique next-generation materials-based print driver that automatically calculates power speed
and other system settings It was awarded a patent for the unique design of its external cabinet which also functions as a Class 1 laser safety enclosure For more information about VersaLaser or Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit wwwulsinccom
US SCREENrsquoS FAST T-JET 3US Screen Print and Inkjet Technology of Tempe
AZ adds the Fast T-Jet3TM which features 30 faster print speeds compared to the previous T-Jet2 model and has a longer low profile print bed for easier loading and unloading Now you can produce a full size 12rdquo x 12rdquo (305 x 305 cm) print in one minute on a light shirt and in under three minutes on a black shirt with white ink Small pocket images can be printed in about 15 seconds
US SCREENrsquoS AUTOMATED PRETREATMENT CENTER
Speed up production when using Fast T-Jet inkjet-to-garment printers with the AutoTREATtrade Automatic Pretreatment Center
This versatile piece of equipment allows you to treat shirts on a production level rather than spraying shirts individually one at a time For use with light or dark shirts the AutoTREATtrade
can spray up to three shirts per minute It has two application modesmdashone for lights and one for darks that can be switched over by activating the cleaning mode which flushes out the system with water
TOOLS MATERIALS SOFTWARE
CORELDRAW X3 CERTIFIED FOR WINDOWS VISTACorel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that
CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite X3 has been Certified for Windows Vista Customers who wish to install the Certified for Windows Vista version of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X3 can download the latest service pack (SP2) from wwwcorelcom This new update delivers an exceptional experience for customers on Windows Vista including an updated user interface enhanced security improved text handling and further enhancements to the popular suitersquos renowned import and export file compatibility
COREL LAUNCHES NEW ONLINE COMMUNITY Corel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that it
has launched httpcoreldrawcom a new online community for users of the CorelDRAWreg family of products ndash including CorelDRAW Graphics Suite Corel DESIGNERreg Technical Suite
December 2007 31Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
and Corelreg DRAWingsreg This new community site is the first in a series that Corel will be launching to support its various user communities Designed to fuel inspiration CorelDRAWcom combines forums blogs and galleries for design professionals and graphic hobbyists alike Forums are available in English French German and Spanish serving an international audience
DALCOrsquoS NEW REFLECTIVE HEAT TRANSFERSCater to the safety market with new reflective transfers offered
by Dalco Athletic of Dallas TX These durable transfers come in a reflective silver gray color in three styles police sheriff and fire dept They are sized for left chest and full back so
all you have to do is heat seal for 8 seconds and yoursquore done Itrsquos very fast and easy
DALCOrsquoS NEW OPTIC YELLOW CLASSIC SWB APPLIQUE
Classic SWB appliqueacute designs offered by Dalco Athletic now come in two new styles softballs and tennis balls in optic yellow fabric These new balls literally jump off any wearable and make it an eye-catching standout This appliqueacute collection is ideal for spiritwear items to be sold to fans and family or created as fund-raisers for boosters clubs
POWER GRAPHICS 3 FROM DIGITAL ART SOLUTIONSPower Graphics 3 by Digital Art Solutions of
Tempe AZ is the ultimate design tool for the creation of high-end custom graphics and logos for custom signage awards vehicle graphics promotional products and apparel graphics Tuned to the latest styles and trends it provides fresh graphics that will impress even the most critical and demanding customer It includes more than 1500 images The 10 design categories include Flames Gangsta (Urban) Mascots Offroad Rebel (Biker and Hot
Rod) Retro Speed Sports Surf and Tuner
FLORIANI COMMERCIALrsquoS NEW NO-SHOW DIAMOND MESHContinuing in its tradition of research and development
to create embroidery stabilizers that meet the needs of todayrsquos embroiderers Floriani Embroidery Commercial Division of Knoxville TN released a new product called Floriani No-Show Diamond Mesh This unique nylon mesh stabilizer has a perpendicular embossed pattern that makes it more multi-directionally stable and enables it to better hold stitches for crisper design registration It is specifically designed for light-colored garments where traditional stabilizers have a tendency to show through the front of the garment
GREAT DANErsquoS NEW DIGITAL PHOTO FRAMES Tap into the lucrative team market with an
incredible collection of stock art specially designed to work for direct-to-garment printers sublimation transfers and digital transfers Digital Photo Frames Volume 1 is a collection of spectacular pre-designed layouts each with one or more frames to
insert personal photos The collection includes five categories baseball football basketball soccer and hockey Each category has four designs (20 total layouts) and each design comes in three template formats mugs mouse pads and shirts
So there are a total of 60 template designs in all
IMPRINTABLES WAREHOUSE OFFERS SPECTRA ECO FILMNew from Imprintables Warehouse of
Masontown PA is a digital cutter material that is free of PVC a plus with companies that want to be as environmentally friendly as possible Spectra Eco Film is made with ecological polyurethane and is peeled hot It is pressure sensitive (sticky backing) and extremely easy to weed While maintaining superior durability and opacity this new film is thinner than current offerings on the market and delivers the super soft hand that is in demand by todayrsquos consumers It can be used on 100 cotton 100 polyester polycotton blends and even nylon and leather
December 2007 32Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
KISSCUT TECHNOLOGIESrsquo SELF-WEEDING INKJET TRANSFER PAPER
Kiss Cut Technologies Ltd Newcastle UK has addressed the ldquopolymer windowrdquo issue and developed the worldrsquos first self-weeding inkjet transfer paper for printing to textiles In simple terms only the areas of their patented transfer paper that have been printed will be transferred to the garment when heat pressed A Kiss Cut print can be further embellished with specialized textile foils so in effect a digital foiling method is now available Foil is heat pressed onto the garment and when peeled the foil only sticks to the image areas
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW PHOTOPLAS-TIC MATERIALLaserSketchcom of Lemont IL a leading supplier of
LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble Super Black Granite and Black Onyx Jewelry introduces their new PhotoPlas-Tic This is a new material developed for front andor reverse laser engraving on micro surface impact acrylic plastic It is a premium plastic for laser engraving that is UV stable ideal for photo badges plaques trophies signage and high-end awards Each sheet of PhotoPlas-Tic is specially designed for a crisp clean burn and ultra-fine laser lettering logo and vector output For details call 630-243-6360 or visit wwwlasersketchcom
THEMAGICTOUCH LAUNCHES WOW TRANSFER PAPERTheMagicTouch USA launched WoW Professional
71 transfer paper which requires no weeding or profile cutting and the vibrant colors are achieved using digital laser technology making it great for short runs It uses PolymationTM which incorporates a newly designed catalyst that provides the ultimate compatibility with all generations of dry toner material According to the company PolymationTM is the next generation of laser heat transfer Sublimation requires the substrate to have a specialty receiving polymer coating to absorb the pigments but PolymationTM delivers everything at once polymer pigments and catalyst
December 2007 33Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
offers distinct advantages over any other process It allows for an unlimited number of colors and very fine detail which is impossible with screen printing or embroidery And the cost does not go up as colors are added These new specialty materials are so advanced they can be heat sealed to all kinds of fabrics and hot new multimedia designs can be easily done
VAPOR APPAREL LAUNCHES VAPOR ART VOLUME 1V a p o r A p p a r e l
a s u b s i d i a r y o f SourceSubstrates LLC Charleston SC announces the launch of Vapor Art - Volume 1 a collection of 127 vector graphics for digital sublimation and general use The diverse collection
of high-quality graphics comes after several years of customers requesting access to the companyrsquos sample art at trade shows and educational events The Collection of art includes vector drawings and JPGs for everything from mountain biking and snowboarding to yoga and cheerleading
BLANK PRODUCTS
COLORADO HEIRLOOMrsquoS COLOR LACQUERED FRAMES
Colorado Heirloom Inc of Loveland CO introduced their new Color Lacquered Frames This is an option to add color your unique creations It is not color fill Colored lacquer is sprayed on their high quality wood frames Because
INKTRA STRETCH TRANSFER PAPER FROM STAHLSrsquoStahlsrsquo based in St Clair
Shores MI adds InkTratrade Stretch a flexible transfer paper A revolutionary product InkTratrade Stretch provides a soft hand with an amazing stretch and recovery feature InkTratrade Stretch lets you take your favorite photo or graphic design and apply it to light colored or white hats shirts bags and more for a long lasting and completely personalized garment The highly stretchable paper can be applied to cotton polycotton blends spandex and Lycrareg
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo GOOF-PROOF TRANSFERSWant the look of screen
printing without the hassle With Goof Proofreg transfers offered by Transfer Express of Mentor OH you can custom order a transfer that has the popular athletic feel and will apply in a blazing four seconds Ordering is done step-by-step online and you can customize hundreds of designs You choose your
typeface colors and size Once your design is just the way you want it you can print it out to show a customer for approval Or Transfer Express can print from your artwork The minimum order is only five pieces and your one-color order ships in one to three working days
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo NEW FULL-COLOR DIGI PRINTSApparel decorators can now offer full-color designs on light
and dark apparel made of virtually any type of fabric without the hassle or minimums of screen printing with new state-of-the-art heat transfer technology called Digi Printstrade Offered through Transfer Express this revolutionary new method of decorating
December 2007 34Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
lacquer is used instead of paint any design can be lasered on these frames The possibilities are endless These colorful creations are offered in two different designs -- a designer frame and a frame with an insert Call 970-667-4222 or visit wwwcoloradoheirloomcom
CONDE ADDS PET MATS FOR SUBLIMATIONCondeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added food bowl placemats and litter box
mats to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Favorite photographs and pet-related artwork can be transferred to the
mats to create fun products for individual pet lovers or for the pet industry such as pet stores veterinarians groomers boarding facilities and animal adoption groups Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing Call Conde at 800-826-6332
CONDE INTRODUCES FABRIC PATCHES FOR SUBLIMATION
Condeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added fabric patches to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Custom decorators can now produce unique full-color patches that will impress organizations businesses clubs sports teams sports enthusiasts and individuals alike -- without the use of embroidery Heat seal patches are great for identification marketing awards trade show promotions or to commemorate special events Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing or call 800-826-6332
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW LASERSLABLaserSketch of Lemont IL Internationally known for
their LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble and Super Black Granite announces LaserSlab Super Black Granite at 4rsquo x 8rsquo x 7mm and 4rsquo x 4rsquo x 7mm weighting in at just over 2 pounds per square foot The surface of the LaserSlab Granite has the sheen of a black mirror The reverse side features epoxy fiberglass backing to give structure integrity to the ultra-lite granite sheet All may be viewed wwwlasersketchcom or by calling LaserSketch 630-243-6360
MATTHEWS INTRODUCES ALUMICOLORTM
Matthews International Corp of Pittsburgh PA introduced Alumicolortrade a high-resolution graphics solution for aluminum signage recognition commemoration and way finding Using cutting-edge technology Matthews embeds a four-color image into the aluminum to create an anodized reproduction of unsurpassed durability Alumicolortrade products which are designed for interior and exterior installations are resistant to extreme weather conditions graffiti scuffing grease chemicals and UV rays Additionally they will not chip crack or peel
PSI ADDS ROUND FRAMES amp STRING PUZZLES Paramount Services Inc of Hollywood FL
introduced new round resin frames for sublimation tiles Choose from Coral or RopeStone with optional Unisubreg Hardboard Tiles They will also accept the Bison 8rdquo round glass Cutting Board Why be square when round may fit better PSI also introduced a new puzzle guaranteed to string you along These String Puzzles come with a Unisubreg Hardboard puzzle and the necessary string and beads along with instructions how to string it after printing Templates to aid in design are available for download in several formats For details call 800-455-7212 or visit wwwDye-Sublimation-Productscom
CRYSTALEDGEreg LUXORTM CRYSTAL AWARDSCrystalEdgereg Chicago IL presented the Luxortrade Series
This stunning cost-effective collection comprises a series of specially designed Rosewood and Black Piano finish bases Matte Mahogany and Matte Black bases and a precision cast Satin Nickel Finish Metal Base with your choice of brass or silver hardware for mounting our twelve unique shapes making this the most versatile award yet Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks are curved 14rdquo thick crystal clear glass with 316rdquo diameter holes for mounting The Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks feature a generous engraving area and there is plenty of room on the base to add an engraving plate
December 2007 35Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
XENETECHrsquoS NEW ENGRAVABLE GIFTSXenetech of Baton Rouge
LA introduced high quality engravable gift items at wholesale and quantity discounts The Xenetech collection provides a selection of gifts created for corporate recognition weddings births holidays anniversaries retirements birthdays special occasions or just expressing appreciation Items include money clips key chains book markers desk accessories quartz movement clocks flasks amp wine accessories entertainment gifts travel gifts genuine Swiss Army knives business card holders luggage tags silver-plated jewelry boxes keepsake gift boxes silver-plated banks and baby gifts The gift items are designed primarily for diamond drag burnishing and rotary engraving personalization
UNISUBrsquoS CHROMALUXE PHOTO PANELSChromaLuxe photo panels are an exciting new line
of sublimatable products from Unisub of Louisville KY These panels allow you to sell a completely finished photo product to your customers capturing some of the additional revenue (and profit) your customers now spend elsewhere on framing Available in a range of traditional photo sizes as well as exciting new shapes these panels can be joined together to create stunning photo displays -- perfect for a fireplace mantle l i b r a r y s h e l f or the top of an armoire Available in aluminum or MDF substrates
CorelDRAWPro IndexOne of our members in Michigan
requested that we put together an Index of all the articles wersquove published during the year
He prints out all the issues and puts them in binders but an Index would make it easy to reference specific articles We think itrsquos a good idea and wersquoll send it to all subscribers in January
Product Focus TopicsJanuary 2008 -- Signage Products esp Wide FormatFebruary 2008 -- Engraving Awards amp GiftsMarch 2008 -- Apparel ProductsApril 2008 -- Laser Wood Products
Coming in 2008
December 2007 36Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETSBy Donna M Gray CRM Opportunities
December ndash Time to Review December finds everyone on our team strategizing how to get out of our parking lot Our business sits right in the middle of an up-scale strip mall which sits right behind a huge shopping mall and right along the main road to a Target Superstore and other large malls We all know that from the day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday) until 2 weeks after the New Year there are great challenges to those of us who like to leave the building for lunch or run an errandhellipso we strategize We all know every secret shortcut to the bank the post office and the warehouse club What we donrsquot know is how to find the way to merge out of our own back alley into the constant flow of traffic that carries people to their end shopping destination Whew
The year-end review So this year Dave and I have decided to stay in at lunch and do our business strategizing instead Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup are good brain food for helping us to look at all the successful things we did last year as a company all the things we thought about doing but didnrsquot because the idea didnrsquot quite fit and all the things we put off until next year We do this kind of exercise every year end and it helps us to map out our strategy for the coming year In the process we identify any mistakes wersquove made wrong turns wersquove taken and we try to find the ldquowhat could have happened had everything gone rightrdquo
The value of making mistakes Albert Einstein said ldquoAnyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything newrdquo Dave has a couple of prints in his office of Abraham Lincoln that describe his mistakes in fact it took Lincoln eight tries to win the presidency Thomas Edison made mistakeshellipand yet he perseveredhellipotherwise wersquod by ldquocomputingrdquo by candlelight And Irsquove heard that Colonel
Sanders had a thousand rejections before he sold his first chicken recipe It would be nice to get to our year end business appraisals and find that wersquove made no mistakes but our business like most others doesnrsquot have that claim to fame My mother always took the high road with mistakes She always said that one should recognize the benefits of a mistake One should learn what good came from it use it to improve and use it to help motivate success the next time So December is the time to analyze everything that made up the past year and look for ways to make the New Year successful in every way
Making a plan Most advisors say that the first step toward business success after looking at a companyrsquos year ending history is to decide on exactly what you want to do going forward in the coming year Then comes mapping out the plan What will be done How will it get done Who will do what What resources will be used When will it get done Is the right equipment in place Is the space adequate Ask these and any other questions that could relate to creating a successful year then focus on the details and follow through Those two wordshellipfocus and follow throughhellipcould mean the difference between marginal and abundant success Simply stated success comes from what you do and the way you do ithellipin your customerrsquos perception Every business wants to have a good imagehellipa good reputation so dedication to having good communication skills is important especially in an industry that does custom work The goal is to be on the same page as our clients so we have to be good mind readers We have to also concentrate on our professionalism on our appearance on our presentation style and in the pride we take in producing a well-done project This
has worked in the past and will remain the same in the future
The extra mile Success has to be nurturedhellipthen it gets celebrated Sometimes sacrifices have to be made to get to the rewards At year end when we analyze how we got from Point A to Point B itrsquos interesting to note that we sometimes had to take detours and sometimes the road blocks called for sacrificehellipof time or money Sometimes the sacrifice came in the way of a sleepless night worrying if an order that was lost in delivery would be found and re-routed to us in time to make a clientrsquos deadline Someone (unknown) said ldquoA day of worry is more exhausting than a week of workrdquo Anyone in business could testify to that Part of success is going the extra milehellipeven if it results in a sleepless night Going the extra mile is worth all the paid advertising in the world on the road to success
December 2007 37Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETS
Donna Grayrsquos 2nd book Itrsquos All Relative Surviving amp Thriving in a Family Business was published in September 2007
It describes her quest to identify the keys to suc-cess for small business and family businesses in particular She interviewed top businesses nationwide and discovered five common qualities implemented by successful business owners Check it out at the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore wwwcoreldrawprocomAllBook-storehtm
Commitments made and kept Our team felt good about some commitments we made and kept this past year like
We used a daily ldquoto-dordquo list and we set priorities in order of importance When we finished a project we ldquocelebratedrdquo and then moved on quickly to the next job We built in some time for ldquostress reliefrdquo with morning meeting breaks This was especially good when treats were served since wersquove got some good bakers on our staff We didnrsquot ldquoscreenrdquo calls through voice mail We considered every call to be important We ldquodid it right the first timerdquo even though it sometimes took longer We tied up all the ldquoloose endsrdquo We became ldquocheerleadersrdquo for each other When one of us accomplished a goal we all applauded We all tried to deliver more than we promised This can be challenging sometimes when working with a difficult project We eliminated (or tried to eliminate) unnecessary procedures and we simplified our paper flow system We spent most of our time on high priority tasks We all worked on our delegation skills We were committed to not wasting time either our own or other peoplersquos
Goals that were lacking Now all those great things being put on paper reminds me that we also had some goals we didnrsquot quite succeed athellipbut wersquoll try harder next year
We didnrsquot always ldquogrouprdquo tasks togetherhelliplike going to the bank and the post office in one trip or answering mail when it gets opened It wasnrsquot always easy to avoid procrastination Some low priority chores got put off There were still times when we couldnrsquot find enough hours to finish the work Our ldquotoolsrdquo didnrsquot always get put away when we were through with a project even though this is Daversquos pet peeve
Conclusion Experts say that we have to actively create our success not wait for it to happen This coming year hopefully none of us will sit in the comfort zone waiting for the phone to ring Therersquos an old Chinese proverb that goes ldquoIt you continually give you will continually haverdquo Our team will go on being involved in community activities When time is spent on worthwhile projects outside the business opportunities come knocking at the front counter Besideshellipat yearrsquos endhellipit makes us feel really good about the help we gave on these projects
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since1977 She can be reached by email at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
December 2007 38Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
GRAPHICS NEWS NETWORKAll these news and information products and services are part of the
Graphics News Network developed for ACDRP The goal is ldquoAll the News All the Time mdash For the World of Graphicsrdquo
GRAPHICS NewsWireThe Graphics News Wire is the always live always updated source for graphics news mdash products equipment technology and more Make it (CorelDRAWProcomNewsPagehtm) your home page or favorite to gain access to Breaking news updated regularly New Classified Ads New Job Announcements Supplier SpecialsAll news is related to graphic productsQuickSourceTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive amp Easy-To-Use
Search Engine
It gives you one-click access to suppliers products phone numbers and live links to ACDRP Member Suppliers Itrsquos always up-to-date searchable by keyword and accessible from your desktop
Quick TnTTM
The Industryrsquos Newest Resource for Graphics Tips amp Templates
Gain access to a growing library of CorelDRAW tips and templates that will make your work easier
QuickLearnTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive and
Easy-To-Use Article Library
Gain access to hundreds of articles on graphics-related and business topics searchable by keyword
The Entrepreneurial Magazine for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro Magazine is delivered to you once a month in PDF format It features in-depth content that readers rave about including articles on how to use CorelDRAW how to apply CorelDRAW and how to profit from CorelDRAW
News Tips amp Resources for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month mdash about the 15th and 25th It brings you highly targeted content that you wonrsquot find elsewhere including CorelDRAW Tips extensive product news links and a calendar of shows and training
MARKET PLACE
Quality Engravable JewelryHand-crafted in New England
GIFTS amp ACCESSORIES FOR WOMEN AND MEN
John E Lepper Inc800-835-3623 Fax 508-222-2732
wwwjeleppercom
GenuineWhite-tone
Pewter amp Gold
Some Things Were Meant To Be In Etched in Stone
Call for a free color catalog
NampR International1155 Allgood Rd 13Marietta GA 30062
678-560-4088Fax 678-560-1157
Importers amp Wholesalers of MarbleOnyx
Gifts amp Accessories
JOIN TODAY
The worldrsquos only association for CorelDRAWreg Users
wwwcoreldrawprocomJoinhtm
Place an Ad for as little as $215 per month
Find out how by calling our Ad Representative John McDaniel II
541-990-6687
the entrepreneurial magazine
GET LISTED TODAY
Generate new businessby doing jobs for others
List your company in GSG the Digital Yellow Pages for the industry wwwcoreldrawprocomListGSGhtm
December 2007 39Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Louie Alvarez started in the industry working for one of the largest trophy shops in Central California and then opened one of the first retail laser engraving businesses He has given seminars and workshops on CorelDRAW and Laser for many years and has written for several publications He is now with Vytek Industrial Lasers and is based in Las Vegas NV He can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
Kathryn Arnold is the Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
Errol Barr has a wide range of experience in sales amp marketing eventually getting into laser systems in 1999 currently with Vytek Industrial Lasers He also sold extensively in the CNC router industry selling the machines as more of a business opportunity wrapped around the machine He can be reached by email at errolbarrgmailcom
Dave Demoret founded Prolink Graphic Services to help people understand and profit from learning CorelDRAW He has been in both the Flat Graphics Industry and the Decorating Graphics Industry for 30 years He has written articles for several publications is a Corel Training Partner and conducts workshops nationwide and online He is the author of several CD Instructional programs on CorelDRAW He can be reached at 765-DO COLOR (362-6567) or davedprolinkgscom
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since 1977 She has presented seminars on a variety of topics nationwide and has won many marketing awards She is the author of two books on family business and can be reached at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
Bill Leek is a color consultant for JBL Graphics in Houston TX and has over 30 years experience in computer engineering and graphics design He has developed several lines of color imprintable products and does testing on a variety of products for different manufacturers He can be reached at wfleekjblgraphicscom or 281-970-6677
Jeff McDaniel is the owner of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon He worked as a journeyman machinist before getting into the graphic products business Creative Graphic offers laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials Contact him at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
John McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry He worked for many years with computers in electronic data processing and pioneered the use of CorelDraw for engraving applications He owned a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years and writes about hardware design software laser engraving sublimation and more He is a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals For information on training and more call 541-967-4271 or write to mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
Judy McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry Her background includes many forms of art and retail sales as well as the operation of a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years She is a regular columnist on sandblasting sublimation and diversifying business as well as a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals She can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
David Milisock is president of Custom Graphic Technologies Inc in Pennsylvania He has been in the print production business since 1975 and specializes in professional support for CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite Output includes computer-to-plate processes for all commercial digital front-end applications as well as Postscript-compliant graphic applications He offers technical and color management support for all RIP-driven corporate digital output systems He can be reached at 717-509-3523 or davidmilisockcomcastnet
Deborah Sexton former editor of Impressions Magazine has been in the apparel graphics industry since 1981 She currently does marketing and public relations for apparel graphics companies and is a columnist for several industry publications She can be reached at dsextonsbcglobalnet
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at 916-567-1867
December 2007 40Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
by Otis Veteto
Traveling Tidbits
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the
RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of
the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Itrsquos a fun and
informative column focusing on the human-interest side of
the industry Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars
for industry organizations and some of that knowledge
will rub off as well He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at
916-567-1867
Reps Volunteers People Skills amp Agreements
RS Owens Southeast RepFirst of all a Traveling Tidbits welcome to
the newest member of the RS Owens Company sales team Anita Brennan Anita is the new Regional Sales Manager for the Southeast She will be calling on you folks in Alabama Tennessee Mississippi Florida Georgia North Carolina and South Carolina Anita has worked in all phases of our industry as a retailer (her own business) multi-line rep and now as a regional sales manager When I asked Anita what she likes to do when not on the road she told me she likes to spend time with her two-year-old granddaughter Kaylee Welcome to the RS Owens family Anita Brennan
Railroad Museum VolunteerI know Christmas is the time for giving
but some people give all year long I was talking recently with Elias Athanasiou whose regular job is a server in a restaurant my wife and I frequent when I am in Sacramento Elias has been associated as a volunteer with the California State Railroad Museum for about 16 years Every Saturday during the ldquorunning seasonrdquo April-September Elias can be found working as a volunteer on the Steam Engine excursion train that runs for 6 miles along the top of the levee on the Sacramento River The ride takes about 40 minutes Elias is the Engineer now but has worked as conductor and fireman in his tenure with the train It is people like Elias Athanasiou that make this a much better world A huge Traveling Tidbits SALUTE You can find out more about the Railroad Museum at wwwcsrmorg
Real People SkillsThis next tidbit is from the PPAI Promotional
Consultant Today The author is Roy Chitwood president of Max Sacks International in Seattle Wash It is entitled To Shine Polish Your People Skills
ldquoPeople buy not because they understand your product or service but because they feel that you understand them People buy emotionally As a professional salesperson you need to be more people-oriented not product centered Here are seven quick and easy techniques to improve your people skills
SMILE It is the universal sign of friendship in any language The Chinese have a proverb ldquoA man who cannot smile should not open a storerdquo Think about that Give a smile and you will get a smile in return
DEVELOP A GENUINE INTEREST IN OTHERS When you have sincere interest it shows Look directly at people when they are talking to you Let your facial expression register your interest Ask good open-ended questions to let people know that you are interested in what they say
TALK IN TERMS OF THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS INTERESTS You will never meet anyone who doesnrsquot have time to talk about what they want to talk about Encourage your prospect to discuss his or interests rather than launching into a discussion about yourself
USE THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS NAME Using a name builds personal rapport and shows you are listening with respect Be careful about overusing the personrsquos name
GIVE COMPLIMENTS Everyone loves a compliment when it is genuine Make a
concentrated effort to give at least 3 honest compliments every day of your life You will be amazed at what it will do for your relationships
LISTEN Listening is the greatest compliment you can pay When you assume the role of the listener it relaxes the sales climate As you listen you are demonstrating that you truly care and you are genuinely interested in what he or she has to say
MAKE THE OTHER PERSON FEEL IMPORTANT When you are sincerely impressed by something the other person has achieved or owns let them know it Understand that fundamentally every person is important and treat them accordingly
Personal comment When I finished reading this I thought to myself ldquoThese make sense in our everyday life not just in salesrdquo
The Third AgreementI will close with the 3rd step from the book
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel RuizDONrsquoT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS Find the
courage to ask questions and to express what you really want Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings sadness and drama
Sounds a little like what I wrote at the beginning of the column doesnrsquot it
Thatrsquos all for now Remember to save some time for yourself and your family And when you travel please travel safe
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE
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- News
December 2007 15Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE TRANSFERSBy Bill Leek Applications
Headstart on Spring 10 Things You Can Do in January to Make 2008 a Successful Year
I have to be honesthellipMy normal inclination after the holiday season is to relax and take it easy for a few weeks It seems that after a very busy year I really deserve it But small- to medium-size business owners cannot afford to do this The few weeks of relative calm after Christmas are too valuable to squander
Every year I write up an action plan for January Hear are some ideas that you may find valuable
1) Follow the lead of the big retailers Valentinersquos Day is almost here and Easter is early this year Get your new spring displays mailings emails and catalogs out right after the holidays Highlight some new products with spring themes every year
2) Offer January specials with sizable discounts if you anticipate a slow month Use coupons and thank you gifts to show appreciation to your loyal long-term customers
3) Br igh ten up your display space with new graphics fixtures and lighting Look into new LED displays They offer superior lighting at significantly lower cost and maintenance LED
technology will replace both incandescent and neon lighting and signage in just a few years
4) Spend some time to really learn your software application January is a great time to learn new features and upgrade your Corel Software Buy a guide or an interactive CDDVD to speed up the learning curve
5) January is a great time to find new vendors equipment and imprintables You have more time and the vendors may be more responsive as sales are slower You very well might be able to make that great deal on a piece of capital equipment yoursquove wanted for some time
Ask vendors to provide you with samples of new inks imprintables and transfer papers Test washability compare color quality and evaluate production ease
Look at the new technologies -- direct printing on soft and hardgoods eco-solvent inks color laser printer transfer and new sublimation coatings are all ldquohotrdquo areas to investigate
6) Donrsquot just perform a physical inventory Evaluate inventory turnover and get rid of any dead items that are just taking up shelf space
7) Look at your customer base Are you trying to be all things to all people Are there specific niches where you have had greater success
than others Determine how to build on your strengths and possibly remove yourself from markets that are not profitable
8) Organize an email list of all your existing customers and solid leads Improve your communications with a newsletter Donrsquot overkill with your emailshelliptherersquos a fine line between informative and irritating
9) Sit down and list your major accomplishments and failures of the past year Try to assign a quantitative measure where you can Make a detailed list in each area and honestly investigate what resulted in success or failure
10) Come up with a list of 10-20 goals that you can realistically achieve in 2008 These goals can be defined as specific actions or financial results Create a small poster and display it in place where you will see it every day Go over the list every month and ask yourself how you are doing
I wish you all a Very Happy New Year I will try to keep you informed of all the exciting technical and market developments in 2008 Thanks for all your questions ideas and support during the past year
Add quality imprintables from Unisub for the
Valentinersquos Day market
December 2007 16Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE PRINTSUBLIMATIONBy Judy and John McDaniel Applications
Creating Sublimation Product Templates
Last time we finished all the background stuff now wersquoll get on to making things Wersquoll start with flat products which include plaques tiles shirts and other garments etc Later wersquoll explore specialty items like cups
Creating a Product Template FileThe first step in designing graphics for any new
product that we intend to make again and again is to create a product template Templates give us layouts into which we can place our text and graphics They may take a little time to set up initially however they make it much easier and faster to produce products once the templates are available
The first step in designing a template is to determine the page size in CorelDRAWreg For sublimated products that requires we decide what size the finished transfer will be The size of the transfer will determine the page size
The finished transfer may or may not be the size of the printed sheet For example if we are printing transfers for t-shirts generally they will be on full 11 x 17 sheets That said we have some layouts that will be printed in portrait orientation vertical on the shirt and some in landscape horizontal We have both styles available as templates If we are including a customerrsquos photo in the finished design the orientation of the photo might determine which template we use
For ceramic tiles the transfer may be the size of an individual tile or perhaps the size of a tile array For plaques the transfer is generally slightly larger than the print area of the plaque -- 4 x 6 5 x 7 8 x 10 etc For badges our template might be the size of a single badge or if we have a fixture for pressing badges our template might be the size of the fixture If wersquore pressing ceramic steins and cups we might have an array of templates some for fronts backs full wraps and full wraps edge to edge
Another variable to consider when creating a sublimation template is the size
of your printer and heat press The largest transfer that can be printed or pressed will determine the upper limit of the templatersquos page size These factors are only of concern for large items like shirts
In our shop we have both wide format (11inch) and standard (85 inch) sublimation printers We can choose roll material or standard sheets Currently our largest flat press is 14 x 16 inches so thatrsquos our upper limit for flat product images
Creating a T-shirt TemplateRemember creating a template is something you
only do one time for each item in your inventory and for any variations you would like to have available Creating
Photo 1
Photo 2
December 2007 17Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE PRINTING
a template file takes a little time in the beginning but saves a lot of time in the long run
With these factors in mind Irsquoll go through the steps of creating a special-occasion t-shirt template The first one Irsquoll create will be in portrait orientation If yoursquod like to follow along open CorelDraw to a new project 11 x 17 paper and set the orientation to portrait
Set Guidelines Next wersquoll bring in some guidelines These will
help us see the image area we have to work with For this project Irsquoll set guidelines at frac12 inch in from the left and right 1 inch in from the top and 3 inches up from bottom The guides are for visual reference This is the maximum text and graphics layout area
Since this is a vertical layout our graphic will be 1 inch down from the top edge of the transfer If we set the shirt on the press with the collar at the top edge then all wersquoll have to do is align the transfer to the top edge of the press and the image will be 1 inch down from the shirt collar
Irsquove limited the vertical image area to 13 inches Allowing an inch down from the top will make the bottom of the image 14 inches down from the collar Thatrsquos
ok for an adult large or XL shirt but you may want to adjust the area for smaller shirts
As a part of this layout Irsquove created a couple of layers One Irsquove called text and one picture These layers will be used for the graphic elements of the final template As an option you can also create a non-printing layer that contains a rectangle Since the layout is off centered you can use the rectangle to align your text and graphics but the rectangle will not print (See picture 1)
Save Your TemplateYou can now save this simple layout
as a CorelDRAW template To do that click on FileSave Ashellip and select CDT ndash CorelDRAW Template (see picture 2)
I normally save templates in a special folder however if yoursquore using Windows Vista its sort capabilities reduce the need to organize your files (See picture 3)
You can use this generic template as is You can also use it as a base for creating other templates Next time wersquoll make some additions to customize it for a special occasion Wersquoll also look at how we can use templates
Judy and John McDaniel are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry For information on training services offered and their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom They can be reached by phone at 541-967-4271 via SKYPE (user name JHMcDaniel) or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom See full bio on Writers Page
December 2007 18Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTINGBy Jeff McDaniel Applications
Using Specialty Platens Part 2Background
In our last article we touched on the steps required to create a master transfer for our specialty platen We also briefly reviewed locating the artwork and attaching the capillary film to the screen In this article we will expose our screens rinse them and produce our pocket patch CorelDRAWPro members can look up the more detailed information in the archived articles for June July and August at wwwacdrporg
Our setup and yoursOur setup is the Printa 770 series screen printing machine from Printa Systems Inc
All of the supplies and tools we will cover from here on were provided in the turn-key system from Printa with the 770 Your setup may be from another source but will most likely contain components of what we will discuss below In addition to the standard Printa 770 setup we will be using the ldquoPrint-Allrdquo system from Printa Systems Inc (see figure 1 courtesy of Printa Systems)
Exposing the capillary filmWe left off last article with our screens drying
Now that they are dry we are ready to expose the capillary film Exposing Step 1 we will gently peel the carrier sheet off of the capillary film (see figure 2)
Exposing Step 2 Next we need to put our first image back on the exposure unit and re-install the screen on the printing system Then we can bring the screen down on the
exposure unit attach our blackout board and expose the screen (see figure 3)
Exposing Step 3 After exposure we need to rinse out our screen and inspect it to be certain we have a complete rinse (see figure 4)
Exposing Step 4 Once the image is rinsed out it is time to put the screen back in the dryer (see figure 5)
Re-aligning the screens after wash outFrom the time that we first aligned the
artwork we have taken the screens in and out of the printing system twice If our artwork is even a little bit out of alignment we will lose blanks or put out low quality work It is a good idea to do a final adjustment with the original artwork
Re-Align Step 1 Leaving both of our photo positives on the exposure unit we can inspect the screen location compared to our original artwork location Here is the yellow screen location after exposure and wash out (see figure 6)
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
December 2007 19Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTING
Re-Align Step 2 The black screen is a little bit off (see figure 7) so we will need to use the Printa 770 micro-adjustment knobs to bring it back into alignment (see figure 8)
Masking off the screenNow that our artwork is
lined up correctly we can mask the rest of the screen off Wherever we donrsquot want the ink to run through the screen needs to be masked off (see figures 9 and 10)
Locating the pocket patch on the shirtThere are a couple of different ways to locate the pocket
patch on the shirt The first thing to consider is where you want it to end up on the wearer If the patch is too far toward the sleeve the image will end up under the wearerrsquos arm pit If the image is too far up toward the neck the image will not look right either A good way to figure out the correct location is by looking at a shirt that has a pocket patch on it (maybe one or two are in your closet right now)
Another way to locate the pocket patch is to put on the shirt
size that you wear and mark off where you think it feels correct and comfortable Once you have decided where you would like the patch keeping it in the same relative location on all of the different sizes is not too difficult The actual placement of the shirt can be accomplished a couple of different ways that we know of Which you prefer will depend mostly on if you are more accurate with sight or touch
The sight method involves using a masking tape strip to mark the desired location on the shirt prior to loading it onto the platen (see figure 11)
Once you have your marking in place you can load the shirt on the platen and have a nice representation that you are placing the design in the desired location (see figure 12)
Figure 7 Figure 8
Figure 9
Figure 10
Figure 11
Figure 12
December 2007 20Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTING
We prefer the sight method because it works well with our equipment The ldquoPrint Allrdquo system from Printa Systems Inc uses a smaller platen for pocket patches The smaller platen allows us to load sizes from youth XS ndash adult 5X without stretching
The touch method involves using a standard platen and adding a riser underneath where the pocket patch will be printed (a piece of cut cardboard or thin wood of the appropriate size) With this method you can feel when the shirt is in the correct location and begin printing from there
Inking the screens printing and curingSince we have resolved our location
issues with the pocket patch we are ready to ink the screens print and cure
Printing Step 1 Inking the screens is fairly straightforward (see figure 13)
Printing Step 2 Using the squeegee we will screen our first color (see figure 14) and check the quality of the image (see figure 15)
Printing Step 3 Our first color will need to be flash cured (see figure 16)
Printing Step 4 Now we can add our second color (see figure 17)
Printing Step 5 Finally we can do the finish cure step paying attention to the temperature gauge (see figure 18)
After final curing it is always a good idea to take at least a sampling of the product and wash it to be certain of the curing All of the information on post-job clean-up can be found in the CorelDRAWPro archives for September
Conclusion This time we took our screens out of
the dryer and pushed our project all the way to its completion
Jeff McDaniel is the OwnerOperator of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon Jeff has been working with computers since the age of 5 and was a journeyman machinist before working in the graphic arts business Creative Graphic offers services including laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials You can contact Jeff by email at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
Figure 14
Figure 13
Figure 15
Figure 17
Figure 16
Figure 18
December 2007 21Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SANDBLASTINGBy Judy McDaniel Applications
Screening the AbrasiveKeeping your sandblast abrasive media free
of contaminant material is essential During sandblasting abrasive is mixed with compressed air fed through the supply hose focused by the nozzle and impacts the product Then if itrsquos fine enough it leaves the system as dust or drops to the bottom of the cabinet to be recycled
Other material will also collect in the bottom of the cabinet This debris can include bits of mask (ever wonder where the center of that ldquoerdquo went) bits of tape and possibly solid material dislodged from the product yoursquore blasting This latter source of debris is especially prevalent when yoursquore working on materials other than glass like brick rock and wood
Leaving the debris in the abrasive when itrsquos recycled can cause a variety of problems First if a piece of debris is too large to fit through the nozzle it will clog it More importantly if it does fit through the nozzle and is hard like brick and rock debris it can impact the piece yoursquore working on and ruin it
The obvious solution is to screen the media when you reload the pressure pot The problem is the screen mesh size Irsquove tried the screen supplied by the cabinet manufacturers and used window screening material from a hardware store In both of these cases the mesh size would allow all but the largest pieces of debris through
What Irsquove found that works the best is a spatter screen from a local kitchen store The mesh is woven tightly and filters out much more debris The best thing is its price only a few dollars
One of our cabinets is not self-contained so we have to filter the media by hand We have found that bending the handle up on a large spatter screen
causes it to fit perfectly into the top of the pressure pot We also have a couple of other smaller pressure pots one in fact that you fill with a funnel For those I simply lay the spatter screen over the opening of the pot or the funnel when refilling
If you have a system that recycles the abrasive then it should be equipped with a screen located on top of the pressure pot Make sure to inspect and remove the debris from the top of the screen from time to time A shop-vac works well for this purpose If you find that larger pieces are getting through the screen then contact the manufacturer to see what can be done to reduce the mesh size
Keeping your media clean helps prevent unwanted delays or damage
To all of our friends out there new and old have a safe and joyful holiday season
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from John and me
Judy McDaniel with her husband John are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry In addition they provide one-on-one application support through an email subscription service exclusively for their Hotcdr Hands-On Training students or those who have purchased their CD sets (For information on training services offered visit wwwgraphic-products-trainingcom and for information on their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom) They can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
December 2007 22Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE ENGRAVINGBy John McDaniel Applications
Elements of Machine Accuracy 7 Structural Integrity
So far wersquove covered resolution speed repeatability and hysteresis This time wersquoll discuss structural integrity
What is Structural IntegrityStructural integrity is a measure of a machinersquos
strength or stiffness It is the ability of a machine to resist distortion by forces created in normal operations
Most mechanical engraving machines use single-fluted cutters As these cutters turn they apply cutting force against the material For every action though there is an equal but opposite reaction ie the material resists the cut and thereby transmits a resistive force back through the cutting tool spindle etc and ultimately to the machinersquos frame
Assuming a static bit position the force applied to the machinersquos structure will rotate 360deg with the tool (see diagram 1) As this force rotates any looseness in the structure will result in a deviation in the relationship of the material and the cutter
What machine design factors are involvedStructural integrity includes lead screws and their
hysteresis for mechanical engraving machines spindle bearings and their looseness for both mechanical and laser engravers gantry or table rails their bearings and looseness and the machinersquos frame In fact anything and everything that holds the tool and material in the proper relationship during the cuttingengraving process contributes to or detracts from structural integrity
Why is it importantIn a word Quality Structural integrity influences
the quality of the finished products the machine will produce
For illustration Irsquoll use a mechanical engraving system If the looseness in our machine and the cutting force applied were uniform throughout the 360deg of tool rotation the result would be a wobble in the tool path which might not be visible in the finished product
Cutting ForcesIn the real world however as the tool moves through
the material the cutting and reactive forces go through a cycle (see diagram 2) When the tool starts the cut there is a spike in force The force will level to a constant through the top side of the cut while itrsquos cutting against the direction of the toolrsquos movement Then it will drop somewhat when itrsquos cutting with the toolrsquos movement and finally fall off on the back side as the cutting edge of the tool enters the void area where the material has already been removed
The amount of force applied during the cutting process will vary depending on the material being
cut the tool and its sharpness the depth of cut the material feed rate and whether or not lubricant is used The cutting force may also vary over the length of the job as the toolrsquos cutting edge wears and becomes dull
Machine Component Looseness
In addition to the cutting force not being uniform throughout the 360deg of tool rotation l o o s e n e s s i n t h e machinersquos structure will also vary For example dur ing the cut t ing operation as the tool transitions through 0deg and 180deg of rotation X axis hysteresis will be a factor in overall machine looseness but Y axis hysteresis will have no effect At 90deg and 270deg the Y axis will become a factor but the X axis will have no impact
In the real world any looseness in the machine will cause an oscillation in the cut which will have its own angle If we could slow the toolrsquos movement we would see this oscillation as a sharp jump in the positional relationship between the tool and material being cut In the finished product this sharp jump in position will result in a jagged cut
December 2007 23Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE ENGRAVING Outline amp OverviewThe Nuts and Bolts of Machine AccuracyMachine accuracy or capability can be defined as a result of six features 1 Resolution ndash the smallest incremental movementpositioning of a speci-fied axis 2 Speed ndash the ability to complete a task in a reasonable amount of time without sacrificing accuracy or creating damage to the machine or product 3 Repeatability ndash the ability to duplicate a previous position without error 4 Hysteresis ndash the ldquosloprdquo or ldquoplayrdquo in motion control components 5 Structural Integrity ndash stiffness or strength ndash the ability to cut materials without error or damage This is especially important for mechanical engrav-ers 6 Structural Tolerances ndash the sum accuracy of a machinersquos mechanical components
Machine ComponentsWersquoll examine nine factors that determine a machinersquos accuracy They include 1 Motors ndash including DC Stepper DC Brushless DC Servo and AC Servo a Spindles ndash motors that rotate the cutting bit b Axis Drive ndash motors that position the material to the cutting bit c Horsepower ratings ndash real versus advertised 2 The Motion Control Drive Unit ndash including Geared Belt and Lead Screws a Lead Screws ndash including Acme Re-circulating Ball Standard and Precision b Mounting ndash including Simple Fixed and Thrust bearing types c Protection ndash Open or Closed 3 Guide Rails ndash Types include V Bearing Rail Bushing Shaft Dove Tail and Re-circulating Ball Bearing 4 Encoders ndash Types include Rotary and Linear Methodologies include incremental or absolute 5 Tachometers ndash used for speed stability acceleration and breaking control for closed loop servo systems 6 Bearings ndash including Sleeve Ball and Linear Re-circulating Ball a Applications ndash including Radial Thrust and Linear b Quality ndash Standard thru Ultra Precision 7 Spindles ndash including topbottom loading Collets and Sleeves 8 Material Hold Down ndash including mechanical clamps and vacuum sys-tems 9 Electronic Interface ndash Computer control methods
Wersquoll also examine Reliability what makes it And Serviceability is it fix-able
If the cutting oscillation is at any angle other than the direction of the cut and the oscillation is great enough a jagged cut will be visible in the finished product A cut deviation of as little as 001rdquo is visible to the naked eye and will most commonly show up on curves and circles but may show up on straight lines as well
To illustrate this point a little further and perhaps make it somewhat clearer Irsquod like to refer to diagrams 3 and 4 For purposes of these illustrations we will assume we have a machine that has some looseness on both the X and Y axes However the rest of the machine
is structurally solid the frame is rigid and no other components have any loosenessMaking these assumptions and disregarding the variation in force caused by the cutter
as it travels through the material we will have cutting oscillations at 0deg 180deg 90deg and 270deg during the toolrsquos rotation As the tool travels through the material on its path these oscillations will cause a slight variation in the centerline of the toolrsquos cut
Diagram 3 shows a horizontal tool path While the machine is cutting in this direction any X axis looseness will be masked by the cutter path itself however looseness in the Y axis will result in a slight oscillation in the cutterrsquos horizontal position and therefore a deviation in its cut Diagram 4 shows the effect of the X axis looseness which will impact vertical lines
As you can see from this discussion and these illustrations structural integrity ie looseness in the components from which a machine is constructed can make a significant difference in quality of the finished products that a machine will produce
Next time wersquoll consider structural tolerances and their impact
John McDaniel with his wife Judy are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry For information on training services offered and their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom They can be reached by phone at 541-967-4271 via SKYPE (user name JHMcDaniel) or via email at JHMcDanielCorelDRAWhelpcom See the full bio on the Writers Page
December 2007 24Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
the image the text and the red bow In the laser file for this example I have the red cut line for vectoring (See Figure 5)
5) Send the cardstock through the printer6) Place the cardstock in the laser for vector
cutting The thickness of the stock will determine what settings to use For my 35-watt laser using a medium weight cardstock I used a speed of 100 and power of 15 for a nice cut through the stock without any burn marks on the paper
7) Optional in one run I decided to let the laser take care of the bow instead of using color for it from my printer I set the outline of the bow to 100 black and the interior of the bow to 50 black (See Figure 6)
8) Then I only sent the image and text through the printer The bow and vector cutting occurred in the laser I set the raster engraving (of the bow) at speed 70 and power 40 (See Figure 7) You can see the differentiation of using 100 black as opposed to 50 black by the exterior lines
being engraved a little deeper than the rest of the fill
Take the idea of using patterns (like the birth announcement above) and wowing your clientele with the detail and intricacy that laser can provide Or add a twist to a holiday tradition (cards) Whatever you do donrsquot forget you can combine the advantages of the printer and laser for fabulous products
Submitted by Kathryn Arnold Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
LASER TIPBy Kathryn Arnold Applications
Combining Laser amp Printer PowerComing up with new and
inventive ways to use your laser is the key to a successful and growing business We will look at a way to combine the power of your computer (ink) printer with the power of the laser engraver
In this lesson we will take a look at using cardstock to create a card and an announcement See the examples of a holiday card and a birth announcement ndash gratuitously they are of my family (Figure 1 amp Figure 2)
1) In CorelDRAWreg use any pattern image text you wish Be sure that there is a clear and discernible vector line that will be laser cut and yield a cut piece from the cardstock2) See the clear (red) cut line ndash it goes fully around my object even the bow portion (important) I then duplicated my object to fit as many as possible on my 8 frac12 x 11 cardstock (See Figure 3) 3) I saved this file as my master file that I could return to at any point I then created two copies -- one that will
be used to send the file to my printer and one that will be used to send the file to my laser engraver (See Figure 4)
4) In the master file I have every part of what my end product will have In the file for my printer I only have the parts that the printer will print ndash in this example
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
December 2007 25Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
ELECTRONICS FRONTIERBy Louie Alvarez Opportunity
Webcams are an interesting subject which I am intimately familiar with Some typical questions are what are they what purpose do they serve what benefit are they what to look for and various other questions concerns and issues
Webcams surely bring back a memory or two not all that great I might add I remember when they first became usable primarily due to the Internet having affordable true broadband
First experiences The choppy poor quality of dial-up service
simply didnrsquot make this a useful technology Short of communicating with far-flung family members it left much to be desired With my immediate family living in Las Vegas and all other family (parents siblings cousins etc) living in California this was a technology I thought would be useful to keep in touch
So I set up my computer and my momrsquos computer with Webcams to stay in touch Needless to say with the poor quality terrible tracking (had to keep perfectly
sti l l because video frames didnrsquot refresh fas t enough) the hard-to-see tiny video window and poorly synchronized voices to the faces (we looked like a badly translated kung fu movie) the novelty quickly wore off (Irsquod say in about 30 minutes)
WebcamsSecond attempt
So I promptly dumped the technology for the next few years until I started seeing broadband picking up the pace and more interest in Webcams becoming obvious from all the new devices on the market So about three years ago a wireless Webcam caught my eye and I decided to put it to the test once again
Considering I was by then traveling quite extensively (about 40000 miles a year) I figured Irsquod use it to monitor my home I had two teenagers and a 5-year-old at home at the time while I was on the road and my wife was still a t work (She normally didnrsquot get off work until about two hours after school was out) So this looked to be a cool device to see if as the clicheacute goes when the catrsquos away the mice will play
I proceeded to position this wireless Webcam strategically to allow viewing of my living room including the back door Plus to get to the front door or side door you would have to pass through the field of the camera My little one loved the idea of being on camera for her daddy and would dance play and make funny faces for me Pretty cool actually That in itself almost justified the camera but needless to say my teenagers even my wife didnrsquot take to the idea too well So it was returned and life continued on as usual
That experience did show me that the broadband
speeds the quality of the video feeds the prevalence on the net of live cams and the quality of the video cameras (better known as Webcams) had progressed to a level of usefulness and I could see the potential of this technology With that said letrsquos get into the heart of this article
So what are webcams Basically they are digital cameras attached to
the computer and connected to the Web or Instant Messaging (IM) This allows the camera to be linked to a website or to each other directly and individuals who view the website or IM are able to see what the camera is viewing at that moment You can choose to get either still pictures that are updated at regular intervals (Snapshot) or live streams (Streaming) depending on what your bandwidth permits The WebCam technology has advanced sufficiently now to make it both easier and cheaper to maintain a camera that is refreshing an image 24 hours a day
Features of Web Cameras Listed here are some of the features more commonly
found in WebCams1 Live streaming video still pictures updated2 No plug-in or software necessary to view image
can be viewed with any Web browser3 Live audio4 Incorporation with other software such as Instant
Messaging (IM)5 Adding captionslogostime displays6 Archiving video7 Chat feature
December 2007 26Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
WebCams in an instructional scenario could be used to
Monitor your staff or employees thus being able to guide them better
Telecommute to companies worldwide and demonstrate project procedures
B roadcas t sem ina rs wo rkshops o r demonstrations
Share special events and programs with students enrolled in distance learning courses
Hold a video press conference online meeting or broadcast meetings and discussions
In some cases it is important for the learner to be able to establish a connection visually WebCams could be a good alternative to using text files or audio files
Join WebCam groups and allow students to take advantage of other WebCam locations for educational purposes
Using a web camera allows learners to be a part of either a conference or classstudio
Benefits of using WebCamsa The most important advantage of using a web camera is that it creates a direct link between the camera and the live site and dispenses with all the production work Production work in this context includes the cost and effort involved in shooting
editing and streaming videos Thus using a WebCam does not require
advanced skillsb The software is basically a Web server that runs on your system and pushes images out to a Web page For viewers of images delivered over a WebCam
one of the benefits is that they get the entire picture preferable in
certain cases rather than a sleek edited versionc WebCam technology can also be used for remote s u r v e i l l a n c e s y s t e m s
ELECTRONIC FRONTIER
monitoring events or places and broadcasting live eventsd Learners can link to a web camera-monitored location and just watch or also have an additional web camera in their own location enabling two-way communication
Setting up your WebCama Setting up your own WebCam obviously requires a computer a WebCam (the hardware) and WebCam software along with a broadband Internet connection Before you decide which camera to buy and which software to acquire yoursquoll have to review the different methods to show pictures or video feed through the Internet ( i e r e f r e s h e d after x amount of seconds) This will enable you to decide which hardware and software solution will fit your situation best
b P l a c e m e n t of a camera is an important decision to be made Decide whether a static angle is sufficient to demonstrate the concept or a moving camera (handheld) is required It is important however to remember the limitations of using WebCams and leave the panoramic and other fancy shots to more sophisticated video Use WebCams for videos that require more focus and ones that require a smaller viewingmovement range
c For detailed technical instructions on using WebCams visit httpdeveloperswebcamworldcommethodshtml
d Here is a good resource for inexpensive Webcams on the market httpcastlepricewatchcomssearchasps=webcams
e For an in-depth review of various Webcams on the market go to this link httpreviewscnetcom4244-6502_7-0-1htmlquery=webamptag=cat_1
f There are many Webcam examples online here are a couple httpwwwwebcamworldcom or httpwwwleonardsworldscomcamerahtml
By the way DONrsquoT TELL MY KIDS I picked up a Logitech QuickCam Pro 4000 not too long ago My family doesnrsquot know why I got it or what my intention is but I can say that now that my kids are 17 16 amp 8 my job as a parent is to ensure the mice donrsquot play when the catrsquos awayhellip
Louie Alvarez began acquiring his experience in the awards and engraving industry in Central California over 15 years ago first as an employee of the largest and oldest trophy shop and then as owner of one of the first laser engraving businesses Louie has been a featured workshop instructor and seminar speaker throughout the industry in addition to being a contributing writer to numerous industry publications Louie is based in Las Vegas NV and can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
December 2007 27Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
The Association of CorelDRAWreg Professionals is The Education amp Business Resource for CorelDRAW Users Worldwide Its goal is to help 1) IMPROVE your CorelDRAW skills and 2) MAKE MONEY with those skills You can participate in ACDRP services in four ways
THE WORLDrsquoS ONLY ASSOCIATION FOR CORELDRAWreg USERSINVITES YOU TO MAKE MORE MONEY WITH CORELDRAW
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month focused on Industry News via the Graphics News Wire Links to valuable resources and a complete educa-tion and show Calendar S
CorelDRAWPro the Entrepreneurial magazine for CorelDRAW users features in-depth content on How to Use CorelDRAW -- tips tricks advanced ar twork success s to r ies in te rv iews and more How to Apply CorelDRAW -- for graphic production processes such as embroidery engraving heat printing laser promo products printing sandblasting signmaking sublimation and screenprinting How to Profit from CorelDRAW -- Product news business columns reviews profiles and advertising with live links
SUBSCRIBE -- NO CHARGE JOIN -- $60 PER YEAR
All users of CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite are qualified to subscribe free to CorelDRAWPro magazine (PDF format) and CorelDRAWPro E-News
Subscription to CorelDRAWPro amp CorelDRAWPRo E-News
TTF Newsletter Subscription to the monthly Tips Templates amp Fixtures Newsletter only available to members
GSG Basic Listing You can list your services in the Graphic Services Guide in one category as part of membership (a $25 value)
Access to QuickLearn A keyword searchable database of 100s of articles on CorelDRAW graphics production and business
All users of CorelDRAWreg are invited to join the Association and take advantage of exclusive content discounts and profes-sional recognition ACDRP membership includes
TTF
QuickLearn
QuickTNT
Archives
BASIC GSG LISTING -- $25 PER YR
The Graphic Services Guide is the Industry Yellow Pages for Services and Finished Goods GSG is promoted in all our publi-cations and our website to the world of CorelDRAW users Your listing gives you the opportunity to promote your services (in any of 40 categories) to other CorelDRAW usersThe Basic Listing includes your company description email link and listing in one category Additional service categories are $10 each per year
The Enhanced GSG Listing is for companies that want to list in two categories and add a photo or logo
ENHANCED GSG LISTING -- $50$75 PER YR
Classifieds
Access to QuickTnT A growing database of CorelDRAW tips for understanding the fine points of the program and templates that can be downloaded to speed up your production
Access to Archives Past issues of CorelDRAWPro are available to members with live links
Bookstore Discounts Members receive a 10 discount on all products in the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore
Professional Recognition Use of the ACDRP logo for professional identification on business cards websites and letterhead You also receive a membership certificate
Classified Ads Members can place one classified ad per year at no charge with photo and run it till the item is sold (a $35 value)
HOW TO PARTICIPATE To Subscribe (no charge) To Join ($60yr) To List in the Graphic Services Guide ($25 Basic $50$75 Enhanced or $120145 for Multi-Service)
CorelDRAWreg is a registered trademark of Corel Corp and is used with permission
Visit wwwcoreldrawprocomand click on the appropriate links
800-276-8428
The Multi-Service GSG Listing allows you to list up to 40 differ-ent service categories with detailed descriptions and add a photo or logo
MULTI-SERVICE GSG LISTING -- $120$145 PER YR
December 2007 28Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Throughout the year this publication has reported on whatrsquos new in equipment tools and software and blank products for businesses that put graphics onto products
For this 2007 wrap-up CorelDRAWPro editorial staff reviewed all the product news for the year and named 33 products to its annual Top Products of the Year list
Selections were based on the criteria of innovation and impact Innovation means products that exhibit a high degree of originality or uniqueness Impact means products that influence sales or productivity for a large number of businesses
Note that the 2007 honorees are list alphabetically in the three theme sections
For more information on the products in this article click on the Info Request button at the bottom of each page and select by company name or product You might open the Info Request page and minimize it as you read That way you can quickly open it and check the products you want
EQUIPMENT
ANAJET DIRECT-TO-GARMENT DIGITAL PRINTERAnaJet Digital Apparel Printer (Model FP-125) from
AnaJet Inc in Costa Mesa CA is a direct-to-garment printer offering high quality and affordability It can print custom graphics on any cotton or poly-cotton flat textile material in one minute The printer priced affordably from under $13000 can produce up to 5000 shirts per month each retailing for about $20 Most printers installed so far are in a production plant environment but some customers have started to take the mobile printer to malls for instant printing of customer graphics According to Dr Chase Roh company president the unique printhead they have developed allows for 16x more ink flow than normal desktop printers and thus shirts only require one pass
Top Products of the Year
DTG AMERICA ECLIPSE D-1 WITH TWO HEADS DTG America of Tampa FL and Fort Worth TX now offers a new solution to
speed up digitally printing to dark shirts The Eclipse D-1 incorporates two heads instead of one One head has eight channels of white to lay down a solid white underbase The second head has four channels of white to do highlights and four channels of color to lay down the design The result of this new configuration is the underbase and color are completed in one pass at an estimated average of only two minutes per shirt for a 12-inch by 6-inch area Other innovations include an ink agitator firmware for easy updating ink vapor remover auto gap adjustment and new platen configuration for easy loading
GEO KNIGHT DK 25SP HEAT PRESSThe Digital Knight DK25SP is an air-operated automatic
20x25 oversized swing-away heat press with a state-of-the-art control system and heavy-duty solid steel welded framework The smooth automatic pressing and push-button activation provides a productive fatigue-free operation The extended 20x25 size of the heat platen is perfect for sublimation and large-format materials pressingThe press is adjustable to accommodate materials from fabric thickness all the way up to 1rdquo thick substrates For more information call 800-525-6766 or visit wwwheatpresscom
GRAPHTEC CRAFT ROBO PROGraphtec America Inc based in Santa Ana
CA introduced the new Craft ROBO Pro 15rdquo cutting plotter The Craft ROBO Pro is an ideal solution for cutting a wide variety of materials including vinyl film card stock foil heat transfer and image transfer media Incorporating Graphtecrsquos legendary
December 2007 29Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
ARMS (Advanced Registration Marks System) and combined with a desktop printer the Craft ROBO Pro makes contour cutting an easy task Innovations include a new digital servo motor first mark auto-sensing menu navigation system that includes 8 user-defined conditions Tangential Control and three software applications
ROLAND RELEASES DIRECT-TO-FABRIC PRINTERRoland DGA Corp of Irvine CA released
the new 74rdquo HeatWave DFP-74 Fabric Printer through its reseller channel in the US Based on Rolandrsquos HeatWave sublimation technology the DFP-74 Fabric Printer is a complete integrated solution and Rolandrsquos first inkjet ever to support direct printing onto polyester fabrics As a complete solution including printer sublimation unit inks and RIP software the DFP-74 makes it easier than ever for shops to enter the fast-growing textile printing market Key features include eight advanced piezo print heads an intelligent media handling system and a temperature-controlled heating system
HOTRONIX PERFECT PRESSURE HEAT PRESSHotronix of Carmichaels PA has taken heat press technology
to the next level with Perfect Pressure a new digital pressure display functionThis new feature has a single-digit LED readout
that measures the pressure of the inner platen This technology is exclusive to Hotronix and is patent pending Previously a
digital pressure display was available only on air-operated heat press machines With this new pressure display gauge all heat press users will have more consistent results from job to job reducing the number of misprints and speeding up production For more information about
the new digital pressure display contact Stahlsrsquo Hotronix at 800-478-2457 e-mail infostahlscom or visit the Web site at wwwstahlscom
SWF DREAM EMBROIDERY MACHINEWith its new DREAM Machine SWF has broken the barrier in multi-head
embroidery machine technology The DREAM machines are the first multi-head embroidery machines that truly can sew at 1500 stitches per minute During the research and development of these new machines 12 new patents were filed and granted proof that the DREAM machines are built with state-of-the-art technology
Innovations include LED control panel error codes to quickly troubleshoot problems optional devices to do sequins cording and boring automatic oiling system large memory a hoop selector and more These innovative new machines come in configurations ranging from
two to six heads It is distributed exclusively by SWF East (Tampa FL) and SWF MESA (Dallas TX)
MESArsquoS HOTFIX SPANGLE MOTIF MACHINEWith the all new YAS-11 Hotfix Spangle Motif Making
Machine the first of its kind in the United States you can create beautiful spangle transfer designs that have the look of sequins This patented machine which is distributed exclusively in the United States by MESA Distributors of Fort Worth TX cuts out shapes such as circles and squares in a range of sizes from reels of Mylar tape The machine comes with proprietary design software that allows the user to create any pattern or design up to 157 by 157 inches
SAWGRASSrsquo HYBRID SYSTEM FOR EPSON R1800Sawgrass Technologies of Mt Pleasant SC introduced
the SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid System for the Epson R1800 for both sublimation printing and cotton
decorating from one machine The affordable entry-level system features dual functionality with both SubliJet and ChromaBlast inks in one machine allowing users to create customized images with superior color and clarity on both polyester coated substrates and cotton garments This is the second
hybrid system from Sawgrass following in the footsteps of the popular SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid
System for the Epson 4800
TROTECrsquoS NEW LARGE PLATFORM LASER Trotec Laser Inc of Ypsilanti MI has introduced the SP500 series of laser
engraving and cutting systems The systems have a work area of 50rdquo X 28rdquo and X-Axis clearance of 12rdquo The systems are offered in power levels from 45W-200W There is an available pass-through option (Class 4) Exhaust fumes are captured
December 2007 30Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
at the laser head to insure an efficient extraction when using the pass-through featureTrotec systems are designed for minimal wear-and-tear and eliminate the need for periodic replacement of belts and bearings For additional information visit our web site wwwtrotecnet or call 866-226-8505 734-484-3260
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW PROFESSIONAL SERIESUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) of Scottsdale
AZ added four new models in its Professional Laser Series (PLS) line of advanced high-productivity computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving systems The new PLS line which replaces Universalrsquos M V and X laser systems incorporates a
host of evolutionary design improvements to the laser cartridge platform chassis system electronics and software interface The new PLS models include several
powerful new features most notably a unique materials-based print driver called ldquoLaser Interface +rdquo that gives users their choice
between automatic or manual control over power speed and other system settings For more information on Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit Universal Laser Systems online at wwwulsinccom
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW VERSALASERUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) added a
new version of its desktop-sized VersaLasertrade
computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving system The new VersaLaser
improves on the award-winning original thanks to a host of evolutionary design refinements It also
includes a unique next-generation materials-based print driver that automatically calculates power speed
and other system settings It was awarded a patent for the unique design of its external cabinet which also functions as a Class 1 laser safety enclosure For more information about VersaLaser or Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit wwwulsinccom
US SCREENrsquoS FAST T-JET 3US Screen Print and Inkjet Technology of Tempe
AZ adds the Fast T-Jet3TM which features 30 faster print speeds compared to the previous T-Jet2 model and has a longer low profile print bed for easier loading and unloading Now you can produce a full size 12rdquo x 12rdquo (305 x 305 cm) print in one minute on a light shirt and in under three minutes on a black shirt with white ink Small pocket images can be printed in about 15 seconds
US SCREENrsquoS AUTOMATED PRETREATMENT CENTER
Speed up production when using Fast T-Jet inkjet-to-garment printers with the AutoTREATtrade Automatic Pretreatment Center
This versatile piece of equipment allows you to treat shirts on a production level rather than spraying shirts individually one at a time For use with light or dark shirts the AutoTREATtrade
can spray up to three shirts per minute It has two application modesmdashone for lights and one for darks that can be switched over by activating the cleaning mode which flushes out the system with water
TOOLS MATERIALS SOFTWARE
CORELDRAW X3 CERTIFIED FOR WINDOWS VISTACorel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that
CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite X3 has been Certified for Windows Vista Customers who wish to install the Certified for Windows Vista version of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X3 can download the latest service pack (SP2) from wwwcorelcom This new update delivers an exceptional experience for customers on Windows Vista including an updated user interface enhanced security improved text handling and further enhancements to the popular suitersquos renowned import and export file compatibility
COREL LAUNCHES NEW ONLINE COMMUNITY Corel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that it
has launched httpcoreldrawcom a new online community for users of the CorelDRAWreg family of products ndash including CorelDRAW Graphics Suite Corel DESIGNERreg Technical Suite
December 2007 31Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
and Corelreg DRAWingsreg This new community site is the first in a series that Corel will be launching to support its various user communities Designed to fuel inspiration CorelDRAWcom combines forums blogs and galleries for design professionals and graphic hobbyists alike Forums are available in English French German and Spanish serving an international audience
DALCOrsquoS NEW REFLECTIVE HEAT TRANSFERSCater to the safety market with new reflective transfers offered
by Dalco Athletic of Dallas TX These durable transfers come in a reflective silver gray color in three styles police sheriff and fire dept They are sized for left chest and full back so
all you have to do is heat seal for 8 seconds and yoursquore done Itrsquos very fast and easy
DALCOrsquoS NEW OPTIC YELLOW CLASSIC SWB APPLIQUE
Classic SWB appliqueacute designs offered by Dalco Athletic now come in two new styles softballs and tennis balls in optic yellow fabric These new balls literally jump off any wearable and make it an eye-catching standout This appliqueacute collection is ideal for spiritwear items to be sold to fans and family or created as fund-raisers for boosters clubs
POWER GRAPHICS 3 FROM DIGITAL ART SOLUTIONSPower Graphics 3 by Digital Art Solutions of
Tempe AZ is the ultimate design tool for the creation of high-end custom graphics and logos for custom signage awards vehicle graphics promotional products and apparel graphics Tuned to the latest styles and trends it provides fresh graphics that will impress even the most critical and demanding customer It includes more than 1500 images The 10 design categories include Flames Gangsta (Urban) Mascots Offroad Rebel (Biker and Hot
Rod) Retro Speed Sports Surf and Tuner
FLORIANI COMMERCIALrsquoS NEW NO-SHOW DIAMOND MESHContinuing in its tradition of research and development
to create embroidery stabilizers that meet the needs of todayrsquos embroiderers Floriani Embroidery Commercial Division of Knoxville TN released a new product called Floriani No-Show Diamond Mesh This unique nylon mesh stabilizer has a perpendicular embossed pattern that makes it more multi-directionally stable and enables it to better hold stitches for crisper design registration It is specifically designed for light-colored garments where traditional stabilizers have a tendency to show through the front of the garment
GREAT DANErsquoS NEW DIGITAL PHOTO FRAMES Tap into the lucrative team market with an
incredible collection of stock art specially designed to work for direct-to-garment printers sublimation transfers and digital transfers Digital Photo Frames Volume 1 is a collection of spectacular pre-designed layouts each with one or more frames to
insert personal photos The collection includes five categories baseball football basketball soccer and hockey Each category has four designs (20 total layouts) and each design comes in three template formats mugs mouse pads and shirts
So there are a total of 60 template designs in all
IMPRINTABLES WAREHOUSE OFFERS SPECTRA ECO FILMNew from Imprintables Warehouse of
Masontown PA is a digital cutter material that is free of PVC a plus with companies that want to be as environmentally friendly as possible Spectra Eco Film is made with ecological polyurethane and is peeled hot It is pressure sensitive (sticky backing) and extremely easy to weed While maintaining superior durability and opacity this new film is thinner than current offerings on the market and delivers the super soft hand that is in demand by todayrsquos consumers It can be used on 100 cotton 100 polyester polycotton blends and even nylon and leather
December 2007 32Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
KISSCUT TECHNOLOGIESrsquo SELF-WEEDING INKJET TRANSFER PAPER
Kiss Cut Technologies Ltd Newcastle UK has addressed the ldquopolymer windowrdquo issue and developed the worldrsquos first self-weeding inkjet transfer paper for printing to textiles In simple terms only the areas of their patented transfer paper that have been printed will be transferred to the garment when heat pressed A Kiss Cut print can be further embellished with specialized textile foils so in effect a digital foiling method is now available Foil is heat pressed onto the garment and when peeled the foil only sticks to the image areas
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW PHOTOPLAS-TIC MATERIALLaserSketchcom of Lemont IL a leading supplier of
LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble Super Black Granite and Black Onyx Jewelry introduces their new PhotoPlas-Tic This is a new material developed for front andor reverse laser engraving on micro surface impact acrylic plastic It is a premium plastic for laser engraving that is UV stable ideal for photo badges plaques trophies signage and high-end awards Each sheet of PhotoPlas-Tic is specially designed for a crisp clean burn and ultra-fine laser lettering logo and vector output For details call 630-243-6360 or visit wwwlasersketchcom
THEMAGICTOUCH LAUNCHES WOW TRANSFER PAPERTheMagicTouch USA launched WoW Professional
71 transfer paper which requires no weeding or profile cutting and the vibrant colors are achieved using digital laser technology making it great for short runs It uses PolymationTM which incorporates a newly designed catalyst that provides the ultimate compatibility with all generations of dry toner material According to the company PolymationTM is the next generation of laser heat transfer Sublimation requires the substrate to have a specialty receiving polymer coating to absorb the pigments but PolymationTM delivers everything at once polymer pigments and catalyst
December 2007 33Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
offers distinct advantages over any other process It allows for an unlimited number of colors and very fine detail which is impossible with screen printing or embroidery And the cost does not go up as colors are added These new specialty materials are so advanced they can be heat sealed to all kinds of fabrics and hot new multimedia designs can be easily done
VAPOR APPAREL LAUNCHES VAPOR ART VOLUME 1V a p o r A p p a r e l
a s u b s i d i a r y o f SourceSubstrates LLC Charleston SC announces the launch of Vapor Art - Volume 1 a collection of 127 vector graphics for digital sublimation and general use The diverse collection
of high-quality graphics comes after several years of customers requesting access to the companyrsquos sample art at trade shows and educational events The Collection of art includes vector drawings and JPGs for everything from mountain biking and snowboarding to yoga and cheerleading
BLANK PRODUCTS
COLORADO HEIRLOOMrsquoS COLOR LACQUERED FRAMES
Colorado Heirloom Inc of Loveland CO introduced their new Color Lacquered Frames This is an option to add color your unique creations It is not color fill Colored lacquer is sprayed on their high quality wood frames Because
INKTRA STRETCH TRANSFER PAPER FROM STAHLSrsquoStahlsrsquo based in St Clair
Shores MI adds InkTratrade Stretch a flexible transfer paper A revolutionary product InkTratrade Stretch provides a soft hand with an amazing stretch and recovery feature InkTratrade Stretch lets you take your favorite photo or graphic design and apply it to light colored or white hats shirts bags and more for a long lasting and completely personalized garment The highly stretchable paper can be applied to cotton polycotton blends spandex and Lycrareg
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo GOOF-PROOF TRANSFERSWant the look of screen
printing without the hassle With Goof Proofreg transfers offered by Transfer Express of Mentor OH you can custom order a transfer that has the popular athletic feel and will apply in a blazing four seconds Ordering is done step-by-step online and you can customize hundreds of designs You choose your
typeface colors and size Once your design is just the way you want it you can print it out to show a customer for approval Or Transfer Express can print from your artwork The minimum order is only five pieces and your one-color order ships in one to three working days
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo NEW FULL-COLOR DIGI PRINTSApparel decorators can now offer full-color designs on light
and dark apparel made of virtually any type of fabric without the hassle or minimums of screen printing with new state-of-the-art heat transfer technology called Digi Printstrade Offered through Transfer Express this revolutionary new method of decorating
December 2007 34Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
lacquer is used instead of paint any design can be lasered on these frames The possibilities are endless These colorful creations are offered in two different designs -- a designer frame and a frame with an insert Call 970-667-4222 or visit wwwcoloradoheirloomcom
CONDE ADDS PET MATS FOR SUBLIMATIONCondeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added food bowl placemats and litter box
mats to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Favorite photographs and pet-related artwork can be transferred to the
mats to create fun products for individual pet lovers or for the pet industry such as pet stores veterinarians groomers boarding facilities and animal adoption groups Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing Call Conde at 800-826-6332
CONDE INTRODUCES FABRIC PATCHES FOR SUBLIMATION
Condeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added fabric patches to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Custom decorators can now produce unique full-color patches that will impress organizations businesses clubs sports teams sports enthusiasts and individuals alike -- without the use of embroidery Heat seal patches are great for identification marketing awards trade show promotions or to commemorate special events Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing or call 800-826-6332
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW LASERSLABLaserSketch of Lemont IL Internationally known for
their LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble and Super Black Granite announces LaserSlab Super Black Granite at 4rsquo x 8rsquo x 7mm and 4rsquo x 4rsquo x 7mm weighting in at just over 2 pounds per square foot The surface of the LaserSlab Granite has the sheen of a black mirror The reverse side features epoxy fiberglass backing to give structure integrity to the ultra-lite granite sheet All may be viewed wwwlasersketchcom or by calling LaserSketch 630-243-6360
MATTHEWS INTRODUCES ALUMICOLORTM
Matthews International Corp of Pittsburgh PA introduced Alumicolortrade a high-resolution graphics solution for aluminum signage recognition commemoration and way finding Using cutting-edge technology Matthews embeds a four-color image into the aluminum to create an anodized reproduction of unsurpassed durability Alumicolortrade products which are designed for interior and exterior installations are resistant to extreme weather conditions graffiti scuffing grease chemicals and UV rays Additionally they will not chip crack or peel
PSI ADDS ROUND FRAMES amp STRING PUZZLES Paramount Services Inc of Hollywood FL
introduced new round resin frames for sublimation tiles Choose from Coral or RopeStone with optional Unisubreg Hardboard Tiles They will also accept the Bison 8rdquo round glass Cutting Board Why be square when round may fit better PSI also introduced a new puzzle guaranteed to string you along These String Puzzles come with a Unisubreg Hardboard puzzle and the necessary string and beads along with instructions how to string it after printing Templates to aid in design are available for download in several formats For details call 800-455-7212 or visit wwwDye-Sublimation-Productscom
CRYSTALEDGEreg LUXORTM CRYSTAL AWARDSCrystalEdgereg Chicago IL presented the Luxortrade Series
This stunning cost-effective collection comprises a series of specially designed Rosewood and Black Piano finish bases Matte Mahogany and Matte Black bases and a precision cast Satin Nickel Finish Metal Base with your choice of brass or silver hardware for mounting our twelve unique shapes making this the most versatile award yet Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks are curved 14rdquo thick crystal clear glass with 316rdquo diameter holes for mounting The Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks feature a generous engraving area and there is plenty of room on the base to add an engraving plate
December 2007 35Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
XENETECHrsquoS NEW ENGRAVABLE GIFTSXenetech of Baton Rouge
LA introduced high quality engravable gift items at wholesale and quantity discounts The Xenetech collection provides a selection of gifts created for corporate recognition weddings births holidays anniversaries retirements birthdays special occasions or just expressing appreciation Items include money clips key chains book markers desk accessories quartz movement clocks flasks amp wine accessories entertainment gifts travel gifts genuine Swiss Army knives business card holders luggage tags silver-plated jewelry boxes keepsake gift boxes silver-plated banks and baby gifts The gift items are designed primarily for diamond drag burnishing and rotary engraving personalization
UNISUBrsquoS CHROMALUXE PHOTO PANELSChromaLuxe photo panels are an exciting new line
of sublimatable products from Unisub of Louisville KY These panels allow you to sell a completely finished photo product to your customers capturing some of the additional revenue (and profit) your customers now spend elsewhere on framing Available in a range of traditional photo sizes as well as exciting new shapes these panels can be joined together to create stunning photo displays -- perfect for a fireplace mantle l i b r a r y s h e l f or the top of an armoire Available in aluminum or MDF substrates
CorelDRAWPro IndexOne of our members in Michigan
requested that we put together an Index of all the articles wersquove published during the year
He prints out all the issues and puts them in binders but an Index would make it easy to reference specific articles We think itrsquos a good idea and wersquoll send it to all subscribers in January
Product Focus TopicsJanuary 2008 -- Signage Products esp Wide FormatFebruary 2008 -- Engraving Awards amp GiftsMarch 2008 -- Apparel ProductsApril 2008 -- Laser Wood Products
Coming in 2008
December 2007 36Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETSBy Donna M Gray CRM Opportunities
December ndash Time to Review December finds everyone on our team strategizing how to get out of our parking lot Our business sits right in the middle of an up-scale strip mall which sits right behind a huge shopping mall and right along the main road to a Target Superstore and other large malls We all know that from the day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday) until 2 weeks after the New Year there are great challenges to those of us who like to leave the building for lunch or run an errandhellipso we strategize We all know every secret shortcut to the bank the post office and the warehouse club What we donrsquot know is how to find the way to merge out of our own back alley into the constant flow of traffic that carries people to their end shopping destination Whew
The year-end review So this year Dave and I have decided to stay in at lunch and do our business strategizing instead Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup are good brain food for helping us to look at all the successful things we did last year as a company all the things we thought about doing but didnrsquot because the idea didnrsquot quite fit and all the things we put off until next year We do this kind of exercise every year end and it helps us to map out our strategy for the coming year In the process we identify any mistakes wersquove made wrong turns wersquove taken and we try to find the ldquowhat could have happened had everything gone rightrdquo
The value of making mistakes Albert Einstein said ldquoAnyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything newrdquo Dave has a couple of prints in his office of Abraham Lincoln that describe his mistakes in fact it took Lincoln eight tries to win the presidency Thomas Edison made mistakeshellipand yet he perseveredhellipotherwise wersquod by ldquocomputingrdquo by candlelight And Irsquove heard that Colonel
Sanders had a thousand rejections before he sold his first chicken recipe It would be nice to get to our year end business appraisals and find that wersquove made no mistakes but our business like most others doesnrsquot have that claim to fame My mother always took the high road with mistakes She always said that one should recognize the benefits of a mistake One should learn what good came from it use it to improve and use it to help motivate success the next time So December is the time to analyze everything that made up the past year and look for ways to make the New Year successful in every way
Making a plan Most advisors say that the first step toward business success after looking at a companyrsquos year ending history is to decide on exactly what you want to do going forward in the coming year Then comes mapping out the plan What will be done How will it get done Who will do what What resources will be used When will it get done Is the right equipment in place Is the space adequate Ask these and any other questions that could relate to creating a successful year then focus on the details and follow through Those two wordshellipfocus and follow throughhellipcould mean the difference between marginal and abundant success Simply stated success comes from what you do and the way you do ithellipin your customerrsquos perception Every business wants to have a good imagehellipa good reputation so dedication to having good communication skills is important especially in an industry that does custom work The goal is to be on the same page as our clients so we have to be good mind readers We have to also concentrate on our professionalism on our appearance on our presentation style and in the pride we take in producing a well-done project This
has worked in the past and will remain the same in the future
The extra mile Success has to be nurturedhellipthen it gets celebrated Sometimes sacrifices have to be made to get to the rewards At year end when we analyze how we got from Point A to Point B itrsquos interesting to note that we sometimes had to take detours and sometimes the road blocks called for sacrificehellipof time or money Sometimes the sacrifice came in the way of a sleepless night worrying if an order that was lost in delivery would be found and re-routed to us in time to make a clientrsquos deadline Someone (unknown) said ldquoA day of worry is more exhausting than a week of workrdquo Anyone in business could testify to that Part of success is going the extra milehellipeven if it results in a sleepless night Going the extra mile is worth all the paid advertising in the world on the road to success
December 2007 37Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETS
Donna Grayrsquos 2nd book Itrsquos All Relative Surviving amp Thriving in a Family Business was published in September 2007
It describes her quest to identify the keys to suc-cess for small business and family businesses in particular She interviewed top businesses nationwide and discovered five common qualities implemented by successful business owners Check it out at the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore wwwcoreldrawprocomAllBook-storehtm
Commitments made and kept Our team felt good about some commitments we made and kept this past year like
We used a daily ldquoto-dordquo list and we set priorities in order of importance When we finished a project we ldquocelebratedrdquo and then moved on quickly to the next job We built in some time for ldquostress reliefrdquo with morning meeting breaks This was especially good when treats were served since wersquove got some good bakers on our staff We didnrsquot ldquoscreenrdquo calls through voice mail We considered every call to be important We ldquodid it right the first timerdquo even though it sometimes took longer We tied up all the ldquoloose endsrdquo We became ldquocheerleadersrdquo for each other When one of us accomplished a goal we all applauded We all tried to deliver more than we promised This can be challenging sometimes when working with a difficult project We eliminated (or tried to eliminate) unnecessary procedures and we simplified our paper flow system We spent most of our time on high priority tasks We all worked on our delegation skills We were committed to not wasting time either our own or other peoplersquos
Goals that were lacking Now all those great things being put on paper reminds me that we also had some goals we didnrsquot quite succeed athellipbut wersquoll try harder next year
We didnrsquot always ldquogrouprdquo tasks togetherhelliplike going to the bank and the post office in one trip or answering mail when it gets opened It wasnrsquot always easy to avoid procrastination Some low priority chores got put off There were still times when we couldnrsquot find enough hours to finish the work Our ldquotoolsrdquo didnrsquot always get put away when we were through with a project even though this is Daversquos pet peeve
Conclusion Experts say that we have to actively create our success not wait for it to happen This coming year hopefully none of us will sit in the comfort zone waiting for the phone to ring Therersquos an old Chinese proverb that goes ldquoIt you continually give you will continually haverdquo Our team will go on being involved in community activities When time is spent on worthwhile projects outside the business opportunities come knocking at the front counter Besideshellipat yearrsquos endhellipit makes us feel really good about the help we gave on these projects
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since1977 She can be reached by email at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
December 2007 38Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
GRAPHICS NEWS NETWORKAll these news and information products and services are part of the
Graphics News Network developed for ACDRP The goal is ldquoAll the News All the Time mdash For the World of Graphicsrdquo
GRAPHICS NewsWireThe Graphics News Wire is the always live always updated source for graphics news mdash products equipment technology and more Make it (CorelDRAWProcomNewsPagehtm) your home page or favorite to gain access to Breaking news updated regularly New Classified Ads New Job Announcements Supplier SpecialsAll news is related to graphic productsQuickSourceTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive amp Easy-To-Use
Search Engine
It gives you one-click access to suppliers products phone numbers and live links to ACDRP Member Suppliers Itrsquos always up-to-date searchable by keyword and accessible from your desktop
Quick TnTTM
The Industryrsquos Newest Resource for Graphics Tips amp Templates
Gain access to a growing library of CorelDRAW tips and templates that will make your work easier
QuickLearnTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive and
Easy-To-Use Article Library
Gain access to hundreds of articles on graphics-related and business topics searchable by keyword
The Entrepreneurial Magazine for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro Magazine is delivered to you once a month in PDF format It features in-depth content that readers rave about including articles on how to use CorelDRAW how to apply CorelDRAW and how to profit from CorelDRAW
News Tips amp Resources for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month mdash about the 15th and 25th It brings you highly targeted content that you wonrsquot find elsewhere including CorelDRAW Tips extensive product news links and a calendar of shows and training
MARKET PLACE
Quality Engravable JewelryHand-crafted in New England
GIFTS amp ACCESSORIES FOR WOMEN AND MEN
John E Lepper Inc800-835-3623 Fax 508-222-2732
wwwjeleppercom
GenuineWhite-tone
Pewter amp Gold
Some Things Were Meant To Be In Etched in Stone
Call for a free color catalog
NampR International1155 Allgood Rd 13Marietta GA 30062
678-560-4088Fax 678-560-1157
Importers amp Wholesalers of MarbleOnyx
Gifts amp Accessories
JOIN TODAY
The worldrsquos only association for CorelDRAWreg Users
wwwcoreldrawprocomJoinhtm
Place an Ad for as little as $215 per month
Find out how by calling our Ad Representative John McDaniel II
541-990-6687
the entrepreneurial magazine
GET LISTED TODAY
Generate new businessby doing jobs for others
List your company in GSG the Digital Yellow Pages for the industry wwwcoreldrawprocomListGSGhtm
December 2007 39Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Louie Alvarez started in the industry working for one of the largest trophy shops in Central California and then opened one of the first retail laser engraving businesses He has given seminars and workshops on CorelDRAW and Laser for many years and has written for several publications He is now with Vytek Industrial Lasers and is based in Las Vegas NV He can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
Kathryn Arnold is the Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
Errol Barr has a wide range of experience in sales amp marketing eventually getting into laser systems in 1999 currently with Vytek Industrial Lasers He also sold extensively in the CNC router industry selling the machines as more of a business opportunity wrapped around the machine He can be reached by email at errolbarrgmailcom
Dave Demoret founded Prolink Graphic Services to help people understand and profit from learning CorelDRAW He has been in both the Flat Graphics Industry and the Decorating Graphics Industry for 30 years He has written articles for several publications is a Corel Training Partner and conducts workshops nationwide and online He is the author of several CD Instructional programs on CorelDRAW He can be reached at 765-DO COLOR (362-6567) or davedprolinkgscom
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since 1977 She has presented seminars on a variety of topics nationwide and has won many marketing awards She is the author of two books on family business and can be reached at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
Bill Leek is a color consultant for JBL Graphics in Houston TX and has over 30 years experience in computer engineering and graphics design He has developed several lines of color imprintable products and does testing on a variety of products for different manufacturers He can be reached at wfleekjblgraphicscom or 281-970-6677
Jeff McDaniel is the owner of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon He worked as a journeyman machinist before getting into the graphic products business Creative Graphic offers laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials Contact him at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
John McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry He worked for many years with computers in electronic data processing and pioneered the use of CorelDraw for engraving applications He owned a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years and writes about hardware design software laser engraving sublimation and more He is a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals For information on training and more call 541-967-4271 or write to mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
Judy McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry Her background includes many forms of art and retail sales as well as the operation of a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years She is a regular columnist on sandblasting sublimation and diversifying business as well as a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals She can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
David Milisock is president of Custom Graphic Technologies Inc in Pennsylvania He has been in the print production business since 1975 and specializes in professional support for CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite Output includes computer-to-plate processes for all commercial digital front-end applications as well as Postscript-compliant graphic applications He offers technical and color management support for all RIP-driven corporate digital output systems He can be reached at 717-509-3523 or davidmilisockcomcastnet
Deborah Sexton former editor of Impressions Magazine has been in the apparel graphics industry since 1981 She currently does marketing and public relations for apparel graphics companies and is a columnist for several industry publications She can be reached at dsextonsbcglobalnet
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at 916-567-1867
December 2007 40Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
by Otis Veteto
Traveling Tidbits
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the
RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of
the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Itrsquos a fun and
informative column focusing on the human-interest side of
the industry Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars
for industry organizations and some of that knowledge
will rub off as well He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at
916-567-1867
Reps Volunteers People Skills amp Agreements
RS Owens Southeast RepFirst of all a Traveling Tidbits welcome to
the newest member of the RS Owens Company sales team Anita Brennan Anita is the new Regional Sales Manager for the Southeast She will be calling on you folks in Alabama Tennessee Mississippi Florida Georgia North Carolina and South Carolina Anita has worked in all phases of our industry as a retailer (her own business) multi-line rep and now as a regional sales manager When I asked Anita what she likes to do when not on the road she told me she likes to spend time with her two-year-old granddaughter Kaylee Welcome to the RS Owens family Anita Brennan
Railroad Museum VolunteerI know Christmas is the time for giving
but some people give all year long I was talking recently with Elias Athanasiou whose regular job is a server in a restaurant my wife and I frequent when I am in Sacramento Elias has been associated as a volunteer with the California State Railroad Museum for about 16 years Every Saturday during the ldquorunning seasonrdquo April-September Elias can be found working as a volunteer on the Steam Engine excursion train that runs for 6 miles along the top of the levee on the Sacramento River The ride takes about 40 minutes Elias is the Engineer now but has worked as conductor and fireman in his tenure with the train It is people like Elias Athanasiou that make this a much better world A huge Traveling Tidbits SALUTE You can find out more about the Railroad Museum at wwwcsrmorg
Real People SkillsThis next tidbit is from the PPAI Promotional
Consultant Today The author is Roy Chitwood president of Max Sacks International in Seattle Wash It is entitled To Shine Polish Your People Skills
ldquoPeople buy not because they understand your product or service but because they feel that you understand them People buy emotionally As a professional salesperson you need to be more people-oriented not product centered Here are seven quick and easy techniques to improve your people skills
SMILE It is the universal sign of friendship in any language The Chinese have a proverb ldquoA man who cannot smile should not open a storerdquo Think about that Give a smile and you will get a smile in return
DEVELOP A GENUINE INTEREST IN OTHERS When you have sincere interest it shows Look directly at people when they are talking to you Let your facial expression register your interest Ask good open-ended questions to let people know that you are interested in what they say
TALK IN TERMS OF THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS INTERESTS You will never meet anyone who doesnrsquot have time to talk about what they want to talk about Encourage your prospect to discuss his or interests rather than launching into a discussion about yourself
USE THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS NAME Using a name builds personal rapport and shows you are listening with respect Be careful about overusing the personrsquos name
GIVE COMPLIMENTS Everyone loves a compliment when it is genuine Make a
concentrated effort to give at least 3 honest compliments every day of your life You will be amazed at what it will do for your relationships
LISTEN Listening is the greatest compliment you can pay When you assume the role of the listener it relaxes the sales climate As you listen you are demonstrating that you truly care and you are genuinely interested in what he or she has to say
MAKE THE OTHER PERSON FEEL IMPORTANT When you are sincerely impressed by something the other person has achieved or owns let them know it Understand that fundamentally every person is important and treat them accordingly
Personal comment When I finished reading this I thought to myself ldquoThese make sense in our everyday life not just in salesrdquo
The Third AgreementI will close with the 3rd step from the book
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel RuizDONrsquoT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS Find the
courage to ask questions and to express what you really want Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings sadness and drama
Sounds a little like what I wrote at the beginning of the column doesnrsquot it
Thatrsquos all for now Remember to save some time for yourself and your family And when you travel please travel safe
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE
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December 2007 16Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE PRINTSUBLIMATIONBy Judy and John McDaniel Applications
Creating Sublimation Product Templates
Last time we finished all the background stuff now wersquoll get on to making things Wersquoll start with flat products which include plaques tiles shirts and other garments etc Later wersquoll explore specialty items like cups
Creating a Product Template FileThe first step in designing graphics for any new
product that we intend to make again and again is to create a product template Templates give us layouts into which we can place our text and graphics They may take a little time to set up initially however they make it much easier and faster to produce products once the templates are available
The first step in designing a template is to determine the page size in CorelDRAWreg For sublimated products that requires we decide what size the finished transfer will be The size of the transfer will determine the page size
The finished transfer may or may not be the size of the printed sheet For example if we are printing transfers for t-shirts generally they will be on full 11 x 17 sheets That said we have some layouts that will be printed in portrait orientation vertical on the shirt and some in landscape horizontal We have both styles available as templates If we are including a customerrsquos photo in the finished design the orientation of the photo might determine which template we use
For ceramic tiles the transfer may be the size of an individual tile or perhaps the size of a tile array For plaques the transfer is generally slightly larger than the print area of the plaque -- 4 x 6 5 x 7 8 x 10 etc For badges our template might be the size of a single badge or if we have a fixture for pressing badges our template might be the size of the fixture If wersquore pressing ceramic steins and cups we might have an array of templates some for fronts backs full wraps and full wraps edge to edge
Another variable to consider when creating a sublimation template is the size
of your printer and heat press The largest transfer that can be printed or pressed will determine the upper limit of the templatersquos page size These factors are only of concern for large items like shirts
In our shop we have both wide format (11inch) and standard (85 inch) sublimation printers We can choose roll material or standard sheets Currently our largest flat press is 14 x 16 inches so thatrsquos our upper limit for flat product images
Creating a T-shirt TemplateRemember creating a template is something you
only do one time for each item in your inventory and for any variations you would like to have available Creating
Photo 1
Photo 2
December 2007 17Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE PRINTING
a template file takes a little time in the beginning but saves a lot of time in the long run
With these factors in mind Irsquoll go through the steps of creating a special-occasion t-shirt template The first one Irsquoll create will be in portrait orientation If yoursquod like to follow along open CorelDraw to a new project 11 x 17 paper and set the orientation to portrait
Set Guidelines Next wersquoll bring in some guidelines These will
help us see the image area we have to work with For this project Irsquoll set guidelines at frac12 inch in from the left and right 1 inch in from the top and 3 inches up from bottom The guides are for visual reference This is the maximum text and graphics layout area
Since this is a vertical layout our graphic will be 1 inch down from the top edge of the transfer If we set the shirt on the press with the collar at the top edge then all wersquoll have to do is align the transfer to the top edge of the press and the image will be 1 inch down from the shirt collar
Irsquove limited the vertical image area to 13 inches Allowing an inch down from the top will make the bottom of the image 14 inches down from the collar Thatrsquos
ok for an adult large or XL shirt but you may want to adjust the area for smaller shirts
As a part of this layout Irsquove created a couple of layers One Irsquove called text and one picture These layers will be used for the graphic elements of the final template As an option you can also create a non-printing layer that contains a rectangle Since the layout is off centered you can use the rectangle to align your text and graphics but the rectangle will not print (See picture 1)
Save Your TemplateYou can now save this simple layout
as a CorelDRAW template To do that click on FileSave Ashellip and select CDT ndash CorelDRAW Template (see picture 2)
I normally save templates in a special folder however if yoursquore using Windows Vista its sort capabilities reduce the need to organize your files (See picture 3)
You can use this generic template as is You can also use it as a base for creating other templates Next time wersquoll make some additions to customize it for a special occasion Wersquoll also look at how we can use templates
Judy and John McDaniel are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry For information on training services offered and their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom They can be reached by phone at 541-967-4271 via SKYPE (user name JHMcDaniel) or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom See full bio on Writers Page
December 2007 18Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTINGBy Jeff McDaniel Applications
Using Specialty Platens Part 2Background
In our last article we touched on the steps required to create a master transfer for our specialty platen We also briefly reviewed locating the artwork and attaching the capillary film to the screen In this article we will expose our screens rinse them and produce our pocket patch CorelDRAWPro members can look up the more detailed information in the archived articles for June July and August at wwwacdrporg
Our setup and yoursOur setup is the Printa 770 series screen printing machine from Printa Systems Inc
All of the supplies and tools we will cover from here on were provided in the turn-key system from Printa with the 770 Your setup may be from another source but will most likely contain components of what we will discuss below In addition to the standard Printa 770 setup we will be using the ldquoPrint-Allrdquo system from Printa Systems Inc (see figure 1 courtesy of Printa Systems)
Exposing the capillary filmWe left off last article with our screens drying
Now that they are dry we are ready to expose the capillary film Exposing Step 1 we will gently peel the carrier sheet off of the capillary film (see figure 2)
Exposing Step 2 Next we need to put our first image back on the exposure unit and re-install the screen on the printing system Then we can bring the screen down on the
exposure unit attach our blackout board and expose the screen (see figure 3)
Exposing Step 3 After exposure we need to rinse out our screen and inspect it to be certain we have a complete rinse (see figure 4)
Exposing Step 4 Once the image is rinsed out it is time to put the screen back in the dryer (see figure 5)
Re-aligning the screens after wash outFrom the time that we first aligned the
artwork we have taken the screens in and out of the printing system twice If our artwork is even a little bit out of alignment we will lose blanks or put out low quality work It is a good idea to do a final adjustment with the original artwork
Re-Align Step 1 Leaving both of our photo positives on the exposure unit we can inspect the screen location compared to our original artwork location Here is the yellow screen location after exposure and wash out (see figure 6)
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
December 2007 19Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTING
Re-Align Step 2 The black screen is a little bit off (see figure 7) so we will need to use the Printa 770 micro-adjustment knobs to bring it back into alignment (see figure 8)
Masking off the screenNow that our artwork is
lined up correctly we can mask the rest of the screen off Wherever we donrsquot want the ink to run through the screen needs to be masked off (see figures 9 and 10)
Locating the pocket patch on the shirtThere are a couple of different ways to locate the pocket
patch on the shirt The first thing to consider is where you want it to end up on the wearer If the patch is too far toward the sleeve the image will end up under the wearerrsquos arm pit If the image is too far up toward the neck the image will not look right either A good way to figure out the correct location is by looking at a shirt that has a pocket patch on it (maybe one or two are in your closet right now)
Another way to locate the pocket patch is to put on the shirt
size that you wear and mark off where you think it feels correct and comfortable Once you have decided where you would like the patch keeping it in the same relative location on all of the different sizes is not too difficult The actual placement of the shirt can be accomplished a couple of different ways that we know of Which you prefer will depend mostly on if you are more accurate with sight or touch
The sight method involves using a masking tape strip to mark the desired location on the shirt prior to loading it onto the platen (see figure 11)
Once you have your marking in place you can load the shirt on the platen and have a nice representation that you are placing the design in the desired location (see figure 12)
Figure 7 Figure 8
Figure 9
Figure 10
Figure 11
Figure 12
December 2007 20Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTING
We prefer the sight method because it works well with our equipment The ldquoPrint Allrdquo system from Printa Systems Inc uses a smaller platen for pocket patches The smaller platen allows us to load sizes from youth XS ndash adult 5X without stretching
The touch method involves using a standard platen and adding a riser underneath where the pocket patch will be printed (a piece of cut cardboard or thin wood of the appropriate size) With this method you can feel when the shirt is in the correct location and begin printing from there
Inking the screens printing and curingSince we have resolved our location
issues with the pocket patch we are ready to ink the screens print and cure
Printing Step 1 Inking the screens is fairly straightforward (see figure 13)
Printing Step 2 Using the squeegee we will screen our first color (see figure 14) and check the quality of the image (see figure 15)
Printing Step 3 Our first color will need to be flash cured (see figure 16)
Printing Step 4 Now we can add our second color (see figure 17)
Printing Step 5 Finally we can do the finish cure step paying attention to the temperature gauge (see figure 18)
After final curing it is always a good idea to take at least a sampling of the product and wash it to be certain of the curing All of the information on post-job clean-up can be found in the CorelDRAWPro archives for September
Conclusion This time we took our screens out of
the dryer and pushed our project all the way to its completion
Jeff McDaniel is the OwnerOperator of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon Jeff has been working with computers since the age of 5 and was a journeyman machinist before working in the graphic arts business Creative Graphic offers services including laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials You can contact Jeff by email at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
Figure 14
Figure 13
Figure 15
Figure 17
Figure 16
Figure 18
December 2007 21Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SANDBLASTINGBy Judy McDaniel Applications
Screening the AbrasiveKeeping your sandblast abrasive media free
of contaminant material is essential During sandblasting abrasive is mixed with compressed air fed through the supply hose focused by the nozzle and impacts the product Then if itrsquos fine enough it leaves the system as dust or drops to the bottom of the cabinet to be recycled
Other material will also collect in the bottom of the cabinet This debris can include bits of mask (ever wonder where the center of that ldquoerdquo went) bits of tape and possibly solid material dislodged from the product yoursquore blasting This latter source of debris is especially prevalent when yoursquore working on materials other than glass like brick rock and wood
Leaving the debris in the abrasive when itrsquos recycled can cause a variety of problems First if a piece of debris is too large to fit through the nozzle it will clog it More importantly if it does fit through the nozzle and is hard like brick and rock debris it can impact the piece yoursquore working on and ruin it
The obvious solution is to screen the media when you reload the pressure pot The problem is the screen mesh size Irsquove tried the screen supplied by the cabinet manufacturers and used window screening material from a hardware store In both of these cases the mesh size would allow all but the largest pieces of debris through
What Irsquove found that works the best is a spatter screen from a local kitchen store The mesh is woven tightly and filters out much more debris The best thing is its price only a few dollars
One of our cabinets is not self-contained so we have to filter the media by hand We have found that bending the handle up on a large spatter screen
causes it to fit perfectly into the top of the pressure pot We also have a couple of other smaller pressure pots one in fact that you fill with a funnel For those I simply lay the spatter screen over the opening of the pot or the funnel when refilling
If you have a system that recycles the abrasive then it should be equipped with a screen located on top of the pressure pot Make sure to inspect and remove the debris from the top of the screen from time to time A shop-vac works well for this purpose If you find that larger pieces are getting through the screen then contact the manufacturer to see what can be done to reduce the mesh size
Keeping your media clean helps prevent unwanted delays or damage
To all of our friends out there new and old have a safe and joyful holiday season
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from John and me
Judy McDaniel with her husband John are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry In addition they provide one-on-one application support through an email subscription service exclusively for their Hotcdr Hands-On Training students or those who have purchased their CD sets (For information on training services offered visit wwwgraphic-products-trainingcom and for information on their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom) They can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
December 2007 22Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE ENGRAVINGBy John McDaniel Applications
Elements of Machine Accuracy 7 Structural Integrity
So far wersquove covered resolution speed repeatability and hysteresis This time wersquoll discuss structural integrity
What is Structural IntegrityStructural integrity is a measure of a machinersquos
strength or stiffness It is the ability of a machine to resist distortion by forces created in normal operations
Most mechanical engraving machines use single-fluted cutters As these cutters turn they apply cutting force against the material For every action though there is an equal but opposite reaction ie the material resists the cut and thereby transmits a resistive force back through the cutting tool spindle etc and ultimately to the machinersquos frame
Assuming a static bit position the force applied to the machinersquos structure will rotate 360deg with the tool (see diagram 1) As this force rotates any looseness in the structure will result in a deviation in the relationship of the material and the cutter
What machine design factors are involvedStructural integrity includes lead screws and their
hysteresis for mechanical engraving machines spindle bearings and their looseness for both mechanical and laser engravers gantry or table rails their bearings and looseness and the machinersquos frame In fact anything and everything that holds the tool and material in the proper relationship during the cuttingengraving process contributes to or detracts from structural integrity
Why is it importantIn a word Quality Structural integrity influences
the quality of the finished products the machine will produce
For illustration Irsquoll use a mechanical engraving system If the looseness in our machine and the cutting force applied were uniform throughout the 360deg of tool rotation the result would be a wobble in the tool path which might not be visible in the finished product
Cutting ForcesIn the real world however as the tool moves through
the material the cutting and reactive forces go through a cycle (see diagram 2) When the tool starts the cut there is a spike in force The force will level to a constant through the top side of the cut while itrsquos cutting against the direction of the toolrsquos movement Then it will drop somewhat when itrsquos cutting with the toolrsquos movement and finally fall off on the back side as the cutting edge of the tool enters the void area where the material has already been removed
The amount of force applied during the cutting process will vary depending on the material being
cut the tool and its sharpness the depth of cut the material feed rate and whether or not lubricant is used The cutting force may also vary over the length of the job as the toolrsquos cutting edge wears and becomes dull
Machine Component Looseness
In addition to the cutting force not being uniform throughout the 360deg of tool rotation l o o s e n e s s i n t h e machinersquos structure will also vary For example dur ing the cut t ing operation as the tool transitions through 0deg and 180deg of rotation X axis hysteresis will be a factor in overall machine looseness but Y axis hysteresis will have no effect At 90deg and 270deg the Y axis will become a factor but the X axis will have no impact
In the real world any looseness in the machine will cause an oscillation in the cut which will have its own angle If we could slow the toolrsquos movement we would see this oscillation as a sharp jump in the positional relationship between the tool and material being cut In the finished product this sharp jump in position will result in a jagged cut
December 2007 23Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE ENGRAVING Outline amp OverviewThe Nuts and Bolts of Machine AccuracyMachine accuracy or capability can be defined as a result of six features 1 Resolution ndash the smallest incremental movementpositioning of a speci-fied axis 2 Speed ndash the ability to complete a task in a reasonable amount of time without sacrificing accuracy or creating damage to the machine or product 3 Repeatability ndash the ability to duplicate a previous position without error 4 Hysteresis ndash the ldquosloprdquo or ldquoplayrdquo in motion control components 5 Structural Integrity ndash stiffness or strength ndash the ability to cut materials without error or damage This is especially important for mechanical engrav-ers 6 Structural Tolerances ndash the sum accuracy of a machinersquos mechanical components
Machine ComponentsWersquoll examine nine factors that determine a machinersquos accuracy They include 1 Motors ndash including DC Stepper DC Brushless DC Servo and AC Servo a Spindles ndash motors that rotate the cutting bit b Axis Drive ndash motors that position the material to the cutting bit c Horsepower ratings ndash real versus advertised 2 The Motion Control Drive Unit ndash including Geared Belt and Lead Screws a Lead Screws ndash including Acme Re-circulating Ball Standard and Precision b Mounting ndash including Simple Fixed and Thrust bearing types c Protection ndash Open or Closed 3 Guide Rails ndash Types include V Bearing Rail Bushing Shaft Dove Tail and Re-circulating Ball Bearing 4 Encoders ndash Types include Rotary and Linear Methodologies include incremental or absolute 5 Tachometers ndash used for speed stability acceleration and breaking control for closed loop servo systems 6 Bearings ndash including Sleeve Ball and Linear Re-circulating Ball a Applications ndash including Radial Thrust and Linear b Quality ndash Standard thru Ultra Precision 7 Spindles ndash including topbottom loading Collets and Sleeves 8 Material Hold Down ndash including mechanical clamps and vacuum sys-tems 9 Electronic Interface ndash Computer control methods
Wersquoll also examine Reliability what makes it And Serviceability is it fix-able
If the cutting oscillation is at any angle other than the direction of the cut and the oscillation is great enough a jagged cut will be visible in the finished product A cut deviation of as little as 001rdquo is visible to the naked eye and will most commonly show up on curves and circles but may show up on straight lines as well
To illustrate this point a little further and perhaps make it somewhat clearer Irsquod like to refer to diagrams 3 and 4 For purposes of these illustrations we will assume we have a machine that has some looseness on both the X and Y axes However the rest of the machine
is structurally solid the frame is rigid and no other components have any loosenessMaking these assumptions and disregarding the variation in force caused by the cutter
as it travels through the material we will have cutting oscillations at 0deg 180deg 90deg and 270deg during the toolrsquos rotation As the tool travels through the material on its path these oscillations will cause a slight variation in the centerline of the toolrsquos cut
Diagram 3 shows a horizontal tool path While the machine is cutting in this direction any X axis looseness will be masked by the cutter path itself however looseness in the Y axis will result in a slight oscillation in the cutterrsquos horizontal position and therefore a deviation in its cut Diagram 4 shows the effect of the X axis looseness which will impact vertical lines
As you can see from this discussion and these illustrations structural integrity ie looseness in the components from which a machine is constructed can make a significant difference in quality of the finished products that a machine will produce
Next time wersquoll consider structural tolerances and their impact
John McDaniel with his wife Judy are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry For information on training services offered and their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom They can be reached by phone at 541-967-4271 via SKYPE (user name JHMcDaniel) or via email at JHMcDanielCorelDRAWhelpcom See the full bio on the Writers Page
December 2007 24Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
the image the text and the red bow In the laser file for this example I have the red cut line for vectoring (See Figure 5)
5) Send the cardstock through the printer6) Place the cardstock in the laser for vector
cutting The thickness of the stock will determine what settings to use For my 35-watt laser using a medium weight cardstock I used a speed of 100 and power of 15 for a nice cut through the stock without any burn marks on the paper
7) Optional in one run I decided to let the laser take care of the bow instead of using color for it from my printer I set the outline of the bow to 100 black and the interior of the bow to 50 black (See Figure 6)
8) Then I only sent the image and text through the printer The bow and vector cutting occurred in the laser I set the raster engraving (of the bow) at speed 70 and power 40 (See Figure 7) You can see the differentiation of using 100 black as opposed to 50 black by the exterior lines
being engraved a little deeper than the rest of the fill
Take the idea of using patterns (like the birth announcement above) and wowing your clientele with the detail and intricacy that laser can provide Or add a twist to a holiday tradition (cards) Whatever you do donrsquot forget you can combine the advantages of the printer and laser for fabulous products
Submitted by Kathryn Arnold Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
LASER TIPBy Kathryn Arnold Applications
Combining Laser amp Printer PowerComing up with new and
inventive ways to use your laser is the key to a successful and growing business We will look at a way to combine the power of your computer (ink) printer with the power of the laser engraver
In this lesson we will take a look at using cardstock to create a card and an announcement See the examples of a holiday card and a birth announcement ndash gratuitously they are of my family (Figure 1 amp Figure 2)
1) In CorelDRAWreg use any pattern image text you wish Be sure that there is a clear and discernible vector line that will be laser cut and yield a cut piece from the cardstock2) See the clear (red) cut line ndash it goes fully around my object even the bow portion (important) I then duplicated my object to fit as many as possible on my 8 frac12 x 11 cardstock (See Figure 3) 3) I saved this file as my master file that I could return to at any point I then created two copies -- one that will
be used to send the file to my printer and one that will be used to send the file to my laser engraver (See Figure 4)
4) In the master file I have every part of what my end product will have In the file for my printer I only have the parts that the printer will print ndash in this example
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
December 2007 25Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
ELECTRONICS FRONTIERBy Louie Alvarez Opportunity
Webcams are an interesting subject which I am intimately familiar with Some typical questions are what are they what purpose do they serve what benefit are they what to look for and various other questions concerns and issues
Webcams surely bring back a memory or two not all that great I might add I remember when they first became usable primarily due to the Internet having affordable true broadband
First experiences The choppy poor quality of dial-up service
simply didnrsquot make this a useful technology Short of communicating with far-flung family members it left much to be desired With my immediate family living in Las Vegas and all other family (parents siblings cousins etc) living in California this was a technology I thought would be useful to keep in touch
So I set up my computer and my momrsquos computer with Webcams to stay in touch Needless to say with the poor quality terrible tracking (had to keep perfectly
sti l l because video frames didnrsquot refresh fas t enough) the hard-to-see tiny video window and poorly synchronized voices to the faces (we looked like a badly translated kung fu movie) the novelty quickly wore off (Irsquod say in about 30 minutes)
WebcamsSecond attempt
So I promptly dumped the technology for the next few years until I started seeing broadband picking up the pace and more interest in Webcams becoming obvious from all the new devices on the market So about three years ago a wireless Webcam caught my eye and I decided to put it to the test once again
Considering I was by then traveling quite extensively (about 40000 miles a year) I figured Irsquod use it to monitor my home I had two teenagers and a 5-year-old at home at the time while I was on the road and my wife was still a t work (She normally didnrsquot get off work until about two hours after school was out) So this looked to be a cool device to see if as the clicheacute goes when the catrsquos away the mice will play
I proceeded to position this wireless Webcam strategically to allow viewing of my living room including the back door Plus to get to the front door or side door you would have to pass through the field of the camera My little one loved the idea of being on camera for her daddy and would dance play and make funny faces for me Pretty cool actually That in itself almost justified the camera but needless to say my teenagers even my wife didnrsquot take to the idea too well So it was returned and life continued on as usual
That experience did show me that the broadband
speeds the quality of the video feeds the prevalence on the net of live cams and the quality of the video cameras (better known as Webcams) had progressed to a level of usefulness and I could see the potential of this technology With that said letrsquos get into the heart of this article
So what are webcams Basically they are digital cameras attached to
the computer and connected to the Web or Instant Messaging (IM) This allows the camera to be linked to a website or to each other directly and individuals who view the website or IM are able to see what the camera is viewing at that moment You can choose to get either still pictures that are updated at regular intervals (Snapshot) or live streams (Streaming) depending on what your bandwidth permits The WebCam technology has advanced sufficiently now to make it both easier and cheaper to maintain a camera that is refreshing an image 24 hours a day
Features of Web Cameras Listed here are some of the features more commonly
found in WebCams1 Live streaming video still pictures updated2 No plug-in or software necessary to view image
can be viewed with any Web browser3 Live audio4 Incorporation with other software such as Instant
Messaging (IM)5 Adding captionslogostime displays6 Archiving video7 Chat feature
December 2007 26Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
WebCams in an instructional scenario could be used to
Monitor your staff or employees thus being able to guide them better
Telecommute to companies worldwide and demonstrate project procedures
B roadcas t sem ina rs wo rkshops o r demonstrations
Share special events and programs with students enrolled in distance learning courses
Hold a video press conference online meeting or broadcast meetings and discussions
In some cases it is important for the learner to be able to establish a connection visually WebCams could be a good alternative to using text files or audio files
Join WebCam groups and allow students to take advantage of other WebCam locations for educational purposes
Using a web camera allows learners to be a part of either a conference or classstudio
Benefits of using WebCamsa The most important advantage of using a web camera is that it creates a direct link between the camera and the live site and dispenses with all the production work Production work in this context includes the cost and effort involved in shooting
editing and streaming videos Thus using a WebCam does not require
advanced skillsb The software is basically a Web server that runs on your system and pushes images out to a Web page For viewers of images delivered over a WebCam
one of the benefits is that they get the entire picture preferable in
certain cases rather than a sleek edited versionc WebCam technology can also be used for remote s u r v e i l l a n c e s y s t e m s
ELECTRONIC FRONTIER
monitoring events or places and broadcasting live eventsd Learners can link to a web camera-monitored location and just watch or also have an additional web camera in their own location enabling two-way communication
Setting up your WebCama Setting up your own WebCam obviously requires a computer a WebCam (the hardware) and WebCam software along with a broadband Internet connection Before you decide which camera to buy and which software to acquire yoursquoll have to review the different methods to show pictures or video feed through the Internet ( i e r e f r e s h e d after x amount of seconds) This will enable you to decide which hardware and software solution will fit your situation best
b P l a c e m e n t of a camera is an important decision to be made Decide whether a static angle is sufficient to demonstrate the concept or a moving camera (handheld) is required It is important however to remember the limitations of using WebCams and leave the panoramic and other fancy shots to more sophisticated video Use WebCams for videos that require more focus and ones that require a smaller viewingmovement range
c For detailed technical instructions on using WebCams visit httpdeveloperswebcamworldcommethodshtml
d Here is a good resource for inexpensive Webcams on the market httpcastlepricewatchcomssearchasps=webcams
e For an in-depth review of various Webcams on the market go to this link httpreviewscnetcom4244-6502_7-0-1htmlquery=webamptag=cat_1
f There are many Webcam examples online here are a couple httpwwwwebcamworldcom or httpwwwleonardsworldscomcamerahtml
By the way DONrsquoT TELL MY KIDS I picked up a Logitech QuickCam Pro 4000 not too long ago My family doesnrsquot know why I got it or what my intention is but I can say that now that my kids are 17 16 amp 8 my job as a parent is to ensure the mice donrsquot play when the catrsquos awayhellip
Louie Alvarez began acquiring his experience in the awards and engraving industry in Central California over 15 years ago first as an employee of the largest and oldest trophy shop and then as owner of one of the first laser engraving businesses Louie has been a featured workshop instructor and seminar speaker throughout the industry in addition to being a contributing writer to numerous industry publications Louie is based in Las Vegas NV and can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
December 2007 27Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
The Association of CorelDRAWreg Professionals is The Education amp Business Resource for CorelDRAW Users Worldwide Its goal is to help 1) IMPROVE your CorelDRAW skills and 2) MAKE MONEY with those skills You can participate in ACDRP services in four ways
THE WORLDrsquoS ONLY ASSOCIATION FOR CORELDRAWreg USERSINVITES YOU TO MAKE MORE MONEY WITH CORELDRAW
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month focused on Industry News via the Graphics News Wire Links to valuable resources and a complete educa-tion and show Calendar S
CorelDRAWPro the Entrepreneurial magazine for CorelDRAW users features in-depth content on How to Use CorelDRAW -- tips tricks advanced ar twork success s to r ies in te rv iews and more How to Apply CorelDRAW -- for graphic production processes such as embroidery engraving heat printing laser promo products printing sandblasting signmaking sublimation and screenprinting How to Profit from CorelDRAW -- Product news business columns reviews profiles and advertising with live links
SUBSCRIBE -- NO CHARGE JOIN -- $60 PER YEAR
All users of CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite are qualified to subscribe free to CorelDRAWPro magazine (PDF format) and CorelDRAWPro E-News
Subscription to CorelDRAWPro amp CorelDRAWPRo E-News
TTF Newsletter Subscription to the monthly Tips Templates amp Fixtures Newsletter only available to members
GSG Basic Listing You can list your services in the Graphic Services Guide in one category as part of membership (a $25 value)
Access to QuickLearn A keyword searchable database of 100s of articles on CorelDRAW graphics production and business
All users of CorelDRAWreg are invited to join the Association and take advantage of exclusive content discounts and profes-sional recognition ACDRP membership includes
TTF
QuickLearn
QuickTNT
Archives
BASIC GSG LISTING -- $25 PER YR
The Graphic Services Guide is the Industry Yellow Pages for Services and Finished Goods GSG is promoted in all our publi-cations and our website to the world of CorelDRAW users Your listing gives you the opportunity to promote your services (in any of 40 categories) to other CorelDRAW usersThe Basic Listing includes your company description email link and listing in one category Additional service categories are $10 each per year
The Enhanced GSG Listing is for companies that want to list in two categories and add a photo or logo
ENHANCED GSG LISTING -- $50$75 PER YR
Classifieds
Access to QuickTnT A growing database of CorelDRAW tips for understanding the fine points of the program and templates that can be downloaded to speed up your production
Access to Archives Past issues of CorelDRAWPro are available to members with live links
Bookstore Discounts Members receive a 10 discount on all products in the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore
Professional Recognition Use of the ACDRP logo for professional identification on business cards websites and letterhead You also receive a membership certificate
Classified Ads Members can place one classified ad per year at no charge with photo and run it till the item is sold (a $35 value)
HOW TO PARTICIPATE To Subscribe (no charge) To Join ($60yr) To List in the Graphic Services Guide ($25 Basic $50$75 Enhanced or $120145 for Multi-Service)
CorelDRAWreg is a registered trademark of Corel Corp and is used with permission
Visit wwwcoreldrawprocomand click on the appropriate links
800-276-8428
The Multi-Service GSG Listing allows you to list up to 40 differ-ent service categories with detailed descriptions and add a photo or logo
MULTI-SERVICE GSG LISTING -- $120$145 PER YR
December 2007 28Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Throughout the year this publication has reported on whatrsquos new in equipment tools and software and blank products for businesses that put graphics onto products
For this 2007 wrap-up CorelDRAWPro editorial staff reviewed all the product news for the year and named 33 products to its annual Top Products of the Year list
Selections were based on the criteria of innovation and impact Innovation means products that exhibit a high degree of originality or uniqueness Impact means products that influence sales or productivity for a large number of businesses
Note that the 2007 honorees are list alphabetically in the three theme sections
For more information on the products in this article click on the Info Request button at the bottom of each page and select by company name or product You might open the Info Request page and minimize it as you read That way you can quickly open it and check the products you want
EQUIPMENT
ANAJET DIRECT-TO-GARMENT DIGITAL PRINTERAnaJet Digital Apparel Printer (Model FP-125) from
AnaJet Inc in Costa Mesa CA is a direct-to-garment printer offering high quality and affordability It can print custom graphics on any cotton or poly-cotton flat textile material in one minute The printer priced affordably from under $13000 can produce up to 5000 shirts per month each retailing for about $20 Most printers installed so far are in a production plant environment but some customers have started to take the mobile printer to malls for instant printing of customer graphics According to Dr Chase Roh company president the unique printhead they have developed allows for 16x more ink flow than normal desktop printers and thus shirts only require one pass
Top Products of the Year
DTG AMERICA ECLIPSE D-1 WITH TWO HEADS DTG America of Tampa FL and Fort Worth TX now offers a new solution to
speed up digitally printing to dark shirts The Eclipse D-1 incorporates two heads instead of one One head has eight channels of white to lay down a solid white underbase The second head has four channels of white to do highlights and four channels of color to lay down the design The result of this new configuration is the underbase and color are completed in one pass at an estimated average of only two minutes per shirt for a 12-inch by 6-inch area Other innovations include an ink agitator firmware for easy updating ink vapor remover auto gap adjustment and new platen configuration for easy loading
GEO KNIGHT DK 25SP HEAT PRESSThe Digital Knight DK25SP is an air-operated automatic
20x25 oversized swing-away heat press with a state-of-the-art control system and heavy-duty solid steel welded framework The smooth automatic pressing and push-button activation provides a productive fatigue-free operation The extended 20x25 size of the heat platen is perfect for sublimation and large-format materials pressingThe press is adjustable to accommodate materials from fabric thickness all the way up to 1rdquo thick substrates For more information call 800-525-6766 or visit wwwheatpresscom
GRAPHTEC CRAFT ROBO PROGraphtec America Inc based in Santa Ana
CA introduced the new Craft ROBO Pro 15rdquo cutting plotter The Craft ROBO Pro is an ideal solution for cutting a wide variety of materials including vinyl film card stock foil heat transfer and image transfer media Incorporating Graphtecrsquos legendary
December 2007 29Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
ARMS (Advanced Registration Marks System) and combined with a desktop printer the Craft ROBO Pro makes contour cutting an easy task Innovations include a new digital servo motor first mark auto-sensing menu navigation system that includes 8 user-defined conditions Tangential Control and three software applications
ROLAND RELEASES DIRECT-TO-FABRIC PRINTERRoland DGA Corp of Irvine CA released
the new 74rdquo HeatWave DFP-74 Fabric Printer through its reseller channel in the US Based on Rolandrsquos HeatWave sublimation technology the DFP-74 Fabric Printer is a complete integrated solution and Rolandrsquos first inkjet ever to support direct printing onto polyester fabrics As a complete solution including printer sublimation unit inks and RIP software the DFP-74 makes it easier than ever for shops to enter the fast-growing textile printing market Key features include eight advanced piezo print heads an intelligent media handling system and a temperature-controlled heating system
HOTRONIX PERFECT PRESSURE HEAT PRESSHotronix of Carmichaels PA has taken heat press technology
to the next level with Perfect Pressure a new digital pressure display functionThis new feature has a single-digit LED readout
that measures the pressure of the inner platen This technology is exclusive to Hotronix and is patent pending Previously a
digital pressure display was available only on air-operated heat press machines With this new pressure display gauge all heat press users will have more consistent results from job to job reducing the number of misprints and speeding up production For more information about
the new digital pressure display contact Stahlsrsquo Hotronix at 800-478-2457 e-mail infostahlscom or visit the Web site at wwwstahlscom
SWF DREAM EMBROIDERY MACHINEWith its new DREAM Machine SWF has broken the barrier in multi-head
embroidery machine technology The DREAM machines are the first multi-head embroidery machines that truly can sew at 1500 stitches per minute During the research and development of these new machines 12 new patents were filed and granted proof that the DREAM machines are built with state-of-the-art technology
Innovations include LED control panel error codes to quickly troubleshoot problems optional devices to do sequins cording and boring automatic oiling system large memory a hoop selector and more These innovative new machines come in configurations ranging from
two to six heads It is distributed exclusively by SWF East (Tampa FL) and SWF MESA (Dallas TX)
MESArsquoS HOTFIX SPANGLE MOTIF MACHINEWith the all new YAS-11 Hotfix Spangle Motif Making
Machine the first of its kind in the United States you can create beautiful spangle transfer designs that have the look of sequins This patented machine which is distributed exclusively in the United States by MESA Distributors of Fort Worth TX cuts out shapes such as circles and squares in a range of sizes from reels of Mylar tape The machine comes with proprietary design software that allows the user to create any pattern or design up to 157 by 157 inches
SAWGRASSrsquo HYBRID SYSTEM FOR EPSON R1800Sawgrass Technologies of Mt Pleasant SC introduced
the SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid System for the Epson R1800 for both sublimation printing and cotton
decorating from one machine The affordable entry-level system features dual functionality with both SubliJet and ChromaBlast inks in one machine allowing users to create customized images with superior color and clarity on both polyester coated substrates and cotton garments This is the second
hybrid system from Sawgrass following in the footsteps of the popular SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid
System for the Epson 4800
TROTECrsquoS NEW LARGE PLATFORM LASER Trotec Laser Inc of Ypsilanti MI has introduced the SP500 series of laser
engraving and cutting systems The systems have a work area of 50rdquo X 28rdquo and X-Axis clearance of 12rdquo The systems are offered in power levels from 45W-200W There is an available pass-through option (Class 4) Exhaust fumes are captured
December 2007 30Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
at the laser head to insure an efficient extraction when using the pass-through featureTrotec systems are designed for minimal wear-and-tear and eliminate the need for periodic replacement of belts and bearings For additional information visit our web site wwwtrotecnet or call 866-226-8505 734-484-3260
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW PROFESSIONAL SERIESUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) of Scottsdale
AZ added four new models in its Professional Laser Series (PLS) line of advanced high-productivity computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving systems The new PLS line which replaces Universalrsquos M V and X laser systems incorporates a
host of evolutionary design improvements to the laser cartridge platform chassis system electronics and software interface The new PLS models include several
powerful new features most notably a unique materials-based print driver called ldquoLaser Interface +rdquo that gives users their choice
between automatic or manual control over power speed and other system settings For more information on Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit Universal Laser Systems online at wwwulsinccom
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW VERSALASERUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) added a
new version of its desktop-sized VersaLasertrade
computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving system The new VersaLaser
improves on the award-winning original thanks to a host of evolutionary design refinements It also
includes a unique next-generation materials-based print driver that automatically calculates power speed
and other system settings It was awarded a patent for the unique design of its external cabinet which also functions as a Class 1 laser safety enclosure For more information about VersaLaser or Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit wwwulsinccom
US SCREENrsquoS FAST T-JET 3US Screen Print and Inkjet Technology of Tempe
AZ adds the Fast T-Jet3TM which features 30 faster print speeds compared to the previous T-Jet2 model and has a longer low profile print bed for easier loading and unloading Now you can produce a full size 12rdquo x 12rdquo (305 x 305 cm) print in one minute on a light shirt and in under three minutes on a black shirt with white ink Small pocket images can be printed in about 15 seconds
US SCREENrsquoS AUTOMATED PRETREATMENT CENTER
Speed up production when using Fast T-Jet inkjet-to-garment printers with the AutoTREATtrade Automatic Pretreatment Center
This versatile piece of equipment allows you to treat shirts on a production level rather than spraying shirts individually one at a time For use with light or dark shirts the AutoTREATtrade
can spray up to three shirts per minute It has two application modesmdashone for lights and one for darks that can be switched over by activating the cleaning mode which flushes out the system with water
TOOLS MATERIALS SOFTWARE
CORELDRAW X3 CERTIFIED FOR WINDOWS VISTACorel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that
CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite X3 has been Certified for Windows Vista Customers who wish to install the Certified for Windows Vista version of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X3 can download the latest service pack (SP2) from wwwcorelcom This new update delivers an exceptional experience for customers on Windows Vista including an updated user interface enhanced security improved text handling and further enhancements to the popular suitersquos renowned import and export file compatibility
COREL LAUNCHES NEW ONLINE COMMUNITY Corel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that it
has launched httpcoreldrawcom a new online community for users of the CorelDRAWreg family of products ndash including CorelDRAW Graphics Suite Corel DESIGNERreg Technical Suite
December 2007 31Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
and Corelreg DRAWingsreg This new community site is the first in a series that Corel will be launching to support its various user communities Designed to fuel inspiration CorelDRAWcom combines forums blogs and galleries for design professionals and graphic hobbyists alike Forums are available in English French German and Spanish serving an international audience
DALCOrsquoS NEW REFLECTIVE HEAT TRANSFERSCater to the safety market with new reflective transfers offered
by Dalco Athletic of Dallas TX These durable transfers come in a reflective silver gray color in three styles police sheriff and fire dept They are sized for left chest and full back so
all you have to do is heat seal for 8 seconds and yoursquore done Itrsquos very fast and easy
DALCOrsquoS NEW OPTIC YELLOW CLASSIC SWB APPLIQUE
Classic SWB appliqueacute designs offered by Dalco Athletic now come in two new styles softballs and tennis balls in optic yellow fabric These new balls literally jump off any wearable and make it an eye-catching standout This appliqueacute collection is ideal for spiritwear items to be sold to fans and family or created as fund-raisers for boosters clubs
POWER GRAPHICS 3 FROM DIGITAL ART SOLUTIONSPower Graphics 3 by Digital Art Solutions of
Tempe AZ is the ultimate design tool for the creation of high-end custom graphics and logos for custom signage awards vehicle graphics promotional products and apparel graphics Tuned to the latest styles and trends it provides fresh graphics that will impress even the most critical and demanding customer It includes more than 1500 images The 10 design categories include Flames Gangsta (Urban) Mascots Offroad Rebel (Biker and Hot
Rod) Retro Speed Sports Surf and Tuner
FLORIANI COMMERCIALrsquoS NEW NO-SHOW DIAMOND MESHContinuing in its tradition of research and development
to create embroidery stabilizers that meet the needs of todayrsquos embroiderers Floriani Embroidery Commercial Division of Knoxville TN released a new product called Floriani No-Show Diamond Mesh This unique nylon mesh stabilizer has a perpendicular embossed pattern that makes it more multi-directionally stable and enables it to better hold stitches for crisper design registration It is specifically designed for light-colored garments where traditional stabilizers have a tendency to show through the front of the garment
GREAT DANErsquoS NEW DIGITAL PHOTO FRAMES Tap into the lucrative team market with an
incredible collection of stock art specially designed to work for direct-to-garment printers sublimation transfers and digital transfers Digital Photo Frames Volume 1 is a collection of spectacular pre-designed layouts each with one or more frames to
insert personal photos The collection includes five categories baseball football basketball soccer and hockey Each category has four designs (20 total layouts) and each design comes in three template formats mugs mouse pads and shirts
So there are a total of 60 template designs in all
IMPRINTABLES WAREHOUSE OFFERS SPECTRA ECO FILMNew from Imprintables Warehouse of
Masontown PA is a digital cutter material that is free of PVC a plus with companies that want to be as environmentally friendly as possible Spectra Eco Film is made with ecological polyurethane and is peeled hot It is pressure sensitive (sticky backing) and extremely easy to weed While maintaining superior durability and opacity this new film is thinner than current offerings on the market and delivers the super soft hand that is in demand by todayrsquos consumers It can be used on 100 cotton 100 polyester polycotton blends and even nylon and leather
December 2007 32Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
KISSCUT TECHNOLOGIESrsquo SELF-WEEDING INKJET TRANSFER PAPER
Kiss Cut Technologies Ltd Newcastle UK has addressed the ldquopolymer windowrdquo issue and developed the worldrsquos first self-weeding inkjet transfer paper for printing to textiles In simple terms only the areas of their patented transfer paper that have been printed will be transferred to the garment when heat pressed A Kiss Cut print can be further embellished with specialized textile foils so in effect a digital foiling method is now available Foil is heat pressed onto the garment and when peeled the foil only sticks to the image areas
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW PHOTOPLAS-TIC MATERIALLaserSketchcom of Lemont IL a leading supplier of
LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble Super Black Granite and Black Onyx Jewelry introduces their new PhotoPlas-Tic This is a new material developed for front andor reverse laser engraving on micro surface impact acrylic plastic It is a premium plastic for laser engraving that is UV stable ideal for photo badges plaques trophies signage and high-end awards Each sheet of PhotoPlas-Tic is specially designed for a crisp clean burn and ultra-fine laser lettering logo and vector output For details call 630-243-6360 or visit wwwlasersketchcom
THEMAGICTOUCH LAUNCHES WOW TRANSFER PAPERTheMagicTouch USA launched WoW Professional
71 transfer paper which requires no weeding or profile cutting and the vibrant colors are achieved using digital laser technology making it great for short runs It uses PolymationTM which incorporates a newly designed catalyst that provides the ultimate compatibility with all generations of dry toner material According to the company PolymationTM is the next generation of laser heat transfer Sublimation requires the substrate to have a specialty receiving polymer coating to absorb the pigments but PolymationTM delivers everything at once polymer pigments and catalyst
December 2007 33Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
offers distinct advantages over any other process It allows for an unlimited number of colors and very fine detail which is impossible with screen printing or embroidery And the cost does not go up as colors are added These new specialty materials are so advanced they can be heat sealed to all kinds of fabrics and hot new multimedia designs can be easily done
VAPOR APPAREL LAUNCHES VAPOR ART VOLUME 1V a p o r A p p a r e l
a s u b s i d i a r y o f SourceSubstrates LLC Charleston SC announces the launch of Vapor Art - Volume 1 a collection of 127 vector graphics for digital sublimation and general use The diverse collection
of high-quality graphics comes after several years of customers requesting access to the companyrsquos sample art at trade shows and educational events The Collection of art includes vector drawings and JPGs for everything from mountain biking and snowboarding to yoga and cheerleading
BLANK PRODUCTS
COLORADO HEIRLOOMrsquoS COLOR LACQUERED FRAMES
Colorado Heirloom Inc of Loveland CO introduced their new Color Lacquered Frames This is an option to add color your unique creations It is not color fill Colored lacquer is sprayed on their high quality wood frames Because
INKTRA STRETCH TRANSFER PAPER FROM STAHLSrsquoStahlsrsquo based in St Clair
Shores MI adds InkTratrade Stretch a flexible transfer paper A revolutionary product InkTratrade Stretch provides a soft hand with an amazing stretch and recovery feature InkTratrade Stretch lets you take your favorite photo or graphic design and apply it to light colored or white hats shirts bags and more for a long lasting and completely personalized garment The highly stretchable paper can be applied to cotton polycotton blends spandex and Lycrareg
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo GOOF-PROOF TRANSFERSWant the look of screen
printing without the hassle With Goof Proofreg transfers offered by Transfer Express of Mentor OH you can custom order a transfer that has the popular athletic feel and will apply in a blazing four seconds Ordering is done step-by-step online and you can customize hundreds of designs You choose your
typeface colors and size Once your design is just the way you want it you can print it out to show a customer for approval Or Transfer Express can print from your artwork The minimum order is only five pieces and your one-color order ships in one to three working days
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo NEW FULL-COLOR DIGI PRINTSApparel decorators can now offer full-color designs on light
and dark apparel made of virtually any type of fabric without the hassle or minimums of screen printing with new state-of-the-art heat transfer technology called Digi Printstrade Offered through Transfer Express this revolutionary new method of decorating
December 2007 34Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
lacquer is used instead of paint any design can be lasered on these frames The possibilities are endless These colorful creations are offered in two different designs -- a designer frame and a frame with an insert Call 970-667-4222 or visit wwwcoloradoheirloomcom
CONDE ADDS PET MATS FOR SUBLIMATIONCondeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added food bowl placemats and litter box
mats to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Favorite photographs and pet-related artwork can be transferred to the
mats to create fun products for individual pet lovers or for the pet industry such as pet stores veterinarians groomers boarding facilities and animal adoption groups Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing Call Conde at 800-826-6332
CONDE INTRODUCES FABRIC PATCHES FOR SUBLIMATION
Condeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added fabric patches to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Custom decorators can now produce unique full-color patches that will impress organizations businesses clubs sports teams sports enthusiasts and individuals alike -- without the use of embroidery Heat seal patches are great for identification marketing awards trade show promotions or to commemorate special events Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing or call 800-826-6332
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW LASERSLABLaserSketch of Lemont IL Internationally known for
their LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble and Super Black Granite announces LaserSlab Super Black Granite at 4rsquo x 8rsquo x 7mm and 4rsquo x 4rsquo x 7mm weighting in at just over 2 pounds per square foot The surface of the LaserSlab Granite has the sheen of a black mirror The reverse side features epoxy fiberglass backing to give structure integrity to the ultra-lite granite sheet All may be viewed wwwlasersketchcom or by calling LaserSketch 630-243-6360
MATTHEWS INTRODUCES ALUMICOLORTM
Matthews International Corp of Pittsburgh PA introduced Alumicolortrade a high-resolution graphics solution for aluminum signage recognition commemoration and way finding Using cutting-edge technology Matthews embeds a four-color image into the aluminum to create an anodized reproduction of unsurpassed durability Alumicolortrade products which are designed for interior and exterior installations are resistant to extreme weather conditions graffiti scuffing grease chemicals and UV rays Additionally they will not chip crack or peel
PSI ADDS ROUND FRAMES amp STRING PUZZLES Paramount Services Inc of Hollywood FL
introduced new round resin frames for sublimation tiles Choose from Coral or RopeStone with optional Unisubreg Hardboard Tiles They will also accept the Bison 8rdquo round glass Cutting Board Why be square when round may fit better PSI also introduced a new puzzle guaranteed to string you along These String Puzzles come with a Unisubreg Hardboard puzzle and the necessary string and beads along with instructions how to string it after printing Templates to aid in design are available for download in several formats For details call 800-455-7212 or visit wwwDye-Sublimation-Productscom
CRYSTALEDGEreg LUXORTM CRYSTAL AWARDSCrystalEdgereg Chicago IL presented the Luxortrade Series
This stunning cost-effective collection comprises a series of specially designed Rosewood and Black Piano finish bases Matte Mahogany and Matte Black bases and a precision cast Satin Nickel Finish Metal Base with your choice of brass or silver hardware for mounting our twelve unique shapes making this the most versatile award yet Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks are curved 14rdquo thick crystal clear glass with 316rdquo diameter holes for mounting The Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks feature a generous engraving area and there is plenty of room on the base to add an engraving plate
December 2007 35Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
XENETECHrsquoS NEW ENGRAVABLE GIFTSXenetech of Baton Rouge
LA introduced high quality engravable gift items at wholesale and quantity discounts The Xenetech collection provides a selection of gifts created for corporate recognition weddings births holidays anniversaries retirements birthdays special occasions or just expressing appreciation Items include money clips key chains book markers desk accessories quartz movement clocks flasks amp wine accessories entertainment gifts travel gifts genuine Swiss Army knives business card holders luggage tags silver-plated jewelry boxes keepsake gift boxes silver-plated banks and baby gifts The gift items are designed primarily for diamond drag burnishing and rotary engraving personalization
UNISUBrsquoS CHROMALUXE PHOTO PANELSChromaLuxe photo panels are an exciting new line
of sublimatable products from Unisub of Louisville KY These panels allow you to sell a completely finished photo product to your customers capturing some of the additional revenue (and profit) your customers now spend elsewhere on framing Available in a range of traditional photo sizes as well as exciting new shapes these panels can be joined together to create stunning photo displays -- perfect for a fireplace mantle l i b r a r y s h e l f or the top of an armoire Available in aluminum or MDF substrates
CorelDRAWPro IndexOne of our members in Michigan
requested that we put together an Index of all the articles wersquove published during the year
He prints out all the issues and puts them in binders but an Index would make it easy to reference specific articles We think itrsquos a good idea and wersquoll send it to all subscribers in January
Product Focus TopicsJanuary 2008 -- Signage Products esp Wide FormatFebruary 2008 -- Engraving Awards amp GiftsMarch 2008 -- Apparel ProductsApril 2008 -- Laser Wood Products
Coming in 2008
December 2007 36Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETSBy Donna M Gray CRM Opportunities
December ndash Time to Review December finds everyone on our team strategizing how to get out of our parking lot Our business sits right in the middle of an up-scale strip mall which sits right behind a huge shopping mall and right along the main road to a Target Superstore and other large malls We all know that from the day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday) until 2 weeks after the New Year there are great challenges to those of us who like to leave the building for lunch or run an errandhellipso we strategize We all know every secret shortcut to the bank the post office and the warehouse club What we donrsquot know is how to find the way to merge out of our own back alley into the constant flow of traffic that carries people to their end shopping destination Whew
The year-end review So this year Dave and I have decided to stay in at lunch and do our business strategizing instead Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup are good brain food for helping us to look at all the successful things we did last year as a company all the things we thought about doing but didnrsquot because the idea didnrsquot quite fit and all the things we put off until next year We do this kind of exercise every year end and it helps us to map out our strategy for the coming year In the process we identify any mistakes wersquove made wrong turns wersquove taken and we try to find the ldquowhat could have happened had everything gone rightrdquo
The value of making mistakes Albert Einstein said ldquoAnyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything newrdquo Dave has a couple of prints in his office of Abraham Lincoln that describe his mistakes in fact it took Lincoln eight tries to win the presidency Thomas Edison made mistakeshellipand yet he perseveredhellipotherwise wersquod by ldquocomputingrdquo by candlelight And Irsquove heard that Colonel
Sanders had a thousand rejections before he sold his first chicken recipe It would be nice to get to our year end business appraisals and find that wersquove made no mistakes but our business like most others doesnrsquot have that claim to fame My mother always took the high road with mistakes She always said that one should recognize the benefits of a mistake One should learn what good came from it use it to improve and use it to help motivate success the next time So December is the time to analyze everything that made up the past year and look for ways to make the New Year successful in every way
Making a plan Most advisors say that the first step toward business success after looking at a companyrsquos year ending history is to decide on exactly what you want to do going forward in the coming year Then comes mapping out the plan What will be done How will it get done Who will do what What resources will be used When will it get done Is the right equipment in place Is the space adequate Ask these and any other questions that could relate to creating a successful year then focus on the details and follow through Those two wordshellipfocus and follow throughhellipcould mean the difference between marginal and abundant success Simply stated success comes from what you do and the way you do ithellipin your customerrsquos perception Every business wants to have a good imagehellipa good reputation so dedication to having good communication skills is important especially in an industry that does custom work The goal is to be on the same page as our clients so we have to be good mind readers We have to also concentrate on our professionalism on our appearance on our presentation style and in the pride we take in producing a well-done project This
has worked in the past and will remain the same in the future
The extra mile Success has to be nurturedhellipthen it gets celebrated Sometimes sacrifices have to be made to get to the rewards At year end when we analyze how we got from Point A to Point B itrsquos interesting to note that we sometimes had to take detours and sometimes the road blocks called for sacrificehellipof time or money Sometimes the sacrifice came in the way of a sleepless night worrying if an order that was lost in delivery would be found and re-routed to us in time to make a clientrsquos deadline Someone (unknown) said ldquoA day of worry is more exhausting than a week of workrdquo Anyone in business could testify to that Part of success is going the extra milehellipeven if it results in a sleepless night Going the extra mile is worth all the paid advertising in the world on the road to success
December 2007 37Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETS
Donna Grayrsquos 2nd book Itrsquos All Relative Surviving amp Thriving in a Family Business was published in September 2007
It describes her quest to identify the keys to suc-cess for small business and family businesses in particular She interviewed top businesses nationwide and discovered five common qualities implemented by successful business owners Check it out at the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore wwwcoreldrawprocomAllBook-storehtm
Commitments made and kept Our team felt good about some commitments we made and kept this past year like
We used a daily ldquoto-dordquo list and we set priorities in order of importance When we finished a project we ldquocelebratedrdquo and then moved on quickly to the next job We built in some time for ldquostress reliefrdquo with morning meeting breaks This was especially good when treats were served since wersquove got some good bakers on our staff We didnrsquot ldquoscreenrdquo calls through voice mail We considered every call to be important We ldquodid it right the first timerdquo even though it sometimes took longer We tied up all the ldquoloose endsrdquo We became ldquocheerleadersrdquo for each other When one of us accomplished a goal we all applauded We all tried to deliver more than we promised This can be challenging sometimes when working with a difficult project We eliminated (or tried to eliminate) unnecessary procedures and we simplified our paper flow system We spent most of our time on high priority tasks We all worked on our delegation skills We were committed to not wasting time either our own or other peoplersquos
Goals that were lacking Now all those great things being put on paper reminds me that we also had some goals we didnrsquot quite succeed athellipbut wersquoll try harder next year
We didnrsquot always ldquogrouprdquo tasks togetherhelliplike going to the bank and the post office in one trip or answering mail when it gets opened It wasnrsquot always easy to avoid procrastination Some low priority chores got put off There were still times when we couldnrsquot find enough hours to finish the work Our ldquotoolsrdquo didnrsquot always get put away when we were through with a project even though this is Daversquos pet peeve
Conclusion Experts say that we have to actively create our success not wait for it to happen This coming year hopefully none of us will sit in the comfort zone waiting for the phone to ring Therersquos an old Chinese proverb that goes ldquoIt you continually give you will continually haverdquo Our team will go on being involved in community activities When time is spent on worthwhile projects outside the business opportunities come knocking at the front counter Besideshellipat yearrsquos endhellipit makes us feel really good about the help we gave on these projects
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since1977 She can be reached by email at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
December 2007 38Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
GRAPHICS NEWS NETWORKAll these news and information products and services are part of the
Graphics News Network developed for ACDRP The goal is ldquoAll the News All the Time mdash For the World of Graphicsrdquo
GRAPHICS NewsWireThe Graphics News Wire is the always live always updated source for graphics news mdash products equipment technology and more Make it (CorelDRAWProcomNewsPagehtm) your home page or favorite to gain access to Breaking news updated regularly New Classified Ads New Job Announcements Supplier SpecialsAll news is related to graphic productsQuickSourceTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive amp Easy-To-Use
Search Engine
It gives you one-click access to suppliers products phone numbers and live links to ACDRP Member Suppliers Itrsquos always up-to-date searchable by keyword and accessible from your desktop
Quick TnTTM
The Industryrsquos Newest Resource for Graphics Tips amp Templates
Gain access to a growing library of CorelDRAW tips and templates that will make your work easier
QuickLearnTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive and
Easy-To-Use Article Library
Gain access to hundreds of articles on graphics-related and business topics searchable by keyword
The Entrepreneurial Magazine for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro Magazine is delivered to you once a month in PDF format It features in-depth content that readers rave about including articles on how to use CorelDRAW how to apply CorelDRAW and how to profit from CorelDRAW
News Tips amp Resources for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month mdash about the 15th and 25th It brings you highly targeted content that you wonrsquot find elsewhere including CorelDRAW Tips extensive product news links and a calendar of shows and training
MARKET PLACE
Quality Engravable JewelryHand-crafted in New England
GIFTS amp ACCESSORIES FOR WOMEN AND MEN
John E Lepper Inc800-835-3623 Fax 508-222-2732
wwwjeleppercom
GenuineWhite-tone
Pewter amp Gold
Some Things Were Meant To Be In Etched in Stone
Call for a free color catalog
NampR International1155 Allgood Rd 13Marietta GA 30062
678-560-4088Fax 678-560-1157
Importers amp Wholesalers of MarbleOnyx
Gifts amp Accessories
JOIN TODAY
The worldrsquos only association for CorelDRAWreg Users
wwwcoreldrawprocomJoinhtm
Place an Ad for as little as $215 per month
Find out how by calling our Ad Representative John McDaniel II
541-990-6687
the entrepreneurial magazine
GET LISTED TODAY
Generate new businessby doing jobs for others
List your company in GSG the Digital Yellow Pages for the industry wwwcoreldrawprocomListGSGhtm
December 2007 39Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Louie Alvarez started in the industry working for one of the largest trophy shops in Central California and then opened one of the first retail laser engraving businesses He has given seminars and workshops on CorelDRAW and Laser for many years and has written for several publications He is now with Vytek Industrial Lasers and is based in Las Vegas NV He can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
Kathryn Arnold is the Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
Errol Barr has a wide range of experience in sales amp marketing eventually getting into laser systems in 1999 currently with Vytek Industrial Lasers He also sold extensively in the CNC router industry selling the machines as more of a business opportunity wrapped around the machine He can be reached by email at errolbarrgmailcom
Dave Demoret founded Prolink Graphic Services to help people understand and profit from learning CorelDRAW He has been in both the Flat Graphics Industry and the Decorating Graphics Industry for 30 years He has written articles for several publications is a Corel Training Partner and conducts workshops nationwide and online He is the author of several CD Instructional programs on CorelDRAW He can be reached at 765-DO COLOR (362-6567) or davedprolinkgscom
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since 1977 She has presented seminars on a variety of topics nationwide and has won many marketing awards She is the author of two books on family business and can be reached at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
Bill Leek is a color consultant for JBL Graphics in Houston TX and has over 30 years experience in computer engineering and graphics design He has developed several lines of color imprintable products and does testing on a variety of products for different manufacturers He can be reached at wfleekjblgraphicscom or 281-970-6677
Jeff McDaniel is the owner of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon He worked as a journeyman machinist before getting into the graphic products business Creative Graphic offers laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials Contact him at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
John McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry He worked for many years with computers in electronic data processing and pioneered the use of CorelDraw for engraving applications He owned a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years and writes about hardware design software laser engraving sublimation and more He is a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals For information on training and more call 541-967-4271 or write to mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
Judy McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry Her background includes many forms of art and retail sales as well as the operation of a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years She is a regular columnist on sandblasting sublimation and diversifying business as well as a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals She can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
David Milisock is president of Custom Graphic Technologies Inc in Pennsylvania He has been in the print production business since 1975 and specializes in professional support for CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite Output includes computer-to-plate processes for all commercial digital front-end applications as well as Postscript-compliant graphic applications He offers technical and color management support for all RIP-driven corporate digital output systems He can be reached at 717-509-3523 or davidmilisockcomcastnet
Deborah Sexton former editor of Impressions Magazine has been in the apparel graphics industry since 1981 She currently does marketing and public relations for apparel graphics companies and is a columnist for several industry publications She can be reached at dsextonsbcglobalnet
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at 916-567-1867
December 2007 40Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
by Otis Veteto
Traveling Tidbits
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the
RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of
the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Itrsquos a fun and
informative column focusing on the human-interest side of
the industry Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars
for industry organizations and some of that knowledge
will rub off as well He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at
916-567-1867
Reps Volunteers People Skills amp Agreements
RS Owens Southeast RepFirst of all a Traveling Tidbits welcome to
the newest member of the RS Owens Company sales team Anita Brennan Anita is the new Regional Sales Manager for the Southeast She will be calling on you folks in Alabama Tennessee Mississippi Florida Georgia North Carolina and South Carolina Anita has worked in all phases of our industry as a retailer (her own business) multi-line rep and now as a regional sales manager When I asked Anita what she likes to do when not on the road she told me she likes to spend time with her two-year-old granddaughter Kaylee Welcome to the RS Owens family Anita Brennan
Railroad Museum VolunteerI know Christmas is the time for giving
but some people give all year long I was talking recently with Elias Athanasiou whose regular job is a server in a restaurant my wife and I frequent when I am in Sacramento Elias has been associated as a volunteer with the California State Railroad Museum for about 16 years Every Saturday during the ldquorunning seasonrdquo April-September Elias can be found working as a volunteer on the Steam Engine excursion train that runs for 6 miles along the top of the levee on the Sacramento River The ride takes about 40 minutes Elias is the Engineer now but has worked as conductor and fireman in his tenure with the train It is people like Elias Athanasiou that make this a much better world A huge Traveling Tidbits SALUTE You can find out more about the Railroad Museum at wwwcsrmorg
Real People SkillsThis next tidbit is from the PPAI Promotional
Consultant Today The author is Roy Chitwood president of Max Sacks International in Seattle Wash It is entitled To Shine Polish Your People Skills
ldquoPeople buy not because they understand your product or service but because they feel that you understand them People buy emotionally As a professional salesperson you need to be more people-oriented not product centered Here are seven quick and easy techniques to improve your people skills
SMILE It is the universal sign of friendship in any language The Chinese have a proverb ldquoA man who cannot smile should not open a storerdquo Think about that Give a smile and you will get a smile in return
DEVELOP A GENUINE INTEREST IN OTHERS When you have sincere interest it shows Look directly at people when they are talking to you Let your facial expression register your interest Ask good open-ended questions to let people know that you are interested in what they say
TALK IN TERMS OF THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS INTERESTS You will never meet anyone who doesnrsquot have time to talk about what they want to talk about Encourage your prospect to discuss his or interests rather than launching into a discussion about yourself
USE THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS NAME Using a name builds personal rapport and shows you are listening with respect Be careful about overusing the personrsquos name
GIVE COMPLIMENTS Everyone loves a compliment when it is genuine Make a
concentrated effort to give at least 3 honest compliments every day of your life You will be amazed at what it will do for your relationships
LISTEN Listening is the greatest compliment you can pay When you assume the role of the listener it relaxes the sales climate As you listen you are demonstrating that you truly care and you are genuinely interested in what he or she has to say
MAKE THE OTHER PERSON FEEL IMPORTANT When you are sincerely impressed by something the other person has achieved or owns let them know it Understand that fundamentally every person is important and treat them accordingly
Personal comment When I finished reading this I thought to myself ldquoThese make sense in our everyday life not just in salesrdquo
The Third AgreementI will close with the 3rd step from the book
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel RuizDONrsquoT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS Find the
courage to ask questions and to express what you really want Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings sadness and drama
Sounds a little like what I wrote at the beginning of the column doesnrsquot it
Thatrsquos all for now Remember to save some time for yourself and your family And when you travel please travel safe
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE
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December 2007 17Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE PRINTING
a template file takes a little time in the beginning but saves a lot of time in the long run
With these factors in mind Irsquoll go through the steps of creating a special-occasion t-shirt template The first one Irsquoll create will be in portrait orientation If yoursquod like to follow along open CorelDraw to a new project 11 x 17 paper and set the orientation to portrait
Set Guidelines Next wersquoll bring in some guidelines These will
help us see the image area we have to work with For this project Irsquoll set guidelines at frac12 inch in from the left and right 1 inch in from the top and 3 inches up from bottom The guides are for visual reference This is the maximum text and graphics layout area
Since this is a vertical layout our graphic will be 1 inch down from the top edge of the transfer If we set the shirt on the press with the collar at the top edge then all wersquoll have to do is align the transfer to the top edge of the press and the image will be 1 inch down from the shirt collar
Irsquove limited the vertical image area to 13 inches Allowing an inch down from the top will make the bottom of the image 14 inches down from the collar Thatrsquos
ok for an adult large or XL shirt but you may want to adjust the area for smaller shirts
As a part of this layout Irsquove created a couple of layers One Irsquove called text and one picture These layers will be used for the graphic elements of the final template As an option you can also create a non-printing layer that contains a rectangle Since the layout is off centered you can use the rectangle to align your text and graphics but the rectangle will not print (See picture 1)
Save Your TemplateYou can now save this simple layout
as a CorelDRAW template To do that click on FileSave Ashellip and select CDT ndash CorelDRAW Template (see picture 2)
I normally save templates in a special folder however if yoursquore using Windows Vista its sort capabilities reduce the need to organize your files (See picture 3)
You can use this generic template as is You can also use it as a base for creating other templates Next time wersquoll make some additions to customize it for a special occasion Wersquoll also look at how we can use templates
Judy and John McDaniel are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry For information on training services offered and their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom They can be reached by phone at 541-967-4271 via SKYPE (user name JHMcDaniel) or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom See full bio on Writers Page
December 2007 18Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTINGBy Jeff McDaniel Applications
Using Specialty Platens Part 2Background
In our last article we touched on the steps required to create a master transfer for our specialty platen We also briefly reviewed locating the artwork and attaching the capillary film to the screen In this article we will expose our screens rinse them and produce our pocket patch CorelDRAWPro members can look up the more detailed information in the archived articles for June July and August at wwwacdrporg
Our setup and yoursOur setup is the Printa 770 series screen printing machine from Printa Systems Inc
All of the supplies and tools we will cover from here on were provided in the turn-key system from Printa with the 770 Your setup may be from another source but will most likely contain components of what we will discuss below In addition to the standard Printa 770 setup we will be using the ldquoPrint-Allrdquo system from Printa Systems Inc (see figure 1 courtesy of Printa Systems)
Exposing the capillary filmWe left off last article with our screens drying
Now that they are dry we are ready to expose the capillary film Exposing Step 1 we will gently peel the carrier sheet off of the capillary film (see figure 2)
Exposing Step 2 Next we need to put our first image back on the exposure unit and re-install the screen on the printing system Then we can bring the screen down on the
exposure unit attach our blackout board and expose the screen (see figure 3)
Exposing Step 3 After exposure we need to rinse out our screen and inspect it to be certain we have a complete rinse (see figure 4)
Exposing Step 4 Once the image is rinsed out it is time to put the screen back in the dryer (see figure 5)
Re-aligning the screens after wash outFrom the time that we first aligned the
artwork we have taken the screens in and out of the printing system twice If our artwork is even a little bit out of alignment we will lose blanks or put out low quality work It is a good idea to do a final adjustment with the original artwork
Re-Align Step 1 Leaving both of our photo positives on the exposure unit we can inspect the screen location compared to our original artwork location Here is the yellow screen location after exposure and wash out (see figure 6)
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
December 2007 19Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTING
Re-Align Step 2 The black screen is a little bit off (see figure 7) so we will need to use the Printa 770 micro-adjustment knobs to bring it back into alignment (see figure 8)
Masking off the screenNow that our artwork is
lined up correctly we can mask the rest of the screen off Wherever we donrsquot want the ink to run through the screen needs to be masked off (see figures 9 and 10)
Locating the pocket patch on the shirtThere are a couple of different ways to locate the pocket
patch on the shirt The first thing to consider is where you want it to end up on the wearer If the patch is too far toward the sleeve the image will end up under the wearerrsquos arm pit If the image is too far up toward the neck the image will not look right either A good way to figure out the correct location is by looking at a shirt that has a pocket patch on it (maybe one or two are in your closet right now)
Another way to locate the pocket patch is to put on the shirt
size that you wear and mark off where you think it feels correct and comfortable Once you have decided where you would like the patch keeping it in the same relative location on all of the different sizes is not too difficult The actual placement of the shirt can be accomplished a couple of different ways that we know of Which you prefer will depend mostly on if you are more accurate with sight or touch
The sight method involves using a masking tape strip to mark the desired location on the shirt prior to loading it onto the platen (see figure 11)
Once you have your marking in place you can load the shirt on the platen and have a nice representation that you are placing the design in the desired location (see figure 12)
Figure 7 Figure 8
Figure 9
Figure 10
Figure 11
Figure 12
December 2007 20Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTING
We prefer the sight method because it works well with our equipment The ldquoPrint Allrdquo system from Printa Systems Inc uses a smaller platen for pocket patches The smaller platen allows us to load sizes from youth XS ndash adult 5X without stretching
The touch method involves using a standard platen and adding a riser underneath where the pocket patch will be printed (a piece of cut cardboard or thin wood of the appropriate size) With this method you can feel when the shirt is in the correct location and begin printing from there
Inking the screens printing and curingSince we have resolved our location
issues with the pocket patch we are ready to ink the screens print and cure
Printing Step 1 Inking the screens is fairly straightforward (see figure 13)
Printing Step 2 Using the squeegee we will screen our first color (see figure 14) and check the quality of the image (see figure 15)
Printing Step 3 Our first color will need to be flash cured (see figure 16)
Printing Step 4 Now we can add our second color (see figure 17)
Printing Step 5 Finally we can do the finish cure step paying attention to the temperature gauge (see figure 18)
After final curing it is always a good idea to take at least a sampling of the product and wash it to be certain of the curing All of the information on post-job clean-up can be found in the CorelDRAWPro archives for September
Conclusion This time we took our screens out of
the dryer and pushed our project all the way to its completion
Jeff McDaniel is the OwnerOperator of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon Jeff has been working with computers since the age of 5 and was a journeyman machinist before working in the graphic arts business Creative Graphic offers services including laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials You can contact Jeff by email at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
Figure 14
Figure 13
Figure 15
Figure 17
Figure 16
Figure 18
December 2007 21Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SANDBLASTINGBy Judy McDaniel Applications
Screening the AbrasiveKeeping your sandblast abrasive media free
of contaminant material is essential During sandblasting abrasive is mixed with compressed air fed through the supply hose focused by the nozzle and impacts the product Then if itrsquos fine enough it leaves the system as dust or drops to the bottom of the cabinet to be recycled
Other material will also collect in the bottom of the cabinet This debris can include bits of mask (ever wonder where the center of that ldquoerdquo went) bits of tape and possibly solid material dislodged from the product yoursquore blasting This latter source of debris is especially prevalent when yoursquore working on materials other than glass like brick rock and wood
Leaving the debris in the abrasive when itrsquos recycled can cause a variety of problems First if a piece of debris is too large to fit through the nozzle it will clog it More importantly if it does fit through the nozzle and is hard like brick and rock debris it can impact the piece yoursquore working on and ruin it
The obvious solution is to screen the media when you reload the pressure pot The problem is the screen mesh size Irsquove tried the screen supplied by the cabinet manufacturers and used window screening material from a hardware store In both of these cases the mesh size would allow all but the largest pieces of debris through
What Irsquove found that works the best is a spatter screen from a local kitchen store The mesh is woven tightly and filters out much more debris The best thing is its price only a few dollars
One of our cabinets is not self-contained so we have to filter the media by hand We have found that bending the handle up on a large spatter screen
causes it to fit perfectly into the top of the pressure pot We also have a couple of other smaller pressure pots one in fact that you fill with a funnel For those I simply lay the spatter screen over the opening of the pot or the funnel when refilling
If you have a system that recycles the abrasive then it should be equipped with a screen located on top of the pressure pot Make sure to inspect and remove the debris from the top of the screen from time to time A shop-vac works well for this purpose If you find that larger pieces are getting through the screen then contact the manufacturer to see what can be done to reduce the mesh size
Keeping your media clean helps prevent unwanted delays or damage
To all of our friends out there new and old have a safe and joyful holiday season
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from John and me
Judy McDaniel with her husband John are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry In addition they provide one-on-one application support through an email subscription service exclusively for their Hotcdr Hands-On Training students or those who have purchased their CD sets (For information on training services offered visit wwwgraphic-products-trainingcom and for information on their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom) They can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
December 2007 22Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE ENGRAVINGBy John McDaniel Applications
Elements of Machine Accuracy 7 Structural Integrity
So far wersquove covered resolution speed repeatability and hysteresis This time wersquoll discuss structural integrity
What is Structural IntegrityStructural integrity is a measure of a machinersquos
strength or stiffness It is the ability of a machine to resist distortion by forces created in normal operations
Most mechanical engraving machines use single-fluted cutters As these cutters turn they apply cutting force against the material For every action though there is an equal but opposite reaction ie the material resists the cut and thereby transmits a resistive force back through the cutting tool spindle etc and ultimately to the machinersquos frame
Assuming a static bit position the force applied to the machinersquos structure will rotate 360deg with the tool (see diagram 1) As this force rotates any looseness in the structure will result in a deviation in the relationship of the material and the cutter
What machine design factors are involvedStructural integrity includes lead screws and their
hysteresis for mechanical engraving machines spindle bearings and their looseness for both mechanical and laser engravers gantry or table rails their bearings and looseness and the machinersquos frame In fact anything and everything that holds the tool and material in the proper relationship during the cuttingengraving process contributes to or detracts from structural integrity
Why is it importantIn a word Quality Structural integrity influences
the quality of the finished products the machine will produce
For illustration Irsquoll use a mechanical engraving system If the looseness in our machine and the cutting force applied were uniform throughout the 360deg of tool rotation the result would be a wobble in the tool path which might not be visible in the finished product
Cutting ForcesIn the real world however as the tool moves through
the material the cutting and reactive forces go through a cycle (see diagram 2) When the tool starts the cut there is a spike in force The force will level to a constant through the top side of the cut while itrsquos cutting against the direction of the toolrsquos movement Then it will drop somewhat when itrsquos cutting with the toolrsquos movement and finally fall off on the back side as the cutting edge of the tool enters the void area where the material has already been removed
The amount of force applied during the cutting process will vary depending on the material being
cut the tool and its sharpness the depth of cut the material feed rate and whether or not lubricant is used The cutting force may also vary over the length of the job as the toolrsquos cutting edge wears and becomes dull
Machine Component Looseness
In addition to the cutting force not being uniform throughout the 360deg of tool rotation l o o s e n e s s i n t h e machinersquos structure will also vary For example dur ing the cut t ing operation as the tool transitions through 0deg and 180deg of rotation X axis hysteresis will be a factor in overall machine looseness but Y axis hysteresis will have no effect At 90deg and 270deg the Y axis will become a factor but the X axis will have no impact
In the real world any looseness in the machine will cause an oscillation in the cut which will have its own angle If we could slow the toolrsquos movement we would see this oscillation as a sharp jump in the positional relationship between the tool and material being cut In the finished product this sharp jump in position will result in a jagged cut
December 2007 23Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE ENGRAVING Outline amp OverviewThe Nuts and Bolts of Machine AccuracyMachine accuracy or capability can be defined as a result of six features 1 Resolution ndash the smallest incremental movementpositioning of a speci-fied axis 2 Speed ndash the ability to complete a task in a reasonable amount of time without sacrificing accuracy or creating damage to the machine or product 3 Repeatability ndash the ability to duplicate a previous position without error 4 Hysteresis ndash the ldquosloprdquo or ldquoplayrdquo in motion control components 5 Structural Integrity ndash stiffness or strength ndash the ability to cut materials without error or damage This is especially important for mechanical engrav-ers 6 Structural Tolerances ndash the sum accuracy of a machinersquos mechanical components
Machine ComponentsWersquoll examine nine factors that determine a machinersquos accuracy They include 1 Motors ndash including DC Stepper DC Brushless DC Servo and AC Servo a Spindles ndash motors that rotate the cutting bit b Axis Drive ndash motors that position the material to the cutting bit c Horsepower ratings ndash real versus advertised 2 The Motion Control Drive Unit ndash including Geared Belt and Lead Screws a Lead Screws ndash including Acme Re-circulating Ball Standard and Precision b Mounting ndash including Simple Fixed and Thrust bearing types c Protection ndash Open or Closed 3 Guide Rails ndash Types include V Bearing Rail Bushing Shaft Dove Tail and Re-circulating Ball Bearing 4 Encoders ndash Types include Rotary and Linear Methodologies include incremental or absolute 5 Tachometers ndash used for speed stability acceleration and breaking control for closed loop servo systems 6 Bearings ndash including Sleeve Ball and Linear Re-circulating Ball a Applications ndash including Radial Thrust and Linear b Quality ndash Standard thru Ultra Precision 7 Spindles ndash including topbottom loading Collets and Sleeves 8 Material Hold Down ndash including mechanical clamps and vacuum sys-tems 9 Electronic Interface ndash Computer control methods
Wersquoll also examine Reliability what makes it And Serviceability is it fix-able
If the cutting oscillation is at any angle other than the direction of the cut and the oscillation is great enough a jagged cut will be visible in the finished product A cut deviation of as little as 001rdquo is visible to the naked eye and will most commonly show up on curves and circles but may show up on straight lines as well
To illustrate this point a little further and perhaps make it somewhat clearer Irsquod like to refer to diagrams 3 and 4 For purposes of these illustrations we will assume we have a machine that has some looseness on both the X and Y axes However the rest of the machine
is structurally solid the frame is rigid and no other components have any loosenessMaking these assumptions and disregarding the variation in force caused by the cutter
as it travels through the material we will have cutting oscillations at 0deg 180deg 90deg and 270deg during the toolrsquos rotation As the tool travels through the material on its path these oscillations will cause a slight variation in the centerline of the toolrsquos cut
Diagram 3 shows a horizontal tool path While the machine is cutting in this direction any X axis looseness will be masked by the cutter path itself however looseness in the Y axis will result in a slight oscillation in the cutterrsquos horizontal position and therefore a deviation in its cut Diagram 4 shows the effect of the X axis looseness which will impact vertical lines
As you can see from this discussion and these illustrations structural integrity ie looseness in the components from which a machine is constructed can make a significant difference in quality of the finished products that a machine will produce
Next time wersquoll consider structural tolerances and their impact
John McDaniel with his wife Judy are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry For information on training services offered and their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom They can be reached by phone at 541-967-4271 via SKYPE (user name JHMcDaniel) or via email at JHMcDanielCorelDRAWhelpcom See the full bio on the Writers Page
December 2007 24Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
the image the text and the red bow In the laser file for this example I have the red cut line for vectoring (See Figure 5)
5) Send the cardstock through the printer6) Place the cardstock in the laser for vector
cutting The thickness of the stock will determine what settings to use For my 35-watt laser using a medium weight cardstock I used a speed of 100 and power of 15 for a nice cut through the stock without any burn marks on the paper
7) Optional in one run I decided to let the laser take care of the bow instead of using color for it from my printer I set the outline of the bow to 100 black and the interior of the bow to 50 black (See Figure 6)
8) Then I only sent the image and text through the printer The bow and vector cutting occurred in the laser I set the raster engraving (of the bow) at speed 70 and power 40 (See Figure 7) You can see the differentiation of using 100 black as opposed to 50 black by the exterior lines
being engraved a little deeper than the rest of the fill
Take the idea of using patterns (like the birth announcement above) and wowing your clientele with the detail and intricacy that laser can provide Or add a twist to a holiday tradition (cards) Whatever you do donrsquot forget you can combine the advantages of the printer and laser for fabulous products
Submitted by Kathryn Arnold Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
LASER TIPBy Kathryn Arnold Applications
Combining Laser amp Printer PowerComing up with new and
inventive ways to use your laser is the key to a successful and growing business We will look at a way to combine the power of your computer (ink) printer with the power of the laser engraver
In this lesson we will take a look at using cardstock to create a card and an announcement See the examples of a holiday card and a birth announcement ndash gratuitously they are of my family (Figure 1 amp Figure 2)
1) In CorelDRAWreg use any pattern image text you wish Be sure that there is a clear and discernible vector line that will be laser cut and yield a cut piece from the cardstock2) See the clear (red) cut line ndash it goes fully around my object even the bow portion (important) I then duplicated my object to fit as many as possible on my 8 frac12 x 11 cardstock (See Figure 3) 3) I saved this file as my master file that I could return to at any point I then created two copies -- one that will
be used to send the file to my printer and one that will be used to send the file to my laser engraver (See Figure 4)
4) In the master file I have every part of what my end product will have In the file for my printer I only have the parts that the printer will print ndash in this example
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
December 2007 25Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
ELECTRONICS FRONTIERBy Louie Alvarez Opportunity
Webcams are an interesting subject which I am intimately familiar with Some typical questions are what are they what purpose do they serve what benefit are they what to look for and various other questions concerns and issues
Webcams surely bring back a memory or two not all that great I might add I remember when they first became usable primarily due to the Internet having affordable true broadband
First experiences The choppy poor quality of dial-up service
simply didnrsquot make this a useful technology Short of communicating with far-flung family members it left much to be desired With my immediate family living in Las Vegas and all other family (parents siblings cousins etc) living in California this was a technology I thought would be useful to keep in touch
So I set up my computer and my momrsquos computer with Webcams to stay in touch Needless to say with the poor quality terrible tracking (had to keep perfectly
sti l l because video frames didnrsquot refresh fas t enough) the hard-to-see tiny video window and poorly synchronized voices to the faces (we looked like a badly translated kung fu movie) the novelty quickly wore off (Irsquod say in about 30 minutes)
WebcamsSecond attempt
So I promptly dumped the technology for the next few years until I started seeing broadband picking up the pace and more interest in Webcams becoming obvious from all the new devices on the market So about three years ago a wireless Webcam caught my eye and I decided to put it to the test once again
Considering I was by then traveling quite extensively (about 40000 miles a year) I figured Irsquod use it to monitor my home I had two teenagers and a 5-year-old at home at the time while I was on the road and my wife was still a t work (She normally didnrsquot get off work until about two hours after school was out) So this looked to be a cool device to see if as the clicheacute goes when the catrsquos away the mice will play
I proceeded to position this wireless Webcam strategically to allow viewing of my living room including the back door Plus to get to the front door or side door you would have to pass through the field of the camera My little one loved the idea of being on camera for her daddy and would dance play and make funny faces for me Pretty cool actually That in itself almost justified the camera but needless to say my teenagers even my wife didnrsquot take to the idea too well So it was returned and life continued on as usual
That experience did show me that the broadband
speeds the quality of the video feeds the prevalence on the net of live cams and the quality of the video cameras (better known as Webcams) had progressed to a level of usefulness and I could see the potential of this technology With that said letrsquos get into the heart of this article
So what are webcams Basically they are digital cameras attached to
the computer and connected to the Web or Instant Messaging (IM) This allows the camera to be linked to a website or to each other directly and individuals who view the website or IM are able to see what the camera is viewing at that moment You can choose to get either still pictures that are updated at regular intervals (Snapshot) or live streams (Streaming) depending on what your bandwidth permits The WebCam technology has advanced sufficiently now to make it both easier and cheaper to maintain a camera that is refreshing an image 24 hours a day
Features of Web Cameras Listed here are some of the features more commonly
found in WebCams1 Live streaming video still pictures updated2 No plug-in or software necessary to view image
can be viewed with any Web browser3 Live audio4 Incorporation with other software such as Instant
Messaging (IM)5 Adding captionslogostime displays6 Archiving video7 Chat feature
December 2007 26Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
WebCams in an instructional scenario could be used to
Monitor your staff or employees thus being able to guide them better
Telecommute to companies worldwide and demonstrate project procedures
B roadcas t sem ina rs wo rkshops o r demonstrations
Share special events and programs with students enrolled in distance learning courses
Hold a video press conference online meeting or broadcast meetings and discussions
In some cases it is important for the learner to be able to establish a connection visually WebCams could be a good alternative to using text files or audio files
Join WebCam groups and allow students to take advantage of other WebCam locations for educational purposes
Using a web camera allows learners to be a part of either a conference or classstudio
Benefits of using WebCamsa The most important advantage of using a web camera is that it creates a direct link between the camera and the live site and dispenses with all the production work Production work in this context includes the cost and effort involved in shooting
editing and streaming videos Thus using a WebCam does not require
advanced skillsb The software is basically a Web server that runs on your system and pushes images out to a Web page For viewers of images delivered over a WebCam
one of the benefits is that they get the entire picture preferable in
certain cases rather than a sleek edited versionc WebCam technology can also be used for remote s u r v e i l l a n c e s y s t e m s
ELECTRONIC FRONTIER
monitoring events or places and broadcasting live eventsd Learners can link to a web camera-monitored location and just watch or also have an additional web camera in their own location enabling two-way communication
Setting up your WebCama Setting up your own WebCam obviously requires a computer a WebCam (the hardware) and WebCam software along with a broadband Internet connection Before you decide which camera to buy and which software to acquire yoursquoll have to review the different methods to show pictures or video feed through the Internet ( i e r e f r e s h e d after x amount of seconds) This will enable you to decide which hardware and software solution will fit your situation best
b P l a c e m e n t of a camera is an important decision to be made Decide whether a static angle is sufficient to demonstrate the concept or a moving camera (handheld) is required It is important however to remember the limitations of using WebCams and leave the panoramic and other fancy shots to more sophisticated video Use WebCams for videos that require more focus and ones that require a smaller viewingmovement range
c For detailed technical instructions on using WebCams visit httpdeveloperswebcamworldcommethodshtml
d Here is a good resource for inexpensive Webcams on the market httpcastlepricewatchcomssearchasps=webcams
e For an in-depth review of various Webcams on the market go to this link httpreviewscnetcom4244-6502_7-0-1htmlquery=webamptag=cat_1
f There are many Webcam examples online here are a couple httpwwwwebcamworldcom or httpwwwleonardsworldscomcamerahtml
By the way DONrsquoT TELL MY KIDS I picked up a Logitech QuickCam Pro 4000 not too long ago My family doesnrsquot know why I got it or what my intention is but I can say that now that my kids are 17 16 amp 8 my job as a parent is to ensure the mice donrsquot play when the catrsquos awayhellip
Louie Alvarez began acquiring his experience in the awards and engraving industry in Central California over 15 years ago first as an employee of the largest and oldest trophy shop and then as owner of one of the first laser engraving businesses Louie has been a featured workshop instructor and seminar speaker throughout the industry in addition to being a contributing writer to numerous industry publications Louie is based in Las Vegas NV and can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
December 2007 27Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
The Association of CorelDRAWreg Professionals is The Education amp Business Resource for CorelDRAW Users Worldwide Its goal is to help 1) IMPROVE your CorelDRAW skills and 2) MAKE MONEY with those skills You can participate in ACDRP services in four ways
THE WORLDrsquoS ONLY ASSOCIATION FOR CORELDRAWreg USERSINVITES YOU TO MAKE MORE MONEY WITH CORELDRAW
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month focused on Industry News via the Graphics News Wire Links to valuable resources and a complete educa-tion and show Calendar S
CorelDRAWPro the Entrepreneurial magazine for CorelDRAW users features in-depth content on How to Use CorelDRAW -- tips tricks advanced ar twork success s to r ies in te rv iews and more How to Apply CorelDRAW -- for graphic production processes such as embroidery engraving heat printing laser promo products printing sandblasting signmaking sublimation and screenprinting How to Profit from CorelDRAW -- Product news business columns reviews profiles and advertising with live links
SUBSCRIBE -- NO CHARGE JOIN -- $60 PER YEAR
All users of CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite are qualified to subscribe free to CorelDRAWPro magazine (PDF format) and CorelDRAWPro E-News
Subscription to CorelDRAWPro amp CorelDRAWPRo E-News
TTF Newsletter Subscription to the monthly Tips Templates amp Fixtures Newsletter only available to members
GSG Basic Listing You can list your services in the Graphic Services Guide in one category as part of membership (a $25 value)
Access to QuickLearn A keyword searchable database of 100s of articles on CorelDRAW graphics production and business
All users of CorelDRAWreg are invited to join the Association and take advantage of exclusive content discounts and profes-sional recognition ACDRP membership includes
TTF
QuickLearn
QuickTNT
Archives
BASIC GSG LISTING -- $25 PER YR
The Graphic Services Guide is the Industry Yellow Pages for Services and Finished Goods GSG is promoted in all our publi-cations and our website to the world of CorelDRAW users Your listing gives you the opportunity to promote your services (in any of 40 categories) to other CorelDRAW usersThe Basic Listing includes your company description email link and listing in one category Additional service categories are $10 each per year
The Enhanced GSG Listing is for companies that want to list in two categories and add a photo or logo
ENHANCED GSG LISTING -- $50$75 PER YR
Classifieds
Access to QuickTnT A growing database of CorelDRAW tips for understanding the fine points of the program and templates that can be downloaded to speed up your production
Access to Archives Past issues of CorelDRAWPro are available to members with live links
Bookstore Discounts Members receive a 10 discount on all products in the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore
Professional Recognition Use of the ACDRP logo for professional identification on business cards websites and letterhead You also receive a membership certificate
Classified Ads Members can place one classified ad per year at no charge with photo and run it till the item is sold (a $35 value)
HOW TO PARTICIPATE To Subscribe (no charge) To Join ($60yr) To List in the Graphic Services Guide ($25 Basic $50$75 Enhanced or $120145 for Multi-Service)
CorelDRAWreg is a registered trademark of Corel Corp and is used with permission
Visit wwwcoreldrawprocomand click on the appropriate links
800-276-8428
The Multi-Service GSG Listing allows you to list up to 40 differ-ent service categories with detailed descriptions and add a photo or logo
MULTI-SERVICE GSG LISTING -- $120$145 PER YR
December 2007 28Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Throughout the year this publication has reported on whatrsquos new in equipment tools and software and blank products for businesses that put graphics onto products
For this 2007 wrap-up CorelDRAWPro editorial staff reviewed all the product news for the year and named 33 products to its annual Top Products of the Year list
Selections were based on the criteria of innovation and impact Innovation means products that exhibit a high degree of originality or uniqueness Impact means products that influence sales or productivity for a large number of businesses
Note that the 2007 honorees are list alphabetically in the three theme sections
For more information on the products in this article click on the Info Request button at the bottom of each page and select by company name or product You might open the Info Request page and minimize it as you read That way you can quickly open it and check the products you want
EQUIPMENT
ANAJET DIRECT-TO-GARMENT DIGITAL PRINTERAnaJet Digital Apparel Printer (Model FP-125) from
AnaJet Inc in Costa Mesa CA is a direct-to-garment printer offering high quality and affordability It can print custom graphics on any cotton or poly-cotton flat textile material in one minute The printer priced affordably from under $13000 can produce up to 5000 shirts per month each retailing for about $20 Most printers installed so far are in a production plant environment but some customers have started to take the mobile printer to malls for instant printing of customer graphics According to Dr Chase Roh company president the unique printhead they have developed allows for 16x more ink flow than normal desktop printers and thus shirts only require one pass
Top Products of the Year
DTG AMERICA ECLIPSE D-1 WITH TWO HEADS DTG America of Tampa FL and Fort Worth TX now offers a new solution to
speed up digitally printing to dark shirts The Eclipse D-1 incorporates two heads instead of one One head has eight channels of white to lay down a solid white underbase The second head has four channels of white to do highlights and four channels of color to lay down the design The result of this new configuration is the underbase and color are completed in one pass at an estimated average of only two minutes per shirt for a 12-inch by 6-inch area Other innovations include an ink agitator firmware for easy updating ink vapor remover auto gap adjustment and new platen configuration for easy loading
GEO KNIGHT DK 25SP HEAT PRESSThe Digital Knight DK25SP is an air-operated automatic
20x25 oversized swing-away heat press with a state-of-the-art control system and heavy-duty solid steel welded framework The smooth automatic pressing and push-button activation provides a productive fatigue-free operation The extended 20x25 size of the heat platen is perfect for sublimation and large-format materials pressingThe press is adjustable to accommodate materials from fabric thickness all the way up to 1rdquo thick substrates For more information call 800-525-6766 or visit wwwheatpresscom
GRAPHTEC CRAFT ROBO PROGraphtec America Inc based in Santa Ana
CA introduced the new Craft ROBO Pro 15rdquo cutting plotter The Craft ROBO Pro is an ideal solution for cutting a wide variety of materials including vinyl film card stock foil heat transfer and image transfer media Incorporating Graphtecrsquos legendary
December 2007 29Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
ARMS (Advanced Registration Marks System) and combined with a desktop printer the Craft ROBO Pro makes contour cutting an easy task Innovations include a new digital servo motor first mark auto-sensing menu navigation system that includes 8 user-defined conditions Tangential Control and three software applications
ROLAND RELEASES DIRECT-TO-FABRIC PRINTERRoland DGA Corp of Irvine CA released
the new 74rdquo HeatWave DFP-74 Fabric Printer through its reseller channel in the US Based on Rolandrsquos HeatWave sublimation technology the DFP-74 Fabric Printer is a complete integrated solution and Rolandrsquos first inkjet ever to support direct printing onto polyester fabrics As a complete solution including printer sublimation unit inks and RIP software the DFP-74 makes it easier than ever for shops to enter the fast-growing textile printing market Key features include eight advanced piezo print heads an intelligent media handling system and a temperature-controlled heating system
HOTRONIX PERFECT PRESSURE HEAT PRESSHotronix of Carmichaels PA has taken heat press technology
to the next level with Perfect Pressure a new digital pressure display functionThis new feature has a single-digit LED readout
that measures the pressure of the inner platen This technology is exclusive to Hotronix and is patent pending Previously a
digital pressure display was available only on air-operated heat press machines With this new pressure display gauge all heat press users will have more consistent results from job to job reducing the number of misprints and speeding up production For more information about
the new digital pressure display contact Stahlsrsquo Hotronix at 800-478-2457 e-mail infostahlscom or visit the Web site at wwwstahlscom
SWF DREAM EMBROIDERY MACHINEWith its new DREAM Machine SWF has broken the barrier in multi-head
embroidery machine technology The DREAM machines are the first multi-head embroidery machines that truly can sew at 1500 stitches per minute During the research and development of these new machines 12 new patents were filed and granted proof that the DREAM machines are built with state-of-the-art technology
Innovations include LED control panel error codes to quickly troubleshoot problems optional devices to do sequins cording and boring automatic oiling system large memory a hoop selector and more These innovative new machines come in configurations ranging from
two to six heads It is distributed exclusively by SWF East (Tampa FL) and SWF MESA (Dallas TX)
MESArsquoS HOTFIX SPANGLE MOTIF MACHINEWith the all new YAS-11 Hotfix Spangle Motif Making
Machine the first of its kind in the United States you can create beautiful spangle transfer designs that have the look of sequins This patented machine which is distributed exclusively in the United States by MESA Distributors of Fort Worth TX cuts out shapes such as circles and squares in a range of sizes from reels of Mylar tape The machine comes with proprietary design software that allows the user to create any pattern or design up to 157 by 157 inches
SAWGRASSrsquo HYBRID SYSTEM FOR EPSON R1800Sawgrass Technologies of Mt Pleasant SC introduced
the SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid System for the Epson R1800 for both sublimation printing and cotton
decorating from one machine The affordable entry-level system features dual functionality with both SubliJet and ChromaBlast inks in one machine allowing users to create customized images with superior color and clarity on both polyester coated substrates and cotton garments This is the second
hybrid system from Sawgrass following in the footsteps of the popular SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid
System for the Epson 4800
TROTECrsquoS NEW LARGE PLATFORM LASER Trotec Laser Inc of Ypsilanti MI has introduced the SP500 series of laser
engraving and cutting systems The systems have a work area of 50rdquo X 28rdquo and X-Axis clearance of 12rdquo The systems are offered in power levels from 45W-200W There is an available pass-through option (Class 4) Exhaust fumes are captured
December 2007 30Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
at the laser head to insure an efficient extraction when using the pass-through featureTrotec systems are designed for minimal wear-and-tear and eliminate the need for periodic replacement of belts and bearings For additional information visit our web site wwwtrotecnet or call 866-226-8505 734-484-3260
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW PROFESSIONAL SERIESUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) of Scottsdale
AZ added four new models in its Professional Laser Series (PLS) line of advanced high-productivity computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving systems The new PLS line which replaces Universalrsquos M V and X laser systems incorporates a
host of evolutionary design improvements to the laser cartridge platform chassis system electronics and software interface The new PLS models include several
powerful new features most notably a unique materials-based print driver called ldquoLaser Interface +rdquo that gives users their choice
between automatic or manual control over power speed and other system settings For more information on Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit Universal Laser Systems online at wwwulsinccom
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW VERSALASERUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) added a
new version of its desktop-sized VersaLasertrade
computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving system The new VersaLaser
improves on the award-winning original thanks to a host of evolutionary design refinements It also
includes a unique next-generation materials-based print driver that automatically calculates power speed
and other system settings It was awarded a patent for the unique design of its external cabinet which also functions as a Class 1 laser safety enclosure For more information about VersaLaser or Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit wwwulsinccom
US SCREENrsquoS FAST T-JET 3US Screen Print and Inkjet Technology of Tempe
AZ adds the Fast T-Jet3TM which features 30 faster print speeds compared to the previous T-Jet2 model and has a longer low profile print bed for easier loading and unloading Now you can produce a full size 12rdquo x 12rdquo (305 x 305 cm) print in one minute on a light shirt and in under three minutes on a black shirt with white ink Small pocket images can be printed in about 15 seconds
US SCREENrsquoS AUTOMATED PRETREATMENT CENTER
Speed up production when using Fast T-Jet inkjet-to-garment printers with the AutoTREATtrade Automatic Pretreatment Center
This versatile piece of equipment allows you to treat shirts on a production level rather than spraying shirts individually one at a time For use with light or dark shirts the AutoTREATtrade
can spray up to three shirts per minute It has two application modesmdashone for lights and one for darks that can be switched over by activating the cleaning mode which flushes out the system with water
TOOLS MATERIALS SOFTWARE
CORELDRAW X3 CERTIFIED FOR WINDOWS VISTACorel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that
CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite X3 has been Certified for Windows Vista Customers who wish to install the Certified for Windows Vista version of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X3 can download the latest service pack (SP2) from wwwcorelcom This new update delivers an exceptional experience for customers on Windows Vista including an updated user interface enhanced security improved text handling and further enhancements to the popular suitersquos renowned import and export file compatibility
COREL LAUNCHES NEW ONLINE COMMUNITY Corel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that it
has launched httpcoreldrawcom a new online community for users of the CorelDRAWreg family of products ndash including CorelDRAW Graphics Suite Corel DESIGNERreg Technical Suite
December 2007 31Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
and Corelreg DRAWingsreg This new community site is the first in a series that Corel will be launching to support its various user communities Designed to fuel inspiration CorelDRAWcom combines forums blogs and galleries for design professionals and graphic hobbyists alike Forums are available in English French German and Spanish serving an international audience
DALCOrsquoS NEW REFLECTIVE HEAT TRANSFERSCater to the safety market with new reflective transfers offered
by Dalco Athletic of Dallas TX These durable transfers come in a reflective silver gray color in three styles police sheriff and fire dept They are sized for left chest and full back so
all you have to do is heat seal for 8 seconds and yoursquore done Itrsquos very fast and easy
DALCOrsquoS NEW OPTIC YELLOW CLASSIC SWB APPLIQUE
Classic SWB appliqueacute designs offered by Dalco Athletic now come in two new styles softballs and tennis balls in optic yellow fabric These new balls literally jump off any wearable and make it an eye-catching standout This appliqueacute collection is ideal for spiritwear items to be sold to fans and family or created as fund-raisers for boosters clubs
POWER GRAPHICS 3 FROM DIGITAL ART SOLUTIONSPower Graphics 3 by Digital Art Solutions of
Tempe AZ is the ultimate design tool for the creation of high-end custom graphics and logos for custom signage awards vehicle graphics promotional products and apparel graphics Tuned to the latest styles and trends it provides fresh graphics that will impress even the most critical and demanding customer It includes more than 1500 images The 10 design categories include Flames Gangsta (Urban) Mascots Offroad Rebel (Biker and Hot
Rod) Retro Speed Sports Surf and Tuner
FLORIANI COMMERCIALrsquoS NEW NO-SHOW DIAMOND MESHContinuing in its tradition of research and development
to create embroidery stabilizers that meet the needs of todayrsquos embroiderers Floriani Embroidery Commercial Division of Knoxville TN released a new product called Floriani No-Show Diamond Mesh This unique nylon mesh stabilizer has a perpendicular embossed pattern that makes it more multi-directionally stable and enables it to better hold stitches for crisper design registration It is specifically designed for light-colored garments where traditional stabilizers have a tendency to show through the front of the garment
GREAT DANErsquoS NEW DIGITAL PHOTO FRAMES Tap into the lucrative team market with an
incredible collection of stock art specially designed to work for direct-to-garment printers sublimation transfers and digital transfers Digital Photo Frames Volume 1 is a collection of spectacular pre-designed layouts each with one or more frames to
insert personal photos The collection includes five categories baseball football basketball soccer and hockey Each category has four designs (20 total layouts) and each design comes in three template formats mugs mouse pads and shirts
So there are a total of 60 template designs in all
IMPRINTABLES WAREHOUSE OFFERS SPECTRA ECO FILMNew from Imprintables Warehouse of
Masontown PA is a digital cutter material that is free of PVC a plus with companies that want to be as environmentally friendly as possible Spectra Eco Film is made with ecological polyurethane and is peeled hot It is pressure sensitive (sticky backing) and extremely easy to weed While maintaining superior durability and opacity this new film is thinner than current offerings on the market and delivers the super soft hand that is in demand by todayrsquos consumers It can be used on 100 cotton 100 polyester polycotton blends and even nylon and leather
December 2007 32Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
KISSCUT TECHNOLOGIESrsquo SELF-WEEDING INKJET TRANSFER PAPER
Kiss Cut Technologies Ltd Newcastle UK has addressed the ldquopolymer windowrdquo issue and developed the worldrsquos first self-weeding inkjet transfer paper for printing to textiles In simple terms only the areas of their patented transfer paper that have been printed will be transferred to the garment when heat pressed A Kiss Cut print can be further embellished with specialized textile foils so in effect a digital foiling method is now available Foil is heat pressed onto the garment and when peeled the foil only sticks to the image areas
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW PHOTOPLAS-TIC MATERIALLaserSketchcom of Lemont IL a leading supplier of
LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble Super Black Granite and Black Onyx Jewelry introduces their new PhotoPlas-Tic This is a new material developed for front andor reverse laser engraving on micro surface impact acrylic plastic It is a premium plastic for laser engraving that is UV stable ideal for photo badges plaques trophies signage and high-end awards Each sheet of PhotoPlas-Tic is specially designed for a crisp clean burn and ultra-fine laser lettering logo and vector output For details call 630-243-6360 or visit wwwlasersketchcom
THEMAGICTOUCH LAUNCHES WOW TRANSFER PAPERTheMagicTouch USA launched WoW Professional
71 transfer paper which requires no weeding or profile cutting and the vibrant colors are achieved using digital laser technology making it great for short runs It uses PolymationTM which incorporates a newly designed catalyst that provides the ultimate compatibility with all generations of dry toner material According to the company PolymationTM is the next generation of laser heat transfer Sublimation requires the substrate to have a specialty receiving polymer coating to absorb the pigments but PolymationTM delivers everything at once polymer pigments and catalyst
December 2007 33Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
offers distinct advantages over any other process It allows for an unlimited number of colors and very fine detail which is impossible with screen printing or embroidery And the cost does not go up as colors are added These new specialty materials are so advanced they can be heat sealed to all kinds of fabrics and hot new multimedia designs can be easily done
VAPOR APPAREL LAUNCHES VAPOR ART VOLUME 1V a p o r A p p a r e l
a s u b s i d i a r y o f SourceSubstrates LLC Charleston SC announces the launch of Vapor Art - Volume 1 a collection of 127 vector graphics for digital sublimation and general use The diverse collection
of high-quality graphics comes after several years of customers requesting access to the companyrsquos sample art at trade shows and educational events The Collection of art includes vector drawings and JPGs for everything from mountain biking and snowboarding to yoga and cheerleading
BLANK PRODUCTS
COLORADO HEIRLOOMrsquoS COLOR LACQUERED FRAMES
Colorado Heirloom Inc of Loveland CO introduced their new Color Lacquered Frames This is an option to add color your unique creations It is not color fill Colored lacquer is sprayed on their high quality wood frames Because
INKTRA STRETCH TRANSFER PAPER FROM STAHLSrsquoStahlsrsquo based in St Clair
Shores MI adds InkTratrade Stretch a flexible transfer paper A revolutionary product InkTratrade Stretch provides a soft hand with an amazing stretch and recovery feature InkTratrade Stretch lets you take your favorite photo or graphic design and apply it to light colored or white hats shirts bags and more for a long lasting and completely personalized garment The highly stretchable paper can be applied to cotton polycotton blends spandex and Lycrareg
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo GOOF-PROOF TRANSFERSWant the look of screen
printing without the hassle With Goof Proofreg transfers offered by Transfer Express of Mentor OH you can custom order a transfer that has the popular athletic feel and will apply in a blazing four seconds Ordering is done step-by-step online and you can customize hundreds of designs You choose your
typeface colors and size Once your design is just the way you want it you can print it out to show a customer for approval Or Transfer Express can print from your artwork The minimum order is only five pieces and your one-color order ships in one to three working days
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo NEW FULL-COLOR DIGI PRINTSApparel decorators can now offer full-color designs on light
and dark apparel made of virtually any type of fabric without the hassle or minimums of screen printing with new state-of-the-art heat transfer technology called Digi Printstrade Offered through Transfer Express this revolutionary new method of decorating
December 2007 34Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
lacquer is used instead of paint any design can be lasered on these frames The possibilities are endless These colorful creations are offered in two different designs -- a designer frame and a frame with an insert Call 970-667-4222 or visit wwwcoloradoheirloomcom
CONDE ADDS PET MATS FOR SUBLIMATIONCondeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added food bowl placemats and litter box
mats to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Favorite photographs and pet-related artwork can be transferred to the
mats to create fun products for individual pet lovers or for the pet industry such as pet stores veterinarians groomers boarding facilities and animal adoption groups Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing Call Conde at 800-826-6332
CONDE INTRODUCES FABRIC PATCHES FOR SUBLIMATION
Condeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added fabric patches to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Custom decorators can now produce unique full-color patches that will impress organizations businesses clubs sports teams sports enthusiasts and individuals alike -- without the use of embroidery Heat seal patches are great for identification marketing awards trade show promotions or to commemorate special events Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing or call 800-826-6332
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW LASERSLABLaserSketch of Lemont IL Internationally known for
their LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble and Super Black Granite announces LaserSlab Super Black Granite at 4rsquo x 8rsquo x 7mm and 4rsquo x 4rsquo x 7mm weighting in at just over 2 pounds per square foot The surface of the LaserSlab Granite has the sheen of a black mirror The reverse side features epoxy fiberglass backing to give structure integrity to the ultra-lite granite sheet All may be viewed wwwlasersketchcom or by calling LaserSketch 630-243-6360
MATTHEWS INTRODUCES ALUMICOLORTM
Matthews International Corp of Pittsburgh PA introduced Alumicolortrade a high-resolution graphics solution for aluminum signage recognition commemoration and way finding Using cutting-edge technology Matthews embeds a four-color image into the aluminum to create an anodized reproduction of unsurpassed durability Alumicolortrade products which are designed for interior and exterior installations are resistant to extreme weather conditions graffiti scuffing grease chemicals and UV rays Additionally they will not chip crack or peel
PSI ADDS ROUND FRAMES amp STRING PUZZLES Paramount Services Inc of Hollywood FL
introduced new round resin frames for sublimation tiles Choose from Coral or RopeStone with optional Unisubreg Hardboard Tiles They will also accept the Bison 8rdquo round glass Cutting Board Why be square when round may fit better PSI also introduced a new puzzle guaranteed to string you along These String Puzzles come with a Unisubreg Hardboard puzzle and the necessary string and beads along with instructions how to string it after printing Templates to aid in design are available for download in several formats For details call 800-455-7212 or visit wwwDye-Sublimation-Productscom
CRYSTALEDGEreg LUXORTM CRYSTAL AWARDSCrystalEdgereg Chicago IL presented the Luxortrade Series
This stunning cost-effective collection comprises a series of specially designed Rosewood and Black Piano finish bases Matte Mahogany and Matte Black bases and a precision cast Satin Nickel Finish Metal Base with your choice of brass or silver hardware for mounting our twelve unique shapes making this the most versatile award yet Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks are curved 14rdquo thick crystal clear glass with 316rdquo diameter holes for mounting The Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks feature a generous engraving area and there is plenty of room on the base to add an engraving plate
December 2007 35Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
XENETECHrsquoS NEW ENGRAVABLE GIFTSXenetech of Baton Rouge
LA introduced high quality engravable gift items at wholesale and quantity discounts The Xenetech collection provides a selection of gifts created for corporate recognition weddings births holidays anniversaries retirements birthdays special occasions or just expressing appreciation Items include money clips key chains book markers desk accessories quartz movement clocks flasks amp wine accessories entertainment gifts travel gifts genuine Swiss Army knives business card holders luggage tags silver-plated jewelry boxes keepsake gift boxes silver-plated banks and baby gifts The gift items are designed primarily for diamond drag burnishing and rotary engraving personalization
UNISUBrsquoS CHROMALUXE PHOTO PANELSChromaLuxe photo panels are an exciting new line
of sublimatable products from Unisub of Louisville KY These panels allow you to sell a completely finished photo product to your customers capturing some of the additional revenue (and profit) your customers now spend elsewhere on framing Available in a range of traditional photo sizes as well as exciting new shapes these panels can be joined together to create stunning photo displays -- perfect for a fireplace mantle l i b r a r y s h e l f or the top of an armoire Available in aluminum or MDF substrates
CorelDRAWPro IndexOne of our members in Michigan
requested that we put together an Index of all the articles wersquove published during the year
He prints out all the issues and puts them in binders but an Index would make it easy to reference specific articles We think itrsquos a good idea and wersquoll send it to all subscribers in January
Product Focus TopicsJanuary 2008 -- Signage Products esp Wide FormatFebruary 2008 -- Engraving Awards amp GiftsMarch 2008 -- Apparel ProductsApril 2008 -- Laser Wood Products
Coming in 2008
December 2007 36Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETSBy Donna M Gray CRM Opportunities
December ndash Time to Review December finds everyone on our team strategizing how to get out of our parking lot Our business sits right in the middle of an up-scale strip mall which sits right behind a huge shopping mall and right along the main road to a Target Superstore and other large malls We all know that from the day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday) until 2 weeks after the New Year there are great challenges to those of us who like to leave the building for lunch or run an errandhellipso we strategize We all know every secret shortcut to the bank the post office and the warehouse club What we donrsquot know is how to find the way to merge out of our own back alley into the constant flow of traffic that carries people to their end shopping destination Whew
The year-end review So this year Dave and I have decided to stay in at lunch and do our business strategizing instead Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup are good brain food for helping us to look at all the successful things we did last year as a company all the things we thought about doing but didnrsquot because the idea didnrsquot quite fit and all the things we put off until next year We do this kind of exercise every year end and it helps us to map out our strategy for the coming year In the process we identify any mistakes wersquove made wrong turns wersquove taken and we try to find the ldquowhat could have happened had everything gone rightrdquo
The value of making mistakes Albert Einstein said ldquoAnyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything newrdquo Dave has a couple of prints in his office of Abraham Lincoln that describe his mistakes in fact it took Lincoln eight tries to win the presidency Thomas Edison made mistakeshellipand yet he perseveredhellipotherwise wersquod by ldquocomputingrdquo by candlelight And Irsquove heard that Colonel
Sanders had a thousand rejections before he sold his first chicken recipe It would be nice to get to our year end business appraisals and find that wersquove made no mistakes but our business like most others doesnrsquot have that claim to fame My mother always took the high road with mistakes She always said that one should recognize the benefits of a mistake One should learn what good came from it use it to improve and use it to help motivate success the next time So December is the time to analyze everything that made up the past year and look for ways to make the New Year successful in every way
Making a plan Most advisors say that the first step toward business success after looking at a companyrsquos year ending history is to decide on exactly what you want to do going forward in the coming year Then comes mapping out the plan What will be done How will it get done Who will do what What resources will be used When will it get done Is the right equipment in place Is the space adequate Ask these and any other questions that could relate to creating a successful year then focus on the details and follow through Those two wordshellipfocus and follow throughhellipcould mean the difference between marginal and abundant success Simply stated success comes from what you do and the way you do ithellipin your customerrsquos perception Every business wants to have a good imagehellipa good reputation so dedication to having good communication skills is important especially in an industry that does custom work The goal is to be on the same page as our clients so we have to be good mind readers We have to also concentrate on our professionalism on our appearance on our presentation style and in the pride we take in producing a well-done project This
has worked in the past and will remain the same in the future
The extra mile Success has to be nurturedhellipthen it gets celebrated Sometimes sacrifices have to be made to get to the rewards At year end when we analyze how we got from Point A to Point B itrsquos interesting to note that we sometimes had to take detours and sometimes the road blocks called for sacrificehellipof time or money Sometimes the sacrifice came in the way of a sleepless night worrying if an order that was lost in delivery would be found and re-routed to us in time to make a clientrsquos deadline Someone (unknown) said ldquoA day of worry is more exhausting than a week of workrdquo Anyone in business could testify to that Part of success is going the extra milehellipeven if it results in a sleepless night Going the extra mile is worth all the paid advertising in the world on the road to success
December 2007 37Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETS
Donna Grayrsquos 2nd book Itrsquos All Relative Surviving amp Thriving in a Family Business was published in September 2007
It describes her quest to identify the keys to suc-cess for small business and family businesses in particular She interviewed top businesses nationwide and discovered five common qualities implemented by successful business owners Check it out at the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore wwwcoreldrawprocomAllBook-storehtm
Commitments made and kept Our team felt good about some commitments we made and kept this past year like
We used a daily ldquoto-dordquo list and we set priorities in order of importance When we finished a project we ldquocelebratedrdquo and then moved on quickly to the next job We built in some time for ldquostress reliefrdquo with morning meeting breaks This was especially good when treats were served since wersquove got some good bakers on our staff We didnrsquot ldquoscreenrdquo calls through voice mail We considered every call to be important We ldquodid it right the first timerdquo even though it sometimes took longer We tied up all the ldquoloose endsrdquo We became ldquocheerleadersrdquo for each other When one of us accomplished a goal we all applauded We all tried to deliver more than we promised This can be challenging sometimes when working with a difficult project We eliminated (or tried to eliminate) unnecessary procedures and we simplified our paper flow system We spent most of our time on high priority tasks We all worked on our delegation skills We were committed to not wasting time either our own or other peoplersquos
Goals that were lacking Now all those great things being put on paper reminds me that we also had some goals we didnrsquot quite succeed athellipbut wersquoll try harder next year
We didnrsquot always ldquogrouprdquo tasks togetherhelliplike going to the bank and the post office in one trip or answering mail when it gets opened It wasnrsquot always easy to avoid procrastination Some low priority chores got put off There were still times when we couldnrsquot find enough hours to finish the work Our ldquotoolsrdquo didnrsquot always get put away when we were through with a project even though this is Daversquos pet peeve
Conclusion Experts say that we have to actively create our success not wait for it to happen This coming year hopefully none of us will sit in the comfort zone waiting for the phone to ring Therersquos an old Chinese proverb that goes ldquoIt you continually give you will continually haverdquo Our team will go on being involved in community activities When time is spent on worthwhile projects outside the business opportunities come knocking at the front counter Besideshellipat yearrsquos endhellipit makes us feel really good about the help we gave on these projects
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since1977 She can be reached by email at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
December 2007 38Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
GRAPHICS NEWS NETWORKAll these news and information products and services are part of the
Graphics News Network developed for ACDRP The goal is ldquoAll the News All the Time mdash For the World of Graphicsrdquo
GRAPHICS NewsWireThe Graphics News Wire is the always live always updated source for graphics news mdash products equipment technology and more Make it (CorelDRAWProcomNewsPagehtm) your home page or favorite to gain access to Breaking news updated regularly New Classified Ads New Job Announcements Supplier SpecialsAll news is related to graphic productsQuickSourceTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive amp Easy-To-Use
Search Engine
It gives you one-click access to suppliers products phone numbers and live links to ACDRP Member Suppliers Itrsquos always up-to-date searchable by keyword and accessible from your desktop
Quick TnTTM
The Industryrsquos Newest Resource for Graphics Tips amp Templates
Gain access to a growing library of CorelDRAW tips and templates that will make your work easier
QuickLearnTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive and
Easy-To-Use Article Library
Gain access to hundreds of articles on graphics-related and business topics searchable by keyword
The Entrepreneurial Magazine for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro Magazine is delivered to you once a month in PDF format It features in-depth content that readers rave about including articles on how to use CorelDRAW how to apply CorelDRAW and how to profit from CorelDRAW
News Tips amp Resources for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month mdash about the 15th and 25th It brings you highly targeted content that you wonrsquot find elsewhere including CorelDRAW Tips extensive product news links and a calendar of shows and training
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Some Things Were Meant To Be In Etched in Stone
Call for a free color catalog
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678-560-4088Fax 678-560-1157
Importers amp Wholesalers of MarbleOnyx
Gifts amp Accessories
JOIN TODAY
The worldrsquos only association for CorelDRAWreg Users
wwwcoreldrawprocomJoinhtm
Place an Ad for as little as $215 per month
Find out how by calling our Ad Representative John McDaniel II
541-990-6687
the entrepreneurial magazine
GET LISTED TODAY
Generate new businessby doing jobs for others
List your company in GSG the Digital Yellow Pages for the industry wwwcoreldrawprocomListGSGhtm
December 2007 39Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Louie Alvarez started in the industry working for one of the largest trophy shops in Central California and then opened one of the first retail laser engraving businesses He has given seminars and workshops on CorelDRAW and Laser for many years and has written for several publications He is now with Vytek Industrial Lasers and is based in Las Vegas NV He can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
Kathryn Arnold is the Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
Errol Barr has a wide range of experience in sales amp marketing eventually getting into laser systems in 1999 currently with Vytek Industrial Lasers He also sold extensively in the CNC router industry selling the machines as more of a business opportunity wrapped around the machine He can be reached by email at errolbarrgmailcom
Dave Demoret founded Prolink Graphic Services to help people understand and profit from learning CorelDRAW He has been in both the Flat Graphics Industry and the Decorating Graphics Industry for 30 years He has written articles for several publications is a Corel Training Partner and conducts workshops nationwide and online He is the author of several CD Instructional programs on CorelDRAW He can be reached at 765-DO COLOR (362-6567) or davedprolinkgscom
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since 1977 She has presented seminars on a variety of topics nationwide and has won many marketing awards She is the author of two books on family business and can be reached at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
Bill Leek is a color consultant for JBL Graphics in Houston TX and has over 30 years experience in computer engineering and graphics design He has developed several lines of color imprintable products and does testing on a variety of products for different manufacturers He can be reached at wfleekjblgraphicscom or 281-970-6677
Jeff McDaniel is the owner of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon He worked as a journeyman machinist before getting into the graphic products business Creative Graphic offers laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials Contact him at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
John McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry He worked for many years with computers in electronic data processing and pioneered the use of CorelDraw for engraving applications He owned a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years and writes about hardware design software laser engraving sublimation and more He is a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals For information on training and more call 541-967-4271 or write to mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
Judy McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry Her background includes many forms of art and retail sales as well as the operation of a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years She is a regular columnist on sandblasting sublimation and diversifying business as well as a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals She can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
David Milisock is president of Custom Graphic Technologies Inc in Pennsylvania He has been in the print production business since 1975 and specializes in professional support for CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite Output includes computer-to-plate processes for all commercial digital front-end applications as well as Postscript-compliant graphic applications He offers technical and color management support for all RIP-driven corporate digital output systems He can be reached at 717-509-3523 or davidmilisockcomcastnet
Deborah Sexton former editor of Impressions Magazine has been in the apparel graphics industry since 1981 She currently does marketing and public relations for apparel graphics companies and is a columnist for several industry publications She can be reached at dsextonsbcglobalnet
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at 916-567-1867
December 2007 40Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
by Otis Veteto
Traveling Tidbits
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the
RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of
the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Itrsquos a fun and
informative column focusing on the human-interest side of
the industry Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars
for industry organizations and some of that knowledge
will rub off as well He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at
916-567-1867
Reps Volunteers People Skills amp Agreements
RS Owens Southeast RepFirst of all a Traveling Tidbits welcome to
the newest member of the RS Owens Company sales team Anita Brennan Anita is the new Regional Sales Manager for the Southeast She will be calling on you folks in Alabama Tennessee Mississippi Florida Georgia North Carolina and South Carolina Anita has worked in all phases of our industry as a retailer (her own business) multi-line rep and now as a regional sales manager When I asked Anita what she likes to do when not on the road she told me she likes to spend time with her two-year-old granddaughter Kaylee Welcome to the RS Owens family Anita Brennan
Railroad Museum VolunteerI know Christmas is the time for giving
but some people give all year long I was talking recently with Elias Athanasiou whose regular job is a server in a restaurant my wife and I frequent when I am in Sacramento Elias has been associated as a volunteer with the California State Railroad Museum for about 16 years Every Saturday during the ldquorunning seasonrdquo April-September Elias can be found working as a volunteer on the Steam Engine excursion train that runs for 6 miles along the top of the levee on the Sacramento River The ride takes about 40 minutes Elias is the Engineer now but has worked as conductor and fireman in his tenure with the train It is people like Elias Athanasiou that make this a much better world A huge Traveling Tidbits SALUTE You can find out more about the Railroad Museum at wwwcsrmorg
Real People SkillsThis next tidbit is from the PPAI Promotional
Consultant Today The author is Roy Chitwood president of Max Sacks International in Seattle Wash It is entitled To Shine Polish Your People Skills
ldquoPeople buy not because they understand your product or service but because they feel that you understand them People buy emotionally As a professional salesperson you need to be more people-oriented not product centered Here are seven quick and easy techniques to improve your people skills
SMILE It is the universal sign of friendship in any language The Chinese have a proverb ldquoA man who cannot smile should not open a storerdquo Think about that Give a smile and you will get a smile in return
DEVELOP A GENUINE INTEREST IN OTHERS When you have sincere interest it shows Look directly at people when they are talking to you Let your facial expression register your interest Ask good open-ended questions to let people know that you are interested in what they say
TALK IN TERMS OF THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS INTERESTS You will never meet anyone who doesnrsquot have time to talk about what they want to talk about Encourage your prospect to discuss his or interests rather than launching into a discussion about yourself
USE THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS NAME Using a name builds personal rapport and shows you are listening with respect Be careful about overusing the personrsquos name
GIVE COMPLIMENTS Everyone loves a compliment when it is genuine Make a
concentrated effort to give at least 3 honest compliments every day of your life You will be amazed at what it will do for your relationships
LISTEN Listening is the greatest compliment you can pay When you assume the role of the listener it relaxes the sales climate As you listen you are demonstrating that you truly care and you are genuinely interested in what he or she has to say
MAKE THE OTHER PERSON FEEL IMPORTANT When you are sincerely impressed by something the other person has achieved or owns let them know it Understand that fundamentally every person is important and treat them accordingly
Personal comment When I finished reading this I thought to myself ldquoThese make sense in our everyday life not just in salesrdquo
The Third AgreementI will close with the 3rd step from the book
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel RuizDONrsquoT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS Find the
courage to ask questions and to express what you really want Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings sadness and drama
Sounds a little like what I wrote at the beginning of the column doesnrsquot it
Thatrsquos all for now Remember to save some time for yourself and your family And when you travel please travel safe
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE
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December 2007 18Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTINGBy Jeff McDaniel Applications
Using Specialty Platens Part 2Background
In our last article we touched on the steps required to create a master transfer for our specialty platen We also briefly reviewed locating the artwork and attaching the capillary film to the screen In this article we will expose our screens rinse them and produce our pocket patch CorelDRAWPro members can look up the more detailed information in the archived articles for June July and August at wwwacdrporg
Our setup and yoursOur setup is the Printa 770 series screen printing machine from Printa Systems Inc
All of the supplies and tools we will cover from here on were provided in the turn-key system from Printa with the 770 Your setup may be from another source but will most likely contain components of what we will discuss below In addition to the standard Printa 770 setup we will be using the ldquoPrint-Allrdquo system from Printa Systems Inc (see figure 1 courtesy of Printa Systems)
Exposing the capillary filmWe left off last article with our screens drying
Now that they are dry we are ready to expose the capillary film Exposing Step 1 we will gently peel the carrier sheet off of the capillary film (see figure 2)
Exposing Step 2 Next we need to put our first image back on the exposure unit and re-install the screen on the printing system Then we can bring the screen down on the
exposure unit attach our blackout board and expose the screen (see figure 3)
Exposing Step 3 After exposure we need to rinse out our screen and inspect it to be certain we have a complete rinse (see figure 4)
Exposing Step 4 Once the image is rinsed out it is time to put the screen back in the dryer (see figure 5)
Re-aligning the screens after wash outFrom the time that we first aligned the
artwork we have taken the screens in and out of the printing system twice If our artwork is even a little bit out of alignment we will lose blanks or put out low quality work It is a good idea to do a final adjustment with the original artwork
Re-Align Step 1 Leaving both of our photo positives on the exposure unit we can inspect the screen location compared to our original artwork location Here is the yellow screen location after exposure and wash out (see figure 6)
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
December 2007 19Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTING
Re-Align Step 2 The black screen is a little bit off (see figure 7) so we will need to use the Printa 770 micro-adjustment knobs to bring it back into alignment (see figure 8)
Masking off the screenNow that our artwork is
lined up correctly we can mask the rest of the screen off Wherever we donrsquot want the ink to run through the screen needs to be masked off (see figures 9 and 10)
Locating the pocket patch on the shirtThere are a couple of different ways to locate the pocket
patch on the shirt The first thing to consider is where you want it to end up on the wearer If the patch is too far toward the sleeve the image will end up under the wearerrsquos arm pit If the image is too far up toward the neck the image will not look right either A good way to figure out the correct location is by looking at a shirt that has a pocket patch on it (maybe one or two are in your closet right now)
Another way to locate the pocket patch is to put on the shirt
size that you wear and mark off where you think it feels correct and comfortable Once you have decided where you would like the patch keeping it in the same relative location on all of the different sizes is not too difficult The actual placement of the shirt can be accomplished a couple of different ways that we know of Which you prefer will depend mostly on if you are more accurate with sight or touch
The sight method involves using a masking tape strip to mark the desired location on the shirt prior to loading it onto the platen (see figure 11)
Once you have your marking in place you can load the shirt on the platen and have a nice representation that you are placing the design in the desired location (see figure 12)
Figure 7 Figure 8
Figure 9
Figure 10
Figure 11
Figure 12
December 2007 20Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTING
We prefer the sight method because it works well with our equipment The ldquoPrint Allrdquo system from Printa Systems Inc uses a smaller platen for pocket patches The smaller platen allows us to load sizes from youth XS ndash adult 5X without stretching
The touch method involves using a standard platen and adding a riser underneath where the pocket patch will be printed (a piece of cut cardboard or thin wood of the appropriate size) With this method you can feel when the shirt is in the correct location and begin printing from there
Inking the screens printing and curingSince we have resolved our location
issues with the pocket patch we are ready to ink the screens print and cure
Printing Step 1 Inking the screens is fairly straightforward (see figure 13)
Printing Step 2 Using the squeegee we will screen our first color (see figure 14) and check the quality of the image (see figure 15)
Printing Step 3 Our first color will need to be flash cured (see figure 16)
Printing Step 4 Now we can add our second color (see figure 17)
Printing Step 5 Finally we can do the finish cure step paying attention to the temperature gauge (see figure 18)
After final curing it is always a good idea to take at least a sampling of the product and wash it to be certain of the curing All of the information on post-job clean-up can be found in the CorelDRAWPro archives for September
Conclusion This time we took our screens out of
the dryer and pushed our project all the way to its completion
Jeff McDaniel is the OwnerOperator of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon Jeff has been working with computers since the age of 5 and was a journeyman machinist before working in the graphic arts business Creative Graphic offers services including laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials You can contact Jeff by email at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
Figure 14
Figure 13
Figure 15
Figure 17
Figure 16
Figure 18
December 2007 21Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SANDBLASTINGBy Judy McDaniel Applications
Screening the AbrasiveKeeping your sandblast abrasive media free
of contaminant material is essential During sandblasting abrasive is mixed with compressed air fed through the supply hose focused by the nozzle and impacts the product Then if itrsquos fine enough it leaves the system as dust or drops to the bottom of the cabinet to be recycled
Other material will also collect in the bottom of the cabinet This debris can include bits of mask (ever wonder where the center of that ldquoerdquo went) bits of tape and possibly solid material dislodged from the product yoursquore blasting This latter source of debris is especially prevalent when yoursquore working on materials other than glass like brick rock and wood
Leaving the debris in the abrasive when itrsquos recycled can cause a variety of problems First if a piece of debris is too large to fit through the nozzle it will clog it More importantly if it does fit through the nozzle and is hard like brick and rock debris it can impact the piece yoursquore working on and ruin it
The obvious solution is to screen the media when you reload the pressure pot The problem is the screen mesh size Irsquove tried the screen supplied by the cabinet manufacturers and used window screening material from a hardware store In both of these cases the mesh size would allow all but the largest pieces of debris through
What Irsquove found that works the best is a spatter screen from a local kitchen store The mesh is woven tightly and filters out much more debris The best thing is its price only a few dollars
One of our cabinets is not self-contained so we have to filter the media by hand We have found that bending the handle up on a large spatter screen
causes it to fit perfectly into the top of the pressure pot We also have a couple of other smaller pressure pots one in fact that you fill with a funnel For those I simply lay the spatter screen over the opening of the pot or the funnel when refilling
If you have a system that recycles the abrasive then it should be equipped with a screen located on top of the pressure pot Make sure to inspect and remove the debris from the top of the screen from time to time A shop-vac works well for this purpose If you find that larger pieces are getting through the screen then contact the manufacturer to see what can be done to reduce the mesh size
Keeping your media clean helps prevent unwanted delays or damage
To all of our friends out there new and old have a safe and joyful holiday season
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from John and me
Judy McDaniel with her husband John are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry In addition they provide one-on-one application support through an email subscription service exclusively for their Hotcdr Hands-On Training students or those who have purchased their CD sets (For information on training services offered visit wwwgraphic-products-trainingcom and for information on their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom) They can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
December 2007 22Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE ENGRAVINGBy John McDaniel Applications
Elements of Machine Accuracy 7 Structural Integrity
So far wersquove covered resolution speed repeatability and hysteresis This time wersquoll discuss structural integrity
What is Structural IntegrityStructural integrity is a measure of a machinersquos
strength or stiffness It is the ability of a machine to resist distortion by forces created in normal operations
Most mechanical engraving machines use single-fluted cutters As these cutters turn they apply cutting force against the material For every action though there is an equal but opposite reaction ie the material resists the cut and thereby transmits a resistive force back through the cutting tool spindle etc and ultimately to the machinersquos frame
Assuming a static bit position the force applied to the machinersquos structure will rotate 360deg with the tool (see diagram 1) As this force rotates any looseness in the structure will result in a deviation in the relationship of the material and the cutter
What machine design factors are involvedStructural integrity includes lead screws and their
hysteresis for mechanical engraving machines spindle bearings and their looseness for both mechanical and laser engravers gantry or table rails their bearings and looseness and the machinersquos frame In fact anything and everything that holds the tool and material in the proper relationship during the cuttingengraving process contributes to or detracts from structural integrity
Why is it importantIn a word Quality Structural integrity influences
the quality of the finished products the machine will produce
For illustration Irsquoll use a mechanical engraving system If the looseness in our machine and the cutting force applied were uniform throughout the 360deg of tool rotation the result would be a wobble in the tool path which might not be visible in the finished product
Cutting ForcesIn the real world however as the tool moves through
the material the cutting and reactive forces go through a cycle (see diagram 2) When the tool starts the cut there is a spike in force The force will level to a constant through the top side of the cut while itrsquos cutting against the direction of the toolrsquos movement Then it will drop somewhat when itrsquos cutting with the toolrsquos movement and finally fall off on the back side as the cutting edge of the tool enters the void area where the material has already been removed
The amount of force applied during the cutting process will vary depending on the material being
cut the tool and its sharpness the depth of cut the material feed rate and whether or not lubricant is used The cutting force may also vary over the length of the job as the toolrsquos cutting edge wears and becomes dull
Machine Component Looseness
In addition to the cutting force not being uniform throughout the 360deg of tool rotation l o o s e n e s s i n t h e machinersquos structure will also vary For example dur ing the cut t ing operation as the tool transitions through 0deg and 180deg of rotation X axis hysteresis will be a factor in overall machine looseness but Y axis hysteresis will have no effect At 90deg and 270deg the Y axis will become a factor but the X axis will have no impact
In the real world any looseness in the machine will cause an oscillation in the cut which will have its own angle If we could slow the toolrsquos movement we would see this oscillation as a sharp jump in the positional relationship between the tool and material being cut In the finished product this sharp jump in position will result in a jagged cut
December 2007 23Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE ENGRAVING Outline amp OverviewThe Nuts and Bolts of Machine AccuracyMachine accuracy or capability can be defined as a result of six features 1 Resolution ndash the smallest incremental movementpositioning of a speci-fied axis 2 Speed ndash the ability to complete a task in a reasonable amount of time without sacrificing accuracy or creating damage to the machine or product 3 Repeatability ndash the ability to duplicate a previous position without error 4 Hysteresis ndash the ldquosloprdquo or ldquoplayrdquo in motion control components 5 Structural Integrity ndash stiffness or strength ndash the ability to cut materials without error or damage This is especially important for mechanical engrav-ers 6 Structural Tolerances ndash the sum accuracy of a machinersquos mechanical components
Machine ComponentsWersquoll examine nine factors that determine a machinersquos accuracy They include 1 Motors ndash including DC Stepper DC Brushless DC Servo and AC Servo a Spindles ndash motors that rotate the cutting bit b Axis Drive ndash motors that position the material to the cutting bit c Horsepower ratings ndash real versus advertised 2 The Motion Control Drive Unit ndash including Geared Belt and Lead Screws a Lead Screws ndash including Acme Re-circulating Ball Standard and Precision b Mounting ndash including Simple Fixed and Thrust bearing types c Protection ndash Open or Closed 3 Guide Rails ndash Types include V Bearing Rail Bushing Shaft Dove Tail and Re-circulating Ball Bearing 4 Encoders ndash Types include Rotary and Linear Methodologies include incremental or absolute 5 Tachometers ndash used for speed stability acceleration and breaking control for closed loop servo systems 6 Bearings ndash including Sleeve Ball and Linear Re-circulating Ball a Applications ndash including Radial Thrust and Linear b Quality ndash Standard thru Ultra Precision 7 Spindles ndash including topbottom loading Collets and Sleeves 8 Material Hold Down ndash including mechanical clamps and vacuum sys-tems 9 Electronic Interface ndash Computer control methods
Wersquoll also examine Reliability what makes it And Serviceability is it fix-able
If the cutting oscillation is at any angle other than the direction of the cut and the oscillation is great enough a jagged cut will be visible in the finished product A cut deviation of as little as 001rdquo is visible to the naked eye and will most commonly show up on curves and circles but may show up on straight lines as well
To illustrate this point a little further and perhaps make it somewhat clearer Irsquod like to refer to diagrams 3 and 4 For purposes of these illustrations we will assume we have a machine that has some looseness on both the X and Y axes However the rest of the machine
is structurally solid the frame is rigid and no other components have any loosenessMaking these assumptions and disregarding the variation in force caused by the cutter
as it travels through the material we will have cutting oscillations at 0deg 180deg 90deg and 270deg during the toolrsquos rotation As the tool travels through the material on its path these oscillations will cause a slight variation in the centerline of the toolrsquos cut
Diagram 3 shows a horizontal tool path While the machine is cutting in this direction any X axis looseness will be masked by the cutter path itself however looseness in the Y axis will result in a slight oscillation in the cutterrsquos horizontal position and therefore a deviation in its cut Diagram 4 shows the effect of the X axis looseness which will impact vertical lines
As you can see from this discussion and these illustrations structural integrity ie looseness in the components from which a machine is constructed can make a significant difference in quality of the finished products that a machine will produce
Next time wersquoll consider structural tolerances and their impact
John McDaniel with his wife Judy are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry For information on training services offered and their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom They can be reached by phone at 541-967-4271 via SKYPE (user name JHMcDaniel) or via email at JHMcDanielCorelDRAWhelpcom See the full bio on the Writers Page
December 2007 24Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
the image the text and the red bow In the laser file for this example I have the red cut line for vectoring (See Figure 5)
5) Send the cardstock through the printer6) Place the cardstock in the laser for vector
cutting The thickness of the stock will determine what settings to use For my 35-watt laser using a medium weight cardstock I used a speed of 100 and power of 15 for a nice cut through the stock without any burn marks on the paper
7) Optional in one run I decided to let the laser take care of the bow instead of using color for it from my printer I set the outline of the bow to 100 black and the interior of the bow to 50 black (See Figure 6)
8) Then I only sent the image and text through the printer The bow and vector cutting occurred in the laser I set the raster engraving (of the bow) at speed 70 and power 40 (See Figure 7) You can see the differentiation of using 100 black as opposed to 50 black by the exterior lines
being engraved a little deeper than the rest of the fill
Take the idea of using patterns (like the birth announcement above) and wowing your clientele with the detail and intricacy that laser can provide Or add a twist to a holiday tradition (cards) Whatever you do donrsquot forget you can combine the advantages of the printer and laser for fabulous products
Submitted by Kathryn Arnold Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
LASER TIPBy Kathryn Arnold Applications
Combining Laser amp Printer PowerComing up with new and
inventive ways to use your laser is the key to a successful and growing business We will look at a way to combine the power of your computer (ink) printer with the power of the laser engraver
In this lesson we will take a look at using cardstock to create a card and an announcement See the examples of a holiday card and a birth announcement ndash gratuitously they are of my family (Figure 1 amp Figure 2)
1) In CorelDRAWreg use any pattern image text you wish Be sure that there is a clear and discernible vector line that will be laser cut and yield a cut piece from the cardstock2) See the clear (red) cut line ndash it goes fully around my object even the bow portion (important) I then duplicated my object to fit as many as possible on my 8 frac12 x 11 cardstock (See Figure 3) 3) I saved this file as my master file that I could return to at any point I then created two copies -- one that will
be used to send the file to my printer and one that will be used to send the file to my laser engraver (See Figure 4)
4) In the master file I have every part of what my end product will have In the file for my printer I only have the parts that the printer will print ndash in this example
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
December 2007 25Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
ELECTRONICS FRONTIERBy Louie Alvarez Opportunity
Webcams are an interesting subject which I am intimately familiar with Some typical questions are what are they what purpose do they serve what benefit are they what to look for and various other questions concerns and issues
Webcams surely bring back a memory or two not all that great I might add I remember when they first became usable primarily due to the Internet having affordable true broadband
First experiences The choppy poor quality of dial-up service
simply didnrsquot make this a useful technology Short of communicating with far-flung family members it left much to be desired With my immediate family living in Las Vegas and all other family (parents siblings cousins etc) living in California this was a technology I thought would be useful to keep in touch
So I set up my computer and my momrsquos computer with Webcams to stay in touch Needless to say with the poor quality terrible tracking (had to keep perfectly
sti l l because video frames didnrsquot refresh fas t enough) the hard-to-see tiny video window and poorly synchronized voices to the faces (we looked like a badly translated kung fu movie) the novelty quickly wore off (Irsquod say in about 30 minutes)
WebcamsSecond attempt
So I promptly dumped the technology for the next few years until I started seeing broadband picking up the pace and more interest in Webcams becoming obvious from all the new devices on the market So about three years ago a wireless Webcam caught my eye and I decided to put it to the test once again
Considering I was by then traveling quite extensively (about 40000 miles a year) I figured Irsquod use it to monitor my home I had two teenagers and a 5-year-old at home at the time while I was on the road and my wife was still a t work (She normally didnrsquot get off work until about two hours after school was out) So this looked to be a cool device to see if as the clicheacute goes when the catrsquos away the mice will play
I proceeded to position this wireless Webcam strategically to allow viewing of my living room including the back door Plus to get to the front door or side door you would have to pass through the field of the camera My little one loved the idea of being on camera for her daddy and would dance play and make funny faces for me Pretty cool actually That in itself almost justified the camera but needless to say my teenagers even my wife didnrsquot take to the idea too well So it was returned and life continued on as usual
That experience did show me that the broadband
speeds the quality of the video feeds the prevalence on the net of live cams and the quality of the video cameras (better known as Webcams) had progressed to a level of usefulness and I could see the potential of this technology With that said letrsquos get into the heart of this article
So what are webcams Basically they are digital cameras attached to
the computer and connected to the Web or Instant Messaging (IM) This allows the camera to be linked to a website or to each other directly and individuals who view the website or IM are able to see what the camera is viewing at that moment You can choose to get either still pictures that are updated at regular intervals (Snapshot) or live streams (Streaming) depending on what your bandwidth permits The WebCam technology has advanced sufficiently now to make it both easier and cheaper to maintain a camera that is refreshing an image 24 hours a day
Features of Web Cameras Listed here are some of the features more commonly
found in WebCams1 Live streaming video still pictures updated2 No plug-in or software necessary to view image
can be viewed with any Web browser3 Live audio4 Incorporation with other software such as Instant
Messaging (IM)5 Adding captionslogostime displays6 Archiving video7 Chat feature
December 2007 26Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
WebCams in an instructional scenario could be used to
Monitor your staff or employees thus being able to guide them better
Telecommute to companies worldwide and demonstrate project procedures
B roadcas t sem ina rs wo rkshops o r demonstrations
Share special events and programs with students enrolled in distance learning courses
Hold a video press conference online meeting or broadcast meetings and discussions
In some cases it is important for the learner to be able to establish a connection visually WebCams could be a good alternative to using text files or audio files
Join WebCam groups and allow students to take advantage of other WebCam locations for educational purposes
Using a web camera allows learners to be a part of either a conference or classstudio
Benefits of using WebCamsa The most important advantage of using a web camera is that it creates a direct link between the camera and the live site and dispenses with all the production work Production work in this context includes the cost and effort involved in shooting
editing and streaming videos Thus using a WebCam does not require
advanced skillsb The software is basically a Web server that runs on your system and pushes images out to a Web page For viewers of images delivered over a WebCam
one of the benefits is that they get the entire picture preferable in
certain cases rather than a sleek edited versionc WebCam technology can also be used for remote s u r v e i l l a n c e s y s t e m s
ELECTRONIC FRONTIER
monitoring events or places and broadcasting live eventsd Learners can link to a web camera-monitored location and just watch or also have an additional web camera in their own location enabling two-way communication
Setting up your WebCama Setting up your own WebCam obviously requires a computer a WebCam (the hardware) and WebCam software along with a broadband Internet connection Before you decide which camera to buy and which software to acquire yoursquoll have to review the different methods to show pictures or video feed through the Internet ( i e r e f r e s h e d after x amount of seconds) This will enable you to decide which hardware and software solution will fit your situation best
b P l a c e m e n t of a camera is an important decision to be made Decide whether a static angle is sufficient to demonstrate the concept or a moving camera (handheld) is required It is important however to remember the limitations of using WebCams and leave the panoramic and other fancy shots to more sophisticated video Use WebCams for videos that require more focus and ones that require a smaller viewingmovement range
c For detailed technical instructions on using WebCams visit httpdeveloperswebcamworldcommethodshtml
d Here is a good resource for inexpensive Webcams on the market httpcastlepricewatchcomssearchasps=webcams
e For an in-depth review of various Webcams on the market go to this link httpreviewscnetcom4244-6502_7-0-1htmlquery=webamptag=cat_1
f There are many Webcam examples online here are a couple httpwwwwebcamworldcom or httpwwwleonardsworldscomcamerahtml
By the way DONrsquoT TELL MY KIDS I picked up a Logitech QuickCam Pro 4000 not too long ago My family doesnrsquot know why I got it or what my intention is but I can say that now that my kids are 17 16 amp 8 my job as a parent is to ensure the mice donrsquot play when the catrsquos awayhellip
Louie Alvarez began acquiring his experience in the awards and engraving industry in Central California over 15 years ago first as an employee of the largest and oldest trophy shop and then as owner of one of the first laser engraving businesses Louie has been a featured workshop instructor and seminar speaker throughout the industry in addition to being a contributing writer to numerous industry publications Louie is based in Las Vegas NV and can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
December 2007 27Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
The Association of CorelDRAWreg Professionals is The Education amp Business Resource for CorelDRAW Users Worldwide Its goal is to help 1) IMPROVE your CorelDRAW skills and 2) MAKE MONEY with those skills You can participate in ACDRP services in four ways
THE WORLDrsquoS ONLY ASSOCIATION FOR CORELDRAWreg USERSINVITES YOU TO MAKE MORE MONEY WITH CORELDRAW
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month focused on Industry News via the Graphics News Wire Links to valuable resources and a complete educa-tion and show Calendar S
CorelDRAWPro the Entrepreneurial magazine for CorelDRAW users features in-depth content on How to Use CorelDRAW -- tips tricks advanced ar twork success s to r ies in te rv iews and more How to Apply CorelDRAW -- for graphic production processes such as embroidery engraving heat printing laser promo products printing sandblasting signmaking sublimation and screenprinting How to Profit from CorelDRAW -- Product news business columns reviews profiles and advertising with live links
SUBSCRIBE -- NO CHARGE JOIN -- $60 PER YEAR
All users of CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite are qualified to subscribe free to CorelDRAWPro magazine (PDF format) and CorelDRAWPro E-News
Subscription to CorelDRAWPro amp CorelDRAWPRo E-News
TTF Newsletter Subscription to the monthly Tips Templates amp Fixtures Newsletter only available to members
GSG Basic Listing You can list your services in the Graphic Services Guide in one category as part of membership (a $25 value)
Access to QuickLearn A keyword searchable database of 100s of articles on CorelDRAW graphics production and business
All users of CorelDRAWreg are invited to join the Association and take advantage of exclusive content discounts and profes-sional recognition ACDRP membership includes
TTF
QuickLearn
QuickTNT
Archives
BASIC GSG LISTING -- $25 PER YR
The Graphic Services Guide is the Industry Yellow Pages for Services and Finished Goods GSG is promoted in all our publi-cations and our website to the world of CorelDRAW users Your listing gives you the opportunity to promote your services (in any of 40 categories) to other CorelDRAW usersThe Basic Listing includes your company description email link and listing in one category Additional service categories are $10 each per year
The Enhanced GSG Listing is for companies that want to list in two categories and add a photo or logo
ENHANCED GSG LISTING -- $50$75 PER YR
Classifieds
Access to QuickTnT A growing database of CorelDRAW tips for understanding the fine points of the program and templates that can be downloaded to speed up your production
Access to Archives Past issues of CorelDRAWPro are available to members with live links
Bookstore Discounts Members receive a 10 discount on all products in the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore
Professional Recognition Use of the ACDRP logo for professional identification on business cards websites and letterhead You also receive a membership certificate
Classified Ads Members can place one classified ad per year at no charge with photo and run it till the item is sold (a $35 value)
HOW TO PARTICIPATE To Subscribe (no charge) To Join ($60yr) To List in the Graphic Services Guide ($25 Basic $50$75 Enhanced or $120145 for Multi-Service)
CorelDRAWreg is a registered trademark of Corel Corp and is used with permission
Visit wwwcoreldrawprocomand click on the appropriate links
800-276-8428
The Multi-Service GSG Listing allows you to list up to 40 differ-ent service categories with detailed descriptions and add a photo or logo
MULTI-SERVICE GSG LISTING -- $120$145 PER YR
December 2007 28Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Throughout the year this publication has reported on whatrsquos new in equipment tools and software and blank products for businesses that put graphics onto products
For this 2007 wrap-up CorelDRAWPro editorial staff reviewed all the product news for the year and named 33 products to its annual Top Products of the Year list
Selections were based on the criteria of innovation and impact Innovation means products that exhibit a high degree of originality or uniqueness Impact means products that influence sales or productivity for a large number of businesses
Note that the 2007 honorees are list alphabetically in the three theme sections
For more information on the products in this article click on the Info Request button at the bottom of each page and select by company name or product You might open the Info Request page and minimize it as you read That way you can quickly open it and check the products you want
EQUIPMENT
ANAJET DIRECT-TO-GARMENT DIGITAL PRINTERAnaJet Digital Apparel Printer (Model FP-125) from
AnaJet Inc in Costa Mesa CA is a direct-to-garment printer offering high quality and affordability It can print custom graphics on any cotton or poly-cotton flat textile material in one minute The printer priced affordably from under $13000 can produce up to 5000 shirts per month each retailing for about $20 Most printers installed so far are in a production plant environment but some customers have started to take the mobile printer to malls for instant printing of customer graphics According to Dr Chase Roh company president the unique printhead they have developed allows for 16x more ink flow than normal desktop printers and thus shirts only require one pass
Top Products of the Year
DTG AMERICA ECLIPSE D-1 WITH TWO HEADS DTG America of Tampa FL and Fort Worth TX now offers a new solution to
speed up digitally printing to dark shirts The Eclipse D-1 incorporates two heads instead of one One head has eight channels of white to lay down a solid white underbase The second head has four channels of white to do highlights and four channels of color to lay down the design The result of this new configuration is the underbase and color are completed in one pass at an estimated average of only two minutes per shirt for a 12-inch by 6-inch area Other innovations include an ink agitator firmware for easy updating ink vapor remover auto gap adjustment and new platen configuration for easy loading
GEO KNIGHT DK 25SP HEAT PRESSThe Digital Knight DK25SP is an air-operated automatic
20x25 oversized swing-away heat press with a state-of-the-art control system and heavy-duty solid steel welded framework The smooth automatic pressing and push-button activation provides a productive fatigue-free operation The extended 20x25 size of the heat platen is perfect for sublimation and large-format materials pressingThe press is adjustable to accommodate materials from fabric thickness all the way up to 1rdquo thick substrates For more information call 800-525-6766 or visit wwwheatpresscom
GRAPHTEC CRAFT ROBO PROGraphtec America Inc based in Santa Ana
CA introduced the new Craft ROBO Pro 15rdquo cutting plotter The Craft ROBO Pro is an ideal solution for cutting a wide variety of materials including vinyl film card stock foil heat transfer and image transfer media Incorporating Graphtecrsquos legendary
December 2007 29Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
ARMS (Advanced Registration Marks System) and combined with a desktop printer the Craft ROBO Pro makes contour cutting an easy task Innovations include a new digital servo motor first mark auto-sensing menu navigation system that includes 8 user-defined conditions Tangential Control and three software applications
ROLAND RELEASES DIRECT-TO-FABRIC PRINTERRoland DGA Corp of Irvine CA released
the new 74rdquo HeatWave DFP-74 Fabric Printer through its reseller channel in the US Based on Rolandrsquos HeatWave sublimation technology the DFP-74 Fabric Printer is a complete integrated solution and Rolandrsquos first inkjet ever to support direct printing onto polyester fabrics As a complete solution including printer sublimation unit inks and RIP software the DFP-74 makes it easier than ever for shops to enter the fast-growing textile printing market Key features include eight advanced piezo print heads an intelligent media handling system and a temperature-controlled heating system
HOTRONIX PERFECT PRESSURE HEAT PRESSHotronix of Carmichaels PA has taken heat press technology
to the next level with Perfect Pressure a new digital pressure display functionThis new feature has a single-digit LED readout
that measures the pressure of the inner platen This technology is exclusive to Hotronix and is patent pending Previously a
digital pressure display was available only on air-operated heat press machines With this new pressure display gauge all heat press users will have more consistent results from job to job reducing the number of misprints and speeding up production For more information about
the new digital pressure display contact Stahlsrsquo Hotronix at 800-478-2457 e-mail infostahlscom or visit the Web site at wwwstahlscom
SWF DREAM EMBROIDERY MACHINEWith its new DREAM Machine SWF has broken the barrier in multi-head
embroidery machine technology The DREAM machines are the first multi-head embroidery machines that truly can sew at 1500 stitches per minute During the research and development of these new machines 12 new patents were filed and granted proof that the DREAM machines are built with state-of-the-art technology
Innovations include LED control panel error codes to quickly troubleshoot problems optional devices to do sequins cording and boring automatic oiling system large memory a hoop selector and more These innovative new machines come in configurations ranging from
two to six heads It is distributed exclusively by SWF East (Tampa FL) and SWF MESA (Dallas TX)
MESArsquoS HOTFIX SPANGLE MOTIF MACHINEWith the all new YAS-11 Hotfix Spangle Motif Making
Machine the first of its kind in the United States you can create beautiful spangle transfer designs that have the look of sequins This patented machine which is distributed exclusively in the United States by MESA Distributors of Fort Worth TX cuts out shapes such as circles and squares in a range of sizes from reels of Mylar tape The machine comes with proprietary design software that allows the user to create any pattern or design up to 157 by 157 inches
SAWGRASSrsquo HYBRID SYSTEM FOR EPSON R1800Sawgrass Technologies of Mt Pleasant SC introduced
the SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid System for the Epson R1800 for both sublimation printing and cotton
decorating from one machine The affordable entry-level system features dual functionality with both SubliJet and ChromaBlast inks in one machine allowing users to create customized images with superior color and clarity on both polyester coated substrates and cotton garments This is the second
hybrid system from Sawgrass following in the footsteps of the popular SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid
System for the Epson 4800
TROTECrsquoS NEW LARGE PLATFORM LASER Trotec Laser Inc of Ypsilanti MI has introduced the SP500 series of laser
engraving and cutting systems The systems have a work area of 50rdquo X 28rdquo and X-Axis clearance of 12rdquo The systems are offered in power levels from 45W-200W There is an available pass-through option (Class 4) Exhaust fumes are captured
December 2007 30Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
at the laser head to insure an efficient extraction when using the pass-through featureTrotec systems are designed for minimal wear-and-tear and eliminate the need for periodic replacement of belts and bearings For additional information visit our web site wwwtrotecnet or call 866-226-8505 734-484-3260
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW PROFESSIONAL SERIESUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) of Scottsdale
AZ added four new models in its Professional Laser Series (PLS) line of advanced high-productivity computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving systems The new PLS line which replaces Universalrsquos M V and X laser systems incorporates a
host of evolutionary design improvements to the laser cartridge platform chassis system electronics and software interface The new PLS models include several
powerful new features most notably a unique materials-based print driver called ldquoLaser Interface +rdquo that gives users their choice
between automatic or manual control over power speed and other system settings For more information on Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit Universal Laser Systems online at wwwulsinccom
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW VERSALASERUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) added a
new version of its desktop-sized VersaLasertrade
computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving system The new VersaLaser
improves on the award-winning original thanks to a host of evolutionary design refinements It also
includes a unique next-generation materials-based print driver that automatically calculates power speed
and other system settings It was awarded a patent for the unique design of its external cabinet which also functions as a Class 1 laser safety enclosure For more information about VersaLaser or Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit wwwulsinccom
US SCREENrsquoS FAST T-JET 3US Screen Print and Inkjet Technology of Tempe
AZ adds the Fast T-Jet3TM which features 30 faster print speeds compared to the previous T-Jet2 model and has a longer low profile print bed for easier loading and unloading Now you can produce a full size 12rdquo x 12rdquo (305 x 305 cm) print in one minute on a light shirt and in under three minutes on a black shirt with white ink Small pocket images can be printed in about 15 seconds
US SCREENrsquoS AUTOMATED PRETREATMENT CENTER
Speed up production when using Fast T-Jet inkjet-to-garment printers with the AutoTREATtrade Automatic Pretreatment Center
This versatile piece of equipment allows you to treat shirts on a production level rather than spraying shirts individually one at a time For use with light or dark shirts the AutoTREATtrade
can spray up to three shirts per minute It has two application modesmdashone for lights and one for darks that can be switched over by activating the cleaning mode which flushes out the system with water
TOOLS MATERIALS SOFTWARE
CORELDRAW X3 CERTIFIED FOR WINDOWS VISTACorel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that
CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite X3 has been Certified for Windows Vista Customers who wish to install the Certified for Windows Vista version of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X3 can download the latest service pack (SP2) from wwwcorelcom This new update delivers an exceptional experience for customers on Windows Vista including an updated user interface enhanced security improved text handling and further enhancements to the popular suitersquos renowned import and export file compatibility
COREL LAUNCHES NEW ONLINE COMMUNITY Corel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that it
has launched httpcoreldrawcom a new online community for users of the CorelDRAWreg family of products ndash including CorelDRAW Graphics Suite Corel DESIGNERreg Technical Suite
December 2007 31Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
and Corelreg DRAWingsreg This new community site is the first in a series that Corel will be launching to support its various user communities Designed to fuel inspiration CorelDRAWcom combines forums blogs and galleries for design professionals and graphic hobbyists alike Forums are available in English French German and Spanish serving an international audience
DALCOrsquoS NEW REFLECTIVE HEAT TRANSFERSCater to the safety market with new reflective transfers offered
by Dalco Athletic of Dallas TX These durable transfers come in a reflective silver gray color in three styles police sheriff and fire dept They are sized for left chest and full back so
all you have to do is heat seal for 8 seconds and yoursquore done Itrsquos very fast and easy
DALCOrsquoS NEW OPTIC YELLOW CLASSIC SWB APPLIQUE
Classic SWB appliqueacute designs offered by Dalco Athletic now come in two new styles softballs and tennis balls in optic yellow fabric These new balls literally jump off any wearable and make it an eye-catching standout This appliqueacute collection is ideal for spiritwear items to be sold to fans and family or created as fund-raisers for boosters clubs
POWER GRAPHICS 3 FROM DIGITAL ART SOLUTIONSPower Graphics 3 by Digital Art Solutions of
Tempe AZ is the ultimate design tool for the creation of high-end custom graphics and logos for custom signage awards vehicle graphics promotional products and apparel graphics Tuned to the latest styles and trends it provides fresh graphics that will impress even the most critical and demanding customer It includes more than 1500 images The 10 design categories include Flames Gangsta (Urban) Mascots Offroad Rebel (Biker and Hot
Rod) Retro Speed Sports Surf and Tuner
FLORIANI COMMERCIALrsquoS NEW NO-SHOW DIAMOND MESHContinuing in its tradition of research and development
to create embroidery stabilizers that meet the needs of todayrsquos embroiderers Floriani Embroidery Commercial Division of Knoxville TN released a new product called Floriani No-Show Diamond Mesh This unique nylon mesh stabilizer has a perpendicular embossed pattern that makes it more multi-directionally stable and enables it to better hold stitches for crisper design registration It is specifically designed for light-colored garments where traditional stabilizers have a tendency to show through the front of the garment
GREAT DANErsquoS NEW DIGITAL PHOTO FRAMES Tap into the lucrative team market with an
incredible collection of stock art specially designed to work for direct-to-garment printers sublimation transfers and digital transfers Digital Photo Frames Volume 1 is a collection of spectacular pre-designed layouts each with one or more frames to
insert personal photos The collection includes five categories baseball football basketball soccer and hockey Each category has four designs (20 total layouts) and each design comes in three template formats mugs mouse pads and shirts
So there are a total of 60 template designs in all
IMPRINTABLES WAREHOUSE OFFERS SPECTRA ECO FILMNew from Imprintables Warehouse of
Masontown PA is a digital cutter material that is free of PVC a plus with companies that want to be as environmentally friendly as possible Spectra Eco Film is made with ecological polyurethane and is peeled hot It is pressure sensitive (sticky backing) and extremely easy to weed While maintaining superior durability and opacity this new film is thinner than current offerings on the market and delivers the super soft hand that is in demand by todayrsquos consumers It can be used on 100 cotton 100 polyester polycotton blends and even nylon and leather
December 2007 32Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
KISSCUT TECHNOLOGIESrsquo SELF-WEEDING INKJET TRANSFER PAPER
Kiss Cut Technologies Ltd Newcastle UK has addressed the ldquopolymer windowrdquo issue and developed the worldrsquos first self-weeding inkjet transfer paper for printing to textiles In simple terms only the areas of their patented transfer paper that have been printed will be transferred to the garment when heat pressed A Kiss Cut print can be further embellished with specialized textile foils so in effect a digital foiling method is now available Foil is heat pressed onto the garment and when peeled the foil only sticks to the image areas
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW PHOTOPLAS-TIC MATERIALLaserSketchcom of Lemont IL a leading supplier of
LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble Super Black Granite and Black Onyx Jewelry introduces their new PhotoPlas-Tic This is a new material developed for front andor reverse laser engraving on micro surface impact acrylic plastic It is a premium plastic for laser engraving that is UV stable ideal for photo badges plaques trophies signage and high-end awards Each sheet of PhotoPlas-Tic is specially designed for a crisp clean burn and ultra-fine laser lettering logo and vector output For details call 630-243-6360 or visit wwwlasersketchcom
THEMAGICTOUCH LAUNCHES WOW TRANSFER PAPERTheMagicTouch USA launched WoW Professional
71 transfer paper which requires no weeding or profile cutting and the vibrant colors are achieved using digital laser technology making it great for short runs It uses PolymationTM which incorporates a newly designed catalyst that provides the ultimate compatibility with all generations of dry toner material According to the company PolymationTM is the next generation of laser heat transfer Sublimation requires the substrate to have a specialty receiving polymer coating to absorb the pigments but PolymationTM delivers everything at once polymer pigments and catalyst
December 2007 33Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
offers distinct advantages over any other process It allows for an unlimited number of colors and very fine detail which is impossible with screen printing or embroidery And the cost does not go up as colors are added These new specialty materials are so advanced they can be heat sealed to all kinds of fabrics and hot new multimedia designs can be easily done
VAPOR APPAREL LAUNCHES VAPOR ART VOLUME 1V a p o r A p p a r e l
a s u b s i d i a r y o f SourceSubstrates LLC Charleston SC announces the launch of Vapor Art - Volume 1 a collection of 127 vector graphics for digital sublimation and general use The diverse collection
of high-quality graphics comes after several years of customers requesting access to the companyrsquos sample art at trade shows and educational events The Collection of art includes vector drawings and JPGs for everything from mountain biking and snowboarding to yoga and cheerleading
BLANK PRODUCTS
COLORADO HEIRLOOMrsquoS COLOR LACQUERED FRAMES
Colorado Heirloom Inc of Loveland CO introduced their new Color Lacquered Frames This is an option to add color your unique creations It is not color fill Colored lacquer is sprayed on their high quality wood frames Because
INKTRA STRETCH TRANSFER PAPER FROM STAHLSrsquoStahlsrsquo based in St Clair
Shores MI adds InkTratrade Stretch a flexible transfer paper A revolutionary product InkTratrade Stretch provides a soft hand with an amazing stretch and recovery feature InkTratrade Stretch lets you take your favorite photo or graphic design and apply it to light colored or white hats shirts bags and more for a long lasting and completely personalized garment The highly stretchable paper can be applied to cotton polycotton blends spandex and Lycrareg
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo GOOF-PROOF TRANSFERSWant the look of screen
printing without the hassle With Goof Proofreg transfers offered by Transfer Express of Mentor OH you can custom order a transfer that has the popular athletic feel and will apply in a blazing four seconds Ordering is done step-by-step online and you can customize hundreds of designs You choose your
typeface colors and size Once your design is just the way you want it you can print it out to show a customer for approval Or Transfer Express can print from your artwork The minimum order is only five pieces and your one-color order ships in one to three working days
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo NEW FULL-COLOR DIGI PRINTSApparel decorators can now offer full-color designs on light
and dark apparel made of virtually any type of fabric without the hassle or minimums of screen printing with new state-of-the-art heat transfer technology called Digi Printstrade Offered through Transfer Express this revolutionary new method of decorating
December 2007 34Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
lacquer is used instead of paint any design can be lasered on these frames The possibilities are endless These colorful creations are offered in two different designs -- a designer frame and a frame with an insert Call 970-667-4222 or visit wwwcoloradoheirloomcom
CONDE ADDS PET MATS FOR SUBLIMATIONCondeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added food bowl placemats and litter box
mats to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Favorite photographs and pet-related artwork can be transferred to the
mats to create fun products for individual pet lovers or for the pet industry such as pet stores veterinarians groomers boarding facilities and animal adoption groups Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing Call Conde at 800-826-6332
CONDE INTRODUCES FABRIC PATCHES FOR SUBLIMATION
Condeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added fabric patches to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Custom decorators can now produce unique full-color patches that will impress organizations businesses clubs sports teams sports enthusiasts and individuals alike -- without the use of embroidery Heat seal patches are great for identification marketing awards trade show promotions or to commemorate special events Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing or call 800-826-6332
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW LASERSLABLaserSketch of Lemont IL Internationally known for
their LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble and Super Black Granite announces LaserSlab Super Black Granite at 4rsquo x 8rsquo x 7mm and 4rsquo x 4rsquo x 7mm weighting in at just over 2 pounds per square foot The surface of the LaserSlab Granite has the sheen of a black mirror The reverse side features epoxy fiberglass backing to give structure integrity to the ultra-lite granite sheet All may be viewed wwwlasersketchcom or by calling LaserSketch 630-243-6360
MATTHEWS INTRODUCES ALUMICOLORTM
Matthews International Corp of Pittsburgh PA introduced Alumicolortrade a high-resolution graphics solution for aluminum signage recognition commemoration and way finding Using cutting-edge technology Matthews embeds a four-color image into the aluminum to create an anodized reproduction of unsurpassed durability Alumicolortrade products which are designed for interior and exterior installations are resistant to extreme weather conditions graffiti scuffing grease chemicals and UV rays Additionally they will not chip crack or peel
PSI ADDS ROUND FRAMES amp STRING PUZZLES Paramount Services Inc of Hollywood FL
introduced new round resin frames for sublimation tiles Choose from Coral or RopeStone with optional Unisubreg Hardboard Tiles They will also accept the Bison 8rdquo round glass Cutting Board Why be square when round may fit better PSI also introduced a new puzzle guaranteed to string you along These String Puzzles come with a Unisubreg Hardboard puzzle and the necessary string and beads along with instructions how to string it after printing Templates to aid in design are available for download in several formats For details call 800-455-7212 or visit wwwDye-Sublimation-Productscom
CRYSTALEDGEreg LUXORTM CRYSTAL AWARDSCrystalEdgereg Chicago IL presented the Luxortrade Series
This stunning cost-effective collection comprises a series of specially designed Rosewood and Black Piano finish bases Matte Mahogany and Matte Black bases and a precision cast Satin Nickel Finish Metal Base with your choice of brass or silver hardware for mounting our twelve unique shapes making this the most versatile award yet Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks are curved 14rdquo thick crystal clear glass with 316rdquo diameter holes for mounting The Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks feature a generous engraving area and there is plenty of room on the base to add an engraving plate
December 2007 35Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
XENETECHrsquoS NEW ENGRAVABLE GIFTSXenetech of Baton Rouge
LA introduced high quality engravable gift items at wholesale and quantity discounts The Xenetech collection provides a selection of gifts created for corporate recognition weddings births holidays anniversaries retirements birthdays special occasions or just expressing appreciation Items include money clips key chains book markers desk accessories quartz movement clocks flasks amp wine accessories entertainment gifts travel gifts genuine Swiss Army knives business card holders luggage tags silver-plated jewelry boxes keepsake gift boxes silver-plated banks and baby gifts The gift items are designed primarily for diamond drag burnishing and rotary engraving personalization
UNISUBrsquoS CHROMALUXE PHOTO PANELSChromaLuxe photo panels are an exciting new line
of sublimatable products from Unisub of Louisville KY These panels allow you to sell a completely finished photo product to your customers capturing some of the additional revenue (and profit) your customers now spend elsewhere on framing Available in a range of traditional photo sizes as well as exciting new shapes these panels can be joined together to create stunning photo displays -- perfect for a fireplace mantle l i b r a r y s h e l f or the top of an armoire Available in aluminum or MDF substrates
CorelDRAWPro IndexOne of our members in Michigan
requested that we put together an Index of all the articles wersquove published during the year
He prints out all the issues and puts them in binders but an Index would make it easy to reference specific articles We think itrsquos a good idea and wersquoll send it to all subscribers in January
Product Focus TopicsJanuary 2008 -- Signage Products esp Wide FormatFebruary 2008 -- Engraving Awards amp GiftsMarch 2008 -- Apparel ProductsApril 2008 -- Laser Wood Products
Coming in 2008
December 2007 36Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETSBy Donna M Gray CRM Opportunities
December ndash Time to Review December finds everyone on our team strategizing how to get out of our parking lot Our business sits right in the middle of an up-scale strip mall which sits right behind a huge shopping mall and right along the main road to a Target Superstore and other large malls We all know that from the day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday) until 2 weeks after the New Year there are great challenges to those of us who like to leave the building for lunch or run an errandhellipso we strategize We all know every secret shortcut to the bank the post office and the warehouse club What we donrsquot know is how to find the way to merge out of our own back alley into the constant flow of traffic that carries people to their end shopping destination Whew
The year-end review So this year Dave and I have decided to stay in at lunch and do our business strategizing instead Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup are good brain food for helping us to look at all the successful things we did last year as a company all the things we thought about doing but didnrsquot because the idea didnrsquot quite fit and all the things we put off until next year We do this kind of exercise every year end and it helps us to map out our strategy for the coming year In the process we identify any mistakes wersquove made wrong turns wersquove taken and we try to find the ldquowhat could have happened had everything gone rightrdquo
The value of making mistakes Albert Einstein said ldquoAnyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything newrdquo Dave has a couple of prints in his office of Abraham Lincoln that describe his mistakes in fact it took Lincoln eight tries to win the presidency Thomas Edison made mistakeshellipand yet he perseveredhellipotherwise wersquod by ldquocomputingrdquo by candlelight And Irsquove heard that Colonel
Sanders had a thousand rejections before he sold his first chicken recipe It would be nice to get to our year end business appraisals and find that wersquove made no mistakes but our business like most others doesnrsquot have that claim to fame My mother always took the high road with mistakes She always said that one should recognize the benefits of a mistake One should learn what good came from it use it to improve and use it to help motivate success the next time So December is the time to analyze everything that made up the past year and look for ways to make the New Year successful in every way
Making a plan Most advisors say that the first step toward business success after looking at a companyrsquos year ending history is to decide on exactly what you want to do going forward in the coming year Then comes mapping out the plan What will be done How will it get done Who will do what What resources will be used When will it get done Is the right equipment in place Is the space adequate Ask these and any other questions that could relate to creating a successful year then focus on the details and follow through Those two wordshellipfocus and follow throughhellipcould mean the difference between marginal and abundant success Simply stated success comes from what you do and the way you do ithellipin your customerrsquos perception Every business wants to have a good imagehellipa good reputation so dedication to having good communication skills is important especially in an industry that does custom work The goal is to be on the same page as our clients so we have to be good mind readers We have to also concentrate on our professionalism on our appearance on our presentation style and in the pride we take in producing a well-done project This
has worked in the past and will remain the same in the future
The extra mile Success has to be nurturedhellipthen it gets celebrated Sometimes sacrifices have to be made to get to the rewards At year end when we analyze how we got from Point A to Point B itrsquos interesting to note that we sometimes had to take detours and sometimes the road blocks called for sacrificehellipof time or money Sometimes the sacrifice came in the way of a sleepless night worrying if an order that was lost in delivery would be found and re-routed to us in time to make a clientrsquos deadline Someone (unknown) said ldquoA day of worry is more exhausting than a week of workrdquo Anyone in business could testify to that Part of success is going the extra milehellipeven if it results in a sleepless night Going the extra mile is worth all the paid advertising in the world on the road to success
December 2007 37Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETS
Donna Grayrsquos 2nd book Itrsquos All Relative Surviving amp Thriving in a Family Business was published in September 2007
It describes her quest to identify the keys to suc-cess for small business and family businesses in particular She interviewed top businesses nationwide and discovered five common qualities implemented by successful business owners Check it out at the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore wwwcoreldrawprocomAllBook-storehtm
Commitments made and kept Our team felt good about some commitments we made and kept this past year like
We used a daily ldquoto-dordquo list and we set priorities in order of importance When we finished a project we ldquocelebratedrdquo and then moved on quickly to the next job We built in some time for ldquostress reliefrdquo with morning meeting breaks This was especially good when treats were served since wersquove got some good bakers on our staff We didnrsquot ldquoscreenrdquo calls through voice mail We considered every call to be important We ldquodid it right the first timerdquo even though it sometimes took longer We tied up all the ldquoloose endsrdquo We became ldquocheerleadersrdquo for each other When one of us accomplished a goal we all applauded We all tried to deliver more than we promised This can be challenging sometimes when working with a difficult project We eliminated (or tried to eliminate) unnecessary procedures and we simplified our paper flow system We spent most of our time on high priority tasks We all worked on our delegation skills We were committed to not wasting time either our own or other peoplersquos
Goals that were lacking Now all those great things being put on paper reminds me that we also had some goals we didnrsquot quite succeed athellipbut wersquoll try harder next year
We didnrsquot always ldquogrouprdquo tasks togetherhelliplike going to the bank and the post office in one trip or answering mail when it gets opened It wasnrsquot always easy to avoid procrastination Some low priority chores got put off There were still times when we couldnrsquot find enough hours to finish the work Our ldquotoolsrdquo didnrsquot always get put away when we were through with a project even though this is Daversquos pet peeve
Conclusion Experts say that we have to actively create our success not wait for it to happen This coming year hopefully none of us will sit in the comfort zone waiting for the phone to ring Therersquos an old Chinese proverb that goes ldquoIt you continually give you will continually haverdquo Our team will go on being involved in community activities When time is spent on worthwhile projects outside the business opportunities come knocking at the front counter Besideshellipat yearrsquos endhellipit makes us feel really good about the help we gave on these projects
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since1977 She can be reached by email at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
December 2007 38Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
GRAPHICS NEWS NETWORKAll these news and information products and services are part of the
Graphics News Network developed for ACDRP The goal is ldquoAll the News All the Time mdash For the World of Graphicsrdquo
GRAPHICS NewsWireThe Graphics News Wire is the always live always updated source for graphics news mdash products equipment technology and more Make it (CorelDRAWProcomNewsPagehtm) your home page or favorite to gain access to Breaking news updated regularly New Classified Ads New Job Announcements Supplier SpecialsAll news is related to graphic productsQuickSourceTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive amp Easy-To-Use
Search Engine
It gives you one-click access to suppliers products phone numbers and live links to ACDRP Member Suppliers Itrsquos always up-to-date searchable by keyword and accessible from your desktop
Quick TnTTM
The Industryrsquos Newest Resource for Graphics Tips amp Templates
Gain access to a growing library of CorelDRAW tips and templates that will make your work easier
QuickLearnTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive and
Easy-To-Use Article Library
Gain access to hundreds of articles on graphics-related and business topics searchable by keyword
The Entrepreneurial Magazine for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro Magazine is delivered to you once a month in PDF format It features in-depth content that readers rave about including articles on how to use CorelDRAW how to apply CorelDRAW and how to profit from CorelDRAW
News Tips amp Resources for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month mdash about the 15th and 25th It brings you highly targeted content that you wonrsquot find elsewhere including CorelDRAW Tips extensive product news links and a calendar of shows and training
MARKET PLACE
Quality Engravable JewelryHand-crafted in New England
GIFTS amp ACCESSORIES FOR WOMEN AND MEN
John E Lepper Inc800-835-3623 Fax 508-222-2732
wwwjeleppercom
GenuineWhite-tone
Pewter amp Gold
Some Things Were Meant To Be In Etched in Stone
Call for a free color catalog
NampR International1155 Allgood Rd 13Marietta GA 30062
678-560-4088Fax 678-560-1157
Importers amp Wholesalers of MarbleOnyx
Gifts amp Accessories
JOIN TODAY
The worldrsquos only association for CorelDRAWreg Users
wwwcoreldrawprocomJoinhtm
Place an Ad for as little as $215 per month
Find out how by calling our Ad Representative John McDaniel II
541-990-6687
the entrepreneurial magazine
GET LISTED TODAY
Generate new businessby doing jobs for others
List your company in GSG the Digital Yellow Pages for the industry wwwcoreldrawprocomListGSGhtm
December 2007 39Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Louie Alvarez started in the industry working for one of the largest trophy shops in Central California and then opened one of the first retail laser engraving businesses He has given seminars and workshops on CorelDRAW and Laser for many years and has written for several publications He is now with Vytek Industrial Lasers and is based in Las Vegas NV He can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
Kathryn Arnold is the Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
Errol Barr has a wide range of experience in sales amp marketing eventually getting into laser systems in 1999 currently with Vytek Industrial Lasers He also sold extensively in the CNC router industry selling the machines as more of a business opportunity wrapped around the machine He can be reached by email at errolbarrgmailcom
Dave Demoret founded Prolink Graphic Services to help people understand and profit from learning CorelDRAW He has been in both the Flat Graphics Industry and the Decorating Graphics Industry for 30 years He has written articles for several publications is a Corel Training Partner and conducts workshops nationwide and online He is the author of several CD Instructional programs on CorelDRAW He can be reached at 765-DO COLOR (362-6567) or davedprolinkgscom
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since 1977 She has presented seminars on a variety of topics nationwide and has won many marketing awards She is the author of two books on family business and can be reached at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
Bill Leek is a color consultant for JBL Graphics in Houston TX and has over 30 years experience in computer engineering and graphics design He has developed several lines of color imprintable products and does testing on a variety of products for different manufacturers He can be reached at wfleekjblgraphicscom or 281-970-6677
Jeff McDaniel is the owner of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon He worked as a journeyman machinist before getting into the graphic products business Creative Graphic offers laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials Contact him at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
John McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry He worked for many years with computers in electronic data processing and pioneered the use of CorelDraw for engraving applications He owned a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years and writes about hardware design software laser engraving sublimation and more He is a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals For information on training and more call 541-967-4271 or write to mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
Judy McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry Her background includes many forms of art and retail sales as well as the operation of a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years She is a regular columnist on sandblasting sublimation and diversifying business as well as a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals She can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
David Milisock is president of Custom Graphic Technologies Inc in Pennsylvania He has been in the print production business since 1975 and specializes in professional support for CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite Output includes computer-to-plate processes for all commercial digital front-end applications as well as Postscript-compliant graphic applications He offers technical and color management support for all RIP-driven corporate digital output systems He can be reached at 717-509-3523 or davidmilisockcomcastnet
Deborah Sexton former editor of Impressions Magazine has been in the apparel graphics industry since 1981 She currently does marketing and public relations for apparel graphics companies and is a columnist for several industry publications She can be reached at dsextonsbcglobalnet
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at 916-567-1867
December 2007 40Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
by Otis Veteto
Traveling Tidbits
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the
RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of
the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Itrsquos a fun and
informative column focusing on the human-interest side of
the industry Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars
for industry organizations and some of that knowledge
will rub off as well He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at
916-567-1867
Reps Volunteers People Skills amp Agreements
RS Owens Southeast RepFirst of all a Traveling Tidbits welcome to
the newest member of the RS Owens Company sales team Anita Brennan Anita is the new Regional Sales Manager for the Southeast She will be calling on you folks in Alabama Tennessee Mississippi Florida Georgia North Carolina and South Carolina Anita has worked in all phases of our industry as a retailer (her own business) multi-line rep and now as a regional sales manager When I asked Anita what she likes to do when not on the road she told me she likes to spend time with her two-year-old granddaughter Kaylee Welcome to the RS Owens family Anita Brennan
Railroad Museum VolunteerI know Christmas is the time for giving
but some people give all year long I was talking recently with Elias Athanasiou whose regular job is a server in a restaurant my wife and I frequent when I am in Sacramento Elias has been associated as a volunteer with the California State Railroad Museum for about 16 years Every Saturday during the ldquorunning seasonrdquo April-September Elias can be found working as a volunteer on the Steam Engine excursion train that runs for 6 miles along the top of the levee on the Sacramento River The ride takes about 40 minutes Elias is the Engineer now but has worked as conductor and fireman in his tenure with the train It is people like Elias Athanasiou that make this a much better world A huge Traveling Tidbits SALUTE You can find out more about the Railroad Museum at wwwcsrmorg
Real People SkillsThis next tidbit is from the PPAI Promotional
Consultant Today The author is Roy Chitwood president of Max Sacks International in Seattle Wash It is entitled To Shine Polish Your People Skills
ldquoPeople buy not because they understand your product or service but because they feel that you understand them People buy emotionally As a professional salesperson you need to be more people-oriented not product centered Here are seven quick and easy techniques to improve your people skills
SMILE It is the universal sign of friendship in any language The Chinese have a proverb ldquoA man who cannot smile should not open a storerdquo Think about that Give a smile and you will get a smile in return
DEVELOP A GENUINE INTEREST IN OTHERS When you have sincere interest it shows Look directly at people when they are talking to you Let your facial expression register your interest Ask good open-ended questions to let people know that you are interested in what they say
TALK IN TERMS OF THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS INTERESTS You will never meet anyone who doesnrsquot have time to talk about what they want to talk about Encourage your prospect to discuss his or interests rather than launching into a discussion about yourself
USE THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS NAME Using a name builds personal rapport and shows you are listening with respect Be careful about overusing the personrsquos name
GIVE COMPLIMENTS Everyone loves a compliment when it is genuine Make a
concentrated effort to give at least 3 honest compliments every day of your life You will be amazed at what it will do for your relationships
LISTEN Listening is the greatest compliment you can pay When you assume the role of the listener it relaxes the sales climate As you listen you are demonstrating that you truly care and you are genuinely interested in what he or she has to say
MAKE THE OTHER PERSON FEEL IMPORTANT When you are sincerely impressed by something the other person has achieved or owns let them know it Understand that fundamentally every person is important and treat them accordingly
Personal comment When I finished reading this I thought to myself ldquoThese make sense in our everyday life not just in salesrdquo
The Third AgreementI will close with the 3rd step from the book
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel RuizDONrsquoT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS Find the
courage to ask questions and to express what you really want Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings sadness and drama
Sounds a little like what I wrote at the beginning of the column doesnrsquot it
Thatrsquos all for now Remember to save some time for yourself and your family And when you travel please travel safe
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE
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December 2007 19Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTING
Re-Align Step 2 The black screen is a little bit off (see figure 7) so we will need to use the Printa 770 micro-adjustment knobs to bring it back into alignment (see figure 8)
Masking off the screenNow that our artwork is
lined up correctly we can mask the rest of the screen off Wherever we donrsquot want the ink to run through the screen needs to be masked off (see figures 9 and 10)
Locating the pocket patch on the shirtThere are a couple of different ways to locate the pocket
patch on the shirt The first thing to consider is where you want it to end up on the wearer If the patch is too far toward the sleeve the image will end up under the wearerrsquos arm pit If the image is too far up toward the neck the image will not look right either A good way to figure out the correct location is by looking at a shirt that has a pocket patch on it (maybe one or two are in your closet right now)
Another way to locate the pocket patch is to put on the shirt
size that you wear and mark off where you think it feels correct and comfortable Once you have decided where you would like the patch keeping it in the same relative location on all of the different sizes is not too difficult The actual placement of the shirt can be accomplished a couple of different ways that we know of Which you prefer will depend mostly on if you are more accurate with sight or touch
The sight method involves using a masking tape strip to mark the desired location on the shirt prior to loading it onto the platen (see figure 11)
Once you have your marking in place you can load the shirt on the platen and have a nice representation that you are placing the design in the desired location (see figure 12)
Figure 7 Figure 8
Figure 9
Figure 10
Figure 11
Figure 12
December 2007 20Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTING
We prefer the sight method because it works well with our equipment The ldquoPrint Allrdquo system from Printa Systems Inc uses a smaller platen for pocket patches The smaller platen allows us to load sizes from youth XS ndash adult 5X without stretching
The touch method involves using a standard platen and adding a riser underneath where the pocket patch will be printed (a piece of cut cardboard or thin wood of the appropriate size) With this method you can feel when the shirt is in the correct location and begin printing from there
Inking the screens printing and curingSince we have resolved our location
issues with the pocket patch we are ready to ink the screens print and cure
Printing Step 1 Inking the screens is fairly straightforward (see figure 13)
Printing Step 2 Using the squeegee we will screen our first color (see figure 14) and check the quality of the image (see figure 15)
Printing Step 3 Our first color will need to be flash cured (see figure 16)
Printing Step 4 Now we can add our second color (see figure 17)
Printing Step 5 Finally we can do the finish cure step paying attention to the temperature gauge (see figure 18)
After final curing it is always a good idea to take at least a sampling of the product and wash it to be certain of the curing All of the information on post-job clean-up can be found in the CorelDRAWPro archives for September
Conclusion This time we took our screens out of
the dryer and pushed our project all the way to its completion
Jeff McDaniel is the OwnerOperator of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon Jeff has been working with computers since the age of 5 and was a journeyman machinist before working in the graphic arts business Creative Graphic offers services including laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials You can contact Jeff by email at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
Figure 14
Figure 13
Figure 15
Figure 17
Figure 16
Figure 18
December 2007 21Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SANDBLASTINGBy Judy McDaniel Applications
Screening the AbrasiveKeeping your sandblast abrasive media free
of contaminant material is essential During sandblasting abrasive is mixed with compressed air fed through the supply hose focused by the nozzle and impacts the product Then if itrsquos fine enough it leaves the system as dust or drops to the bottom of the cabinet to be recycled
Other material will also collect in the bottom of the cabinet This debris can include bits of mask (ever wonder where the center of that ldquoerdquo went) bits of tape and possibly solid material dislodged from the product yoursquore blasting This latter source of debris is especially prevalent when yoursquore working on materials other than glass like brick rock and wood
Leaving the debris in the abrasive when itrsquos recycled can cause a variety of problems First if a piece of debris is too large to fit through the nozzle it will clog it More importantly if it does fit through the nozzle and is hard like brick and rock debris it can impact the piece yoursquore working on and ruin it
The obvious solution is to screen the media when you reload the pressure pot The problem is the screen mesh size Irsquove tried the screen supplied by the cabinet manufacturers and used window screening material from a hardware store In both of these cases the mesh size would allow all but the largest pieces of debris through
What Irsquove found that works the best is a spatter screen from a local kitchen store The mesh is woven tightly and filters out much more debris The best thing is its price only a few dollars
One of our cabinets is not self-contained so we have to filter the media by hand We have found that bending the handle up on a large spatter screen
causes it to fit perfectly into the top of the pressure pot We also have a couple of other smaller pressure pots one in fact that you fill with a funnel For those I simply lay the spatter screen over the opening of the pot or the funnel when refilling
If you have a system that recycles the abrasive then it should be equipped with a screen located on top of the pressure pot Make sure to inspect and remove the debris from the top of the screen from time to time A shop-vac works well for this purpose If you find that larger pieces are getting through the screen then contact the manufacturer to see what can be done to reduce the mesh size
Keeping your media clean helps prevent unwanted delays or damage
To all of our friends out there new and old have a safe and joyful holiday season
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from John and me
Judy McDaniel with her husband John are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry In addition they provide one-on-one application support through an email subscription service exclusively for their Hotcdr Hands-On Training students or those who have purchased their CD sets (For information on training services offered visit wwwgraphic-products-trainingcom and for information on their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom) They can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
December 2007 22Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE ENGRAVINGBy John McDaniel Applications
Elements of Machine Accuracy 7 Structural Integrity
So far wersquove covered resolution speed repeatability and hysteresis This time wersquoll discuss structural integrity
What is Structural IntegrityStructural integrity is a measure of a machinersquos
strength or stiffness It is the ability of a machine to resist distortion by forces created in normal operations
Most mechanical engraving machines use single-fluted cutters As these cutters turn they apply cutting force against the material For every action though there is an equal but opposite reaction ie the material resists the cut and thereby transmits a resistive force back through the cutting tool spindle etc and ultimately to the machinersquos frame
Assuming a static bit position the force applied to the machinersquos structure will rotate 360deg with the tool (see diagram 1) As this force rotates any looseness in the structure will result in a deviation in the relationship of the material and the cutter
What machine design factors are involvedStructural integrity includes lead screws and their
hysteresis for mechanical engraving machines spindle bearings and their looseness for both mechanical and laser engravers gantry or table rails their bearings and looseness and the machinersquos frame In fact anything and everything that holds the tool and material in the proper relationship during the cuttingengraving process contributes to or detracts from structural integrity
Why is it importantIn a word Quality Structural integrity influences
the quality of the finished products the machine will produce
For illustration Irsquoll use a mechanical engraving system If the looseness in our machine and the cutting force applied were uniform throughout the 360deg of tool rotation the result would be a wobble in the tool path which might not be visible in the finished product
Cutting ForcesIn the real world however as the tool moves through
the material the cutting and reactive forces go through a cycle (see diagram 2) When the tool starts the cut there is a spike in force The force will level to a constant through the top side of the cut while itrsquos cutting against the direction of the toolrsquos movement Then it will drop somewhat when itrsquos cutting with the toolrsquos movement and finally fall off on the back side as the cutting edge of the tool enters the void area where the material has already been removed
The amount of force applied during the cutting process will vary depending on the material being
cut the tool and its sharpness the depth of cut the material feed rate and whether or not lubricant is used The cutting force may also vary over the length of the job as the toolrsquos cutting edge wears and becomes dull
Machine Component Looseness
In addition to the cutting force not being uniform throughout the 360deg of tool rotation l o o s e n e s s i n t h e machinersquos structure will also vary For example dur ing the cut t ing operation as the tool transitions through 0deg and 180deg of rotation X axis hysteresis will be a factor in overall machine looseness but Y axis hysteresis will have no effect At 90deg and 270deg the Y axis will become a factor but the X axis will have no impact
In the real world any looseness in the machine will cause an oscillation in the cut which will have its own angle If we could slow the toolrsquos movement we would see this oscillation as a sharp jump in the positional relationship between the tool and material being cut In the finished product this sharp jump in position will result in a jagged cut
December 2007 23Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE ENGRAVING Outline amp OverviewThe Nuts and Bolts of Machine AccuracyMachine accuracy or capability can be defined as a result of six features 1 Resolution ndash the smallest incremental movementpositioning of a speci-fied axis 2 Speed ndash the ability to complete a task in a reasonable amount of time without sacrificing accuracy or creating damage to the machine or product 3 Repeatability ndash the ability to duplicate a previous position without error 4 Hysteresis ndash the ldquosloprdquo or ldquoplayrdquo in motion control components 5 Structural Integrity ndash stiffness or strength ndash the ability to cut materials without error or damage This is especially important for mechanical engrav-ers 6 Structural Tolerances ndash the sum accuracy of a machinersquos mechanical components
Machine ComponentsWersquoll examine nine factors that determine a machinersquos accuracy They include 1 Motors ndash including DC Stepper DC Brushless DC Servo and AC Servo a Spindles ndash motors that rotate the cutting bit b Axis Drive ndash motors that position the material to the cutting bit c Horsepower ratings ndash real versus advertised 2 The Motion Control Drive Unit ndash including Geared Belt and Lead Screws a Lead Screws ndash including Acme Re-circulating Ball Standard and Precision b Mounting ndash including Simple Fixed and Thrust bearing types c Protection ndash Open or Closed 3 Guide Rails ndash Types include V Bearing Rail Bushing Shaft Dove Tail and Re-circulating Ball Bearing 4 Encoders ndash Types include Rotary and Linear Methodologies include incremental or absolute 5 Tachometers ndash used for speed stability acceleration and breaking control for closed loop servo systems 6 Bearings ndash including Sleeve Ball and Linear Re-circulating Ball a Applications ndash including Radial Thrust and Linear b Quality ndash Standard thru Ultra Precision 7 Spindles ndash including topbottom loading Collets and Sleeves 8 Material Hold Down ndash including mechanical clamps and vacuum sys-tems 9 Electronic Interface ndash Computer control methods
Wersquoll also examine Reliability what makes it And Serviceability is it fix-able
If the cutting oscillation is at any angle other than the direction of the cut and the oscillation is great enough a jagged cut will be visible in the finished product A cut deviation of as little as 001rdquo is visible to the naked eye and will most commonly show up on curves and circles but may show up on straight lines as well
To illustrate this point a little further and perhaps make it somewhat clearer Irsquod like to refer to diagrams 3 and 4 For purposes of these illustrations we will assume we have a machine that has some looseness on both the X and Y axes However the rest of the machine
is structurally solid the frame is rigid and no other components have any loosenessMaking these assumptions and disregarding the variation in force caused by the cutter
as it travels through the material we will have cutting oscillations at 0deg 180deg 90deg and 270deg during the toolrsquos rotation As the tool travels through the material on its path these oscillations will cause a slight variation in the centerline of the toolrsquos cut
Diagram 3 shows a horizontal tool path While the machine is cutting in this direction any X axis looseness will be masked by the cutter path itself however looseness in the Y axis will result in a slight oscillation in the cutterrsquos horizontal position and therefore a deviation in its cut Diagram 4 shows the effect of the X axis looseness which will impact vertical lines
As you can see from this discussion and these illustrations structural integrity ie looseness in the components from which a machine is constructed can make a significant difference in quality of the finished products that a machine will produce
Next time wersquoll consider structural tolerances and their impact
John McDaniel with his wife Judy are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry For information on training services offered and their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom They can be reached by phone at 541-967-4271 via SKYPE (user name JHMcDaniel) or via email at JHMcDanielCorelDRAWhelpcom See the full bio on the Writers Page
December 2007 24Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
the image the text and the red bow In the laser file for this example I have the red cut line for vectoring (See Figure 5)
5) Send the cardstock through the printer6) Place the cardstock in the laser for vector
cutting The thickness of the stock will determine what settings to use For my 35-watt laser using a medium weight cardstock I used a speed of 100 and power of 15 for a nice cut through the stock without any burn marks on the paper
7) Optional in one run I decided to let the laser take care of the bow instead of using color for it from my printer I set the outline of the bow to 100 black and the interior of the bow to 50 black (See Figure 6)
8) Then I only sent the image and text through the printer The bow and vector cutting occurred in the laser I set the raster engraving (of the bow) at speed 70 and power 40 (See Figure 7) You can see the differentiation of using 100 black as opposed to 50 black by the exterior lines
being engraved a little deeper than the rest of the fill
Take the idea of using patterns (like the birth announcement above) and wowing your clientele with the detail and intricacy that laser can provide Or add a twist to a holiday tradition (cards) Whatever you do donrsquot forget you can combine the advantages of the printer and laser for fabulous products
Submitted by Kathryn Arnold Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
LASER TIPBy Kathryn Arnold Applications
Combining Laser amp Printer PowerComing up with new and
inventive ways to use your laser is the key to a successful and growing business We will look at a way to combine the power of your computer (ink) printer with the power of the laser engraver
In this lesson we will take a look at using cardstock to create a card and an announcement See the examples of a holiday card and a birth announcement ndash gratuitously they are of my family (Figure 1 amp Figure 2)
1) In CorelDRAWreg use any pattern image text you wish Be sure that there is a clear and discernible vector line that will be laser cut and yield a cut piece from the cardstock2) See the clear (red) cut line ndash it goes fully around my object even the bow portion (important) I then duplicated my object to fit as many as possible on my 8 frac12 x 11 cardstock (See Figure 3) 3) I saved this file as my master file that I could return to at any point I then created two copies -- one that will
be used to send the file to my printer and one that will be used to send the file to my laser engraver (See Figure 4)
4) In the master file I have every part of what my end product will have In the file for my printer I only have the parts that the printer will print ndash in this example
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
December 2007 25Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
ELECTRONICS FRONTIERBy Louie Alvarez Opportunity
Webcams are an interesting subject which I am intimately familiar with Some typical questions are what are they what purpose do they serve what benefit are they what to look for and various other questions concerns and issues
Webcams surely bring back a memory or two not all that great I might add I remember when they first became usable primarily due to the Internet having affordable true broadband
First experiences The choppy poor quality of dial-up service
simply didnrsquot make this a useful technology Short of communicating with far-flung family members it left much to be desired With my immediate family living in Las Vegas and all other family (parents siblings cousins etc) living in California this was a technology I thought would be useful to keep in touch
So I set up my computer and my momrsquos computer with Webcams to stay in touch Needless to say with the poor quality terrible tracking (had to keep perfectly
sti l l because video frames didnrsquot refresh fas t enough) the hard-to-see tiny video window and poorly synchronized voices to the faces (we looked like a badly translated kung fu movie) the novelty quickly wore off (Irsquod say in about 30 minutes)
WebcamsSecond attempt
So I promptly dumped the technology for the next few years until I started seeing broadband picking up the pace and more interest in Webcams becoming obvious from all the new devices on the market So about three years ago a wireless Webcam caught my eye and I decided to put it to the test once again
Considering I was by then traveling quite extensively (about 40000 miles a year) I figured Irsquod use it to monitor my home I had two teenagers and a 5-year-old at home at the time while I was on the road and my wife was still a t work (She normally didnrsquot get off work until about two hours after school was out) So this looked to be a cool device to see if as the clicheacute goes when the catrsquos away the mice will play
I proceeded to position this wireless Webcam strategically to allow viewing of my living room including the back door Plus to get to the front door or side door you would have to pass through the field of the camera My little one loved the idea of being on camera for her daddy and would dance play and make funny faces for me Pretty cool actually That in itself almost justified the camera but needless to say my teenagers even my wife didnrsquot take to the idea too well So it was returned and life continued on as usual
That experience did show me that the broadband
speeds the quality of the video feeds the prevalence on the net of live cams and the quality of the video cameras (better known as Webcams) had progressed to a level of usefulness and I could see the potential of this technology With that said letrsquos get into the heart of this article
So what are webcams Basically they are digital cameras attached to
the computer and connected to the Web or Instant Messaging (IM) This allows the camera to be linked to a website or to each other directly and individuals who view the website or IM are able to see what the camera is viewing at that moment You can choose to get either still pictures that are updated at regular intervals (Snapshot) or live streams (Streaming) depending on what your bandwidth permits The WebCam technology has advanced sufficiently now to make it both easier and cheaper to maintain a camera that is refreshing an image 24 hours a day
Features of Web Cameras Listed here are some of the features more commonly
found in WebCams1 Live streaming video still pictures updated2 No plug-in or software necessary to view image
can be viewed with any Web browser3 Live audio4 Incorporation with other software such as Instant
Messaging (IM)5 Adding captionslogostime displays6 Archiving video7 Chat feature
December 2007 26Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
WebCams in an instructional scenario could be used to
Monitor your staff or employees thus being able to guide them better
Telecommute to companies worldwide and demonstrate project procedures
B roadcas t sem ina rs wo rkshops o r demonstrations
Share special events and programs with students enrolled in distance learning courses
Hold a video press conference online meeting or broadcast meetings and discussions
In some cases it is important for the learner to be able to establish a connection visually WebCams could be a good alternative to using text files or audio files
Join WebCam groups and allow students to take advantage of other WebCam locations for educational purposes
Using a web camera allows learners to be a part of either a conference or classstudio
Benefits of using WebCamsa The most important advantage of using a web camera is that it creates a direct link between the camera and the live site and dispenses with all the production work Production work in this context includes the cost and effort involved in shooting
editing and streaming videos Thus using a WebCam does not require
advanced skillsb The software is basically a Web server that runs on your system and pushes images out to a Web page For viewers of images delivered over a WebCam
one of the benefits is that they get the entire picture preferable in
certain cases rather than a sleek edited versionc WebCam technology can also be used for remote s u r v e i l l a n c e s y s t e m s
ELECTRONIC FRONTIER
monitoring events or places and broadcasting live eventsd Learners can link to a web camera-monitored location and just watch or also have an additional web camera in their own location enabling two-way communication
Setting up your WebCama Setting up your own WebCam obviously requires a computer a WebCam (the hardware) and WebCam software along with a broadband Internet connection Before you decide which camera to buy and which software to acquire yoursquoll have to review the different methods to show pictures or video feed through the Internet ( i e r e f r e s h e d after x amount of seconds) This will enable you to decide which hardware and software solution will fit your situation best
b P l a c e m e n t of a camera is an important decision to be made Decide whether a static angle is sufficient to demonstrate the concept or a moving camera (handheld) is required It is important however to remember the limitations of using WebCams and leave the panoramic and other fancy shots to more sophisticated video Use WebCams for videos that require more focus and ones that require a smaller viewingmovement range
c For detailed technical instructions on using WebCams visit httpdeveloperswebcamworldcommethodshtml
d Here is a good resource for inexpensive Webcams on the market httpcastlepricewatchcomssearchasps=webcams
e For an in-depth review of various Webcams on the market go to this link httpreviewscnetcom4244-6502_7-0-1htmlquery=webamptag=cat_1
f There are many Webcam examples online here are a couple httpwwwwebcamworldcom or httpwwwleonardsworldscomcamerahtml
By the way DONrsquoT TELL MY KIDS I picked up a Logitech QuickCam Pro 4000 not too long ago My family doesnrsquot know why I got it or what my intention is but I can say that now that my kids are 17 16 amp 8 my job as a parent is to ensure the mice donrsquot play when the catrsquos awayhellip
Louie Alvarez began acquiring his experience in the awards and engraving industry in Central California over 15 years ago first as an employee of the largest and oldest trophy shop and then as owner of one of the first laser engraving businesses Louie has been a featured workshop instructor and seminar speaker throughout the industry in addition to being a contributing writer to numerous industry publications Louie is based in Las Vegas NV and can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
December 2007 27Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
The Association of CorelDRAWreg Professionals is The Education amp Business Resource for CorelDRAW Users Worldwide Its goal is to help 1) IMPROVE your CorelDRAW skills and 2) MAKE MONEY with those skills You can participate in ACDRP services in four ways
THE WORLDrsquoS ONLY ASSOCIATION FOR CORELDRAWreg USERSINVITES YOU TO MAKE MORE MONEY WITH CORELDRAW
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month focused on Industry News via the Graphics News Wire Links to valuable resources and a complete educa-tion and show Calendar S
CorelDRAWPro the Entrepreneurial magazine for CorelDRAW users features in-depth content on How to Use CorelDRAW -- tips tricks advanced ar twork success s to r ies in te rv iews and more How to Apply CorelDRAW -- for graphic production processes such as embroidery engraving heat printing laser promo products printing sandblasting signmaking sublimation and screenprinting How to Profit from CorelDRAW -- Product news business columns reviews profiles and advertising with live links
SUBSCRIBE -- NO CHARGE JOIN -- $60 PER YEAR
All users of CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite are qualified to subscribe free to CorelDRAWPro magazine (PDF format) and CorelDRAWPro E-News
Subscription to CorelDRAWPro amp CorelDRAWPRo E-News
TTF Newsletter Subscription to the monthly Tips Templates amp Fixtures Newsletter only available to members
GSG Basic Listing You can list your services in the Graphic Services Guide in one category as part of membership (a $25 value)
Access to QuickLearn A keyword searchable database of 100s of articles on CorelDRAW graphics production and business
All users of CorelDRAWreg are invited to join the Association and take advantage of exclusive content discounts and profes-sional recognition ACDRP membership includes
TTF
QuickLearn
QuickTNT
Archives
BASIC GSG LISTING -- $25 PER YR
The Graphic Services Guide is the Industry Yellow Pages for Services and Finished Goods GSG is promoted in all our publi-cations and our website to the world of CorelDRAW users Your listing gives you the opportunity to promote your services (in any of 40 categories) to other CorelDRAW usersThe Basic Listing includes your company description email link and listing in one category Additional service categories are $10 each per year
The Enhanced GSG Listing is for companies that want to list in two categories and add a photo or logo
ENHANCED GSG LISTING -- $50$75 PER YR
Classifieds
Access to QuickTnT A growing database of CorelDRAW tips for understanding the fine points of the program and templates that can be downloaded to speed up your production
Access to Archives Past issues of CorelDRAWPro are available to members with live links
Bookstore Discounts Members receive a 10 discount on all products in the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore
Professional Recognition Use of the ACDRP logo for professional identification on business cards websites and letterhead You also receive a membership certificate
Classified Ads Members can place one classified ad per year at no charge with photo and run it till the item is sold (a $35 value)
HOW TO PARTICIPATE To Subscribe (no charge) To Join ($60yr) To List in the Graphic Services Guide ($25 Basic $50$75 Enhanced or $120145 for Multi-Service)
CorelDRAWreg is a registered trademark of Corel Corp and is used with permission
Visit wwwcoreldrawprocomand click on the appropriate links
800-276-8428
The Multi-Service GSG Listing allows you to list up to 40 differ-ent service categories with detailed descriptions and add a photo or logo
MULTI-SERVICE GSG LISTING -- $120$145 PER YR
December 2007 28Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Throughout the year this publication has reported on whatrsquos new in equipment tools and software and blank products for businesses that put graphics onto products
For this 2007 wrap-up CorelDRAWPro editorial staff reviewed all the product news for the year and named 33 products to its annual Top Products of the Year list
Selections were based on the criteria of innovation and impact Innovation means products that exhibit a high degree of originality or uniqueness Impact means products that influence sales or productivity for a large number of businesses
Note that the 2007 honorees are list alphabetically in the three theme sections
For more information on the products in this article click on the Info Request button at the bottom of each page and select by company name or product You might open the Info Request page and minimize it as you read That way you can quickly open it and check the products you want
EQUIPMENT
ANAJET DIRECT-TO-GARMENT DIGITAL PRINTERAnaJet Digital Apparel Printer (Model FP-125) from
AnaJet Inc in Costa Mesa CA is a direct-to-garment printer offering high quality and affordability It can print custom graphics on any cotton or poly-cotton flat textile material in one minute The printer priced affordably from under $13000 can produce up to 5000 shirts per month each retailing for about $20 Most printers installed so far are in a production plant environment but some customers have started to take the mobile printer to malls for instant printing of customer graphics According to Dr Chase Roh company president the unique printhead they have developed allows for 16x more ink flow than normal desktop printers and thus shirts only require one pass
Top Products of the Year
DTG AMERICA ECLIPSE D-1 WITH TWO HEADS DTG America of Tampa FL and Fort Worth TX now offers a new solution to
speed up digitally printing to dark shirts The Eclipse D-1 incorporates two heads instead of one One head has eight channels of white to lay down a solid white underbase The second head has four channels of white to do highlights and four channels of color to lay down the design The result of this new configuration is the underbase and color are completed in one pass at an estimated average of only two minutes per shirt for a 12-inch by 6-inch area Other innovations include an ink agitator firmware for easy updating ink vapor remover auto gap adjustment and new platen configuration for easy loading
GEO KNIGHT DK 25SP HEAT PRESSThe Digital Knight DK25SP is an air-operated automatic
20x25 oversized swing-away heat press with a state-of-the-art control system and heavy-duty solid steel welded framework The smooth automatic pressing and push-button activation provides a productive fatigue-free operation The extended 20x25 size of the heat platen is perfect for sublimation and large-format materials pressingThe press is adjustable to accommodate materials from fabric thickness all the way up to 1rdquo thick substrates For more information call 800-525-6766 or visit wwwheatpresscom
GRAPHTEC CRAFT ROBO PROGraphtec America Inc based in Santa Ana
CA introduced the new Craft ROBO Pro 15rdquo cutting plotter The Craft ROBO Pro is an ideal solution for cutting a wide variety of materials including vinyl film card stock foil heat transfer and image transfer media Incorporating Graphtecrsquos legendary
December 2007 29Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
ARMS (Advanced Registration Marks System) and combined with a desktop printer the Craft ROBO Pro makes contour cutting an easy task Innovations include a new digital servo motor first mark auto-sensing menu navigation system that includes 8 user-defined conditions Tangential Control and three software applications
ROLAND RELEASES DIRECT-TO-FABRIC PRINTERRoland DGA Corp of Irvine CA released
the new 74rdquo HeatWave DFP-74 Fabric Printer through its reseller channel in the US Based on Rolandrsquos HeatWave sublimation technology the DFP-74 Fabric Printer is a complete integrated solution and Rolandrsquos first inkjet ever to support direct printing onto polyester fabrics As a complete solution including printer sublimation unit inks and RIP software the DFP-74 makes it easier than ever for shops to enter the fast-growing textile printing market Key features include eight advanced piezo print heads an intelligent media handling system and a temperature-controlled heating system
HOTRONIX PERFECT PRESSURE HEAT PRESSHotronix of Carmichaels PA has taken heat press technology
to the next level with Perfect Pressure a new digital pressure display functionThis new feature has a single-digit LED readout
that measures the pressure of the inner platen This technology is exclusive to Hotronix and is patent pending Previously a
digital pressure display was available only on air-operated heat press machines With this new pressure display gauge all heat press users will have more consistent results from job to job reducing the number of misprints and speeding up production For more information about
the new digital pressure display contact Stahlsrsquo Hotronix at 800-478-2457 e-mail infostahlscom or visit the Web site at wwwstahlscom
SWF DREAM EMBROIDERY MACHINEWith its new DREAM Machine SWF has broken the barrier in multi-head
embroidery machine technology The DREAM machines are the first multi-head embroidery machines that truly can sew at 1500 stitches per minute During the research and development of these new machines 12 new patents were filed and granted proof that the DREAM machines are built with state-of-the-art technology
Innovations include LED control panel error codes to quickly troubleshoot problems optional devices to do sequins cording and boring automatic oiling system large memory a hoop selector and more These innovative new machines come in configurations ranging from
two to six heads It is distributed exclusively by SWF East (Tampa FL) and SWF MESA (Dallas TX)
MESArsquoS HOTFIX SPANGLE MOTIF MACHINEWith the all new YAS-11 Hotfix Spangle Motif Making
Machine the first of its kind in the United States you can create beautiful spangle transfer designs that have the look of sequins This patented machine which is distributed exclusively in the United States by MESA Distributors of Fort Worth TX cuts out shapes such as circles and squares in a range of sizes from reels of Mylar tape The machine comes with proprietary design software that allows the user to create any pattern or design up to 157 by 157 inches
SAWGRASSrsquo HYBRID SYSTEM FOR EPSON R1800Sawgrass Technologies of Mt Pleasant SC introduced
the SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid System for the Epson R1800 for both sublimation printing and cotton
decorating from one machine The affordable entry-level system features dual functionality with both SubliJet and ChromaBlast inks in one machine allowing users to create customized images with superior color and clarity on both polyester coated substrates and cotton garments This is the second
hybrid system from Sawgrass following in the footsteps of the popular SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid
System for the Epson 4800
TROTECrsquoS NEW LARGE PLATFORM LASER Trotec Laser Inc of Ypsilanti MI has introduced the SP500 series of laser
engraving and cutting systems The systems have a work area of 50rdquo X 28rdquo and X-Axis clearance of 12rdquo The systems are offered in power levels from 45W-200W There is an available pass-through option (Class 4) Exhaust fumes are captured
December 2007 30Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
at the laser head to insure an efficient extraction when using the pass-through featureTrotec systems are designed for minimal wear-and-tear and eliminate the need for periodic replacement of belts and bearings For additional information visit our web site wwwtrotecnet or call 866-226-8505 734-484-3260
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW PROFESSIONAL SERIESUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) of Scottsdale
AZ added four new models in its Professional Laser Series (PLS) line of advanced high-productivity computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving systems The new PLS line which replaces Universalrsquos M V and X laser systems incorporates a
host of evolutionary design improvements to the laser cartridge platform chassis system electronics and software interface The new PLS models include several
powerful new features most notably a unique materials-based print driver called ldquoLaser Interface +rdquo that gives users their choice
between automatic or manual control over power speed and other system settings For more information on Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit Universal Laser Systems online at wwwulsinccom
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW VERSALASERUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) added a
new version of its desktop-sized VersaLasertrade
computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving system The new VersaLaser
improves on the award-winning original thanks to a host of evolutionary design refinements It also
includes a unique next-generation materials-based print driver that automatically calculates power speed
and other system settings It was awarded a patent for the unique design of its external cabinet which also functions as a Class 1 laser safety enclosure For more information about VersaLaser or Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit wwwulsinccom
US SCREENrsquoS FAST T-JET 3US Screen Print and Inkjet Technology of Tempe
AZ adds the Fast T-Jet3TM which features 30 faster print speeds compared to the previous T-Jet2 model and has a longer low profile print bed for easier loading and unloading Now you can produce a full size 12rdquo x 12rdquo (305 x 305 cm) print in one minute on a light shirt and in under three minutes on a black shirt with white ink Small pocket images can be printed in about 15 seconds
US SCREENrsquoS AUTOMATED PRETREATMENT CENTER
Speed up production when using Fast T-Jet inkjet-to-garment printers with the AutoTREATtrade Automatic Pretreatment Center
This versatile piece of equipment allows you to treat shirts on a production level rather than spraying shirts individually one at a time For use with light or dark shirts the AutoTREATtrade
can spray up to three shirts per minute It has two application modesmdashone for lights and one for darks that can be switched over by activating the cleaning mode which flushes out the system with water
TOOLS MATERIALS SOFTWARE
CORELDRAW X3 CERTIFIED FOR WINDOWS VISTACorel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that
CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite X3 has been Certified for Windows Vista Customers who wish to install the Certified for Windows Vista version of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X3 can download the latest service pack (SP2) from wwwcorelcom This new update delivers an exceptional experience for customers on Windows Vista including an updated user interface enhanced security improved text handling and further enhancements to the popular suitersquos renowned import and export file compatibility
COREL LAUNCHES NEW ONLINE COMMUNITY Corel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that it
has launched httpcoreldrawcom a new online community for users of the CorelDRAWreg family of products ndash including CorelDRAW Graphics Suite Corel DESIGNERreg Technical Suite
December 2007 31Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
and Corelreg DRAWingsreg This new community site is the first in a series that Corel will be launching to support its various user communities Designed to fuel inspiration CorelDRAWcom combines forums blogs and galleries for design professionals and graphic hobbyists alike Forums are available in English French German and Spanish serving an international audience
DALCOrsquoS NEW REFLECTIVE HEAT TRANSFERSCater to the safety market with new reflective transfers offered
by Dalco Athletic of Dallas TX These durable transfers come in a reflective silver gray color in three styles police sheriff and fire dept They are sized for left chest and full back so
all you have to do is heat seal for 8 seconds and yoursquore done Itrsquos very fast and easy
DALCOrsquoS NEW OPTIC YELLOW CLASSIC SWB APPLIQUE
Classic SWB appliqueacute designs offered by Dalco Athletic now come in two new styles softballs and tennis balls in optic yellow fabric These new balls literally jump off any wearable and make it an eye-catching standout This appliqueacute collection is ideal for spiritwear items to be sold to fans and family or created as fund-raisers for boosters clubs
POWER GRAPHICS 3 FROM DIGITAL ART SOLUTIONSPower Graphics 3 by Digital Art Solutions of
Tempe AZ is the ultimate design tool for the creation of high-end custom graphics and logos for custom signage awards vehicle graphics promotional products and apparel graphics Tuned to the latest styles and trends it provides fresh graphics that will impress even the most critical and demanding customer It includes more than 1500 images The 10 design categories include Flames Gangsta (Urban) Mascots Offroad Rebel (Biker and Hot
Rod) Retro Speed Sports Surf and Tuner
FLORIANI COMMERCIALrsquoS NEW NO-SHOW DIAMOND MESHContinuing in its tradition of research and development
to create embroidery stabilizers that meet the needs of todayrsquos embroiderers Floriani Embroidery Commercial Division of Knoxville TN released a new product called Floriani No-Show Diamond Mesh This unique nylon mesh stabilizer has a perpendicular embossed pattern that makes it more multi-directionally stable and enables it to better hold stitches for crisper design registration It is specifically designed for light-colored garments where traditional stabilizers have a tendency to show through the front of the garment
GREAT DANErsquoS NEW DIGITAL PHOTO FRAMES Tap into the lucrative team market with an
incredible collection of stock art specially designed to work for direct-to-garment printers sublimation transfers and digital transfers Digital Photo Frames Volume 1 is a collection of spectacular pre-designed layouts each with one or more frames to
insert personal photos The collection includes five categories baseball football basketball soccer and hockey Each category has four designs (20 total layouts) and each design comes in three template formats mugs mouse pads and shirts
So there are a total of 60 template designs in all
IMPRINTABLES WAREHOUSE OFFERS SPECTRA ECO FILMNew from Imprintables Warehouse of
Masontown PA is a digital cutter material that is free of PVC a plus with companies that want to be as environmentally friendly as possible Spectra Eco Film is made with ecological polyurethane and is peeled hot It is pressure sensitive (sticky backing) and extremely easy to weed While maintaining superior durability and opacity this new film is thinner than current offerings on the market and delivers the super soft hand that is in demand by todayrsquos consumers It can be used on 100 cotton 100 polyester polycotton blends and even nylon and leather
December 2007 32Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
KISSCUT TECHNOLOGIESrsquo SELF-WEEDING INKJET TRANSFER PAPER
Kiss Cut Technologies Ltd Newcastle UK has addressed the ldquopolymer windowrdquo issue and developed the worldrsquos first self-weeding inkjet transfer paper for printing to textiles In simple terms only the areas of their patented transfer paper that have been printed will be transferred to the garment when heat pressed A Kiss Cut print can be further embellished with specialized textile foils so in effect a digital foiling method is now available Foil is heat pressed onto the garment and when peeled the foil only sticks to the image areas
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW PHOTOPLAS-TIC MATERIALLaserSketchcom of Lemont IL a leading supplier of
LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble Super Black Granite and Black Onyx Jewelry introduces their new PhotoPlas-Tic This is a new material developed for front andor reverse laser engraving on micro surface impact acrylic plastic It is a premium plastic for laser engraving that is UV stable ideal for photo badges plaques trophies signage and high-end awards Each sheet of PhotoPlas-Tic is specially designed for a crisp clean burn and ultra-fine laser lettering logo and vector output For details call 630-243-6360 or visit wwwlasersketchcom
THEMAGICTOUCH LAUNCHES WOW TRANSFER PAPERTheMagicTouch USA launched WoW Professional
71 transfer paper which requires no weeding or profile cutting and the vibrant colors are achieved using digital laser technology making it great for short runs It uses PolymationTM which incorporates a newly designed catalyst that provides the ultimate compatibility with all generations of dry toner material According to the company PolymationTM is the next generation of laser heat transfer Sublimation requires the substrate to have a specialty receiving polymer coating to absorb the pigments but PolymationTM delivers everything at once polymer pigments and catalyst
December 2007 33Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
offers distinct advantages over any other process It allows for an unlimited number of colors and very fine detail which is impossible with screen printing or embroidery And the cost does not go up as colors are added These new specialty materials are so advanced they can be heat sealed to all kinds of fabrics and hot new multimedia designs can be easily done
VAPOR APPAREL LAUNCHES VAPOR ART VOLUME 1V a p o r A p p a r e l
a s u b s i d i a r y o f SourceSubstrates LLC Charleston SC announces the launch of Vapor Art - Volume 1 a collection of 127 vector graphics for digital sublimation and general use The diverse collection
of high-quality graphics comes after several years of customers requesting access to the companyrsquos sample art at trade shows and educational events The Collection of art includes vector drawings and JPGs for everything from mountain biking and snowboarding to yoga and cheerleading
BLANK PRODUCTS
COLORADO HEIRLOOMrsquoS COLOR LACQUERED FRAMES
Colorado Heirloom Inc of Loveland CO introduced their new Color Lacquered Frames This is an option to add color your unique creations It is not color fill Colored lacquer is sprayed on their high quality wood frames Because
INKTRA STRETCH TRANSFER PAPER FROM STAHLSrsquoStahlsrsquo based in St Clair
Shores MI adds InkTratrade Stretch a flexible transfer paper A revolutionary product InkTratrade Stretch provides a soft hand with an amazing stretch and recovery feature InkTratrade Stretch lets you take your favorite photo or graphic design and apply it to light colored or white hats shirts bags and more for a long lasting and completely personalized garment The highly stretchable paper can be applied to cotton polycotton blends spandex and Lycrareg
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo GOOF-PROOF TRANSFERSWant the look of screen
printing without the hassle With Goof Proofreg transfers offered by Transfer Express of Mentor OH you can custom order a transfer that has the popular athletic feel and will apply in a blazing four seconds Ordering is done step-by-step online and you can customize hundreds of designs You choose your
typeface colors and size Once your design is just the way you want it you can print it out to show a customer for approval Or Transfer Express can print from your artwork The minimum order is only five pieces and your one-color order ships in one to three working days
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo NEW FULL-COLOR DIGI PRINTSApparel decorators can now offer full-color designs on light
and dark apparel made of virtually any type of fabric without the hassle or minimums of screen printing with new state-of-the-art heat transfer technology called Digi Printstrade Offered through Transfer Express this revolutionary new method of decorating
December 2007 34Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
lacquer is used instead of paint any design can be lasered on these frames The possibilities are endless These colorful creations are offered in two different designs -- a designer frame and a frame with an insert Call 970-667-4222 or visit wwwcoloradoheirloomcom
CONDE ADDS PET MATS FOR SUBLIMATIONCondeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added food bowl placemats and litter box
mats to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Favorite photographs and pet-related artwork can be transferred to the
mats to create fun products for individual pet lovers or for the pet industry such as pet stores veterinarians groomers boarding facilities and animal adoption groups Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing Call Conde at 800-826-6332
CONDE INTRODUCES FABRIC PATCHES FOR SUBLIMATION
Condeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added fabric patches to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Custom decorators can now produce unique full-color patches that will impress organizations businesses clubs sports teams sports enthusiasts and individuals alike -- without the use of embroidery Heat seal patches are great for identification marketing awards trade show promotions or to commemorate special events Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing or call 800-826-6332
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW LASERSLABLaserSketch of Lemont IL Internationally known for
their LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble and Super Black Granite announces LaserSlab Super Black Granite at 4rsquo x 8rsquo x 7mm and 4rsquo x 4rsquo x 7mm weighting in at just over 2 pounds per square foot The surface of the LaserSlab Granite has the sheen of a black mirror The reverse side features epoxy fiberglass backing to give structure integrity to the ultra-lite granite sheet All may be viewed wwwlasersketchcom or by calling LaserSketch 630-243-6360
MATTHEWS INTRODUCES ALUMICOLORTM
Matthews International Corp of Pittsburgh PA introduced Alumicolortrade a high-resolution graphics solution for aluminum signage recognition commemoration and way finding Using cutting-edge technology Matthews embeds a four-color image into the aluminum to create an anodized reproduction of unsurpassed durability Alumicolortrade products which are designed for interior and exterior installations are resistant to extreme weather conditions graffiti scuffing grease chemicals and UV rays Additionally they will not chip crack or peel
PSI ADDS ROUND FRAMES amp STRING PUZZLES Paramount Services Inc of Hollywood FL
introduced new round resin frames for sublimation tiles Choose from Coral or RopeStone with optional Unisubreg Hardboard Tiles They will also accept the Bison 8rdquo round glass Cutting Board Why be square when round may fit better PSI also introduced a new puzzle guaranteed to string you along These String Puzzles come with a Unisubreg Hardboard puzzle and the necessary string and beads along with instructions how to string it after printing Templates to aid in design are available for download in several formats For details call 800-455-7212 or visit wwwDye-Sublimation-Productscom
CRYSTALEDGEreg LUXORTM CRYSTAL AWARDSCrystalEdgereg Chicago IL presented the Luxortrade Series
This stunning cost-effective collection comprises a series of specially designed Rosewood and Black Piano finish bases Matte Mahogany and Matte Black bases and a precision cast Satin Nickel Finish Metal Base with your choice of brass or silver hardware for mounting our twelve unique shapes making this the most versatile award yet Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks are curved 14rdquo thick crystal clear glass with 316rdquo diameter holes for mounting The Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks feature a generous engraving area and there is plenty of room on the base to add an engraving plate
December 2007 35Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
XENETECHrsquoS NEW ENGRAVABLE GIFTSXenetech of Baton Rouge
LA introduced high quality engravable gift items at wholesale and quantity discounts The Xenetech collection provides a selection of gifts created for corporate recognition weddings births holidays anniversaries retirements birthdays special occasions or just expressing appreciation Items include money clips key chains book markers desk accessories quartz movement clocks flasks amp wine accessories entertainment gifts travel gifts genuine Swiss Army knives business card holders luggage tags silver-plated jewelry boxes keepsake gift boxes silver-plated banks and baby gifts The gift items are designed primarily for diamond drag burnishing and rotary engraving personalization
UNISUBrsquoS CHROMALUXE PHOTO PANELSChromaLuxe photo panels are an exciting new line
of sublimatable products from Unisub of Louisville KY These panels allow you to sell a completely finished photo product to your customers capturing some of the additional revenue (and profit) your customers now spend elsewhere on framing Available in a range of traditional photo sizes as well as exciting new shapes these panels can be joined together to create stunning photo displays -- perfect for a fireplace mantle l i b r a r y s h e l f or the top of an armoire Available in aluminum or MDF substrates
CorelDRAWPro IndexOne of our members in Michigan
requested that we put together an Index of all the articles wersquove published during the year
He prints out all the issues and puts them in binders but an Index would make it easy to reference specific articles We think itrsquos a good idea and wersquoll send it to all subscribers in January
Product Focus TopicsJanuary 2008 -- Signage Products esp Wide FormatFebruary 2008 -- Engraving Awards amp GiftsMarch 2008 -- Apparel ProductsApril 2008 -- Laser Wood Products
Coming in 2008
December 2007 36Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETSBy Donna M Gray CRM Opportunities
December ndash Time to Review December finds everyone on our team strategizing how to get out of our parking lot Our business sits right in the middle of an up-scale strip mall which sits right behind a huge shopping mall and right along the main road to a Target Superstore and other large malls We all know that from the day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday) until 2 weeks after the New Year there are great challenges to those of us who like to leave the building for lunch or run an errandhellipso we strategize We all know every secret shortcut to the bank the post office and the warehouse club What we donrsquot know is how to find the way to merge out of our own back alley into the constant flow of traffic that carries people to their end shopping destination Whew
The year-end review So this year Dave and I have decided to stay in at lunch and do our business strategizing instead Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup are good brain food for helping us to look at all the successful things we did last year as a company all the things we thought about doing but didnrsquot because the idea didnrsquot quite fit and all the things we put off until next year We do this kind of exercise every year end and it helps us to map out our strategy for the coming year In the process we identify any mistakes wersquove made wrong turns wersquove taken and we try to find the ldquowhat could have happened had everything gone rightrdquo
The value of making mistakes Albert Einstein said ldquoAnyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything newrdquo Dave has a couple of prints in his office of Abraham Lincoln that describe his mistakes in fact it took Lincoln eight tries to win the presidency Thomas Edison made mistakeshellipand yet he perseveredhellipotherwise wersquod by ldquocomputingrdquo by candlelight And Irsquove heard that Colonel
Sanders had a thousand rejections before he sold his first chicken recipe It would be nice to get to our year end business appraisals and find that wersquove made no mistakes but our business like most others doesnrsquot have that claim to fame My mother always took the high road with mistakes She always said that one should recognize the benefits of a mistake One should learn what good came from it use it to improve and use it to help motivate success the next time So December is the time to analyze everything that made up the past year and look for ways to make the New Year successful in every way
Making a plan Most advisors say that the first step toward business success after looking at a companyrsquos year ending history is to decide on exactly what you want to do going forward in the coming year Then comes mapping out the plan What will be done How will it get done Who will do what What resources will be used When will it get done Is the right equipment in place Is the space adequate Ask these and any other questions that could relate to creating a successful year then focus on the details and follow through Those two wordshellipfocus and follow throughhellipcould mean the difference between marginal and abundant success Simply stated success comes from what you do and the way you do ithellipin your customerrsquos perception Every business wants to have a good imagehellipa good reputation so dedication to having good communication skills is important especially in an industry that does custom work The goal is to be on the same page as our clients so we have to be good mind readers We have to also concentrate on our professionalism on our appearance on our presentation style and in the pride we take in producing a well-done project This
has worked in the past and will remain the same in the future
The extra mile Success has to be nurturedhellipthen it gets celebrated Sometimes sacrifices have to be made to get to the rewards At year end when we analyze how we got from Point A to Point B itrsquos interesting to note that we sometimes had to take detours and sometimes the road blocks called for sacrificehellipof time or money Sometimes the sacrifice came in the way of a sleepless night worrying if an order that was lost in delivery would be found and re-routed to us in time to make a clientrsquos deadline Someone (unknown) said ldquoA day of worry is more exhausting than a week of workrdquo Anyone in business could testify to that Part of success is going the extra milehellipeven if it results in a sleepless night Going the extra mile is worth all the paid advertising in the world on the road to success
December 2007 37Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETS
Donna Grayrsquos 2nd book Itrsquos All Relative Surviving amp Thriving in a Family Business was published in September 2007
It describes her quest to identify the keys to suc-cess for small business and family businesses in particular She interviewed top businesses nationwide and discovered five common qualities implemented by successful business owners Check it out at the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore wwwcoreldrawprocomAllBook-storehtm
Commitments made and kept Our team felt good about some commitments we made and kept this past year like
We used a daily ldquoto-dordquo list and we set priorities in order of importance When we finished a project we ldquocelebratedrdquo and then moved on quickly to the next job We built in some time for ldquostress reliefrdquo with morning meeting breaks This was especially good when treats were served since wersquove got some good bakers on our staff We didnrsquot ldquoscreenrdquo calls through voice mail We considered every call to be important We ldquodid it right the first timerdquo even though it sometimes took longer We tied up all the ldquoloose endsrdquo We became ldquocheerleadersrdquo for each other When one of us accomplished a goal we all applauded We all tried to deliver more than we promised This can be challenging sometimes when working with a difficult project We eliminated (or tried to eliminate) unnecessary procedures and we simplified our paper flow system We spent most of our time on high priority tasks We all worked on our delegation skills We were committed to not wasting time either our own or other peoplersquos
Goals that were lacking Now all those great things being put on paper reminds me that we also had some goals we didnrsquot quite succeed athellipbut wersquoll try harder next year
We didnrsquot always ldquogrouprdquo tasks togetherhelliplike going to the bank and the post office in one trip or answering mail when it gets opened It wasnrsquot always easy to avoid procrastination Some low priority chores got put off There were still times when we couldnrsquot find enough hours to finish the work Our ldquotoolsrdquo didnrsquot always get put away when we were through with a project even though this is Daversquos pet peeve
Conclusion Experts say that we have to actively create our success not wait for it to happen This coming year hopefully none of us will sit in the comfort zone waiting for the phone to ring Therersquos an old Chinese proverb that goes ldquoIt you continually give you will continually haverdquo Our team will go on being involved in community activities When time is spent on worthwhile projects outside the business opportunities come knocking at the front counter Besideshellipat yearrsquos endhellipit makes us feel really good about the help we gave on these projects
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since1977 She can be reached by email at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
December 2007 38Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
GRAPHICS NEWS NETWORKAll these news and information products and services are part of the
Graphics News Network developed for ACDRP The goal is ldquoAll the News All the Time mdash For the World of Graphicsrdquo
GRAPHICS NewsWireThe Graphics News Wire is the always live always updated source for graphics news mdash products equipment technology and more Make it (CorelDRAWProcomNewsPagehtm) your home page or favorite to gain access to Breaking news updated regularly New Classified Ads New Job Announcements Supplier SpecialsAll news is related to graphic productsQuickSourceTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive amp Easy-To-Use
Search Engine
It gives you one-click access to suppliers products phone numbers and live links to ACDRP Member Suppliers Itrsquos always up-to-date searchable by keyword and accessible from your desktop
Quick TnTTM
The Industryrsquos Newest Resource for Graphics Tips amp Templates
Gain access to a growing library of CorelDRAW tips and templates that will make your work easier
QuickLearnTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive and
Easy-To-Use Article Library
Gain access to hundreds of articles on graphics-related and business topics searchable by keyword
The Entrepreneurial Magazine for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro Magazine is delivered to you once a month in PDF format It features in-depth content that readers rave about including articles on how to use CorelDRAW how to apply CorelDRAW and how to profit from CorelDRAW
News Tips amp Resources for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month mdash about the 15th and 25th It brings you highly targeted content that you wonrsquot find elsewhere including CorelDRAW Tips extensive product news links and a calendar of shows and training
MARKET PLACE
Quality Engravable JewelryHand-crafted in New England
GIFTS amp ACCESSORIES FOR WOMEN AND MEN
John E Lepper Inc800-835-3623 Fax 508-222-2732
wwwjeleppercom
GenuineWhite-tone
Pewter amp Gold
Some Things Were Meant To Be In Etched in Stone
Call for a free color catalog
NampR International1155 Allgood Rd 13Marietta GA 30062
678-560-4088Fax 678-560-1157
Importers amp Wholesalers of MarbleOnyx
Gifts amp Accessories
JOIN TODAY
The worldrsquos only association for CorelDRAWreg Users
wwwcoreldrawprocomJoinhtm
Place an Ad for as little as $215 per month
Find out how by calling our Ad Representative John McDaniel II
541-990-6687
the entrepreneurial magazine
GET LISTED TODAY
Generate new businessby doing jobs for others
List your company in GSG the Digital Yellow Pages for the industry wwwcoreldrawprocomListGSGhtm
December 2007 39Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Louie Alvarez started in the industry working for one of the largest trophy shops in Central California and then opened one of the first retail laser engraving businesses He has given seminars and workshops on CorelDRAW and Laser for many years and has written for several publications He is now with Vytek Industrial Lasers and is based in Las Vegas NV He can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
Kathryn Arnold is the Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
Errol Barr has a wide range of experience in sales amp marketing eventually getting into laser systems in 1999 currently with Vytek Industrial Lasers He also sold extensively in the CNC router industry selling the machines as more of a business opportunity wrapped around the machine He can be reached by email at errolbarrgmailcom
Dave Demoret founded Prolink Graphic Services to help people understand and profit from learning CorelDRAW He has been in both the Flat Graphics Industry and the Decorating Graphics Industry for 30 years He has written articles for several publications is a Corel Training Partner and conducts workshops nationwide and online He is the author of several CD Instructional programs on CorelDRAW He can be reached at 765-DO COLOR (362-6567) or davedprolinkgscom
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since 1977 She has presented seminars on a variety of topics nationwide and has won many marketing awards She is the author of two books on family business and can be reached at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
Bill Leek is a color consultant for JBL Graphics in Houston TX and has over 30 years experience in computer engineering and graphics design He has developed several lines of color imprintable products and does testing on a variety of products for different manufacturers He can be reached at wfleekjblgraphicscom or 281-970-6677
Jeff McDaniel is the owner of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon He worked as a journeyman machinist before getting into the graphic products business Creative Graphic offers laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials Contact him at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
John McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry He worked for many years with computers in electronic data processing and pioneered the use of CorelDraw for engraving applications He owned a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years and writes about hardware design software laser engraving sublimation and more He is a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals For information on training and more call 541-967-4271 or write to mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
Judy McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry Her background includes many forms of art and retail sales as well as the operation of a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years She is a regular columnist on sandblasting sublimation and diversifying business as well as a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals She can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
David Milisock is president of Custom Graphic Technologies Inc in Pennsylvania He has been in the print production business since 1975 and specializes in professional support for CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite Output includes computer-to-plate processes for all commercial digital front-end applications as well as Postscript-compliant graphic applications He offers technical and color management support for all RIP-driven corporate digital output systems He can be reached at 717-509-3523 or davidmilisockcomcastnet
Deborah Sexton former editor of Impressions Magazine has been in the apparel graphics industry since 1981 She currently does marketing and public relations for apparel graphics companies and is a columnist for several industry publications She can be reached at dsextonsbcglobalnet
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at 916-567-1867
December 2007 40Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
by Otis Veteto
Traveling Tidbits
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the
RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of
the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Itrsquos a fun and
informative column focusing on the human-interest side of
the industry Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars
for industry organizations and some of that knowledge
will rub off as well He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at
916-567-1867
Reps Volunteers People Skills amp Agreements
RS Owens Southeast RepFirst of all a Traveling Tidbits welcome to
the newest member of the RS Owens Company sales team Anita Brennan Anita is the new Regional Sales Manager for the Southeast She will be calling on you folks in Alabama Tennessee Mississippi Florida Georgia North Carolina and South Carolina Anita has worked in all phases of our industry as a retailer (her own business) multi-line rep and now as a regional sales manager When I asked Anita what she likes to do when not on the road she told me she likes to spend time with her two-year-old granddaughter Kaylee Welcome to the RS Owens family Anita Brennan
Railroad Museum VolunteerI know Christmas is the time for giving
but some people give all year long I was talking recently with Elias Athanasiou whose regular job is a server in a restaurant my wife and I frequent when I am in Sacramento Elias has been associated as a volunteer with the California State Railroad Museum for about 16 years Every Saturday during the ldquorunning seasonrdquo April-September Elias can be found working as a volunteer on the Steam Engine excursion train that runs for 6 miles along the top of the levee on the Sacramento River The ride takes about 40 minutes Elias is the Engineer now but has worked as conductor and fireman in his tenure with the train It is people like Elias Athanasiou that make this a much better world A huge Traveling Tidbits SALUTE You can find out more about the Railroad Museum at wwwcsrmorg
Real People SkillsThis next tidbit is from the PPAI Promotional
Consultant Today The author is Roy Chitwood president of Max Sacks International in Seattle Wash It is entitled To Shine Polish Your People Skills
ldquoPeople buy not because they understand your product or service but because they feel that you understand them People buy emotionally As a professional salesperson you need to be more people-oriented not product centered Here are seven quick and easy techniques to improve your people skills
SMILE It is the universal sign of friendship in any language The Chinese have a proverb ldquoA man who cannot smile should not open a storerdquo Think about that Give a smile and you will get a smile in return
DEVELOP A GENUINE INTEREST IN OTHERS When you have sincere interest it shows Look directly at people when they are talking to you Let your facial expression register your interest Ask good open-ended questions to let people know that you are interested in what they say
TALK IN TERMS OF THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS INTERESTS You will never meet anyone who doesnrsquot have time to talk about what they want to talk about Encourage your prospect to discuss his or interests rather than launching into a discussion about yourself
USE THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS NAME Using a name builds personal rapport and shows you are listening with respect Be careful about overusing the personrsquos name
GIVE COMPLIMENTS Everyone loves a compliment when it is genuine Make a
concentrated effort to give at least 3 honest compliments every day of your life You will be amazed at what it will do for your relationships
LISTEN Listening is the greatest compliment you can pay When you assume the role of the listener it relaxes the sales climate As you listen you are demonstrating that you truly care and you are genuinely interested in what he or she has to say
MAKE THE OTHER PERSON FEEL IMPORTANT When you are sincerely impressed by something the other person has achieved or owns let them know it Understand that fundamentally every person is important and treat them accordingly
Personal comment When I finished reading this I thought to myself ldquoThese make sense in our everyday life not just in salesrdquo
The Third AgreementI will close with the 3rd step from the book
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel RuizDONrsquoT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS Find the
courage to ask questions and to express what you really want Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings sadness and drama
Sounds a little like what I wrote at the beginning of the column doesnrsquot it
Thatrsquos all for now Remember to save some time for yourself and your family And when you travel please travel safe
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE
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December 2007 20Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SCREEN PRINTING
We prefer the sight method because it works well with our equipment The ldquoPrint Allrdquo system from Printa Systems Inc uses a smaller platen for pocket patches The smaller platen allows us to load sizes from youth XS ndash adult 5X without stretching
The touch method involves using a standard platen and adding a riser underneath where the pocket patch will be printed (a piece of cut cardboard or thin wood of the appropriate size) With this method you can feel when the shirt is in the correct location and begin printing from there
Inking the screens printing and curingSince we have resolved our location
issues with the pocket patch we are ready to ink the screens print and cure
Printing Step 1 Inking the screens is fairly straightforward (see figure 13)
Printing Step 2 Using the squeegee we will screen our first color (see figure 14) and check the quality of the image (see figure 15)
Printing Step 3 Our first color will need to be flash cured (see figure 16)
Printing Step 4 Now we can add our second color (see figure 17)
Printing Step 5 Finally we can do the finish cure step paying attention to the temperature gauge (see figure 18)
After final curing it is always a good idea to take at least a sampling of the product and wash it to be certain of the curing All of the information on post-job clean-up can be found in the CorelDRAWPro archives for September
Conclusion This time we took our screens out of
the dryer and pushed our project all the way to its completion
Jeff McDaniel is the OwnerOperator of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon Jeff has been working with computers since the age of 5 and was a journeyman machinist before working in the graphic arts business Creative Graphic offers services including laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials You can contact Jeff by email at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
Figure 14
Figure 13
Figure 15
Figure 17
Figure 16
Figure 18
December 2007 21Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SANDBLASTINGBy Judy McDaniel Applications
Screening the AbrasiveKeeping your sandblast abrasive media free
of contaminant material is essential During sandblasting abrasive is mixed with compressed air fed through the supply hose focused by the nozzle and impacts the product Then if itrsquos fine enough it leaves the system as dust or drops to the bottom of the cabinet to be recycled
Other material will also collect in the bottom of the cabinet This debris can include bits of mask (ever wonder where the center of that ldquoerdquo went) bits of tape and possibly solid material dislodged from the product yoursquore blasting This latter source of debris is especially prevalent when yoursquore working on materials other than glass like brick rock and wood
Leaving the debris in the abrasive when itrsquos recycled can cause a variety of problems First if a piece of debris is too large to fit through the nozzle it will clog it More importantly if it does fit through the nozzle and is hard like brick and rock debris it can impact the piece yoursquore working on and ruin it
The obvious solution is to screen the media when you reload the pressure pot The problem is the screen mesh size Irsquove tried the screen supplied by the cabinet manufacturers and used window screening material from a hardware store In both of these cases the mesh size would allow all but the largest pieces of debris through
What Irsquove found that works the best is a spatter screen from a local kitchen store The mesh is woven tightly and filters out much more debris The best thing is its price only a few dollars
One of our cabinets is not self-contained so we have to filter the media by hand We have found that bending the handle up on a large spatter screen
causes it to fit perfectly into the top of the pressure pot We also have a couple of other smaller pressure pots one in fact that you fill with a funnel For those I simply lay the spatter screen over the opening of the pot or the funnel when refilling
If you have a system that recycles the abrasive then it should be equipped with a screen located on top of the pressure pot Make sure to inspect and remove the debris from the top of the screen from time to time A shop-vac works well for this purpose If you find that larger pieces are getting through the screen then contact the manufacturer to see what can be done to reduce the mesh size
Keeping your media clean helps prevent unwanted delays or damage
To all of our friends out there new and old have a safe and joyful holiday season
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from John and me
Judy McDaniel with her husband John are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry In addition they provide one-on-one application support through an email subscription service exclusively for their Hotcdr Hands-On Training students or those who have purchased their CD sets (For information on training services offered visit wwwgraphic-products-trainingcom and for information on their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom) They can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
December 2007 22Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE ENGRAVINGBy John McDaniel Applications
Elements of Machine Accuracy 7 Structural Integrity
So far wersquove covered resolution speed repeatability and hysteresis This time wersquoll discuss structural integrity
What is Structural IntegrityStructural integrity is a measure of a machinersquos
strength or stiffness It is the ability of a machine to resist distortion by forces created in normal operations
Most mechanical engraving machines use single-fluted cutters As these cutters turn they apply cutting force against the material For every action though there is an equal but opposite reaction ie the material resists the cut and thereby transmits a resistive force back through the cutting tool spindle etc and ultimately to the machinersquos frame
Assuming a static bit position the force applied to the machinersquos structure will rotate 360deg with the tool (see diagram 1) As this force rotates any looseness in the structure will result in a deviation in the relationship of the material and the cutter
What machine design factors are involvedStructural integrity includes lead screws and their
hysteresis for mechanical engraving machines spindle bearings and their looseness for both mechanical and laser engravers gantry or table rails their bearings and looseness and the machinersquos frame In fact anything and everything that holds the tool and material in the proper relationship during the cuttingengraving process contributes to or detracts from structural integrity
Why is it importantIn a word Quality Structural integrity influences
the quality of the finished products the machine will produce
For illustration Irsquoll use a mechanical engraving system If the looseness in our machine and the cutting force applied were uniform throughout the 360deg of tool rotation the result would be a wobble in the tool path which might not be visible in the finished product
Cutting ForcesIn the real world however as the tool moves through
the material the cutting and reactive forces go through a cycle (see diagram 2) When the tool starts the cut there is a spike in force The force will level to a constant through the top side of the cut while itrsquos cutting against the direction of the toolrsquos movement Then it will drop somewhat when itrsquos cutting with the toolrsquos movement and finally fall off on the back side as the cutting edge of the tool enters the void area where the material has already been removed
The amount of force applied during the cutting process will vary depending on the material being
cut the tool and its sharpness the depth of cut the material feed rate and whether or not lubricant is used The cutting force may also vary over the length of the job as the toolrsquos cutting edge wears and becomes dull
Machine Component Looseness
In addition to the cutting force not being uniform throughout the 360deg of tool rotation l o o s e n e s s i n t h e machinersquos structure will also vary For example dur ing the cut t ing operation as the tool transitions through 0deg and 180deg of rotation X axis hysteresis will be a factor in overall machine looseness but Y axis hysteresis will have no effect At 90deg and 270deg the Y axis will become a factor but the X axis will have no impact
In the real world any looseness in the machine will cause an oscillation in the cut which will have its own angle If we could slow the toolrsquos movement we would see this oscillation as a sharp jump in the positional relationship between the tool and material being cut In the finished product this sharp jump in position will result in a jagged cut
December 2007 23Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE ENGRAVING Outline amp OverviewThe Nuts and Bolts of Machine AccuracyMachine accuracy or capability can be defined as a result of six features 1 Resolution ndash the smallest incremental movementpositioning of a speci-fied axis 2 Speed ndash the ability to complete a task in a reasonable amount of time without sacrificing accuracy or creating damage to the machine or product 3 Repeatability ndash the ability to duplicate a previous position without error 4 Hysteresis ndash the ldquosloprdquo or ldquoplayrdquo in motion control components 5 Structural Integrity ndash stiffness or strength ndash the ability to cut materials without error or damage This is especially important for mechanical engrav-ers 6 Structural Tolerances ndash the sum accuracy of a machinersquos mechanical components
Machine ComponentsWersquoll examine nine factors that determine a machinersquos accuracy They include 1 Motors ndash including DC Stepper DC Brushless DC Servo and AC Servo a Spindles ndash motors that rotate the cutting bit b Axis Drive ndash motors that position the material to the cutting bit c Horsepower ratings ndash real versus advertised 2 The Motion Control Drive Unit ndash including Geared Belt and Lead Screws a Lead Screws ndash including Acme Re-circulating Ball Standard and Precision b Mounting ndash including Simple Fixed and Thrust bearing types c Protection ndash Open or Closed 3 Guide Rails ndash Types include V Bearing Rail Bushing Shaft Dove Tail and Re-circulating Ball Bearing 4 Encoders ndash Types include Rotary and Linear Methodologies include incremental or absolute 5 Tachometers ndash used for speed stability acceleration and breaking control for closed loop servo systems 6 Bearings ndash including Sleeve Ball and Linear Re-circulating Ball a Applications ndash including Radial Thrust and Linear b Quality ndash Standard thru Ultra Precision 7 Spindles ndash including topbottom loading Collets and Sleeves 8 Material Hold Down ndash including mechanical clamps and vacuum sys-tems 9 Electronic Interface ndash Computer control methods
Wersquoll also examine Reliability what makes it And Serviceability is it fix-able
If the cutting oscillation is at any angle other than the direction of the cut and the oscillation is great enough a jagged cut will be visible in the finished product A cut deviation of as little as 001rdquo is visible to the naked eye and will most commonly show up on curves and circles but may show up on straight lines as well
To illustrate this point a little further and perhaps make it somewhat clearer Irsquod like to refer to diagrams 3 and 4 For purposes of these illustrations we will assume we have a machine that has some looseness on both the X and Y axes However the rest of the machine
is structurally solid the frame is rigid and no other components have any loosenessMaking these assumptions and disregarding the variation in force caused by the cutter
as it travels through the material we will have cutting oscillations at 0deg 180deg 90deg and 270deg during the toolrsquos rotation As the tool travels through the material on its path these oscillations will cause a slight variation in the centerline of the toolrsquos cut
Diagram 3 shows a horizontal tool path While the machine is cutting in this direction any X axis looseness will be masked by the cutter path itself however looseness in the Y axis will result in a slight oscillation in the cutterrsquos horizontal position and therefore a deviation in its cut Diagram 4 shows the effect of the X axis looseness which will impact vertical lines
As you can see from this discussion and these illustrations structural integrity ie looseness in the components from which a machine is constructed can make a significant difference in quality of the finished products that a machine will produce
Next time wersquoll consider structural tolerances and their impact
John McDaniel with his wife Judy are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry For information on training services offered and their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom They can be reached by phone at 541-967-4271 via SKYPE (user name JHMcDaniel) or via email at JHMcDanielCorelDRAWhelpcom See the full bio on the Writers Page
December 2007 24Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
the image the text and the red bow In the laser file for this example I have the red cut line for vectoring (See Figure 5)
5) Send the cardstock through the printer6) Place the cardstock in the laser for vector
cutting The thickness of the stock will determine what settings to use For my 35-watt laser using a medium weight cardstock I used a speed of 100 and power of 15 for a nice cut through the stock without any burn marks on the paper
7) Optional in one run I decided to let the laser take care of the bow instead of using color for it from my printer I set the outline of the bow to 100 black and the interior of the bow to 50 black (See Figure 6)
8) Then I only sent the image and text through the printer The bow and vector cutting occurred in the laser I set the raster engraving (of the bow) at speed 70 and power 40 (See Figure 7) You can see the differentiation of using 100 black as opposed to 50 black by the exterior lines
being engraved a little deeper than the rest of the fill
Take the idea of using patterns (like the birth announcement above) and wowing your clientele with the detail and intricacy that laser can provide Or add a twist to a holiday tradition (cards) Whatever you do donrsquot forget you can combine the advantages of the printer and laser for fabulous products
Submitted by Kathryn Arnold Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
LASER TIPBy Kathryn Arnold Applications
Combining Laser amp Printer PowerComing up with new and
inventive ways to use your laser is the key to a successful and growing business We will look at a way to combine the power of your computer (ink) printer with the power of the laser engraver
In this lesson we will take a look at using cardstock to create a card and an announcement See the examples of a holiday card and a birth announcement ndash gratuitously they are of my family (Figure 1 amp Figure 2)
1) In CorelDRAWreg use any pattern image text you wish Be sure that there is a clear and discernible vector line that will be laser cut and yield a cut piece from the cardstock2) See the clear (red) cut line ndash it goes fully around my object even the bow portion (important) I then duplicated my object to fit as many as possible on my 8 frac12 x 11 cardstock (See Figure 3) 3) I saved this file as my master file that I could return to at any point I then created two copies -- one that will
be used to send the file to my printer and one that will be used to send the file to my laser engraver (See Figure 4)
4) In the master file I have every part of what my end product will have In the file for my printer I only have the parts that the printer will print ndash in this example
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
December 2007 25Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
ELECTRONICS FRONTIERBy Louie Alvarez Opportunity
Webcams are an interesting subject which I am intimately familiar with Some typical questions are what are they what purpose do they serve what benefit are they what to look for and various other questions concerns and issues
Webcams surely bring back a memory or two not all that great I might add I remember when they first became usable primarily due to the Internet having affordable true broadband
First experiences The choppy poor quality of dial-up service
simply didnrsquot make this a useful technology Short of communicating with far-flung family members it left much to be desired With my immediate family living in Las Vegas and all other family (parents siblings cousins etc) living in California this was a technology I thought would be useful to keep in touch
So I set up my computer and my momrsquos computer with Webcams to stay in touch Needless to say with the poor quality terrible tracking (had to keep perfectly
sti l l because video frames didnrsquot refresh fas t enough) the hard-to-see tiny video window and poorly synchronized voices to the faces (we looked like a badly translated kung fu movie) the novelty quickly wore off (Irsquod say in about 30 minutes)
WebcamsSecond attempt
So I promptly dumped the technology for the next few years until I started seeing broadband picking up the pace and more interest in Webcams becoming obvious from all the new devices on the market So about three years ago a wireless Webcam caught my eye and I decided to put it to the test once again
Considering I was by then traveling quite extensively (about 40000 miles a year) I figured Irsquod use it to monitor my home I had two teenagers and a 5-year-old at home at the time while I was on the road and my wife was still a t work (She normally didnrsquot get off work until about two hours after school was out) So this looked to be a cool device to see if as the clicheacute goes when the catrsquos away the mice will play
I proceeded to position this wireless Webcam strategically to allow viewing of my living room including the back door Plus to get to the front door or side door you would have to pass through the field of the camera My little one loved the idea of being on camera for her daddy and would dance play and make funny faces for me Pretty cool actually That in itself almost justified the camera but needless to say my teenagers even my wife didnrsquot take to the idea too well So it was returned and life continued on as usual
That experience did show me that the broadband
speeds the quality of the video feeds the prevalence on the net of live cams and the quality of the video cameras (better known as Webcams) had progressed to a level of usefulness and I could see the potential of this technology With that said letrsquos get into the heart of this article
So what are webcams Basically they are digital cameras attached to
the computer and connected to the Web or Instant Messaging (IM) This allows the camera to be linked to a website or to each other directly and individuals who view the website or IM are able to see what the camera is viewing at that moment You can choose to get either still pictures that are updated at regular intervals (Snapshot) or live streams (Streaming) depending on what your bandwidth permits The WebCam technology has advanced sufficiently now to make it both easier and cheaper to maintain a camera that is refreshing an image 24 hours a day
Features of Web Cameras Listed here are some of the features more commonly
found in WebCams1 Live streaming video still pictures updated2 No plug-in or software necessary to view image
can be viewed with any Web browser3 Live audio4 Incorporation with other software such as Instant
Messaging (IM)5 Adding captionslogostime displays6 Archiving video7 Chat feature
December 2007 26Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
WebCams in an instructional scenario could be used to
Monitor your staff or employees thus being able to guide them better
Telecommute to companies worldwide and demonstrate project procedures
B roadcas t sem ina rs wo rkshops o r demonstrations
Share special events and programs with students enrolled in distance learning courses
Hold a video press conference online meeting or broadcast meetings and discussions
In some cases it is important for the learner to be able to establish a connection visually WebCams could be a good alternative to using text files or audio files
Join WebCam groups and allow students to take advantage of other WebCam locations for educational purposes
Using a web camera allows learners to be a part of either a conference or classstudio
Benefits of using WebCamsa The most important advantage of using a web camera is that it creates a direct link between the camera and the live site and dispenses with all the production work Production work in this context includes the cost and effort involved in shooting
editing and streaming videos Thus using a WebCam does not require
advanced skillsb The software is basically a Web server that runs on your system and pushes images out to a Web page For viewers of images delivered over a WebCam
one of the benefits is that they get the entire picture preferable in
certain cases rather than a sleek edited versionc WebCam technology can also be used for remote s u r v e i l l a n c e s y s t e m s
ELECTRONIC FRONTIER
monitoring events or places and broadcasting live eventsd Learners can link to a web camera-monitored location and just watch or also have an additional web camera in their own location enabling two-way communication
Setting up your WebCama Setting up your own WebCam obviously requires a computer a WebCam (the hardware) and WebCam software along with a broadband Internet connection Before you decide which camera to buy and which software to acquire yoursquoll have to review the different methods to show pictures or video feed through the Internet ( i e r e f r e s h e d after x amount of seconds) This will enable you to decide which hardware and software solution will fit your situation best
b P l a c e m e n t of a camera is an important decision to be made Decide whether a static angle is sufficient to demonstrate the concept or a moving camera (handheld) is required It is important however to remember the limitations of using WebCams and leave the panoramic and other fancy shots to more sophisticated video Use WebCams for videos that require more focus and ones that require a smaller viewingmovement range
c For detailed technical instructions on using WebCams visit httpdeveloperswebcamworldcommethodshtml
d Here is a good resource for inexpensive Webcams on the market httpcastlepricewatchcomssearchasps=webcams
e For an in-depth review of various Webcams on the market go to this link httpreviewscnetcom4244-6502_7-0-1htmlquery=webamptag=cat_1
f There are many Webcam examples online here are a couple httpwwwwebcamworldcom or httpwwwleonardsworldscomcamerahtml
By the way DONrsquoT TELL MY KIDS I picked up a Logitech QuickCam Pro 4000 not too long ago My family doesnrsquot know why I got it or what my intention is but I can say that now that my kids are 17 16 amp 8 my job as a parent is to ensure the mice donrsquot play when the catrsquos awayhellip
Louie Alvarez began acquiring his experience in the awards and engraving industry in Central California over 15 years ago first as an employee of the largest and oldest trophy shop and then as owner of one of the first laser engraving businesses Louie has been a featured workshop instructor and seminar speaker throughout the industry in addition to being a contributing writer to numerous industry publications Louie is based in Las Vegas NV and can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
December 2007 27Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
The Association of CorelDRAWreg Professionals is The Education amp Business Resource for CorelDRAW Users Worldwide Its goal is to help 1) IMPROVE your CorelDRAW skills and 2) MAKE MONEY with those skills You can participate in ACDRP services in four ways
THE WORLDrsquoS ONLY ASSOCIATION FOR CORELDRAWreg USERSINVITES YOU TO MAKE MORE MONEY WITH CORELDRAW
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month focused on Industry News via the Graphics News Wire Links to valuable resources and a complete educa-tion and show Calendar S
CorelDRAWPro the Entrepreneurial magazine for CorelDRAW users features in-depth content on How to Use CorelDRAW -- tips tricks advanced ar twork success s to r ies in te rv iews and more How to Apply CorelDRAW -- for graphic production processes such as embroidery engraving heat printing laser promo products printing sandblasting signmaking sublimation and screenprinting How to Profit from CorelDRAW -- Product news business columns reviews profiles and advertising with live links
SUBSCRIBE -- NO CHARGE JOIN -- $60 PER YEAR
All users of CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite are qualified to subscribe free to CorelDRAWPro magazine (PDF format) and CorelDRAWPro E-News
Subscription to CorelDRAWPro amp CorelDRAWPRo E-News
TTF Newsletter Subscription to the monthly Tips Templates amp Fixtures Newsletter only available to members
GSG Basic Listing You can list your services in the Graphic Services Guide in one category as part of membership (a $25 value)
Access to QuickLearn A keyword searchable database of 100s of articles on CorelDRAW graphics production and business
All users of CorelDRAWreg are invited to join the Association and take advantage of exclusive content discounts and profes-sional recognition ACDRP membership includes
TTF
QuickLearn
QuickTNT
Archives
BASIC GSG LISTING -- $25 PER YR
The Graphic Services Guide is the Industry Yellow Pages for Services and Finished Goods GSG is promoted in all our publi-cations and our website to the world of CorelDRAW users Your listing gives you the opportunity to promote your services (in any of 40 categories) to other CorelDRAW usersThe Basic Listing includes your company description email link and listing in one category Additional service categories are $10 each per year
The Enhanced GSG Listing is for companies that want to list in two categories and add a photo or logo
ENHANCED GSG LISTING -- $50$75 PER YR
Classifieds
Access to QuickTnT A growing database of CorelDRAW tips for understanding the fine points of the program and templates that can be downloaded to speed up your production
Access to Archives Past issues of CorelDRAWPro are available to members with live links
Bookstore Discounts Members receive a 10 discount on all products in the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore
Professional Recognition Use of the ACDRP logo for professional identification on business cards websites and letterhead You also receive a membership certificate
Classified Ads Members can place one classified ad per year at no charge with photo and run it till the item is sold (a $35 value)
HOW TO PARTICIPATE To Subscribe (no charge) To Join ($60yr) To List in the Graphic Services Guide ($25 Basic $50$75 Enhanced or $120145 for Multi-Service)
CorelDRAWreg is a registered trademark of Corel Corp and is used with permission
Visit wwwcoreldrawprocomand click on the appropriate links
800-276-8428
The Multi-Service GSG Listing allows you to list up to 40 differ-ent service categories with detailed descriptions and add a photo or logo
MULTI-SERVICE GSG LISTING -- $120$145 PER YR
December 2007 28Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Throughout the year this publication has reported on whatrsquos new in equipment tools and software and blank products for businesses that put graphics onto products
For this 2007 wrap-up CorelDRAWPro editorial staff reviewed all the product news for the year and named 33 products to its annual Top Products of the Year list
Selections were based on the criteria of innovation and impact Innovation means products that exhibit a high degree of originality or uniqueness Impact means products that influence sales or productivity for a large number of businesses
Note that the 2007 honorees are list alphabetically in the three theme sections
For more information on the products in this article click on the Info Request button at the bottom of each page and select by company name or product You might open the Info Request page and minimize it as you read That way you can quickly open it and check the products you want
EQUIPMENT
ANAJET DIRECT-TO-GARMENT DIGITAL PRINTERAnaJet Digital Apparel Printer (Model FP-125) from
AnaJet Inc in Costa Mesa CA is a direct-to-garment printer offering high quality and affordability It can print custom graphics on any cotton or poly-cotton flat textile material in one minute The printer priced affordably from under $13000 can produce up to 5000 shirts per month each retailing for about $20 Most printers installed so far are in a production plant environment but some customers have started to take the mobile printer to malls for instant printing of customer graphics According to Dr Chase Roh company president the unique printhead they have developed allows for 16x more ink flow than normal desktop printers and thus shirts only require one pass
Top Products of the Year
DTG AMERICA ECLIPSE D-1 WITH TWO HEADS DTG America of Tampa FL and Fort Worth TX now offers a new solution to
speed up digitally printing to dark shirts The Eclipse D-1 incorporates two heads instead of one One head has eight channels of white to lay down a solid white underbase The second head has four channels of white to do highlights and four channels of color to lay down the design The result of this new configuration is the underbase and color are completed in one pass at an estimated average of only two minutes per shirt for a 12-inch by 6-inch area Other innovations include an ink agitator firmware for easy updating ink vapor remover auto gap adjustment and new platen configuration for easy loading
GEO KNIGHT DK 25SP HEAT PRESSThe Digital Knight DK25SP is an air-operated automatic
20x25 oversized swing-away heat press with a state-of-the-art control system and heavy-duty solid steel welded framework The smooth automatic pressing and push-button activation provides a productive fatigue-free operation The extended 20x25 size of the heat platen is perfect for sublimation and large-format materials pressingThe press is adjustable to accommodate materials from fabric thickness all the way up to 1rdquo thick substrates For more information call 800-525-6766 or visit wwwheatpresscom
GRAPHTEC CRAFT ROBO PROGraphtec America Inc based in Santa Ana
CA introduced the new Craft ROBO Pro 15rdquo cutting plotter The Craft ROBO Pro is an ideal solution for cutting a wide variety of materials including vinyl film card stock foil heat transfer and image transfer media Incorporating Graphtecrsquos legendary
December 2007 29Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
ARMS (Advanced Registration Marks System) and combined with a desktop printer the Craft ROBO Pro makes contour cutting an easy task Innovations include a new digital servo motor first mark auto-sensing menu navigation system that includes 8 user-defined conditions Tangential Control and three software applications
ROLAND RELEASES DIRECT-TO-FABRIC PRINTERRoland DGA Corp of Irvine CA released
the new 74rdquo HeatWave DFP-74 Fabric Printer through its reseller channel in the US Based on Rolandrsquos HeatWave sublimation technology the DFP-74 Fabric Printer is a complete integrated solution and Rolandrsquos first inkjet ever to support direct printing onto polyester fabrics As a complete solution including printer sublimation unit inks and RIP software the DFP-74 makes it easier than ever for shops to enter the fast-growing textile printing market Key features include eight advanced piezo print heads an intelligent media handling system and a temperature-controlled heating system
HOTRONIX PERFECT PRESSURE HEAT PRESSHotronix of Carmichaels PA has taken heat press technology
to the next level with Perfect Pressure a new digital pressure display functionThis new feature has a single-digit LED readout
that measures the pressure of the inner platen This technology is exclusive to Hotronix and is patent pending Previously a
digital pressure display was available only on air-operated heat press machines With this new pressure display gauge all heat press users will have more consistent results from job to job reducing the number of misprints and speeding up production For more information about
the new digital pressure display contact Stahlsrsquo Hotronix at 800-478-2457 e-mail infostahlscom or visit the Web site at wwwstahlscom
SWF DREAM EMBROIDERY MACHINEWith its new DREAM Machine SWF has broken the barrier in multi-head
embroidery machine technology The DREAM machines are the first multi-head embroidery machines that truly can sew at 1500 stitches per minute During the research and development of these new machines 12 new patents were filed and granted proof that the DREAM machines are built with state-of-the-art technology
Innovations include LED control panel error codes to quickly troubleshoot problems optional devices to do sequins cording and boring automatic oiling system large memory a hoop selector and more These innovative new machines come in configurations ranging from
two to six heads It is distributed exclusively by SWF East (Tampa FL) and SWF MESA (Dallas TX)
MESArsquoS HOTFIX SPANGLE MOTIF MACHINEWith the all new YAS-11 Hotfix Spangle Motif Making
Machine the first of its kind in the United States you can create beautiful spangle transfer designs that have the look of sequins This patented machine which is distributed exclusively in the United States by MESA Distributors of Fort Worth TX cuts out shapes such as circles and squares in a range of sizes from reels of Mylar tape The machine comes with proprietary design software that allows the user to create any pattern or design up to 157 by 157 inches
SAWGRASSrsquo HYBRID SYSTEM FOR EPSON R1800Sawgrass Technologies of Mt Pleasant SC introduced
the SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid System for the Epson R1800 for both sublimation printing and cotton
decorating from one machine The affordable entry-level system features dual functionality with both SubliJet and ChromaBlast inks in one machine allowing users to create customized images with superior color and clarity on both polyester coated substrates and cotton garments This is the second
hybrid system from Sawgrass following in the footsteps of the popular SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid
System for the Epson 4800
TROTECrsquoS NEW LARGE PLATFORM LASER Trotec Laser Inc of Ypsilanti MI has introduced the SP500 series of laser
engraving and cutting systems The systems have a work area of 50rdquo X 28rdquo and X-Axis clearance of 12rdquo The systems are offered in power levels from 45W-200W There is an available pass-through option (Class 4) Exhaust fumes are captured
December 2007 30Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
at the laser head to insure an efficient extraction when using the pass-through featureTrotec systems are designed for minimal wear-and-tear and eliminate the need for periodic replacement of belts and bearings For additional information visit our web site wwwtrotecnet or call 866-226-8505 734-484-3260
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW PROFESSIONAL SERIESUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) of Scottsdale
AZ added four new models in its Professional Laser Series (PLS) line of advanced high-productivity computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving systems The new PLS line which replaces Universalrsquos M V and X laser systems incorporates a
host of evolutionary design improvements to the laser cartridge platform chassis system electronics and software interface The new PLS models include several
powerful new features most notably a unique materials-based print driver called ldquoLaser Interface +rdquo that gives users their choice
between automatic or manual control over power speed and other system settings For more information on Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit Universal Laser Systems online at wwwulsinccom
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW VERSALASERUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) added a
new version of its desktop-sized VersaLasertrade
computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving system The new VersaLaser
improves on the award-winning original thanks to a host of evolutionary design refinements It also
includes a unique next-generation materials-based print driver that automatically calculates power speed
and other system settings It was awarded a patent for the unique design of its external cabinet which also functions as a Class 1 laser safety enclosure For more information about VersaLaser or Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit wwwulsinccom
US SCREENrsquoS FAST T-JET 3US Screen Print and Inkjet Technology of Tempe
AZ adds the Fast T-Jet3TM which features 30 faster print speeds compared to the previous T-Jet2 model and has a longer low profile print bed for easier loading and unloading Now you can produce a full size 12rdquo x 12rdquo (305 x 305 cm) print in one minute on a light shirt and in under three minutes on a black shirt with white ink Small pocket images can be printed in about 15 seconds
US SCREENrsquoS AUTOMATED PRETREATMENT CENTER
Speed up production when using Fast T-Jet inkjet-to-garment printers with the AutoTREATtrade Automatic Pretreatment Center
This versatile piece of equipment allows you to treat shirts on a production level rather than spraying shirts individually one at a time For use with light or dark shirts the AutoTREATtrade
can spray up to three shirts per minute It has two application modesmdashone for lights and one for darks that can be switched over by activating the cleaning mode which flushes out the system with water
TOOLS MATERIALS SOFTWARE
CORELDRAW X3 CERTIFIED FOR WINDOWS VISTACorel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that
CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite X3 has been Certified for Windows Vista Customers who wish to install the Certified for Windows Vista version of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X3 can download the latest service pack (SP2) from wwwcorelcom This new update delivers an exceptional experience for customers on Windows Vista including an updated user interface enhanced security improved text handling and further enhancements to the popular suitersquos renowned import and export file compatibility
COREL LAUNCHES NEW ONLINE COMMUNITY Corel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that it
has launched httpcoreldrawcom a new online community for users of the CorelDRAWreg family of products ndash including CorelDRAW Graphics Suite Corel DESIGNERreg Technical Suite
December 2007 31Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
and Corelreg DRAWingsreg This new community site is the first in a series that Corel will be launching to support its various user communities Designed to fuel inspiration CorelDRAWcom combines forums blogs and galleries for design professionals and graphic hobbyists alike Forums are available in English French German and Spanish serving an international audience
DALCOrsquoS NEW REFLECTIVE HEAT TRANSFERSCater to the safety market with new reflective transfers offered
by Dalco Athletic of Dallas TX These durable transfers come in a reflective silver gray color in three styles police sheriff and fire dept They are sized for left chest and full back so
all you have to do is heat seal for 8 seconds and yoursquore done Itrsquos very fast and easy
DALCOrsquoS NEW OPTIC YELLOW CLASSIC SWB APPLIQUE
Classic SWB appliqueacute designs offered by Dalco Athletic now come in two new styles softballs and tennis balls in optic yellow fabric These new balls literally jump off any wearable and make it an eye-catching standout This appliqueacute collection is ideal for spiritwear items to be sold to fans and family or created as fund-raisers for boosters clubs
POWER GRAPHICS 3 FROM DIGITAL ART SOLUTIONSPower Graphics 3 by Digital Art Solutions of
Tempe AZ is the ultimate design tool for the creation of high-end custom graphics and logos for custom signage awards vehicle graphics promotional products and apparel graphics Tuned to the latest styles and trends it provides fresh graphics that will impress even the most critical and demanding customer It includes more than 1500 images The 10 design categories include Flames Gangsta (Urban) Mascots Offroad Rebel (Biker and Hot
Rod) Retro Speed Sports Surf and Tuner
FLORIANI COMMERCIALrsquoS NEW NO-SHOW DIAMOND MESHContinuing in its tradition of research and development
to create embroidery stabilizers that meet the needs of todayrsquos embroiderers Floriani Embroidery Commercial Division of Knoxville TN released a new product called Floriani No-Show Diamond Mesh This unique nylon mesh stabilizer has a perpendicular embossed pattern that makes it more multi-directionally stable and enables it to better hold stitches for crisper design registration It is specifically designed for light-colored garments where traditional stabilizers have a tendency to show through the front of the garment
GREAT DANErsquoS NEW DIGITAL PHOTO FRAMES Tap into the lucrative team market with an
incredible collection of stock art specially designed to work for direct-to-garment printers sublimation transfers and digital transfers Digital Photo Frames Volume 1 is a collection of spectacular pre-designed layouts each with one or more frames to
insert personal photos The collection includes five categories baseball football basketball soccer and hockey Each category has four designs (20 total layouts) and each design comes in three template formats mugs mouse pads and shirts
So there are a total of 60 template designs in all
IMPRINTABLES WAREHOUSE OFFERS SPECTRA ECO FILMNew from Imprintables Warehouse of
Masontown PA is a digital cutter material that is free of PVC a plus with companies that want to be as environmentally friendly as possible Spectra Eco Film is made with ecological polyurethane and is peeled hot It is pressure sensitive (sticky backing) and extremely easy to weed While maintaining superior durability and opacity this new film is thinner than current offerings on the market and delivers the super soft hand that is in demand by todayrsquos consumers It can be used on 100 cotton 100 polyester polycotton blends and even nylon and leather
December 2007 32Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
KISSCUT TECHNOLOGIESrsquo SELF-WEEDING INKJET TRANSFER PAPER
Kiss Cut Technologies Ltd Newcastle UK has addressed the ldquopolymer windowrdquo issue and developed the worldrsquos first self-weeding inkjet transfer paper for printing to textiles In simple terms only the areas of their patented transfer paper that have been printed will be transferred to the garment when heat pressed A Kiss Cut print can be further embellished with specialized textile foils so in effect a digital foiling method is now available Foil is heat pressed onto the garment and when peeled the foil only sticks to the image areas
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW PHOTOPLAS-TIC MATERIALLaserSketchcom of Lemont IL a leading supplier of
LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble Super Black Granite and Black Onyx Jewelry introduces their new PhotoPlas-Tic This is a new material developed for front andor reverse laser engraving on micro surface impact acrylic plastic It is a premium plastic for laser engraving that is UV stable ideal for photo badges plaques trophies signage and high-end awards Each sheet of PhotoPlas-Tic is specially designed for a crisp clean burn and ultra-fine laser lettering logo and vector output For details call 630-243-6360 or visit wwwlasersketchcom
THEMAGICTOUCH LAUNCHES WOW TRANSFER PAPERTheMagicTouch USA launched WoW Professional
71 transfer paper which requires no weeding or profile cutting and the vibrant colors are achieved using digital laser technology making it great for short runs It uses PolymationTM which incorporates a newly designed catalyst that provides the ultimate compatibility with all generations of dry toner material According to the company PolymationTM is the next generation of laser heat transfer Sublimation requires the substrate to have a specialty receiving polymer coating to absorb the pigments but PolymationTM delivers everything at once polymer pigments and catalyst
December 2007 33Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
offers distinct advantages over any other process It allows for an unlimited number of colors and very fine detail which is impossible with screen printing or embroidery And the cost does not go up as colors are added These new specialty materials are so advanced they can be heat sealed to all kinds of fabrics and hot new multimedia designs can be easily done
VAPOR APPAREL LAUNCHES VAPOR ART VOLUME 1V a p o r A p p a r e l
a s u b s i d i a r y o f SourceSubstrates LLC Charleston SC announces the launch of Vapor Art - Volume 1 a collection of 127 vector graphics for digital sublimation and general use The diverse collection
of high-quality graphics comes after several years of customers requesting access to the companyrsquos sample art at trade shows and educational events The Collection of art includes vector drawings and JPGs for everything from mountain biking and snowboarding to yoga and cheerleading
BLANK PRODUCTS
COLORADO HEIRLOOMrsquoS COLOR LACQUERED FRAMES
Colorado Heirloom Inc of Loveland CO introduced their new Color Lacquered Frames This is an option to add color your unique creations It is not color fill Colored lacquer is sprayed on their high quality wood frames Because
INKTRA STRETCH TRANSFER PAPER FROM STAHLSrsquoStahlsrsquo based in St Clair
Shores MI adds InkTratrade Stretch a flexible transfer paper A revolutionary product InkTratrade Stretch provides a soft hand with an amazing stretch and recovery feature InkTratrade Stretch lets you take your favorite photo or graphic design and apply it to light colored or white hats shirts bags and more for a long lasting and completely personalized garment The highly stretchable paper can be applied to cotton polycotton blends spandex and Lycrareg
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo GOOF-PROOF TRANSFERSWant the look of screen
printing without the hassle With Goof Proofreg transfers offered by Transfer Express of Mentor OH you can custom order a transfer that has the popular athletic feel and will apply in a blazing four seconds Ordering is done step-by-step online and you can customize hundreds of designs You choose your
typeface colors and size Once your design is just the way you want it you can print it out to show a customer for approval Or Transfer Express can print from your artwork The minimum order is only five pieces and your one-color order ships in one to three working days
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo NEW FULL-COLOR DIGI PRINTSApparel decorators can now offer full-color designs on light
and dark apparel made of virtually any type of fabric without the hassle or minimums of screen printing with new state-of-the-art heat transfer technology called Digi Printstrade Offered through Transfer Express this revolutionary new method of decorating
December 2007 34Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
lacquer is used instead of paint any design can be lasered on these frames The possibilities are endless These colorful creations are offered in two different designs -- a designer frame and a frame with an insert Call 970-667-4222 or visit wwwcoloradoheirloomcom
CONDE ADDS PET MATS FOR SUBLIMATIONCondeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added food bowl placemats and litter box
mats to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Favorite photographs and pet-related artwork can be transferred to the
mats to create fun products for individual pet lovers or for the pet industry such as pet stores veterinarians groomers boarding facilities and animal adoption groups Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing Call Conde at 800-826-6332
CONDE INTRODUCES FABRIC PATCHES FOR SUBLIMATION
Condeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added fabric patches to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Custom decorators can now produce unique full-color patches that will impress organizations businesses clubs sports teams sports enthusiasts and individuals alike -- without the use of embroidery Heat seal patches are great for identification marketing awards trade show promotions or to commemorate special events Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing or call 800-826-6332
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW LASERSLABLaserSketch of Lemont IL Internationally known for
their LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble and Super Black Granite announces LaserSlab Super Black Granite at 4rsquo x 8rsquo x 7mm and 4rsquo x 4rsquo x 7mm weighting in at just over 2 pounds per square foot The surface of the LaserSlab Granite has the sheen of a black mirror The reverse side features epoxy fiberglass backing to give structure integrity to the ultra-lite granite sheet All may be viewed wwwlasersketchcom or by calling LaserSketch 630-243-6360
MATTHEWS INTRODUCES ALUMICOLORTM
Matthews International Corp of Pittsburgh PA introduced Alumicolortrade a high-resolution graphics solution for aluminum signage recognition commemoration and way finding Using cutting-edge technology Matthews embeds a four-color image into the aluminum to create an anodized reproduction of unsurpassed durability Alumicolortrade products which are designed for interior and exterior installations are resistant to extreme weather conditions graffiti scuffing grease chemicals and UV rays Additionally they will not chip crack or peel
PSI ADDS ROUND FRAMES amp STRING PUZZLES Paramount Services Inc of Hollywood FL
introduced new round resin frames for sublimation tiles Choose from Coral or RopeStone with optional Unisubreg Hardboard Tiles They will also accept the Bison 8rdquo round glass Cutting Board Why be square when round may fit better PSI also introduced a new puzzle guaranteed to string you along These String Puzzles come with a Unisubreg Hardboard puzzle and the necessary string and beads along with instructions how to string it after printing Templates to aid in design are available for download in several formats For details call 800-455-7212 or visit wwwDye-Sublimation-Productscom
CRYSTALEDGEreg LUXORTM CRYSTAL AWARDSCrystalEdgereg Chicago IL presented the Luxortrade Series
This stunning cost-effective collection comprises a series of specially designed Rosewood and Black Piano finish bases Matte Mahogany and Matte Black bases and a precision cast Satin Nickel Finish Metal Base with your choice of brass or silver hardware for mounting our twelve unique shapes making this the most versatile award yet Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks are curved 14rdquo thick crystal clear glass with 316rdquo diameter holes for mounting The Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks feature a generous engraving area and there is plenty of room on the base to add an engraving plate
December 2007 35Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
XENETECHrsquoS NEW ENGRAVABLE GIFTSXenetech of Baton Rouge
LA introduced high quality engravable gift items at wholesale and quantity discounts The Xenetech collection provides a selection of gifts created for corporate recognition weddings births holidays anniversaries retirements birthdays special occasions or just expressing appreciation Items include money clips key chains book markers desk accessories quartz movement clocks flasks amp wine accessories entertainment gifts travel gifts genuine Swiss Army knives business card holders luggage tags silver-plated jewelry boxes keepsake gift boxes silver-plated banks and baby gifts The gift items are designed primarily for diamond drag burnishing and rotary engraving personalization
UNISUBrsquoS CHROMALUXE PHOTO PANELSChromaLuxe photo panels are an exciting new line
of sublimatable products from Unisub of Louisville KY These panels allow you to sell a completely finished photo product to your customers capturing some of the additional revenue (and profit) your customers now spend elsewhere on framing Available in a range of traditional photo sizes as well as exciting new shapes these panels can be joined together to create stunning photo displays -- perfect for a fireplace mantle l i b r a r y s h e l f or the top of an armoire Available in aluminum or MDF substrates
CorelDRAWPro IndexOne of our members in Michigan
requested that we put together an Index of all the articles wersquove published during the year
He prints out all the issues and puts them in binders but an Index would make it easy to reference specific articles We think itrsquos a good idea and wersquoll send it to all subscribers in January
Product Focus TopicsJanuary 2008 -- Signage Products esp Wide FormatFebruary 2008 -- Engraving Awards amp GiftsMarch 2008 -- Apparel ProductsApril 2008 -- Laser Wood Products
Coming in 2008
December 2007 36Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETSBy Donna M Gray CRM Opportunities
December ndash Time to Review December finds everyone on our team strategizing how to get out of our parking lot Our business sits right in the middle of an up-scale strip mall which sits right behind a huge shopping mall and right along the main road to a Target Superstore and other large malls We all know that from the day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday) until 2 weeks after the New Year there are great challenges to those of us who like to leave the building for lunch or run an errandhellipso we strategize We all know every secret shortcut to the bank the post office and the warehouse club What we donrsquot know is how to find the way to merge out of our own back alley into the constant flow of traffic that carries people to their end shopping destination Whew
The year-end review So this year Dave and I have decided to stay in at lunch and do our business strategizing instead Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup are good brain food for helping us to look at all the successful things we did last year as a company all the things we thought about doing but didnrsquot because the idea didnrsquot quite fit and all the things we put off until next year We do this kind of exercise every year end and it helps us to map out our strategy for the coming year In the process we identify any mistakes wersquove made wrong turns wersquove taken and we try to find the ldquowhat could have happened had everything gone rightrdquo
The value of making mistakes Albert Einstein said ldquoAnyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything newrdquo Dave has a couple of prints in his office of Abraham Lincoln that describe his mistakes in fact it took Lincoln eight tries to win the presidency Thomas Edison made mistakeshellipand yet he perseveredhellipotherwise wersquod by ldquocomputingrdquo by candlelight And Irsquove heard that Colonel
Sanders had a thousand rejections before he sold his first chicken recipe It would be nice to get to our year end business appraisals and find that wersquove made no mistakes but our business like most others doesnrsquot have that claim to fame My mother always took the high road with mistakes She always said that one should recognize the benefits of a mistake One should learn what good came from it use it to improve and use it to help motivate success the next time So December is the time to analyze everything that made up the past year and look for ways to make the New Year successful in every way
Making a plan Most advisors say that the first step toward business success after looking at a companyrsquos year ending history is to decide on exactly what you want to do going forward in the coming year Then comes mapping out the plan What will be done How will it get done Who will do what What resources will be used When will it get done Is the right equipment in place Is the space adequate Ask these and any other questions that could relate to creating a successful year then focus on the details and follow through Those two wordshellipfocus and follow throughhellipcould mean the difference between marginal and abundant success Simply stated success comes from what you do and the way you do ithellipin your customerrsquos perception Every business wants to have a good imagehellipa good reputation so dedication to having good communication skills is important especially in an industry that does custom work The goal is to be on the same page as our clients so we have to be good mind readers We have to also concentrate on our professionalism on our appearance on our presentation style and in the pride we take in producing a well-done project This
has worked in the past and will remain the same in the future
The extra mile Success has to be nurturedhellipthen it gets celebrated Sometimes sacrifices have to be made to get to the rewards At year end when we analyze how we got from Point A to Point B itrsquos interesting to note that we sometimes had to take detours and sometimes the road blocks called for sacrificehellipof time or money Sometimes the sacrifice came in the way of a sleepless night worrying if an order that was lost in delivery would be found and re-routed to us in time to make a clientrsquos deadline Someone (unknown) said ldquoA day of worry is more exhausting than a week of workrdquo Anyone in business could testify to that Part of success is going the extra milehellipeven if it results in a sleepless night Going the extra mile is worth all the paid advertising in the world on the road to success
December 2007 37Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETS
Donna Grayrsquos 2nd book Itrsquos All Relative Surviving amp Thriving in a Family Business was published in September 2007
It describes her quest to identify the keys to suc-cess for small business and family businesses in particular She interviewed top businesses nationwide and discovered five common qualities implemented by successful business owners Check it out at the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore wwwcoreldrawprocomAllBook-storehtm
Commitments made and kept Our team felt good about some commitments we made and kept this past year like
We used a daily ldquoto-dordquo list and we set priorities in order of importance When we finished a project we ldquocelebratedrdquo and then moved on quickly to the next job We built in some time for ldquostress reliefrdquo with morning meeting breaks This was especially good when treats were served since wersquove got some good bakers on our staff We didnrsquot ldquoscreenrdquo calls through voice mail We considered every call to be important We ldquodid it right the first timerdquo even though it sometimes took longer We tied up all the ldquoloose endsrdquo We became ldquocheerleadersrdquo for each other When one of us accomplished a goal we all applauded We all tried to deliver more than we promised This can be challenging sometimes when working with a difficult project We eliminated (or tried to eliminate) unnecessary procedures and we simplified our paper flow system We spent most of our time on high priority tasks We all worked on our delegation skills We were committed to not wasting time either our own or other peoplersquos
Goals that were lacking Now all those great things being put on paper reminds me that we also had some goals we didnrsquot quite succeed athellipbut wersquoll try harder next year
We didnrsquot always ldquogrouprdquo tasks togetherhelliplike going to the bank and the post office in one trip or answering mail when it gets opened It wasnrsquot always easy to avoid procrastination Some low priority chores got put off There were still times when we couldnrsquot find enough hours to finish the work Our ldquotoolsrdquo didnrsquot always get put away when we were through with a project even though this is Daversquos pet peeve
Conclusion Experts say that we have to actively create our success not wait for it to happen This coming year hopefully none of us will sit in the comfort zone waiting for the phone to ring Therersquos an old Chinese proverb that goes ldquoIt you continually give you will continually haverdquo Our team will go on being involved in community activities When time is spent on worthwhile projects outside the business opportunities come knocking at the front counter Besideshellipat yearrsquos endhellipit makes us feel really good about the help we gave on these projects
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since1977 She can be reached by email at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
December 2007 38Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
GRAPHICS NEWS NETWORKAll these news and information products and services are part of the
Graphics News Network developed for ACDRP The goal is ldquoAll the News All the Time mdash For the World of Graphicsrdquo
GRAPHICS NewsWireThe Graphics News Wire is the always live always updated source for graphics news mdash products equipment technology and more Make it (CorelDRAWProcomNewsPagehtm) your home page or favorite to gain access to Breaking news updated regularly New Classified Ads New Job Announcements Supplier SpecialsAll news is related to graphic productsQuickSourceTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive amp Easy-To-Use
Search Engine
It gives you one-click access to suppliers products phone numbers and live links to ACDRP Member Suppliers Itrsquos always up-to-date searchable by keyword and accessible from your desktop
Quick TnTTM
The Industryrsquos Newest Resource for Graphics Tips amp Templates
Gain access to a growing library of CorelDRAW tips and templates that will make your work easier
QuickLearnTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive and
Easy-To-Use Article Library
Gain access to hundreds of articles on graphics-related and business topics searchable by keyword
The Entrepreneurial Magazine for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro Magazine is delivered to you once a month in PDF format It features in-depth content that readers rave about including articles on how to use CorelDRAW how to apply CorelDRAW and how to profit from CorelDRAW
News Tips amp Resources for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month mdash about the 15th and 25th It brings you highly targeted content that you wonrsquot find elsewhere including CorelDRAW Tips extensive product news links and a calendar of shows and training
MARKET PLACE
Quality Engravable JewelryHand-crafted in New England
GIFTS amp ACCESSORIES FOR WOMEN AND MEN
John E Lepper Inc800-835-3623 Fax 508-222-2732
wwwjeleppercom
GenuineWhite-tone
Pewter amp Gold
Some Things Were Meant To Be In Etched in Stone
Call for a free color catalog
NampR International1155 Allgood Rd 13Marietta GA 30062
678-560-4088Fax 678-560-1157
Importers amp Wholesalers of MarbleOnyx
Gifts amp Accessories
JOIN TODAY
The worldrsquos only association for CorelDRAWreg Users
wwwcoreldrawprocomJoinhtm
Place an Ad for as little as $215 per month
Find out how by calling our Ad Representative John McDaniel II
541-990-6687
the entrepreneurial magazine
GET LISTED TODAY
Generate new businessby doing jobs for others
List your company in GSG the Digital Yellow Pages for the industry wwwcoreldrawprocomListGSGhtm
December 2007 39Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Louie Alvarez started in the industry working for one of the largest trophy shops in Central California and then opened one of the first retail laser engraving businesses He has given seminars and workshops on CorelDRAW and Laser for many years and has written for several publications He is now with Vytek Industrial Lasers and is based in Las Vegas NV He can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
Kathryn Arnold is the Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
Errol Barr has a wide range of experience in sales amp marketing eventually getting into laser systems in 1999 currently with Vytek Industrial Lasers He also sold extensively in the CNC router industry selling the machines as more of a business opportunity wrapped around the machine He can be reached by email at errolbarrgmailcom
Dave Demoret founded Prolink Graphic Services to help people understand and profit from learning CorelDRAW He has been in both the Flat Graphics Industry and the Decorating Graphics Industry for 30 years He has written articles for several publications is a Corel Training Partner and conducts workshops nationwide and online He is the author of several CD Instructional programs on CorelDRAW He can be reached at 765-DO COLOR (362-6567) or davedprolinkgscom
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since 1977 She has presented seminars on a variety of topics nationwide and has won many marketing awards She is the author of two books on family business and can be reached at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
Bill Leek is a color consultant for JBL Graphics in Houston TX and has over 30 years experience in computer engineering and graphics design He has developed several lines of color imprintable products and does testing on a variety of products for different manufacturers He can be reached at wfleekjblgraphicscom or 281-970-6677
Jeff McDaniel is the owner of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon He worked as a journeyman machinist before getting into the graphic products business Creative Graphic offers laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials Contact him at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
John McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry He worked for many years with computers in electronic data processing and pioneered the use of CorelDraw for engraving applications He owned a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years and writes about hardware design software laser engraving sublimation and more He is a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals For information on training and more call 541-967-4271 or write to mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
Judy McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry Her background includes many forms of art and retail sales as well as the operation of a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years She is a regular columnist on sandblasting sublimation and diversifying business as well as a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals She can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
David Milisock is president of Custom Graphic Technologies Inc in Pennsylvania He has been in the print production business since 1975 and specializes in professional support for CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite Output includes computer-to-plate processes for all commercial digital front-end applications as well as Postscript-compliant graphic applications He offers technical and color management support for all RIP-driven corporate digital output systems He can be reached at 717-509-3523 or davidmilisockcomcastnet
Deborah Sexton former editor of Impressions Magazine has been in the apparel graphics industry since 1981 She currently does marketing and public relations for apparel graphics companies and is a columnist for several industry publications She can be reached at dsextonsbcglobalnet
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at 916-567-1867
December 2007 40Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
by Otis Veteto
Traveling Tidbits
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the
RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of
the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Itrsquos a fun and
informative column focusing on the human-interest side of
the industry Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars
for industry organizations and some of that knowledge
will rub off as well He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at
916-567-1867
Reps Volunteers People Skills amp Agreements
RS Owens Southeast RepFirst of all a Traveling Tidbits welcome to
the newest member of the RS Owens Company sales team Anita Brennan Anita is the new Regional Sales Manager for the Southeast She will be calling on you folks in Alabama Tennessee Mississippi Florida Georgia North Carolina and South Carolina Anita has worked in all phases of our industry as a retailer (her own business) multi-line rep and now as a regional sales manager When I asked Anita what she likes to do when not on the road she told me she likes to spend time with her two-year-old granddaughter Kaylee Welcome to the RS Owens family Anita Brennan
Railroad Museum VolunteerI know Christmas is the time for giving
but some people give all year long I was talking recently with Elias Athanasiou whose regular job is a server in a restaurant my wife and I frequent when I am in Sacramento Elias has been associated as a volunteer with the California State Railroad Museum for about 16 years Every Saturday during the ldquorunning seasonrdquo April-September Elias can be found working as a volunteer on the Steam Engine excursion train that runs for 6 miles along the top of the levee on the Sacramento River The ride takes about 40 minutes Elias is the Engineer now but has worked as conductor and fireman in his tenure with the train It is people like Elias Athanasiou that make this a much better world A huge Traveling Tidbits SALUTE You can find out more about the Railroad Museum at wwwcsrmorg
Real People SkillsThis next tidbit is from the PPAI Promotional
Consultant Today The author is Roy Chitwood president of Max Sacks International in Seattle Wash It is entitled To Shine Polish Your People Skills
ldquoPeople buy not because they understand your product or service but because they feel that you understand them People buy emotionally As a professional salesperson you need to be more people-oriented not product centered Here are seven quick and easy techniques to improve your people skills
SMILE It is the universal sign of friendship in any language The Chinese have a proverb ldquoA man who cannot smile should not open a storerdquo Think about that Give a smile and you will get a smile in return
DEVELOP A GENUINE INTEREST IN OTHERS When you have sincere interest it shows Look directly at people when they are talking to you Let your facial expression register your interest Ask good open-ended questions to let people know that you are interested in what they say
TALK IN TERMS OF THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS INTERESTS You will never meet anyone who doesnrsquot have time to talk about what they want to talk about Encourage your prospect to discuss his or interests rather than launching into a discussion about yourself
USE THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS NAME Using a name builds personal rapport and shows you are listening with respect Be careful about overusing the personrsquos name
GIVE COMPLIMENTS Everyone loves a compliment when it is genuine Make a
concentrated effort to give at least 3 honest compliments every day of your life You will be amazed at what it will do for your relationships
LISTEN Listening is the greatest compliment you can pay When you assume the role of the listener it relaxes the sales climate As you listen you are demonstrating that you truly care and you are genuinely interested in what he or she has to say
MAKE THE OTHER PERSON FEEL IMPORTANT When you are sincerely impressed by something the other person has achieved or owns let them know it Understand that fundamentally every person is important and treat them accordingly
Personal comment When I finished reading this I thought to myself ldquoThese make sense in our everyday life not just in salesrdquo
The Third AgreementI will close with the 3rd step from the book
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel RuizDONrsquoT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS Find the
courage to ask questions and to express what you really want Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings sadness and drama
Sounds a little like what I wrote at the beginning of the column doesnrsquot it
Thatrsquos all for now Remember to save some time for yourself and your family And when you travel please travel safe
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE
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- News
December 2007 21Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE SANDBLASTINGBy Judy McDaniel Applications
Screening the AbrasiveKeeping your sandblast abrasive media free
of contaminant material is essential During sandblasting abrasive is mixed with compressed air fed through the supply hose focused by the nozzle and impacts the product Then if itrsquos fine enough it leaves the system as dust or drops to the bottom of the cabinet to be recycled
Other material will also collect in the bottom of the cabinet This debris can include bits of mask (ever wonder where the center of that ldquoerdquo went) bits of tape and possibly solid material dislodged from the product yoursquore blasting This latter source of debris is especially prevalent when yoursquore working on materials other than glass like brick rock and wood
Leaving the debris in the abrasive when itrsquos recycled can cause a variety of problems First if a piece of debris is too large to fit through the nozzle it will clog it More importantly if it does fit through the nozzle and is hard like brick and rock debris it can impact the piece yoursquore working on and ruin it
The obvious solution is to screen the media when you reload the pressure pot The problem is the screen mesh size Irsquove tried the screen supplied by the cabinet manufacturers and used window screening material from a hardware store In both of these cases the mesh size would allow all but the largest pieces of debris through
What Irsquove found that works the best is a spatter screen from a local kitchen store The mesh is woven tightly and filters out much more debris The best thing is its price only a few dollars
One of our cabinets is not self-contained so we have to filter the media by hand We have found that bending the handle up on a large spatter screen
causes it to fit perfectly into the top of the pressure pot We also have a couple of other smaller pressure pots one in fact that you fill with a funnel For those I simply lay the spatter screen over the opening of the pot or the funnel when refilling
If you have a system that recycles the abrasive then it should be equipped with a screen located on top of the pressure pot Make sure to inspect and remove the debris from the top of the screen from time to time A shop-vac works well for this purpose If you find that larger pieces are getting through the screen then contact the manufacturer to see what can be done to reduce the mesh size
Keeping your media clean helps prevent unwanted delays or damage
To all of our friends out there new and old have a safe and joyful holiday season
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from John and me
Judy McDaniel with her husband John are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry In addition they provide one-on-one application support through an email subscription service exclusively for their Hotcdr Hands-On Training students or those who have purchased their CD sets (For information on training services offered visit wwwgraphic-products-trainingcom and for information on their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom) They can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
December 2007 22Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE ENGRAVINGBy John McDaniel Applications
Elements of Machine Accuracy 7 Structural Integrity
So far wersquove covered resolution speed repeatability and hysteresis This time wersquoll discuss structural integrity
What is Structural IntegrityStructural integrity is a measure of a machinersquos
strength or stiffness It is the ability of a machine to resist distortion by forces created in normal operations
Most mechanical engraving machines use single-fluted cutters As these cutters turn they apply cutting force against the material For every action though there is an equal but opposite reaction ie the material resists the cut and thereby transmits a resistive force back through the cutting tool spindle etc and ultimately to the machinersquos frame
Assuming a static bit position the force applied to the machinersquos structure will rotate 360deg with the tool (see diagram 1) As this force rotates any looseness in the structure will result in a deviation in the relationship of the material and the cutter
What machine design factors are involvedStructural integrity includes lead screws and their
hysteresis for mechanical engraving machines spindle bearings and their looseness for both mechanical and laser engravers gantry or table rails their bearings and looseness and the machinersquos frame In fact anything and everything that holds the tool and material in the proper relationship during the cuttingengraving process contributes to or detracts from structural integrity
Why is it importantIn a word Quality Structural integrity influences
the quality of the finished products the machine will produce
For illustration Irsquoll use a mechanical engraving system If the looseness in our machine and the cutting force applied were uniform throughout the 360deg of tool rotation the result would be a wobble in the tool path which might not be visible in the finished product
Cutting ForcesIn the real world however as the tool moves through
the material the cutting and reactive forces go through a cycle (see diagram 2) When the tool starts the cut there is a spike in force The force will level to a constant through the top side of the cut while itrsquos cutting against the direction of the toolrsquos movement Then it will drop somewhat when itrsquos cutting with the toolrsquos movement and finally fall off on the back side as the cutting edge of the tool enters the void area where the material has already been removed
The amount of force applied during the cutting process will vary depending on the material being
cut the tool and its sharpness the depth of cut the material feed rate and whether or not lubricant is used The cutting force may also vary over the length of the job as the toolrsquos cutting edge wears and becomes dull
Machine Component Looseness
In addition to the cutting force not being uniform throughout the 360deg of tool rotation l o o s e n e s s i n t h e machinersquos structure will also vary For example dur ing the cut t ing operation as the tool transitions through 0deg and 180deg of rotation X axis hysteresis will be a factor in overall machine looseness but Y axis hysteresis will have no effect At 90deg and 270deg the Y axis will become a factor but the X axis will have no impact
In the real world any looseness in the machine will cause an oscillation in the cut which will have its own angle If we could slow the toolrsquos movement we would see this oscillation as a sharp jump in the positional relationship between the tool and material being cut In the finished product this sharp jump in position will result in a jagged cut
December 2007 23Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE ENGRAVING Outline amp OverviewThe Nuts and Bolts of Machine AccuracyMachine accuracy or capability can be defined as a result of six features 1 Resolution ndash the smallest incremental movementpositioning of a speci-fied axis 2 Speed ndash the ability to complete a task in a reasonable amount of time without sacrificing accuracy or creating damage to the machine or product 3 Repeatability ndash the ability to duplicate a previous position without error 4 Hysteresis ndash the ldquosloprdquo or ldquoplayrdquo in motion control components 5 Structural Integrity ndash stiffness or strength ndash the ability to cut materials without error or damage This is especially important for mechanical engrav-ers 6 Structural Tolerances ndash the sum accuracy of a machinersquos mechanical components
Machine ComponentsWersquoll examine nine factors that determine a machinersquos accuracy They include 1 Motors ndash including DC Stepper DC Brushless DC Servo and AC Servo a Spindles ndash motors that rotate the cutting bit b Axis Drive ndash motors that position the material to the cutting bit c Horsepower ratings ndash real versus advertised 2 The Motion Control Drive Unit ndash including Geared Belt and Lead Screws a Lead Screws ndash including Acme Re-circulating Ball Standard and Precision b Mounting ndash including Simple Fixed and Thrust bearing types c Protection ndash Open or Closed 3 Guide Rails ndash Types include V Bearing Rail Bushing Shaft Dove Tail and Re-circulating Ball Bearing 4 Encoders ndash Types include Rotary and Linear Methodologies include incremental or absolute 5 Tachometers ndash used for speed stability acceleration and breaking control for closed loop servo systems 6 Bearings ndash including Sleeve Ball and Linear Re-circulating Ball a Applications ndash including Radial Thrust and Linear b Quality ndash Standard thru Ultra Precision 7 Spindles ndash including topbottom loading Collets and Sleeves 8 Material Hold Down ndash including mechanical clamps and vacuum sys-tems 9 Electronic Interface ndash Computer control methods
Wersquoll also examine Reliability what makes it And Serviceability is it fix-able
If the cutting oscillation is at any angle other than the direction of the cut and the oscillation is great enough a jagged cut will be visible in the finished product A cut deviation of as little as 001rdquo is visible to the naked eye and will most commonly show up on curves and circles but may show up on straight lines as well
To illustrate this point a little further and perhaps make it somewhat clearer Irsquod like to refer to diagrams 3 and 4 For purposes of these illustrations we will assume we have a machine that has some looseness on both the X and Y axes However the rest of the machine
is structurally solid the frame is rigid and no other components have any loosenessMaking these assumptions and disregarding the variation in force caused by the cutter
as it travels through the material we will have cutting oscillations at 0deg 180deg 90deg and 270deg during the toolrsquos rotation As the tool travels through the material on its path these oscillations will cause a slight variation in the centerline of the toolrsquos cut
Diagram 3 shows a horizontal tool path While the machine is cutting in this direction any X axis looseness will be masked by the cutter path itself however looseness in the Y axis will result in a slight oscillation in the cutterrsquos horizontal position and therefore a deviation in its cut Diagram 4 shows the effect of the X axis looseness which will impact vertical lines
As you can see from this discussion and these illustrations structural integrity ie looseness in the components from which a machine is constructed can make a significant difference in quality of the finished products that a machine will produce
Next time wersquoll consider structural tolerances and their impact
John McDaniel with his wife Judy are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry For information on training services offered and their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom They can be reached by phone at 541-967-4271 via SKYPE (user name JHMcDaniel) or via email at JHMcDanielCorelDRAWhelpcom See the full bio on the Writers Page
December 2007 24Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
the image the text and the red bow In the laser file for this example I have the red cut line for vectoring (See Figure 5)
5) Send the cardstock through the printer6) Place the cardstock in the laser for vector
cutting The thickness of the stock will determine what settings to use For my 35-watt laser using a medium weight cardstock I used a speed of 100 and power of 15 for a nice cut through the stock without any burn marks on the paper
7) Optional in one run I decided to let the laser take care of the bow instead of using color for it from my printer I set the outline of the bow to 100 black and the interior of the bow to 50 black (See Figure 6)
8) Then I only sent the image and text through the printer The bow and vector cutting occurred in the laser I set the raster engraving (of the bow) at speed 70 and power 40 (See Figure 7) You can see the differentiation of using 100 black as opposed to 50 black by the exterior lines
being engraved a little deeper than the rest of the fill
Take the idea of using patterns (like the birth announcement above) and wowing your clientele with the detail and intricacy that laser can provide Or add a twist to a holiday tradition (cards) Whatever you do donrsquot forget you can combine the advantages of the printer and laser for fabulous products
Submitted by Kathryn Arnold Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
LASER TIPBy Kathryn Arnold Applications
Combining Laser amp Printer PowerComing up with new and
inventive ways to use your laser is the key to a successful and growing business We will look at a way to combine the power of your computer (ink) printer with the power of the laser engraver
In this lesson we will take a look at using cardstock to create a card and an announcement See the examples of a holiday card and a birth announcement ndash gratuitously they are of my family (Figure 1 amp Figure 2)
1) In CorelDRAWreg use any pattern image text you wish Be sure that there is a clear and discernible vector line that will be laser cut and yield a cut piece from the cardstock2) See the clear (red) cut line ndash it goes fully around my object even the bow portion (important) I then duplicated my object to fit as many as possible on my 8 frac12 x 11 cardstock (See Figure 3) 3) I saved this file as my master file that I could return to at any point I then created two copies -- one that will
be used to send the file to my printer and one that will be used to send the file to my laser engraver (See Figure 4)
4) In the master file I have every part of what my end product will have In the file for my printer I only have the parts that the printer will print ndash in this example
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
December 2007 25Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
ELECTRONICS FRONTIERBy Louie Alvarez Opportunity
Webcams are an interesting subject which I am intimately familiar with Some typical questions are what are they what purpose do they serve what benefit are they what to look for and various other questions concerns and issues
Webcams surely bring back a memory or two not all that great I might add I remember when they first became usable primarily due to the Internet having affordable true broadband
First experiences The choppy poor quality of dial-up service
simply didnrsquot make this a useful technology Short of communicating with far-flung family members it left much to be desired With my immediate family living in Las Vegas and all other family (parents siblings cousins etc) living in California this was a technology I thought would be useful to keep in touch
So I set up my computer and my momrsquos computer with Webcams to stay in touch Needless to say with the poor quality terrible tracking (had to keep perfectly
sti l l because video frames didnrsquot refresh fas t enough) the hard-to-see tiny video window and poorly synchronized voices to the faces (we looked like a badly translated kung fu movie) the novelty quickly wore off (Irsquod say in about 30 minutes)
WebcamsSecond attempt
So I promptly dumped the technology for the next few years until I started seeing broadband picking up the pace and more interest in Webcams becoming obvious from all the new devices on the market So about three years ago a wireless Webcam caught my eye and I decided to put it to the test once again
Considering I was by then traveling quite extensively (about 40000 miles a year) I figured Irsquod use it to monitor my home I had two teenagers and a 5-year-old at home at the time while I was on the road and my wife was still a t work (She normally didnrsquot get off work until about two hours after school was out) So this looked to be a cool device to see if as the clicheacute goes when the catrsquos away the mice will play
I proceeded to position this wireless Webcam strategically to allow viewing of my living room including the back door Plus to get to the front door or side door you would have to pass through the field of the camera My little one loved the idea of being on camera for her daddy and would dance play and make funny faces for me Pretty cool actually That in itself almost justified the camera but needless to say my teenagers even my wife didnrsquot take to the idea too well So it was returned and life continued on as usual
That experience did show me that the broadband
speeds the quality of the video feeds the prevalence on the net of live cams and the quality of the video cameras (better known as Webcams) had progressed to a level of usefulness and I could see the potential of this technology With that said letrsquos get into the heart of this article
So what are webcams Basically they are digital cameras attached to
the computer and connected to the Web or Instant Messaging (IM) This allows the camera to be linked to a website or to each other directly and individuals who view the website or IM are able to see what the camera is viewing at that moment You can choose to get either still pictures that are updated at regular intervals (Snapshot) or live streams (Streaming) depending on what your bandwidth permits The WebCam technology has advanced sufficiently now to make it both easier and cheaper to maintain a camera that is refreshing an image 24 hours a day
Features of Web Cameras Listed here are some of the features more commonly
found in WebCams1 Live streaming video still pictures updated2 No plug-in or software necessary to view image
can be viewed with any Web browser3 Live audio4 Incorporation with other software such as Instant
Messaging (IM)5 Adding captionslogostime displays6 Archiving video7 Chat feature
December 2007 26Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
WebCams in an instructional scenario could be used to
Monitor your staff or employees thus being able to guide them better
Telecommute to companies worldwide and demonstrate project procedures
B roadcas t sem ina rs wo rkshops o r demonstrations
Share special events and programs with students enrolled in distance learning courses
Hold a video press conference online meeting or broadcast meetings and discussions
In some cases it is important for the learner to be able to establish a connection visually WebCams could be a good alternative to using text files or audio files
Join WebCam groups and allow students to take advantage of other WebCam locations for educational purposes
Using a web camera allows learners to be a part of either a conference or classstudio
Benefits of using WebCamsa The most important advantage of using a web camera is that it creates a direct link between the camera and the live site and dispenses with all the production work Production work in this context includes the cost and effort involved in shooting
editing and streaming videos Thus using a WebCam does not require
advanced skillsb The software is basically a Web server that runs on your system and pushes images out to a Web page For viewers of images delivered over a WebCam
one of the benefits is that they get the entire picture preferable in
certain cases rather than a sleek edited versionc WebCam technology can also be used for remote s u r v e i l l a n c e s y s t e m s
ELECTRONIC FRONTIER
monitoring events or places and broadcasting live eventsd Learners can link to a web camera-monitored location and just watch or also have an additional web camera in their own location enabling two-way communication
Setting up your WebCama Setting up your own WebCam obviously requires a computer a WebCam (the hardware) and WebCam software along with a broadband Internet connection Before you decide which camera to buy and which software to acquire yoursquoll have to review the different methods to show pictures or video feed through the Internet ( i e r e f r e s h e d after x amount of seconds) This will enable you to decide which hardware and software solution will fit your situation best
b P l a c e m e n t of a camera is an important decision to be made Decide whether a static angle is sufficient to demonstrate the concept or a moving camera (handheld) is required It is important however to remember the limitations of using WebCams and leave the panoramic and other fancy shots to more sophisticated video Use WebCams for videos that require more focus and ones that require a smaller viewingmovement range
c For detailed technical instructions on using WebCams visit httpdeveloperswebcamworldcommethodshtml
d Here is a good resource for inexpensive Webcams on the market httpcastlepricewatchcomssearchasps=webcams
e For an in-depth review of various Webcams on the market go to this link httpreviewscnetcom4244-6502_7-0-1htmlquery=webamptag=cat_1
f There are many Webcam examples online here are a couple httpwwwwebcamworldcom or httpwwwleonardsworldscomcamerahtml
By the way DONrsquoT TELL MY KIDS I picked up a Logitech QuickCam Pro 4000 not too long ago My family doesnrsquot know why I got it or what my intention is but I can say that now that my kids are 17 16 amp 8 my job as a parent is to ensure the mice donrsquot play when the catrsquos awayhellip
Louie Alvarez began acquiring his experience in the awards and engraving industry in Central California over 15 years ago first as an employee of the largest and oldest trophy shop and then as owner of one of the first laser engraving businesses Louie has been a featured workshop instructor and seminar speaker throughout the industry in addition to being a contributing writer to numerous industry publications Louie is based in Las Vegas NV and can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
December 2007 27Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
The Association of CorelDRAWreg Professionals is The Education amp Business Resource for CorelDRAW Users Worldwide Its goal is to help 1) IMPROVE your CorelDRAW skills and 2) MAKE MONEY with those skills You can participate in ACDRP services in four ways
THE WORLDrsquoS ONLY ASSOCIATION FOR CORELDRAWreg USERSINVITES YOU TO MAKE MORE MONEY WITH CORELDRAW
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month focused on Industry News via the Graphics News Wire Links to valuable resources and a complete educa-tion and show Calendar S
CorelDRAWPro the Entrepreneurial magazine for CorelDRAW users features in-depth content on How to Use CorelDRAW -- tips tricks advanced ar twork success s to r ies in te rv iews and more How to Apply CorelDRAW -- for graphic production processes such as embroidery engraving heat printing laser promo products printing sandblasting signmaking sublimation and screenprinting How to Profit from CorelDRAW -- Product news business columns reviews profiles and advertising with live links
SUBSCRIBE -- NO CHARGE JOIN -- $60 PER YEAR
All users of CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite are qualified to subscribe free to CorelDRAWPro magazine (PDF format) and CorelDRAWPro E-News
Subscription to CorelDRAWPro amp CorelDRAWPRo E-News
TTF Newsletter Subscription to the monthly Tips Templates amp Fixtures Newsletter only available to members
GSG Basic Listing You can list your services in the Graphic Services Guide in one category as part of membership (a $25 value)
Access to QuickLearn A keyword searchable database of 100s of articles on CorelDRAW graphics production and business
All users of CorelDRAWreg are invited to join the Association and take advantage of exclusive content discounts and profes-sional recognition ACDRP membership includes
TTF
QuickLearn
QuickTNT
Archives
BASIC GSG LISTING -- $25 PER YR
The Graphic Services Guide is the Industry Yellow Pages for Services and Finished Goods GSG is promoted in all our publi-cations and our website to the world of CorelDRAW users Your listing gives you the opportunity to promote your services (in any of 40 categories) to other CorelDRAW usersThe Basic Listing includes your company description email link and listing in one category Additional service categories are $10 each per year
The Enhanced GSG Listing is for companies that want to list in two categories and add a photo or logo
ENHANCED GSG LISTING -- $50$75 PER YR
Classifieds
Access to QuickTnT A growing database of CorelDRAW tips for understanding the fine points of the program and templates that can be downloaded to speed up your production
Access to Archives Past issues of CorelDRAWPro are available to members with live links
Bookstore Discounts Members receive a 10 discount on all products in the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore
Professional Recognition Use of the ACDRP logo for professional identification on business cards websites and letterhead You also receive a membership certificate
Classified Ads Members can place one classified ad per year at no charge with photo and run it till the item is sold (a $35 value)
HOW TO PARTICIPATE To Subscribe (no charge) To Join ($60yr) To List in the Graphic Services Guide ($25 Basic $50$75 Enhanced or $120145 for Multi-Service)
CorelDRAWreg is a registered trademark of Corel Corp and is used with permission
Visit wwwcoreldrawprocomand click on the appropriate links
800-276-8428
The Multi-Service GSG Listing allows you to list up to 40 differ-ent service categories with detailed descriptions and add a photo or logo
MULTI-SERVICE GSG LISTING -- $120$145 PER YR
December 2007 28Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Throughout the year this publication has reported on whatrsquos new in equipment tools and software and blank products for businesses that put graphics onto products
For this 2007 wrap-up CorelDRAWPro editorial staff reviewed all the product news for the year and named 33 products to its annual Top Products of the Year list
Selections were based on the criteria of innovation and impact Innovation means products that exhibit a high degree of originality or uniqueness Impact means products that influence sales or productivity for a large number of businesses
Note that the 2007 honorees are list alphabetically in the three theme sections
For more information on the products in this article click on the Info Request button at the bottom of each page and select by company name or product You might open the Info Request page and minimize it as you read That way you can quickly open it and check the products you want
EQUIPMENT
ANAJET DIRECT-TO-GARMENT DIGITAL PRINTERAnaJet Digital Apparel Printer (Model FP-125) from
AnaJet Inc in Costa Mesa CA is a direct-to-garment printer offering high quality and affordability It can print custom graphics on any cotton or poly-cotton flat textile material in one minute The printer priced affordably from under $13000 can produce up to 5000 shirts per month each retailing for about $20 Most printers installed so far are in a production plant environment but some customers have started to take the mobile printer to malls for instant printing of customer graphics According to Dr Chase Roh company president the unique printhead they have developed allows for 16x more ink flow than normal desktop printers and thus shirts only require one pass
Top Products of the Year
DTG AMERICA ECLIPSE D-1 WITH TWO HEADS DTG America of Tampa FL and Fort Worth TX now offers a new solution to
speed up digitally printing to dark shirts The Eclipse D-1 incorporates two heads instead of one One head has eight channels of white to lay down a solid white underbase The second head has four channels of white to do highlights and four channels of color to lay down the design The result of this new configuration is the underbase and color are completed in one pass at an estimated average of only two minutes per shirt for a 12-inch by 6-inch area Other innovations include an ink agitator firmware for easy updating ink vapor remover auto gap adjustment and new platen configuration for easy loading
GEO KNIGHT DK 25SP HEAT PRESSThe Digital Knight DK25SP is an air-operated automatic
20x25 oversized swing-away heat press with a state-of-the-art control system and heavy-duty solid steel welded framework The smooth automatic pressing and push-button activation provides a productive fatigue-free operation The extended 20x25 size of the heat platen is perfect for sublimation and large-format materials pressingThe press is adjustable to accommodate materials from fabric thickness all the way up to 1rdquo thick substrates For more information call 800-525-6766 or visit wwwheatpresscom
GRAPHTEC CRAFT ROBO PROGraphtec America Inc based in Santa Ana
CA introduced the new Craft ROBO Pro 15rdquo cutting plotter The Craft ROBO Pro is an ideal solution for cutting a wide variety of materials including vinyl film card stock foil heat transfer and image transfer media Incorporating Graphtecrsquos legendary
December 2007 29Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
ARMS (Advanced Registration Marks System) and combined with a desktop printer the Craft ROBO Pro makes contour cutting an easy task Innovations include a new digital servo motor first mark auto-sensing menu navigation system that includes 8 user-defined conditions Tangential Control and three software applications
ROLAND RELEASES DIRECT-TO-FABRIC PRINTERRoland DGA Corp of Irvine CA released
the new 74rdquo HeatWave DFP-74 Fabric Printer through its reseller channel in the US Based on Rolandrsquos HeatWave sublimation technology the DFP-74 Fabric Printer is a complete integrated solution and Rolandrsquos first inkjet ever to support direct printing onto polyester fabrics As a complete solution including printer sublimation unit inks and RIP software the DFP-74 makes it easier than ever for shops to enter the fast-growing textile printing market Key features include eight advanced piezo print heads an intelligent media handling system and a temperature-controlled heating system
HOTRONIX PERFECT PRESSURE HEAT PRESSHotronix of Carmichaels PA has taken heat press technology
to the next level with Perfect Pressure a new digital pressure display functionThis new feature has a single-digit LED readout
that measures the pressure of the inner platen This technology is exclusive to Hotronix and is patent pending Previously a
digital pressure display was available only on air-operated heat press machines With this new pressure display gauge all heat press users will have more consistent results from job to job reducing the number of misprints and speeding up production For more information about
the new digital pressure display contact Stahlsrsquo Hotronix at 800-478-2457 e-mail infostahlscom or visit the Web site at wwwstahlscom
SWF DREAM EMBROIDERY MACHINEWith its new DREAM Machine SWF has broken the barrier in multi-head
embroidery machine technology The DREAM machines are the first multi-head embroidery machines that truly can sew at 1500 stitches per minute During the research and development of these new machines 12 new patents were filed and granted proof that the DREAM machines are built with state-of-the-art technology
Innovations include LED control panel error codes to quickly troubleshoot problems optional devices to do sequins cording and boring automatic oiling system large memory a hoop selector and more These innovative new machines come in configurations ranging from
two to six heads It is distributed exclusively by SWF East (Tampa FL) and SWF MESA (Dallas TX)
MESArsquoS HOTFIX SPANGLE MOTIF MACHINEWith the all new YAS-11 Hotfix Spangle Motif Making
Machine the first of its kind in the United States you can create beautiful spangle transfer designs that have the look of sequins This patented machine which is distributed exclusively in the United States by MESA Distributors of Fort Worth TX cuts out shapes such as circles and squares in a range of sizes from reels of Mylar tape The machine comes with proprietary design software that allows the user to create any pattern or design up to 157 by 157 inches
SAWGRASSrsquo HYBRID SYSTEM FOR EPSON R1800Sawgrass Technologies of Mt Pleasant SC introduced
the SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid System for the Epson R1800 for both sublimation printing and cotton
decorating from one machine The affordable entry-level system features dual functionality with both SubliJet and ChromaBlast inks in one machine allowing users to create customized images with superior color and clarity on both polyester coated substrates and cotton garments This is the second
hybrid system from Sawgrass following in the footsteps of the popular SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid
System for the Epson 4800
TROTECrsquoS NEW LARGE PLATFORM LASER Trotec Laser Inc of Ypsilanti MI has introduced the SP500 series of laser
engraving and cutting systems The systems have a work area of 50rdquo X 28rdquo and X-Axis clearance of 12rdquo The systems are offered in power levels from 45W-200W There is an available pass-through option (Class 4) Exhaust fumes are captured
December 2007 30Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
at the laser head to insure an efficient extraction when using the pass-through featureTrotec systems are designed for minimal wear-and-tear and eliminate the need for periodic replacement of belts and bearings For additional information visit our web site wwwtrotecnet or call 866-226-8505 734-484-3260
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW PROFESSIONAL SERIESUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) of Scottsdale
AZ added four new models in its Professional Laser Series (PLS) line of advanced high-productivity computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving systems The new PLS line which replaces Universalrsquos M V and X laser systems incorporates a
host of evolutionary design improvements to the laser cartridge platform chassis system electronics and software interface The new PLS models include several
powerful new features most notably a unique materials-based print driver called ldquoLaser Interface +rdquo that gives users their choice
between automatic or manual control over power speed and other system settings For more information on Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit Universal Laser Systems online at wwwulsinccom
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW VERSALASERUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) added a
new version of its desktop-sized VersaLasertrade
computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving system The new VersaLaser
improves on the award-winning original thanks to a host of evolutionary design refinements It also
includes a unique next-generation materials-based print driver that automatically calculates power speed
and other system settings It was awarded a patent for the unique design of its external cabinet which also functions as a Class 1 laser safety enclosure For more information about VersaLaser or Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit wwwulsinccom
US SCREENrsquoS FAST T-JET 3US Screen Print and Inkjet Technology of Tempe
AZ adds the Fast T-Jet3TM which features 30 faster print speeds compared to the previous T-Jet2 model and has a longer low profile print bed for easier loading and unloading Now you can produce a full size 12rdquo x 12rdquo (305 x 305 cm) print in one minute on a light shirt and in under three minutes on a black shirt with white ink Small pocket images can be printed in about 15 seconds
US SCREENrsquoS AUTOMATED PRETREATMENT CENTER
Speed up production when using Fast T-Jet inkjet-to-garment printers with the AutoTREATtrade Automatic Pretreatment Center
This versatile piece of equipment allows you to treat shirts on a production level rather than spraying shirts individually one at a time For use with light or dark shirts the AutoTREATtrade
can spray up to three shirts per minute It has two application modesmdashone for lights and one for darks that can be switched over by activating the cleaning mode which flushes out the system with water
TOOLS MATERIALS SOFTWARE
CORELDRAW X3 CERTIFIED FOR WINDOWS VISTACorel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that
CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite X3 has been Certified for Windows Vista Customers who wish to install the Certified for Windows Vista version of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X3 can download the latest service pack (SP2) from wwwcorelcom This new update delivers an exceptional experience for customers on Windows Vista including an updated user interface enhanced security improved text handling and further enhancements to the popular suitersquos renowned import and export file compatibility
COREL LAUNCHES NEW ONLINE COMMUNITY Corel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that it
has launched httpcoreldrawcom a new online community for users of the CorelDRAWreg family of products ndash including CorelDRAW Graphics Suite Corel DESIGNERreg Technical Suite
December 2007 31Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
and Corelreg DRAWingsreg This new community site is the first in a series that Corel will be launching to support its various user communities Designed to fuel inspiration CorelDRAWcom combines forums blogs and galleries for design professionals and graphic hobbyists alike Forums are available in English French German and Spanish serving an international audience
DALCOrsquoS NEW REFLECTIVE HEAT TRANSFERSCater to the safety market with new reflective transfers offered
by Dalco Athletic of Dallas TX These durable transfers come in a reflective silver gray color in three styles police sheriff and fire dept They are sized for left chest and full back so
all you have to do is heat seal for 8 seconds and yoursquore done Itrsquos very fast and easy
DALCOrsquoS NEW OPTIC YELLOW CLASSIC SWB APPLIQUE
Classic SWB appliqueacute designs offered by Dalco Athletic now come in two new styles softballs and tennis balls in optic yellow fabric These new balls literally jump off any wearable and make it an eye-catching standout This appliqueacute collection is ideal for spiritwear items to be sold to fans and family or created as fund-raisers for boosters clubs
POWER GRAPHICS 3 FROM DIGITAL ART SOLUTIONSPower Graphics 3 by Digital Art Solutions of
Tempe AZ is the ultimate design tool for the creation of high-end custom graphics and logos for custom signage awards vehicle graphics promotional products and apparel graphics Tuned to the latest styles and trends it provides fresh graphics that will impress even the most critical and demanding customer It includes more than 1500 images The 10 design categories include Flames Gangsta (Urban) Mascots Offroad Rebel (Biker and Hot
Rod) Retro Speed Sports Surf and Tuner
FLORIANI COMMERCIALrsquoS NEW NO-SHOW DIAMOND MESHContinuing in its tradition of research and development
to create embroidery stabilizers that meet the needs of todayrsquos embroiderers Floriani Embroidery Commercial Division of Knoxville TN released a new product called Floriani No-Show Diamond Mesh This unique nylon mesh stabilizer has a perpendicular embossed pattern that makes it more multi-directionally stable and enables it to better hold stitches for crisper design registration It is specifically designed for light-colored garments where traditional stabilizers have a tendency to show through the front of the garment
GREAT DANErsquoS NEW DIGITAL PHOTO FRAMES Tap into the lucrative team market with an
incredible collection of stock art specially designed to work for direct-to-garment printers sublimation transfers and digital transfers Digital Photo Frames Volume 1 is a collection of spectacular pre-designed layouts each with one or more frames to
insert personal photos The collection includes five categories baseball football basketball soccer and hockey Each category has four designs (20 total layouts) and each design comes in three template formats mugs mouse pads and shirts
So there are a total of 60 template designs in all
IMPRINTABLES WAREHOUSE OFFERS SPECTRA ECO FILMNew from Imprintables Warehouse of
Masontown PA is a digital cutter material that is free of PVC a plus with companies that want to be as environmentally friendly as possible Spectra Eco Film is made with ecological polyurethane and is peeled hot It is pressure sensitive (sticky backing) and extremely easy to weed While maintaining superior durability and opacity this new film is thinner than current offerings on the market and delivers the super soft hand that is in demand by todayrsquos consumers It can be used on 100 cotton 100 polyester polycotton blends and even nylon and leather
December 2007 32Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
KISSCUT TECHNOLOGIESrsquo SELF-WEEDING INKJET TRANSFER PAPER
Kiss Cut Technologies Ltd Newcastle UK has addressed the ldquopolymer windowrdquo issue and developed the worldrsquos first self-weeding inkjet transfer paper for printing to textiles In simple terms only the areas of their patented transfer paper that have been printed will be transferred to the garment when heat pressed A Kiss Cut print can be further embellished with specialized textile foils so in effect a digital foiling method is now available Foil is heat pressed onto the garment and when peeled the foil only sticks to the image areas
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW PHOTOPLAS-TIC MATERIALLaserSketchcom of Lemont IL a leading supplier of
LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble Super Black Granite and Black Onyx Jewelry introduces their new PhotoPlas-Tic This is a new material developed for front andor reverse laser engraving on micro surface impact acrylic plastic It is a premium plastic for laser engraving that is UV stable ideal for photo badges plaques trophies signage and high-end awards Each sheet of PhotoPlas-Tic is specially designed for a crisp clean burn and ultra-fine laser lettering logo and vector output For details call 630-243-6360 or visit wwwlasersketchcom
THEMAGICTOUCH LAUNCHES WOW TRANSFER PAPERTheMagicTouch USA launched WoW Professional
71 transfer paper which requires no weeding or profile cutting and the vibrant colors are achieved using digital laser technology making it great for short runs It uses PolymationTM which incorporates a newly designed catalyst that provides the ultimate compatibility with all generations of dry toner material According to the company PolymationTM is the next generation of laser heat transfer Sublimation requires the substrate to have a specialty receiving polymer coating to absorb the pigments but PolymationTM delivers everything at once polymer pigments and catalyst
December 2007 33Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
offers distinct advantages over any other process It allows for an unlimited number of colors and very fine detail which is impossible with screen printing or embroidery And the cost does not go up as colors are added These new specialty materials are so advanced they can be heat sealed to all kinds of fabrics and hot new multimedia designs can be easily done
VAPOR APPAREL LAUNCHES VAPOR ART VOLUME 1V a p o r A p p a r e l
a s u b s i d i a r y o f SourceSubstrates LLC Charleston SC announces the launch of Vapor Art - Volume 1 a collection of 127 vector graphics for digital sublimation and general use The diverse collection
of high-quality graphics comes after several years of customers requesting access to the companyrsquos sample art at trade shows and educational events The Collection of art includes vector drawings and JPGs for everything from mountain biking and snowboarding to yoga and cheerleading
BLANK PRODUCTS
COLORADO HEIRLOOMrsquoS COLOR LACQUERED FRAMES
Colorado Heirloom Inc of Loveland CO introduced their new Color Lacquered Frames This is an option to add color your unique creations It is not color fill Colored lacquer is sprayed on their high quality wood frames Because
INKTRA STRETCH TRANSFER PAPER FROM STAHLSrsquoStahlsrsquo based in St Clair
Shores MI adds InkTratrade Stretch a flexible transfer paper A revolutionary product InkTratrade Stretch provides a soft hand with an amazing stretch and recovery feature InkTratrade Stretch lets you take your favorite photo or graphic design and apply it to light colored or white hats shirts bags and more for a long lasting and completely personalized garment The highly stretchable paper can be applied to cotton polycotton blends spandex and Lycrareg
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo GOOF-PROOF TRANSFERSWant the look of screen
printing without the hassle With Goof Proofreg transfers offered by Transfer Express of Mentor OH you can custom order a transfer that has the popular athletic feel and will apply in a blazing four seconds Ordering is done step-by-step online and you can customize hundreds of designs You choose your
typeface colors and size Once your design is just the way you want it you can print it out to show a customer for approval Or Transfer Express can print from your artwork The minimum order is only five pieces and your one-color order ships in one to three working days
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo NEW FULL-COLOR DIGI PRINTSApparel decorators can now offer full-color designs on light
and dark apparel made of virtually any type of fabric without the hassle or minimums of screen printing with new state-of-the-art heat transfer technology called Digi Printstrade Offered through Transfer Express this revolutionary new method of decorating
December 2007 34Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
lacquer is used instead of paint any design can be lasered on these frames The possibilities are endless These colorful creations are offered in two different designs -- a designer frame and a frame with an insert Call 970-667-4222 or visit wwwcoloradoheirloomcom
CONDE ADDS PET MATS FOR SUBLIMATIONCondeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added food bowl placemats and litter box
mats to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Favorite photographs and pet-related artwork can be transferred to the
mats to create fun products for individual pet lovers or for the pet industry such as pet stores veterinarians groomers boarding facilities and animal adoption groups Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing Call Conde at 800-826-6332
CONDE INTRODUCES FABRIC PATCHES FOR SUBLIMATION
Condeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added fabric patches to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Custom decorators can now produce unique full-color patches that will impress organizations businesses clubs sports teams sports enthusiasts and individuals alike -- without the use of embroidery Heat seal patches are great for identification marketing awards trade show promotions or to commemorate special events Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing or call 800-826-6332
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW LASERSLABLaserSketch of Lemont IL Internationally known for
their LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble and Super Black Granite announces LaserSlab Super Black Granite at 4rsquo x 8rsquo x 7mm and 4rsquo x 4rsquo x 7mm weighting in at just over 2 pounds per square foot The surface of the LaserSlab Granite has the sheen of a black mirror The reverse side features epoxy fiberglass backing to give structure integrity to the ultra-lite granite sheet All may be viewed wwwlasersketchcom or by calling LaserSketch 630-243-6360
MATTHEWS INTRODUCES ALUMICOLORTM
Matthews International Corp of Pittsburgh PA introduced Alumicolortrade a high-resolution graphics solution for aluminum signage recognition commemoration and way finding Using cutting-edge technology Matthews embeds a four-color image into the aluminum to create an anodized reproduction of unsurpassed durability Alumicolortrade products which are designed for interior and exterior installations are resistant to extreme weather conditions graffiti scuffing grease chemicals and UV rays Additionally they will not chip crack or peel
PSI ADDS ROUND FRAMES amp STRING PUZZLES Paramount Services Inc of Hollywood FL
introduced new round resin frames for sublimation tiles Choose from Coral or RopeStone with optional Unisubreg Hardboard Tiles They will also accept the Bison 8rdquo round glass Cutting Board Why be square when round may fit better PSI also introduced a new puzzle guaranteed to string you along These String Puzzles come with a Unisubreg Hardboard puzzle and the necessary string and beads along with instructions how to string it after printing Templates to aid in design are available for download in several formats For details call 800-455-7212 or visit wwwDye-Sublimation-Productscom
CRYSTALEDGEreg LUXORTM CRYSTAL AWARDSCrystalEdgereg Chicago IL presented the Luxortrade Series
This stunning cost-effective collection comprises a series of specially designed Rosewood and Black Piano finish bases Matte Mahogany and Matte Black bases and a precision cast Satin Nickel Finish Metal Base with your choice of brass or silver hardware for mounting our twelve unique shapes making this the most versatile award yet Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks are curved 14rdquo thick crystal clear glass with 316rdquo diameter holes for mounting The Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks feature a generous engraving area and there is plenty of room on the base to add an engraving plate
December 2007 35Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
XENETECHrsquoS NEW ENGRAVABLE GIFTSXenetech of Baton Rouge
LA introduced high quality engravable gift items at wholesale and quantity discounts The Xenetech collection provides a selection of gifts created for corporate recognition weddings births holidays anniversaries retirements birthdays special occasions or just expressing appreciation Items include money clips key chains book markers desk accessories quartz movement clocks flasks amp wine accessories entertainment gifts travel gifts genuine Swiss Army knives business card holders luggage tags silver-plated jewelry boxes keepsake gift boxes silver-plated banks and baby gifts The gift items are designed primarily for diamond drag burnishing and rotary engraving personalization
UNISUBrsquoS CHROMALUXE PHOTO PANELSChromaLuxe photo panels are an exciting new line
of sublimatable products from Unisub of Louisville KY These panels allow you to sell a completely finished photo product to your customers capturing some of the additional revenue (and profit) your customers now spend elsewhere on framing Available in a range of traditional photo sizes as well as exciting new shapes these panels can be joined together to create stunning photo displays -- perfect for a fireplace mantle l i b r a r y s h e l f or the top of an armoire Available in aluminum or MDF substrates
CorelDRAWPro IndexOne of our members in Michigan
requested that we put together an Index of all the articles wersquove published during the year
He prints out all the issues and puts them in binders but an Index would make it easy to reference specific articles We think itrsquos a good idea and wersquoll send it to all subscribers in January
Product Focus TopicsJanuary 2008 -- Signage Products esp Wide FormatFebruary 2008 -- Engraving Awards amp GiftsMarch 2008 -- Apparel ProductsApril 2008 -- Laser Wood Products
Coming in 2008
December 2007 36Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETSBy Donna M Gray CRM Opportunities
December ndash Time to Review December finds everyone on our team strategizing how to get out of our parking lot Our business sits right in the middle of an up-scale strip mall which sits right behind a huge shopping mall and right along the main road to a Target Superstore and other large malls We all know that from the day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday) until 2 weeks after the New Year there are great challenges to those of us who like to leave the building for lunch or run an errandhellipso we strategize We all know every secret shortcut to the bank the post office and the warehouse club What we donrsquot know is how to find the way to merge out of our own back alley into the constant flow of traffic that carries people to their end shopping destination Whew
The year-end review So this year Dave and I have decided to stay in at lunch and do our business strategizing instead Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup are good brain food for helping us to look at all the successful things we did last year as a company all the things we thought about doing but didnrsquot because the idea didnrsquot quite fit and all the things we put off until next year We do this kind of exercise every year end and it helps us to map out our strategy for the coming year In the process we identify any mistakes wersquove made wrong turns wersquove taken and we try to find the ldquowhat could have happened had everything gone rightrdquo
The value of making mistakes Albert Einstein said ldquoAnyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything newrdquo Dave has a couple of prints in his office of Abraham Lincoln that describe his mistakes in fact it took Lincoln eight tries to win the presidency Thomas Edison made mistakeshellipand yet he perseveredhellipotherwise wersquod by ldquocomputingrdquo by candlelight And Irsquove heard that Colonel
Sanders had a thousand rejections before he sold his first chicken recipe It would be nice to get to our year end business appraisals and find that wersquove made no mistakes but our business like most others doesnrsquot have that claim to fame My mother always took the high road with mistakes She always said that one should recognize the benefits of a mistake One should learn what good came from it use it to improve and use it to help motivate success the next time So December is the time to analyze everything that made up the past year and look for ways to make the New Year successful in every way
Making a plan Most advisors say that the first step toward business success after looking at a companyrsquos year ending history is to decide on exactly what you want to do going forward in the coming year Then comes mapping out the plan What will be done How will it get done Who will do what What resources will be used When will it get done Is the right equipment in place Is the space adequate Ask these and any other questions that could relate to creating a successful year then focus on the details and follow through Those two wordshellipfocus and follow throughhellipcould mean the difference between marginal and abundant success Simply stated success comes from what you do and the way you do ithellipin your customerrsquos perception Every business wants to have a good imagehellipa good reputation so dedication to having good communication skills is important especially in an industry that does custom work The goal is to be on the same page as our clients so we have to be good mind readers We have to also concentrate on our professionalism on our appearance on our presentation style and in the pride we take in producing a well-done project This
has worked in the past and will remain the same in the future
The extra mile Success has to be nurturedhellipthen it gets celebrated Sometimes sacrifices have to be made to get to the rewards At year end when we analyze how we got from Point A to Point B itrsquos interesting to note that we sometimes had to take detours and sometimes the road blocks called for sacrificehellipof time or money Sometimes the sacrifice came in the way of a sleepless night worrying if an order that was lost in delivery would be found and re-routed to us in time to make a clientrsquos deadline Someone (unknown) said ldquoA day of worry is more exhausting than a week of workrdquo Anyone in business could testify to that Part of success is going the extra milehellipeven if it results in a sleepless night Going the extra mile is worth all the paid advertising in the world on the road to success
December 2007 37Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETS
Donna Grayrsquos 2nd book Itrsquos All Relative Surviving amp Thriving in a Family Business was published in September 2007
It describes her quest to identify the keys to suc-cess for small business and family businesses in particular She interviewed top businesses nationwide and discovered five common qualities implemented by successful business owners Check it out at the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore wwwcoreldrawprocomAllBook-storehtm
Commitments made and kept Our team felt good about some commitments we made and kept this past year like
We used a daily ldquoto-dordquo list and we set priorities in order of importance When we finished a project we ldquocelebratedrdquo and then moved on quickly to the next job We built in some time for ldquostress reliefrdquo with morning meeting breaks This was especially good when treats were served since wersquove got some good bakers on our staff We didnrsquot ldquoscreenrdquo calls through voice mail We considered every call to be important We ldquodid it right the first timerdquo even though it sometimes took longer We tied up all the ldquoloose endsrdquo We became ldquocheerleadersrdquo for each other When one of us accomplished a goal we all applauded We all tried to deliver more than we promised This can be challenging sometimes when working with a difficult project We eliminated (or tried to eliminate) unnecessary procedures and we simplified our paper flow system We spent most of our time on high priority tasks We all worked on our delegation skills We were committed to not wasting time either our own or other peoplersquos
Goals that were lacking Now all those great things being put on paper reminds me that we also had some goals we didnrsquot quite succeed athellipbut wersquoll try harder next year
We didnrsquot always ldquogrouprdquo tasks togetherhelliplike going to the bank and the post office in one trip or answering mail when it gets opened It wasnrsquot always easy to avoid procrastination Some low priority chores got put off There were still times when we couldnrsquot find enough hours to finish the work Our ldquotoolsrdquo didnrsquot always get put away when we were through with a project even though this is Daversquos pet peeve
Conclusion Experts say that we have to actively create our success not wait for it to happen This coming year hopefully none of us will sit in the comfort zone waiting for the phone to ring Therersquos an old Chinese proverb that goes ldquoIt you continually give you will continually haverdquo Our team will go on being involved in community activities When time is spent on worthwhile projects outside the business opportunities come knocking at the front counter Besideshellipat yearrsquos endhellipit makes us feel really good about the help we gave on these projects
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since1977 She can be reached by email at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
December 2007 38Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
GRAPHICS NEWS NETWORKAll these news and information products and services are part of the
Graphics News Network developed for ACDRP The goal is ldquoAll the News All the Time mdash For the World of Graphicsrdquo
GRAPHICS NewsWireThe Graphics News Wire is the always live always updated source for graphics news mdash products equipment technology and more Make it (CorelDRAWProcomNewsPagehtm) your home page or favorite to gain access to Breaking news updated regularly New Classified Ads New Job Announcements Supplier SpecialsAll news is related to graphic productsQuickSourceTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive amp Easy-To-Use
Search Engine
It gives you one-click access to suppliers products phone numbers and live links to ACDRP Member Suppliers Itrsquos always up-to-date searchable by keyword and accessible from your desktop
Quick TnTTM
The Industryrsquos Newest Resource for Graphics Tips amp Templates
Gain access to a growing library of CorelDRAW tips and templates that will make your work easier
QuickLearnTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive and
Easy-To-Use Article Library
Gain access to hundreds of articles on graphics-related and business topics searchable by keyword
The Entrepreneurial Magazine for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro Magazine is delivered to you once a month in PDF format It features in-depth content that readers rave about including articles on how to use CorelDRAW how to apply CorelDRAW and how to profit from CorelDRAW
News Tips amp Resources for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month mdash about the 15th and 25th It brings you highly targeted content that you wonrsquot find elsewhere including CorelDRAW Tips extensive product news links and a calendar of shows and training
MARKET PLACE
Quality Engravable JewelryHand-crafted in New England
GIFTS amp ACCESSORIES FOR WOMEN AND MEN
John E Lepper Inc800-835-3623 Fax 508-222-2732
wwwjeleppercom
GenuineWhite-tone
Pewter amp Gold
Some Things Were Meant To Be In Etched in Stone
Call for a free color catalog
NampR International1155 Allgood Rd 13Marietta GA 30062
678-560-4088Fax 678-560-1157
Importers amp Wholesalers of MarbleOnyx
Gifts amp Accessories
JOIN TODAY
The worldrsquos only association for CorelDRAWreg Users
wwwcoreldrawprocomJoinhtm
Place an Ad for as little as $215 per month
Find out how by calling our Ad Representative John McDaniel II
541-990-6687
the entrepreneurial magazine
GET LISTED TODAY
Generate new businessby doing jobs for others
List your company in GSG the Digital Yellow Pages for the industry wwwcoreldrawprocomListGSGhtm
December 2007 39Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Louie Alvarez started in the industry working for one of the largest trophy shops in Central California and then opened one of the first retail laser engraving businesses He has given seminars and workshops on CorelDRAW and Laser for many years and has written for several publications He is now with Vytek Industrial Lasers and is based in Las Vegas NV He can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
Kathryn Arnold is the Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
Errol Barr has a wide range of experience in sales amp marketing eventually getting into laser systems in 1999 currently with Vytek Industrial Lasers He also sold extensively in the CNC router industry selling the machines as more of a business opportunity wrapped around the machine He can be reached by email at errolbarrgmailcom
Dave Demoret founded Prolink Graphic Services to help people understand and profit from learning CorelDRAW He has been in both the Flat Graphics Industry and the Decorating Graphics Industry for 30 years He has written articles for several publications is a Corel Training Partner and conducts workshops nationwide and online He is the author of several CD Instructional programs on CorelDRAW He can be reached at 765-DO COLOR (362-6567) or davedprolinkgscom
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since 1977 She has presented seminars on a variety of topics nationwide and has won many marketing awards She is the author of two books on family business and can be reached at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
Bill Leek is a color consultant for JBL Graphics in Houston TX and has over 30 years experience in computer engineering and graphics design He has developed several lines of color imprintable products and does testing on a variety of products for different manufacturers He can be reached at wfleekjblgraphicscom or 281-970-6677
Jeff McDaniel is the owner of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon He worked as a journeyman machinist before getting into the graphic products business Creative Graphic offers laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials Contact him at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
John McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry He worked for many years with computers in electronic data processing and pioneered the use of CorelDraw for engraving applications He owned a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years and writes about hardware design software laser engraving sublimation and more He is a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals For information on training and more call 541-967-4271 or write to mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
Judy McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry Her background includes many forms of art and retail sales as well as the operation of a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years She is a regular columnist on sandblasting sublimation and diversifying business as well as a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals She can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
David Milisock is president of Custom Graphic Technologies Inc in Pennsylvania He has been in the print production business since 1975 and specializes in professional support for CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite Output includes computer-to-plate processes for all commercial digital front-end applications as well as Postscript-compliant graphic applications He offers technical and color management support for all RIP-driven corporate digital output systems He can be reached at 717-509-3523 or davidmilisockcomcastnet
Deborah Sexton former editor of Impressions Magazine has been in the apparel graphics industry since 1981 She currently does marketing and public relations for apparel graphics companies and is a columnist for several industry publications She can be reached at dsextonsbcglobalnet
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at 916-567-1867
December 2007 40Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
by Otis Veteto
Traveling Tidbits
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the
RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of
the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Itrsquos a fun and
informative column focusing on the human-interest side of
the industry Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars
for industry organizations and some of that knowledge
will rub off as well He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at
916-567-1867
Reps Volunteers People Skills amp Agreements
RS Owens Southeast RepFirst of all a Traveling Tidbits welcome to
the newest member of the RS Owens Company sales team Anita Brennan Anita is the new Regional Sales Manager for the Southeast She will be calling on you folks in Alabama Tennessee Mississippi Florida Georgia North Carolina and South Carolina Anita has worked in all phases of our industry as a retailer (her own business) multi-line rep and now as a regional sales manager When I asked Anita what she likes to do when not on the road she told me she likes to spend time with her two-year-old granddaughter Kaylee Welcome to the RS Owens family Anita Brennan
Railroad Museum VolunteerI know Christmas is the time for giving
but some people give all year long I was talking recently with Elias Athanasiou whose regular job is a server in a restaurant my wife and I frequent when I am in Sacramento Elias has been associated as a volunteer with the California State Railroad Museum for about 16 years Every Saturday during the ldquorunning seasonrdquo April-September Elias can be found working as a volunteer on the Steam Engine excursion train that runs for 6 miles along the top of the levee on the Sacramento River The ride takes about 40 minutes Elias is the Engineer now but has worked as conductor and fireman in his tenure with the train It is people like Elias Athanasiou that make this a much better world A huge Traveling Tidbits SALUTE You can find out more about the Railroad Museum at wwwcsrmorg
Real People SkillsThis next tidbit is from the PPAI Promotional
Consultant Today The author is Roy Chitwood president of Max Sacks International in Seattle Wash It is entitled To Shine Polish Your People Skills
ldquoPeople buy not because they understand your product or service but because they feel that you understand them People buy emotionally As a professional salesperson you need to be more people-oriented not product centered Here are seven quick and easy techniques to improve your people skills
SMILE It is the universal sign of friendship in any language The Chinese have a proverb ldquoA man who cannot smile should not open a storerdquo Think about that Give a smile and you will get a smile in return
DEVELOP A GENUINE INTEREST IN OTHERS When you have sincere interest it shows Look directly at people when they are talking to you Let your facial expression register your interest Ask good open-ended questions to let people know that you are interested in what they say
TALK IN TERMS OF THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS INTERESTS You will never meet anyone who doesnrsquot have time to talk about what they want to talk about Encourage your prospect to discuss his or interests rather than launching into a discussion about yourself
USE THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS NAME Using a name builds personal rapport and shows you are listening with respect Be careful about overusing the personrsquos name
GIVE COMPLIMENTS Everyone loves a compliment when it is genuine Make a
concentrated effort to give at least 3 honest compliments every day of your life You will be amazed at what it will do for your relationships
LISTEN Listening is the greatest compliment you can pay When you assume the role of the listener it relaxes the sales climate As you listen you are demonstrating that you truly care and you are genuinely interested in what he or she has to say
MAKE THE OTHER PERSON FEEL IMPORTANT When you are sincerely impressed by something the other person has achieved or owns let them know it Understand that fundamentally every person is important and treat them accordingly
Personal comment When I finished reading this I thought to myself ldquoThese make sense in our everyday life not just in salesrdquo
The Third AgreementI will close with the 3rd step from the book
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel RuizDONrsquoT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS Find the
courage to ask questions and to express what you really want Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings sadness and drama
Sounds a little like what I wrote at the beginning of the column doesnrsquot it
Thatrsquos all for now Remember to save some time for yourself and your family And when you travel please travel safe
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE
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December 2007 22Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE ENGRAVINGBy John McDaniel Applications
Elements of Machine Accuracy 7 Structural Integrity
So far wersquove covered resolution speed repeatability and hysteresis This time wersquoll discuss structural integrity
What is Structural IntegrityStructural integrity is a measure of a machinersquos
strength or stiffness It is the ability of a machine to resist distortion by forces created in normal operations
Most mechanical engraving machines use single-fluted cutters As these cutters turn they apply cutting force against the material For every action though there is an equal but opposite reaction ie the material resists the cut and thereby transmits a resistive force back through the cutting tool spindle etc and ultimately to the machinersquos frame
Assuming a static bit position the force applied to the machinersquos structure will rotate 360deg with the tool (see diagram 1) As this force rotates any looseness in the structure will result in a deviation in the relationship of the material and the cutter
What machine design factors are involvedStructural integrity includes lead screws and their
hysteresis for mechanical engraving machines spindle bearings and their looseness for both mechanical and laser engravers gantry or table rails their bearings and looseness and the machinersquos frame In fact anything and everything that holds the tool and material in the proper relationship during the cuttingengraving process contributes to or detracts from structural integrity
Why is it importantIn a word Quality Structural integrity influences
the quality of the finished products the machine will produce
For illustration Irsquoll use a mechanical engraving system If the looseness in our machine and the cutting force applied were uniform throughout the 360deg of tool rotation the result would be a wobble in the tool path which might not be visible in the finished product
Cutting ForcesIn the real world however as the tool moves through
the material the cutting and reactive forces go through a cycle (see diagram 2) When the tool starts the cut there is a spike in force The force will level to a constant through the top side of the cut while itrsquos cutting against the direction of the toolrsquos movement Then it will drop somewhat when itrsquos cutting with the toolrsquos movement and finally fall off on the back side as the cutting edge of the tool enters the void area where the material has already been removed
The amount of force applied during the cutting process will vary depending on the material being
cut the tool and its sharpness the depth of cut the material feed rate and whether or not lubricant is used The cutting force may also vary over the length of the job as the toolrsquos cutting edge wears and becomes dull
Machine Component Looseness
In addition to the cutting force not being uniform throughout the 360deg of tool rotation l o o s e n e s s i n t h e machinersquos structure will also vary For example dur ing the cut t ing operation as the tool transitions through 0deg and 180deg of rotation X axis hysteresis will be a factor in overall machine looseness but Y axis hysteresis will have no effect At 90deg and 270deg the Y axis will become a factor but the X axis will have no impact
In the real world any looseness in the machine will cause an oscillation in the cut which will have its own angle If we could slow the toolrsquos movement we would see this oscillation as a sharp jump in the positional relationship between the tool and material being cut In the finished product this sharp jump in position will result in a jagged cut
December 2007 23Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE ENGRAVING Outline amp OverviewThe Nuts and Bolts of Machine AccuracyMachine accuracy or capability can be defined as a result of six features 1 Resolution ndash the smallest incremental movementpositioning of a speci-fied axis 2 Speed ndash the ability to complete a task in a reasonable amount of time without sacrificing accuracy or creating damage to the machine or product 3 Repeatability ndash the ability to duplicate a previous position without error 4 Hysteresis ndash the ldquosloprdquo or ldquoplayrdquo in motion control components 5 Structural Integrity ndash stiffness or strength ndash the ability to cut materials without error or damage This is especially important for mechanical engrav-ers 6 Structural Tolerances ndash the sum accuracy of a machinersquos mechanical components
Machine ComponentsWersquoll examine nine factors that determine a machinersquos accuracy They include 1 Motors ndash including DC Stepper DC Brushless DC Servo and AC Servo a Spindles ndash motors that rotate the cutting bit b Axis Drive ndash motors that position the material to the cutting bit c Horsepower ratings ndash real versus advertised 2 The Motion Control Drive Unit ndash including Geared Belt and Lead Screws a Lead Screws ndash including Acme Re-circulating Ball Standard and Precision b Mounting ndash including Simple Fixed and Thrust bearing types c Protection ndash Open or Closed 3 Guide Rails ndash Types include V Bearing Rail Bushing Shaft Dove Tail and Re-circulating Ball Bearing 4 Encoders ndash Types include Rotary and Linear Methodologies include incremental or absolute 5 Tachometers ndash used for speed stability acceleration and breaking control for closed loop servo systems 6 Bearings ndash including Sleeve Ball and Linear Re-circulating Ball a Applications ndash including Radial Thrust and Linear b Quality ndash Standard thru Ultra Precision 7 Spindles ndash including topbottom loading Collets and Sleeves 8 Material Hold Down ndash including mechanical clamps and vacuum sys-tems 9 Electronic Interface ndash Computer control methods
Wersquoll also examine Reliability what makes it And Serviceability is it fix-able
If the cutting oscillation is at any angle other than the direction of the cut and the oscillation is great enough a jagged cut will be visible in the finished product A cut deviation of as little as 001rdquo is visible to the naked eye and will most commonly show up on curves and circles but may show up on straight lines as well
To illustrate this point a little further and perhaps make it somewhat clearer Irsquod like to refer to diagrams 3 and 4 For purposes of these illustrations we will assume we have a machine that has some looseness on both the X and Y axes However the rest of the machine
is structurally solid the frame is rigid and no other components have any loosenessMaking these assumptions and disregarding the variation in force caused by the cutter
as it travels through the material we will have cutting oscillations at 0deg 180deg 90deg and 270deg during the toolrsquos rotation As the tool travels through the material on its path these oscillations will cause a slight variation in the centerline of the toolrsquos cut
Diagram 3 shows a horizontal tool path While the machine is cutting in this direction any X axis looseness will be masked by the cutter path itself however looseness in the Y axis will result in a slight oscillation in the cutterrsquos horizontal position and therefore a deviation in its cut Diagram 4 shows the effect of the X axis looseness which will impact vertical lines
As you can see from this discussion and these illustrations structural integrity ie looseness in the components from which a machine is constructed can make a significant difference in quality of the finished products that a machine will produce
Next time wersquoll consider structural tolerances and their impact
John McDaniel with his wife Judy are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry For information on training services offered and their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom They can be reached by phone at 541-967-4271 via SKYPE (user name JHMcDaniel) or via email at JHMcDanielCorelDRAWhelpcom See the full bio on the Writers Page
December 2007 24Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
the image the text and the red bow In the laser file for this example I have the red cut line for vectoring (See Figure 5)
5) Send the cardstock through the printer6) Place the cardstock in the laser for vector
cutting The thickness of the stock will determine what settings to use For my 35-watt laser using a medium weight cardstock I used a speed of 100 and power of 15 for a nice cut through the stock without any burn marks on the paper
7) Optional in one run I decided to let the laser take care of the bow instead of using color for it from my printer I set the outline of the bow to 100 black and the interior of the bow to 50 black (See Figure 6)
8) Then I only sent the image and text through the printer The bow and vector cutting occurred in the laser I set the raster engraving (of the bow) at speed 70 and power 40 (See Figure 7) You can see the differentiation of using 100 black as opposed to 50 black by the exterior lines
being engraved a little deeper than the rest of the fill
Take the idea of using patterns (like the birth announcement above) and wowing your clientele with the detail and intricacy that laser can provide Or add a twist to a holiday tradition (cards) Whatever you do donrsquot forget you can combine the advantages of the printer and laser for fabulous products
Submitted by Kathryn Arnold Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
LASER TIPBy Kathryn Arnold Applications
Combining Laser amp Printer PowerComing up with new and
inventive ways to use your laser is the key to a successful and growing business We will look at a way to combine the power of your computer (ink) printer with the power of the laser engraver
In this lesson we will take a look at using cardstock to create a card and an announcement See the examples of a holiday card and a birth announcement ndash gratuitously they are of my family (Figure 1 amp Figure 2)
1) In CorelDRAWreg use any pattern image text you wish Be sure that there is a clear and discernible vector line that will be laser cut and yield a cut piece from the cardstock2) See the clear (red) cut line ndash it goes fully around my object even the bow portion (important) I then duplicated my object to fit as many as possible on my 8 frac12 x 11 cardstock (See Figure 3) 3) I saved this file as my master file that I could return to at any point I then created two copies -- one that will
be used to send the file to my printer and one that will be used to send the file to my laser engraver (See Figure 4)
4) In the master file I have every part of what my end product will have In the file for my printer I only have the parts that the printer will print ndash in this example
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
December 2007 25Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
ELECTRONICS FRONTIERBy Louie Alvarez Opportunity
Webcams are an interesting subject which I am intimately familiar with Some typical questions are what are they what purpose do they serve what benefit are they what to look for and various other questions concerns and issues
Webcams surely bring back a memory or two not all that great I might add I remember when they first became usable primarily due to the Internet having affordable true broadband
First experiences The choppy poor quality of dial-up service
simply didnrsquot make this a useful technology Short of communicating with far-flung family members it left much to be desired With my immediate family living in Las Vegas and all other family (parents siblings cousins etc) living in California this was a technology I thought would be useful to keep in touch
So I set up my computer and my momrsquos computer with Webcams to stay in touch Needless to say with the poor quality terrible tracking (had to keep perfectly
sti l l because video frames didnrsquot refresh fas t enough) the hard-to-see tiny video window and poorly synchronized voices to the faces (we looked like a badly translated kung fu movie) the novelty quickly wore off (Irsquod say in about 30 minutes)
WebcamsSecond attempt
So I promptly dumped the technology for the next few years until I started seeing broadband picking up the pace and more interest in Webcams becoming obvious from all the new devices on the market So about three years ago a wireless Webcam caught my eye and I decided to put it to the test once again
Considering I was by then traveling quite extensively (about 40000 miles a year) I figured Irsquod use it to monitor my home I had two teenagers and a 5-year-old at home at the time while I was on the road and my wife was still a t work (She normally didnrsquot get off work until about two hours after school was out) So this looked to be a cool device to see if as the clicheacute goes when the catrsquos away the mice will play
I proceeded to position this wireless Webcam strategically to allow viewing of my living room including the back door Plus to get to the front door or side door you would have to pass through the field of the camera My little one loved the idea of being on camera for her daddy and would dance play and make funny faces for me Pretty cool actually That in itself almost justified the camera but needless to say my teenagers even my wife didnrsquot take to the idea too well So it was returned and life continued on as usual
That experience did show me that the broadband
speeds the quality of the video feeds the prevalence on the net of live cams and the quality of the video cameras (better known as Webcams) had progressed to a level of usefulness and I could see the potential of this technology With that said letrsquos get into the heart of this article
So what are webcams Basically they are digital cameras attached to
the computer and connected to the Web or Instant Messaging (IM) This allows the camera to be linked to a website or to each other directly and individuals who view the website or IM are able to see what the camera is viewing at that moment You can choose to get either still pictures that are updated at regular intervals (Snapshot) or live streams (Streaming) depending on what your bandwidth permits The WebCam technology has advanced sufficiently now to make it both easier and cheaper to maintain a camera that is refreshing an image 24 hours a day
Features of Web Cameras Listed here are some of the features more commonly
found in WebCams1 Live streaming video still pictures updated2 No plug-in or software necessary to view image
can be viewed with any Web browser3 Live audio4 Incorporation with other software such as Instant
Messaging (IM)5 Adding captionslogostime displays6 Archiving video7 Chat feature
December 2007 26Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
WebCams in an instructional scenario could be used to
Monitor your staff or employees thus being able to guide them better
Telecommute to companies worldwide and demonstrate project procedures
B roadcas t sem ina rs wo rkshops o r demonstrations
Share special events and programs with students enrolled in distance learning courses
Hold a video press conference online meeting or broadcast meetings and discussions
In some cases it is important for the learner to be able to establish a connection visually WebCams could be a good alternative to using text files or audio files
Join WebCam groups and allow students to take advantage of other WebCam locations for educational purposes
Using a web camera allows learners to be a part of either a conference or classstudio
Benefits of using WebCamsa The most important advantage of using a web camera is that it creates a direct link between the camera and the live site and dispenses with all the production work Production work in this context includes the cost and effort involved in shooting
editing and streaming videos Thus using a WebCam does not require
advanced skillsb The software is basically a Web server that runs on your system and pushes images out to a Web page For viewers of images delivered over a WebCam
one of the benefits is that they get the entire picture preferable in
certain cases rather than a sleek edited versionc WebCam technology can also be used for remote s u r v e i l l a n c e s y s t e m s
ELECTRONIC FRONTIER
monitoring events or places and broadcasting live eventsd Learners can link to a web camera-monitored location and just watch or also have an additional web camera in their own location enabling two-way communication
Setting up your WebCama Setting up your own WebCam obviously requires a computer a WebCam (the hardware) and WebCam software along with a broadband Internet connection Before you decide which camera to buy and which software to acquire yoursquoll have to review the different methods to show pictures or video feed through the Internet ( i e r e f r e s h e d after x amount of seconds) This will enable you to decide which hardware and software solution will fit your situation best
b P l a c e m e n t of a camera is an important decision to be made Decide whether a static angle is sufficient to demonstrate the concept or a moving camera (handheld) is required It is important however to remember the limitations of using WebCams and leave the panoramic and other fancy shots to more sophisticated video Use WebCams for videos that require more focus and ones that require a smaller viewingmovement range
c For detailed technical instructions on using WebCams visit httpdeveloperswebcamworldcommethodshtml
d Here is a good resource for inexpensive Webcams on the market httpcastlepricewatchcomssearchasps=webcams
e For an in-depth review of various Webcams on the market go to this link httpreviewscnetcom4244-6502_7-0-1htmlquery=webamptag=cat_1
f There are many Webcam examples online here are a couple httpwwwwebcamworldcom or httpwwwleonardsworldscomcamerahtml
By the way DONrsquoT TELL MY KIDS I picked up a Logitech QuickCam Pro 4000 not too long ago My family doesnrsquot know why I got it or what my intention is but I can say that now that my kids are 17 16 amp 8 my job as a parent is to ensure the mice donrsquot play when the catrsquos awayhellip
Louie Alvarez began acquiring his experience in the awards and engraving industry in Central California over 15 years ago first as an employee of the largest and oldest trophy shop and then as owner of one of the first laser engraving businesses Louie has been a featured workshop instructor and seminar speaker throughout the industry in addition to being a contributing writer to numerous industry publications Louie is based in Las Vegas NV and can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
December 2007 27Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
The Association of CorelDRAWreg Professionals is The Education amp Business Resource for CorelDRAW Users Worldwide Its goal is to help 1) IMPROVE your CorelDRAW skills and 2) MAKE MONEY with those skills You can participate in ACDRP services in four ways
THE WORLDrsquoS ONLY ASSOCIATION FOR CORELDRAWreg USERSINVITES YOU TO MAKE MORE MONEY WITH CORELDRAW
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month focused on Industry News via the Graphics News Wire Links to valuable resources and a complete educa-tion and show Calendar S
CorelDRAWPro the Entrepreneurial magazine for CorelDRAW users features in-depth content on How to Use CorelDRAW -- tips tricks advanced ar twork success s to r ies in te rv iews and more How to Apply CorelDRAW -- for graphic production processes such as embroidery engraving heat printing laser promo products printing sandblasting signmaking sublimation and screenprinting How to Profit from CorelDRAW -- Product news business columns reviews profiles and advertising with live links
SUBSCRIBE -- NO CHARGE JOIN -- $60 PER YEAR
All users of CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite are qualified to subscribe free to CorelDRAWPro magazine (PDF format) and CorelDRAWPro E-News
Subscription to CorelDRAWPro amp CorelDRAWPRo E-News
TTF Newsletter Subscription to the monthly Tips Templates amp Fixtures Newsletter only available to members
GSG Basic Listing You can list your services in the Graphic Services Guide in one category as part of membership (a $25 value)
Access to QuickLearn A keyword searchable database of 100s of articles on CorelDRAW graphics production and business
All users of CorelDRAWreg are invited to join the Association and take advantage of exclusive content discounts and profes-sional recognition ACDRP membership includes
TTF
QuickLearn
QuickTNT
Archives
BASIC GSG LISTING -- $25 PER YR
The Graphic Services Guide is the Industry Yellow Pages for Services and Finished Goods GSG is promoted in all our publi-cations and our website to the world of CorelDRAW users Your listing gives you the opportunity to promote your services (in any of 40 categories) to other CorelDRAW usersThe Basic Listing includes your company description email link and listing in one category Additional service categories are $10 each per year
The Enhanced GSG Listing is for companies that want to list in two categories and add a photo or logo
ENHANCED GSG LISTING -- $50$75 PER YR
Classifieds
Access to QuickTnT A growing database of CorelDRAW tips for understanding the fine points of the program and templates that can be downloaded to speed up your production
Access to Archives Past issues of CorelDRAWPro are available to members with live links
Bookstore Discounts Members receive a 10 discount on all products in the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore
Professional Recognition Use of the ACDRP logo for professional identification on business cards websites and letterhead You also receive a membership certificate
Classified Ads Members can place one classified ad per year at no charge with photo and run it till the item is sold (a $35 value)
HOW TO PARTICIPATE To Subscribe (no charge) To Join ($60yr) To List in the Graphic Services Guide ($25 Basic $50$75 Enhanced or $120145 for Multi-Service)
CorelDRAWreg is a registered trademark of Corel Corp and is used with permission
Visit wwwcoreldrawprocomand click on the appropriate links
800-276-8428
The Multi-Service GSG Listing allows you to list up to 40 differ-ent service categories with detailed descriptions and add a photo or logo
MULTI-SERVICE GSG LISTING -- $120$145 PER YR
December 2007 28Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Throughout the year this publication has reported on whatrsquos new in equipment tools and software and blank products for businesses that put graphics onto products
For this 2007 wrap-up CorelDRAWPro editorial staff reviewed all the product news for the year and named 33 products to its annual Top Products of the Year list
Selections were based on the criteria of innovation and impact Innovation means products that exhibit a high degree of originality or uniqueness Impact means products that influence sales or productivity for a large number of businesses
Note that the 2007 honorees are list alphabetically in the three theme sections
For more information on the products in this article click on the Info Request button at the bottom of each page and select by company name or product You might open the Info Request page and minimize it as you read That way you can quickly open it and check the products you want
EQUIPMENT
ANAJET DIRECT-TO-GARMENT DIGITAL PRINTERAnaJet Digital Apparel Printer (Model FP-125) from
AnaJet Inc in Costa Mesa CA is a direct-to-garment printer offering high quality and affordability It can print custom graphics on any cotton or poly-cotton flat textile material in one minute The printer priced affordably from under $13000 can produce up to 5000 shirts per month each retailing for about $20 Most printers installed so far are in a production plant environment but some customers have started to take the mobile printer to malls for instant printing of customer graphics According to Dr Chase Roh company president the unique printhead they have developed allows for 16x more ink flow than normal desktop printers and thus shirts only require one pass
Top Products of the Year
DTG AMERICA ECLIPSE D-1 WITH TWO HEADS DTG America of Tampa FL and Fort Worth TX now offers a new solution to
speed up digitally printing to dark shirts The Eclipse D-1 incorporates two heads instead of one One head has eight channels of white to lay down a solid white underbase The second head has four channels of white to do highlights and four channels of color to lay down the design The result of this new configuration is the underbase and color are completed in one pass at an estimated average of only two minutes per shirt for a 12-inch by 6-inch area Other innovations include an ink agitator firmware for easy updating ink vapor remover auto gap adjustment and new platen configuration for easy loading
GEO KNIGHT DK 25SP HEAT PRESSThe Digital Knight DK25SP is an air-operated automatic
20x25 oversized swing-away heat press with a state-of-the-art control system and heavy-duty solid steel welded framework The smooth automatic pressing and push-button activation provides a productive fatigue-free operation The extended 20x25 size of the heat platen is perfect for sublimation and large-format materials pressingThe press is adjustable to accommodate materials from fabric thickness all the way up to 1rdquo thick substrates For more information call 800-525-6766 or visit wwwheatpresscom
GRAPHTEC CRAFT ROBO PROGraphtec America Inc based in Santa Ana
CA introduced the new Craft ROBO Pro 15rdquo cutting plotter The Craft ROBO Pro is an ideal solution for cutting a wide variety of materials including vinyl film card stock foil heat transfer and image transfer media Incorporating Graphtecrsquos legendary
December 2007 29Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
ARMS (Advanced Registration Marks System) and combined with a desktop printer the Craft ROBO Pro makes contour cutting an easy task Innovations include a new digital servo motor first mark auto-sensing menu navigation system that includes 8 user-defined conditions Tangential Control and three software applications
ROLAND RELEASES DIRECT-TO-FABRIC PRINTERRoland DGA Corp of Irvine CA released
the new 74rdquo HeatWave DFP-74 Fabric Printer through its reseller channel in the US Based on Rolandrsquos HeatWave sublimation technology the DFP-74 Fabric Printer is a complete integrated solution and Rolandrsquos first inkjet ever to support direct printing onto polyester fabrics As a complete solution including printer sublimation unit inks and RIP software the DFP-74 makes it easier than ever for shops to enter the fast-growing textile printing market Key features include eight advanced piezo print heads an intelligent media handling system and a temperature-controlled heating system
HOTRONIX PERFECT PRESSURE HEAT PRESSHotronix of Carmichaels PA has taken heat press technology
to the next level with Perfect Pressure a new digital pressure display functionThis new feature has a single-digit LED readout
that measures the pressure of the inner platen This technology is exclusive to Hotronix and is patent pending Previously a
digital pressure display was available only on air-operated heat press machines With this new pressure display gauge all heat press users will have more consistent results from job to job reducing the number of misprints and speeding up production For more information about
the new digital pressure display contact Stahlsrsquo Hotronix at 800-478-2457 e-mail infostahlscom or visit the Web site at wwwstahlscom
SWF DREAM EMBROIDERY MACHINEWith its new DREAM Machine SWF has broken the barrier in multi-head
embroidery machine technology The DREAM machines are the first multi-head embroidery machines that truly can sew at 1500 stitches per minute During the research and development of these new machines 12 new patents were filed and granted proof that the DREAM machines are built with state-of-the-art technology
Innovations include LED control panel error codes to quickly troubleshoot problems optional devices to do sequins cording and boring automatic oiling system large memory a hoop selector and more These innovative new machines come in configurations ranging from
two to six heads It is distributed exclusively by SWF East (Tampa FL) and SWF MESA (Dallas TX)
MESArsquoS HOTFIX SPANGLE MOTIF MACHINEWith the all new YAS-11 Hotfix Spangle Motif Making
Machine the first of its kind in the United States you can create beautiful spangle transfer designs that have the look of sequins This patented machine which is distributed exclusively in the United States by MESA Distributors of Fort Worth TX cuts out shapes such as circles and squares in a range of sizes from reels of Mylar tape The machine comes with proprietary design software that allows the user to create any pattern or design up to 157 by 157 inches
SAWGRASSrsquo HYBRID SYSTEM FOR EPSON R1800Sawgrass Technologies of Mt Pleasant SC introduced
the SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid System for the Epson R1800 for both sublimation printing and cotton
decorating from one machine The affordable entry-level system features dual functionality with both SubliJet and ChromaBlast inks in one machine allowing users to create customized images with superior color and clarity on both polyester coated substrates and cotton garments This is the second
hybrid system from Sawgrass following in the footsteps of the popular SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid
System for the Epson 4800
TROTECrsquoS NEW LARGE PLATFORM LASER Trotec Laser Inc of Ypsilanti MI has introduced the SP500 series of laser
engraving and cutting systems The systems have a work area of 50rdquo X 28rdquo and X-Axis clearance of 12rdquo The systems are offered in power levels from 45W-200W There is an available pass-through option (Class 4) Exhaust fumes are captured
December 2007 30Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
at the laser head to insure an efficient extraction when using the pass-through featureTrotec systems are designed for minimal wear-and-tear and eliminate the need for periodic replacement of belts and bearings For additional information visit our web site wwwtrotecnet or call 866-226-8505 734-484-3260
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW PROFESSIONAL SERIESUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) of Scottsdale
AZ added four new models in its Professional Laser Series (PLS) line of advanced high-productivity computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving systems The new PLS line which replaces Universalrsquos M V and X laser systems incorporates a
host of evolutionary design improvements to the laser cartridge platform chassis system electronics and software interface The new PLS models include several
powerful new features most notably a unique materials-based print driver called ldquoLaser Interface +rdquo that gives users their choice
between automatic or manual control over power speed and other system settings For more information on Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit Universal Laser Systems online at wwwulsinccom
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW VERSALASERUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) added a
new version of its desktop-sized VersaLasertrade
computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving system The new VersaLaser
improves on the award-winning original thanks to a host of evolutionary design refinements It also
includes a unique next-generation materials-based print driver that automatically calculates power speed
and other system settings It was awarded a patent for the unique design of its external cabinet which also functions as a Class 1 laser safety enclosure For more information about VersaLaser or Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit wwwulsinccom
US SCREENrsquoS FAST T-JET 3US Screen Print and Inkjet Technology of Tempe
AZ adds the Fast T-Jet3TM which features 30 faster print speeds compared to the previous T-Jet2 model and has a longer low profile print bed for easier loading and unloading Now you can produce a full size 12rdquo x 12rdquo (305 x 305 cm) print in one minute on a light shirt and in under three minutes on a black shirt with white ink Small pocket images can be printed in about 15 seconds
US SCREENrsquoS AUTOMATED PRETREATMENT CENTER
Speed up production when using Fast T-Jet inkjet-to-garment printers with the AutoTREATtrade Automatic Pretreatment Center
This versatile piece of equipment allows you to treat shirts on a production level rather than spraying shirts individually one at a time For use with light or dark shirts the AutoTREATtrade
can spray up to three shirts per minute It has two application modesmdashone for lights and one for darks that can be switched over by activating the cleaning mode which flushes out the system with water
TOOLS MATERIALS SOFTWARE
CORELDRAW X3 CERTIFIED FOR WINDOWS VISTACorel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that
CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite X3 has been Certified for Windows Vista Customers who wish to install the Certified for Windows Vista version of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X3 can download the latest service pack (SP2) from wwwcorelcom This new update delivers an exceptional experience for customers on Windows Vista including an updated user interface enhanced security improved text handling and further enhancements to the popular suitersquos renowned import and export file compatibility
COREL LAUNCHES NEW ONLINE COMMUNITY Corel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that it
has launched httpcoreldrawcom a new online community for users of the CorelDRAWreg family of products ndash including CorelDRAW Graphics Suite Corel DESIGNERreg Technical Suite
December 2007 31Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
and Corelreg DRAWingsreg This new community site is the first in a series that Corel will be launching to support its various user communities Designed to fuel inspiration CorelDRAWcom combines forums blogs and galleries for design professionals and graphic hobbyists alike Forums are available in English French German and Spanish serving an international audience
DALCOrsquoS NEW REFLECTIVE HEAT TRANSFERSCater to the safety market with new reflective transfers offered
by Dalco Athletic of Dallas TX These durable transfers come in a reflective silver gray color in three styles police sheriff and fire dept They are sized for left chest and full back so
all you have to do is heat seal for 8 seconds and yoursquore done Itrsquos very fast and easy
DALCOrsquoS NEW OPTIC YELLOW CLASSIC SWB APPLIQUE
Classic SWB appliqueacute designs offered by Dalco Athletic now come in two new styles softballs and tennis balls in optic yellow fabric These new balls literally jump off any wearable and make it an eye-catching standout This appliqueacute collection is ideal for spiritwear items to be sold to fans and family or created as fund-raisers for boosters clubs
POWER GRAPHICS 3 FROM DIGITAL ART SOLUTIONSPower Graphics 3 by Digital Art Solutions of
Tempe AZ is the ultimate design tool for the creation of high-end custom graphics and logos for custom signage awards vehicle graphics promotional products and apparel graphics Tuned to the latest styles and trends it provides fresh graphics that will impress even the most critical and demanding customer It includes more than 1500 images The 10 design categories include Flames Gangsta (Urban) Mascots Offroad Rebel (Biker and Hot
Rod) Retro Speed Sports Surf and Tuner
FLORIANI COMMERCIALrsquoS NEW NO-SHOW DIAMOND MESHContinuing in its tradition of research and development
to create embroidery stabilizers that meet the needs of todayrsquos embroiderers Floriani Embroidery Commercial Division of Knoxville TN released a new product called Floriani No-Show Diamond Mesh This unique nylon mesh stabilizer has a perpendicular embossed pattern that makes it more multi-directionally stable and enables it to better hold stitches for crisper design registration It is specifically designed for light-colored garments where traditional stabilizers have a tendency to show through the front of the garment
GREAT DANErsquoS NEW DIGITAL PHOTO FRAMES Tap into the lucrative team market with an
incredible collection of stock art specially designed to work for direct-to-garment printers sublimation transfers and digital transfers Digital Photo Frames Volume 1 is a collection of spectacular pre-designed layouts each with one or more frames to
insert personal photos The collection includes five categories baseball football basketball soccer and hockey Each category has four designs (20 total layouts) and each design comes in three template formats mugs mouse pads and shirts
So there are a total of 60 template designs in all
IMPRINTABLES WAREHOUSE OFFERS SPECTRA ECO FILMNew from Imprintables Warehouse of
Masontown PA is a digital cutter material that is free of PVC a plus with companies that want to be as environmentally friendly as possible Spectra Eco Film is made with ecological polyurethane and is peeled hot It is pressure sensitive (sticky backing) and extremely easy to weed While maintaining superior durability and opacity this new film is thinner than current offerings on the market and delivers the super soft hand that is in demand by todayrsquos consumers It can be used on 100 cotton 100 polyester polycotton blends and even nylon and leather
December 2007 32Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
KISSCUT TECHNOLOGIESrsquo SELF-WEEDING INKJET TRANSFER PAPER
Kiss Cut Technologies Ltd Newcastle UK has addressed the ldquopolymer windowrdquo issue and developed the worldrsquos first self-weeding inkjet transfer paper for printing to textiles In simple terms only the areas of their patented transfer paper that have been printed will be transferred to the garment when heat pressed A Kiss Cut print can be further embellished with specialized textile foils so in effect a digital foiling method is now available Foil is heat pressed onto the garment and when peeled the foil only sticks to the image areas
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW PHOTOPLAS-TIC MATERIALLaserSketchcom of Lemont IL a leading supplier of
LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble Super Black Granite and Black Onyx Jewelry introduces their new PhotoPlas-Tic This is a new material developed for front andor reverse laser engraving on micro surface impact acrylic plastic It is a premium plastic for laser engraving that is UV stable ideal for photo badges plaques trophies signage and high-end awards Each sheet of PhotoPlas-Tic is specially designed for a crisp clean burn and ultra-fine laser lettering logo and vector output For details call 630-243-6360 or visit wwwlasersketchcom
THEMAGICTOUCH LAUNCHES WOW TRANSFER PAPERTheMagicTouch USA launched WoW Professional
71 transfer paper which requires no weeding or profile cutting and the vibrant colors are achieved using digital laser technology making it great for short runs It uses PolymationTM which incorporates a newly designed catalyst that provides the ultimate compatibility with all generations of dry toner material According to the company PolymationTM is the next generation of laser heat transfer Sublimation requires the substrate to have a specialty receiving polymer coating to absorb the pigments but PolymationTM delivers everything at once polymer pigments and catalyst
December 2007 33Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
offers distinct advantages over any other process It allows for an unlimited number of colors and very fine detail which is impossible with screen printing or embroidery And the cost does not go up as colors are added These new specialty materials are so advanced they can be heat sealed to all kinds of fabrics and hot new multimedia designs can be easily done
VAPOR APPAREL LAUNCHES VAPOR ART VOLUME 1V a p o r A p p a r e l
a s u b s i d i a r y o f SourceSubstrates LLC Charleston SC announces the launch of Vapor Art - Volume 1 a collection of 127 vector graphics for digital sublimation and general use The diverse collection
of high-quality graphics comes after several years of customers requesting access to the companyrsquos sample art at trade shows and educational events The Collection of art includes vector drawings and JPGs for everything from mountain biking and snowboarding to yoga and cheerleading
BLANK PRODUCTS
COLORADO HEIRLOOMrsquoS COLOR LACQUERED FRAMES
Colorado Heirloom Inc of Loveland CO introduced their new Color Lacquered Frames This is an option to add color your unique creations It is not color fill Colored lacquer is sprayed on their high quality wood frames Because
INKTRA STRETCH TRANSFER PAPER FROM STAHLSrsquoStahlsrsquo based in St Clair
Shores MI adds InkTratrade Stretch a flexible transfer paper A revolutionary product InkTratrade Stretch provides a soft hand with an amazing stretch and recovery feature InkTratrade Stretch lets you take your favorite photo or graphic design and apply it to light colored or white hats shirts bags and more for a long lasting and completely personalized garment The highly stretchable paper can be applied to cotton polycotton blends spandex and Lycrareg
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo GOOF-PROOF TRANSFERSWant the look of screen
printing without the hassle With Goof Proofreg transfers offered by Transfer Express of Mentor OH you can custom order a transfer that has the popular athletic feel and will apply in a blazing four seconds Ordering is done step-by-step online and you can customize hundreds of designs You choose your
typeface colors and size Once your design is just the way you want it you can print it out to show a customer for approval Or Transfer Express can print from your artwork The minimum order is only five pieces and your one-color order ships in one to three working days
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo NEW FULL-COLOR DIGI PRINTSApparel decorators can now offer full-color designs on light
and dark apparel made of virtually any type of fabric without the hassle or minimums of screen printing with new state-of-the-art heat transfer technology called Digi Printstrade Offered through Transfer Express this revolutionary new method of decorating
December 2007 34Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
lacquer is used instead of paint any design can be lasered on these frames The possibilities are endless These colorful creations are offered in two different designs -- a designer frame and a frame with an insert Call 970-667-4222 or visit wwwcoloradoheirloomcom
CONDE ADDS PET MATS FOR SUBLIMATIONCondeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added food bowl placemats and litter box
mats to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Favorite photographs and pet-related artwork can be transferred to the
mats to create fun products for individual pet lovers or for the pet industry such as pet stores veterinarians groomers boarding facilities and animal adoption groups Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing Call Conde at 800-826-6332
CONDE INTRODUCES FABRIC PATCHES FOR SUBLIMATION
Condeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added fabric patches to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Custom decorators can now produce unique full-color patches that will impress organizations businesses clubs sports teams sports enthusiasts and individuals alike -- without the use of embroidery Heat seal patches are great for identification marketing awards trade show promotions or to commemorate special events Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing or call 800-826-6332
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW LASERSLABLaserSketch of Lemont IL Internationally known for
their LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble and Super Black Granite announces LaserSlab Super Black Granite at 4rsquo x 8rsquo x 7mm and 4rsquo x 4rsquo x 7mm weighting in at just over 2 pounds per square foot The surface of the LaserSlab Granite has the sheen of a black mirror The reverse side features epoxy fiberglass backing to give structure integrity to the ultra-lite granite sheet All may be viewed wwwlasersketchcom or by calling LaserSketch 630-243-6360
MATTHEWS INTRODUCES ALUMICOLORTM
Matthews International Corp of Pittsburgh PA introduced Alumicolortrade a high-resolution graphics solution for aluminum signage recognition commemoration and way finding Using cutting-edge technology Matthews embeds a four-color image into the aluminum to create an anodized reproduction of unsurpassed durability Alumicolortrade products which are designed for interior and exterior installations are resistant to extreme weather conditions graffiti scuffing grease chemicals and UV rays Additionally they will not chip crack or peel
PSI ADDS ROUND FRAMES amp STRING PUZZLES Paramount Services Inc of Hollywood FL
introduced new round resin frames for sublimation tiles Choose from Coral or RopeStone with optional Unisubreg Hardboard Tiles They will also accept the Bison 8rdquo round glass Cutting Board Why be square when round may fit better PSI also introduced a new puzzle guaranteed to string you along These String Puzzles come with a Unisubreg Hardboard puzzle and the necessary string and beads along with instructions how to string it after printing Templates to aid in design are available for download in several formats For details call 800-455-7212 or visit wwwDye-Sublimation-Productscom
CRYSTALEDGEreg LUXORTM CRYSTAL AWARDSCrystalEdgereg Chicago IL presented the Luxortrade Series
This stunning cost-effective collection comprises a series of specially designed Rosewood and Black Piano finish bases Matte Mahogany and Matte Black bases and a precision cast Satin Nickel Finish Metal Base with your choice of brass or silver hardware for mounting our twelve unique shapes making this the most versatile award yet Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks are curved 14rdquo thick crystal clear glass with 316rdquo diameter holes for mounting The Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks feature a generous engraving area and there is plenty of room on the base to add an engraving plate
December 2007 35Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
XENETECHrsquoS NEW ENGRAVABLE GIFTSXenetech of Baton Rouge
LA introduced high quality engravable gift items at wholesale and quantity discounts The Xenetech collection provides a selection of gifts created for corporate recognition weddings births holidays anniversaries retirements birthdays special occasions or just expressing appreciation Items include money clips key chains book markers desk accessories quartz movement clocks flasks amp wine accessories entertainment gifts travel gifts genuine Swiss Army knives business card holders luggage tags silver-plated jewelry boxes keepsake gift boxes silver-plated banks and baby gifts The gift items are designed primarily for diamond drag burnishing and rotary engraving personalization
UNISUBrsquoS CHROMALUXE PHOTO PANELSChromaLuxe photo panels are an exciting new line
of sublimatable products from Unisub of Louisville KY These panels allow you to sell a completely finished photo product to your customers capturing some of the additional revenue (and profit) your customers now spend elsewhere on framing Available in a range of traditional photo sizes as well as exciting new shapes these panels can be joined together to create stunning photo displays -- perfect for a fireplace mantle l i b r a r y s h e l f or the top of an armoire Available in aluminum or MDF substrates
CorelDRAWPro IndexOne of our members in Michigan
requested that we put together an Index of all the articles wersquove published during the year
He prints out all the issues and puts them in binders but an Index would make it easy to reference specific articles We think itrsquos a good idea and wersquoll send it to all subscribers in January
Product Focus TopicsJanuary 2008 -- Signage Products esp Wide FormatFebruary 2008 -- Engraving Awards amp GiftsMarch 2008 -- Apparel ProductsApril 2008 -- Laser Wood Products
Coming in 2008
December 2007 36Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETSBy Donna M Gray CRM Opportunities
December ndash Time to Review December finds everyone on our team strategizing how to get out of our parking lot Our business sits right in the middle of an up-scale strip mall which sits right behind a huge shopping mall and right along the main road to a Target Superstore and other large malls We all know that from the day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday) until 2 weeks after the New Year there are great challenges to those of us who like to leave the building for lunch or run an errandhellipso we strategize We all know every secret shortcut to the bank the post office and the warehouse club What we donrsquot know is how to find the way to merge out of our own back alley into the constant flow of traffic that carries people to their end shopping destination Whew
The year-end review So this year Dave and I have decided to stay in at lunch and do our business strategizing instead Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup are good brain food for helping us to look at all the successful things we did last year as a company all the things we thought about doing but didnrsquot because the idea didnrsquot quite fit and all the things we put off until next year We do this kind of exercise every year end and it helps us to map out our strategy for the coming year In the process we identify any mistakes wersquove made wrong turns wersquove taken and we try to find the ldquowhat could have happened had everything gone rightrdquo
The value of making mistakes Albert Einstein said ldquoAnyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything newrdquo Dave has a couple of prints in his office of Abraham Lincoln that describe his mistakes in fact it took Lincoln eight tries to win the presidency Thomas Edison made mistakeshellipand yet he perseveredhellipotherwise wersquod by ldquocomputingrdquo by candlelight And Irsquove heard that Colonel
Sanders had a thousand rejections before he sold his first chicken recipe It would be nice to get to our year end business appraisals and find that wersquove made no mistakes but our business like most others doesnrsquot have that claim to fame My mother always took the high road with mistakes She always said that one should recognize the benefits of a mistake One should learn what good came from it use it to improve and use it to help motivate success the next time So December is the time to analyze everything that made up the past year and look for ways to make the New Year successful in every way
Making a plan Most advisors say that the first step toward business success after looking at a companyrsquos year ending history is to decide on exactly what you want to do going forward in the coming year Then comes mapping out the plan What will be done How will it get done Who will do what What resources will be used When will it get done Is the right equipment in place Is the space adequate Ask these and any other questions that could relate to creating a successful year then focus on the details and follow through Those two wordshellipfocus and follow throughhellipcould mean the difference between marginal and abundant success Simply stated success comes from what you do and the way you do ithellipin your customerrsquos perception Every business wants to have a good imagehellipa good reputation so dedication to having good communication skills is important especially in an industry that does custom work The goal is to be on the same page as our clients so we have to be good mind readers We have to also concentrate on our professionalism on our appearance on our presentation style and in the pride we take in producing a well-done project This
has worked in the past and will remain the same in the future
The extra mile Success has to be nurturedhellipthen it gets celebrated Sometimes sacrifices have to be made to get to the rewards At year end when we analyze how we got from Point A to Point B itrsquos interesting to note that we sometimes had to take detours and sometimes the road blocks called for sacrificehellipof time or money Sometimes the sacrifice came in the way of a sleepless night worrying if an order that was lost in delivery would be found and re-routed to us in time to make a clientrsquos deadline Someone (unknown) said ldquoA day of worry is more exhausting than a week of workrdquo Anyone in business could testify to that Part of success is going the extra milehellipeven if it results in a sleepless night Going the extra mile is worth all the paid advertising in the world on the road to success
December 2007 37Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETS
Donna Grayrsquos 2nd book Itrsquos All Relative Surviving amp Thriving in a Family Business was published in September 2007
It describes her quest to identify the keys to suc-cess for small business and family businesses in particular She interviewed top businesses nationwide and discovered five common qualities implemented by successful business owners Check it out at the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore wwwcoreldrawprocomAllBook-storehtm
Commitments made and kept Our team felt good about some commitments we made and kept this past year like
We used a daily ldquoto-dordquo list and we set priorities in order of importance When we finished a project we ldquocelebratedrdquo and then moved on quickly to the next job We built in some time for ldquostress reliefrdquo with morning meeting breaks This was especially good when treats were served since wersquove got some good bakers on our staff We didnrsquot ldquoscreenrdquo calls through voice mail We considered every call to be important We ldquodid it right the first timerdquo even though it sometimes took longer We tied up all the ldquoloose endsrdquo We became ldquocheerleadersrdquo for each other When one of us accomplished a goal we all applauded We all tried to deliver more than we promised This can be challenging sometimes when working with a difficult project We eliminated (or tried to eliminate) unnecessary procedures and we simplified our paper flow system We spent most of our time on high priority tasks We all worked on our delegation skills We were committed to not wasting time either our own or other peoplersquos
Goals that were lacking Now all those great things being put on paper reminds me that we also had some goals we didnrsquot quite succeed athellipbut wersquoll try harder next year
We didnrsquot always ldquogrouprdquo tasks togetherhelliplike going to the bank and the post office in one trip or answering mail when it gets opened It wasnrsquot always easy to avoid procrastination Some low priority chores got put off There were still times when we couldnrsquot find enough hours to finish the work Our ldquotoolsrdquo didnrsquot always get put away when we were through with a project even though this is Daversquos pet peeve
Conclusion Experts say that we have to actively create our success not wait for it to happen This coming year hopefully none of us will sit in the comfort zone waiting for the phone to ring Therersquos an old Chinese proverb that goes ldquoIt you continually give you will continually haverdquo Our team will go on being involved in community activities When time is spent on worthwhile projects outside the business opportunities come knocking at the front counter Besideshellipat yearrsquos endhellipit makes us feel really good about the help we gave on these projects
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since1977 She can be reached by email at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
December 2007 38Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
GRAPHICS NEWS NETWORKAll these news and information products and services are part of the
Graphics News Network developed for ACDRP The goal is ldquoAll the News All the Time mdash For the World of Graphicsrdquo
GRAPHICS NewsWireThe Graphics News Wire is the always live always updated source for graphics news mdash products equipment technology and more Make it (CorelDRAWProcomNewsPagehtm) your home page or favorite to gain access to Breaking news updated regularly New Classified Ads New Job Announcements Supplier SpecialsAll news is related to graphic productsQuickSourceTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive amp Easy-To-Use
Search Engine
It gives you one-click access to suppliers products phone numbers and live links to ACDRP Member Suppliers Itrsquos always up-to-date searchable by keyword and accessible from your desktop
Quick TnTTM
The Industryrsquos Newest Resource for Graphics Tips amp Templates
Gain access to a growing library of CorelDRAW tips and templates that will make your work easier
QuickLearnTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive and
Easy-To-Use Article Library
Gain access to hundreds of articles on graphics-related and business topics searchable by keyword
The Entrepreneurial Magazine for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro Magazine is delivered to you once a month in PDF format It features in-depth content that readers rave about including articles on how to use CorelDRAW how to apply CorelDRAW and how to profit from CorelDRAW
News Tips amp Resources for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month mdash about the 15th and 25th It brings you highly targeted content that you wonrsquot find elsewhere including CorelDRAW Tips extensive product news links and a calendar of shows and training
MARKET PLACE
Quality Engravable JewelryHand-crafted in New England
GIFTS amp ACCESSORIES FOR WOMEN AND MEN
John E Lepper Inc800-835-3623 Fax 508-222-2732
wwwjeleppercom
GenuineWhite-tone
Pewter amp Gold
Some Things Were Meant To Be In Etched in Stone
Call for a free color catalog
NampR International1155 Allgood Rd 13Marietta GA 30062
678-560-4088Fax 678-560-1157
Importers amp Wholesalers of MarbleOnyx
Gifts amp Accessories
JOIN TODAY
The worldrsquos only association for CorelDRAWreg Users
wwwcoreldrawprocomJoinhtm
Place an Ad for as little as $215 per month
Find out how by calling our Ad Representative John McDaniel II
541-990-6687
the entrepreneurial magazine
GET LISTED TODAY
Generate new businessby doing jobs for others
List your company in GSG the Digital Yellow Pages for the industry wwwcoreldrawprocomListGSGhtm
December 2007 39Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Louie Alvarez started in the industry working for one of the largest trophy shops in Central California and then opened one of the first retail laser engraving businesses He has given seminars and workshops on CorelDRAW and Laser for many years and has written for several publications He is now with Vytek Industrial Lasers and is based in Las Vegas NV He can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
Kathryn Arnold is the Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
Errol Barr has a wide range of experience in sales amp marketing eventually getting into laser systems in 1999 currently with Vytek Industrial Lasers He also sold extensively in the CNC router industry selling the machines as more of a business opportunity wrapped around the machine He can be reached by email at errolbarrgmailcom
Dave Demoret founded Prolink Graphic Services to help people understand and profit from learning CorelDRAW He has been in both the Flat Graphics Industry and the Decorating Graphics Industry for 30 years He has written articles for several publications is a Corel Training Partner and conducts workshops nationwide and online He is the author of several CD Instructional programs on CorelDRAW He can be reached at 765-DO COLOR (362-6567) or davedprolinkgscom
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since 1977 She has presented seminars on a variety of topics nationwide and has won many marketing awards She is the author of two books on family business and can be reached at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
Bill Leek is a color consultant for JBL Graphics in Houston TX and has over 30 years experience in computer engineering and graphics design He has developed several lines of color imprintable products and does testing on a variety of products for different manufacturers He can be reached at wfleekjblgraphicscom or 281-970-6677
Jeff McDaniel is the owner of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon He worked as a journeyman machinist before getting into the graphic products business Creative Graphic offers laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials Contact him at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
John McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry He worked for many years with computers in electronic data processing and pioneered the use of CorelDraw for engraving applications He owned a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years and writes about hardware design software laser engraving sublimation and more He is a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals For information on training and more call 541-967-4271 or write to mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
Judy McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry Her background includes many forms of art and retail sales as well as the operation of a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years She is a regular columnist on sandblasting sublimation and diversifying business as well as a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals She can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
David Milisock is president of Custom Graphic Technologies Inc in Pennsylvania He has been in the print production business since 1975 and specializes in professional support for CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite Output includes computer-to-plate processes for all commercial digital front-end applications as well as Postscript-compliant graphic applications He offers technical and color management support for all RIP-driven corporate digital output systems He can be reached at 717-509-3523 or davidmilisockcomcastnet
Deborah Sexton former editor of Impressions Magazine has been in the apparel graphics industry since 1981 She currently does marketing and public relations for apparel graphics companies and is a columnist for several industry publications She can be reached at dsextonsbcglobalnet
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at 916-567-1867
December 2007 40Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
by Otis Veteto
Traveling Tidbits
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the
RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of
the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Itrsquos a fun and
informative column focusing on the human-interest side of
the industry Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars
for industry organizations and some of that knowledge
will rub off as well He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at
916-567-1867
Reps Volunteers People Skills amp Agreements
RS Owens Southeast RepFirst of all a Traveling Tidbits welcome to
the newest member of the RS Owens Company sales team Anita Brennan Anita is the new Regional Sales Manager for the Southeast She will be calling on you folks in Alabama Tennessee Mississippi Florida Georgia North Carolina and South Carolina Anita has worked in all phases of our industry as a retailer (her own business) multi-line rep and now as a regional sales manager When I asked Anita what she likes to do when not on the road she told me she likes to spend time with her two-year-old granddaughter Kaylee Welcome to the RS Owens family Anita Brennan
Railroad Museum VolunteerI know Christmas is the time for giving
but some people give all year long I was talking recently with Elias Athanasiou whose regular job is a server in a restaurant my wife and I frequent when I am in Sacramento Elias has been associated as a volunteer with the California State Railroad Museum for about 16 years Every Saturday during the ldquorunning seasonrdquo April-September Elias can be found working as a volunteer on the Steam Engine excursion train that runs for 6 miles along the top of the levee on the Sacramento River The ride takes about 40 minutes Elias is the Engineer now but has worked as conductor and fireman in his tenure with the train It is people like Elias Athanasiou that make this a much better world A huge Traveling Tidbits SALUTE You can find out more about the Railroad Museum at wwwcsrmorg
Real People SkillsThis next tidbit is from the PPAI Promotional
Consultant Today The author is Roy Chitwood president of Max Sacks International in Seattle Wash It is entitled To Shine Polish Your People Skills
ldquoPeople buy not because they understand your product or service but because they feel that you understand them People buy emotionally As a professional salesperson you need to be more people-oriented not product centered Here are seven quick and easy techniques to improve your people skills
SMILE It is the universal sign of friendship in any language The Chinese have a proverb ldquoA man who cannot smile should not open a storerdquo Think about that Give a smile and you will get a smile in return
DEVELOP A GENUINE INTEREST IN OTHERS When you have sincere interest it shows Look directly at people when they are talking to you Let your facial expression register your interest Ask good open-ended questions to let people know that you are interested in what they say
TALK IN TERMS OF THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS INTERESTS You will never meet anyone who doesnrsquot have time to talk about what they want to talk about Encourage your prospect to discuss his or interests rather than launching into a discussion about yourself
USE THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS NAME Using a name builds personal rapport and shows you are listening with respect Be careful about overusing the personrsquos name
GIVE COMPLIMENTS Everyone loves a compliment when it is genuine Make a
concentrated effort to give at least 3 honest compliments every day of your life You will be amazed at what it will do for your relationships
LISTEN Listening is the greatest compliment you can pay When you assume the role of the listener it relaxes the sales climate As you listen you are demonstrating that you truly care and you are genuinely interested in what he or she has to say
MAKE THE OTHER PERSON FEEL IMPORTANT When you are sincerely impressed by something the other person has achieved or owns let them know it Understand that fundamentally every person is important and treat them accordingly
Personal comment When I finished reading this I thought to myself ldquoThese make sense in our everyday life not just in salesrdquo
The Third AgreementI will close with the 3rd step from the book
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel RuizDONrsquoT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS Find the
courage to ask questions and to express what you really want Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings sadness and drama
Sounds a little like what I wrote at the beginning of the column doesnrsquot it
Thatrsquos all for now Remember to save some time for yourself and your family And when you travel please travel safe
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE
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- News
December 2007 23Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
INSIDE ENGRAVING Outline amp OverviewThe Nuts and Bolts of Machine AccuracyMachine accuracy or capability can be defined as a result of six features 1 Resolution ndash the smallest incremental movementpositioning of a speci-fied axis 2 Speed ndash the ability to complete a task in a reasonable amount of time without sacrificing accuracy or creating damage to the machine or product 3 Repeatability ndash the ability to duplicate a previous position without error 4 Hysteresis ndash the ldquosloprdquo or ldquoplayrdquo in motion control components 5 Structural Integrity ndash stiffness or strength ndash the ability to cut materials without error or damage This is especially important for mechanical engrav-ers 6 Structural Tolerances ndash the sum accuracy of a machinersquos mechanical components
Machine ComponentsWersquoll examine nine factors that determine a machinersquos accuracy They include 1 Motors ndash including DC Stepper DC Brushless DC Servo and AC Servo a Spindles ndash motors that rotate the cutting bit b Axis Drive ndash motors that position the material to the cutting bit c Horsepower ratings ndash real versus advertised 2 The Motion Control Drive Unit ndash including Geared Belt and Lead Screws a Lead Screws ndash including Acme Re-circulating Ball Standard and Precision b Mounting ndash including Simple Fixed and Thrust bearing types c Protection ndash Open or Closed 3 Guide Rails ndash Types include V Bearing Rail Bushing Shaft Dove Tail and Re-circulating Ball Bearing 4 Encoders ndash Types include Rotary and Linear Methodologies include incremental or absolute 5 Tachometers ndash used for speed stability acceleration and breaking control for closed loop servo systems 6 Bearings ndash including Sleeve Ball and Linear Re-circulating Ball a Applications ndash including Radial Thrust and Linear b Quality ndash Standard thru Ultra Precision 7 Spindles ndash including topbottom loading Collets and Sleeves 8 Material Hold Down ndash including mechanical clamps and vacuum sys-tems 9 Electronic Interface ndash Computer control methods
Wersquoll also examine Reliability what makes it And Serviceability is it fix-able
If the cutting oscillation is at any angle other than the direction of the cut and the oscillation is great enough a jagged cut will be visible in the finished product A cut deviation of as little as 001rdquo is visible to the naked eye and will most commonly show up on curves and circles but may show up on straight lines as well
To illustrate this point a little further and perhaps make it somewhat clearer Irsquod like to refer to diagrams 3 and 4 For purposes of these illustrations we will assume we have a machine that has some looseness on both the X and Y axes However the rest of the machine
is structurally solid the frame is rigid and no other components have any loosenessMaking these assumptions and disregarding the variation in force caused by the cutter
as it travels through the material we will have cutting oscillations at 0deg 180deg 90deg and 270deg during the toolrsquos rotation As the tool travels through the material on its path these oscillations will cause a slight variation in the centerline of the toolrsquos cut
Diagram 3 shows a horizontal tool path While the machine is cutting in this direction any X axis looseness will be masked by the cutter path itself however looseness in the Y axis will result in a slight oscillation in the cutterrsquos horizontal position and therefore a deviation in its cut Diagram 4 shows the effect of the X axis looseness which will impact vertical lines
As you can see from this discussion and these illustrations structural integrity ie looseness in the components from which a machine is constructed can make a significant difference in quality of the finished products that a machine will produce
Next time wersquoll consider structural tolerances and their impact
John McDaniel with his wife Judy are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany OR JHM provides consulting and training services for the industry For information on training services offered and their application support service visit wwwCorelDRAWhelpcom They can be reached by phone at 541-967-4271 via SKYPE (user name JHMcDaniel) or via email at JHMcDanielCorelDRAWhelpcom See the full bio on the Writers Page
December 2007 24Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
the image the text and the red bow In the laser file for this example I have the red cut line for vectoring (See Figure 5)
5) Send the cardstock through the printer6) Place the cardstock in the laser for vector
cutting The thickness of the stock will determine what settings to use For my 35-watt laser using a medium weight cardstock I used a speed of 100 and power of 15 for a nice cut through the stock without any burn marks on the paper
7) Optional in one run I decided to let the laser take care of the bow instead of using color for it from my printer I set the outline of the bow to 100 black and the interior of the bow to 50 black (See Figure 6)
8) Then I only sent the image and text through the printer The bow and vector cutting occurred in the laser I set the raster engraving (of the bow) at speed 70 and power 40 (See Figure 7) You can see the differentiation of using 100 black as opposed to 50 black by the exterior lines
being engraved a little deeper than the rest of the fill
Take the idea of using patterns (like the birth announcement above) and wowing your clientele with the detail and intricacy that laser can provide Or add a twist to a holiday tradition (cards) Whatever you do donrsquot forget you can combine the advantages of the printer and laser for fabulous products
Submitted by Kathryn Arnold Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
LASER TIPBy Kathryn Arnold Applications
Combining Laser amp Printer PowerComing up with new and
inventive ways to use your laser is the key to a successful and growing business We will look at a way to combine the power of your computer (ink) printer with the power of the laser engraver
In this lesson we will take a look at using cardstock to create a card and an announcement See the examples of a holiday card and a birth announcement ndash gratuitously they are of my family (Figure 1 amp Figure 2)
1) In CorelDRAWreg use any pattern image text you wish Be sure that there is a clear and discernible vector line that will be laser cut and yield a cut piece from the cardstock2) See the clear (red) cut line ndash it goes fully around my object even the bow portion (important) I then duplicated my object to fit as many as possible on my 8 frac12 x 11 cardstock (See Figure 3) 3) I saved this file as my master file that I could return to at any point I then created two copies -- one that will
be used to send the file to my printer and one that will be used to send the file to my laser engraver (See Figure 4)
4) In the master file I have every part of what my end product will have In the file for my printer I only have the parts that the printer will print ndash in this example
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
December 2007 25Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
ELECTRONICS FRONTIERBy Louie Alvarez Opportunity
Webcams are an interesting subject which I am intimately familiar with Some typical questions are what are they what purpose do they serve what benefit are they what to look for and various other questions concerns and issues
Webcams surely bring back a memory or two not all that great I might add I remember when they first became usable primarily due to the Internet having affordable true broadband
First experiences The choppy poor quality of dial-up service
simply didnrsquot make this a useful technology Short of communicating with far-flung family members it left much to be desired With my immediate family living in Las Vegas and all other family (parents siblings cousins etc) living in California this was a technology I thought would be useful to keep in touch
So I set up my computer and my momrsquos computer with Webcams to stay in touch Needless to say with the poor quality terrible tracking (had to keep perfectly
sti l l because video frames didnrsquot refresh fas t enough) the hard-to-see tiny video window and poorly synchronized voices to the faces (we looked like a badly translated kung fu movie) the novelty quickly wore off (Irsquod say in about 30 minutes)
WebcamsSecond attempt
So I promptly dumped the technology for the next few years until I started seeing broadband picking up the pace and more interest in Webcams becoming obvious from all the new devices on the market So about three years ago a wireless Webcam caught my eye and I decided to put it to the test once again
Considering I was by then traveling quite extensively (about 40000 miles a year) I figured Irsquod use it to monitor my home I had two teenagers and a 5-year-old at home at the time while I was on the road and my wife was still a t work (She normally didnrsquot get off work until about two hours after school was out) So this looked to be a cool device to see if as the clicheacute goes when the catrsquos away the mice will play
I proceeded to position this wireless Webcam strategically to allow viewing of my living room including the back door Plus to get to the front door or side door you would have to pass through the field of the camera My little one loved the idea of being on camera for her daddy and would dance play and make funny faces for me Pretty cool actually That in itself almost justified the camera but needless to say my teenagers even my wife didnrsquot take to the idea too well So it was returned and life continued on as usual
That experience did show me that the broadband
speeds the quality of the video feeds the prevalence on the net of live cams and the quality of the video cameras (better known as Webcams) had progressed to a level of usefulness and I could see the potential of this technology With that said letrsquos get into the heart of this article
So what are webcams Basically they are digital cameras attached to
the computer and connected to the Web or Instant Messaging (IM) This allows the camera to be linked to a website or to each other directly and individuals who view the website or IM are able to see what the camera is viewing at that moment You can choose to get either still pictures that are updated at regular intervals (Snapshot) or live streams (Streaming) depending on what your bandwidth permits The WebCam technology has advanced sufficiently now to make it both easier and cheaper to maintain a camera that is refreshing an image 24 hours a day
Features of Web Cameras Listed here are some of the features more commonly
found in WebCams1 Live streaming video still pictures updated2 No plug-in or software necessary to view image
can be viewed with any Web browser3 Live audio4 Incorporation with other software such as Instant
Messaging (IM)5 Adding captionslogostime displays6 Archiving video7 Chat feature
December 2007 26Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
WebCams in an instructional scenario could be used to
Monitor your staff or employees thus being able to guide them better
Telecommute to companies worldwide and demonstrate project procedures
B roadcas t sem ina rs wo rkshops o r demonstrations
Share special events and programs with students enrolled in distance learning courses
Hold a video press conference online meeting or broadcast meetings and discussions
In some cases it is important for the learner to be able to establish a connection visually WebCams could be a good alternative to using text files or audio files
Join WebCam groups and allow students to take advantage of other WebCam locations for educational purposes
Using a web camera allows learners to be a part of either a conference or classstudio
Benefits of using WebCamsa The most important advantage of using a web camera is that it creates a direct link between the camera and the live site and dispenses with all the production work Production work in this context includes the cost and effort involved in shooting
editing and streaming videos Thus using a WebCam does not require
advanced skillsb The software is basically a Web server that runs on your system and pushes images out to a Web page For viewers of images delivered over a WebCam
one of the benefits is that they get the entire picture preferable in
certain cases rather than a sleek edited versionc WebCam technology can also be used for remote s u r v e i l l a n c e s y s t e m s
ELECTRONIC FRONTIER
monitoring events or places and broadcasting live eventsd Learners can link to a web camera-monitored location and just watch or also have an additional web camera in their own location enabling two-way communication
Setting up your WebCama Setting up your own WebCam obviously requires a computer a WebCam (the hardware) and WebCam software along with a broadband Internet connection Before you decide which camera to buy and which software to acquire yoursquoll have to review the different methods to show pictures or video feed through the Internet ( i e r e f r e s h e d after x amount of seconds) This will enable you to decide which hardware and software solution will fit your situation best
b P l a c e m e n t of a camera is an important decision to be made Decide whether a static angle is sufficient to demonstrate the concept or a moving camera (handheld) is required It is important however to remember the limitations of using WebCams and leave the panoramic and other fancy shots to more sophisticated video Use WebCams for videos that require more focus and ones that require a smaller viewingmovement range
c For detailed technical instructions on using WebCams visit httpdeveloperswebcamworldcommethodshtml
d Here is a good resource for inexpensive Webcams on the market httpcastlepricewatchcomssearchasps=webcams
e For an in-depth review of various Webcams on the market go to this link httpreviewscnetcom4244-6502_7-0-1htmlquery=webamptag=cat_1
f There are many Webcam examples online here are a couple httpwwwwebcamworldcom or httpwwwleonardsworldscomcamerahtml
By the way DONrsquoT TELL MY KIDS I picked up a Logitech QuickCam Pro 4000 not too long ago My family doesnrsquot know why I got it or what my intention is but I can say that now that my kids are 17 16 amp 8 my job as a parent is to ensure the mice donrsquot play when the catrsquos awayhellip
Louie Alvarez began acquiring his experience in the awards and engraving industry in Central California over 15 years ago first as an employee of the largest and oldest trophy shop and then as owner of one of the first laser engraving businesses Louie has been a featured workshop instructor and seminar speaker throughout the industry in addition to being a contributing writer to numerous industry publications Louie is based in Las Vegas NV and can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
December 2007 27Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
The Association of CorelDRAWreg Professionals is The Education amp Business Resource for CorelDRAW Users Worldwide Its goal is to help 1) IMPROVE your CorelDRAW skills and 2) MAKE MONEY with those skills You can participate in ACDRP services in four ways
THE WORLDrsquoS ONLY ASSOCIATION FOR CORELDRAWreg USERSINVITES YOU TO MAKE MORE MONEY WITH CORELDRAW
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month focused on Industry News via the Graphics News Wire Links to valuable resources and a complete educa-tion and show Calendar S
CorelDRAWPro the Entrepreneurial magazine for CorelDRAW users features in-depth content on How to Use CorelDRAW -- tips tricks advanced ar twork success s to r ies in te rv iews and more How to Apply CorelDRAW -- for graphic production processes such as embroidery engraving heat printing laser promo products printing sandblasting signmaking sublimation and screenprinting How to Profit from CorelDRAW -- Product news business columns reviews profiles and advertising with live links
SUBSCRIBE -- NO CHARGE JOIN -- $60 PER YEAR
All users of CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite are qualified to subscribe free to CorelDRAWPro magazine (PDF format) and CorelDRAWPro E-News
Subscription to CorelDRAWPro amp CorelDRAWPRo E-News
TTF Newsletter Subscription to the monthly Tips Templates amp Fixtures Newsletter only available to members
GSG Basic Listing You can list your services in the Graphic Services Guide in one category as part of membership (a $25 value)
Access to QuickLearn A keyword searchable database of 100s of articles on CorelDRAW graphics production and business
All users of CorelDRAWreg are invited to join the Association and take advantage of exclusive content discounts and profes-sional recognition ACDRP membership includes
TTF
QuickLearn
QuickTNT
Archives
BASIC GSG LISTING -- $25 PER YR
The Graphic Services Guide is the Industry Yellow Pages for Services and Finished Goods GSG is promoted in all our publi-cations and our website to the world of CorelDRAW users Your listing gives you the opportunity to promote your services (in any of 40 categories) to other CorelDRAW usersThe Basic Listing includes your company description email link and listing in one category Additional service categories are $10 each per year
The Enhanced GSG Listing is for companies that want to list in two categories and add a photo or logo
ENHANCED GSG LISTING -- $50$75 PER YR
Classifieds
Access to QuickTnT A growing database of CorelDRAW tips for understanding the fine points of the program and templates that can be downloaded to speed up your production
Access to Archives Past issues of CorelDRAWPro are available to members with live links
Bookstore Discounts Members receive a 10 discount on all products in the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore
Professional Recognition Use of the ACDRP logo for professional identification on business cards websites and letterhead You also receive a membership certificate
Classified Ads Members can place one classified ad per year at no charge with photo and run it till the item is sold (a $35 value)
HOW TO PARTICIPATE To Subscribe (no charge) To Join ($60yr) To List in the Graphic Services Guide ($25 Basic $50$75 Enhanced or $120145 for Multi-Service)
CorelDRAWreg is a registered trademark of Corel Corp and is used with permission
Visit wwwcoreldrawprocomand click on the appropriate links
800-276-8428
The Multi-Service GSG Listing allows you to list up to 40 differ-ent service categories with detailed descriptions and add a photo or logo
MULTI-SERVICE GSG LISTING -- $120$145 PER YR
December 2007 28Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Throughout the year this publication has reported on whatrsquos new in equipment tools and software and blank products for businesses that put graphics onto products
For this 2007 wrap-up CorelDRAWPro editorial staff reviewed all the product news for the year and named 33 products to its annual Top Products of the Year list
Selections were based on the criteria of innovation and impact Innovation means products that exhibit a high degree of originality or uniqueness Impact means products that influence sales or productivity for a large number of businesses
Note that the 2007 honorees are list alphabetically in the three theme sections
For more information on the products in this article click on the Info Request button at the bottom of each page and select by company name or product You might open the Info Request page and minimize it as you read That way you can quickly open it and check the products you want
EQUIPMENT
ANAJET DIRECT-TO-GARMENT DIGITAL PRINTERAnaJet Digital Apparel Printer (Model FP-125) from
AnaJet Inc in Costa Mesa CA is a direct-to-garment printer offering high quality and affordability It can print custom graphics on any cotton or poly-cotton flat textile material in one minute The printer priced affordably from under $13000 can produce up to 5000 shirts per month each retailing for about $20 Most printers installed so far are in a production plant environment but some customers have started to take the mobile printer to malls for instant printing of customer graphics According to Dr Chase Roh company president the unique printhead they have developed allows for 16x more ink flow than normal desktop printers and thus shirts only require one pass
Top Products of the Year
DTG AMERICA ECLIPSE D-1 WITH TWO HEADS DTG America of Tampa FL and Fort Worth TX now offers a new solution to
speed up digitally printing to dark shirts The Eclipse D-1 incorporates two heads instead of one One head has eight channels of white to lay down a solid white underbase The second head has four channels of white to do highlights and four channels of color to lay down the design The result of this new configuration is the underbase and color are completed in one pass at an estimated average of only two minutes per shirt for a 12-inch by 6-inch area Other innovations include an ink agitator firmware for easy updating ink vapor remover auto gap adjustment and new platen configuration for easy loading
GEO KNIGHT DK 25SP HEAT PRESSThe Digital Knight DK25SP is an air-operated automatic
20x25 oversized swing-away heat press with a state-of-the-art control system and heavy-duty solid steel welded framework The smooth automatic pressing and push-button activation provides a productive fatigue-free operation The extended 20x25 size of the heat platen is perfect for sublimation and large-format materials pressingThe press is adjustable to accommodate materials from fabric thickness all the way up to 1rdquo thick substrates For more information call 800-525-6766 or visit wwwheatpresscom
GRAPHTEC CRAFT ROBO PROGraphtec America Inc based in Santa Ana
CA introduced the new Craft ROBO Pro 15rdquo cutting plotter The Craft ROBO Pro is an ideal solution for cutting a wide variety of materials including vinyl film card stock foil heat transfer and image transfer media Incorporating Graphtecrsquos legendary
December 2007 29Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
ARMS (Advanced Registration Marks System) and combined with a desktop printer the Craft ROBO Pro makes contour cutting an easy task Innovations include a new digital servo motor first mark auto-sensing menu navigation system that includes 8 user-defined conditions Tangential Control and three software applications
ROLAND RELEASES DIRECT-TO-FABRIC PRINTERRoland DGA Corp of Irvine CA released
the new 74rdquo HeatWave DFP-74 Fabric Printer through its reseller channel in the US Based on Rolandrsquos HeatWave sublimation technology the DFP-74 Fabric Printer is a complete integrated solution and Rolandrsquos first inkjet ever to support direct printing onto polyester fabrics As a complete solution including printer sublimation unit inks and RIP software the DFP-74 makes it easier than ever for shops to enter the fast-growing textile printing market Key features include eight advanced piezo print heads an intelligent media handling system and a temperature-controlled heating system
HOTRONIX PERFECT PRESSURE HEAT PRESSHotronix of Carmichaels PA has taken heat press technology
to the next level with Perfect Pressure a new digital pressure display functionThis new feature has a single-digit LED readout
that measures the pressure of the inner platen This technology is exclusive to Hotronix and is patent pending Previously a
digital pressure display was available only on air-operated heat press machines With this new pressure display gauge all heat press users will have more consistent results from job to job reducing the number of misprints and speeding up production For more information about
the new digital pressure display contact Stahlsrsquo Hotronix at 800-478-2457 e-mail infostahlscom or visit the Web site at wwwstahlscom
SWF DREAM EMBROIDERY MACHINEWith its new DREAM Machine SWF has broken the barrier in multi-head
embroidery machine technology The DREAM machines are the first multi-head embroidery machines that truly can sew at 1500 stitches per minute During the research and development of these new machines 12 new patents were filed and granted proof that the DREAM machines are built with state-of-the-art technology
Innovations include LED control panel error codes to quickly troubleshoot problems optional devices to do sequins cording and boring automatic oiling system large memory a hoop selector and more These innovative new machines come in configurations ranging from
two to six heads It is distributed exclusively by SWF East (Tampa FL) and SWF MESA (Dallas TX)
MESArsquoS HOTFIX SPANGLE MOTIF MACHINEWith the all new YAS-11 Hotfix Spangle Motif Making
Machine the first of its kind in the United States you can create beautiful spangle transfer designs that have the look of sequins This patented machine which is distributed exclusively in the United States by MESA Distributors of Fort Worth TX cuts out shapes such as circles and squares in a range of sizes from reels of Mylar tape The machine comes with proprietary design software that allows the user to create any pattern or design up to 157 by 157 inches
SAWGRASSrsquo HYBRID SYSTEM FOR EPSON R1800Sawgrass Technologies of Mt Pleasant SC introduced
the SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid System for the Epson R1800 for both sublimation printing and cotton
decorating from one machine The affordable entry-level system features dual functionality with both SubliJet and ChromaBlast inks in one machine allowing users to create customized images with superior color and clarity on both polyester coated substrates and cotton garments This is the second
hybrid system from Sawgrass following in the footsteps of the popular SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid
System for the Epson 4800
TROTECrsquoS NEW LARGE PLATFORM LASER Trotec Laser Inc of Ypsilanti MI has introduced the SP500 series of laser
engraving and cutting systems The systems have a work area of 50rdquo X 28rdquo and X-Axis clearance of 12rdquo The systems are offered in power levels from 45W-200W There is an available pass-through option (Class 4) Exhaust fumes are captured
December 2007 30Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
at the laser head to insure an efficient extraction when using the pass-through featureTrotec systems are designed for minimal wear-and-tear and eliminate the need for periodic replacement of belts and bearings For additional information visit our web site wwwtrotecnet or call 866-226-8505 734-484-3260
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW PROFESSIONAL SERIESUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) of Scottsdale
AZ added four new models in its Professional Laser Series (PLS) line of advanced high-productivity computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving systems The new PLS line which replaces Universalrsquos M V and X laser systems incorporates a
host of evolutionary design improvements to the laser cartridge platform chassis system electronics and software interface The new PLS models include several
powerful new features most notably a unique materials-based print driver called ldquoLaser Interface +rdquo that gives users their choice
between automatic or manual control over power speed and other system settings For more information on Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit Universal Laser Systems online at wwwulsinccom
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW VERSALASERUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) added a
new version of its desktop-sized VersaLasertrade
computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving system The new VersaLaser
improves on the award-winning original thanks to a host of evolutionary design refinements It also
includes a unique next-generation materials-based print driver that automatically calculates power speed
and other system settings It was awarded a patent for the unique design of its external cabinet which also functions as a Class 1 laser safety enclosure For more information about VersaLaser or Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit wwwulsinccom
US SCREENrsquoS FAST T-JET 3US Screen Print and Inkjet Technology of Tempe
AZ adds the Fast T-Jet3TM which features 30 faster print speeds compared to the previous T-Jet2 model and has a longer low profile print bed for easier loading and unloading Now you can produce a full size 12rdquo x 12rdquo (305 x 305 cm) print in one minute on a light shirt and in under three minutes on a black shirt with white ink Small pocket images can be printed in about 15 seconds
US SCREENrsquoS AUTOMATED PRETREATMENT CENTER
Speed up production when using Fast T-Jet inkjet-to-garment printers with the AutoTREATtrade Automatic Pretreatment Center
This versatile piece of equipment allows you to treat shirts on a production level rather than spraying shirts individually one at a time For use with light or dark shirts the AutoTREATtrade
can spray up to three shirts per minute It has two application modesmdashone for lights and one for darks that can be switched over by activating the cleaning mode which flushes out the system with water
TOOLS MATERIALS SOFTWARE
CORELDRAW X3 CERTIFIED FOR WINDOWS VISTACorel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that
CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite X3 has been Certified for Windows Vista Customers who wish to install the Certified for Windows Vista version of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X3 can download the latest service pack (SP2) from wwwcorelcom This new update delivers an exceptional experience for customers on Windows Vista including an updated user interface enhanced security improved text handling and further enhancements to the popular suitersquos renowned import and export file compatibility
COREL LAUNCHES NEW ONLINE COMMUNITY Corel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that it
has launched httpcoreldrawcom a new online community for users of the CorelDRAWreg family of products ndash including CorelDRAW Graphics Suite Corel DESIGNERreg Technical Suite
December 2007 31Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
and Corelreg DRAWingsreg This new community site is the first in a series that Corel will be launching to support its various user communities Designed to fuel inspiration CorelDRAWcom combines forums blogs and galleries for design professionals and graphic hobbyists alike Forums are available in English French German and Spanish serving an international audience
DALCOrsquoS NEW REFLECTIVE HEAT TRANSFERSCater to the safety market with new reflective transfers offered
by Dalco Athletic of Dallas TX These durable transfers come in a reflective silver gray color in three styles police sheriff and fire dept They are sized for left chest and full back so
all you have to do is heat seal for 8 seconds and yoursquore done Itrsquos very fast and easy
DALCOrsquoS NEW OPTIC YELLOW CLASSIC SWB APPLIQUE
Classic SWB appliqueacute designs offered by Dalco Athletic now come in two new styles softballs and tennis balls in optic yellow fabric These new balls literally jump off any wearable and make it an eye-catching standout This appliqueacute collection is ideal for spiritwear items to be sold to fans and family or created as fund-raisers for boosters clubs
POWER GRAPHICS 3 FROM DIGITAL ART SOLUTIONSPower Graphics 3 by Digital Art Solutions of
Tempe AZ is the ultimate design tool for the creation of high-end custom graphics and logos for custom signage awards vehicle graphics promotional products and apparel graphics Tuned to the latest styles and trends it provides fresh graphics that will impress even the most critical and demanding customer It includes more than 1500 images The 10 design categories include Flames Gangsta (Urban) Mascots Offroad Rebel (Biker and Hot
Rod) Retro Speed Sports Surf and Tuner
FLORIANI COMMERCIALrsquoS NEW NO-SHOW DIAMOND MESHContinuing in its tradition of research and development
to create embroidery stabilizers that meet the needs of todayrsquos embroiderers Floriani Embroidery Commercial Division of Knoxville TN released a new product called Floriani No-Show Diamond Mesh This unique nylon mesh stabilizer has a perpendicular embossed pattern that makes it more multi-directionally stable and enables it to better hold stitches for crisper design registration It is specifically designed for light-colored garments where traditional stabilizers have a tendency to show through the front of the garment
GREAT DANErsquoS NEW DIGITAL PHOTO FRAMES Tap into the lucrative team market with an
incredible collection of stock art specially designed to work for direct-to-garment printers sublimation transfers and digital transfers Digital Photo Frames Volume 1 is a collection of spectacular pre-designed layouts each with one or more frames to
insert personal photos The collection includes five categories baseball football basketball soccer and hockey Each category has four designs (20 total layouts) and each design comes in three template formats mugs mouse pads and shirts
So there are a total of 60 template designs in all
IMPRINTABLES WAREHOUSE OFFERS SPECTRA ECO FILMNew from Imprintables Warehouse of
Masontown PA is a digital cutter material that is free of PVC a plus with companies that want to be as environmentally friendly as possible Spectra Eco Film is made with ecological polyurethane and is peeled hot It is pressure sensitive (sticky backing) and extremely easy to weed While maintaining superior durability and opacity this new film is thinner than current offerings on the market and delivers the super soft hand that is in demand by todayrsquos consumers It can be used on 100 cotton 100 polyester polycotton blends and even nylon and leather
December 2007 32Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
KISSCUT TECHNOLOGIESrsquo SELF-WEEDING INKJET TRANSFER PAPER
Kiss Cut Technologies Ltd Newcastle UK has addressed the ldquopolymer windowrdquo issue and developed the worldrsquos first self-weeding inkjet transfer paper for printing to textiles In simple terms only the areas of their patented transfer paper that have been printed will be transferred to the garment when heat pressed A Kiss Cut print can be further embellished with specialized textile foils so in effect a digital foiling method is now available Foil is heat pressed onto the garment and when peeled the foil only sticks to the image areas
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW PHOTOPLAS-TIC MATERIALLaserSketchcom of Lemont IL a leading supplier of
LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble Super Black Granite and Black Onyx Jewelry introduces their new PhotoPlas-Tic This is a new material developed for front andor reverse laser engraving on micro surface impact acrylic plastic It is a premium plastic for laser engraving that is UV stable ideal for photo badges plaques trophies signage and high-end awards Each sheet of PhotoPlas-Tic is specially designed for a crisp clean burn and ultra-fine laser lettering logo and vector output For details call 630-243-6360 or visit wwwlasersketchcom
THEMAGICTOUCH LAUNCHES WOW TRANSFER PAPERTheMagicTouch USA launched WoW Professional
71 transfer paper which requires no weeding or profile cutting and the vibrant colors are achieved using digital laser technology making it great for short runs It uses PolymationTM which incorporates a newly designed catalyst that provides the ultimate compatibility with all generations of dry toner material According to the company PolymationTM is the next generation of laser heat transfer Sublimation requires the substrate to have a specialty receiving polymer coating to absorb the pigments but PolymationTM delivers everything at once polymer pigments and catalyst
December 2007 33Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
offers distinct advantages over any other process It allows for an unlimited number of colors and very fine detail which is impossible with screen printing or embroidery And the cost does not go up as colors are added These new specialty materials are so advanced they can be heat sealed to all kinds of fabrics and hot new multimedia designs can be easily done
VAPOR APPAREL LAUNCHES VAPOR ART VOLUME 1V a p o r A p p a r e l
a s u b s i d i a r y o f SourceSubstrates LLC Charleston SC announces the launch of Vapor Art - Volume 1 a collection of 127 vector graphics for digital sublimation and general use The diverse collection
of high-quality graphics comes after several years of customers requesting access to the companyrsquos sample art at trade shows and educational events The Collection of art includes vector drawings and JPGs for everything from mountain biking and snowboarding to yoga and cheerleading
BLANK PRODUCTS
COLORADO HEIRLOOMrsquoS COLOR LACQUERED FRAMES
Colorado Heirloom Inc of Loveland CO introduced their new Color Lacquered Frames This is an option to add color your unique creations It is not color fill Colored lacquer is sprayed on their high quality wood frames Because
INKTRA STRETCH TRANSFER PAPER FROM STAHLSrsquoStahlsrsquo based in St Clair
Shores MI adds InkTratrade Stretch a flexible transfer paper A revolutionary product InkTratrade Stretch provides a soft hand with an amazing stretch and recovery feature InkTratrade Stretch lets you take your favorite photo or graphic design and apply it to light colored or white hats shirts bags and more for a long lasting and completely personalized garment The highly stretchable paper can be applied to cotton polycotton blends spandex and Lycrareg
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo GOOF-PROOF TRANSFERSWant the look of screen
printing without the hassle With Goof Proofreg transfers offered by Transfer Express of Mentor OH you can custom order a transfer that has the popular athletic feel and will apply in a blazing four seconds Ordering is done step-by-step online and you can customize hundreds of designs You choose your
typeface colors and size Once your design is just the way you want it you can print it out to show a customer for approval Or Transfer Express can print from your artwork The minimum order is only five pieces and your one-color order ships in one to three working days
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo NEW FULL-COLOR DIGI PRINTSApparel decorators can now offer full-color designs on light
and dark apparel made of virtually any type of fabric without the hassle or minimums of screen printing with new state-of-the-art heat transfer technology called Digi Printstrade Offered through Transfer Express this revolutionary new method of decorating
December 2007 34Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
lacquer is used instead of paint any design can be lasered on these frames The possibilities are endless These colorful creations are offered in two different designs -- a designer frame and a frame with an insert Call 970-667-4222 or visit wwwcoloradoheirloomcom
CONDE ADDS PET MATS FOR SUBLIMATIONCondeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added food bowl placemats and litter box
mats to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Favorite photographs and pet-related artwork can be transferred to the
mats to create fun products for individual pet lovers or for the pet industry such as pet stores veterinarians groomers boarding facilities and animal adoption groups Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing Call Conde at 800-826-6332
CONDE INTRODUCES FABRIC PATCHES FOR SUBLIMATION
Condeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added fabric patches to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Custom decorators can now produce unique full-color patches that will impress organizations businesses clubs sports teams sports enthusiasts and individuals alike -- without the use of embroidery Heat seal patches are great for identification marketing awards trade show promotions or to commemorate special events Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing or call 800-826-6332
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW LASERSLABLaserSketch of Lemont IL Internationally known for
their LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble and Super Black Granite announces LaserSlab Super Black Granite at 4rsquo x 8rsquo x 7mm and 4rsquo x 4rsquo x 7mm weighting in at just over 2 pounds per square foot The surface of the LaserSlab Granite has the sheen of a black mirror The reverse side features epoxy fiberglass backing to give structure integrity to the ultra-lite granite sheet All may be viewed wwwlasersketchcom or by calling LaserSketch 630-243-6360
MATTHEWS INTRODUCES ALUMICOLORTM
Matthews International Corp of Pittsburgh PA introduced Alumicolortrade a high-resolution graphics solution for aluminum signage recognition commemoration and way finding Using cutting-edge technology Matthews embeds a four-color image into the aluminum to create an anodized reproduction of unsurpassed durability Alumicolortrade products which are designed for interior and exterior installations are resistant to extreme weather conditions graffiti scuffing grease chemicals and UV rays Additionally they will not chip crack or peel
PSI ADDS ROUND FRAMES amp STRING PUZZLES Paramount Services Inc of Hollywood FL
introduced new round resin frames for sublimation tiles Choose from Coral or RopeStone with optional Unisubreg Hardboard Tiles They will also accept the Bison 8rdquo round glass Cutting Board Why be square when round may fit better PSI also introduced a new puzzle guaranteed to string you along These String Puzzles come with a Unisubreg Hardboard puzzle and the necessary string and beads along with instructions how to string it after printing Templates to aid in design are available for download in several formats For details call 800-455-7212 or visit wwwDye-Sublimation-Productscom
CRYSTALEDGEreg LUXORTM CRYSTAL AWARDSCrystalEdgereg Chicago IL presented the Luxortrade Series
This stunning cost-effective collection comprises a series of specially designed Rosewood and Black Piano finish bases Matte Mahogany and Matte Black bases and a precision cast Satin Nickel Finish Metal Base with your choice of brass or silver hardware for mounting our twelve unique shapes making this the most versatile award yet Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks are curved 14rdquo thick crystal clear glass with 316rdquo diameter holes for mounting The Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks feature a generous engraving area and there is plenty of room on the base to add an engraving plate
December 2007 35Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
XENETECHrsquoS NEW ENGRAVABLE GIFTSXenetech of Baton Rouge
LA introduced high quality engravable gift items at wholesale and quantity discounts The Xenetech collection provides a selection of gifts created for corporate recognition weddings births holidays anniversaries retirements birthdays special occasions or just expressing appreciation Items include money clips key chains book markers desk accessories quartz movement clocks flasks amp wine accessories entertainment gifts travel gifts genuine Swiss Army knives business card holders luggage tags silver-plated jewelry boxes keepsake gift boxes silver-plated banks and baby gifts The gift items are designed primarily for diamond drag burnishing and rotary engraving personalization
UNISUBrsquoS CHROMALUXE PHOTO PANELSChromaLuxe photo panels are an exciting new line
of sublimatable products from Unisub of Louisville KY These panels allow you to sell a completely finished photo product to your customers capturing some of the additional revenue (and profit) your customers now spend elsewhere on framing Available in a range of traditional photo sizes as well as exciting new shapes these panels can be joined together to create stunning photo displays -- perfect for a fireplace mantle l i b r a r y s h e l f or the top of an armoire Available in aluminum or MDF substrates
CorelDRAWPro IndexOne of our members in Michigan
requested that we put together an Index of all the articles wersquove published during the year
He prints out all the issues and puts them in binders but an Index would make it easy to reference specific articles We think itrsquos a good idea and wersquoll send it to all subscribers in January
Product Focus TopicsJanuary 2008 -- Signage Products esp Wide FormatFebruary 2008 -- Engraving Awards amp GiftsMarch 2008 -- Apparel ProductsApril 2008 -- Laser Wood Products
Coming in 2008
December 2007 36Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETSBy Donna M Gray CRM Opportunities
December ndash Time to Review December finds everyone on our team strategizing how to get out of our parking lot Our business sits right in the middle of an up-scale strip mall which sits right behind a huge shopping mall and right along the main road to a Target Superstore and other large malls We all know that from the day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday) until 2 weeks after the New Year there are great challenges to those of us who like to leave the building for lunch or run an errandhellipso we strategize We all know every secret shortcut to the bank the post office and the warehouse club What we donrsquot know is how to find the way to merge out of our own back alley into the constant flow of traffic that carries people to their end shopping destination Whew
The year-end review So this year Dave and I have decided to stay in at lunch and do our business strategizing instead Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup are good brain food for helping us to look at all the successful things we did last year as a company all the things we thought about doing but didnrsquot because the idea didnrsquot quite fit and all the things we put off until next year We do this kind of exercise every year end and it helps us to map out our strategy for the coming year In the process we identify any mistakes wersquove made wrong turns wersquove taken and we try to find the ldquowhat could have happened had everything gone rightrdquo
The value of making mistakes Albert Einstein said ldquoAnyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything newrdquo Dave has a couple of prints in his office of Abraham Lincoln that describe his mistakes in fact it took Lincoln eight tries to win the presidency Thomas Edison made mistakeshellipand yet he perseveredhellipotherwise wersquod by ldquocomputingrdquo by candlelight And Irsquove heard that Colonel
Sanders had a thousand rejections before he sold his first chicken recipe It would be nice to get to our year end business appraisals and find that wersquove made no mistakes but our business like most others doesnrsquot have that claim to fame My mother always took the high road with mistakes She always said that one should recognize the benefits of a mistake One should learn what good came from it use it to improve and use it to help motivate success the next time So December is the time to analyze everything that made up the past year and look for ways to make the New Year successful in every way
Making a plan Most advisors say that the first step toward business success after looking at a companyrsquos year ending history is to decide on exactly what you want to do going forward in the coming year Then comes mapping out the plan What will be done How will it get done Who will do what What resources will be used When will it get done Is the right equipment in place Is the space adequate Ask these and any other questions that could relate to creating a successful year then focus on the details and follow through Those two wordshellipfocus and follow throughhellipcould mean the difference between marginal and abundant success Simply stated success comes from what you do and the way you do ithellipin your customerrsquos perception Every business wants to have a good imagehellipa good reputation so dedication to having good communication skills is important especially in an industry that does custom work The goal is to be on the same page as our clients so we have to be good mind readers We have to also concentrate on our professionalism on our appearance on our presentation style and in the pride we take in producing a well-done project This
has worked in the past and will remain the same in the future
The extra mile Success has to be nurturedhellipthen it gets celebrated Sometimes sacrifices have to be made to get to the rewards At year end when we analyze how we got from Point A to Point B itrsquos interesting to note that we sometimes had to take detours and sometimes the road blocks called for sacrificehellipof time or money Sometimes the sacrifice came in the way of a sleepless night worrying if an order that was lost in delivery would be found and re-routed to us in time to make a clientrsquos deadline Someone (unknown) said ldquoA day of worry is more exhausting than a week of workrdquo Anyone in business could testify to that Part of success is going the extra milehellipeven if it results in a sleepless night Going the extra mile is worth all the paid advertising in the world on the road to success
December 2007 37Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETS
Donna Grayrsquos 2nd book Itrsquos All Relative Surviving amp Thriving in a Family Business was published in September 2007
It describes her quest to identify the keys to suc-cess for small business and family businesses in particular She interviewed top businesses nationwide and discovered five common qualities implemented by successful business owners Check it out at the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore wwwcoreldrawprocomAllBook-storehtm
Commitments made and kept Our team felt good about some commitments we made and kept this past year like
We used a daily ldquoto-dordquo list and we set priorities in order of importance When we finished a project we ldquocelebratedrdquo and then moved on quickly to the next job We built in some time for ldquostress reliefrdquo with morning meeting breaks This was especially good when treats were served since wersquove got some good bakers on our staff We didnrsquot ldquoscreenrdquo calls through voice mail We considered every call to be important We ldquodid it right the first timerdquo even though it sometimes took longer We tied up all the ldquoloose endsrdquo We became ldquocheerleadersrdquo for each other When one of us accomplished a goal we all applauded We all tried to deliver more than we promised This can be challenging sometimes when working with a difficult project We eliminated (or tried to eliminate) unnecessary procedures and we simplified our paper flow system We spent most of our time on high priority tasks We all worked on our delegation skills We were committed to not wasting time either our own or other peoplersquos
Goals that were lacking Now all those great things being put on paper reminds me that we also had some goals we didnrsquot quite succeed athellipbut wersquoll try harder next year
We didnrsquot always ldquogrouprdquo tasks togetherhelliplike going to the bank and the post office in one trip or answering mail when it gets opened It wasnrsquot always easy to avoid procrastination Some low priority chores got put off There were still times when we couldnrsquot find enough hours to finish the work Our ldquotoolsrdquo didnrsquot always get put away when we were through with a project even though this is Daversquos pet peeve
Conclusion Experts say that we have to actively create our success not wait for it to happen This coming year hopefully none of us will sit in the comfort zone waiting for the phone to ring Therersquos an old Chinese proverb that goes ldquoIt you continually give you will continually haverdquo Our team will go on being involved in community activities When time is spent on worthwhile projects outside the business opportunities come knocking at the front counter Besideshellipat yearrsquos endhellipit makes us feel really good about the help we gave on these projects
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since1977 She can be reached by email at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
December 2007 38Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
GRAPHICS NEWS NETWORKAll these news and information products and services are part of the
Graphics News Network developed for ACDRP The goal is ldquoAll the News All the Time mdash For the World of Graphicsrdquo
GRAPHICS NewsWireThe Graphics News Wire is the always live always updated source for graphics news mdash products equipment technology and more Make it (CorelDRAWProcomNewsPagehtm) your home page or favorite to gain access to Breaking news updated regularly New Classified Ads New Job Announcements Supplier SpecialsAll news is related to graphic productsQuickSourceTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive amp Easy-To-Use
Search Engine
It gives you one-click access to suppliers products phone numbers and live links to ACDRP Member Suppliers Itrsquos always up-to-date searchable by keyword and accessible from your desktop
Quick TnTTM
The Industryrsquos Newest Resource for Graphics Tips amp Templates
Gain access to a growing library of CorelDRAW tips and templates that will make your work easier
QuickLearnTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive and
Easy-To-Use Article Library
Gain access to hundreds of articles on graphics-related and business topics searchable by keyword
The Entrepreneurial Magazine for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro Magazine is delivered to you once a month in PDF format It features in-depth content that readers rave about including articles on how to use CorelDRAW how to apply CorelDRAW and how to profit from CorelDRAW
News Tips amp Resources for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month mdash about the 15th and 25th It brings you highly targeted content that you wonrsquot find elsewhere including CorelDRAW Tips extensive product news links and a calendar of shows and training
MARKET PLACE
Quality Engravable JewelryHand-crafted in New England
GIFTS amp ACCESSORIES FOR WOMEN AND MEN
John E Lepper Inc800-835-3623 Fax 508-222-2732
wwwjeleppercom
GenuineWhite-tone
Pewter amp Gold
Some Things Were Meant To Be In Etched in Stone
Call for a free color catalog
NampR International1155 Allgood Rd 13Marietta GA 30062
678-560-4088Fax 678-560-1157
Importers amp Wholesalers of MarbleOnyx
Gifts amp Accessories
JOIN TODAY
The worldrsquos only association for CorelDRAWreg Users
wwwcoreldrawprocomJoinhtm
Place an Ad for as little as $215 per month
Find out how by calling our Ad Representative John McDaniel II
541-990-6687
the entrepreneurial magazine
GET LISTED TODAY
Generate new businessby doing jobs for others
List your company in GSG the Digital Yellow Pages for the industry wwwcoreldrawprocomListGSGhtm
December 2007 39Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Louie Alvarez started in the industry working for one of the largest trophy shops in Central California and then opened one of the first retail laser engraving businesses He has given seminars and workshops on CorelDRAW and Laser for many years and has written for several publications He is now with Vytek Industrial Lasers and is based in Las Vegas NV He can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
Kathryn Arnold is the Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
Errol Barr has a wide range of experience in sales amp marketing eventually getting into laser systems in 1999 currently with Vytek Industrial Lasers He also sold extensively in the CNC router industry selling the machines as more of a business opportunity wrapped around the machine He can be reached by email at errolbarrgmailcom
Dave Demoret founded Prolink Graphic Services to help people understand and profit from learning CorelDRAW He has been in both the Flat Graphics Industry and the Decorating Graphics Industry for 30 years He has written articles for several publications is a Corel Training Partner and conducts workshops nationwide and online He is the author of several CD Instructional programs on CorelDRAW He can be reached at 765-DO COLOR (362-6567) or davedprolinkgscom
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since 1977 She has presented seminars on a variety of topics nationwide and has won many marketing awards She is the author of two books on family business and can be reached at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
Bill Leek is a color consultant for JBL Graphics in Houston TX and has over 30 years experience in computer engineering and graphics design He has developed several lines of color imprintable products and does testing on a variety of products for different manufacturers He can be reached at wfleekjblgraphicscom or 281-970-6677
Jeff McDaniel is the owner of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon He worked as a journeyman machinist before getting into the graphic products business Creative Graphic offers laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials Contact him at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
John McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry He worked for many years with computers in electronic data processing and pioneered the use of CorelDraw for engraving applications He owned a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years and writes about hardware design software laser engraving sublimation and more He is a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals For information on training and more call 541-967-4271 or write to mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
Judy McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry Her background includes many forms of art and retail sales as well as the operation of a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years She is a regular columnist on sandblasting sublimation and diversifying business as well as a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals She can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
David Milisock is president of Custom Graphic Technologies Inc in Pennsylvania He has been in the print production business since 1975 and specializes in professional support for CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite Output includes computer-to-plate processes for all commercial digital front-end applications as well as Postscript-compliant graphic applications He offers technical and color management support for all RIP-driven corporate digital output systems He can be reached at 717-509-3523 or davidmilisockcomcastnet
Deborah Sexton former editor of Impressions Magazine has been in the apparel graphics industry since 1981 She currently does marketing and public relations for apparel graphics companies and is a columnist for several industry publications She can be reached at dsextonsbcglobalnet
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at 916-567-1867
December 2007 40Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
by Otis Veteto
Traveling Tidbits
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the
RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of
the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Itrsquos a fun and
informative column focusing on the human-interest side of
the industry Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars
for industry organizations and some of that knowledge
will rub off as well He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at
916-567-1867
Reps Volunteers People Skills amp Agreements
RS Owens Southeast RepFirst of all a Traveling Tidbits welcome to
the newest member of the RS Owens Company sales team Anita Brennan Anita is the new Regional Sales Manager for the Southeast She will be calling on you folks in Alabama Tennessee Mississippi Florida Georgia North Carolina and South Carolina Anita has worked in all phases of our industry as a retailer (her own business) multi-line rep and now as a regional sales manager When I asked Anita what she likes to do when not on the road she told me she likes to spend time with her two-year-old granddaughter Kaylee Welcome to the RS Owens family Anita Brennan
Railroad Museum VolunteerI know Christmas is the time for giving
but some people give all year long I was talking recently with Elias Athanasiou whose regular job is a server in a restaurant my wife and I frequent when I am in Sacramento Elias has been associated as a volunteer with the California State Railroad Museum for about 16 years Every Saturday during the ldquorunning seasonrdquo April-September Elias can be found working as a volunteer on the Steam Engine excursion train that runs for 6 miles along the top of the levee on the Sacramento River The ride takes about 40 minutes Elias is the Engineer now but has worked as conductor and fireman in his tenure with the train It is people like Elias Athanasiou that make this a much better world A huge Traveling Tidbits SALUTE You can find out more about the Railroad Museum at wwwcsrmorg
Real People SkillsThis next tidbit is from the PPAI Promotional
Consultant Today The author is Roy Chitwood president of Max Sacks International in Seattle Wash It is entitled To Shine Polish Your People Skills
ldquoPeople buy not because they understand your product or service but because they feel that you understand them People buy emotionally As a professional salesperson you need to be more people-oriented not product centered Here are seven quick and easy techniques to improve your people skills
SMILE It is the universal sign of friendship in any language The Chinese have a proverb ldquoA man who cannot smile should not open a storerdquo Think about that Give a smile and you will get a smile in return
DEVELOP A GENUINE INTEREST IN OTHERS When you have sincere interest it shows Look directly at people when they are talking to you Let your facial expression register your interest Ask good open-ended questions to let people know that you are interested in what they say
TALK IN TERMS OF THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS INTERESTS You will never meet anyone who doesnrsquot have time to talk about what they want to talk about Encourage your prospect to discuss his or interests rather than launching into a discussion about yourself
USE THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS NAME Using a name builds personal rapport and shows you are listening with respect Be careful about overusing the personrsquos name
GIVE COMPLIMENTS Everyone loves a compliment when it is genuine Make a
concentrated effort to give at least 3 honest compliments every day of your life You will be amazed at what it will do for your relationships
LISTEN Listening is the greatest compliment you can pay When you assume the role of the listener it relaxes the sales climate As you listen you are demonstrating that you truly care and you are genuinely interested in what he or she has to say
MAKE THE OTHER PERSON FEEL IMPORTANT When you are sincerely impressed by something the other person has achieved or owns let them know it Understand that fundamentally every person is important and treat them accordingly
Personal comment When I finished reading this I thought to myself ldquoThese make sense in our everyday life not just in salesrdquo
The Third AgreementI will close with the 3rd step from the book
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel RuizDONrsquoT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS Find the
courage to ask questions and to express what you really want Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings sadness and drama
Sounds a little like what I wrote at the beginning of the column doesnrsquot it
Thatrsquos all for now Remember to save some time for yourself and your family And when you travel please travel safe
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE
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- News
December 2007 24Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
the image the text and the red bow In the laser file for this example I have the red cut line for vectoring (See Figure 5)
5) Send the cardstock through the printer6) Place the cardstock in the laser for vector
cutting The thickness of the stock will determine what settings to use For my 35-watt laser using a medium weight cardstock I used a speed of 100 and power of 15 for a nice cut through the stock without any burn marks on the paper
7) Optional in one run I decided to let the laser take care of the bow instead of using color for it from my printer I set the outline of the bow to 100 black and the interior of the bow to 50 black (See Figure 6)
8) Then I only sent the image and text through the printer The bow and vector cutting occurred in the laser I set the raster engraving (of the bow) at speed 70 and power 40 (See Figure 7) You can see the differentiation of using 100 black as opposed to 50 black by the exterior lines
being engraved a little deeper than the rest of the fill
Take the idea of using patterns (like the birth announcement above) and wowing your clientele with the detail and intricacy that laser can provide Or add a twist to a holiday tradition (cards) Whatever you do donrsquot forget you can combine the advantages of the printer and laser for fabulous products
Submitted by Kathryn Arnold Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
LASER TIPBy Kathryn Arnold Applications
Combining Laser amp Printer PowerComing up with new and
inventive ways to use your laser is the key to a successful and growing business We will look at a way to combine the power of your computer (ink) printer with the power of the laser engraver
In this lesson we will take a look at using cardstock to create a card and an announcement See the examples of a holiday card and a birth announcement ndash gratuitously they are of my family (Figure 1 amp Figure 2)
1) In CorelDRAWreg use any pattern image text you wish Be sure that there is a clear and discernible vector line that will be laser cut and yield a cut piece from the cardstock2) See the clear (red) cut line ndash it goes fully around my object even the bow portion (important) I then duplicated my object to fit as many as possible on my 8 frac12 x 11 cardstock (See Figure 3) 3) I saved this file as my master file that I could return to at any point I then created two copies -- one that will
be used to send the file to my printer and one that will be used to send the file to my laser engraver (See Figure 4)
4) In the master file I have every part of what my end product will have In the file for my printer I only have the parts that the printer will print ndash in this example
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
December 2007 25Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
ELECTRONICS FRONTIERBy Louie Alvarez Opportunity
Webcams are an interesting subject which I am intimately familiar with Some typical questions are what are they what purpose do they serve what benefit are they what to look for and various other questions concerns and issues
Webcams surely bring back a memory or two not all that great I might add I remember when they first became usable primarily due to the Internet having affordable true broadband
First experiences The choppy poor quality of dial-up service
simply didnrsquot make this a useful technology Short of communicating with far-flung family members it left much to be desired With my immediate family living in Las Vegas and all other family (parents siblings cousins etc) living in California this was a technology I thought would be useful to keep in touch
So I set up my computer and my momrsquos computer with Webcams to stay in touch Needless to say with the poor quality terrible tracking (had to keep perfectly
sti l l because video frames didnrsquot refresh fas t enough) the hard-to-see tiny video window and poorly synchronized voices to the faces (we looked like a badly translated kung fu movie) the novelty quickly wore off (Irsquod say in about 30 minutes)
WebcamsSecond attempt
So I promptly dumped the technology for the next few years until I started seeing broadband picking up the pace and more interest in Webcams becoming obvious from all the new devices on the market So about three years ago a wireless Webcam caught my eye and I decided to put it to the test once again
Considering I was by then traveling quite extensively (about 40000 miles a year) I figured Irsquod use it to monitor my home I had two teenagers and a 5-year-old at home at the time while I was on the road and my wife was still a t work (She normally didnrsquot get off work until about two hours after school was out) So this looked to be a cool device to see if as the clicheacute goes when the catrsquos away the mice will play
I proceeded to position this wireless Webcam strategically to allow viewing of my living room including the back door Plus to get to the front door or side door you would have to pass through the field of the camera My little one loved the idea of being on camera for her daddy and would dance play and make funny faces for me Pretty cool actually That in itself almost justified the camera but needless to say my teenagers even my wife didnrsquot take to the idea too well So it was returned and life continued on as usual
That experience did show me that the broadband
speeds the quality of the video feeds the prevalence on the net of live cams and the quality of the video cameras (better known as Webcams) had progressed to a level of usefulness and I could see the potential of this technology With that said letrsquos get into the heart of this article
So what are webcams Basically they are digital cameras attached to
the computer and connected to the Web or Instant Messaging (IM) This allows the camera to be linked to a website or to each other directly and individuals who view the website or IM are able to see what the camera is viewing at that moment You can choose to get either still pictures that are updated at regular intervals (Snapshot) or live streams (Streaming) depending on what your bandwidth permits The WebCam technology has advanced sufficiently now to make it both easier and cheaper to maintain a camera that is refreshing an image 24 hours a day
Features of Web Cameras Listed here are some of the features more commonly
found in WebCams1 Live streaming video still pictures updated2 No plug-in or software necessary to view image
can be viewed with any Web browser3 Live audio4 Incorporation with other software such as Instant
Messaging (IM)5 Adding captionslogostime displays6 Archiving video7 Chat feature
December 2007 26Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
WebCams in an instructional scenario could be used to
Monitor your staff or employees thus being able to guide them better
Telecommute to companies worldwide and demonstrate project procedures
B roadcas t sem ina rs wo rkshops o r demonstrations
Share special events and programs with students enrolled in distance learning courses
Hold a video press conference online meeting or broadcast meetings and discussions
In some cases it is important for the learner to be able to establish a connection visually WebCams could be a good alternative to using text files or audio files
Join WebCam groups and allow students to take advantage of other WebCam locations for educational purposes
Using a web camera allows learners to be a part of either a conference or classstudio
Benefits of using WebCamsa The most important advantage of using a web camera is that it creates a direct link between the camera and the live site and dispenses with all the production work Production work in this context includes the cost and effort involved in shooting
editing and streaming videos Thus using a WebCam does not require
advanced skillsb The software is basically a Web server that runs on your system and pushes images out to a Web page For viewers of images delivered over a WebCam
one of the benefits is that they get the entire picture preferable in
certain cases rather than a sleek edited versionc WebCam technology can also be used for remote s u r v e i l l a n c e s y s t e m s
ELECTRONIC FRONTIER
monitoring events or places and broadcasting live eventsd Learners can link to a web camera-monitored location and just watch or also have an additional web camera in their own location enabling two-way communication
Setting up your WebCama Setting up your own WebCam obviously requires a computer a WebCam (the hardware) and WebCam software along with a broadband Internet connection Before you decide which camera to buy and which software to acquire yoursquoll have to review the different methods to show pictures or video feed through the Internet ( i e r e f r e s h e d after x amount of seconds) This will enable you to decide which hardware and software solution will fit your situation best
b P l a c e m e n t of a camera is an important decision to be made Decide whether a static angle is sufficient to demonstrate the concept or a moving camera (handheld) is required It is important however to remember the limitations of using WebCams and leave the panoramic and other fancy shots to more sophisticated video Use WebCams for videos that require more focus and ones that require a smaller viewingmovement range
c For detailed technical instructions on using WebCams visit httpdeveloperswebcamworldcommethodshtml
d Here is a good resource for inexpensive Webcams on the market httpcastlepricewatchcomssearchasps=webcams
e For an in-depth review of various Webcams on the market go to this link httpreviewscnetcom4244-6502_7-0-1htmlquery=webamptag=cat_1
f There are many Webcam examples online here are a couple httpwwwwebcamworldcom or httpwwwleonardsworldscomcamerahtml
By the way DONrsquoT TELL MY KIDS I picked up a Logitech QuickCam Pro 4000 not too long ago My family doesnrsquot know why I got it or what my intention is but I can say that now that my kids are 17 16 amp 8 my job as a parent is to ensure the mice donrsquot play when the catrsquos awayhellip
Louie Alvarez began acquiring his experience in the awards and engraving industry in Central California over 15 years ago first as an employee of the largest and oldest trophy shop and then as owner of one of the first laser engraving businesses Louie has been a featured workshop instructor and seminar speaker throughout the industry in addition to being a contributing writer to numerous industry publications Louie is based in Las Vegas NV and can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
December 2007 27Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
The Association of CorelDRAWreg Professionals is The Education amp Business Resource for CorelDRAW Users Worldwide Its goal is to help 1) IMPROVE your CorelDRAW skills and 2) MAKE MONEY with those skills You can participate in ACDRP services in four ways
THE WORLDrsquoS ONLY ASSOCIATION FOR CORELDRAWreg USERSINVITES YOU TO MAKE MORE MONEY WITH CORELDRAW
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month focused on Industry News via the Graphics News Wire Links to valuable resources and a complete educa-tion and show Calendar S
CorelDRAWPro the Entrepreneurial magazine for CorelDRAW users features in-depth content on How to Use CorelDRAW -- tips tricks advanced ar twork success s to r ies in te rv iews and more How to Apply CorelDRAW -- for graphic production processes such as embroidery engraving heat printing laser promo products printing sandblasting signmaking sublimation and screenprinting How to Profit from CorelDRAW -- Product news business columns reviews profiles and advertising with live links
SUBSCRIBE -- NO CHARGE JOIN -- $60 PER YEAR
All users of CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite are qualified to subscribe free to CorelDRAWPro magazine (PDF format) and CorelDRAWPro E-News
Subscription to CorelDRAWPro amp CorelDRAWPRo E-News
TTF Newsletter Subscription to the monthly Tips Templates amp Fixtures Newsletter only available to members
GSG Basic Listing You can list your services in the Graphic Services Guide in one category as part of membership (a $25 value)
Access to QuickLearn A keyword searchable database of 100s of articles on CorelDRAW graphics production and business
All users of CorelDRAWreg are invited to join the Association and take advantage of exclusive content discounts and profes-sional recognition ACDRP membership includes
TTF
QuickLearn
QuickTNT
Archives
BASIC GSG LISTING -- $25 PER YR
The Graphic Services Guide is the Industry Yellow Pages for Services and Finished Goods GSG is promoted in all our publi-cations and our website to the world of CorelDRAW users Your listing gives you the opportunity to promote your services (in any of 40 categories) to other CorelDRAW usersThe Basic Listing includes your company description email link and listing in one category Additional service categories are $10 each per year
The Enhanced GSG Listing is for companies that want to list in two categories and add a photo or logo
ENHANCED GSG LISTING -- $50$75 PER YR
Classifieds
Access to QuickTnT A growing database of CorelDRAW tips for understanding the fine points of the program and templates that can be downloaded to speed up your production
Access to Archives Past issues of CorelDRAWPro are available to members with live links
Bookstore Discounts Members receive a 10 discount on all products in the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore
Professional Recognition Use of the ACDRP logo for professional identification on business cards websites and letterhead You also receive a membership certificate
Classified Ads Members can place one classified ad per year at no charge with photo and run it till the item is sold (a $35 value)
HOW TO PARTICIPATE To Subscribe (no charge) To Join ($60yr) To List in the Graphic Services Guide ($25 Basic $50$75 Enhanced or $120145 for Multi-Service)
CorelDRAWreg is a registered trademark of Corel Corp and is used with permission
Visit wwwcoreldrawprocomand click on the appropriate links
800-276-8428
The Multi-Service GSG Listing allows you to list up to 40 differ-ent service categories with detailed descriptions and add a photo or logo
MULTI-SERVICE GSG LISTING -- $120$145 PER YR
December 2007 28Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Throughout the year this publication has reported on whatrsquos new in equipment tools and software and blank products for businesses that put graphics onto products
For this 2007 wrap-up CorelDRAWPro editorial staff reviewed all the product news for the year and named 33 products to its annual Top Products of the Year list
Selections were based on the criteria of innovation and impact Innovation means products that exhibit a high degree of originality or uniqueness Impact means products that influence sales or productivity for a large number of businesses
Note that the 2007 honorees are list alphabetically in the three theme sections
For more information on the products in this article click on the Info Request button at the bottom of each page and select by company name or product You might open the Info Request page and minimize it as you read That way you can quickly open it and check the products you want
EQUIPMENT
ANAJET DIRECT-TO-GARMENT DIGITAL PRINTERAnaJet Digital Apparel Printer (Model FP-125) from
AnaJet Inc in Costa Mesa CA is a direct-to-garment printer offering high quality and affordability It can print custom graphics on any cotton or poly-cotton flat textile material in one minute The printer priced affordably from under $13000 can produce up to 5000 shirts per month each retailing for about $20 Most printers installed so far are in a production plant environment but some customers have started to take the mobile printer to malls for instant printing of customer graphics According to Dr Chase Roh company president the unique printhead they have developed allows for 16x more ink flow than normal desktop printers and thus shirts only require one pass
Top Products of the Year
DTG AMERICA ECLIPSE D-1 WITH TWO HEADS DTG America of Tampa FL and Fort Worth TX now offers a new solution to
speed up digitally printing to dark shirts The Eclipse D-1 incorporates two heads instead of one One head has eight channels of white to lay down a solid white underbase The second head has four channels of white to do highlights and four channels of color to lay down the design The result of this new configuration is the underbase and color are completed in one pass at an estimated average of only two minutes per shirt for a 12-inch by 6-inch area Other innovations include an ink agitator firmware for easy updating ink vapor remover auto gap adjustment and new platen configuration for easy loading
GEO KNIGHT DK 25SP HEAT PRESSThe Digital Knight DK25SP is an air-operated automatic
20x25 oversized swing-away heat press with a state-of-the-art control system and heavy-duty solid steel welded framework The smooth automatic pressing and push-button activation provides a productive fatigue-free operation The extended 20x25 size of the heat platen is perfect for sublimation and large-format materials pressingThe press is adjustable to accommodate materials from fabric thickness all the way up to 1rdquo thick substrates For more information call 800-525-6766 or visit wwwheatpresscom
GRAPHTEC CRAFT ROBO PROGraphtec America Inc based in Santa Ana
CA introduced the new Craft ROBO Pro 15rdquo cutting plotter The Craft ROBO Pro is an ideal solution for cutting a wide variety of materials including vinyl film card stock foil heat transfer and image transfer media Incorporating Graphtecrsquos legendary
December 2007 29Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
ARMS (Advanced Registration Marks System) and combined with a desktop printer the Craft ROBO Pro makes contour cutting an easy task Innovations include a new digital servo motor first mark auto-sensing menu navigation system that includes 8 user-defined conditions Tangential Control and three software applications
ROLAND RELEASES DIRECT-TO-FABRIC PRINTERRoland DGA Corp of Irvine CA released
the new 74rdquo HeatWave DFP-74 Fabric Printer through its reseller channel in the US Based on Rolandrsquos HeatWave sublimation technology the DFP-74 Fabric Printer is a complete integrated solution and Rolandrsquos first inkjet ever to support direct printing onto polyester fabrics As a complete solution including printer sublimation unit inks and RIP software the DFP-74 makes it easier than ever for shops to enter the fast-growing textile printing market Key features include eight advanced piezo print heads an intelligent media handling system and a temperature-controlled heating system
HOTRONIX PERFECT PRESSURE HEAT PRESSHotronix of Carmichaels PA has taken heat press technology
to the next level with Perfect Pressure a new digital pressure display functionThis new feature has a single-digit LED readout
that measures the pressure of the inner platen This technology is exclusive to Hotronix and is patent pending Previously a
digital pressure display was available only on air-operated heat press machines With this new pressure display gauge all heat press users will have more consistent results from job to job reducing the number of misprints and speeding up production For more information about
the new digital pressure display contact Stahlsrsquo Hotronix at 800-478-2457 e-mail infostahlscom or visit the Web site at wwwstahlscom
SWF DREAM EMBROIDERY MACHINEWith its new DREAM Machine SWF has broken the barrier in multi-head
embroidery machine technology The DREAM machines are the first multi-head embroidery machines that truly can sew at 1500 stitches per minute During the research and development of these new machines 12 new patents were filed and granted proof that the DREAM machines are built with state-of-the-art technology
Innovations include LED control panel error codes to quickly troubleshoot problems optional devices to do sequins cording and boring automatic oiling system large memory a hoop selector and more These innovative new machines come in configurations ranging from
two to six heads It is distributed exclusively by SWF East (Tampa FL) and SWF MESA (Dallas TX)
MESArsquoS HOTFIX SPANGLE MOTIF MACHINEWith the all new YAS-11 Hotfix Spangle Motif Making
Machine the first of its kind in the United States you can create beautiful spangle transfer designs that have the look of sequins This patented machine which is distributed exclusively in the United States by MESA Distributors of Fort Worth TX cuts out shapes such as circles and squares in a range of sizes from reels of Mylar tape The machine comes with proprietary design software that allows the user to create any pattern or design up to 157 by 157 inches
SAWGRASSrsquo HYBRID SYSTEM FOR EPSON R1800Sawgrass Technologies of Mt Pleasant SC introduced
the SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid System for the Epson R1800 for both sublimation printing and cotton
decorating from one machine The affordable entry-level system features dual functionality with both SubliJet and ChromaBlast inks in one machine allowing users to create customized images with superior color and clarity on both polyester coated substrates and cotton garments This is the second
hybrid system from Sawgrass following in the footsteps of the popular SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid
System for the Epson 4800
TROTECrsquoS NEW LARGE PLATFORM LASER Trotec Laser Inc of Ypsilanti MI has introduced the SP500 series of laser
engraving and cutting systems The systems have a work area of 50rdquo X 28rdquo and X-Axis clearance of 12rdquo The systems are offered in power levels from 45W-200W There is an available pass-through option (Class 4) Exhaust fumes are captured
December 2007 30Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
at the laser head to insure an efficient extraction when using the pass-through featureTrotec systems are designed for minimal wear-and-tear and eliminate the need for periodic replacement of belts and bearings For additional information visit our web site wwwtrotecnet or call 866-226-8505 734-484-3260
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW PROFESSIONAL SERIESUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) of Scottsdale
AZ added four new models in its Professional Laser Series (PLS) line of advanced high-productivity computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving systems The new PLS line which replaces Universalrsquos M V and X laser systems incorporates a
host of evolutionary design improvements to the laser cartridge platform chassis system electronics and software interface The new PLS models include several
powerful new features most notably a unique materials-based print driver called ldquoLaser Interface +rdquo that gives users their choice
between automatic or manual control over power speed and other system settings For more information on Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit Universal Laser Systems online at wwwulsinccom
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW VERSALASERUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) added a
new version of its desktop-sized VersaLasertrade
computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving system The new VersaLaser
improves on the award-winning original thanks to a host of evolutionary design refinements It also
includes a unique next-generation materials-based print driver that automatically calculates power speed
and other system settings It was awarded a patent for the unique design of its external cabinet which also functions as a Class 1 laser safety enclosure For more information about VersaLaser or Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit wwwulsinccom
US SCREENrsquoS FAST T-JET 3US Screen Print and Inkjet Technology of Tempe
AZ adds the Fast T-Jet3TM which features 30 faster print speeds compared to the previous T-Jet2 model and has a longer low profile print bed for easier loading and unloading Now you can produce a full size 12rdquo x 12rdquo (305 x 305 cm) print in one minute on a light shirt and in under three minutes on a black shirt with white ink Small pocket images can be printed in about 15 seconds
US SCREENrsquoS AUTOMATED PRETREATMENT CENTER
Speed up production when using Fast T-Jet inkjet-to-garment printers with the AutoTREATtrade Automatic Pretreatment Center
This versatile piece of equipment allows you to treat shirts on a production level rather than spraying shirts individually one at a time For use with light or dark shirts the AutoTREATtrade
can spray up to three shirts per minute It has two application modesmdashone for lights and one for darks that can be switched over by activating the cleaning mode which flushes out the system with water
TOOLS MATERIALS SOFTWARE
CORELDRAW X3 CERTIFIED FOR WINDOWS VISTACorel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that
CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite X3 has been Certified for Windows Vista Customers who wish to install the Certified for Windows Vista version of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X3 can download the latest service pack (SP2) from wwwcorelcom This new update delivers an exceptional experience for customers on Windows Vista including an updated user interface enhanced security improved text handling and further enhancements to the popular suitersquos renowned import and export file compatibility
COREL LAUNCHES NEW ONLINE COMMUNITY Corel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that it
has launched httpcoreldrawcom a new online community for users of the CorelDRAWreg family of products ndash including CorelDRAW Graphics Suite Corel DESIGNERreg Technical Suite
December 2007 31Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
and Corelreg DRAWingsreg This new community site is the first in a series that Corel will be launching to support its various user communities Designed to fuel inspiration CorelDRAWcom combines forums blogs and galleries for design professionals and graphic hobbyists alike Forums are available in English French German and Spanish serving an international audience
DALCOrsquoS NEW REFLECTIVE HEAT TRANSFERSCater to the safety market with new reflective transfers offered
by Dalco Athletic of Dallas TX These durable transfers come in a reflective silver gray color in three styles police sheriff and fire dept They are sized for left chest and full back so
all you have to do is heat seal for 8 seconds and yoursquore done Itrsquos very fast and easy
DALCOrsquoS NEW OPTIC YELLOW CLASSIC SWB APPLIQUE
Classic SWB appliqueacute designs offered by Dalco Athletic now come in two new styles softballs and tennis balls in optic yellow fabric These new balls literally jump off any wearable and make it an eye-catching standout This appliqueacute collection is ideal for spiritwear items to be sold to fans and family or created as fund-raisers for boosters clubs
POWER GRAPHICS 3 FROM DIGITAL ART SOLUTIONSPower Graphics 3 by Digital Art Solutions of
Tempe AZ is the ultimate design tool for the creation of high-end custom graphics and logos for custom signage awards vehicle graphics promotional products and apparel graphics Tuned to the latest styles and trends it provides fresh graphics that will impress even the most critical and demanding customer It includes more than 1500 images The 10 design categories include Flames Gangsta (Urban) Mascots Offroad Rebel (Biker and Hot
Rod) Retro Speed Sports Surf and Tuner
FLORIANI COMMERCIALrsquoS NEW NO-SHOW DIAMOND MESHContinuing in its tradition of research and development
to create embroidery stabilizers that meet the needs of todayrsquos embroiderers Floriani Embroidery Commercial Division of Knoxville TN released a new product called Floriani No-Show Diamond Mesh This unique nylon mesh stabilizer has a perpendicular embossed pattern that makes it more multi-directionally stable and enables it to better hold stitches for crisper design registration It is specifically designed for light-colored garments where traditional stabilizers have a tendency to show through the front of the garment
GREAT DANErsquoS NEW DIGITAL PHOTO FRAMES Tap into the lucrative team market with an
incredible collection of stock art specially designed to work for direct-to-garment printers sublimation transfers and digital transfers Digital Photo Frames Volume 1 is a collection of spectacular pre-designed layouts each with one or more frames to
insert personal photos The collection includes five categories baseball football basketball soccer and hockey Each category has four designs (20 total layouts) and each design comes in three template formats mugs mouse pads and shirts
So there are a total of 60 template designs in all
IMPRINTABLES WAREHOUSE OFFERS SPECTRA ECO FILMNew from Imprintables Warehouse of
Masontown PA is a digital cutter material that is free of PVC a plus with companies that want to be as environmentally friendly as possible Spectra Eco Film is made with ecological polyurethane and is peeled hot It is pressure sensitive (sticky backing) and extremely easy to weed While maintaining superior durability and opacity this new film is thinner than current offerings on the market and delivers the super soft hand that is in demand by todayrsquos consumers It can be used on 100 cotton 100 polyester polycotton blends and even nylon and leather
December 2007 32Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
KISSCUT TECHNOLOGIESrsquo SELF-WEEDING INKJET TRANSFER PAPER
Kiss Cut Technologies Ltd Newcastle UK has addressed the ldquopolymer windowrdquo issue and developed the worldrsquos first self-weeding inkjet transfer paper for printing to textiles In simple terms only the areas of their patented transfer paper that have been printed will be transferred to the garment when heat pressed A Kiss Cut print can be further embellished with specialized textile foils so in effect a digital foiling method is now available Foil is heat pressed onto the garment and when peeled the foil only sticks to the image areas
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW PHOTOPLAS-TIC MATERIALLaserSketchcom of Lemont IL a leading supplier of
LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble Super Black Granite and Black Onyx Jewelry introduces their new PhotoPlas-Tic This is a new material developed for front andor reverse laser engraving on micro surface impact acrylic plastic It is a premium plastic for laser engraving that is UV stable ideal for photo badges plaques trophies signage and high-end awards Each sheet of PhotoPlas-Tic is specially designed for a crisp clean burn and ultra-fine laser lettering logo and vector output For details call 630-243-6360 or visit wwwlasersketchcom
THEMAGICTOUCH LAUNCHES WOW TRANSFER PAPERTheMagicTouch USA launched WoW Professional
71 transfer paper which requires no weeding or profile cutting and the vibrant colors are achieved using digital laser technology making it great for short runs It uses PolymationTM which incorporates a newly designed catalyst that provides the ultimate compatibility with all generations of dry toner material According to the company PolymationTM is the next generation of laser heat transfer Sublimation requires the substrate to have a specialty receiving polymer coating to absorb the pigments but PolymationTM delivers everything at once polymer pigments and catalyst
December 2007 33Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
offers distinct advantages over any other process It allows for an unlimited number of colors and very fine detail which is impossible with screen printing or embroidery And the cost does not go up as colors are added These new specialty materials are so advanced they can be heat sealed to all kinds of fabrics and hot new multimedia designs can be easily done
VAPOR APPAREL LAUNCHES VAPOR ART VOLUME 1V a p o r A p p a r e l
a s u b s i d i a r y o f SourceSubstrates LLC Charleston SC announces the launch of Vapor Art - Volume 1 a collection of 127 vector graphics for digital sublimation and general use The diverse collection
of high-quality graphics comes after several years of customers requesting access to the companyrsquos sample art at trade shows and educational events The Collection of art includes vector drawings and JPGs for everything from mountain biking and snowboarding to yoga and cheerleading
BLANK PRODUCTS
COLORADO HEIRLOOMrsquoS COLOR LACQUERED FRAMES
Colorado Heirloom Inc of Loveland CO introduced their new Color Lacquered Frames This is an option to add color your unique creations It is not color fill Colored lacquer is sprayed on their high quality wood frames Because
INKTRA STRETCH TRANSFER PAPER FROM STAHLSrsquoStahlsrsquo based in St Clair
Shores MI adds InkTratrade Stretch a flexible transfer paper A revolutionary product InkTratrade Stretch provides a soft hand with an amazing stretch and recovery feature InkTratrade Stretch lets you take your favorite photo or graphic design and apply it to light colored or white hats shirts bags and more for a long lasting and completely personalized garment The highly stretchable paper can be applied to cotton polycotton blends spandex and Lycrareg
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo GOOF-PROOF TRANSFERSWant the look of screen
printing without the hassle With Goof Proofreg transfers offered by Transfer Express of Mentor OH you can custom order a transfer that has the popular athletic feel and will apply in a blazing four seconds Ordering is done step-by-step online and you can customize hundreds of designs You choose your
typeface colors and size Once your design is just the way you want it you can print it out to show a customer for approval Or Transfer Express can print from your artwork The minimum order is only five pieces and your one-color order ships in one to three working days
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo NEW FULL-COLOR DIGI PRINTSApparel decorators can now offer full-color designs on light
and dark apparel made of virtually any type of fabric without the hassle or minimums of screen printing with new state-of-the-art heat transfer technology called Digi Printstrade Offered through Transfer Express this revolutionary new method of decorating
December 2007 34Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
lacquer is used instead of paint any design can be lasered on these frames The possibilities are endless These colorful creations are offered in two different designs -- a designer frame and a frame with an insert Call 970-667-4222 or visit wwwcoloradoheirloomcom
CONDE ADDS PET MATS FOR SUBLIMATIONCondeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added food bowl placemats and litter box
mats to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Favorite photographs and pet-related artwork can be transferred to the
mats to create fun products for individual pet lovers or for the pet industry such as pet stores veterinarians groomers boarding facilities and animal adoption groups Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing Call Conde at 800-826-6332
CONDE INTRODUCES FABRIC PATCHES FOR SUBLIMATION
Condeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added fabric patches to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Custom decorators can now produce unique full-color patches that will impress organizations businesses clubs sports teams sports enthusiasts and individuals alike -- without the use of embroidery Heat seal patches are great for identification marketing awards trade show promotions or to commemorate special events Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing or call 800-826-6332
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW LASERSLABLaserSketch of Lemont IL Internationally known for
their LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble and Super Black Granite announces LaserSlab Super Black Granite at 4rsquo x 8rsquo x 7mm and 4rsquo x 4rsquo x 7mm weighting in at just over 2 pounds per square foot The surface of the LaserSlab Granite has the sheen of a black mirror The reverse side features epoxy fiberglass backing to give structure integrity to the ultra-lite granite sheet All may be viewed wwwlasersketchcom or by calling LaserSketch 630-243-6360
MATTHEWS INTRODUCES ALUMICOLORTM
Matthews International Corp of Pittsburgh PA introduced Alumicolortrade a high-resolution graphics solution for aluminum signage recognition commemoration and way finding Using cutting-edge technology Matthews embeds a four-color image into the aluminum to create an anodized reproduction of unsurpassed durability Alumicolortrade products which are designed for interior and exterior installations are resistant to extreme weather conditions graffiti scuffing grease chemicals and UV rays Additionally they will not chip crack or peel
PSI ADDS ROUND FRAMES amp STRING PUZZLES Paramount Services Inc of Hollywood FL
introduced new round resin frames for sublimation tiles Choose from Coral or RopeStone with optional Unisubreg Hardboard Tiles They will also accept the Bison 8rdquo round glass Cutting Board Why be square when round may fit better PSI also introduced a new puzzle guaranteed to string you along These String Puzzles come with a Unisubreg Hardboard puzzle and the necessary string and beads along with instructions how to string it after printing Templates to aid in design are available for download in several formats For details call 800-455-7212 or visit wwwDye-Sublimation-Productscom
CRYSTALEDGEreg LUXORTM CRYSTAL AWARDSCrystalEdgereg Chicago IL presented the Luxortrade Series
This stunning cost-effective collection comprises a series of specially designed Rosewood and Black Piano finish bases Matte Mahogany and Matte Black bases and a precision cast Satin Nickel Finish Metal Base with your choice of brass or silver hardware for mounting our twelve unique shapes making this the most versatile award yet Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks are curved 14rdquo thick crystal clear glass with 316rdquo diameter holes for mounting The Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks feature a generous engraving area and there is plenty of room on the base to add an engraving plate
December 2007 35Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
XENETECHrsquoS NEW ENGRAVABLE GIFTSXenetech of Baton Rouge
LA introduced high quality engravable gift items at wholesale and quantity discounts The Xenetech collection provides a selection of gifts created for corporate recognition weddings births holidays anniversaries retirements birthdays special occasions or just expressing appreciation Items include money clips key chains book markers desk accessories quartz movement clocks flasks amp wine accessories entertainment gifts travel gifts genuine Swiss Army knives business card holders luggage tags silver-plated jewelry boxes keepsake gift boxes silver-plated banks and baby gifts The gift items are designed primarily for diamond drag burnishing and rotary engraving personalization
UNISUBrsquoS CHROMALUXE PHOTO PANELSChromaLuxe photo panels are an exciting new line
of sublimatable products from Unisub of Louisville KY These panels allow you to sell a completely finished photo product to your customers capturing some of the additional revenue (and profit) your customers now spend elsewhere on framing Available in a range of traditional photo sizes as well as exciting new shapes these panels can be joined together to create stunning photo displays -- perfect for a fireplace mantle l i b r a r y s h e l f or the top of an armoire Available in aluminum or MDF substrates
CorelDRAWPro IndexOne of our members in Michigan
requested that we put together an Index of all the articles wersquove published during the year
He prints out all the issues and puts them in binders but an Index would make it easy to reference specific articles We think itrsquos a good idea and wersquoll send it to all subscribers in January
Product Focus TopicsJanuary 2008 -- Signage Products esp Wide FormatFebruary 2008 -- Engraving Awards amp GiftsMarch 2008 -- Apparel ProductsApril 2008 -- Laser Wood Products
Coming in 2008
December 2007 36Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETSBy Donna M Gray CRM Opportunities
December ndash Time to Review December finds everyone on our team strategizing how to get out of our parking lot Our business sits right in the middle of an up-scale strip mall which sits right behind a huge shopping mall and right along the main road to a Target Superstore and other large malls We all know that from the day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday) until 2 weeks after the New Year there are great challenges to those of us who like to leave the building for lunch or run an errandhellipso we strategize We all know every secret shortcut to the bank the post office and the warehouse club What we donrsquot know is how to find the way to merge out of our own back alley into the constant flow of traffic that carries people to their end shopping destination Whew
The year-end review So this year Dave and I have decided to stay in at lunch and do our business strategizing instead Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup are good brain food for helping us to look at all the successful things we did last year as a company all the things we thought about doing but didnrsquot because the idea didnrsquot quite fit and all the things we put off until next year We do this kind of exercise every year end and it helps us to map out our strategy for the coming year In the process we identify any mistakes wersquove made wrong turns wersquove taken and we try to find the ldquowhat could have happened had everything gone rightrdquo
The value of making mistakes Albert Einstein said ldquoAnyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything newrdquo Dave has a couple of prints in his office of Abraham Lincoln that describe his mistakes in fact it took Lincoln eight tries to win the presidency Thomas Edison made mistakeshellipand yet he perseveredhellipotherwise wersquod by ldquocomputingrdquo by candlelight And Irsquove heard that Colonel
Sanders had a thousand rejections before he sold his first chicken recipe It would be nice to get to our year end business appraisals and find that wersquove made no mistakes but our business like most others doesnrsquot have that claim to fame My mother always took the high road with mistakes She always said that one should recognize the benefits of a mistake One should learn what good came from it use it to improve and use it to help motivate success the next time So December is the time to analyze everything that made up the past year and look for ways to make the New Year successful in every way
Making a plan Most advisors say that the first step toward business success after looking at a companyrsquos year ending history is to decide on exactly what you want to do going forward in the coming year Then comes mapping out the plan What will be done How will it get done Who will do what What resources will be used When will it get done Is the right equipment in place Is the space adequate Ask these and any other questions that could relate to creating a successful year then focus on the details and follow through Those two wordshellipfocus and follow throughhellipcould mean the difference between marginal and abundant success Simply stated success comes from what you do and the way you do ithellipin your customerrsquos perception Every business wants to have a good imagehellipa good reputation so dedication to having good communication skills is important especially in an industry that does custom work The goal is to be on the same page as our clients so we have to be good mind readers We have to also concentrate on our professionalism on our appearance on our presentation style and in the pride we take in producing a well-done project This
has worked in the past and will remain the same in the future
The extra mile Success has to be nurturedhellipthen it gets celebrated Sometimes sacrifices have to be made to get to the rewards At year end when we analyze how we got from Point A to Point B itrsquos interesting to note that we sometimes had to take detours and sometimes the road blocks called for sacrificehellipof time or money Sometimes the sacrifice came in the way of a sleepless night worrying if an order that was lost in delivery would be found and re-routed to us in time to make a clientrsquos deadline Someone (unknown) said ldquoA day of worry is more exhausting than a week of workrdquo Anyone in business could testify to that Part of success is going the extra milehellipeven if it results in a sleepless night Going the extra mile is worth all the paid advertising in the world on the road to success
December 2007 37Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETS
Donna Grayrsquos 2nd book Itrsquos All Relative Surviving amp Thriving in a Family Business was published in September 2007
It describes her quest to identify the keys to suc-cess for small business and family businesses in particular She interviewed top businesses nationwide and discovered five common qualities implemented by successful business owners Check it out at the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore wwwcoreldrawprocomAllBook-storehtm
Commitments made and kept Our team felt good about some commitments we made and kept this past year like
We used a daily ldquoto-dordquo list and we set priorities in order of importance When we finished a project we ldquocelebratedrdquo and then moved on quickly to the next job We built in some time for ldquostress reliefrdquo with morning meeting breaks This was especially good when treats were served since wersquove got some good bakers on our staff We didnrsquot ldquoscreenrdquo calls through voice mail We considered every call to be important We ldquodid it right the first timerdquo even though it sometimes took longer We tied up all the ldquoloose endsrdquo We became ldquocheerleadersrdquo for each other When one of us accomplished a goal we all applauded We all tried to deliver more than we promised This can be challenging sometimes when working with a difficult project We eliminated (or tried to eliminate) unnecessary procedures and we simplified our paper flow system We spent most of our time on high priority tasks We all worked on our delegation skills We were committed to not wasting time either our own or other peoplersquos
Goals that were lacking Now all those great things being put on paper reminds me that we also had some goals we didnrsquot quite succeed athellipbut wersquoll try harder next year
We didnrsquot always ldquogrouprdquo tasks togetherhelliplike going to the bank and the post office in one trip or answering mail when it gets opened It wasnrsquot always easy to avoid procrastination Some low priority chores got put off There were still times when we couldnrsquot find enough hours to finish the work Our ldquotoolsrdquo didnrsquot always get put away when we were through with a project even though this is Daversquos pet peeve
Conclusion Experts say that we have to actively create our success not wait for it to happen This coming year hopefully none of us will sit in the comfort zone waiting for the phone to ring Therersquos an old Chinese proverb that goes ldquoIt you continually give you will continually haverdquo Our team will go on being involved in community activities When time is spent on worthwhile projects outside the business opportunities come knocking at the front counter Besideshellipat yearrsquos endhellipit makes us feel really good about the help we gave on these projects
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since1977 She can be reached by email at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
December 2007 38Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
GRAPHICS NEWS NETWORKAll these news and information products and services are part of the
Graphics News Network developed for ACDRP The goal is ldquoAll the News All the Time mdash For the World of Graphicsrdquo
GRAPHICS NewsWireThe Graphics News Wire is the always live always updated source for graphics news mdash products equipment technology and more Make it (CorelDRAWProcomNewsPagehtm) your home page or favorite to gain access to Breaking news updated regularly New Classified Ads New Job Announcements Supplier SpecialsAll news is related to graphic productsQuickSourceTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive amp Easy-To-Use
Search Engine
It gives you one-click access to suppliers products phone numbers and live links to ACDRP Member Suppliers Itrsquos always up-to-date searchable by keyword and accessible from your desktop
Quick TnTTM
The Industryrsquos Newest Resource for Graphics Tips amp Templates
Gain access to a growing library of CorelDRAW tips and templates that will make your work easier
QuickLearnTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive and
Easy-To-Use Article Library
Gain access to hundreds of articles on graphics-related and business topics searchable by keyword
The Entrepreneurial Magazine for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro Magazine is delivered to you once a month in PDF format It features in-depth content that readers rave about including articles on how to use CorelDRAW how to apply CorelDRAW and how to profit from CorelDRAW
News Tips amp Resources for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month mdash about the 15th and 25th It brings you highly targeted content that you wonrsquot find elsewhere including CorelDRAW Tips extensive product news links and a calendar of shows and training
MARKET PLACE
Quality Engravable JewelryHand-crafted in New England
GIFTS amp ACCESSORIES FOR WOMEN AND MEN
John E Lepper Inc800-835-3623 Fax 508-222-2732
wwwjeleppercom
GenuineWhite-tone
Pewter amp Gold
Some Things Were Meant To Be In Etched in Stone
Call for a free color catalog
NampR International1155 Allgood Rd 13Marietta GA 30062
678-560-4088Fax 678-560-1157
Importers amp Wholesalers of MarbleOnyx
Gifts amp Accessories
JOIN TODAY
The worldrsquos only association for CorelDRAWreg Users
wwwcoreldrawprocomJoinhtm
Place an Ad for as little as $215 per month
Find out how by calling our Ad Representative John McDaniel II
541-990-6687
the entrepreneurial magazine
GET LISTED TODAY
Generate new businessby doing jobs for others
List your company in GSG the Digital Yellow Pages for the industry wwwcoreldrawprocomListGSGhtm
December 2007 39Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Louie Alvarez started in the industry working for one of the largest trophy shops in Central California and then opened one of the first retail laser engraving businesses He has given seminars and workshops on CorelDRAW and Laser for many years and has written for several publications He is now with Vytek Industrial Lasers and is based in Las Vegas NV He can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
Kathryn Arnold is the Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
Errol Barr has a wide range of experience in sales amp marketing eventually getting into laser systems in 1999 currently with Vytek Industrial Lasers He also sold extensively in the CNC router industry selling the machines as more of a business opportunity wrapped around the machine He can be reached by email at errolbarrgmailcom
Dave Demoret founded Prolink Graphic Services to help people understand and profit from learning CorelDRAW He has been in both the Flat Graphics Industry and the Decorating Graphics Industry for 30 years He has written articles for several publications is a Corel Training Partner and conducts workshops nationwide and online He is the author of several CD Instructional programs on CorelDRAW He can be reached at 765-DO COLOR (362-6567) or davedprolinkgscom
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since 1977 She has presented seminars on a variety of topics nationwide and has won many marketing awards She is the author of two books on family business and can be reached at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
Bill Leek is a color consultant for JBL Graphics in Houston TX and has over 30 years experience in computer engineering and graphics design He has developed several lines of color imprintable products and does testing on a variety of products for different manufacturers He can be reached at wfleekjblgraphicscom or 281-970-6677
Jeff McDaniel is the owner of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon He worked as a journeyman machinist before getting into the graphic products business Creative Graphic offers laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials Contact him at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
John McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry He worked for many years with computers in electronic data processing and pioneered the use of CorelDraw for engraving applications He owned a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years and writes about hardware design software laser engraving sublimation and more He is a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals For information on training and more call 541-967-4271 or write to mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
Judy McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry Her background includes many forms of art and retail sales as well as the operation of a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years She is a regular columnist on sandblasting sublimation and diversifying business as well as a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals She can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
David Milisock is president of Custom Graphic Technologies Inc in Pennsylvania He has been in the print production business since 1975 and specializes in professional support for CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite Output includes computer-to-plate processes for all commercial digital front-end applications as well as Postscript-compliant graphic applications He offers technical and color management support for all RIP-driven corporate digital output systems He can be reached at 717-509-3523 or davidmilisockcomcastnet
Deborah Sexton former editor of Impressions Magazine has been in the apparel graphics industry since 1981 She currently does marketing and public relations for apparel graphics companies and is a columnist for several industry publications She can be reached at dsextonsbcglobalnet
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at 916-567-1867
December 2007 40Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
by Otis Veteto
Traveling Tidbits
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the
RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of
the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Itrsquos a fun and
informative column focusing on the human-interest side of
the industry Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars
for industry organizations and some of that knowledge
will rub off as well He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at
916-567-1867
Reps Volunteers People Skills amp Agreements
RS Owens Southeast RepFirst of all a Traveling Tidbits welcome to
the newest member of the RS Owens Company sales team Anita Brennan Anita is the new Regional Sales Manager for the Southeast She will be calling on you folks in Alabama Tennessee Mississippi Florida Georgia North Carolina and South Carolina Anita has worked in all phases of our industry as a retailer (her own business) multi-line rep and now as a regional sales manager When I asked Anita what she likes to do when not on the road she told me she likes to spend time with her two-year-old granddaughter Kaylee Welcome to the RS Owens family Anita Brennan
Railroad Museum VolunteerI know Christmas is the time for giving
but some people give all year long I was talking recently with Elias Athanasiou whose regular job is a server in a restaurant my wife and I frequent when I am in Sacramento Elias has been associated as a volunteer with the California State Railroad Museum for about 16 years Every Saturday during the ldquorunning seasonrdquo April-September Elias can be found working as a volunteer on the Steam Engine excursion train that runs for 6 miles along the top of the levee on the Sacramento River The ride takes about 40 minutes Elias is the Engineer now but has worked as conductor and fireman in his tenure with the train It is people like Elias Athanasiou that make this a much better world A huge Traveling Tidbits SALUTE You can find out more about the Railroad Museum at wwwcsrmorg
Real People SkillsThis next tidbit is from the PPAI Promotional
Consultant Today The author is Roy Chitwood president of Max Sacks International in Seattle Wash It is entitled To Shine Polish Your People Skills
ldquoPeople buy not because they understand your product or service but because they feel that you understand them People buy emotionally As a professional salesperson you need to be more people-oriented not product centered Here are seven quick and easy techniques to improve your people skills
SMILE It is the universal sign of friendship in any language The Chinese have a proverb ldquoA man who cannot smile should not open a storerdquo Think about that Give a smile and you will get a smile in return
DEVELOP A GENUINE INTEREST IN OTHERS When you have sincere interest it shows Look directly at people when they are talking to you Let your facial expression register your interest Ask good open-ended questions to let people know that you are interested in what they say
TALK IN TERMS OF THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS INTERESTS You will never meet anyone who doesnrsquot have time to talk about what they want to talk about Encourage your prospect to discuss his or interests rather than launching into a discussion about yourself
USE THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS NAME Using a name builds personal rapport and shows you are listening with respect Be careful about overusing the personrsquos name
GIVE COMPLIMENTS Everyone loves a compliment when it is genuine Make a
concentrated effort to give at least 3 honest compliments every day of your life You will be amazed at what it will do for your relationships
LISTEN Listening is the greatest compliment you can pay When you assume the role of the listener it relaxes the sales climate As you listen you are demonstrating that you truly care and you are genuinely interested in what he or she has to say
MAKE THE OTHER PERSON FEEL IMPORTANT When you are sincerely impressed by something the other person has achieved or owns let them know it Understand that fundamentally every person is important and treat them accordingly
Personal comment When I finished reading this I thought to myself ldquoThese make sense in our everyday life not just in salesrdquo
The Third AgreementI will close with the 3rd step from the book
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel RuizDONrsquoT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS Find the
courage to ask questions and to express what you really want Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings sadness and drama
Sounds a little like what I wrote at the beginning of the column doesnrsquot it
Thatrsquos all for now Remember to save some time for yourself and your family And when you travel please travel safe
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE
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- News
December 2007 25Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
ELECTRONICS FRONTIERBy Louie Alvarez Opportunity
Webcams are an interesting subject which I am intimately familiar with Some typical questions are what are they what purpose do they serve what benefit are they what to look for and various other questions concerns and issues
Webcams surely bring back a memory or two not all that great I might add I remember when they first became usable primarily due to the Internet having affordable true broadband
First experiences The choppy poor quality of dial-up service
simply didnrsquot make this a useful technology Short of communicating with far-flung family members it left much to be desired With my immediate family living in Las Vegas and all other family (parents siblings cousins etc) living in California this was a technology I thought would be useful to keep in touch
So I set up my computer and my momrsquos computer with Webcams to stay in touch Needless to say with the poor quality terrible tracking (had to keep perfectly
sti l l because video frames didnrsquot refresh fas t enough) the hard-to-see tiny video window and poorly synchronized voices to the faces (we looked like a badly translated kung fu movie) the novelty quickly wore off (Irsquod say in about 30 minutes)
WebcamsSecond attempt
So I promptly dumped the technology for the next few years until I started seeing broadband picking up the pace and more interest in Webcams becoming obvious from all the new devices on the market So about three years ago a wireless Webcam caught my eye and I decided to put it to the test once again
Considering I was by then traveling quite extensively (about 40000 miles a year) I figured Irsquod use it to monitor my home I had two teenagers and a 5-year-old at home at the time while I was on the road and my wife was still a t work (She normally didnrsquot get off work until about two hours after school was out) So this looked to be a cool device to see if as the clicheacute goes when the catrsquos away the mice will play
I proceeded to position this wireless Webcam strategically to allow viewing of my living room including the back door Plus to get to the front door or side door you would have to pass through the field of the camera My little one loved the idea of being on camera for her daddy and would dance play and make funny faces for me Pretty cool actually That in itself almost justified the camera but needless to say my teenagers even my wife didnrsquot take to the idea too well So it was returned and life continued on as usual
That experience did show me that the broadband
speeds the quality of the video feeds the prevalence on the net of live cams and the quality of the video cameras (better known as Webcams) had progressed to a level of usefulness and I could see the potential of this technology With that said letrsquos get into the heart of this article
So what are webcams Basically they are digital cameras attached to
the computer and connected to the Web or Instant Messaging (IM) This allows the camera to be linked to a website or to each other directly and individuals who view the website or IM are able to see what the camera is viewing at that moment You can choose to get either still pictures that are updated at regular intervals (Snapshot) or live streams (Streaming) depending on what your bandwidth permits The WebCam technology has advanced sufficiently now to make it both easier and cheaper to maintain a camera that is refreshing an image 24 hours a day
Features of Web Cameras Listed here are some of the features more commonly
found in WebCams1 Live streaming video still pictures updated2 No plug-in or software necessary to view image
can be viewed with any Web browser3 Live audio4 Incorporation with other software such as Instant
Messaging (IM)5 Adding captionslogostime displays6 Archiving video7 Chat feature
December 2007 26Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
WebCams in an instructional scenario could be used to
Monitor your staff or employees thus being able to guide them better
Telecommute to companies worldwide and demonstrate project procedures
B roadcas t sem ina rs wo rkshops o r demonstrations
Share special events and programs with students enrolled in distance learning courses
Hold a video press conference online meeting or broadcast meetings and discussions
In some cases it is important for the learner to be able to establish a connection visually WebCams could be a good alternative to using text files or audio files
Join WebCam groups and allow students to take advantage of other WebCam locations for educational purposes
Using a web camera allows learners to be a part of either a conference or classstudio
Benefits of using WebCamsa The most important advantage of using a web camera is that it creates a direct link between the camera and the live site and dispenses with all the production work Production work in this context includes the cost and effort involved in shooting
editing and streaming videos Thus using a WebCam does not require
advanced skillsb The software is basically a Web server that runs on your system and pushes images out to a Web page For viewers of images delivered over a WebCam
one of the benefits is that they get the entire picture preferable in
certain cases rather than a sleek edited versionc WebCam technology can also be used for remote s u r v e i l l a n c e s y s t e m s
ELECTRONIC FRONTIER
monitoring events or places and broadcasting live eventsd Learners can link to a web camera-monitored location and just watch or also have an additional web camera in their own location enabling two-way communication
Setting up your WebCama Setting up your own WebCam obviously requires a computer a WebCam (the hardware) and WebCam software along with a broadband Internet connection Before you decide which camera to buy and which software to acquire yoursquoll have to review the different methods to show pictures or video feed through the Internet ( i e r e f r e s h e d after x amount of seconds) This will enable you to decide which hardware and software solution will fit your situation best
b P l a c e m e n t of a camera is an important decision to be made Decide whether a static angle is sufficient to demonstrate the concept or a moving camera (handheld) is required It is important however to remember the limitations of using WebCams and leave the panoramic and other fancy shots to more sophisticated video Use WebCams for videos that require more focus and ones that require a smaller viewingmovement range
c For detailed technical instructions on using WebCams visit httpdeveloperswebcamworldcommethodshtml
d Here is a good resource for inexpensive Webcams on the market httpcastlepricewatchcomssearchasps=webcams
e For an in-depth review of various Webcams on the market go to this link httpreviewscnetcom4244-6502_7-0-1htmlquery=webamptag=cat_1
f There are many Webcam examples online here are a couple httpwwwwebcamworldcom or httpwwwleonardsworldscomcamerahtml
By the way DONrsquoT TELL MY KIDS I picked up a Logitech QuickCam Pro 4000 not too long ago My family doesnrsquot know why I got it or what my intention is but I can say that now that my kids are 17 16 amp 8 my job as a parent is to ensure the mice donrsquot play when the catrsquos awayhellip
Louie Alvarez began acquiring his experience in the awards and engraving industry in Central California over 15 years ago first as an employee of the largest and oldest trophy shop and then as owner of one of the first laser engraving businesses Louie has been a featured workshop instructor and seminar speaker throughout the industry in addition to being a contributing writer to numerous industry publications Louie is based in Las Vegas NV and can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
December 2007 27Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
The Association of CorelDRAWreg Professionals is The Education amp Business Resource for CorelDRAW Users Worldwide Its goal is to help 1) IMPROVE your CorelDRAW skills and 2) MAKE MONEY with those skills You can participate in ACDRP services in four ways
THE WORLDrsquoS ONLY ASSOCIATION FOR CORELDRAWreg USERSINVITES YOU TO MAKE MORE MONEY WITH CORELDRAW
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month focused on Industry News via the Graphics News Wire Links to valuable resources and a complete educa-tion and show Calendar S
CorelDRAWPro the Entrepreneurial magazine for CorelDRAW users features in-depth content on How to Use CorelDRAW -- tips tricks advanced ar twork success s to r ies in te rv iews and more How to Apply CorelDRAW -- for graphic production processes such as embroidery engraving heat printing laser promo products printing sandblasting signmaking sublimation and screenprinting How to Profit from CorelDRAW -- Product news business columns reviews profiles and advertising with live links
SUBSCRIBE -- NO CHARGE JOIN -- $60 PER YEAR
All users of CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite are qualified to subscribe free to CorelDRAWPro magazine (PDF format) and CorelDRAWPro E-News
Subscription to CorelDRAWPro amp CorelDRAWPRo E-News
TTF Newsletter Subscription to the monthly Tips Templates amp Fixtures Newsletter only available to members
GSG Basic Listing You can list your services in the Graphic Services Guide in one category as part of membership (a $25 value)
Access to QuickLearn A keyword searchable database of 100s of articles on CorelDRAW graphics production and business
All users of CorelDRAWreg are invited to join the Association and take advantage of exclusive content discounts and profes-sional recognition ACDRP membership includes
TTF
QuickLearn
QuickTNT
Archives
BASIC GSG LISTING -- $25 PER YR
The Graphic Services Guide is the Industry Yellow Pages for Services and Finished Goods GSG is promoted in all our publi-cations and our website to the world of CorelDRAW users Your listing gives you the opportunity to promote your services (in any of 40 categories) to other CorelDRAW usersThe Basic Listing includes your company description email link and listing in one category Additional service categories are $10 each per year
The Enhanced GSG Listing is for companies that want to list in two categories and add a photo or logo
ENHANCED GSG LISTING -- $50$75 PER YR
Classifieds
Access to QuickTnT A growing database of CorelDRAW tips for understanding the fine points of the program and templates that can be downloaded to speed up your production
Access to Archives Past issues of CorelDRAWPro are available to members with live links
Bookstore Discounts Members receive a 10 discount on all products in the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore
Professional Recognition Use of the ACDRP logo for professional identification on business cards websites and letterhead You also receive a membership certificate
Classified Ads Members can place one classified ad per year at no charge with photo and run it till the item is sold (a $35 value)
HOW TO PARTICIPATE To Subscribe (no charge) To Join ($60yr) To List in the Graphic Services Guide ($25 Basic $50$75 Enhanced or $120145 for Multi-Service)
CorelDRAWreg is a registered trademark of Corel Corp and is used with permission
Visit wwwcoreldrawprocomand click on the appropriate links
800-276-8428
The Multi-Service GSG Listing allows you to list up to 40 differ-ent service categories with detailed descriptions and add a photo or logo
MULTI-SERVICE GSG LISTING -- $120$145 PER YR
December 2007 28Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Throughout the year this publication has reported on whatrsquos new in equipment tools and software and blank products for businesses that put graphics onto products
For this 2007 wrap-up CorelDRAWPro editorial staff reviewed all the product news for the year and named 33 products to its annual Top Products of the Year list
Selections were based on the criteria of innovation and impact Innovation means products that exhibit a high degree of originality or uniqueness Impact means products that influence sales or productivity for a large number of businesses
Note that the 2007 honorees are list alphabetically in the three theme sections
For more information on the products in this article click on the Info Request button at the bottom of each page and select by company name or product You might open the Info Request page and minimize it as you read That way you can quickly open it and check the products you want
EQUIPMENT
ANAJET DIRECT-TO-GARMENT DIGITAL PRINTERAnaJet Digital Apparel Printer (Model FP-125) from
AnaJet Inc in Costa Mesa CA is a direct-to-garment printer offering high quality and affordability It can print custom graphics on any cotton or poly-cotton flat textile material in one minute The printer priced affordably from under $13000 can produce up to 5000 shirts per month each retailing for about $20 Most printers installed so far are in a production plant environment but some customers have started to take the mobile printer to malls for instant printing of customer graphics According to Dr Chase Roh company president the unique printhead they have developed allows for 16x more ink flow than normal desktop printers and thus shirts only require one pass
Top Products of the Year
DTG AMERICA ECLIPSE D-1 WITH TWO HEADS DTG America of Tampa FL and Fort Worth TX now offers a new solution to
speed up digitally printing to dark shirts The Eclipse D-1 incorporates two heads instead of one One head has eight channels of white to lay down a solid white underbase The second head has four channels of white to do highlights and four channels of color to lay down the design The result of this new configuration is the underbase and color are completed in one pass at an estimated average of only two minutes per shirt for a 12-inch by 6-inch area Other innovations include an ink agitator firmware for easy updating ink vapor remover auto gap adjustment and new platen configuration for easy loading
GEO KNIGHT DK 25SP HEAT PRESSThe Digital Knight DK25SP is an air-operated automatic
20x25 oversized swing-away heat press with a state-of-the-art control system and heavy-duty solid steel welded framework The smooth automatic pressing and push-button activation provides a productive fatigue-free operation The extended 20x25 size of the heat platen is perfect for sublimation and large-format materials pressingThe press is adjustable to accommodate materials from fabric thickness all the way up to 1rdquo thick substrates For more information call 800-525-6766 or visit wwwheatpresscom
GRAPHTEC CRAFT ROBO PROGraphtec America Inc based in Santa Ana
CA introduced the new Craft ROBO Pro 15rdquo cutting plotter The Craft ROBO Pro is an ideal solution for cutting a wide variety of materials including vinyl film card stock foil heat transfer and image transfer media Incorporating Graphtecrsquos legendary
December 2007 29Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
ARMS (Advanced Registration Marks System) and combined with a desktop printer the Craft ROBO Pro makes contour cutting an easy task Innovations include a new digital servo motor first mark auto-sensing menu navigation system that includes 8 user-defined conditions Tangential Control and three software applications
ROLAND RELEASES DIRECT-TO-FABRIC PRINTERRoland DGA Corp of Irvine CA released
the new 74rdquo HeatWave DFP-74 Fabric Printer through its reseller channel in the US Based on Rolandrsquos HeatWave sublimation technology the DFP-74 Fabric Printer is a complete integrated solution and Rolandrsquos first inkjet ever to support direct printing onto polyester fabrics As a complete solution including printer sublimation unit inks and RIP software the DFP-74 makes it easier than ever for shops to enter the fast-growing textile printing market Key features include eight advanced piezo print heads an intelligent media handling system and a temperature-controlled heating system
HOTRONIX PERFECT PRESSURE HEAT PRESSHotronix of Carmichaels PA has taken heat press technology
to the next level with Perfect Pressure a new digital pressure display functionThis new feature has a single-digit LED readout
that measures the pressure of the inner platen This technology is exclusive to Hotronix and is patent pending Previously a
digital pressure display was available only on air-operated heat press machines With this new pressure display gauge all heat press users will have more consistent results from job to job reducing the number of misprints and speeding up production For more information about
the new digital pressure display contact Stahlsrsquo Hotronix at 800-478-2457 e-mail infostahlscom or visit the Web site at wwwstahlscom
SWF DREAM EMBROIDERY MACHINEWith its new DREAM Machine SWF has broken the barrier in multi-head
embroidery machine technology The DREAM machines are the first multi-head embroidery machines that truly can sew at 1500 stitches per minute During the research and development of these new machines 12 new patents were filed and granted proof that the DREAM machines are built with state-of-the-art technology
Innovations include LED control panel error codes to quickly troubleshoot problems optional devices to do sequins cording and boring automatic oiling system large memory a hoop selector and more These innovative new machines come in configurations ranging from
two to six heads It is distributed exclusively by SWF East (Tampa FL) and SWF MESA (Dallas TX)
MESArsquoS HOTFIX SPANGLE MOTIF MACHINEWith the all new YAS-11 Hotfix Spangle Motif Making
Machine the first of its kind in the United States you can create beautiful spangle transfer designs that have the look of sequins This patented machine which is distributed exclusively in the United States by MESA Distributors of Fort Worth TX cuts out shapes such as circles and squares in a range of sizes from reels of Mylar tape The machine comes with proprietary design software that allows the user to create any pattern or design up to 157 by 157 inches
SAWGRASSrsquo HYBRID SYSTEM FOR EPSON R1800Sawgrass Technologies of Mt Pleasant SC introduced
the SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid System for the Epson R1800 for both sublimation printing and cotton
decorating from one machine The affordable entry-level system features dual functionality with both SubliJet and ChromaBlast inks in one machine allowing users to create customized images with superior color and clarity on both polyester coated substrates and cotton garments This is the second
hybrid system from Sawgrass following in the footsteps of the popular SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid
System for the Epson 4800
TROTECrsquoS NEW LARGE PLATFORM LASER Trotec Laser Inc of Ypsilanti MI has introduced the SP500 series of laser
engraving and cutting systems The systems have a work area of 50rdquo X 28rdquo and X-Axis clearance of 12rdquo The systems are offered in power levels from 45W-200W There is an available pass-through option (Class 4) Exhaust fumes are captured
December 2007 30Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
at the laser head to insure an efficient extraction when using the pass-through featureTrotec systems are designed for minimal wear-and-tear and eliminate the need for periodic replacement of belts and bearings For additional information visit our web site wwwtrotecnet or call 866-226-8505 734-484-3260
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW PROFESSIONAL SERIESUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) of Scottsdale
AZ added four new models in its Professional Laser Series (PLS) line of advanced high-productivity computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving systems The new PLS line which replaces Universalrsquos M V and X laser systems incorporates a
host of evolutionary design improvements to the laser cartridge platform chassis system electronics and software interface The new PLS models include several
powerful new features most notably a unique materials-based print driver called ldquoLaser Interface +rdquo that gives users their choice
between automatic or manual control over power speed and other system settings For more information on Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit Universal Laser Systems online at wwwulsinccom
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW VERSALASERUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) added a
new version of its desktop-sized VersaLasertrade
computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving system The new VersaLaser
improves on the award-winning original thanks to a host of evolutionary design refinements It also
includes a unique next-generation materials-based print driver that automatically calculates power speed
and other system settings It was awarded a patent for the unique design of its external cabinet which also functions as a Class 1 laser safety enclosure For more information about VersaLaser or Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit wwwulsinccom
US SCREENrsquoS FAST T-JET 3US Screen Print and Inkjet Technology of Tempe
AZ adds the Fast T-Jet3TM which features 30 faster print speeds compared to the previous T-Jet2 model and has a longer low profile print bed for easier loading and unloading Now you can produce a full size 12rdquo x 12rdquo (305 x 305 cm) print in one minute on a light shirt and in under three minutes on a black shirt with white ink Small pocket images can be printed in about 15 seconds
US SCREENrsquoS AUTOMATED PRETREATMENT CENTER
Speed up production when using Fast T-Jet inkjet-to-garment printers with the AutoTREATtrade Automatic Pretreatment Center
This versatile piece of equipment allows you to treat shirts on a production level rather than spraying shirts individually one at a time For use with light or dark shirts the AutoTREATtrade
can spray up to three shirts per minute It has two application modesmdashone for lights and one for darks that can be switched over by activating the cleaning mode which flushes out the system with water
TOOLS MATERIALS SOFTWARE
CORELDRAW X3 CERTIFIED FOR WINDOWS VISTACorel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that
CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite X3 has been Certified for Windows Vista Customers who wish to install the Certified for Windows Vista version of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X3 can download the latest service pack (SP2) from wwwcorelcom This new update delivers an exceptional experience for customers on Windows Vista including an updated user interface enhanced security improved text handling and further enhancements to the popular suitersquos renowned import and export file compatibility
COREL LAUNCHES NEW ONLINE COMMUNITY Corel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that it
has launched httpcoreldrawcom a new online community for users of the CorelDRAWreg family of products ndash including CorelDRAW Graphics Suite Corel DESIGNERreg Technical Suite
December 2007 31Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
and Corelreg DRAWingsreg This new community site is the first in a series that Corel will be launching to support its various user communities Designed to fuel inspiration CorelDRAWcom combines forums blogs and galleries for design professionals and graphic hobbyists alike Forums are available in English French German and Spanish serving an international audience
DALCOrsquoS NEW REFLECTIVE HEAT TRANSFERSCater to the safety market with new reflective transfers offered
by Dalco Athletic of Dallas TX These durable transfers come in a reflective silver gray color in three styles police sheriff and fire dept They are sized for left chest and full back so
all you have to do is heat seal for 8 seconds and yoursquore done Itrsquos very fast and easy
DALCOrsquoS NEW OPTIC YELLOW CLASSIC SWB APPLIQUE
Classic SWB appliqueacute designs offered by Dalco Athletic now come in two new styles softballs and tennis balls in optic yellow fabric These new balls literally jump off any wearable and make it an eye-catching standout This appliqueacute collection is ideal for spiritwear items to be sold to fans and family or created as fund-raisers for boosters clubs
POWER GRAPHICS 3 FROM DIGITAL ART SOLUTIONSPower Graphics 3 by Digital Art Solutions of
Tempe AZ is the ultimate design tool for the creation of high-end custom graphics and logos for custom signage awards vehicle graphics promotional products and apparel graphics Tuned to the latest styles and trends it provides fresh graphics that will impress even the most critical and demanding customer It includes more than 1500 images The 10 design categories include Flames Gangsta (Urban) Mascots Offroad Rebel (Biker and Hot
Rod) Retro Speed Sports Surf and Tuner
FLORIANI COMMERCIALrsquoS NEW NO-SHOW DIAMOND MESHContinuing in its tradition of research and development
to create embroidery stabilizers that meet the needs of todayrsquos embroiderers Floriani Embroidery Commercial Division of Knoxville TN released a new product called Floriani No-Show Diamond Mesh This unique nylon mesh stabilizer has a perpendicular embossed pattern that makes it more multi-directionally stable and enables it to better hold stitches for crisper design registration It is specifically designed for light-colored garments where traditional stabilizers have a tendency to show through the front of the garment
GREAT DANErsquoS NEW DIGITAL PHOTO FRAMES Tap into the lucrative team market with an
incredible collection of stock art specially designed to work for direct-to-garment printers sublimation transfers and digital transfers Digital Photo Frames Volume 1 is a collection of spectacular pre-designed layouts each with one or more frames to
insert personal photos The collection includes five categories baseball football basketball soccer and hockey Each category has four designs (20 total layouts) and each design comes in three template formats mugs mouse pads and shirts
So there are a total of 60 template designs in all
IMPRINTABLES WAREHOUSE OFFERS SPECTRA ECO FILMNew from Imprintables Warehouse of
Masontown PA is a digital cutter material that is free of PVC a plus with companies that want to be as environmentally friendly as possible Spectra Eco Film is made with ecological polyurethane and is peeled hot It is pressure sensitive (sticky backing) and extremely easy to weed While maintaining superior durability and opacity this new film is thinner than current offerings on the market and delivers the super soft hand that is in demand by todayrsquos consumers It can be used on 100 cotton 100 polyester polycotton blends and even nylon and leather
December 2007 32Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
KISSCUT TECHNOLOGIESrsquo SELF-WEEDING INKJET TRANSFER PAPER
Kiss Cut Technologies Ltd Newcastle UK has addressed the ldquopolymer windowrdquo issue and developed the worldrsquos first self-weeding inkjet transfer paper for printing to textiles In simple terms only the areas of their patented transfer paper that have been printed will be transferred to the garment when heat pressed A Kiss Cut print can be further embellished with specialized textile foils so in effect a digital foiling method is now available Foil is heat pressed onto the garment and when peeled the foil only sticks to the image areas
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW PHOTOPLAS-TIC MATERIALLaserSketchcom of Lemont IL a leading supplier of
LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble Super Black Granite and Black Onyx Jewelry introduces their new PhotoPlas-Tic This is a new material developed for front andor reverse laser engraving on micro surface impact acrylic plastic It is a premium plastic for laser engraving that is UV stable ideal for photo badges plaques trophies signage and high-end awards Each sheet of PhotoPlas-Tic is specially designed for a crisp clean burn and ultra-fine laser lettering logo and vector output For details call 630-243-6360 or visit wwwlasersketchcom
THEMAGICTOUCH LAUNCHES WOW TRANSFER PAPERTheMagicTouch USA launched WoW Professional
71 transfer paper which requires no weeding or profile cutting and the vibrant colors are achieved using digital laser technology making it great for short runs It uses PolymationTM which incorporates a newly designed catalyst that provides the ultimate compatibility with all generations of dry toner material According to the company PolymationTM is the next generation of laser heat transfer Sublimation requires the substrate to have a specialty receiving polymer coating to absorb the pigments but PolymationTM delivers everything at once polymer pigments and catalyst
December 2007 33Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
offers distinct advantages over any other process It allows for an unlimited number of colors and very fine detail which is impossible with screen printing or embroidery And the cost does not go up as colors are added These new specialty materials are so advanced they can be heat sealed to all kinds of fabrics and hot new multimedia designs can be easily done
VAPOR APPAREL LAUNCHES VAPOR ART VOLUME 1V a p o r A p p a r e l
a s u b s i d i a r y o f SourceSubstrates LLC Charleston SC announces the launch of Vapor Art - Volume 1 a collection of 127 vector graphics for digital sublimation and general use The diverse collection
of high-quality graphics comes after several years of customers requesting access to the companyrsquos sample art at trade shows and educational events The Collection of art includes vector drawings and JPGs for everything from mountain biking and snowboarding to yoga and cheerleading
BLANK PRODUCTS
COLORADO HEIRLOOMrsquoS COLOR LACQUERED FRAMES
Colorado Heirloom Inc of Loveland CO introduced their new Color Lacquered Frames This is an option to add color your unique creations It is not color fill Colored lacquer is sprayed on their high quality wood frames Because
INKTRA STRETCH TRANSFER PAPER FROM STAHLSrsquoStahlsrsquo based in St Clair
Shores MI adds InkTratrade Stretch a flexible transfer paper A revolutionary product InkTratrade Stretch provides a soft hand with an amazing stretch and recovery feature InkTratrade Stretch lets you take your favorite photo or graphic design and apply it to light colored or white hats shirts bags and more for a long lasting and completely personalized garment The highly stretchable paper can be applied to cotton polycotton blends spandex and Lycrareg
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo GOOF-PROOF TRANSFERSWant the look of screen
printing without the hassle With Goof Proofreg transfers offered by Transfer Express of Mentor OH you can custom order a transfer that has the popular athletic feel and will apply in a blazing four seconds Ordering is done step-by-step online and you can customize hundreds of designs You choose your
typeface colors and size Once your design is just the way you want it you can print it out to show a customer for approval Or Transfer Express can print from your artwork The minimum order is only five pieces and your one-color order ships in one to three working days
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo NEW FULL-COLOR DIGI PRINTSApparel decorators can now offer full-color designs on light
and dark apparel made of virtually any type of fabric without the hassle or minimums of screen printing with new state-of-the-art heat transfer technology called Digi Printstrade Offered through Transfer Express this revolutionary new method of decorating
December 2007 34Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
lacquer is used instead of paint any design can be lasered on these frames The possibilities are endless These colorful creations are offered in two different designs -- a designer frame and a frame with an insert Call 970-667-4222 or visit wwwcoloradoheirloomcom
CONDE ADDS PET MATS FOR SUBLIMATIONCondeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added food bowl placemats and litter box
mats to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Favorite photographs and pet-related artwork can be transferred to the
mats to create fun products for individual pet lovers or for the pet industry such as pet stores veterinarians groomers boarding facilities and animal adoption groups Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing Call Conde at 800-826-6332
CONDE INTRODUCES FABRIC PATCHES FOR SUBLIMATION
Condeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added fabric patches to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Custom decorators can now produce unique full-color patches that will impress organizations businesses clubs sports teams sports enthusiasts and individuals alike -- without the use of embroidery Heat seal patches are great for identification marketing awards trade show promotions or to commemorate special events Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing or call 800-826-6332
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW LASERSLABLaserSketch of Lemont IL Internationally known for
their LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble and Super Black Granite announces LaserSlab Super Black Granite at 4rsquo x 8rsquo x 7mm and 4rsquo x 4rsquo x 7mm weighting in at just over 2 pounds per square foot The surface of the LaserSlab Granite has the sheen of a black mirror The reverse side features epoxy fiberglass backing to give structure integrity to the ultra-lite granite sheet All may be viewed wwwlasersketchcom or by calling LaserSketch 630-243-6360
MATTHEWS INTRODUCES ALUMICOLORTM
Matthews International Corp of Pittsburgh PA introduced Alumicolortrade a high-resolution graphics solution for aluminum signage recognition commemoration and way finding Using cutting-edge technology Matthews embeds a four-color image into the aluminum to create an anodized reproduction of unsurpassed durability Alumicolortrade products which are designed for interior and exterior installations are resistant to extreme weather conditions graffiti scuffing grease chemicals and UV rays Additionally they will not chip crack or peel
PSI ADDS ROUND FRAMES amp STRING PUZZLES Paramount Services Inc of Hollywood FL
introduced new round resin frames for sublimation tiles Choose from Coral or RopeStone with optional Unisubreg Hardboard Tiles They will also accept the Bison 8rdquo round glass Cutting Board Why be square when round may fit better PSI also introduced a new puzzle guaranteed to string you along These String Puzzles come with a Unisubreg Hardboard puzzle and the necessary string and beads along with instructions how to string it after printing Templates to aid in design are available for download in several formats For details call 800-455-7212 or visit wwwDye-Sublimation-Productscom
CRYSTALEDGEreg LUXORTM CRYSTAL AWARDSCrystalEdgereg Chicago IL presented the Luxortrade Series
This stunning cost-effective collection comprises a series of specially designed Rosewood and Black Piano finish bases Matte Mahogany and Matte Black bases and a precision cast Satin Nickel Finish Metal Base with your choice of brass or silver hardware for mounting our twelve unique shapes making this the most versatile award yet Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks are curved 14rdquo thick crystal clear glass with 316rdquo diameter holes for mounting The Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks feature a generous engraving area and there is plenty of room on the base to add an engraving plate
December 2007 35Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
XENETECHrsquoS NEW ENGRAVABLE GIFTSXenetech of Baton Rouge
LA introduced high quality engravable gift items at wholesale and quantity discounts The Xenetech collection provides a selection of gifts created for corporate recognition weddings births holidays anniversaries retirements birthdays special occasions or just expressing appreciation Items include money clips key chains book markers desk accessories quartz movement clocks flasks amp wine accessories entertainment gifts travel gifts genuine Swiss Army knives business card holders luggage tags silver-plated jewelry boxes keepsake gift boxes silver-plated banks and baby gifts The gift items are designed primarily for diamond drag burnishing and rotary engraving personalization
UNISUBrsquoS CHROMALUXE PHOTO PANELSChromaLuxe photo panels are an exciting new line
of sublimatable products from Unisub of Louisville KY These panels allow you to sell a completely finished photo product to your customers capturing some of the additional revenue (and profit) your customers now spend elsewhere on framing Available in a range of traditional photo sizes as well as exciting new shapes these panels can be joined together to create stunning photo displays -- perfect for a fireplace mantle l i b r a r y s h e l f or the top of an armoire Available in aluminum or MDF substrates
CorelDRAWPro IndexOne of our members in Michigan
requested that we put together an Index of all the articles wersquove published during the year
He prints out all the issues and puts them in binders but an Index would make it easy to reference specific articles We think itrsquos a good idea and wersquoll send it to all subscribers in January
Product Focus TopicsJanuary 2008 -- Signage Products esp Wide FormatFebruary 2008 -- Engraving Awards amp GiftsMarch 2008 -- Apparel ProductsApril 2008 -- Laser Wood Products
Coming in 2008
December 2007 36Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETSBy Donna M Gray CRM Opportunities
December ndash Time to Review December finds everyone on our team strategizing how to get out of our parking lot Our business sits right in the middle of an up-scale strip mall which sits right behind a huge shopping mall and right along the main road to a Target Superstore and other large malls We all know that from the day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday) until 2 weeks after the New Year there are great challenges to those of us who like to leave the building for lunch or run an errandhellipso we strategize We all know every secret shortcut to the bank the post office and the warehouse club What we donrsquot know is how to find the way to merge out of our own back alley into the constant flow of traffic that carries people to their end shopping destination Whew
The year-end review So this year Dave and I have decided to stay in at lunch and do our business strategizing instead Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup are good brain food for helping us to look at all the successful things we did last year as a company all the things we thought about doing but didnrsquot because the idea didnrsquot quite fit and all the things we put off until next year We do this kind of exercise every year end and it helps us to map out our strategy for the coming year In the process we identify any mistakes wersquove made wrong turns wersquove taken and we try to find the ldquowhat could have happened had everything gone rightrdquo
The value of making mistakes Albert Einstein said ldquoAnyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything newrdquo Dave has a couple of prints in his office of Abraham Lincoln that describe his mistakes in fact it took Lincoln eight tries to win the presidency Thomas Edison made mistakeshellipand yet he perseveredhellipotherwise wersquod by ldquocomputingrdquo by candlelight And Irsquove heard that Colonel
Sanders had a thousand rejections before he sold his first chicken recipe It would be nice to get to our year end business appraisals and find that wersquove made no mistakes but our business like most others doesnrsquot have that claim to fame My mother always took the high road with mistakes She always said that one should recognize the benefits of a mistake One should learn what good came from it use it to improve and use it to help motivate success the next time So December is the time to analyze everything that made up the past year and look for ways to make the New Year successful in every way
Making a plan Most advisors say that the first step toward business success after looking at a companyrsquos year ending history is to decide on exactly what you want to do going forward in the coming year Then comes mapping out the plan What will be done How will it get done Who will do what What resources will be used When will it get done Is the right equipment in place Is the space adequate Ask these and any other questions that could relate to creating a successful year then focus on the details and follow through Those two wordshellipfocus and follow throughhellipcould mean the difference between marginal and abundant success Simply stated success comes from what you do and the way you do ithellipin your customerrsquos perception Every business wants to have a good imagehellipa good reputation so dedication to having good communication skills is important especially in an industry that does custom work The goal is to be on the same page as our clients so we have to be good mind readers We have to also concentrate on our professionalism on our appearance on our presentation style and in the pride we take in producing a well-done project This
has worked in the past and will remain the same in the future
The extra mile Success has to be nurturedhellipthen it gets celebrated Sometimes sacrifices have to be made to get to the rewards At year end when we analyze how we got from Point A to Point B itrsquos interesting to note that we sometimes had to take detours and sometimes the road blocks called for sacrificehellipof time or money Sometimes the sacrifice came in the way of a sleepless night worrying if an order that was lost in delivery would be found and re-routed to us in time to make a clientrsquos deadline Someone (unknown) said ldquoA day of worry is more exhausting than a week of workrdquo Anyone in business could testify to that Part of success is going the extra milehellipeven if it results in a sleepless night Going the extra mile is worth all the paid advertising in the world on the road to success
December 2007 37Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETS
Donna Grayrsquos 2nd book Itrsquos All Relative Surviving amp Thriving in a Family Business was published in September 2007
It describes her quest to identify the keys to suc-cess for small business and family businesses in particular She interviewed top businesses nationwide and discovered five common qualities implemented by successful business owners Check it out at the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore wwwcoreldrawprocomAllBook-storehtm
Commitments made and kept Our team felt good about some commitments we made and kept this past year like
We used a daily ldquoto-dordquo list and we set priorities in order of importance When we finished a project we ldquocelebratedrdquo and then moved on quickly to the next job We built in some time for ldquostress reliefrdquo with morning meeting breaks This was especially good when treats were served since wersquove got some good bakers on our staff We didnrsquot ldquoscreenrdquo calls through voice mail We considered every call to be important We ldquodid it right the first timerdquo even though it sometimes took longer We tied up all the ldquoloose endsrdquo We became ldquocheerleadersrdquo for each other When one of us accomplished a goal we all applauded We all tried to deliver more than we promised This can be challenging sometimes when working with a difficult project We eliminated (or tried to eliminate) unnecessary procedures and we simplified our paper flow system We spent most of our time on high priority tasks We all worked on our delegation skills We were committed to not wasting time either our own or other peoplersquos
Goals that were lacking Now all those great things being put on paper reminds me that we also had some goals we didnrsquot quite succeed athellipbut wersquoll try harder next year
We didnrsquot always ldquogrouprdquo tasks togetherhelliplike going to the bank and the post office in one trip or answering mail when it gets opened It wasnrsquot always easy to avoid procrastination Some low priority chores got put off There were still times when we couldnrsquot find enough hours to finish the work Our ldquotoolsrdquo didnrsquot always get put away when we were through with a project even though this is Daversquos pet peeve
Conclusion Experts say that we have to actively create our success not wait for it to happen This coming year hopefully none of us will sit in the comfort zone waiting for the phone to ring Therersquos an old Chinese proverb that goes ldquoIt you continually give you will continually haverdquo Our team will go on being involved in community activities When time is spent on worthwhile projects outside the business opportunities come knocking at the front counter Besideshellipat yearrsquos endhellipit makes us feel really good about the help we gave on these projects
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since1977 She can be reached by email at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
December 2007 38Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
GRAPHICS NEWS NETWORKAll these news and information products and services are part of the
Graphics News Network developed for ACDRP The goal is ldquoAll the News All the Time mdash For the World of Graphicsrdquo
GRAPHICS NewsWireThe Graphics News Wire is the always live always updated source for graphics news mdash products equipment technology and more Make it (CorelDRAWProcomNewsPagehtm) your home page or favorite to gain access to Breaking news updated regularly New Classified Ads New Job Announcements Supplier SpecialsAll news is related to graphic productsQuickSourceTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive amp Easy-To-Use
Search Engine
It gives you one-click access to suppliers products phone numbers and live links to ACDRP Member Suppliers Itrsquos always up-to-date searchable by keyword and accessible from your desktop
Quick TnTTM
The Industryrsquos Newest Resource for Graphics Tips amp Templates
Gain access to a growing library of CorelDRAW tips and templates that will make your work easier
QuickLearnTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive and
Easy-To-Use Article Library
Gain access to hundreds of articles on graphics-related and business topics searchable by keyword
The Entrepreneurial Magazine for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro Magazine is delivered to you once a month in PDF format It features in-depth content that readers rave about including articles on how to use CorelDRAW how to apply CorelDRAW and how to profit from CorelDRAW
News Tips amp Resources for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month mdash about the 15th and 25th It brings you highly targeted content that you wonrsquot find elsewhere including CorelDRAW Tips extensive product news links and a calendar of shows and training
MARKET PLACE
Quality Engravable JewelryHand-crafted in New England
GIFTS amp ACCESSORIES FOR WOMEN AND MEN
John E Lepper Inc800-835-3623 Fax 508-222-2732
wwwjeleppercom
GenuineWhite-tone
Pewter amp Gold
Some Things Were Meant To Be In Etched in Stone
Call for a free color catalog
NampR International1155 Allgood Rd 13Marietta GA 30062
678-560-4088Fax 678-560-1157
Importers amp Wholesalers of MarbleOnyx
Gifts amp Accessories
JOIN TODAY
The worldrsquos only association for CorelDRAWreg Users
wwwcoreldrawprocomJoinhtm
Place an Ad for as little as $215 per month
Find out how by calling our Ad Representative John McDaniel II
541-990-6687
the entrepreneurial magazine
GET LISTED TODAY
Generate new businessby doing jobs for others
List your company in GSG the Digital Yellow Pages for the industry wwwcoreldrawprocomListGSGhtm
December 2007 39Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Louie Alvarez started in the industry working for one of the largest trophy shops in Central California and then opened one of the first retail laser engraving businesses He has given seminars and workshops on CorelDRAW and Laser for many years and has written for several publications He is now with Vytek Industrial Lasers and is based in Las Vegas NV He can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
Kathryn Arnold is the Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
Errol Barr has a wide range of experience in sales amp marketing eventually getting into laser systems in 1999 currently with Vytek Industrial Lasers He also sold extensively in the CNC router industry selling the machines as more of a business opportunity wrapped around the machine He can be reached by email at errolbarrgmailcom
Dave Demoret founded Prolink Graphic Services to help people understand and profit from learning CorelDRAW He has been in both the Flat Graphics Industry and the Decorating Graphics Industry for 30 years He has written articles for several publications is a Corel Training Partner and conducts workshops nationwide and online He is the author of several CD Instructional programs on CorelDRAW He can be reached at 765-DO COLOR (362-6567) or davedprolinkgscom
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since 1977 She has presented seminars on a variety of topics nationwide and has won many marketing awards She is the author of two books on family business and can be reached at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
Bill Leek is a color consultant for JBL Graphics in Houston TX and has over 30 years experience in computer engineering and graphics design He has developed several lines of color imprintable products and does testing on a variety of products for different manufacturers He can be reached at wfleekjblgraphicscom or 281-970-6677
Jeff McDaniel is the owner of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon He worked as a journeyman machinist before getting into the graphic products business Creative Graphic offers laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials Contact him at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
John McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry He worked for many years with computers in electronic data processing and pioneered the use of CorelDraw for engraving applications He owned a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years and writes about hardware design software laser engraving sublimation and more He is a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals For information on training and more call 541-967-4271 or write to mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
Judy McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry Her background includes many forms of art and retail sales as well as the operation of a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years She is a regular columnist on sandblasting sublimation and diversifying business as well as a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals She can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
David Milisock is president of Custom Graphic Technologies Inc in Pennsylvania He has been in the print production business since 1975 and specializes in professional support for CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite Output includes computer-to-plate processes for all commercial digital front-end applications as well as Postscript-compliant graphic applications He offers technical and color management support for all RIP-driven corporate digital output systems He can be reached at 717-509-3523 or davidmilisockcomcastnet
Deborah Sexton former editor of Impressions Magazine has been in the apparel graphics industry since 1981 She currently does marketing and public relations for apparel graphics companies and is a columnist for several industry publications She can be reached at dsextonsbcglobalnet
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at 916-567-1867
December 2007 40Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
by Otis Veteto
Traveling Tidbits
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the
RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of
the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Itrsquos a fun and
informative column focusing on the human-interest side of
the industry Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars
for industry organizations and some of that knowledge
will rub off as well He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at
916-567-1867
Reps Volunteers People Skills amp Agreements
RS Owens Southeast RepFirst of all a Traveling Tidbits welcome to
the newest member of the RS Owens Company sales team Anita Brennan Anita is the new Regional Sales Manager for the Southeast She will be calling on you folks in Alabama Tennessee Mississippi Florida Georgia North Carolina and South Carolina Anita has worked in all phases of our industry as a retailer (her own business) multi-line rep and now as a regional sales manager When I asked Anita what she likes to do when not on the road she told me she likes to spend time with her two-year-old granddaughter Kaylee Welcome to the RS Owens family Anita Brennan
Railroad Museum VolunteerI know Christmas is the time for giving
but some people give all year long I was talking recently with Elias Athanasiou whose regular job is a server in a restaurant my wife and I frequent when I am in Sacramento Elias has been associated as a volunteer with the California State Railroad Museum for about 16 years Every Saturday during the ldquorunning seasonrdquo April-September Elias can be found working as a volunteer on the Steam Engine excursion train that runs for 6 miles along the top of the levee on the Sacramento River The ride takes about 40 minutes Elias is the Engineer now but has worked as conductor and fireman in his tenure with the train It is people like Elias Athanasiou that make this a much better world A huge Traveling Tidbits SALUTE You can find out more about the Railroad Museum at wwwcsrmorg
Real People SkillsThis next tidbit is from the PPAI Promotional
Consultant Today The author is Roy Chitwood president of Max Sacks International in Seattle Wash It is entitled To Shine Polish Your People Skills
ldquoPeople buy not because they understand your product or service but because they feel that you understand them People buy emotionally As a professional salesperson you need to be more people-oriented not product centered Here are seven quick and easy techniques to improve your people skills
SMILE It is the universal sign of friendship in any language The Chinese have a proverb ldquoA man who cannot smile should not open a storerdquo Think about that Give a smile and you will get a smile in return
DEVELOP A GENUINE INTEREST IN OTHERS When you have sincere interest it shows Look directly at people when they are talking to you Let your facial expression register your interest Ask good open-ended questions to let people know that you are interested in what they say
TALK IN TERMS OF THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS INTERESTS You will never meet anyone who doesnrsquot have time to talk about what they want to talk about Encourage your prospect to discuss his or interests rather than launching into a discussion about yourself
USE THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS NAME Using a name builds personal rapport and shows you are listening with respect Be careful about overusing the personrsquos name
GIVE COMPLIMENTS Everyone loves a compliment when it is genuine Make a
concentrated effort to give at least 3 honest compliments every day of your life You will be amazed at what it will do for your relationships
LISTEN Listening is the greatest compliment you can pay When you assume the role of the listener it relaxes the sales climate As you listen you are demonstrating that you truly care and you are genuinely interested in what he or she has to say
MAKE THE OTHER PERSON FEEL IMPORTANT When you are sincerely impressed by something the other person has achieved or owns let them know it Understand that fundamentally every person is important and treat them accordingly
Personal comment When I finished reading this I thought to myself ldquoThese make sense in our everyday life not just in salesrdquo
The Third AgreementI will close with the 3rd step from the book
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel RuizDONrsquoT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS Find the
courage to ask questions and to express what you really want Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings sadness and drama
Sounds a little like what I wrote at the beginning of the column doesnrsquot it
Thatrsquos all for now Remember to save some time for yourself and your family And when you travel please travel safe
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE
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- News
December 2007 26Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
WebCams in an instructional scenario could be used to
Monitor your staff or employees thus being able to guide them better
Telecommute to companies worldwide and demonstrate project procedures
B roadcas t sem ina rs wo rkshops o r demonstrations
Share special events and programs with students enrolled in distance learning courses
Hold a video press conference online meeting or broadcast meetings and discussions
In some cases it is important for the learner to be able to establish a connection visually WebCams could be a good alternative to using text files or audio files
Join WebCam groups and allow students to take advantage of other WebCam locations for educational purposes
Using a web camera allows learners to be a part of either a conference or classstudio
Benefits of using WebCamsa The most important advantage of using a web camera is that it creates a direct link between the camera and the live site and dispenses with all the production work Production work in this context includes the cost and effort involved in shooting
editing and streaming videos Thus using a WebCam does not require
advanced skillsb The software is basically a Web server that runs on your system and pushes images out to a Web page For viewers of images delivered over a WebCam
one of the benefits is that they get the entire picture preferable in
certain cases rather than a sleek edited versionc WebCam technology can also be used for remote s u r v e i l l a n c e s y s t e m s
ELECTRONIC FRONTIER
monitoring events or places and broadcasting live eventsd Learners can link to a web camera-monitored location and just watch or also have an additional web camera in their own location enabling two-way communication
Setting up your WebCama Setting up your own WebCam obviously requires a computer a WebCam (the hardware) and WebCam software along with a broadband Internet connection Before you decide which camera to buy and which software to acquire yoursquoll have to review the different methods to show pictures or video feed through the Internet ( i e r e f r e s h e d after x amount of seconds) This will enable you to decide which hardware and software solution will fit your situation best
b P l a c e m e n t of a camera is an important decision to be made Decide whether a static angle is sufficient to demonstrate the concept or a moving camera (handheld) is required It is important however to remember the limitations of using WebCams and leave the panoramic and other fancy shots to more sophisticated video Use WebCams for videos that require more focus and ones that require a smaller viewingmovement range
c For detailed technical instructions on using WebCams visit httpdeveloperswebcamworldcommethodshtml
d Here is a good resource for inexpensive Webcams on the market httpcastlepricewatchcomssearchasps=webcams
e For an in-depth review of various Webcams on the market go to this link httpreviewscnetcom4244-6502_7-0-1htmlquery=webamptag=cat_1
f There are many Webcam examples online here are a couple httpwwwwebcamworldcom or httpwwwleonardsworldscomcamerahtml
By the way DONrsquoT TELL MY KIDS I picked up a Logitech QuickCam Pro 4000 not too long ago My family doesnrsquot know why I got it or what my intention is but I can say that now that my kids are 17 16 amp 8 my job as a parent is to ensure the mice donrsquot play when the catrsquos awayhellip
Louie Alvarez began acquiring his experience in the awards and engraving industry in Central California over 15 years ago first as an employee of the largest and oldest trophy shop and then as owner of one of the first laser engraving businesses Louie has been a featured workshop instructor and seminar speaker throughout the industry in addition to being a contributing writer to numerous industry publications Louie is based in Las Vegas NV and can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
December 2007 27Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
The Association of CorelDRAWreg Professionals is The Education amp Business Resource for CorelDRAW Users Worldwide Its goal is to help 1) IMPROVE your CorelDRAW skills and 2) MAKE MONEY with those skills You can participate in ACDRP services in four ways
THE WORLDrsquoS ONLY ASSOCIATION FOR CORELDRAWreg USERSINVITES YOU TO MAKE MORE MONEY WITH CORELDRAW
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month focused on Industry News via the Graphics News Wire Links to valuable resources and a complete educa-tion and show Calendar S
CorelDRAWPro the Entrepreneurial magazine for CorelDRAW users features in-depth content on How to Use CorelDRAW -- tips tricks advanced ar twork success s to r ies in te rv iews and more How to Apply CorelDRAW -- for graphic production processes such as embroidery engraving heat printing laser promo products printing sandblasting signmaking sublimation and screenprinting How to Profit from CorelDRAW -- Product news business columns reviews profiles and advertising with live links
SUBSCRIBE -- NO CHARGE JOIN -- $60 PER YEAR
All users of CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite are qualified to subscribe free to CorelDRAWPro magazine (PDF format) and CorelDRAWPro E-News
Subscription to CorelDRAWPro amp CorelDRAWPRo E-News
TTF Newsletter Subscription to the monthly Tips Templates amp Fixtures Newsletter only available to members
GSG Basic Listing You can list your services in the Graphic Services Guide in one category as part of membership (a $25 value)
Access to QuickLearn A keyword searchable database of 100s of articles on CorelDRAW graphics production and business
All users of CorelDRAWreg are invited to join the Association and take advantage of exclusive content discounts and profes-sional recognition ACDRP membership includes
TTF
QuickLearn
QuickTNT
Archives
BASIC GSG LISTING -- $25 PER YR
The Graphic Services Guide is the Industry Yellow Pages for Services and Finished Goods GSG is promoted in all our publi-cations and our website to the world of CorelDRAW users Your listing gives you the opportunity to promote your services (in any of 40 categories) to other CorelDRAW usersThe Basic Listing includes your company description email link and listing in one category Additional service categories are $10 each per year
The Enhanced GSG Listing is for companies that want to list in two categories and add a photo or logo
ENHANCED GSG LISTING -- $50$75 PER YR
Classifieds
Access to QuickTnT A growing database of CorelDRAW tips for understanding the fine points of the program and templates that can be downloaded to speed up your production
Access to Archives Past issues of CorelDRAWPro are available to members with live links
Bookstore Discounts Members receive a 10 discount on all products in the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore
Professional Recognition Use of the ACDRP logo for professional identification on business cards websites and letterhead You also receive a membership certificate
Classified Ads Members can place one classified ad per year at no charge with photo and run it till the item is sold (a $35 value)
HOW TO PARTICIPATE To Subscribe (no charge) To Join ($60yr) To List in the Graphic Services Guide ($25 Basic $50$75 Enhanced or $120145 for Multi-Service)
CorelDRAWreg is a registered trademark of Corel Corp and is used with permission
Visit wwwcoreldrawprocomand click on the appropriate links
800-276-8428
The Multi-Service GSG Listing allows you to list up to 40 differ-ent service categories with detailed descriptions and add a photo or logo
MULTI-SERVICE GSG LISTING -- $120$145 PER YR
December 2007 28Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Throughout the year this publication has reported on whatrsquos new in equipment tools and software and blank products for businesses that put graphics onto products
For this 2007 wrap-up CorelDRAWPro editorial staff reviewed all the product news for the year and named 33 products to its annual Top Products of the Year list
Selections were based on the criteria of innovation and impact Innovation means products that exhibit a high degree of originality or uniqueness Impact means products that influence sales or productivity for a large number of businesses
Note that the 2007 honorees are list alphabetically in the three theme sections
For more information on the products in this article click on the Info Request button at the bottom of each page and select by company name or product You might open the Info Request page and minimize it as you read That way you can quickly open it and check the products you want
EQUIPMENT
ANAJET DIRECT-TO-GARMENT DIGITAL PRINTERAnaJet Digital Apparel Printer (Model FP-125) from
AnaJet Inc in Costa Mesa CA is a direct-to-garment printer offering high quality and affordability It can print custom graphics on any cotton or poly-cotton flat textile material in one minute The printer priced affordably from under $13000 can produce up to 5000 shirts per month each retailing for about $20 Most printers installed so far are in a production plant environment but some customers have started to take the mobile printer to malls for instant printing of customer graphics According to Dr Chase Roh company president the unique printhead they have developed allows for 16x more ink flow than normal desktop printers and thus shirts only require one pass
Top Products of the Year
DTG AMERICA ECLIPSE D-1 WITH TWO HEADS DTG America of Tampa FL and Fort Worth TX now offers a new solution to
speed up digitally printing to dark shirts The Eclipse D-1 incorporates two heads instead of one One head has eight channels of white to lay down a solid white underbase The second head has four channels of white to do highlights and four channels of color to lay down the design The result of this new configuration is the underbase and color are completed in one pass at an estimated average of only two minutes per shirt for a 12-inch by 6-inch area Other innovations include an ink agitator firmware for easy updating ink vapor remover auto gap adjustment and new platen configuration for easy loading
GEO KNIGHT DK 25SP HEAT PRESSThe Digital Knight DK25SP is an air-operated automatic
20x25 oversized swing-away heat press with a state-of-the-art control system and heavy-duty solid steel welded framework The smooth automatic pressing and push-button activation provides a productive fatigue-free operation The extended 20x25 size of the heat platen is perfect for sublimation and large-format materials pressingThe press is adjustable to accommodate materials from fabric thickness all the way up to 1rdquo thick substrates For more information call 800-525-6766 or visit wwwheatpresscom
GRAPHTEC CRAFT ROBO PROGraphtec America Inc based in Santa Ana
CA introduced the new Craft ROBO Pro 15rdquo cutting plotter The Craft ROBO Pro is an ideal solution for cutting a wide variety of materials including vinyl film card stock foil heat transfer and image transfer media Incorporating Graphtecrsquos legendary
December 2007 29Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
ARMS (Advanced Registration Marks System) and combined with a desktop printer the Craft ROBO Pro makes contour cutting an easy task Innovations include a new digital servo motor first mark auto-sensing menu navigation system that includes 8 user-defined conditions Tangential Control and three software applications
ROLAND RELEASES DIRECT-TO-FABRIC PRINTERRoland DGA Corp of Irvine CA released
the new 74rdquo HeatWave DFP-74 Fabric Printer through its reseller channel in the US Based on Rolandrsquos HeatWave sublimation technology the DFP-74 Fabric Printer is a complete integrated solution and Rolandrsquos first inkjet ever to support direct printing onto polyester fabrics As a complete solution including printer sublimation unit inks and RIP software the DFP-74 makes it easier than ever for shops to enter the fast-growing textile printing market Key features include eight advanced piezo print heads an intelligent media handling system and a temperature-controlled heating system
HOTRONIX PERFECT PRESSURE HEAT PRESSHotronix of Carmichaels PA has taken heat press technology
to the next level with Perfect Pressure a new digital pressure display functionThis new feature has a single-digit LED readout
that measures the pressure of the inner platen This technology is exclusive to Hotronix and is patent pending Previously a
digital pressure display was available only on air-operated heat press machines With this new pressure display gauge all heat press users will have more consistent results from job to job reducing the number of misprints and speeding up production For more information about
the new digital pressure display contact Stahlsrsquo Hotronix at 800-478-2457 e-mail infostahlscom or visit the Web site at wwwstahlscom
SWF DREAM EMBROIDERY MACHINEWith its new DREAM Machine SWF has broken the barrier in multi-head
embroidery machine technology The DREAM machines are the first multi-head embroidery machines that truly can sew at 1500 stitches per minute During the research and development of these new machines 12 new patents were filed and granted proof that the DREAM machines are built with state-of-the-art technology
Innovations include LED control panel error codes to quickly troubleshoot problems optional devices to do sequins cording and boring automatic oiling system large memory a hoop selector and more These innovative new machines come in configurations ranging from
two to six heads It is distributed exclusively by SWF East (Tampa FL) and SWF MESA (Dallas TX)
MESArsquoS HOTFIX SPANGLE MOTIF MACHINEWith the all new YAS-11 Hotfix Spangle Motif Making
Machine the first of its kind in the United States you can create beautiful spangle transfer designs that have the look of sequins This patented machine which is distributed exclusively in the United States by MESA Distributors of Fort Worth TX cuts out shapes such as circles and squares in a range of sizes from reels of Mylar tape The machine comes with proprietary design software that allows the user to create any pattern or design up to 157 by 157 inches
SAWGRASSrsquo HYBRID SYSTEM FOR EPSON R1800Sawgrass Technologies of Mt Pleasant SC introduced
the SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid System for the Epson R1800 for both sublimation printing and cotton
decorating from one machine The affordable entry-level system features dual functionality with both SubliJet and ChromaBlast inks in one machine allowing users to create customized images with superior color and clarity on both polyester coated substrates and cotton garments This is the second
hybrid system from Sawgrass following in the footsteps of the popular SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid
System for the Epson 4800
TROTECrsquoS NEW LARGE PLATFORM LASER Trotec Laser Inc of Ypsilanti MI has introduced the SP500 series of laser
engraving and cutting systems The systems have a work area of 50rdquo X 28rdquo and X-Axis clearance of 12rdquo The systems are offered in power levels from 45W-200W There is an available pass-through option (Class 4) Exhaust fumes are captured
December 2007 30Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
at the laser head to insure an efficient extraction when using the pass-through featureTrotec systems are designed for minimal wear-and-tear and eliminate the need for periodic replacement of belts and bearings For additional information visit our web site wwwtrotecnet or call 866-226-8505 734-484-3260
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW PROFESSIONAL SERIESUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) of Scottsdale
AZ added four new models in its Professional Laser Series (PLS) line of advanced high-productivity computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving systems The new PLS line which replaces Universalrsquos M V and X laser systems incorporates a
host of evolutionary design improvements to the laser cartridge platform chassis system electronics and software interface The new PLS models include several
powerful new features most notably a unique materials-based print driver called ldquoLaser Interface +rdquo that gives users their choice
between automatic or manual control over power speed and other system settings For more information on Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit Universal Laser Systems online at wwwulsinccom
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW VERSALASERUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) added a
new version of its desktop-sized VersaLasertrade
computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving system The new VersaLaser
improves on the award-winning original thanks to a host of evolutionary design refinements It also
includes a unique next-generation materials-based print driver that automatically calculates power speed
and other system settings It was awarded a patent for the unique design of its external cabinet which also functions as a Class 1 laser safety enclosure For more information about VersaLaser or Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit wwwulsinccom
US SCREENrsquoS FAST T-JET 3US Screen Print and Inkjet Technology of Tempe
AZ adds the Fast T-Jet3TM which features 30 faster print speeds compared to the previous T-Jet2 model and has a longer low profile print bed for easier loading and unloading Now you can produce a full size 12rdquo x 12rdquo (305 x 305 cm) print in one minute on a light shirt and in under three minutes on a black shirt with white ink Small pocket images can be printed in about 15 seconds
US SCREENrsquoS AUTOMATED PRETREATMENT CENTER
Speed up production when using Fast T-Jet inkjet-to-garment printers with the AutoTREATtrade Automatic Pretreatment Center
This versatile piece of equipment allows you to treat shirts on a production level rather than spraying shirts individually one at a time For use with light or dark shirts the AutoTREATtrade
can spray up to three shirts per minute It has two application modesmdashone for lights and one for darks that can be switched over by activating the cleaning mode which flushes out the system with water
TOOLS MATERIALS SOFTWARE
CORELDRAW X3 CERTIFIED FOR WINDOWS VISTACorel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that
CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite X3 has been Certified for Windows Vista Customers who wish to install the Certified for Windows Vista version of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X3 can download the latest service pack (SP2) from wwwcorelcom This new update delivers an exceptional experience for customers on Windows Vista including an updated user interface enhanced security improved text handling and further enhancements to the popular suitersquos renowned import and export file compatibility
COREL LAUNCHES NEW ONLINE COMMUNITY Corel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that it
has launched httpcoreldrawcom a new online community for users of the CorelDRAWreg family of products ndash including CorelDRAW Graphics Suite Corel DESIGNERreg Technical Suite
December 2007 31Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
and Corelreg DRAWingsreg This new community site is the first in a series that Corel will be launching to support its various user communities Designed to fuel inspiration CorelDRAWcom combines forums blogs and galleries for design professionals and graphic hobbyists alike Forums are available in English French German and Spanish serving an international audience
DALCOrsquoS NEW REFLECTIVE HEAT TRANSFERSCater to the safety market with new reflective transfers offered
by Dalco Athletic of Dallas TX These durable transfers come in a reflective silver gray color in three styles police sheriff and fire dept They are sized for left chest and full back so
all you have to do is heat seal for 8 seconds and yoursquore done Itrsquos very fast and easy
DALCOrsquoS NEW OPTIC YELLOW CLASSIC SWB APPLIQUE
Classic SWB appliqueacute designs offered by Dalco Athletic now come in two new styles softballs and tennis balls in optic yellow fabric These new balls literally jump off any wearable and make it an eye-catching standout This appliqueacute collection is ideal for spiritwear items to be sold to fans and family or created as fund-raisers for boosters clubs
POWER GRAPHICS 3 FROM DIGITAL ART SOLUTIONSPower Graphics 3 by Digital Art Solutions of
Tempe AZ is the ultimate design tool for the creation of high-end custom graphics and logos for custom signage awards vehicle graphics promotional products and apparel graphics Tuned to the latest styles and trends it provides fresh graphics that will impress even the most critical and demanding customer It includes more than 1500 images The 10 design categories include Flames Gangsta (Urban) Mascots Offroad Rebel (Biker and Hot
Rod) Retro Speed Sports Surf and Tuner
FLORIANI COMMERCIALrsquoS NEW NO-SHOW DIAMOND MESHContinuing in its tradition of research and development
to create embroidery stabilizers that meet the needs of todayrsquos embroiderers Floriani Embroidery Commercial Division of Knoxville TN released a new product called Floriani No-Show Diamond Mesh This unique nylon mesh stabilizer has a perpendicular embossed pattern that makes it more multi-directionally stable and enables it to better hold stitches for crisper design registration It is specifically designed for light-colored garments where traditional stabilizers have a tendency to show through the front of the garment
GREAT DANErsquoS NEW DIGITAL PHOTO FRAMES Tap into the lucrative team market with an
incredible collection of stock art specially designed to work for direct-to-garment printers sublimation transfers and digital transfers Digital Photo Frames Volume 1 is a collection of spectacular pre-designed layouts each with one or more frames to
insert personal photos The collection includes five categories baseball football basketball soccer and hockey Each category has four designs (20 total layouts) and each design comes in three template formats mugs mouse pads and shirts
So there are a total of 60 template designs in all
IMPRINTABLES WAREHOUSE OFFERS SPECTRA ECO FILMNew from Imprintables Warehouse of
Masontown PA is a digital cutter material that is free of PVC a plus with companies that want to be as environmentally friendly as possible Spectra Eco Film is made with ecological polyurethane and is peeled hot It is pressure sensitive (sticky backing) and extremely easy to weed While maintaining superior durability and opacity this new film is thinner than current offerings on the market and delivers the super soft hand that is in demand by todayrsquos consumers It can be used on 100 cotton 100 polyester polycotton blends and even nylon and leather
December 2007 32Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
KISSCUT TECHNOLOGIESrsquo SELF-WEEDING INKJET TRANSFER PAPER
Kiss Cut Technologies Ltd Newcastle UK has addressed the ldquopolymer windowrdquo issue and developed the worldrsquos first self-weeding inkjet transfer paper for printing to textiles In simple terms only the areas of their patented transfer paper that have been printed will be transferred to the garment when heat pressed A Kiss Cut print can be further embellished with specialized textile foils so in effect a digital foiling method is now available Foil is heat pressed onto the garment and when peeled the foil only sticks to the image areas
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW PHOTOPLAS-TIC MATERIALLaserSketchcom of Lemont IL a leading supplier of
LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble Super Black Granite and Black Onyx Jewelry introduces their new PhotoPlas-Tic This is a new material developed for front andor reverse laser engraving on micro surface impact acrylic plastic It is a premium plastic for laser engraving that is UV stable ideal for photo badges plaques trophies signage and high-end awards Each sheet of PhotoPlas-Tic is specially designed for a crisp clean burn and ultra-fine laser lettering logo and vector output For details call 630-243-6360 or visit wwwlasersketchcom
THEMAGICTOUCH LAUNCHES WOW TRANSFER PAPERTheMagicTouch USA launched WoW Professional
71 transfer paper which requires no weeding or profile cutting and the vibrant colors are achieved using digital laser technology making it great for short runs It uses PolymationTM which incorporates a newly designed catalyst that provides the ultimate compatibility with all generations of dry toner material According to the company PolymationTM is the next generation of laser heat transfer Sublimation requires the substrate to have a specialty receiving polymer coating to absorb the pigments but PolymationTM delivers everything at once polymer pigments and catalyst
December 2007 33Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
offers distinct advantages over any other process It allows for an unlimited number of colors and very fine detail which is impossible with screen printing or embroidery And the cost does not go up as colors are added These new specialty materials are so advanced they can be heat sealed to all kinds of fabrics and hot new multimedia designs can be easily done
VAPOR APPAREL LAUNCHES VAPOR ART VOLUME 1V a p o r A p p a r e l
a s u b s i d i a r y o f SourceSubstrates LLC Charleston SC announces the launch of Vapor Art - Volume 1 a collection of 127 vector graphics for digital sublimation and general use The diverse collection
of high-quality graphics comes after several years of customers requesting access to the companyrsquos sample art at trade shows and educational events The Collection of art includes vector drawings and JPGs for everything from mountain biking and snowboarding to yoga and cheerleading
BLANK PRODUCTS
COLORADO HEIRLOOMrsquoS COLOR LACQUERED FRAMES
Colorado Heirloom Inc of Loveland CO introduced their new Color Lacquered Frames This is an option to add color your unique creations It is not color fill Colored lacquer is sprayed on their high quality wood frames Because
INKTRA STRETCH TRANSFER PAPER FROM STAHLSrsquoStahlsrsquo based in St Clair
Shores MI adds InkTratrade Stretch a flexible transfer paper A revolutionary product InkTratrade Stretch provides a soft hand with an amazing stretch and recovery feature InkTratrade Stretch lets you take your favorite photo or graphic design and apply it to light colored or white hats shirts bags and more for a long lasting and completely personalized garment The highly stretchable paper can be applied to cotton polycotton blends spandex and Lycrareg
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo GOOF-PROOF TRANSFERSWant the look of screen
printing without the hassle With Goof Proofreg transfers offered by Transfer Express of Mentor OH you can custom order a transfer that has the popular athletic feel and will apply in a blazing four seconds Ordering is done step-by-step online and you can customize hundreds of designs You choose your
typeface colors and size Once your design is just the way you want it you can print it out to show a customer for approval Or Transfer Express can print from your artwork The minimum order is only five pieces and your one-color order ships in one to three working days
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo NEW FULL-COLOR DIGI PRINTSApparel decorators can now offer full-color designs on light
and dark apparel made of virtually any type of fabric without the hassle or minimums of screen printing with new state-of-the-art heat transfer technology called Digi Printstrade Offered through Transfer Express this revolutionary new method of decorating
December 2007 34Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
lacquer is used instead of paint any design can be lasered on these frames The possibilities are endless These colorful creations are offered in two different designs -- a designer frame and a frame with an insert Call 970-667-4222 or visit wwwcoloradoheirloomcom
CONDE ADDS PET MATS FOR SUBLIMATIONCondeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added food bowl placemats and litter box
mats to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Favorite photographs and pet-related artwork can be transferred to the
mats to create fun products for individual pet lovers or for the pet industry such as pet stores veterinarians groomers boarding facilities and animal adoption groups Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing Call Conde at 800-826-6332
CONDE INTRODUCES FABRIC PATCHES FOR SUBLIMATION
Condeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added fabric patches to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Custom decorators can now produce unique full-color patches that will impress organizations businesses clubs sports teams sports enthusiasts and individuals alike -- without the use of embroidery Heat seal patches are great for identification marketing awards trade show promotions or to commemorate special events Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing or call 800-826-6332
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW LASERSLABLaserSketch of Lemont IL Internationally known for
their LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble and Super Black Granite announces LaserSlab Super Black Granite at 4rsquo x 8rsquo x 7mm and 4rsquo x 4rsquo x 7mm weighting in at just over 2 pounds per square foot The surface of the LaserSlab Granite has the sheen of a black mirror The reverse side features epoxy fiberglass backing to give structure integrity to the ultra-lite granite sheet All may be viewed wwwlasersketchcom or by calling LaserSketch 630-243-6360
MATTHEWS INTRODUCES ALUMICOLORTM
Matthews International Corp of Pittsburgh PA introduced Alumicolortrade a high-resolution graphics solution for aluminum signage recognition commemoration and way finding Using cutting-edge technology Matthews embeds a four-color image into the aluminum to create an anodized reproduction of unsurpassed durability Alumicolortrade products which are designed for interior and exterior installations are resistant to extreme weather conditions graffiti scuffing grease chemicals and UV rays Additionally they will not chip crack or peel
PSI ADDS ROUND FRAMES amp STRING PUZZLES Paramount Services Inc of Hollywood FL
introduced new round resin frames for sublimation tiles Choose from Coral or RopeStone with optional Unisubreg Hardboard Tiles They will also accept the Bison 8rdquo round glass Cutting Board Why be square when round may fit better PSI also introduced a new puzzle guaranteed to string you along These String Puzzles come with a Unisubreg Hardboard puzzle and the necessary string and beads along with instructions how to string it after printing Templates to aid in design are available for download in several formats For details call 800-455-7212 or visit wwwDye-Sublimation-Productscom
CRYSTALEDGEreg LUXORTM CRYSTAL AWARDSCrystalEdgereg Chicago IL presented the Luxortrade Series
This stunning cost-effective collection comprises a series of specially designed Rosewood and Black Piano finish bases Matte Mahogany and Matte Black bases and a precision cast Satin Nickel Finish Metal Base with your choice of brass or silver hardware for mounting our twelve unique shapes making this the most versatile award yet Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks are curved 14rdquo thick crystal clear glass with 316rdquo diameter holes for mounting The Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks feature a generous engraving area and there is plenty of room on the base to add an engraving plate
December 2007 35Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
XENETECHrsquoS NEW ENGRAVABLE GIFTSXenetech of Baton Rouge
LA introduced high quality engravable gift items at wholesale and quantity discounts The Xenetech collection provides a selection of gifts created for corporate recognition weddings births holidays anniversaries retirements birthdays special occasions or just expressing appreciation Items include money clips key chains book markers desk accessories quartz movement clocks flasks amp wine accessories entertainment gifts travel gifts genuine Swiss Army knives business card holders luggage tags silver-plated jewelry boxes keepsake gift boxes silver-plated banks and baby gifts The gift items are designed primarily for diamond drag burnishing and rotary engraving personalization
UNISUBrsquoS CHROMALUXE PHOTO PANELSChromaLuxe photo panels are an exciting new line
of sublimatable products from Unisub of Louisville KY These panels allow you to sell a completely finished photo product to your customers capturing some of the additional revenue (and profit) your customers now spend elsewhere on framing Available in a range of traditional photo sizes as well as exciting new shapes these panels can be joined together to create stunning photo displays -- perfect for a fireplace mantle l i b r a r y s h e l f or the top of an armoire Available in aluminum or MDF substrates
CorelDRAWPro IndexOne of our members in Michigan
requested that we put together an Index of all the articles wersquove published during the year
He prints out all the issues and puts them in binders but an Index would make it easy to reference specific articles We think itrsquos a good idea and wersquoll send it to all subscribers in January
Product Focus TopicsJanuary 2008 -- Signage Products esp Wide FormatFebruary 2008 -- Engraving Awards amp GiftsMarch 2008 -- Apparel ProductsApril 2008 -- Laser Wood Products
Coming in 2008
December 2007 36Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETSBy Donna M Gray CRM Opportunities
December ndash Time to Review December finds everyone on our team strategizing how to get out of our parking lot Our business sits right in the middle of an up-scale strip mall which sits right behind a huge shopping mall and right along the main road to a Target Superstore and other large malls We all know that from the day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday) until 2 weeks after the New Year there are great challenges to those of us who like to leave the building for lunch or run an errandhellipso we strategize We all know every secret shortcut to the bank the post office and the warehouse club What we donrsquot know is how to find the way to merge out of our own back alley into the constant flow of traffic that carries people to their end shopping destination Whew
The year-end review So this year Dave and I have decided to stay in at lunch and do our business strategizing instead Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup are good brain food for helping us to look at all the successful things we did last year as a company all the things we thought about doing but didnrsquot because the idea didnrsquot quite fit and all the things we put off until next year We do this kind of exercise every year end and it helps us to map out our strategy for the coming year In the process we identify any mistakes wersquove made wrong turns wersquove taken and we try to find the ldquowhat could have happened had everything gone rightrdquo
The value of making mistakes Albert Einstein said ldquoAnyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything newrdquo Dave has a couple of prints in his office of Abraham Lincoln that describe his mistakes in fact it took Lincoln eight tries to win the presidency Thomas Edison made mistakeshellipand yet he perseveredhellipotherwise wersquod by ldquocomputingrdquo by candlelight And Irsquove heard that Colonel
Sanders had a thousand rejections before he sold his first chicken recipe It would be nice to get to our year end business appraisals and find that wersquove made no mistakes but our business like most others doesnrsquot have that claim to fame My mother always took the high road with mistakes She always said that one should recognize the benefits of a mistake One should learn what good came from it use it to improve and use it to help motivate success the next time So December is the time to analyze everything that made up the past year and look for ways to make the New Year successful in every way
Making a plan Most advisors say that the first step toward business success after looking at a companyrsquos year ending history is to decide on exactly what you want to do going forward in the coming year Then comes mapping out the plan What will be done How will it get done Who will do what What resources will be used When will it get done Is the right equipment in place Is the space adequate Ask these and any other questions that could relate to creating a successful year then focus on the details and follow through Those two wordshellipfocus and follow throughhellipcould mean the difference between marginal and abundant success Simply stated success comes from what you do and the way you do ithellipin your customerrsquos perception Every business wants to have a good imagehellipa good reputation so dedication to having good communication skills is important especially in an industry that does custom work The goal is to be on the same page as our clients so we have to be good mind readers We have to also concentrate on our professionalism on our appearance on our presentation style and in the pride we take in producing a well-done project This
has worked in the past and will remain the same in the future
The extra mile Success has to be nurturedhellipthen it gets celebrated Sometimes sacrifices have to be made to get to the rewards At year end when we analyze how we got from Point A to Point B itrsquos interesting to note that we sometimes had to take detours and sometimes the road blocks called for sacrificehellipof time or money Sometimes the sacrifice came in the way of a sleepless night worrying if an order that was lost in delivery would be found and re-routed to us in time to make a clientrsquos deadline Someone (unknown) said ldquoA day of worry is more exhausting than a week of workrdquo Anyone in business could testify to that Part of success is going the extra milehellipeven if it results in a sleepless night Going the extra mile is worth all the paid advertising in the world on the road to success
December 2007 37Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETS
Donna Grayrsquos 2nd book Itrsquos All Relative Surviving amp Thriving in a Family Business was published in September 2007
It describes her quest to identify the keys to suc-cess for small business and family businesses in particular She interviewed top businesses nationwide and discovered five common qualities implemented by successful business owners Check it out at the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore wwwcoreldrawprocomAllBook-storehtm
Commitments made and kept Our team felt good about some commitments we made and kept this past year like
We used a daily ldquoto-dordquo list and we set priorities in order of importance When we finished a project we ldquocelebratedrdquo and then moved on quickly to the next job We built in some time for ldquostress reliefrdquo with morning meeting breaks This was especially good when treats were served since wersquove got some good bakers on our staff We didnrsquot ldquoscreenrdquo calls through voice mail We considered every call to be important We ldquodid it right the first timerdquo even though it sometimes took longer We tied up all the ldquoloose endsrdquo We became ldquocheerleadersrdquo for each other When one of us accomplished a goal we all applauded We all tried to deliver more than we promised This can be challenging sometimes when working with a difficult project We eliminated (or tried to eliminate) unnecessary procedures and we simplified our paper flow system We spent most of our time on high priority tasks We all worked on our delegation skills We were committed to not wasting time either our own or other peoplersquos
Goals that were lacking Now all those great things being put on paper reminds me that we also had some goals we didnrsquot quite succeed athellipbut wersquoll try harder next year
We didnrsquot always ldquogrouprdquo tasks togetherhelliplike going to the bank and the post office in one trip or answering mail when it gets opened It wasnrsquot always easy to avoid procrastination Some low priority chores got put off There were still times when we couldnrsquot find enough hours to finish the work Our ldquotoolsrdquo didnrsquot always get put away when we were through with a project even though this is Daversquos pet peeve
Conclusion Experts say that we have to actively create our success not wait for it to happen This coming year hopefully none of us will sit in the comfort zone waiting for the phone to ring Therersquos an old Chinese proverb that goes ldquoIt you continually give you will continually haverdquo Our team will go on being involved in community activities When time is spent on worthwhile projects outside the business opportunities come knocking at the front counter Besideshellipat yearrsquos endhellipit makes us feel really good about the help we gave on these projects
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since1977 She can be reached by email at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
December 2007 38Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
GRAPHICS NEWS NETWORKAll these news and information products and services are part of the
Graphics News Network developed for ACDRP The goal is ldquoAll the News All the Time mdash For the World of Graphicsrdquo
GRAPHICS NewsWireThe Graphics News Wire is the always live always updated source for graphics news mdash products equipment technology and more Make it (CorelDRAWProcomNewsPagehtm) your home page or favorite to gain access to Breaking news updated regularly New Classified Ads New Job Announcements Supplier SpecialsAll news is related to graphic productsQuickSourceTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive amp Easy-To-Use
Search Engine
It gives you one-click access to suppliers products phone numbers and live links to ACDRP Member Suppliers Itrsquos always up-to-date searchable by keyword and accessible from your desktop
Quick TnTTM
The Industryrsquos Newest Resource for Graphics Tips amp Templates
Gain access to a growing library of CorelDRAW tips and templates that will make your work easier
QuickLearnTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive and
Easy-To-Use Article Library
Gain access to hundreds of articles on graphics-related and business topics searchable by keyword
The Entrepreneurial Magazine for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro Magazine is delivered to you once a month in PDF format It features in-depth content that readers rave about including articles on how to use CorelDRAW how to apply CorelDRAW and how to profit from CorelDRAW
News Tips amp Resources for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month mdash about the 15th and 25th It brings you highly targeted content that you wonrsquot find elsewhere including CorelDRAW Tips extensive product news links and a calendar of shows and training
MARKET PLACE
Quality Engravable JewelryHand-crafted in New England
GIFTS amp ACCESSORIES FOR WOMEN AND MEN
John E Lepper Inc800-835-3623 Fax 508-222-2732
wwwjeleppercom
GenuineWhite-tone
Pewter amp Gold
Some Things Were Meant To Be In Etched in Stone
Call for a free color catalog
NampR International1155 Allgood Rd 13Marietta GA 30062
678-560-4088Fax 678-560-1157
Importers amp Wholesalers of MarbleOnyx
Gifts amp Accessories
JOIN TODAY
The worldrsquos only association for CorelDRAWreg Users
wwwcoreldrawprocomJoinhtm
Place an Ad for as little as $215 per month
Find out how by calling our Ad Representative John McDaniel II
541-990-6687
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GET LISTED TODAY
Generate new businessby doing jobs for others
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December 2007 39Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Louie Alvarez started in the industry working for one of the largest trophy shops in Central California and then opened one of the first retail laser engraving businesses He has given seminars and workshops on CorelDRAW and Laser for many years and has written for several publications He is now with Vytek Industrial Lasers and is based in Las Vegas NV He can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
Kathryn Arnold is the Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
Errol Barr has a wide range of experience in sales amp marketing eventually getting into laser systems in 1999 currently with Vytek Industrial Lasers He also sold extensively in the CNC router industry selling the machines as more of a business opportunity wrapped around the machine He can be reached by email at errolbarrgmailcom
Dave Demoret founded Prolink Graphic Services to help people understand and profit from learning CorelDRAW He has been in both the Flat Graphics Industry and the Decorating Graphics Industry for 30 years He has written articles for several publications is a Corel Training Partner and conducts workshops nationwide and online He is the author of several CD Instructional programs on CorelDRAW He can be reached at 765-DO COLOR (362-6567) or davedprolinkgscom
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since 1977 She has presented seminars on a variety of topics nationwide and has won many marketing awards She is the author of two books on family business and can be reached at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
Bill Leek is a color consultant for JBL Graphics in Houston TX and has over 30 years experience in computer engineering and graphics design He has developed several lines of color imprintable products and does testing on a variety of products for different manufacturers He can be reached at wfleekjblgraphicscom or 281-970-6677
Jeff McDaniel is the owner of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon He worked as a journeyman machinist before getting into the graphic products business Creative Graphic offers laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials Contact him at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
John McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry He worked for many years with computers in electronic data processing and pioneered the use of CorelDraw for engraving applications He owned a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years and writes about hardware design software laser engraving sublimation and more He is a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals For information on training and more call 541-967-4271 or write to mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
Judy McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry Her background includes many forms of art and retail sales as well as the operation of a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years She is a regular columnist on sandblasting sublimation and diversifying business as well as a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals She can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
David Milisock is president of Custom Graphic Technologies Inc in Pennsylvania He has been in the print production business since 1975 and specializes in professional support for CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite Output includes computer-to-plate processes for all commercial digital front-end applications as well as Postscript-compliant graphic applications He offers technical and color management support for all RIP-driven corporate digital output systems He can be reached at 717-509-3523 or davidmilisockcomcastnet
Deborah Sexton former editor of Impressions Magazine has been in the apparel graphics industry since 1981 She currently does marketing and public relations for apparel graphics companies and is a columnist for several industry publications She can be reached at dsextonsbcglobalnet
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at 916-567-1867
December 2007 40Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
by Otis Veteto
Traveling Tidbits
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the
RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of
the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Itrsquos a fun and
informative column focusing on the human-interest side of
the industry Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars
for industry organizations and some of that knowledge
will rub off as well He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at
916-567-1867
Reps Volunteers People Skills amp Agreements
RS Owens Southeast RepFirst of all a Traveling Tidbits welcome to
the newest member of the RS Owens Company sales team Anita Brennan Anita is the new Regional Sales Manager for the Southeast She will be calling on you folks in Alabama Tennessee Mississippi Florida Georgia North Carolina and South Carolina Anita has worked in all phases of our industry as a retailer (her own business) multi-line rep and now as a regional sales manager When I asked Anita what she likes to do when not on the road she told me she likes to spend time with her two-year-old granddaughter Kaylee Welcome to the RS Owens family Anita Brennan
Railroad Museum VolunteerI know Christmas is the time for giving
but some people give all year long I was talking recently with Elias Athanasiou whose regular job is a server in a restaurant my wife and I frequent when I am in Sacramento Elias has been associated as a volunteer with the California State Railroad Museum for about 16 years Every Saturday during the ldquorunning seasonrdquo April-September Elias can be found working as a volunteer on the Steam Engine excursion train that runs for 6 miles along the top of the levee on the Sacramento River The ride takes about 40 minutes Elias is the Engineer now but has worked as conductor and fireman in his tenure with the train It is people like Elias Athanasiou that make this a much better world A huge Traveling Tidbits SALUTE You can find out more about the Railroad Museum at wwwcsrmorg
Real People SkillsThis next tidbit is from the PPAI Promotional
Consultant Today The author is Roy Chitwood president of Max Sacks International in Seattle Wash It is entitled To Shine Polish Your People Skills
ldquoPeople buy not because they understand your product or service but because they feel that you understand them People buy emotionally As a professional salesperson you need to be more people-oriented not product centered Here are seven quick and easy techniques to improve your people skills
SMILE It is the universal sign of friendship in any language The Chinese have a proverb ldquoA man who cannot smile should not open a storerdquo Think about that Give a smile and you will get a smile in return
DEVELOP A GENUINE INTEREST IN OTHERS When you have sincere interest it shows Look directly at people when they are talking to you Let your facial expression register your interest Ask good open-ended questions to let people know that you are interested in what they say
TALK IN TERMS OF THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS INTERESTS You will never meet anyone who doesnrsquot have time to talk about what they want to talk about Encourage your prospect to discuss his or interests rather than launching into a discussion about yourself
USE THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS NAME Using a name builds personal rapport and shows you are listening with respect Be careful about overusing the personrsquos name
GIVE COMPLIMENTS Everyone loves a compliment when it is genuine Make a
concentrated effort to give at least 3 honest compliments every day of your life You will be amazed at what it will do for your relationships
LISTEN Listening is the greatest compliment you can pay When you assume the role of the listener it relaxes the sales climate As you listen you are demonstrating that you truly care and you are genuinely interested in what he or she has to say
MAKE THE OTHER PERSON FEEL IMPORTANT When you are sincerely impressed by something the other person has achieved or owns let them know it Understand that fundamentally every person is important and treat them accordingly
Personal comment When I finished reading this I thought to myself ldquoThese make sense in our everyday life not just in salesrdquo
The Third AgreementI will close with the 3rd step from the book
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel RuizDONrsquoT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS Find the
courage to ask questions and to express what you really want Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings sadness and drama
Sounds a little like what I wrote at the beginning of the column doesnrsquot it
Thatrsquos all for now Remember to save some time for yourself and your family And when you travel please travel safe
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE
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- News
December 2007 27Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
The Association of CorelDRAWreg Professionals is The Education amp Business Resource for CorelDRAW Users Worldwide Its goal is to help 1) IMPROVE your CorelDRAW skills and 2) MAKE MONEY with those skills You can participate in ACDRP services in four ways
THE WORLDrsquoS ONLY ASSOCIATION FOR CORELDRAWreg USERSINVITES YOU TO MAKE MORE MONEY WITH CORELDRAW
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month focused on Industry News via the Graphics News Wire Links to valuable resources and a complete educa-tion and show Calendar S
CorelDRAWPro the Entrepreneurial magazine for CorelDRAW users features in-depth content on How to Use CorelDRAW -- tips tricks advanced ar twork success s to r ies in te rv iews and more How to Apply CorelDRAW -- for graphic production processes such as embroidery engraving heat printing laser promo products printing sandblasting signmaking sublimation and screenprinting How to Profit from CorelDRAW -- Product news business columns reviews profiles and advertising with live links
SUBSCRIBE -- NO CHARGE JOIN -- $60 PER YEAR
All users of CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite are qualified to subscribe free to CorelDRAWPro magazine (PDF format) and CorelDRAWPro E-News
Subscription to CorelDRAWPro amp CorelDRAWPRo E-News
TTF Newsletter Subscription to the monthly Tips Templates amp Fixtures Newsletter only available to members
GSG Basic Listing You can list your services in the Graphic Services Guide in one category as part of membership (a $25 value)
Access to QuickLearn A keyword searchable database of 100s of articles on CorelDRAW graphics production and business
All users of CorelDRAWreg are invited to join the Association and take advantage of exclusive content discounts and profes-sional recognition ACDRP membership includes
TTF
QuickLearn
QuickTNT
Archives
BASIC GSG LISTING -- $25 PER YR
The Graphic Services Guide is the Industry Yellow Pages for Services and Finished Goods GSG is promoted in all our publi-cations and our website to the world of CorelDRAW users Your listing gives you the opportunity to promote your services (in any of 40 categories) to other CorelDRAW usersThe Basic Listing includes your company description email link and listing in one category Additional service categories are $10 each per year
The Enhanced GSG Listing is for companies that want to list in two categories and add a photo or logo
ENHANCED GSG LISTING -- $50$75 PER YR
Classifieds
Access to QuickTnT A growing database of CorelDRAW tips for understanding the fine points of the program and templates that can be downloaded to speed up your production
Access to Archives Past issues of CorelDRAWPro are available to members with live links
Bookstore Discounts Members receive a 10 discount on all products in the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore
Professional Recognition Use of the ACDRP logo for professional identification on business cards websites and letterhead You also receive a membership certificate
Classified Ads Members can place one classified ad per year at no charge with photo and run it till the item is sold (a $35 value)
HOW TO PARTICIPATE To Subscribe (no charge) To Join ($60yr) To List in the Graphic Services Guide ($25 Basic $50$75 Enhanced or $120145 for Multi-Service)
CorelDRAWreg is a registered trademark of Corel Corp and is used with permission
Visit wwwcoreldrawprocomand click on the appropriate links
800-276-8428
The Multi-Service GSG Listing allows you to list up to 40 differ-ent service categories with detailed descriptions and add a photo or logo
MULTI-SERVICE GSG LISTING -- $120$145 PER YR
December 2007 28Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Throughout the year this publication has reported on whatrsquos new in equipment tools and software and blank products for businesses that put graphics onto products
For this 2007 wrap-up CorelDRAWPro editorial staff reviewed all the product news for the year and named 33 products to its annual Top Products of the Year list
Selections were based on the criteria of innovation and impact Innovation means products that exhibit a high degree of originality or uniqueness Impact means products that influence sales or productivity for a large number of businesses
Note that the 2007 honorees are list alphabetically in the three theme sections
For more information on the products in this article click on the Info Request button at the bottom of each page and select by company name or product You might open the Info Request page and minimize it as you read That way you can quickly open it and check the products you want
EQUIPMENT
ANAJET DIRECT-TO-GARMENT DIGITAL PRINTERAnaJet Digital Apparel Printer (Model FP-125) from
AnaJet Inc in Costa Mesa CA is a direct-to-garment printer offering high quality and affordability It can print custom graphics on any cotton or poly-cotton flat textile material in one minute The printer priced affordably from under $13000 can produce up to 5000 shirts per month each retailing for about $20 Most printers installed so far are in a production plant environment but some customers have started to take the mobile printer to malls for instant printing of customer graphics According to Dr Chase Roh company president the unique printhead they have developed allows for 16x more ink flow than normal desktop printers and thus shirts only require one pass
Top Products of the Year
DTG AMERICA ECLIPSE D-1 WITH TWO HEADS DTG America of Tampa FL and Fort Worth TX now offers a new solution to
speed up digitally printing to dark shirts The Eclipse D-1 incorporates two heads instead of one One head has eight channels of white to lay down a solid white underbase The second head has four channels of white to do highlights and four channels of color to lay down the design The result of this new configuration is the underbase and color are completed in one pass at an estimated average of only two minutes per shirt for a 12-inch by 6-inch area Other innovations include an ink agitator firmware for easy updating ink vapor remover auto gap adjustment and new platen configuration for easy loading
GEO KNIGHT DK 25SP HEAT PRESSThe Digital Knight DK25SP is an air-operated automatic
20x25 oversized swing-away heat press with a state-of-the-art control system and heavy-duty solid steel welded framework The smooth automatic pressing and push-button activation provides a productive fatigue-free operation The extended 20x25 size of the heat platen is perfect for sublimation and large-format materials pressingThe press is adjustable to accommodate materials from fabric thickness all the way up to 1rdquo thick substrates For more information call 800-525-6766 or visit wwwheatpresscom
GRAPHTEC CRAFT ROBO PROGraphtec America Inc based in Santa Ana
CA introduced the new Craft ROBO Pro 15rdquo cutting plotter The Craft ROBO Pro is an ideal solution for cutting a wide variety of materials including vinyl film card stock foil heat transfer and image transfer media Incorporating Graphtecrsquos legendary
December 2007 29Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
ARMS (Advanced Registration Marks System) and combined with a desktop printer the Craft ROBO Pro makes contour cutting an easy task Innovations include a new digital servo motor first mark auto-sensing menu navigation system that includes 8 user-defined conditions Tangential Control and three software applications
ROLAND RELEASES DIRECT-TO-FABRIC PRINTERRoland DGA Corp of Irvine CA released
the new 74rdquo HeatWave DFP-74 Fabric Printer through its reseller channel in the US Based on Rolandrsquos HeatWave sublimation technology the DFP-74 Fabric Printer is a complete integrated solution and Rolandrsquos first inkjet ever to support direct printing onto polyester fabrics As a complete solution including printer sublimation unit inks and RIP software the DFP-74 makes it easier than ever for shops to enter the fast-growing textile printing market Key features include eight advanced piezo print heads an intelligent media handling system and a temperature-controlled heating system
HOTRONIX PERFECT PRESSURE HEAT PRESSHotronix of Carmichaels PA has taken heat press technology
to the next level with Perfect Pressure a new digital pressure display functionThis new feature has a single-digit LED readout
that measures the pressure of the inner platen This technology is exclusive to Hotronix and is patent pending Previously a
digital pressure display was available only on air-operated heat press machines With this new pressure display gauge all heat press users will have more consistent results from job to job reducing the number of misprints and speeding up production For more information about
the new digital pressure display contact Stahlsrsquo Hotronix at 800-478-2457 e-mail infostahlscom or visit the Web site at wwwstahlscom
SWF DREAM EMBROIDERY MACHINEWith its new DREAM Machine SWF has broken the barrier in multi-head
embroidery machine technology The DREAM machines are the first multi-head embroidery machines that truly can sew at 1500 stitches per minute During the research and development of these new machines 12 new patents were filed and granted proof that the DREAM machines are built with state-of-the-art technology
Innovations include LED control panel error codes to quickly troubleshoot problems optional devices to do sequins cording and boring automatic oiling system large memory a hoop selector and more These innovative new machines come in configurations ranging from
two to six heads It is distributed exclusively by SWF East (Tampa FL) and SWF MESA (Dallas TX)
MESArsquoS HOTFIX SPANGLE MOTIF MACHINEWith the all new YAS-11 Hotfix Spangle Motif Making
Machine the first of its kind in the United States you can create beautiful spangle transfer designs that have the look of sequins This patented machine which is distributed exclusively in the United States by MESA Distributors of Fort Worth TX cuts out shapes such as circles and squares in a range of sizes from reels of Mylar tape The machine comes with proprietary design software that allows the user to create any pattern or design up to 157 by 157 inches
SAWGRASSrsquo HYBRID SYSTEM FOR EPSON R1800Sawgrass Technologies of Mt Pleasant SC introduced
the SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid System for the Epson R1800 for both sublimation printing and cotton
decorating from one machine The affordable entry-level system features dual functionality with both SubliJet and ChromaBlast inks in one machine allowing users to create customized images with superior color and clarity on both polyester coated substrates and cotton garments This is the second
hybrid system from Sawgrass following in the footsteps of the popular SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid
System for the Epson 4800
TROTECrsquoS NEW LARGE PLATFORM LASER Trotec Laser Inc of Ypsilanti MI has introduced the SP500 series of laser
engraving and cutting systems The systems have a work area of 50rdquo X 28rdquo and X-Axis clearance of 12rdquo The systems are offered in power levels from 45W-200W There is an available pass-through option (Class 4) Exhaust fumes are captured
December 2007 30Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
at the laser head to insure an efficient extraction when using the pass-through featureTrotec systems are designed for minimal wear-and-tear and eliminate the need for periodic replacement of belts and bearings For additional information visit our web site wwwtrotecnet or call 866-226-8505 734-484-3260
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW PROFESSIONAL SERIESUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) of Scottsdale
AZ added four new models in its Professional Laser Series (PLS) line of advanced high-productivity computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving systems The new PLS line which replaces Universalrsquos M V and X laser systems incorporates a
host of evolutionary design improvements to the laser cartridge platform chassis system electronics and software interface The new PLS models include several
powerful new features most notably a unique materials-based print driver called ldquoLaser Interface +rdquo that gives users their choice
between automatic or manual control over power speed and other system settings For more information on Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit Universal Laser Systems online at wwwulsinccom
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW VERSALASERUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) added a
new version of its desktop-sized VersaLasertrade
computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving system The new VersaLaser
improves on the award-winning original thanks to a host of evolutionary design refinements It also
includes a unique next-generation materials-based print driver that automatically calculates power speed
and other system settings It was awarded a patent for the unique design of its external cabinet which also functions as a Class 1 laser safety enclosure For more information about VersaLaser or Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit wwwulsinccom
US SCREENrsquoS FAST T-JET 3US Screen Print and Inkjet Technology of Tempe
AZ adds the Fast T-Jet3TM which features 30 faster print speeds compared to the previous T-Jet2 model and has a longer low profile print bed for easier loading and unloading Now you can produce a full size 12rdquo x 12rdquo (305 x 305 cm) print in one minute on a light shirt and in under three minutes on a black shirt with white ink Small pocket images can be printed in about 15 seconds
US SCREENrsquoS AUTOMATED PRETREATMENT CENTER
Speed up production when using Fast T-Jet inkjet-to-garment printers with the AutoTREATtrade Automatic Pretreatment Center
This versatile piece of equipment allows you to treat shirts on a production level rather than spraying shirts individually one at a time For use with light or dark shirts the AutoTREATtrade
can spray up to three shirts per minute It has two application modesmdashone for lights and one for darks that can be switched over by activating the cleaning mode which flushes out the system with water
TOOLS MATERIALS SOFTWARE
CORELDRAW X3 CERTIFIED FOR WINDOWS VISTACorel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that
CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite X3 has been Certified for Windows Vista Customers who wish to install the Certified for Windows Vista version of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X3 can download the latest service pack (SP2) from wwwcorelcom This new update delivers an exceptional experience for customers on Windows Vista including an updated user interface enhanced security improved text handling and further enhancements to the popular suitersquos renowned import and export file compatibility
COREL LAUNCHES NEW ONLINE COMMUNITY Corel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that it
has launched httpcoreldrawcom a new online community for users of the CorelDRAWreg family of products ndash including CorelDRAW Graphics Suite Corel DESIGNERreg Technical Suite
December 2007 31Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
and Corelreg DRAWingsreg This new community site is the first in a series that Corel will be launching to support its various user communities Designed to fuel inspiration CorelDRAWcom combines forums blogs and galleries for design professionals and graphic hobbyists alike Forums are available in English French German and Spanish serving an international audience
DALCOrsquoS NEW REFLECTIVE HEAT TRANSFERSCater to the safety market with new reflective transfers offered
by Dalco Athletic of Dallas TX These durable transfers come in a reflective silver gray color in three styles police sheriff and fire dept They are sized for left chest and full back so
all you have to do is heat seal for 8 seconds and yoursquore done Itrsquos very fast and easy
DALCOrsquoS NEW OPTIC YELLOW CLASSIC SWB APPLIQUE
Classic SWB appliqueacute designs offered by Dalco Athletic now come in two new styles softballs and tennis balls in optic yellow fabric These new balls literally jump off any wearable and make it an eye-catching standout This appliqueacute collection is ideal for spiritwear items to be sold to fans and family or created as fund-raisers for boosters clubs
POWER GRAPHICS 3 FROM DIGITAL ART SOLUTIONSPower Graphics 3 by Digital Art Solutions of
Tempe AZ is the ultimate design tool for the creation of high-end custom graphics and logos for custom signage awards vehicle graphics promotional products and apparel graphics Tuned to the latest styles and trends it provides fresh graphics that will impress even the most critical and demanding customer It includes more than 1500 images The 10 design categories include Flames Gangsta (Urban) Mascots Offroad Rebel (Biker and Hot
Rod) Retro Speed Sports Surf and Tuner
FLORIANI COMMERCIALrsquoS NEW NO-SHOW DIAMOND MESHContinuing in its tradition of research and development
to create embroidery stabilizers that meet the needs of todayrsquos embroiderers Floriani Embroidery Commercial Division of Knoxville TN released a new product called Floriani No-Show Diamond Mesh This unique nylon mesh stabilizer has a perpendicular embossed pattern that makes it more multi-directionally stable and enables it to better hold stitches for crisper design registration It is specifically designed for light-colored garments where traditional stabilizers have a tendency to show through the front of the garment
GREAT DANErsquoS NEW DIGITAL PHOTO FRAMES Tap into the lucrative team market with an
incredible collection of stock art specially designed to work for direct-to-garment printers sublimation transfers and digital transfers Digital Photo Frames Volume 1 is a collection of spectacular pre-designed layouts each with one or more frames to
insert personal photos The collection includes five categories baseball football basketball soccer and hockey Each category has four designs (20 total layouts) and each design comes in three template formats mugs mouse pads and shirts
So there are a total of 60 template designs in all
IMPRINTABLES WAREHOUSE OFFERS SPECTRA ECO FILMNew from Imprintables Warehouse of
Masontown PA is a digital cutter material that is free of PVC a plus with companies that want to be as environmentally friendly as possible Spectra Eco Film is made with ecological polyurethane and is peeled hot It is pressure sensitive (sticky backing) and extremely easy to weed While maintaining superior durability and opacity this new film is thinner than current offerings on the market and delivers the super soft hand that is in demand by todayrsquos consumers It can be used on 100 cotton 100 polyester polycotton blends and even nylon and leather
December 2007 32Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
KISSCUT TECHNOLOGIESrsquo SELF-WEEDING INKJET TRANSFER PAPER
Kiss Cut Technologies Ltd Newcastle UK has addressed the ldquopolymer windowrdquo issue and developed the worldrsquos first self-weeding inkjet transfer paper for printing to textiles In simple terms only the areas of their patented transfer paper that have been printed will be transferred to the garment when heat pressed A Kiss Cut print can be further embellished with specialized textile foils so in effect a digital foiling method is now available Foil is heat pressed onto the garment and when peeled the foil only sticks to the image areas
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW PHOTOPLAS-TIC MATERIALLaserSketchcom of Lemont IL a leading supplier of
LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble Super Black Granite and Black Onyx Jewelry introduces their new PhotoPlas-Tic This is a new material developed for front andor reverse laser engraving on micro surface impact acrylic plastic It is a premium plastic for laser engraving that is UV stable ideal for photo badges plaques trophies signage and high-end awards Each sheet of PhotoPlas-Tic is specially designed for a crisp clean burn and ultra-fine laser lettering logo and vector output For details call 630-243-6360 or visit wwwlasersketchcom
THEMAGICTOUCH LAUNCHES WOW TRANSFER PAPERTheMagicTouch USA launched WoW Professional
71 transfer paper which requires no weeding or profile cutting and the vibrant colors are achieved using digital laser technology making it great for short runs It uses PolymationTM which incorporates a newly designed catalyst that provides the ultimate compatibility with all generations of dry toner material According to the company PolymationTM is the next generation of laser heat transfer Sublimation requires the substrate to have a specialty receiving polymer coating to absorb the pigments but PolymationTM delivers everything at once polymer pigments and catalyst
December 2007 33Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
offers distinct advantages over any other process It allows for an unlimited number of colors and very fine detail which is impossible with screen printing or embroidery And the cost does not go up as colors are added These new specialty materials are so advanced they can be heat sealed to all kinds of fabrics and hot new multimedia designs can be easily done
VAPOR APPAREL LAUNCHES VAPOR ART VOLUME 1V a p o r A p p a r e l
a s u b s i d i a r y o f SourceSubstrates LLC Charleston SC announces the launch of Vapor Art - Volume 1 a collection of 127 vector graphics for digital sublimation and general use The diverse collection
of high-quality graphics comes after several years of customers requesting access to the companyrsquos sample art at trade shows and educational events The Collection of art includes vector drawings and JPGs for everything from mountain biking and snowboarding to yoga and cheerleading
BLANK PRODUCTS
COLORADO HEIRLOOMrsquoS COLOR LACQUERED FRAMES
Colorado Heirloom Inc of Loveland CO introduced their new Color Lacquered Frames This is an option to add color your unique creations It is not color fill Colored lacquer is sprayed on their high quality wood frames Because
INKTRA STRETCH TRANSFER PAPER FROM STAHLSrsquoStahlsrsquo based in St Clair
Shores MI adds InkTratrade Stretch a flexible transfer paper A revolutionary product InkTratrade Stretch provides a soft hand with an amazing stretch and recovery feature InkTratrade Stretch lets you take your favorite photo or graphic design and apply it to light colored or white hats shirts bags and more for a long lasting and completely personalized garment The highly stretchable paper can be applied to cotton polycotton blends spandex and Lycrareg
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo GOOF-PROOF TRANSFERSWant the look of screen
printing without the hassle With Goof Proofreg transfers offered by Transfer Express of Mentor OH you can custom order a transfer that has the popular athletic feel and will apply in a blazing four seconds Ordering is done step-by-step online and you can customize hundreds of designs You choose your
typeface colors and size Once your design is just the way you want it you can print it out to show a customer for approval Or Transfer Express can print from your artwork The minimum order is only five pieces and your one-color order ships in one to three working days
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo NEW FULL-COLOR DIGI PRINTSApparel decorators can now offer full-color designs on light
and dark apparel made of virtually any type of fabric without the hassle or minimums of screen printing with new state-of-the-art heat transfer technology called Digi Printstrade Offered through Transfer Express this revolutionary new method of decorating
December 2007 34Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
lacquer is used instead of paint any design can be lasered on these frames The possibilities are endless These colorful creations are offered in two different designs -- a designer frame and a frame with an insert Call 970-667-4222 or visit wwwcoloradoheirloomcom
CONDE ADDS PET MATS FOR SUBLIMATIONCondeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added food bowl placemats and litter box
mats to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Favorite photographs and pet-related artwork can be transferred to the
mats to create fun products for individual pet lovers or for the pet industry such as pet stores veterinarians groomers boarding facilities and animal adoption groups Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing Call Conde at 800-826-6332
CONDE INTRODUCES FABRIC PATCHES FOR SUBLIMATION
Condeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added fabric patches to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Custom decorators can now produce unique full-color patches that will impress organizations businesses clubs sports teams sports enthusiasts and individuals alike -- without the use of embroidery Heat seal patches are great for identification marketing awards trade show promotions or to commemorate special events Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing or call 800-826-6332
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW LASERSLABLaserSketch of Lemont IL Internationally known for
their LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble and Super Black Granite announces LaserSlab Super Black Granite at 4rsquo x 8rsquo x 7mm and 4rsquo x 4rsquo x 7mm weighting in at just over 2 pounds per square foot The surface of the LaserSlab Granite has the sheen of a black mirror The reverse side features epoxy fiberglass backing to give structure integrity to the ultra-lite granite sheet All may be viewed wwwlasersketchcom or by calling LaserSketch 630-243-6360
MATTHEWS INTRODUCES ALUMICOLORTM
Matthews International Corp of Pittsburgh PA introduced Alumicolortrade a high-resolution graphics solution for aluminum signage recognition commemoration and way finding Using cutting-edge technology Matthews embeds a four-color image into the aluminum to create an anodized reproduction of unsurpassed durability Alumicolortrade products which are designed for interior and exterior installations are resistant to extreme weather conditions graffiti scuffing grease chemicals and UV rays Additionally they will not chip crack or peel
PSI ADDS ROUND FRAMES amp STRING PUZZLES Paramount Services Inc of Hollywood FL
introduced new round resin frames for sublimation tiles Choose from Coral or RopeStone with optional Unisubreg Hardboard Tiles They will also accept the Bison 8rdquo round glass Cutting Board Why be square when round may fit better PSI also introduced a new puzzle guaranteed to string you along These String Puzzles come with a Unisubreg Hardboard puzzle and the necessary string and beads along with instructions how to string it after printing Templates to aid in design are available for download in several formats For details call 800-455-7212 or visit wwwDye-Sublimation-Productscom
CRYSTALEDGEreg LUXORTM CRYSTAL AWARDSCrystalEdgereg Chicago IL presented the Luxortrade Series
This stunning cost-effective collection comprises a series of specially designed Rosewood and Black Piano finish bases Matte Mahogany and Matte Black bases and a precision cast Satin Nickel Finish Metal Base with your choice of brass or silver hardware for mounting our twelve unique shapes making this the most versatile award yet Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks are curved 14rdquo thick crystal clear glass with 316rdquo diameter holes for mounting The Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks feature a generous engraving area and there is plenty of room on the base to add an engraving plate
December 2007 35Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
XENETECHrsquoS NEW ENGRAVABLE GIFTSXenetech of Baton Rouge
LA introduced high quality engravable gift items at wholesale and quantity discounts The Xenetech collection provides a selection of gifts created for corporate recognition weddings births holidays anniversaries retirements birthdays special occasions or just expressing appreciation Items include money clips key chains book markers desk accessories quartz movement clocks flasks amp wine accessories entertainment gifts travel gifts genuine Swiss Army knives business card holders luggage tags silver-plated jewelry boxes keepsake gift boxes silver-plated banks and baby gifts The gift items are designed primarily for diamond drag burnishing and rotary engraving personalization
UNISUBrsquoS CHROMALUXE PHOTO PANELSChromaLuxe photo panels are an exciting new line
of sublimatable products from Unisub of Louisville KY These panels allow you to sell a completely finished photo product to your customers capturing some of the additional revenue (and profit) your customers now spend elsewhere on framing Available in a range of traditional photo sizes as well as exciting new shapes these panels can be joined together to create stunning photo displays -- perfect for a fireplace mantle l i b r a r y s h e l f or the top of an armoire Available in aluminum or MDF substrates
CorelDRAWPro IndexOne of our members in Michigan
requested that we put together an Index of all the articles wersquove published during the year
He prints out all the issues and puts them in binders but an Index would make it easy to reference specific articles We think itrsquos a good idea and wersquoll send it to all subscribers in January
Product Focus TopicsJanuary 2008 -- Signage Products esp Wide FormatFebruary 2008 -- Engraving Awards amp GiftsMarch 2008 -- Apparel ProductsApril 2008 -- Laser Wood Products
Coming in 2008
December 2007 36Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETSBy Donna M Gray CRM Opportunities
December ndash Time to Review December finds everyone on our team strategizing how to get out of our parking lot Our business sits right in the middle of an up-scale strip mall which sits right behind a huge shopping mall and right along the main road to a Target Superstore and other large malls We all know that from the day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday) until 2 weeks after the New Year there are great challenges to those of us who like to leave the building for lunch or run an errandhellipso we strategize We all know every secret shortcut to the bank the post office and the warehouse club What we donrsquot know is how to find the way to merge out of our own back alley into the constant flow of traffic that carries people to their end shopping destination Whew
The year-end review So this year Dave and I have decided to stay in at lunch and do our business strategizing instead Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup are good brain food for helping us to look at all the successful things we did last year as a company all the things we thought about doing but didnrsquot because the idea didnrsquot quite fit and all the things we put off until next year We do this kind of exercise every year end and it helps us to map out our strategy for the coming year In the process we identify any mistakes wersquove made wrong turns wersquove taken and we try to find the ldquowhat could have happened had everything gone rightrdquo
The value of making mistakes Albert Einstein said ldquoAnyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything newrdquo Dave has a couple of prints in his office of Abraham Lincoln that describe his mistakes in fact it took Lincoln eight tries to win the presidency Thomas Edison made mistakeshellipand yet he perseveredhellipotherwise wersquod by ldquocomputingrdquo by candlelight And Irsquove heard that Colonel
Sanders had a thousand rejections before he sold his first chicken recipe It would be nice to get to our year end business appraisals and find that wersquove made no mistakes but our business like most others doesnrsquot have that claim to fame My mother always took the high road with mistakes She always said that one should recognize the benefits of a mistake One should learn what good came from it use it to improve and use it to help motivate success the next time So December is the time to analyze everything that made up the past year and look for ways to make the New Year successful in every way
Making a plan Most advisors say that the first step toward business success after looking at a companyrsquos year ending history is to decide on exactly what you want to do going forward in the coming year Then comes mapping out the plan What will be done How will it get done Who will do what What resources will be used When will it get done Is the right equipment in place Is the space adequate Ask these and any other questions that could relate to creating a successful year then focus on the details and follow through Those two wordshellipfocus and follow throughhellipcould mean the difference between marginal and abundant success Simply stated success comes from what you do and the way you do ithellipin your customerrsquos perception Every business wants to have a good imagehellipa good reputation so dedication to having good communication skills is important especially in an industry that does custom work The goal is to be on the same page as our clients so we have to be good mind readers We have to also concentrate on our professionalism on our appearance on our presentation style and in the pride we take in producing a well-done project This
has worked in the past and will remain the same in the future
The extra mile Success has to be nurturedhellipthen it gets celebrated Sometimes sacrifices have to be made to get to the rewards At year end when we analyze how we got from Point A to Point B itrsquos interesting to note that we sometimes had to take detours and sometimes the road blocks called for sacrificehellipof time or money Sometimes the sacrifice came in the way of a sleepless night worrying if an order that was lost in delivery would be found and re-routed to us in time to make a clientrsquos deadline Someone (unknown) said ldquoA day of worry is more exhausting than a week of workrdquo Anyone in business could testify to that Part of success is going the extra milehellipeven if it results in a sleepless night Going the extra mile is worth all the paid advertising in the world on the road to success
December 2007 37Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETS
Donna Grayrsquos 2nd book Itrsquos All Relative Surviving amp Thriving in a Family Business was published in September 2007
It describes her quest to identify the keys to suc-cess for small business and family businesses in particular She interviewed top businesses nationwide and discovered five common qualities implemented by successful business owners Check it out at the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore wwwcoreldrawprocomAllBook-storehtm
Commitments made and kept Our team felt good about some commitments we made and kept this past year like
We used a daily ldquoto-dordquo list and we set priorities in order of importance When we finished a project we ldquocelebratedrdquo and then moved on quickly to the next job We built in some time for ldquostress reliefrdquo with morning meeting breaks This was especially good when treats were served since wersquove got some good bakers on our staff We didnrsquot ldquoscreenrdquo calls through voice mail We considered every call to be important We ldquodid it right the first timerdquo even though it sometimes took longer We tied up all the ldquoloose endsrdquo We became ldquocheerleadersrdquo for each other When one of us accomplished a goal we all applauded We all tried to deliver more than we promised This can be challenging sometimes when working with a difficult project We eliminated (or tried to eliminate) unnecessary procedures and we simplified our paper flow system We spent most of our time on high priority tasks We all worked on our delegation skills We were committed to not wasting time either our own or other peoplersquos
Goals that were lacking Now all those great things being put on paper reminds me that we also had some goals we didnrsquot quite succeed athellipbut wersquoll try harder next year
We didnrsquot always ldquogrouprdquo tasks togetherhelliplike going to the bank and the post office in one trip or answering mail when it gets opened It wasnrsquot always easy to avoid procrastination Some low priority chores got put off There were still times when we couldnrsquot find enough hours to finish the work Our ldquotoolsrdquo didnrsquot always get put away when we were through with a project even though this is Daversquos pet peeve
Conclusion Experts say that we have to actively create our success not wait for it to happen This coming year hopefully none of us will sit in the comfort zone waiting for the phone to ring Therersquos an old Chinese proverb that goes ldquoIt you continually give you will continually haverdquo Our team will go on being involved in community activities When time is spent on worthwhile projects outside the business opportunities come knocking at the front counter Besideshellipat yearrsquos endhellipit makes us feel really good about the help we gave on these projects
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since1977 She can be reached by email at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
December 2007 38Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
GRAPHICS NEWS NETWORKAll these news and information products and services are part of the
Graphics News Network developed for ACDRP The goal is ldquoAll the News All the Time mdash For the World of Graphicsrdquo
GRAPHICS NewsWireThe Graphics News Wire is the always live always updated source for graphics news mdash products equipment technology and more Make it (CorelDRAWProcomNewsPagehtm) your home page or favorite to gain access to Breaking news updated regularly New Classified Ads New Job Announcements Supplier SpecialsAll news is related to graphic productsQuickSourceTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive amp Easy-To-Use
Search Engine
It gives you one-click access to suppliers products phone numbers and live links to ACDRP Member Suppliers Itrsquos always up-to-date searchable by keyword and accessible from your desktop
Quick TnTTM
The Industryrsquos Newest Resource for Graphics Tips amp Templates
Gain access to a growing library of CorelDRAW tips and templates that will make your work easier
QuickLearnTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive and
Easy-To-Use Article Library
Gain access to hundreds of articles on graphics-related and business topics searchable by keyword
The Entrepreneurial Magazine for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro Magazine is delivered to you once a month in PDF format It features in-depth content that readers rave about including articles on how to use CorelDRAW how to apply CorelDRAW and how to profit from CorelDRAW
News Tips amp Resources for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month mdash about the 15th and 25th It brings you highly targeted content that you wonrsquot find elsewhere including CorelDRAW Tips extensive product news links and a calendar of shows and training
MARKET PLACE
Quality Engravable JewelryHand-crafted in New England
GIFTS amp ACCESSORIES FOR WOMEN AND MEN
John E Lepper Inc800-835-3623 Fax 508-222-2732
wwwjeleppercom
GenuineWhite-tone
Pewter amp Gold
Some Things Were Meant To Be In Etched in Stone
Call for a free color catalog
NampR International1155 Allgood Rd 13Marietta GA 30062
678-560-4088Fax 678-560-1157
Importers amp Wholesalers of MarbleOnyx
Gifts amp Accessories
JOIN TODAY
The worldrsquos only association for CorelDRAWreg Users
wwwcoreldrawprocomJoinhtm
Place an Ad for as little as $215 per month
Find out how by calling our Ad Representative John McDaniel II
541-990-6687
the entrepreneurial magazine
GET LISTED TODAY
Generate new businessby doing jobs for others
List your company in GSG the Digital Yellow Pages for the industry wwwcoreldrawprocomListGSGhtm
December 2007 39Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Louie Alvarez started in the industry working for one of the largest trophy shops in Central California and then opened one of the first retail laser engraving businesses He has given seminars and workshops on CorelDRAW and Laser for many years and has written for several publications He is now with Vytek Industrial Lasers and is based in Las Vegas NV He can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
Kathryn Arnold is the Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
Errol Barr has a wide range of experience in sales amp marketing eventually getting into laser systems in 1999 currently with Vytek Industrial Lasers He also sold extensively in the CNC router industry selling the machines as more of a business opportunity wrapped around the machine He can be reached by email at errolbarrgmailcom
Dave Demoret founded Prolink Graphic Services to help people understand and profit from learning CorelDRAW He has been in both the Flat Graphics Industry and the Decorating Graphics Industry for 30 years He has written articles for several publications is a Corel Training Partner and conducts workshops nationwide and online He is the author of several CD Instructional programs on CorelDRAW He can be reached at 765-DO COLOR (362-6567) or davedprolinkgscom
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since 1977 She has presented seminars on a variety of topics nationwide and has won many marketing awards She is the author of two books on family business and can be reached at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
Bill Leek is a color consultant for JBL Graphics in Houston TX and has over 30 years experience in computer engineering and graphics design He has developed several lines of color imprintable products and does testing on a variety of products for different manufacturers He can be reached at wfleekjblgraphicscom or 281-970-6677
Jeff McDaniel is the owner of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon He worked as a journeyman machinist before getting into the graphic products business Creative Graphic offers laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials Contact him at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
John McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry He worked for many years with computers in electronic data processing and pioneered the use of CorelDraw for engraving applications He owned a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years and writes about hardware design software laser engraving sublimation and more He is a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals For information on training and more call 541-967-4271 or write to mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
Judy McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry Her background includes many forms of art and retail sales as well as the operation of a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years She is a regular columnist on sandblasting sublimation and diversifying business as well as a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals She can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
David Milisock is president of Custom Graphic Technologies Inc in Pennsylvania He has been in the print production business since 1975 and specializes in professional support for CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite Output includes computer-to-plate processes for all commercial digital front-end applications as well as Postscript-compliant graphic applications He offers technical and color management support for all RIP-driven corporate digital output systems He can be reached at 717-509-3523 or davidmilisockcomcastnet
Deborah Sexton former editor of Impressions Magazine has been in the apparel graphics industry since 1981 She currently does marketing and public relations for apparel graphics companies and is a columnist for several industry publications She can be reached at dsextonsbcglobalnet
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at 916-567-1867
December 2007 40Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
by Otis Veteto
Traveling Tidbits
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the
RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of
the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Itrsquos a fun and
informative column focusing on the human-interest side of
the industry Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars
for industry organizations and some of that knowledge
will rub off as well He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at
916-567-1867
Reps Volunteers People Skills amp Agreements
RS Owens Southeast RepFirst of all a Traveling Tidbits welcome to
the newest member of the RS Owens Company sales team Anita Brennan Anita is the new Regional Sales Manager for the Southeast She will be calling on you folks in Alabama Tennessee Mississippi Florida Georgia North Carolina and South Carolina Anita has worked in all phases of our industry as a retailer (her own business) multi-line rep and now as a regional sales manager When I asked Anita what she likes to do when not on the road she told me she likes to spend time with her two-year-old granddaughter Kaylee Welcome to the RS Owens family Anita Brennan
Railroad Museum VolunteerI know Christmas is the time for giving
but some people give all year long I was talking recently with Elias Athanasiou whose regular job is a server in a restaurant my wife and I frequent when I am in Sacramento Elias has been associated as a volunteer with the California State Railroad Museum for about 16 years Every Saturday during the ldquorunning seasonrdquo April-September Elias can be found working as a volunteer on the Steam Engine excursion train that runs for 6 miles along the top of the levee on the Sacramento River The ride takes about 40 minutes Elias is the Engineer now but has worked as conductor and fireman in his tenure with the train It is people like Elias Athanasiou that make this a much better world A huge Traveling Tidbits SALUTE You can find out more about the Railroad Museum at wwwcsrmorg
Real People SkillsThis next tidbit is from the PPAI Promotional
Consultant Today The author is Roy Chitwood president of Max Sacks International in Seattle Wash It is entitled To Shine Polish Your People Skills
ldquoPeople buy not because they understand your product or service but because they feel that you understand them People buy emotionally As a professional salesperson you need to be more people-oriented not product centered Here are seven quick and easy techniques to improve your people skills
SMILE It is the universal sign of friendship in any language The Chinese have a proverb ldquoA man who cannot smile should not open a storerdquo Think about that Give a smile and you will get a smile in return
DEVELOP A GENUINE INTEREST IN OTHERS When you have sincere interest it shows Look directly at people when they are talking to you Let your facial expression register your interest Ask good open-ended questions to let people know that you are interested in what they say
TALK IN TERMS OF THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS INTERESTS You will never meet anyone who doesnrsquot have time to talk about what they want to talk about Encourage your prospect to discuss his or interests rather than launching into a discussion about yourself
USE THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS NAME Using a name builds personal rapport and shows you are listening with respect Be careful about overusing the personrsquos name
GIVE COMPLIMENTS Everyone loves a compliment when it is genuine Make a
concentrated effort to give at least 3 honest compliments every day of your life You will be amazed at what it will do for your relationships
LISTEN Listening is the greatest compliment you can pay When you assume the role of the listener it relaxes the sales climate As you listen you are demonstrating that you truly care and you are genuinely interested in what he or she has to say
MAKE THE OTHER PERSON FEEL IMPORTANT When you are sincerely impressed by something the other person has achieved or owns let them know it Understand that fundamentally every person is important and treat them accordingly
Personal comment When I finished reading this I thought to myself ldquoThese make sense in our everyday life not just in salesrdquo
The Third AgreementI will close with the 3rd step from the book
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel RuizDONrsquoT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS Find the
courage to ask questions and to express what you really want Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings sadness and drama
Sounds a little like what I wrote at the beginning of the column doesnrsquot it
Thatrsquos all for now Remember to save some time for yourself and your family And when you travel please travel safe
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE
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- News
December 2007 28Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
Throughout the year this publication has reported on whatrsquos new in equipment tools and software and blank products for businesses that put graphics onto products
For this 2007 wrap-up CorelDRAWPro editorial staff reviewed all the product news for the year and named 33 products to its annual Top Products of the Year list
Selections were based on the criteria of innovation and impact Innovation means products that exhibit a high degree of originality or uniqueness Impact means products that influence sales or productivity for a large number of businesses
Note that the 2007 honorees are list alphabetically in the three theme sections
For more information on the products in this article click on the Info Request button at the bottom of each page and select by company name or product You might open the Info Request page and minimize it as you read That way you can quickly open it and check the products you want
EQUIPMENT
ANAJET DIRECT-TO-GARMENT DIGITAL PRINTERAnaJet Digital Apparel Printer (Model FP-125) from
AnaJet Inc in Costa Mesa CA is a direct-to-garment printer offering high quality and affordability It can print custom graphics on any cotton or poly-cotton flat textile material in one minute The printer priced affordably from under $13000 can produce up to 5000 shirts per month each retailing for about $20 Most printers installed so far are in a production plant environment but some customers have started to take the mobile printer to malls for instant printing of customer graphics According to Dr Chase Roh company president the unique printhead they have developed allows for 16x more ink flow than normal desktop printers and thus shirts only require one pass
Top Products of the Year
DTG AMERICA ECLIPSE D-1 WITH TWO HEADS DTG America of Tampa FL and Fort Worth TX now offers a new solution to
speed up digitally printing to dark shirts The Eclipse D-1 incorporates two heads instead of one One head has eight channels of white to lay down a solid white underbase The second head has four channels of white to do highlights and four channels of color to lay down the design The result of this new configuration is the underbase and color are completed in one pass at an estimated average of only two minutes per shirt for a 12-inch by 6-inch area Other innovations include an ink agitator firmware for easy updating ink vapor remover auto gap adjustment and new platen configuration for easy loading
GEO KNIGHT DK 25SP HEAT PRESSThe Digital Knight DK25SP is an air-operated automatic
20x25 oversized swing-away heat press with a state-of-the-art control system and heavy-duty solid steel welded framework The smooth automatic pressing and push-button activation provides a productive fatigue-free operation The extended 20x25 size of the heat platen is perfect for sublimation and large-format materials pressingThe press is adjustable to accommodate materials from fabric thickness all the way up to 1rdquo thick substrates For more information call 800-525-6766 or visit wwwheatpresscom
GRAPHTEC CRAFT ROBO PROGraphtec America Inc based in Santa Ana
CA introduced the new Craft ROBO Pro 15rdquo cutting plotter The Craft ROBO Pro is an ideal solution for cutting a wide variety of materials including vinyl film card stock foil heat transfer and image transfer media Incorporating Graphtecrsquos legendary
December 2007 29Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
ARMS (Advanced Registration Marks System) and combined with a desktop printer the Craft ROBO Pro makes contour cutting an easy task Innovations include a new digital servo motor first mark auto-sensing menu navigation system that includes 8 user-defined conditions Tangential Control and three software applications
ROLAND RELEASES DIRECT-TO-FABRIC PRINTERRoland DGA Corp of Irvine CA released
the new 74rdquo HeatWave DFP-74 Fabric Printer through its reseller channel in the US Based on Rolandrsquos HeatWave sublimation technology the DFP-74 Fabric Printer is a complete integrated solution and Rolandrsquos first inkjet ever to support direct printing onto polyester fabrics As a complete solution including printer sublimation unit inks and RIP software the DFP-74 makes it easier than ever for shops to enter the fast-growing textile printing market Key features include eight advanced piezo print heads an intelligent media handling system and a temperature-controlled heating system
HOTRONIX PERFECT PRESSURE HEAT PRESSHotronix of Carmichaels PA has taken heat press technology
to the next level with Perfect Pressure a new digital pressure display functionThis new feature has a single-digit LED readout
that measures the pressure of the inner platen This technology is exclusive to Hotronix and is patent pending Previously a
digital pressure display was available only on air-operated heat press machines With this new pressure display gauge all heat press users will have more consistent results from job to job reducing the number of misprints and speeding up production For more information about
the new digital pressure display contact Stahlsrsquo Hotronix at 800-478-2457 e-mail infostahlscom or visit the Web site at wwwstahlscom
SWF DREAM EMBROIDERY MACHINEWith its new DREAM Machine SWF has broken the barrier in multi-head
embroidery machine technology The DREAM machines are the first multi-head embroidery machines that truly can sew at 1500 stitches per minute During the research and development of these new machines 12 new patents were filed and granted proof that the DREAM machines are built with state-of-the-art technology
Innovations include LED control panel error codes to quickly troubleshoot problems optional devices to do sequins cording and boring automatic oiling system large memory a hoop selector and more These innovative new machines come in configurations ranging from
two to six heads It is distributed exclusively by SWF East (Tampa FL) and SWF MESA (Dallas TX)
MESArsquoS HOTFIX SPANGLE MOTIF MACHINEWith the all new YAS-11 Hotfix Spangle Motif Making
Machine the first of its kind in the United States you can create beautiful spangle transfer designs that have the look of sequins This patented machine which is distributed exclusively in the United States by MESA Distributors of Fort Worth TX cuts out shapes such as circles and squares in a range of sizes from reels of Mylar tape The machine comes with proprietary design software that allows the user to create any pattern or design up to 157 by 157 inches
SAWGRASSrsquo HYBRID SYSTEM FOR EPSON R1800Sawgrass Technologies of Mt Pleasant SC introduced
the SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid System for the Epson R1800 for both sublimation printing and cotton
decorating from one machine The affordable entry-level system features dual functionality with both SubliJet and ChromaBlast inks in one machine allowing users to create customized images with superior color and clarity on both polyester coated substrates and cotton garments This is the second
hybrid system from Sawgrass following in the footsteps of the popular SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid
System for the Epson 4800
TROTECrsquoS NEW LARGE PLATFORM LASER Trotec Laser Inc of Ypsilanti MI has introduced the SP500 series of laser
engraving and cutting systems The systems have a work area of 50rdquo X 28rdquo and X-Axis clearance of 12rdquo The systems are offered in power levels from 45W-200W There is an available pass-through option (Class 4) Exhaust fumes are captured
December 2007 30Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
at the laser head to insure an efficient extraction when using the pass-through featureTrotec systems are designed for minimal wear-and-tear and eliminate the need for periodic replacement of belts and bearings For additional information visit our web site wwwtrotecnet or call 866-226-8505 734-484-3260
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW PROFESSIONAL SERIESUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) of Scottsdale
AZ added four new models in its Professional Laser Series (PLS) line of advanced high-productivity computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving systems The new PLS line which replaces Universalrsquos M V and X laser systems incorporates a
host of evolutionary design improvements to the laser cartridge platform chassis system electronics and software interface The new PLS models include several
powerful new features most notably a unique materials-based print driver called ldquoLaser Interface +rdquo that gives users their choice
between automatic or manual control over power speed and other system settings For more information on Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit Universal Laser Systems online at wwwulsinccom
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW VERSALASERUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) added a
new version of its desktop-sized VersaLasertrade
computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving system The new VersaLaser
improves on the award-winning original thanks to a host of evolutionary design refinements It also
includes a unique next-generation materials-based print driver that automatically calculates power speed
and other system settings It was awarded a patent for the unique design of its external cabinet which also functions as a Class 1 laser safety enclosure For more information about VersaLaser or Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit wwwulsinccom
US SCREENrsquoS FAST T-JET 3US Screen Print and Inkjet Technology of Tempe
AZ adds the Fast T-Jet3TM which features 30 faster print speeds compared to the previous T-Jet2 model and has a longer low profile print bed for easier loading and unloading Now you can produce a full size 12rdquo x 12rdquo (305 x 305 cm) print in one minute on a light shirt and in under three minutes on a black shirt with white ink Small pocket images can be printed in about 15 seconds
US SCREENrsquoS AUTOMATED PRETREATMENT CENTER
Speed up production when using Fast T-Jet inkjet-to-garment printers with the AutoTREATtrade Automatic Pretreatment Center
This versatile piece of equipment allows you to treat shirts on a production level rather than spraying shirts individually one at a time For use with light or dark shirts the AutoTREATtrade
can spray up to three shirts per minute It has two application modesmdashone for lights and one for darks that can be switched over by activating the cleaning mode which flushes out the system with water
TOOLS MATERIALS SOFTWARE
CORELDRAW X3 CERTIFIED FOR WINDOWS VISTACorel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that
CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite X3 has been Certified for Windows Vista Customers who wish to install the Certified for Windows Vista version of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X3 can download the latest service pack (SP2) from wwwcorelcom This new update delivers an exceptional experience for customers on Windows Vista including an updated user interface enhanced security improved text handling and further enhancements to the popular suitersquos renowned import and export file compatibility
COREL LAUNCHES NEW ONLINE COMMUNITY Corel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that it
has launched httpcoreldrawcom a new online community for users of the CorelDRAWreg family of products ndash including CorelDRAW Graphics Suite Corel DESIGNERreg Technical Suite
December 2007 31Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
and Corelreg DRAWingsreg This new community site is the first in a series that Corel will be launching to support its various user communities Designed to fuel inspiration CorelDRAWcom combines forums blogs and galleries for design professionals and graphic hobbyists alike Forums are available in English French German and Spanish serving an international audience
DALCOrsquoS NEW REFLECTIVE HEAT TRANSFERSCater to the safety market with new reflective transfers offered
by Dalco Athletic of Dallas TX These durable transfers come in a reflective silver gray color in three styles police sheriff and fire dept They are sized for left chest and full back so
all you have to do is heat seal for 8 seconds and yoursquore done Itrsquos very fast and easy
DALCOrsquoS NEW OPTIC YELLOW CLASSIC SWB APPLIQUE
Classic SWB appliqueacute designs offered by Dalco Athletic now come in two new styles softballs and tennis balls in optic yellow fabric These new balls literally jump off any wearable and make it an eye-catching standout This appliqueacute collection is ideal for spiritwear items to be sold to fans and family or created as fund-raisers for boosters clubs
POWER GRAPHICS 3 FROM DIGITAL ART SOLUTIONSPower Graphics 3 by Digital Art Solutions of
Tempe AZ is the ultimate design tool for the creation of high-end custom graphics and logos for custom signage awards vehicle graphics promotional products and apparel graphics Tuned to the latest styles and trends it provides fresh graphics that will impress even the most critical and demanding customer It includes more than 1500 images The 10 design categories include Flames Gangsta (Urban) Mascots Offroad Rebel (Biker and Hot
Rod) Retro Speed Sports Surf and Tuner
FLORIANI COMMERCIALrsquoS NEW NO-SHOW DIAMOND MESHContinuing in its tradition of research and development
to create embroidery stabilizers that meet the needs of todayrsquos embroiderers Floriani Embroidery Commercial Division of Knoxville TN released a new product called Floriani No-Show Diamond Mesh This unique nylon mesh stabilizer has a perpendicular embossed pattern that makes it more multi-directionally stable and enables it to better hold stitches for crisper design registration It is specifically designed for light-colored garments where traditional stabilizers have a tendency to show through the front of the garment
GREAT DANErsquoS NEW DIGITAL PHOTO FRAMES Tap into the lucrative team market with an
incredible collection of stock art specially designed to work for direct-to-garment printers sublimation transfers and digital transfers Digital Photo Frames Volume 1 is a collection of spectacular pre-designed layouts each with one or more frames to
insert personal photos The collection includes five categories baseball football basketball soccer and hockey Each category has four designs (20 total layouts) and each design comes in three template formats mugs mouse pads and shirts
So there are a total of 60 template designs in all
IMPRINTABLES WAREHOUSE OFFERS SPECTRA ECO FILMNew from Imprintables Warehouse of
Masontown PA is a digital cutter material that is free of PVC a plus with companies that want to be as environmentally friendly as possible Spectra Eco Film is made with ecological polyurethane and is peeled hot It is pressure sensitive (sticky backing) and extremely easy to weed While maintaining superior durability and opacity this new film is thinner than current offerings on the market and delivers the super soft hand that is in demand by todayrsquos consumers It can be used on 100 cotton 100 polyester polycotton blends and even nylon and leather
December 2007 32Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
KISSCUT TECHNOLOGIESrsquo SELF-WEEDING INKJET TRANSFER PAPER
Kiss Cut Technologies Ltd Newcastle UK has addressed the ldquopolymer windowrdquo issue and developed the worldrsquos first self-weeding inkjet transfer paper for printing to textiles In simple terms only the areas of their patented transfer paper that have been printed will be transferred to the garment when heat pressed A Kiss Cut print can be further embellished with specialized textile foils so in effect a digital foiling method is now available Foil is heat pressed onto the garment and when peeled the foil only sticks to the image areas
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW PHOTOPLAS-TIC MATERIALLaserSketchcom of Lemont IL a leading supplier of
LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble Super Black Granite and Black Onyx Jewelry introduces their new PhotoPlas-Tic This is a new material developed for front andor reverse laser engraving on micro surface impact acrylic plastic It is a premium plastic for laser engraving that is UV stable ideal for photo badges plaques trophies signage and high-end awards Each sheet of PhotoPlas-Tic is specially designed for a crisp clean burn and ultra-fine laser lettering logo and vector output For details call 630-243-6360 or visit wwwlasersketchcom
THEMAGICTOUCH LAUNCHES WOW TRANSFER PAPERTheMagicTouch USA launched WoW Professional
71 transfer paper which requires no weeding or profile cutting and the vibrant colors are achieved using digital laser technology making it great for short runs It uses PolymationTM which incorporates a newly designed catalyst that provides the ultimate compatibility with all generations of dry toner material According to the company PolymationTM is the next generation of laser heat transfer Sublimation requires the substrate to have a specialty receiving polymer coating to absorb the pigments but PolymationTM delivers everything at once polymer pigments and catalyst
December 2007 33Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
offers distinct advantages over any other process It allows for an unlimited number of colors and very fine detail which is impossible with screen printing or embroidery And the cost does not go up as colors are added These new specialty materials are so advanced they can be heat sealed to all kinds of fabrics and hot new multimedia designs can be easily done
VAPOR APPAREL LAUNCHES VAPOR ART VOLUME 1V a p o r A p p a r e l
a s u b s i d i a r y o f SourceSubstrates LLC Charleston SC announces the launch of Vapor Art - Volume 1 a collection of 127 vector graphics for digital sublimation and general use The diverse collection
of high-quality graphics comes after several years of customers requesting access to the companyrsquos sample art at trade shows and educational events The Collection of art includes vector drawings and JPGs for everything from mountain biking and snowboarding to yoga and cheerleading
BLANK PRODUCTS
COLORADO HEIRLOOMrsquoS COLOR LACQUERED FRAMES
Colorado Heirloom Inc of Loveland CO introduced their new Color Lacquered Frames This is an option to add color your unique creations It is not color fill Colored lacquer is sprayed on their high quality wood frames Because
INKTRA STRETCH TRANSFER PAPER FROM STAHLSrsquoStahlsrsquo based in St Clair
Shores MI adds InkTratrade Stretch a flexible transfer paper A revolutionary product InkTratrade Stretch provides a soft hand with an amazing stretch and recovery feature InkTratrade Stretch lets you take your favorite photo or graphic design and apply it to light colored or white hats shirts bags and more for a long lasting and completely personalized garment The highly stretchable paper can be applied to cotton polycotton blends spandex and Lycrareg
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo GOOF-PROOF TRANSFERSWant the look of screen
printing without the hassle With Goof Proofreg transfers offered by Transfer Express of Mentor OH you can custom order a transfer that has the popular athletic feel and will apply in a blazing four seconds Ordering is done step-by-step online and you can customize hundreds of designs You choose your
typeface colors and size Once your design is just the way you want it you can print it out to show a customer for approval Or Transfer Express can print from your artwork The minimum order is only five pieces and your one-color order ships in one to three working days
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo NEW FULL-COLOR DIGI PRINTSApparel decorators can now offer full-color designs on light
and dark apparel made of virtually any type of fabric without the hassle or minimums of screen printing with new state-of-the-art heat transfer technology called Digi Printstrade Offered through Transfer Express this revolutionary new method of decorating
December 2007 34Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
lacquer is used instead of paint any design can be lasered on these frames The possibilities are endless These colorful creations are offered in two different designs -- a designer frame and a frame with an insert Call 970-667-4222 or visit wwwcoloradoheirloomcom
CONDE ADDS PET MATS FOR SUBLIMATIONCondeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added food bowl placemats and litter box
mats to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Favorite photographs and pet-related artwork can be transferred to the
mats to create fun products for individual pet lovers or for the pet industry such as pet stores veterinarians groomers boarding facilities and animal adoption groups Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing Call Conde at 800-826-6332
CONDE INTRODUCES FABRIC PATCHES FOR SUBLIMATION
Condeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added fabric patches to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Custom decorators can now produce unique full-color patches that will impress organizations businesses clubs sports teams sports enthusiasts and individuals alike -- without the use of embroidery Heat seal patches are great for identification marketing awards trade show promotions or to commemorate special events Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing or call 800-826-6332
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW LASERSLABLaserSketch of Lemont IL Internationally known for
their LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble and Super Black Granite announces LaserSlab Super Black Granite at 4rsquo x 8rsquo x 7mm and 4rsquo x 4rsquo x 7mm weighting in at just over 2 pounds per square foot The surface of the LaserSlab Granite has the sheen of a black mirror The reverse side features epoxy fiberglass backing to give structure integrity to the ultra-lite granite sheet All may be viewed wwwlasersketchcom or by calling LaserSketch 630-243-6360
MATTHEWS INTRODUCES ALUMICOLORTM
Matthews International Corp of Pittsburgh PA introduced Alumicolortrade a high-resolution graphics solution for aluminum signage recognition commemoration and way finding Using cutting-edge technology Matthews embeds a four-color image into the aluminum to create an anodized reproduction of unsurpassed durability Alumicolortrade products which are designed for interior and exterior installations are resistant to extreme weather conditions graffiti scuffing grease chemicals and UV rays Additionally they will not chip crack or peel
PSI ADDS ROUND FRAMES amp STRING PUZZLES Paramount Services Inc of Hollywood FL
introduced new round resin frames for sublimation tiles Choose from Coral or RopeStone with optional Unisubreg Hardboard Tiles They will also accept the Bison 8rdquo round glass Cutting Board Why be square when round may fit better PSI also introduced a new puzzle guaranteed to string you along These String Puzzles come with a Unisubreg Hardboard puzzle and the necessary string and beads along with instructions how to string it after printing Templates to aid in design are available for download in several formats For details call 800-455-7212 or visit wwwDye-Sublimation-Productscom
CRYSTALEDGEreg LUXORTM CRYSTAL AWARDSCrystalEdgereg Chicago IL presented the Luxortrade Series
This stunning cost-effective collection comprises a series of specially designed Rosewood and Black Piano finish bases Matte Mahogany and Matte Black bases and a precision cast Satin Nickel Finish Metal Base with your choice of brass or silver hardware for mounting our twelve unique shapes making this the most versatile award yet Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks are curved 14rdquo thick crystal clear glass with 316rdquo diameter holes for mounting The Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks feature a generous engraving area and there is plenty of room on the base to add an engraving plate
December 2007 35Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
XENETECHrsquoS NEW ENGRAVABLE GIFTSXenetech of Baton Rouge
LA introduced high quality engravable gift items at wholesale and quantity discounts The Xenetech collection provides a selection of gifts created for corporate recognition weddings births holidays anniversaries retirements birthdays special occasions or just expressing appreciation Items include money clips key chains book markers desk accessories quartz movement clocks flasks amp wine accessories entertainment gifts travel gifts genuine Swiss Army knives business card holders luggage tags silver-plated jewelry boxes keepsake gift boxes silver-plated banks and baby gifts The gift items are designed primarily for diamond drag burnishing and rotary engraving personalization
UNISUBrsquoS CHROMALUXE PHOTO PANELSChromaLuxe photo panels are an exciting new line
of sublimatable products from Unisub of Louisville KY These panels allow you to sell a completely finished photo product to your customers capturing some of the additional revenue (and profit) your customers now spend elsewhere on framing Available in a range of traditional photo sizes as well as exciting new shapes these panels can be joined together to create stunning photo displays -- perfect for a fireplace mantle l i b r a r y s h e l f or the top of an armoire Available in aluminum or MDF substrates
CorelDRAWPro IndexOne of our members in Michigan
requested that we put together an Index of all the articles wersquove published during the year
He prints out all the issues and puts them in binders but an Index would make it easy to reference specific articles We think itrsquos a good idea and wersquoll send it to all subscribers in January
Product Focus TopicsJanuary 2008 -- Signage Products esp Wide FormatFebruary 2008 -- Engraving Awards amp GiftsMarch 2008 -- Apparel ProductsApril 2008 -- Laser Wood Products
Coming in 2008
December 2007 36Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETSBy Donna M Gray CRM Opportunities
December ndash Time to Review December finds everyone on our team strategizing how to get out of our parking lot Our business sits right in the middle of an up-scale strip mall which sits right behind a huge shopping mall and right along the main road to a Target Superstore and other large malls We all know that from the day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday) until 2 weeks after the New Year there are great challenges to those of us who like to leave the building for lunch or run an errandhellipso we strategize We all know every secret shortcut to the bank the post office and the warehouse club What we donrsquot know is how to find the way to merge out of our own back alley into the constant flow of traffic that carries people to their end shopping destination Whew
The year-end review So this year Dave and I have decided to stay in at lunch and do our business strategizing instead Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup are good brain food for helping us to look at all the successful things we did last year as a company all the things we thought about doing but didnrsquot because the idea didnrsquot quite fit and all the things we put off until next year We do this kind of exercise every year end and it helps us to map out our strategy for the coming year In the process we identify any mistakes wersquove made wrong turns wersquove taken and we try to find the ldquowhat could have happened had everything gone rightrdquo
The value of making mistakes Albert Einstein said ldquoAnyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything newrdquo Dave has a couple of prints in his office of Abraham Lincoln that describe his mistakes in fact it took Lincoln eight tries to win the presidency Thomas Edison made mistakeshellipand yet he perseveredhellipotherwise wersquod by ldquocomputingrdquo by candlelight And Irsquove heard that Colonel
Sanders had a thousand rejections before he sold his first chicken recipe It would be nice to get to our year end business appraisals and find that wersquove made no mistakes but our business like most others doesnrsquot have that claim to fame My mother always took the high road with mistakes She always said that one should recognize the benefits of a mistake One should learn what good came from it use it to improve and use it to help motivate success the next time So December is the time to analyze everything that made up the past year and look for ways to make the New Year successful in every way
Making a plan Most advisors say that the first step toward business success after looking at a companyrsquos year ending history is to decide on exactly what you want to do going forward in the coming year Then comes mapping out the plan What will be done How will it get done Who will do what What resources will be used When will it get done Is the right equipment in place Is the space adequate Ask these and any other questions that could relate to creating a successful year then focus on the details and follow through Those two wordshellipfocus and follow throughhellipcould mean the difference between marginal and abundant success Simply stated success comes from what you do and the way you do ithellipin your customerrsquos perception Every business wants to have a good imagehellipa good reputation so dedication to having good communication skills is important especially in an industry that does custom work The goal is to be on the same page as our clients so we have to be good mind readers We have to also concentrate on our professionalism on our appearance on our presentation style and in the pride we take in producing a well-done project This
has worked in the past and will remain the same in the future
The extra mile Success has to be nurturedhellipthen it gets celebrated Sometimes sacrifices have to be made to get to the rewards At year end when we analyze how we got from Point A to Point B itrsquos interesting to note that we sometimes had to take detours and sometimes the road blocks called for sacrificehellipof time or money Sometimes the sacrifice came in the way of a sleepless night worrying if an order that was lost in delivery would be found and re-routed to us in time to make a clientrsquos deadline Someone (unknown) said ldquoA day of worry is more exhausting than a week of workrdquo Anyone in business could testify to that Part of success is going the extra milehellipeven if it results in a sleepless night Going the extra mile is worth all the paid advertising in the world on the road to success
December 2007 37Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETS
Donna Grayrsquos 2nd book Itrsquos All Relative Surviving amp Thriving in a Family Business was published in September 2007
It describes her quest to identify the keys to suc-cess for small business and family businesses in particular She interviewed top businesses nationwide and discovered five common qualities implemented by successful business owners Check it out at the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore wwwcoreldrawprocomAllBook-storehtm
Commitments made and kept Our team felt good about some commitments we made and kept this past year like
We used a daily ldquoto-dordquo list and we set priorities in order of importance When we finished a project we ldquocelebratedrdquo and then moved on quickly to the next job We built in some time for ldquostress reliefrdquo with morning meeting breaks This was especially good when treats were served since wersquove got some good bakers on our staff We didnrsquot ldquoscreenrdquo calls through voice mail We considered every call to be important We ldquodid it right the first timerdquo even though it sometimes took longer We tied up all the ldquoloose endsrdquo We became ldquocheerleadersrdquo for each other When one of us accomplished a goal we all applauded We all tried to deliver more than we promised This can be challenging sometimes when working with a difficult project We eliminated (or tried to eliminate) unnecessary procedures and we simplified our paper flow system We spent most of our time on high priority tasks We all worked on our delegation skills We were committed to not wasting time either our own or other peoplersquos
Goals that were lacking Now all those great things being put on paper reminds me that we also had some goals we didnrsquot quite succeed athellipbut wersquoll try harder next year
We didnrsquot always ldquogrouprdquo tasks togetherhelliplike going to the bank and the post office in one trip or answering mail when it gets opened It wasnrsquot always easy to avoid procrastination Some low priority chores got put off There were still times when we couldnrsquot find enough hours to finish the work Our ldquotoolsrdquo didnrsquot always get put away when we were through with a project even though this is Daversquos pet peeve
Conclusion Experts say that we have to actively create our success not wait for it to happen This coming year hopefully none of us will sit in the comfort zone waiting for the phone to ring Therersquos an old Chinese proverb that goes ldquoIt you continually give you will continually haverdquo Our team will go on being involved in community activities When time is spent on worthwhile projects outside the business opportunities come knocking at the front counter Besideshellipat yearrsquos endhellipit makes us feel really good about the help we gave on these projects
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since1977 She can be reached by email at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
December 2007 38Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
GRAPHICS NEWS NETWORKAll these news and information products and services are part of the
Graphics News Network developed for ACDRP The goal is ldquoAll the News All the Time mdash For the World of Graphicsrdquo
GRAPHICS NewsWireThe Graphics News Wire is the always live always updated source for graphics news mdash products equipment technology and more Make it (CorelDRAWProcomNewsPagehtm) your home page or favorite to gain access to Breaking news updated regularly New Classified Ads New Job Announcements Supplier SpecialsAll news is related to graphic productsQuickSourceTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive amp Easy-To-Use
Search Engine
It gives you one-click access to suppliers products phone numbers and live links to ACDRP Member Suppliers Itrsquos always up-to-date searchable by keyword and accessible from your desktop
Quick TnTTM
The Industryrsquos Newest Resource for Graphics Tips amp Templates
Gain access to a growing library of CorelDRAW tips and templates that will make your work easier
QuickLearnTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive and
Easy-To-Use Article Library
Gain access to hundreds of articles on graphics-related and business topics searchable by keyword
The Entrepreneurial Magazine for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro Magazine is delivered to you once a month in PDF format It features in-depth content that readers rave about including articles on how to use CorelDRAW how to apply CorelDRAW and how to profit from CorelDRAW
News Tips amp Resources for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month mdash about the 15th and 25th It brings you highly targeted content that you wonrsquot find elsewhere including CorelDRAW Tips extensive product news links and a calendar of shows and training
MARKET PLACE
Quality Engravable JewelryHand-crafted in New England
GIFTS amp ACCESSORIES FOR WOMEN AND MEN
John E Lepper Inc800-835-3623 Fax 508-222-2732
wwwjeleppercom
GenuineWhite-tone
Pewter amp Gold
Some Things Were Meant To Be In Etched in Stone
Call for a free color catalog
NampR International1155 Allgood Rd 13Marietta GA 30062
678-560-4088Fax 678-560-1157
Importers amp Wholesalers of MarbleOnyx
Gifts amp Accessories
JOIN TODAY
The worldrsquos only association for CorelDRAWreg Users
wwwcoreldrawprocomJoinhtm
Place an Ad for as little as $215 per month
Find out how by calling our Ad Representative John McDaniel II
541-990-6687
the entrepreneurial magazine
GET LISTED TODAY
Generate new businessby doing jobs for others
List your company in GSG the Digital Yellow Pages for the industry wwwcoreldrawprocomListGSGhtm
December 2007 39Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Louie Alvarez started in the industry working for one of the largest trophy shops in Central California and then opened one of the first retail laser engraving businesses He has given seminars and workshops on CorelDRAW and Laser for many years and has written for several publications He is now with Vytek Industrial Lasers and is based in Las Vegas NV He can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
Kathryn Arnold is the Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
Errol Barr has a wide range of experience in sales amp marketing eventually getting into laser systems in 1999 currently with Vytek Industrial Lasers He also sold extensively in the CNC router industry selling the machines as more of a business opportunity wrapped around the machine He can be reached by email at errolbarrgmailcom
Dave Demoret founded Prolink Graphic Services to help people understand and profit from learning CorelDRAW He has been in both the Flat Graphics Industry and the Decorating Graphics Industry for 30 years He has written articles for several publications is a Corel Training Partner and conducts workshops nationwide and online He is the author of several CD Instructional programs on CorelDRAW He can be reached at 765-DO COLOR (362-6567) or davedprolinkgscom
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since 1977 She has presented seminars on a variety of topics nationwide and has won many marketing awards She is the author of two books on family business and can be reached at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
Bill Leek is a color consultant for JBL Graphics in Houston TX and has over 30 years experience in computer engineering and graphics design He has developed several lines of color imprintable products and does testing on a variety of products for different manufacturers He can be reached at wfleekjblgraphicscom or 281-970-6677
Jeff McDaniel is the owner of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon He worked as a journeyman machinist before getting into the graphic products business Creative Graphic offers laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials Contact him at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
John McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry He worked for many years with computers in electronic data processing and pioneered the use of CorelDraw for engraving applications He owned a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years and writes about hardware design software laser engraving sublimation and more He is a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals For information on training and more call 541-967-4271 or write to mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
Judy McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry Her background includes many forms of art and retail sales as well as the operation of a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years She is a regular columnist on sandblasting sublimation and diversifying business as well as a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals She can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
David Milisock is president of Custom Graphic Technologies Inc in Pennsylvania He has been in the print production business since 1975 and specializes in professional support for CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite Output includes computer-to-plate processes for all commercial digital front-end applications as well as Postscript-compliant graphic applications He offers technical and color management support for all RIP-driven corporate digital output systems He can be reached at 717-509-3523 or davidmilisockcomcastnet
Deborah Sexton former editor of Impressions Magazine has been in the apparel graphics industry since 1981 She currently does marketing and public relations for apparel graphics companies and is a columnist for several industry publications She can be reached at dsextonsbcglobalnet
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at 916-567-1867
December 2007 40Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
by Otis Veteto
Traveling Tidbits
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the
RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of
the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Itrsquos a fun and
informative column focusing on the human-interest side of
the industry Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars
for industry organizations and some of that knowledge
will rub off as well He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at
916-567-1867
Reps Volunteers People Skills amp Agreements
RS Owens Southeast RepFirst of all a Traveling Tidbits welcome to
the newest member of the RS Owens Company sales team Anita Brennan Anita is the new Regional Sales Manager for the Southeast She will be calling on you folks in Alabama Tennessee Mississippi Florida Georgia North Carolina and South Carolina Anita has worked in all phases of our industry as a retailer (her own business) multi-line rep and now as a regional sales manager When I asked Anita what she likes to do when not on the road she told me she likes to spend time with her two-year-old granddaughter Kaylee Welcome to the RS Owens family Anita Brennan
Railroad Museum VolunteerI know Christmas is the time for giving
but some people give all year long I was talking recently with Elias Athanasiou whose regular job is a server in a restaurant my wife and I frequent when I am in Sacramento Elias has been associated as a volunteer with the California State Railroad Museum for about 16 years Every Saturday during the ldquorunning seasonrdquo April-September Elias can be found working as a volunteer on the Steam Engine excursion train that runs for 6 miles along the top of the levee on the Sacramento River The ride takes about 40 minutes Elias is the Engineer now but has worked as conductor and fireman in his tenure with the train It is people like Elias Athanasiou that make this a much better world A huge Traveling Tidbits SALUTE You can find out more about the Railroad Museum at wwwcsrmorg
Real People SkillsThis next tidbit is from the PPAI Promotional
Consultant Today The author is Roy Chitwood president of Max Sacks International in Seattle Wash It is entitled To Shine Polish Your People Skills
ldquoPeople buy not because they understand your product or service but because they feel that you understand them People buy emotionally As a professional salesperson you need to be more people-oriented not product centered Here are seven quick and easy techniques to improve your people skills
SMILE It is the universal sign of friendship in any language The Chinese have a proverb ldquoA man who cannot smile should not open a storerdquo Think about that Give a smile and you will get a smile in return
DEVELOP A GENUINE INTEREST IN OTHERS When you have sincere interest it shows Look directly at people when they are talking to you Let your facial expression register your interest Ask good open-ended questions to let people know that you are interested in what they say
TALK IN TERMS OF THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS INTERESTS You will never meet anyone who doesnrsquot have time to talk about what they want to talk about Encourage your prospect to discuss his or interests rather than launching into a discussion about yourself
USE THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS NAME Using a name builds personal rapport and shows you are listening with respect Be careful about overusing the personrsquos name
GIVE COMPLIMENTS Everyone loves a compliment when it is genuine Make a
concentrated effort to give at least 3 honest compliments every day of your life You will be amazed at what it will do for your relationships
LISTEN Listening is the greatest compliment you can pay When you assume the role of the listener it relaxes the sales climate As you listen you are demonstrating that you truly care and you are genuinely interested in what he or she has to say
MAKE THE OTHER PERSON FEEL IMPORTANT When you are sincerely impressed by something the other person has achieved or owns let them know it Understand that fundamentally every person is important and treat them accordingly
Personal comment When I finished reading this I thought to myself ldquoThese make sense in our everyday life not just in salesrdquo
The Third AgreementI will close with the 3rd step from the book
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel RuizDONrsquoT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS Find the
courage to ask questions and to express what you really want Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings sadness and drama
Sounds a little like what I wrote at the beginning of the column doesnrsquot it
Thatrsquos all for now Remember to save some time for yourself and your family And when you travel please travel safe
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE
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- News
December 2007 29Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
ARMS (Advanced Registration Marks System) and combined with a desktop printer the Craft ROBO Pro makes contour cutting an easy task Innovations include a new digital servo motor first mark auto-sensing menu navigation system that includes 8 user-defined conditions Tangential Control and three software applications
ROLAND RELEASES DIRECT-TO-FABRIC PRINTERRoland DGA Corp of Irvine CA released
the new 74rdquo HeatWave DFP-74 Fabric Printer through its reseller channel in the US Based on Rolandrsquos HeatWave sublimation technology the DFP-74 Fabric Printer is a complete integrated solution and Rolandrsquos first inkjet ever to support direct printing onto polyester fabrics As a complete solution including printer sublimation unit inks and RIP software the DFP-74 makes it easier than ever for shops to enter the fast-growing textile printing market Key features include eight advanced piezo print heads an intelligent media handling system and a temperature-controlled heating system
HOTRONIX PERFECT PRESSURE HEAT PRESSHotronix of Carmichaels PA has taken heat press technology
to the next level with Perfect Pressure a new digital pressure display functionThis new feature has a single-digit LED readout
that measures the pressure of the inner platen This technology is exclusive to Hotronix and is patent pending Previously a
digital pressure display was available only on air-operated heat press machines With this new pressure display gauge all heat press users will have more consistent results from job to job reducing the number of misprints and speeding up production For more information about
the new digital pressure display contact Stahlsrsquo Hotronix at 800-478-2457 e-mail infostahlscom or visit the Web site at wwwstahlscom
SWF DREAM EMBROIDERY MACHINEWith its new DREAM Machine SWF has broken the barrier in multi-head
embroidery machine technology The DREAM machines are the first multi-head embroidery machines that truly can sew at 1500 stitches per minute During the research and development of these new machines 12 new patents were filed and granted proof that the DREAM machines are built with state-of-the-art technology
Innovations include LED control panel error codes to quickly troubleshoot problems optional devices to do sequins cording and boring automatic oiling system large memory a hoop selector and more These innovative new machines come in configurations ranging from
two to six heads It is distributed exclusively by SWF East (Tampa FL) and SWF MESA (Dallas TX)
MESArsquoS HOTFIX SPANGLE MOTIF MACHINEWith the all new YAS-11 Hotfix Spangle Motif Making
Machine the first of its kind in the United States you can create beautiful spangle transfer designs that have the look of sequins This patented machine which is distributed exclusively in the United States by MESA Distributors of Fort Worth TX cuts out shapes such as circles and squares in a range of sizes from reels of Mylar tape The machine comes with proprietary design software that allows the user to create any pattern or design up to 157 by 157 inches
SAWGRASSrsquo HYBRID SYSTEM FOR EPSON R1800Sawgrass Technologies of Mt Pleasant SC introduced
the SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid System for the Epson R1800 for both sublimation printing and cotton
decorating from one machine The affordable entry-level system features dual functionality with both SubliJet and ChromaBlast inks in one machine allowing users to create customized images with superior color and clarity on both polyester coated substrates and cotton garments This is the second
hybrid system from Sawgrass following in the footsteps of the popular SubliJetChromaBlast Hybrid
System for the Epson 4800
TROTECrsquoS NEW LARGE PLATFORM LASER Trotec Laser Inc of Ypsilanti MI has introduced the SP500 series of laser
engraving and cutting systems The systems have a work area of 50rdquo X 28rdquo and X-Axis clearance of 12rdquo The systems are offered in power levels from 45W-200W There is an available pass-through option (Class 4) Exhaust fumes are captured
December 2007 30Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
at the laser head to insure an efficient extraction when using the pass-through featureTrotec systems are designed for minimal wear-and-tear and eliminate the need for periodic replacement of belts and bearings For additional information visit our web site wwwtrotecnet or call 866-226-8505 734-484-3260
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW PROFESSIONAL SERIESUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) of Scottsdale
AZ added four new models in its Professional Laser Series (PLS) line of advanced high-productivity computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving systems The new PLS line which replaces Universalrsquos M V and X laser systems incorporates a
host of evolutionary design improvements to the laser cartridge platform chassis system electronics and software interface The new PLS models include several
powerful new features most notably a unique materials-based print driver called ldquoLaser Interface +rdquo that gives users their choice
between automatic or manual control over power speed and other system settings For more information on Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit Universal Laser Systems online at wwwulsinccom
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW VERSALASERUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) added a
new version of its desktop-sized VersaLasertrade
computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving system The new VersaLaser
improves on the award-winning original thanks to a host of evolutionary design refinements It also
includes a unique next-generation materials-based print driver that automatically calculates power speed
and other system settings It was awarded a patent for the unique design of its external cabinet which also functions as a Class 1 laser safety enclosure For more information about VersaLaser or Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit wwwulsinccom
US SCREENrsquoS FAST T-JET 3US Screen Print and Inkjet Technology of Tempe
AZ adds the Fast T-Jet3TM which features 30 faster print speeds compared to the previous T-Jet2 model and has a longer low profile print bed for easier loading and unloading Now you can produce a full size 12rdquo x 12rdquo (305 x 305 cm) print in one minute on a light shirt and in under three minutes on a black shirt with white ink Small pocket images can be printed in about 15 seconds
US SCREENrsquoS AUTOMATED PRETREATMENT CENTER
Speed up production when using Fast T-Jet inkjet-to-garment printers with the AutoTREATtrade Automatic Pretreatment Center
This versatile piece of equipment allows you to treat shirts on a production level rather than spraying shirts individually one at a time For use with light or dark shirts the AutoTREATtrade
can spray up to three shirts per minute It has two application modesmdashone for lights and one for darks that can be switched over by activating the cleaning mode which flushes out the system with water
TOOLS MATERIALS SOFTWARE
CORELDRAW X3 CERTIFIED FOR WINDOWS VISTACorel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that
CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite X3 has been Certified for Windows Vista Customers who wish to install the Certified for Windows Vista version of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X3 can download the latest service pack (SP2) from wwwcorelcom This new update delivers an exceptional experience for customers on Windows Vista including an updated user interface enhanced security improved text handling and further enhancements to the popular suitersquos renowned import and export file compatibility
COREL LAUNCHES NEW ONLINE COMMUNITY Corel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that it
has launched httpcoreldrawcom a new online community for users of the CorelDRAWreg family of products ndash including CorelDRAW Graphics Suite Corel DESIGNERreg Technical Suite
December 2007 31Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
and Corelreg DRAWingsreg This new community site is the first in a series that Corel will be launching to support its various user communities Designed to fuel inspiration CorelDRAWcom combines forums blogs and galleries for design professionals and graphic hobbyists alike Forums are available in English French German and Spanish serving an international audience
DALCOrsquoS NEW REFLECTIVE HEAT TRANSFERSCater to the safety market with new reflective transfers offered
by Dalco Athletic of Dallas TX These durable transfers come in a reflective silver gray color in three styles police sheriff and fire dept They are sized for left chest and full back so
all you have to do is heat seal for 8 seconds and yoursquore done Itrsquos very fast and easy
DALCOrsquoS NEW OPTIC YELLOW CLASSIC SWB APPLIQUE
Classic SWB appliqueacute designs offered by Dalco Athletic now come in two new styles softballs and tennis balls in optic yellow fabric These new balls literally jump off any wearable and make it an eye-catching standout This appliqueacute collection is ideal for spiritwear items to be sold to fans and family or created as fund-raisers for boosters clubs
POWER GRAPHICS 3 FROM DIGITAL ART SOLUTIONSPower Graphics 3 by Digital Art Solutions of
Tempe AZ is the ultimate design tool for the creation of high-end custom graphics and logos for custom signage awards vehicle graphics promotional products and apparel graphics Tuned to the latest styles and trends it provides fresh graphics that will impress even the most critical and demanding customer It includes more than 1500 images The 10 design categories include Flames Gangsta (Urban) Mascots Offroad Rebel (Biker and Hot
Rod) Retro Speed Sports Surf and Tuner
FLORIANI COMMERCIALrsquoS NEW NO-SHOW DIAMOND MESHContinuing in its tradition of research and development
to create embroidery stabilizers that meet the needs of todayrsquos embroiderers Floriani Embroidery Commercial Division of Knoxville TN released a new product called Floriani No-Show Diamond Mesh This unique nylon mesh stabilizer has a perpendicular embossed pattern that makes it more multi-directionally stable and enables it to better hold stitches for crisper design registration It is specifically designed for light-colored garments where traditional stabilizers have a tendency to show through the front of the garment
GREAT DANErsquoS NEW DIGITAL PHOTO FRAMES Tap into the lucrative team market with an
incredible collection of stock art specially designed to work for direct-to-garment printers sublimation transfers and digital transfers Digital Photo Frames Volume 1 is a collection of spectacular pre-designed layouts each with one or more frames to
insert personal photos The collection includes five categories baseball football basketball soccer and hockey Each category has four designs (20 total layouts) and each design comes in three template formats mugs mouse pads and shirts
So there are a total of 60 template designs in all
IMPRINTABLES WAREHOUSE OFFERS SPECTRA ECO FILMNew from Imprintables Warehouse of
Masontown PA is a digital cutter material that is free of PVC a plus with companies that want to be as environmentally friendly as possible Spectra Eco Film is made with ecological polyurethane and is peeled hot It is pressure sensitive (sticky backing) and extremely easy to weed While maintaining superior durability and opacity this new film is thinner than current offerings on the market and delivers the super soft hand that is in demand by todayrsquos consumers It can be used on 100 cotton 100 polyester polycotton blends and even nylon and leather
December 2007 32Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
KISSCUT TECHNOLOGIESrsquo SELF-WEEDING INKJET TRANSFER PAPER
Kiss Cut Technologies Ltd Newcastle UK has addressed the ldquopolymer windowrdquo issue and developed the worldrsquos first self-weeding inkjet transfer paper for printing to textiles In simple terms only the areas of their patented transfer paper that have been printed will be transferred to the garment when heat pressed A Kiss Cut print can be further embellished with specialized textile foils so in effect a digital foiling method is now available Foil is heat pressed onto the garment and when peeled the foil only sticks to the image areas
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW PHOTOPLAS-TIC MATERIALLaserSketchcom of Lemont IL a leading supplier of
LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble Super Black Granite and Black Onyx Jewelry introduces their new PhotoPlas-Tic This is a new material developed for front andor reverse laser engraving on micro surface impact acrylic plastic It is a premium plastic for laser engraving that is UV stable ideal for photo badges plaques trophies signage and high-end awards Each sheet of PhotoPlas-Tic is specially designed for a crisp clean burn and ultra-fine laser lettering logo and vector output For details call 630-243-6360 or visit wwwlasersketchcom
THEMAGICTOUCH LAUNCHES WOW TRANSFER PAPERTheMagicTouch USA launched WoW Professional
71 transfer paper which requires no weeding or profile cutting and the vibrant colors are achieved using digital laser technology making it great for short runs It uses PolymationTM which incorporates a newly designed catalyst that provides the ultimate compatibility with all generations of dry toner material According to the company PolymationTM is the next generation of laser heat transfer Sublimation requires the substrate to have a specialty receiving polymer coating to absorb the pigments but PolymationTM delivers everything at once polymer pigments and catalyst
December 2007 33Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
offers distinct advantages over any other process It allows for an unlimited number of colors and very fine detail which is impossible with screen printing or embroidery And the cost does not go up as colors are added These new specialty materials are so advanced they can be heat sealed to all kinds of fabrics and hot new multimedia designs can be easily done
VAPOR APPAREL LAUNCHES VAPOR ART VOLUME 1V a p o r A p p a r e l
a s u b s i d i a r y o f SourceSubstrates LLC Charleston SC announces the launch of Vapor Art - Volume 1 a collection of 127 vector graphics for digital sublimation and general use The diverse collection
of high-quality graphics comes after several years of customers requesting access to the companyrsquos sample art at trade shows and educational events The Collection of art includes vector drawings and JPGs for everything from mountain biking and snowboarding to yoga and cheerleading
BLANK PRODUCTS
COLORADO HEIRLOOMrsquoS COLOR LACQUERED FRAMES
Colorado Heirloom Inc of Loveland CO introduced their new Color Lacquered Frames This is an option to add color your unique creations It is not color fill Colored lacquer is sprayed on their high quality wood frames Because
INKTRA STRETCH TRANSFER PAPER FROM STAHLSrsquoStahlsrsquo based in St Clair
Shores MI adds InkTratrade Stretch a flexible transfer paper A revolutionary product InkTratrade Stretch provides a soft hand with an amazing stretch and recovery feature InkTratrade Stretch lets you take your favorite photo or graphic design and apply it to light colored or white hats shirts bags and more for a long lasting and completely personalized garment The highly stretchable paper can be applied to cotton polycotton blends spandex and Lycrareg
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo GOOF-PROOF TRANSFERSWant the look of screen
printing without the hassle With Goof Proofreg transfers offered by Transfer Express of Mentor OH you can custom order a transfer that has the popular athletic feel and will apply in a blazing four seconds Ordering is done step-by-step online and you can customize hundreds of designs You choose your
typeface colors and size Once your design is just the way you want it you can print it out to show a customer for approval Or Transfer Express can print from your artwork The minimum order is only five pieces and your one-color order ships in one to three working days
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo NEW FULL-COLOR DIGI PRINTSApparel decorators can now offer full-color designs on light
and dark apparel made of virtually any type of fabric without the hassle or minimums of screen printing with new state-of-the-art heat transfer technology called Digi Printstrade Offered through Transfer Express this revolutionary new method of decorating
December 2007 34Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
lacquer is used instead of paint any design can be lasered on these frames The possibilities are endless These colorful creations are offered in two different designs -- a designer frame and a frame with an insert Call 970-667-4222 or visit wwwcoloradoheirloomcom
CONDE ADDS PET MATS FOR SUBLIMATIONCondeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added food bowl placemats and litter box
mats to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Favorite photographs and pet-related artwork can be transferred to the
mats to create fun products for individual pet lovers or for the pet industry such as pet stores veterinarians groomers boarding facilities and animal adoption groups Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing Call Conde at 800-826-6332
CONDE INTRODUCES FABRIC PATCHES FOR SUBLIMATION
Condeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added fabric patches to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Custom decorators can now produce unique full-color patches that will impress organizations businesses clubs sports teams sports enthusiasts and individuals alike -- without the use of embroidery Heat seal patches are great for identification marketing awards trade show promotions or to commemorate special events Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing or call 800-826-6332
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW LASERSLABLaserSketch of Lemont IL Internationally known for
their LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble and Super Black Granite announces LaserSlab Super Black Granite at 4rsquo x 8rsquo x 7mm and 4rsquo x 4rsquo x 7mm weighting in at just over 2 pounds per square foot The surface of the LaserSlab Granite has the sheen of a black mirror The reverse side features epoxy fiberglass backing to give structure integrity to the ultra-lite granite sheet All may be viewed wwwlasersketchcom or by calling LaserSketch 630-243-6360
MATTHEWS INTRODUCES ALUMICOLORTM
Matthews International Corp of Pittsburgh PA introduced Alumicolortrade a high-resolution graphics solution for aluminum signage recognition commemoration and way finding Using cutting-edge technology Matthews embeds a four-color image into the aluminum to create an anodized reproduction of unsurpassed durability Alumicolortrade products which are designed for interior and exterior installations are resistant to extreme weather conditions graffiti scuffing grease chemicals and UV rays Additionally they will not chip crack or peel
PSI ADDS ROUND FRAMES amp STRING PUZZLES Paramount Services Inc of Hollywood FL
introduced new round resin frames for sublimation tiles Choose from Coral or RopeStone with optional Unisubreg Hardboard Tiles They will also accept the Bison 8rdquo round glass Cutting Board Why be square when round may fit better PSI also introduced a new puzzle guaranteed to string you along These String Puzzles come with a Unisubreg Hardboard puzzle and the necessary string and beads along with instructions how to string it after printing Templates to aid in design are available for download in several formats For details call 800-455-7212 or visit wwwDye-Sublimation-Productscom
CRYSTALEDGEreg LUXORTM CRYSTAL AWARDSCrystalEdgereg Chicago IL presented the Luxortrade Series
This stunning cost-effective collection comprises a series of specially designed Rosewood and Black Piano finish bases Matte Mahogany and Matte Black bases and a precision cast Satin Nickel Finish Metal Base with your choice of brass or silver hardware for mounting our twelve unique shapes making this the most versatile award yet Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks are curved 14rdquo thick crystal clear glass with 316rdquo diameter holes for mounting The Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks feature a generous engraving area and there is plenty of room on the base to add an engraving plate
December 2007 35Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
XENETECHrsquoS NEW ENGRAVABLE GIFTSXenetech of Baton Rouge
LA introduced high quality engravable gift items at wholesale and quantity discounts The Xenetech collection provides a selection of gifts created for corporate recognition weddings births holidays anniversaries retirements birthdays special occasions or just expressing appreciation Items include money clips key chains book markers desk accessories quartz movement clocks flasks amp wine accessories entertainment gifts travel gifts genuine Swiss Army knives business card holders luggage tags silver-plated jewelry boxes keepsake gift boxes silver-plated banks and baby gifts The gift items are designed primarily for diamond drag burnishing and rotary engraving personalization
UNISUBrsquoS CHROMALUXE PHOTO PANELSChromaLuxe photo panels are an exciting new line
of sublimatable products from Unisub of Louisville KY These panels allow you to sell a completely finished photo product to your customers capturing some of the additional revenue (and profit) your customers now spend elsewhere on framing Available in a range of traditional photo sizes as well as exciting new shapes these panels can be joined together to create stunning photo displays -- perfect for a fireplace mantle l i b r a r y s h e l f or the top of an armoire Available in aluminum or MDF substrates
CorelDRAWPro IndexOne of our members in Michigan
requested that we put together an Index of all the articles wersquove published during the year
He prints out all the issues and puts them in binders but an Index would make it easy to reference specific articles We think itrsquos a good idea and wersquoll send it to all subscribers in January
Product Focus TopicsJanuary 2008 -- Signage Products esp Wide FormatFebruary 2008 -- Engraving Awards amp GiftsMarch 2008 -- Apparel ProductsApril 2008 -- Laser Wood Products
Coming in 2008
December 2007 36Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETSBy Donna M Gray CRM Opportunities
December ndash Time to Review December finds everyone on our team strategizing how to get out of our parking lot Our business sits right in the middle of an up-scale strip mall which sits right behind a huge shopping mall and right along the main road to a Target Superstore and other large malls We all know that from the day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday) until 2 weeks after the New Year there are great challenges to those of us who like to leave the building for lunch or run an errandhellipso we strategize We all know every secret shortcut to the bank the post office and the warehouse club What we donrsquot know is how to find the way to merge out of our own back alley into the constant flow of traffic that carries people to their end shopping destination Whew
The year-end review So this year Dave and I have decided to stay in at lunch and do our business strategizing instead Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup are good brain food for helping us to look at all the successful things we did last year as a company all the things we thought about doing but didnrsquot because the idea didnrsquot quite fit and all the things we put off until next year We do this kind of exercise every year end and it helps us to map out our strategy for the coming year In the process we identify any mistakes wersquove made wrong turns wersquove taken and we try to find the ldquowhat could have happened had everything gone rightrdquo
The value of making mistakes Albert Einstein said ldquoAnyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything newrdquo Dave has a couple of prints in his office of Abraham Lincoln that describe his mistakes in fact it took Lincoln eight tries to win the presidency Thomas Edison made mistakeshellipand yet he perseveredhellipotherwise wersquod by ldquocomputingrdquo by candlelight And Irsquove heard that Colonel
Sanders had a thousand rejections before he sold his first chicken recipe It would be nice to get to our year end business appraisals and find that wersquove made no mistakes but our business like most others doesnrsquot have that claim to fame My mother always took the high road with mistakes She always said that one should recognize the benefits of a mistake One should learn what good came from it use it to improve and use it to help motivate success the next time So December is the time to analyze everything that made up the past year and look for ways to make the New Year successful in every way
Making a plan Most advisors say that the first step toward business success after looking at a companyrsquos year ending history is to decide on exactly what you want to do going forward in the coming year Then comes mapping out the plan What will be done How will it get done Who will do what What resources will be used When will it get done Is the right equipment in place Is the space adequate Ask these and any other questions that could relate to creating a successful year then focus on the details and follow through Those two wordshellipfocus and follow throughhellipcould mean the difference between marginal and abundant success Simply stated success comes from what you do and the way you do ithellipin your customerrsquos perception Every business wants to have a good imagehellipa good reputation so dedication to having good communication skills is important especially in an industry that does custom work The goal is to be on the same page as our clients so we have to be good mind readers We have to also concentrate on our professionalism on our appearance on our presentation style and in the pride we take in producing a well-done project This
has worked in the past and will remain the same in the future
The extra mile Success has to be nurturedhellipthen it gets celebrated Sometimes sacrifices have to be made to get to the rewards At year end when we analyze how we got from Point A to Point B itrsquos interesting to note that we sometimes had to take detours and sometimes the road blocks called for sacrificehellipof time or money Sometimes the sacrifice came in the way of a sleepless night worrying if an order that was lost in delivery would be found and re-routed to us in time to make a clientrsquos deadline Someone (unknown) said ldquoA day of worry is more exhausting than a week of workrdquo Anyone in business could testify to that Part of success is going the extra milehellipeven if it results in a sleepless night Going the extra mile is worth all the paid advertising in the world on the road to success
December 2007 37Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETS
Donna Grayrsquos 2nd book Itrsquos All Relative Surviving amp Thriving in a Family Business was published in September 2007
It describes her quest to identify the keys to suc-cess for small business and family businesses in particular She interviewed top businesses nationwide and discovered five common qualities implemented by successful business owners Check it out at the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore wwwcoreldrawprocomAllBook-storehtm
Commitments made and kept Our team felt good about some commitments we made and kept this past year like
We used a daily ldquoto-dordquo list and we set priorities in order of importance When we finished a project we ldquocelebratedrdquo and then moved on quickly to the next job We built in some time for ldquostress reliefrdquo with morning meeting breaks This was especially good when treats were served since wersquove got some good bakers on our staff We didnrsquot ldquoscreenrdquo calls through voice mail We considered every call to be important We ldquodid it right the first timerdquo even though it sometimes took longer We tied up all the ldquoloose endsrdquo We became ldquocheerleadersrdquo for each other When one of us accomplished a goal we all applauded We all tried to deliver more than we promised This can be challenging sometimes when working with a difficult project We eliminated (or tried to eliminate) unnecessary procedures and we simplified our paper flow system We spent most of our time on high priority tasks We all worked on our delegation skills We were committed to not wasting time either our own or other peoplersquos
Goals that were lacking Now all those great things being put on paper reminds me that we also had some goals we didnrsquot quite succeed athellipbut wersquoll try harder next year
We didnrsquot always ldquogrouprdquo tasks togetherhelliplike going to the bank and the post office in one trip or answering mail when it gets opened It wasnrsquot always easy to avoid procrastination Some low priority chores got put off There were still times when we couldnrsquot find enough hours to finish the work Our ldquotoolsrdquo didnrsquot always get put away when we were through with a project even though this is Daversquos pet peeve
Conclusion Experts say that we have to actively create our success not wait for it to happen This coming year hopefully none of us will sit in the comfort zone waiting for the phone to ring Therersquos an old Chinese proverb that goes ldquoIt you continually give you will continually haverdquo Our team will go on being involved in community activities When time is spent on worthwhile projects outside the business opportunities come knocking at the front counter Besideshellipat yearrsquos endhellipit makes us feel really good about the help we gave on these projects
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since1977 She can be reached by email at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
December 2007 38Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
GRAPHICS NEWS NETWORKAll these news and information products and services are part of the
Graphics News Network developed for ACDRP The goal is ldquoAll the News All the Time mdash For the World of Graphicsrdquo
GRAPHICS NewsWireThe Graphics News Wire is the always live always updated source for graphics news mdash products equipment technology and more Make it (CorelDRAWProcomNewsPagehtm) your home page or favorite to gain access to Breaking news updated regularly New Classified Ads New Job Announcements Supplier SpecialsAll news is related to graphic productsQuickSourceTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive amp Easy-To-Use
Search Engine
It gives you one-click access to suppliers products phone numbers and live links to ACDRP Member Suppliers Itrsquos always up-to-date searchable by keyword and accessible from your desktop
Quick TnTTM
The Industryrsquos Newest Resource for Graphics Tips amp Templates
Gain access to a growing library of CorelDRAW tips and templates that will make your work easier
QuickLearnTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive and
Easy-To-Use Article Library
Gain access to hundreds of articles on graphics-related and business topics searchable by keyword
The Entrepreneurial Magazine for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro Magazine is delivered to you once a month in PDF format It features in-depth content that readers rave about including articles on how to use CorelDRAW how to apply CorelDRAW and how to profit from CorelDRAW
News Tips amp Resources for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month mdash about the 15th and 25th It brings you highly targeted content that you wonrsquot find elsewhere including CorelDRAW Tips extensive product news links and a calendar of shows and training
MARKET PLACE
Quality Engravable JewelryHand-crafted in New England
GIFTS amp ACCESSORIES FOR WOMEN AND MEN
John E Lepper Inc800-835-3623 Fax 508-222-2732
wwwjeleppercom
GenuineWhite-tone
Pewter amp Gold
Some Things Were Meant To Be In Etched in Stone
Call for a free color catalog
NampR International1155 Allgood Rd 13Marietta GA 30062
678-560-4088Fax 678-560-1157
Importers amp Wholesalers of MarbleOnyx
Gifts amp Accessories
JOIN TODAY
The worldrsquos only association for CorelDRAWreg Users
wwwcoreldrawprocomJoinhtm
Place an Ad for as little as $215 per month
Find out how by calling our Ad Representative John McDaniel II
541-990-6687
the entrepreneurial magazine
GET LISTED TODAY
Generate new businessby doing jobs for others
List your company in GSG the Digital Yellow Pages for the industry wwwcoreldrawprocomListGSGhtm
December 2007 39Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Louie Alvarez started in the industry working for one of the largest trophy shops in Central California and then opened one of the first retail laser engraving businesses He has given seminars and workshops on CorelDRAW and Laser for many years and has written for several publications He is now with Vytek Industrial Lasers and is based in Las Vegas NV He can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
Kathryn Arnold is the Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
Errol Barr has a wide range of experience in sales amp marketing eventually getting into laser systems in 1999 currently with Vytek Industrial Lasers He also sold extensively in the CNC router industry selling the machines as more of a business opportunity wrapped around the machine He can be reached by email at errolbarrgmailcom
Dave Demoret founded Prolink Graphic Services to help people understand and profit from learning CorelDRAW He has been in both the Flat Graphics Industry and the Decorating Graphics Industry for 30 years He has written articles for several publications is a Corel Training Partner and conducts workshops nationwide and online He is the author of several CD Instructional programs on CorelDRAW He can be reached at 765-DO COLOR (362-6567) or davedprolinkgscom
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since 1977 She has presented seminars on a variety of topics nationwide and has won many marketing awards She is the author of two books on family business and can be reached at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
Bill Leek is a color consultant for JBL Graphics in Houston TX and has over 30 years experience in computer engineering and graphics design He has developed several lines of color imprintable products and does testing on a variety of products for different manufacturers He can be reached at wfleekjblgraphicscom or 281-970-6677
Jeff McDaniel is the owner of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon He worked as a journeyman machinist before getting into the graphic products business Creative Graphic offers laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials Contact him at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
John McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry He worked for many years with computers in electronic data processing and pioneered the use of CorelDraw for engraving applications He owned a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years and writes about hardware design software laser engraving sublimation and more He is a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals For information on training and more call 541-967-4271 or write to mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
Judy McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry Her background includes many forms of art and retail sales as well as the operation of a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years She is a regular columnist on sandblasting sublimation and diversifying business as well as a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals She can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
David Milisock is president of Custom Graphic Technologies Inc in Pennsylvania He has been in the print production business since 1975 and specializes in professional support for CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite Output includes computer-to-plate processes for all commercial digital front-end applications as well as Postscript-compliant graphic applications He offers technical and color management support for all RIP-driven corporate digital output systems He can be reached at 717-509-3523 or davidmilisockcomcastnet
Deborah Sexton former editor of Impressions Magazine has been in the apparel graphics industry since 1981 She currently does marketing and public relations for apparel graphics companies and is a columnist for several industry publications She can be reached at dsextonsbcglobalnet
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at 916-567-1867
December 2007 40Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
by Otis Veteto
Traveling Tidbits
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the
RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of
the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Itrsquos a fun and
informative column focusing on the human-interest side of
the industry Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars
for industry organizations and some of that knowledge
will rub off as well He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at
916-567-1867
Reps Volunteers People Skills amp Agreements
RS Owens Southeast RepFirst of all a Traveling Tidbits welcome to
the newest member of the RS Owens Company sales team Anita Brennan Anita is the new Regional Sales Manager for the Southeast She will be calling on you folks in Alabama Tennessee Mississippi Florida Georgia North Carolina and South Carolina Anita has worked in all phases of our industry as a retailer (her own business) multi-line rep and now as a regional sales manager When I asked Anita what she likes to do when not on the road she told me she likes to spend time with her two-year-old granddaughter Kaylee Welcome to the RS Owens family Anita Brennan
Railroad Museum VolunteerI know Christmas is the time for giving
but some people give all year long I was talking recently with Elias Athanasiou whose regular job is a server in a restaurant my wife and I frequent when I am in Sacramento Elias has been associated as a volunteer with the California State Railroad Museum for about 16 years Every Saturday during the ldquorunning seasonrdquo April-September Elias can be found working as a volunteer on the Steam Engine excursion train that runs for 6 miles along the top of the levee on the Sacramento River The ride takes about 40 minutes Elias is the Engineer now but has worked as conductor and fireman in his tenure with the train It is people like Elias Athanasiou that make this a much better world A huge Traveling Tidbits SALUTE You can find out more about the Railroad Museum at wwwcsrmorg
Real People SkillsThis next tidbit is from the PPAI Promotional
Consultant Today The author is Roy Chitwood president of Max Sacks International in Seattle Wash It is entitled To Shine Polish Your People Skills
ldquoPeople buy not because they understand your product or service but because they feel that you understand them People buy emotionally As a professional salesperson you need to be more people-oriented not product centered Here are seven quick and easy techniques to improve your people skills
SMILE It is the universal sign of friendship in any language The Chinese have a proverb ldquoA man who cannot smile should not open a storerdquo Think about that Give a smile and you will get a smile in return
DEVELOP A GENUINE INTEREST IN OTHERS When you have sincere interest it shows Look directly at people when they are talking to you Let your facial expression register your interest Ask good open-ended questions to let people know that you are interested in what they say
TALK IN TERMS OF THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS INTERESTS You will never meet anyone who doesnrsquot have time to talk about what they want to talk about Encourage your prospect to discuss his or interests rather than launching into a discussion about yourself
USE THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS NAME Using a name builds personal rapport and shows you are listening with respect Be careful about overusing the personrsquos name
GIVE COMPLIMENTS Everyone loves a compliment when it is genuine Make a
concentrated effort to give at least 3 honest compliments every day of your life You will be amazed at what it will do for your relationships
LISTEN Listening is the greatest compliment you can pay When you assume the role of the listener it relaxes the sales climate As you listen you are demonstrating that you truly care and you are genuinely interested in what he or she has to say
MAKE THE OTHER PERSON FEEL IMPORTANT When you are sincerely impressed by something the other person has achieved or owns let them know it Understand that fundamentally every person is important and treat them accordingly
Personal comment When I finished reading this I thought to myself ldquoThese make sense in our everyday life not just in salesrdquo
The Third AgreementI will close with the 3rd step from the book
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel RuizDONrsquoT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS Find the
courage to ask questions and to express what you really want Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings sadness and drama
Sounds a little like what I wrote at the beginning of the column doesnrsquot it
Thatrsquos all for now Remember to save some time for yourself and your family And when you travel please travel safe
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE
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- News
December 2007 30Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
at the laser head to insure an efficient extraction when using the pass-through featureTrotec systems are designed for minimal wear-and-tear and eliminate the need for periodic replacement of belts and bearings For additional information visit our web site wwwtrotecnet or call 866-226-8505 734-484-3260
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW PROFESSIONAL SERIESUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) of Scottsdale
AZ added four new models in its Professional Laser Series (PLS) line of advanced high-productivity computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving systems The new PLS line which replaces Universalrsquos M V and X laser systems incorporates a
host of evolutionary design improvements to the laser cartridge platform chassis system electronics and software interface The new PLS models include several
powerful new features most notably a unique materials-based print driver called ldquoLaser Interface +rdquo that gives users their choice
between automatic or manual control over power speed and other system settings For more information on Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit Universal Laser Systems online at wwwulsinccom
UNIVERSAL LASERrsquoS NEW VERSALASERUniversal Laser Systems Inc (ULS) added a
new version of its desktop-sized VersaLasertrade
computer-controlled CO2 laser cutting marking and engraving system The new VersaLaser
improves on the award-winning original thanks to a host of evolutionary design refinements It also
includes a unique next-generation materials-based print driver that automatically calculates power speed
and other system settings It was awarded a patent for the unique design of its external cabinet which also functions as a Class 1 laser safety enclosure For more information about VersaLaser or Universal Laser Systems Inc call 1-800-859-7033 or visit wwwulsinccom
US SCREENrsquoS FAST T-JET 3US Screen Print and Inkjet Technology of Tempe
AZ adds the Fast T-Jet3TM which features 30 faster print speeds compared to the previous T-Jet2 model and has a longer low profile print bed for easier loading and unloading Now you can produce a full size 12rdquo x 12rdquo (305 x 305 cm) print in one minute on a light shirt and in under three minutes on a black shirt with white ink Small pocket images can be printed in about 15 seconds
US SCREENrsquoS AUTOMATED PRETREATMENT CENTER
Speed up production when using Fast T-Jet inkjet-to-garment printers with the AutoTREATtrade Automatic Pretreatment Center
This versatile piece of equipment allows you to treat shirts on a production level rather than spraying shirts individually one at a time For use with light or dark shirts the AutoTREATtrade
can spray up to three shirts per minute It has two application modesmdashone for lights and one for darks that can be switched over by activating the cleaning mode which flushes out the system with water
TOOLS MATERIALS SOFTWARE
CORELDRAW X3 CERTIFIED FOR WINDOWS VISTACorel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that
CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite X3 has been Certified for Windows Vista Customers who wish to install the Certified for Windows Vista version of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X3 can download the latest service pack (SP2) from wwwcorelcom This new update delivers an exceptional experience for customers on Windows Vista including an updated user interface enhanced security improved text handling and further enhancements to the popular suitersquos renowned import and export file compatibility
COREL LAUNCHES NEW ONLINE COMMUNITY Corel Corp of Ottawa ON announced that it
has launched httpcoreldrawcom a new online community for users of the CorelDRAWreg family of products ndash including CorelDRAW Graphics Suite Corel DESIGNERreg Technical Suite
December 2007 31Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
and Corelreg DRAWingsreg This new community site is the first in a series that Corel will be launching to support its various user communities Designed to fuel inspiration CorelDRAWcom combines forums blogs and galleries for design professionals and graphic hobbyists alike Forums are available in English French German and Spanish serving an international audience
DALCOrsquoS NEW REFLECTIVE HEAT TRANSFERSCater to the safety market with new reflective transfers offered
by Dalco Athletic of Dallas TX These durable transfers come in a reflective silver gray color in three styles police sheriff and fire dept They are sized for left chest and full back so
all you have to do is heat seal for 8 seconds and yoursquore done Itrsquos very fast and easy
DALCOrsquoS NEW OPTIC YELLOW CLASSIC SWB APPLIQUE
Classic SWB appliqueacute designs offered by Dalco Athletic now come in two new styles softballs and tennis balls in optic yellow fabric These new balls literally jump off any wearable and make it an eye-catching standout This appliqueacute collection is ideal for spiritwear items to be sold to fans and family or created as fund-raisers for boosters clubs
POWER GRAPHICS 3 FROM DIGITAL ART SOLUTIONSPower Graphics 3 by Digital Art Solutions of
Tempe AZ is the ultimate design tool for the creation of high-end custom graphics and logos for custom signage awards vehicle graphics promotional products and apparel graphics Tuned to the latest styles and trends it provides fresh graphics that will impress even the most critical and demanding customer It includes more than 1500 images The 10 design categories include Flames Gangsta (Urban) Mascots Offroad Rebel (Biker and Hot
Rod) Retro Speed Sports Surf and Tuner
FLORIANI COMMERCIALrsquoS NEW NO-SHOW DIAMOND MESHContinuing in its tradition of research and development
to create embroidery stabilizers that meet the needs of todayrsquos embroiderers Floriani Embroidery Commercial Division of Knoxville TN released a new product called Floriani No-Show Diamond Mesh This unique nylon mesh stabilizer has a perpendicular embossed pattern that makes it more multi-directionally stable and enables it to better hold stitches for crisper design registration It is specifically designed for light-colored garments where traditional stabilizers have a tendency to show through the front of the garment
GREAT DANErsquoS NEW DIGITAL PHOTO FRAMES Tap into the lucrative team market with an
incredible collection of stock art specially designed to work for direct-to-garment printers sublimation transfers and digital transfers Digital Photo Frames Volume 1 is a collection of spectacular pre-designed layouts each with one or more frames to
insert personal photos The collection includes five categories baseball football basketball soccer and hockey Each category has four designs (20 total layouts) and each design comes in three template formats mugs mouse pads and shirts
So there are a total of 60 template designs in all
IMPRINTABLES WAREHOUSE OFFERS SPECTRA ECO FILMNew from Imprintables Warehouse of
Masontown PA is a digital cutter material that is free of PVC a plus with companies that want to be as environmentally friendly as possible Spectra Eco Film is made with ecological polyurethane and is peeled hot It is pressure sensitive (sticky backing) and extremely easy to weed While maintaining superior durability and opacity this new film is thinner than current offerings on the market and delivers the super soft hand that is in demand by todayrsquos consumers It can be used on 100 cotton 100 polyester polycotton blends and even nylon and leather
December 2007 32Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
KISSCUT TECHNOLOGIESrsquo SELF-WEEDING INKJET TRANSFER PAPER
Kiss Cut Technologies Ltd Newcastle UK has addressed the ldquopolymer windowrdquo issue and developed the worldrsquos first self-weeding inkjet transfer paper for printing to textiles In simple terms only the areas of their patented transfer paper that have been printed will be transferred to the garment when heat pressed A Kiss Cut print can be further embellished with specialized textile foils so in effect a digital foiling method is now available Foil is heat pressed onto the garment and when peeled the foil only sticks to the image areas
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW PHOTOPLAS-TIC MATERIALLaserSketchcom of Lemont IL a leading supplier of
LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble Super Black Granite and Black Onyx Jewelry introduces their new PhotoPlas-Tic This is a new material developed for front andor reverse laser engraving on micro surface impact acrylic plastic It is a premium plastic for laser engraving that is UV stable ideal for photo badges plaques trophies signage and high-end awards Each sheet of PhotoPlas-Tic is specially designed for a crisp clean burn and ultra-fine laser lettering logo and vector output For details call 630-243-6360 or visit wwwlasersketchcom
THEMAGICTOUCH LAUNCHES WOW TRANSFER PAPERTheMagicTouch USA launched WoW Professional
71 transfer paper which requires no weeding or profile cutting and the vibrant colors are achieved using digital laser technology making it great for short runs It uses PolymationTM which incorporates a newly designed catalyst that provides the ultimate compatibility with all generations of dry toner material According to the company PolymationTM is the next generation of laser heat transfer Sublimation requires the substrate to have a specialty receiving polymer coating to absorb the pigments but PolymationTM delivers everything at once polymer pigments and catalyst
December 2007 33Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
offers distinct advantages over any other process It allows for an unlimited number of colors and very fine detail which is impossible with screen printing or embroidery And the cost does not go up as colors are added These new specialty materials are so advanced they can be heat sealed to all kinds of fabrics and hot new multimedia designs can be easily done
VAPOR APPAREL LAUNCHES VAPOR ART VOLUME 1V a p o r A p p a r e l
a s u b s i d i a r y o f SourceSubstrates LLC Charleston SC announces the launch of Vapor Art - Volume 1 a collection of 127 vector graphics for digital sublimation and general use The diverse collection
of high-quality graphics comes after several years of customers requesting access to the companyrsquos sample art at trade shows and educational events The Collection of art includes vector drawings and JPGs for everything from mountain biking and snowboarding to yoga and cheerleading
BLANK PRODUCTS
COLORADO HEIRLOOMrsquoS COLOR LACQUERED FRAMES
Colorado Heirloom Inc of Loveland CO introduced their new Color Lacquered Frames This is an option to add color your unique creations It is not color fill Colored lacquer is sprayed on their high quality wood frames Because
INKTRA STRETCH TRANSFER PAPER FROM STAHLSrsquoStahlsrsquo based in St Clair
Shores MI adds InkTratrade Stretch a flexible transfer paper A revolutionary product InkTratrade Stretch provides a soft hand with an amazing stretch and recovery feature InkTratrade Stretch lets you take your favorite photo or graphic design and apply it to light colored or white hats shirts bags and more for a long lasting and completely personalized garment The highly stretchable paper can be applied to cotton polycotton blends spandex and Lycrareg
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo GOOF-PROOF TRANSFERSWant the look of screen
printing without the hassle With Goof Proofreg transfers offered by Transfer Express of Mentor OH you can custom order a transfer that has the popular athletic feel and will apply in a blazing four seconds Ordering is done step-by-step online and you can customize hundreds of designs You choose your
typeface colors and size Once your design is just the way you want it you can print it out to show a customer for approval Or Transfer Express can print from your artwork The minimum order is only five pieces and your one-color order ships in one to three working days
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo NEW FULL-COLOR DIGI PRINTSApparel decorators can now offer full-color designs on light
and dark apparel made of virtually any type of fabric without the hassle or minimums of screen printing with new state-of-the-art heat transfer technology called Digi Printstrade Offered through Transfer Express this revolutionary new method of decorating
December 2007 34Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
lacquer is used instead of paint any design can be lasered on these frames The possibilities are endless These colorful creations are offered in two different designs -- a designer frame and a frame with an insert Call 970-667-4222 or visit wwwcoloradoheirloomcom
CONDE ADDS PET MATS FOR SUBLIMATIONCondeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added food bowl placemats and litter box
mats to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Favorite photographs and pet-related artwork can be transferred to the
mats to create fun products for individual pet lovers or for the pet industry such as pet stores veterinarians groomers boarding facilities and animal adoption groups Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing Call Conde at 800-826-6332
CONDE INTRODUCES FABRIC PATCHES FOR SUBLIMATION
Condeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added fabric patches to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Custom decorators can now produce unique full-color patches that will impress organizations businesses clubs sports teams sports enthusiasts and individuals alike -- without the use of embroidery Heat seal patches are great for identification marketing awards trade show promotions or to commemorate special events Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing or call 800-826-6332
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW LASERSLABLaserSketch of Lemont IL Internationally known for
their LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble and Super Black Granite announces LaserSlab Super Black Granite at 4rsquo x 8rsquo x 7mm and 4rsquo x 4rsquo x 7mm weighting in at just over 2 pounds per square foot The surface of the LaserSlab Granite has the sheen of a black mirror The reverse side features epoxy fiberglass backing to give structure integrity to the ultra-lite granite sheet All may be viewed wwwlasersketchcom or by calling LaserSketch 630-243-6360
MATTHEWS INTRODUCES ALUMICOLORTM
Matthews International Corp of Pittsburgh PA introduced Alumicolortrade a high-resolution graphics solution for aluminum signage recognition commemoration and way finding Using cutting-edge technology Matthews embeds a four-color image into the aluminum to create an anodized reproduction of unsurpassed durability Alumicolortrade products which are designed for interior and exterior installations are resistant to extreme weather conditions graffiti scuffing grease chemicals and UV rays Additionally they will not chip crack or peel
PSI ADDS ROUND FRAMES amp STRING PUZZLES Paramount Services Inc of Hollywood FL
introduced new round resin frames for sublimation tiles Choose from Coral or RopeStone with optional Unisubreg Hardboard Tiles They will also accept the Bison 8rdquo round glass Cutting Board Why be square when round may fit better PSI also introduced a new puzzle guaranteed to string you along These String Puzzles come with a Unisubreg Hardboard puzzle and the necessary string and beads along with instructions how to string it after printing Templates to aid in design are available for download in several formats For details call 800-455-7212 or visit wwwDye-Sublimation-Productscom
CRYSTALEDGEreg LUXORTM CRYSTAL AWARDSCrystalEdgereg Chicago IL presented the Luxortrade Series
This stunning cost-effective collection comprises a series of specially designed Rosewood and Black Piano finish bases Matte Mahogany and Matte Black bases and a precision cast Satin Nickel Finish Metal Base with your choice of brass or silver hardware for mounting our twelve unique shapes making this the most versatile award yet Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks are curved 14rdquo thick crystal clear glass with 316rdquo diameter holes for mounting The Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks feature a generous engraving area and there is plenty of room on the base to add an engraving plate
December 2007 35Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
XENETECHrsquoS NEW ENGRAVABLE GIFTSXenetech of Baton Rouge
LA introduced high quality engravable gift items at wholesale and quantity discounts The Xenetech collection provides a selection of gifts created for corporate recognition weddings births holidays anniversaries retirements birthdays special occasions or just expressing appreciation Items include money clips key chains book markers desk accessories quartz movement clocks flasks amp wine accessories entertainment gifts travel gifts genuine Swiss Army knives business card holders luggage tags silver-plated jewelry boxes keepsake gift boxes silver-plated banks and baby gifts The gift items are designed primarily for diamond drag burnishing and rotary engraving personalization
UNISUBrsquoS CHROMALUXE PHOTO PANELSChromaLuxe photo panels are an exciting new line
of sublimatable products from Unisub of Louisville KY These panels allow you to sell a completely finished photo product to your customers capturing some of the additional revenue (and profit) your customers now spend elsewhere on framing Available in a range of traditional photo sizes as well as exciting new shapes these panels can be joined together to create stunning photo displays -- perfect for a fireplace mantle l i b r a r y s h e l f or the top of an armoire Available in aluminum or MDF substrates
CorelDRAWPro IndexOne of our members in Michigan
requested that we put together an Index of all the articles wersquove published during the year
He prints out all the issues and puts them in binders but an Index would make it easy to reference specific articles We think itrsquos a good idea and wersquoll send it to all subscribers in January
Product Focus TopicsJanuary 2008 -- Signage Products esp Wide FormatFebruary 2008 -- Engraving Awards amp GiftsMarch 2008 -- Apparel ProductsApril 2008 -- Laser Wood Products
Coming in 2008
December 2007 36Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETSBy Donna M Gray CRM Opportunities
December ndash Time to Review December finds everyone on our team strategizing how to get out of our parking lot Our business sits right in the middle of an up-scale strip mall which sits right behind a huge shopping mall and right along the main road to a Target Superstore and other large malls We all know that from the day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday) until 2 weeks after the New Year there are great challenges to those of us who like to leave the building for lunch or run an errandhellipso we strategize We all know every secret shortcut to the bank the post office and the warehouse club What we donrsquot know is how to find the way to merge out of our own back alley into the constant flow of traffic that carries people to their end shopping destination Whew
The year-end review So this year Dave and I have decided to stay in at lunch and do our business strategizing instead Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup are good brain food for helping us to look at all the successful things we did last year as a company all the things we thought about doing but didnrsquot because the idea didnrsquot quite fit and all the things we put off until next year We do this kind of exercise every year end and it helps us to map out our strategy for the coming year In the process we identify any mistakes wersquove made wrong turns wersquove taken and we try to find the ldquowhat could have happened had everything gone rightrdquo
The value of making mistakes Albert Einstein said ldquoAnyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything newrdquo Dave has a couple of prints in his office of Abraham Lincoln that describe his mistakes in fact it took Lincoln eight tries to win the presidency Thomas Edison made mistakeshellipand yet he perseveredhellipotherwise wersquod by ldquocomputingrdquo by candlelight And Irsquove heard that Colonel
Sanders had a thousand rejections before he sold his first chicken recipe It would be nice to get to our year end business appraisals and find that wersquove made no mistakes but our business like most others doesnrsquot have that claim to fame My mother always took the high road with mistakes She always said that one should recognize the benefits of a mistake One should learn what good came from it use it to improve and use it to help motivate success the next time So December is the time to analyze everything that made up the past year and look for ways to make the New Year successful in every way
Making a plan Most advisors say that the first step toward business success after looking at a companyrsquos year ending history is to decide on exactly what you want to do going forward in the coming year Then comes mapping out the plan What will be done How will it get done Who will do what What resources will be used When will it get done Is the right equipment in place Is the space adequate Ask these and any other questions that could relate to creating a successful year then focus on the details and follow through Those two wordshellipfocus and follow throughhellipcould mean the difference between marginal and abundant success Simply stated success comes from what you do and the way you do ithellipin your customerrsquos perception Every business wants to have a good imagehellipa good reputation so dedication to having good communication skills is important especially in an industry that does custom work The goal is to be on the same page as our clients so we have to be good mind readers We have to also concentrate on our professionalism on our appearance on our presentation style and in the pride we take in producing a well-done project This
has worked in the past and will remain the same in the future
The extra mile Success has to be nurturedhellipthen it gets celebrated Sometimes sacrifices have to be made to get to the rewards At year end when we analyze how we got from Point A to Point B itrsquos interesting to note that we sometimes had to take detours and sometimes the road blocks called for sacrificehellipof time or money Sometimes the sacrifice came in the way of a sleepless night worrying if an order that was lost in delivery would be found and re-routed to us in time to make a clientrsquos deadline Someone (unknown) said ldquoA day of worry is more exhausting than a week of workrdquo Anyone in business could testify to that Part of success is going the extra milehellipeven if it results in a sleepless night Going the extra mile is worth all the paid advertising in the world on the road to success
December 2007 37Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETS
Donna Grayrsquos 2nd book Itrsquos All Relative Surviving amp Thriving in a Family Business was published in September 2007
It describes her quest to identify the keys to suc-cess for small business and family businesses in particular She interviewed top businesses nationwide and discovered five common qualities implemented by successful business owners Check it out at the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore wwwcoreldrawprocomAllBook-storehtm
Commitments made and kept Our team felt good about some commitments we made and kept this past year like
We used a daily ldquoto-dordquo list and we set priorities in order of importance When we finished a project we ldquocelebratedrdquo and then moved on quickly to the next job We built in some time for ldquostress reliefrdquo with morning meeting breaks This was especially good when treats were served since wersquove got some good bakers on our staff We didnrsquot ldquoscreenrdquo calls through voice mail We considered every call to be important We ldquodid it right the first timerdquo even though it sometimes took longer We tied up all the ldquoloose endsrdquo We became ldquocheerleadersrdquo for each other When one of us accomplished a goal we all applauded We all tried to deliver more than we promised This can be challenging sometimes when working with a difficult project We eliminated (or tried to eliminate) unnecessary procedures and we simplified our paper flow system We spent most of our time on high priority tasks We all worked on our delegation skills We were committed to not wasting time either our own or other peoplersquos
Goals that were lacking Now all those great things being put on paper reminds me that we also had some goals we didnrsquot quite succeed athellipbut wersquoll try harder next year
We didnrsquot always ldquogrouprdquo tasks togetherhelliplike going to the bank and the post office in one trip or answering mail when it gets opened It wasnrsquot always easy to avoid procrastination Some low priority chores got put off There were still times when we couldnrsquot find enough hours to finish the work Our ldquotoolsrdquo didnrsquot always get put away when we were through with a project even though this is Daversquos pet peeve
Conclusion Experts say that we have to actively create our success not wait for it to happen This coming year hopefully none of us will sit in the comfort zone waiting for the phone to ring Therersquos an old Chinese proverb that goes ldquoIt you continually give you will continually haverdquo Our team will go on being involved in community activities When time is spent on worthwhile projects outside the business opportunities come knocking at the front counter Besideshellipat yearrsquos endhellipit makes us feel really good about the help we gave on these projects
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since1977 She can be reached by email at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
December 2007 38Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
GRAPHICS NEWS NETWORKAll these news and information products and services are part of the
Graphics News Network developed for ACDRP The goal is ldquoAll the News All the Time mdash For the World of Graphicsrdquo
GRAPHICS NewsWireThe Graphics News Wire is the always live always updated source for graphics news mdash products equipment technology and more Make it (CorelDRAWProcomNewsPagehtm) your home page or favorite to gain access to Breaking news updated regularly New Classified Ads New Job Announcements Supplier SpecialsAll news is related to graphic productsQuickSourceTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive amp Easy-To-Use
Search Engine
It gives you one-click access to suppliers products phone numbers and live links to ACDRP Member Suppliers Itrsquos always up-to-date searchable by keyword and accessible from your desktop
Quick TnTTM
The Industryrsquos Newest Resource for Graphics Tips amp Templates
Gain access to a growing library of CorelDRAW tips and templates that will make your work easier
QuickLearnTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive and
Easy-To-Use Article Library
Gain access to hundreds of articles on graphics-related and business topics searchable by keyword
The Entrepreneurial Magazine for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro Magazine is delivered to you once a month in PDF format It features in-depth content that readers rave about including articles on how to use CorelDRAW how to apply CorelDRAW and how to profit from CorelDRAW
News Tips amp Resources for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month mdash about the 15th and 25th It brings you highly targeted content that you wonrsquot find elsewhere including CorelDRAW Tips extensive product news links and a calendar of shows and training
MARKET PLACE
Quality Engravable JewelryHand-crafted in New England
GIFTS amp ACCESSORIES FOR WOMEN AND MEN
John E Lepper Inc800-835-3623 Fax 508-222-2732
wwwjeleppercom
GenuineWhite-tone
Pewter amp Gold
Some Things Were Meant To Be In Etched in Stone
Call for a free color catalog
NampR International1155 Allgood Rd 13Marietta GA 30062
678-560-4088Fax 678-560-1157
Importers amp Wholesalers of MarbleOnyx
Gifts amp Accessories
JOIN TODAY
The worldrsquos only association for CorelDRAWreg Users
wwwcoreldrawprocomJoinhtm
Place an Ad for as little as $215 per month
Find out how by calling our Ad Representative John McDaniel II
541-990-6687
the entrepreneurial magazine
GET LISTED TODAY
Generate new businessby doing jobs for others
List your company in GSG the Digital Yellow Pages for the industry wwwcoreldrawprocomListGSGhtm
December 2007 39Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Louie Alvarez started in the industry working for one of the largest trophy shops in Central California and then opened one of the first retail laser engraving businesses He has given seminars and workshops on CorelDRAW and Laser for many years and has written for several publications He is now with Vytek Industrial Lasers and is based in Las Vegas NV He can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
Kathryn Arnold is the Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
Errol Barr has a wide range of experience in sales amp marketing eventually getting into laser systems in 1999 currently with Vytek Industrial Lasers He also sold extensively in the CNC router industry selling the machines as more of a business opportunity wrapped around the machine He can be reached by email at errolbarrgmailcom
Dave Demoret founded Prolink Graphic Services to help people understand and profit from learning CorelDRAW He has been in both the Flat Graphics Industry and the Decorating Graphics Industry for 30 years He has written articles for several publications is a Corel Training Partner and conducts workshops nationwide and online He is the author of several CD Instructional programs on CorelDRAW He can be reached at 765-DO COLOR (362-6567) or davedprolinkgscom
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since 1977 She has presented seminars on a variety of topics nationwide and has won many marketing awards She is the author of two books on family business and can be reached at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
Bill Leek is a color consultant for JBL Graphics in Houston TX and has over 30 years experience in computer engineering and graphics design He has developed several lines of color imprintable products and does testing on a variety of products for different manufacturers He can be reached at wfleekjblgraphicscom or 281-970-6677
Jeff McDaniel is the owner of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon He worked as a journeyman machinist before getting into the graphic products business Creative Graphic offers laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials Contact him at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
John McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry He worked for many years with computers in electronic data processing and pioneered the use of CorelDraw for engraving applications He owned a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years and writes about hardware design software laser engraving sublimation and more He is a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals For information on training and more call 541-967-4271 or write to mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
Judy McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry Her background includes many forms of art and retail sales as well as the operation of a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years She is a regular columnist on sandblasting sublimation and diversifying business as well as a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals She can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
David Milisock is president of Custom Graphic Technologies Inc in Pennsylvania He has been in the print production business since 1975 and specializes in professional support for CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite Output includes computer-to-plate processes for all commercial digital front-end applications as well as Postscript-compliant graphic applications He offers technical and color management support for all RIP-driven corporate digital output systems He can be reached at 717-509-3523 or davidmilisockcomcastnet
Deborah Sexton former editor of Impressions Magazine has been in the apparel graphics industry since 1981 She currently does marketing and public relations for apparel graphics companies and is a columnist for several industry publications She can be reached at dsextonsbcglobalnet
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at 916-567-1867
December 2007 40Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
by Otis Veteto
Traveling Tidbits
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the
RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of
the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Itrsquos a fun and
informative column focusing on the human-interest side of
the industry Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars
for industry organizations and some of that knowledge
will rub off as well He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at
916-567-1867
Reps Volunteers People Skills amp Agreements
RS Owens Southeast RepFirst of all a Traveling Tidbits welcome to
the newest member of the RS Owens Company sales team Anita Brennan Anita is the new Regional Sales Manager for the Southeast She will be calling on you folks in Alabama Tennessee Mississippi Florida Georgia North Carolina and South Carolina Anita has worked in all phases of our industry as a retailer (her own business) multi-line rep and now as a regional sales manager When I asked Anita what she likes to do when not on the road she told me she likes to spend time with her two-year-old granddaughter Kaylee Welcome to the RS Owens family Anita Brennan
Railroad Museum VolunteerI know Christmas is the time for giving
but some people give all year long I was talking recently with Elias Athanasiou whose regular job is a server in a restaurant my wife and I frequent when I am in Sacramento Elias has been associated as a volunteer with the California State Railroad Museum for about 16 years Every Saturday during the ldquorunning seasonrdquo April-September Elias can be found working as a volunteer on the Steam Engine excursion train that runs for 6 miles along the top of the levee on the Sacramento River The ride takes about 40 minutes Elias is the Engineer now but has worked as conductor and fireman in his tenure with the train It is people like Elias Athanasiou that make this a much better world A huge Traveling Tidbits SALUTE You can find out more about the Railroad Museum at wwwcsrmorg
Real People SkillsThis next tidbit is from the PPAI Promotional
Consultant Today The author is Roy Chitwood president of Max Sacks International in Seattle Wash It is entitled To Shine Polish Your People Skills
ldquoPeople buy not because they understand your product or service but because they feel that you understand them People buy emotionally As a professional salesperson you need to be more people-oriented not product centered Here are seven quick and easy techniques to improve your people skills
SMILE It is the universal sign of friendship in any language The Chinese have a proverb ldquoA man who cannot smile should not open a storerdquo Think about that Give a smile and you will get a smile in return
DEVELOP A GENUINE INTEREST IN OTHERS When you have sincere interest it shows Look directly at people when they are talking to you Let your facial expression register your interest Ask good open-ended questions to let people know that you are interested in what they say
TALK IN TERMS OF THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS INTERESTS You will never meet anyone who doesnrsquot have time to talk about what they want to talk about Encourage your prospect to discuss his or interests rather than launching into a discussion about yourself
USE THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS NAME Using a name builds personal rapport and shows you are listening with respect Be careful about overusing the personrsquos name
GIVE COMPLIMENTS Everyone loves a compliment when it is genuine Make a
concentrated effort to give at least 3 honest compliments every day of your life You will be amazed at what it will do for your relationships
LISTEN Listening is the greatest compliment you can pay When you assume the role of the listener it relaxes the sales climate As you listen you are demonstrating that you truly care and you are genuinely interested in what he or she has to say
MAKE THE OTHER PERSON FEEL IMPORTANT When you are sincerely impressed by something the other person has achieved or owns let them know it Understand that fundamentally every person is important and treat them accordingly
Personal comment When I finished reading this I thought to myself ldquoThese make sense in our everyday life not just in salesrdquo
The Third AgreementI will close with the 3rd step from the book
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel RuizDONrsquoT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS Find the
courage to ask questions and to express what you really want Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings sadness and drama
Sounds a little like what I wrote at the beginning of the column doesnrsquot it
Thatrsquos all for now Remember to save some time for yourself and your family And when you travel please travel safe
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE
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- News
December 2007 31Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
and Corelreg DRAWingsreg This new community site is the first in a series that Corel will be launching to support its various user communities Designed to fuel inspiration CorelDRAWcom combines forums blogs and galleries for design professionals and graphic hobbyists alike Forums are available in English French German and Spanish serving an international audience
DALCOrsquoS NEW REFLECTIVE HEAT TRANSFERSCater to the safety market with new reflective transfers offered
by Dalco Athletic of Dallas TX These durable transfers come in a reflective silver gray color in three styles police sheriff and fire dept They are sized for left chest and full back so
all you have to do is heat seal for 8 seconds and yoursquore done Itrsquos very fast and easy
DALCOrsquoS NEW OPTIC YELLOW CLASSIC SWB APPLIQUE
Classic SWB appliqueacute designs offered by Dalco Athletic now come in two new styles softballs and tennis balls in optic yellow fabric These new balls literally jump off any wearable and make it an eye-catching standout This appliqueacute collection is ideal for spiritwear items to be sold to fans and family or created as fund-raisers for boosters clubs
POWER GRAPHICS 3 FROM DIGITAL ART SOLUTIONSPower Graphics 3 by Digital Art Solutions of
Tempe AZ is the ultimate design tool for the creation of high-end custom graphics and logos for custom signage awards vehicle graphics promotional products and apparel graphics Tuned to the latest styles and trends it provides fresh graphics that will impress even the most critical and demanding customer It includes more than 1500 images The 10 design categories include Flames Gangsta (Urban) Mascots Offroad Rebel (Biker and Hot
Rod) Retro Speed Sports Surf and Tuner
FLORIANI COMMERCIALrsquoS NEW NO-SHOW DIAMOND MESHContinuing in its tradition of research and development
to create embroidery stabilizers that meet the needs of todayrsquos embroiderers Floriani Embroidery Commercial Division of Knoxville TN released a new product called Floriani No-Show Diamond Mesh This unique nylon mesh stabilizer has a perpendicular embossed pattern that makes it more multi-directionally stable and enables it to better hold stitches for crisper design registration It is specifically designed for light-colored garments where traditional stabilizers have a tendency to show through the front of the garment
GREAT DANErsquoS NEW DIGITAL PHOTO FRAMES Tap into the lucrative team market with an
incredible collection of stock art specially designed to work for direct-to-garment printers sublimation transfers and digital transfers Digital Photo Frames Volume 1 is a collection of spectacular pre-designed layouts each with one or more frames to
insert personal photos The collection includes five categories baseball football basketball soccer and hockey Each category has four designs (20 total layouts) and each design comes in three template formats mugs mouse pads and shirts
So there are a total of 60 template designs in all
IMPRINTABLES WAREHOUSE OFFERS SPECTRA ECO FILMNew from Imprintables Warehouse of
Masontown PA is a digital cutter material that is free of PVC a plus with companies that want to be as environmentally friendly as possible Spectra Eco Film is made with ecological polyurethane and is peeled hot It is pressure sensitive (sticky backing) and extremely easy to weed While maintaining superior durability and opacity this new film is thinner than current offerings on the market and delivers the super soft hand that is in demand by todayrsquos consumers It can be used on 100 cotton 100 polyester polycotton blends and even nylon and leather
December 2007 32Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
KISSCUT TECHNOLOGIESrsquo SELF-WEEDING INKJET TRANSFER PAPER
Kiss Cut Technologies Ltd Newcastle UK has addressed the ldquopolymer windowrdquo issue and developed the worldrsquos first self-weeding inkjet transfer paper for printing to textiles In simple terms only the areas of their patented transfer paper that have been printed will be transferred to the garment when heat pressed A Kiss Cut print can be further embellished with specialized textile foils so in effect a digital foiling method is now available Foil is heat pressed onto the garment and when peeled the foil only sticks to the image areas
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW PHOTOPLAS-TIC MATERIALLaserSketchcom of Lemont IL a leading supplier of
LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble Super Black Granite and Black Onyx Jewelry introduces their new PhotoPlas-Tic This is a new material developed for front andor reverse laser engraving on micro surface impact acrylic plastic It is a premium plastic for laser engraving that is UV stable ideal for photo badges plaques trophies signage and high-end awards Each sheet of PhotoPlas-Tic is specially designed for a crisp clean burn and ultra-fine laser lettering logo and vector output For details call 630-243-6360 or visit wwwlasersketchcom
THEMAGICTOUCH LAUNCHES WOW TRANSFER PAPERTheMagicTouch USA launched WoW Professional
71 transfer paper which requires no weeding or profile cutting and the vibrant colors are achieved using digital laser technology making it great for short runs It uses PolymationTM which incorporates a newly designed catalyst that provides the ultimate compatibility with all generations of dry toner material According to the company PolymationTM is the next generation of laser heat transfer Sublimation requires the substrate to have a specialty receiving polymer coating to absorb the pigments but PolymationTM delivers everything at once polymer pigments and catalyst
December 2007 33Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
offers distinct advantages over any other process It allows for an unlimited number of colors and very fine detail which is impossible with screen printing or embroidery And the cost does not go up as colors are added These new specialty materials are so advanced they can be heat sealed to all kinds of fabrics and hot new multimedia designs can be easily done
VAPOR APPAREL LAUNCHES VAPOR ART VOLUME 1V a p o r A p p a r e l
a s u b s i d i a r y o f SourceSubstrates LLC Charleston SC announces the launch of Vapor Art - Volume 1 a collection of 127 vector graphics for digital sublimation and general use The diverse collection
of high-quality graphics comes after several years of customers requesting access to the companyrsquos sample art at trade shows and educational events The Collection of art includes vector drawings and JPGs for everything from mountain biking and snowboarding to yoga and cheerleading
BLANK PRODUCTS
COLORADO HEIRLOOMrsquoS COLOR LACQUERED FRAMES
Colorado Heirloom Inc of Loveland CO introduced their new Color Lacquered Frames This is an option to add color your unique creations It is not color fill Colored lacquer is sprayed on their high quality wood frames Because
INKTRA STRETCH TRANSFER PAPER FROM STAHLSrsquoStahlsrsquo based in St Clair
Shores MI adds InkTratrade Stretch a flexible transfer paper A revolutionary product InkTratrade Stretch provides a soft hand with an amazing stretch and recovery feature InkTratrade Stretch lets you take your favorite photo or graphic design and apply it to light colored or white hats shirts bags and more for a long lasting and completely personalized garment The highly stretchable paper can be applied to cotton polycotton blends spandex and Lycrareg
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo GOOF-PROOF TRANSFERSWant the look of screen
printing without the hassle With Goof Proofreg transfers offered by Transfer Express of Mentor OH you can custom order a transfer that has the popular athletic feel and will apply in a blazing four seconds Ordering is done step-by-step online and you can customize hundreds of designs You choose your
typeface colors and size Once your design is just the way you want it you can print it out to show a customer for approval Or Transfer Express can print from your artwork The minimum order is only five pieces and your one-color order ships in one to three working days
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo NEW FULL-COLOR DIGI PRINTSApparel decorators can now offer full-color designs on light
and dark apparel made of virtually any type of fabric without the hassle or minimums of screen printing with new state-of-the-art heat transfer technology called Digi Printstrade Offered through Transfer Express this revolutionary new method of decorating
December 2007 34Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
lacquer is used instead of paint any design can be lasered on these frames The possibilities are endless These colorful creations are offered in two different designs -- a designer frame and a frame with an insert Call 970-667-4222 or visit wwwcoloradoheirloomcom
CONDE ADDS PET MATS FOR SUBLIMATIONCondeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added food bowl placemats and litter box
mats to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Favorite photographs and pet-related artwork can be transferred to the
mats to create fun products for individual pet lovers or for the pet industry such as pet stores veterinarians groomers boarding facilities and animal adoption groups Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing Call Conde at 800-826-6332
CONDE INTRODUCES FABRIC PATCHES FOR SUBLIMATION
Condeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added fabric patches to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Custom decorators can now produce unique full-color patches that will impress organizations businesses clubs sports teams sports enthusiasts and individuals alike -- without the use of embroidery Heat seal patches are great for identification marketing awards trade show promotions or to commemorate special events Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing or call 800-826-6332
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW LASERSLABLaserSketch of Lemont IL Internationally known for
their LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble and Super Black Granite announces LaserSlab Super Black Granite at 4rsquo x 8rsquo x 7mm and 4rsquo x 4rsquo x 7mm weighting in at just over 2 pounds per square foot The surface of the LaserSlab Granite has the sheen of a black mirror The reverse side features epoxy fiberglass backing to give structure integrity to the ultra-lite granite sheet All may be viewed wwwlasersketchcom or by calling LaserSketch 630-243-6360
MATTHEWS INTRODUCES ALUMICOLORTM
Matthews International Corp of Pittsburgh PA introduced Alumicolortrade a high-resolution graphics solution for aluminum signage recognition commemoration and way finding Using cutting-edge technology Matthews embeds a four-color image into the aluminum to create an anodized reproduction of unsurpassed durability Alumicolortrade products which are designed for interior and exterior installations are resistant to extreme weather conditions graffiti scuffing grease chemicals and UV rays Additionally they will not chip crack or peel
PSI ADDS ROUND FRAMES amp STRING PUZZLES Paramount Services Inc of Hollywood FL
introduced new round resin frames for sublimation tiles Choose from Coral or RopeStone with optional Unisubreg Hardboard Tiles They will also accept the Bison 8rdquo round glass Cutting Board Why be square when round may fit better PSI also introduced a new puzzle guaranteed to string you along These String Puzzles come with a Unisubreg Hardboard puzzle and the necessary string and beads along with instructions how to string it after printing Templates to aid in design are available for download in several formats For details call 800-455-7212 or visit wwwDye-Sublimation-Productscom
CRYSTALEDGEreg LUXORTM CRYSTAL AWARDSCrystalEdgereg Chicago IL presented the Luxortrade Series
This stunning cost-effective collection comprises a series of specially designed Rosewood and Black Piano finish bases Matte Mahogany and Matte Black bases and a precision cast Satin Nickel Finish Metal Base with your choice of brass or silver hardware for mounting our twelve unique shapes making this the most versatile award yet Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks are curved 14rdquo thick crystal clear glass with 316rdquo diameter holes for mounting The Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks feature a generous engraving area and there is plenty of room on the base to add an engraving plate
December 2007 35Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
XENETECHrsquoS NEW ENGRAVABLE GIFTSXenetech of Baton Rouge
LA introduced high quality engravable gift items at wholesale and quantity discounts The Xenetech collection provides a selection of gifts created for corporate recognition weddings births holidays anniversaries retirements birthdays special occasions or just expressing appreciation Items include money clips key chains book markers desk accessories quartz movement clocks flasks amp wine accessories entertainment gifts travel gifts genuine Swiss Army knives business card holders luggage tags silver-plated jewelry boxes keepsake gift boxes silver-plated banks and baby gifts The gift items are designed primarily for diamond drag burnishing and rotary engraving personalization
UNISUBrsquoS CHROMALUXE PHOTO PANELSChromaLuxe photo panels are an exciting new line
of sublimatable products from Unisub of Louisville KY These panels allow you to sell a completely finished photo product to your customers capturing some of the additional revenue (and profit) your customers now spend elsewhere on framing Available in a range of traditional photo sizes as well as exciting new shapes these panels can be joined together to create stunning photo displays -- perfect for a fireplace mantle l i b r a r y s h e l f or the top of an armoire Available in aluminum or MDF substrates
CorelDRAWPro IndexOne of our members in Michigan
requested that we put together an Index of all the articles wersquove published during the year
He prints out all the issues and puts them in binders but an Index would make it easy to reference specific articles We think itrsquos a good idea and wersquoll send it to all subscribers in January
Product Focus TopicsJanuary 2008 -- Signage Products esp Wide FormatFebruary 2008 -- Engraving Awards amp GiftsMarch 2008 -- Apparel ProductsApril 2008 -- Laser Wood Products
Coming in 2008
December 2007 36Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETSBy Donna M Gray CRM Opportunities
December ndash Time to Review December finds everyone on our team strategizing how to get out of our parking lot Our business sits right in the middle of an up-scale strip mall which sits right behind a huge shopping mall and right along the main road to a Target Superstore and other large malls We all know that from the day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday) until 2 weeks after the New Year there are great challenges to those of us who like to leave the building for lunch or run an errandhellipso we strategize We all know every secret shortcut to the bank the post office and the warehouse club What we donrsquot know is how to find the way to merge out of our own back alley into the constant flow of traffic that carries people to their end shopping destination Whew
The year-end review So this year Dave and I have decided to stay in at lunch and do our business strategizing instead Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup are good brain food for helping us to look at all the successful things we did last year as a company all the things we thought about doing but didnrsquot because the idea didnrsquot quite fit and all the things we put off until next year We do this kind of exercise every year end and it helps us to map out our strategy for the coming year In the process we identify any mistakes wersquove made wrong turns wersquove taken and we try to find the ldquowhat could have happened had everything gone rightrdquo
The value of making mistakes Albert Einstein said ldquoAnyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything newrdquo Dave has a couple of prints in his office of Abraham Lincoln that describe his mistakes in fact it took Lincoln eight tries to win the presidency Thomas Edison made mistakeshellipand yet he perseveredhellipotherwise wersquod by ldquocomputingrdquo by candlelight And Irsquove heard that Colonel
Sanders had a thousand rejections before he sold his first chicken recipe It would be nice to get to our year end business appraisals and find that wersquove made no mistakes but our business like most others doesnrsquot have that claim to fame My mother always took the high road with mistakes She always said that one should recognize the benefits of a mistake One should learn what good came from it use it to improve and use it to help motivate success the next time So December is the time to analyze everything that made up the past year and look for ways to make the New Year successful in every way
Making a plan Most advisors say that the first step toward business success after looking at a companyrsquos year ending history is to decide on exactly what you want to do going forward in the coming year Then comes mapping out the plan What will be done How will it get done Who will do what What resources will be used When will it get done Is the right equipment in place Is the space adequate Ask these and any other questions that could relate to creating a successful year then focus on the details and follow through Those two wordshellipfocus and follow throughhellipcould mean the difference between marginal and abundant success Simply stated success comes from what you do and the way you do ithellipin your customerrsquos perception Every business wants to have a good imagehellipa good reputation so dedication to having good communication skills is important especially in an industry that does custom work The goal is to be on the same page as our clients so we have to be good mind readers We have to also concentrate on our professionalism on our appearance on our presentation style and in the pride we take in producing a well-done project This
has worked in the past and will remain the same in the future
The extra mile Success has to be nurturedhellipthen it gets celebrated Sometimes sacrifices have to be made to get to the rewards At year end when we analyze how we got from Point A to Point B itrsquos interesting to note that we sometimes had to take detours and sometimes the road blocks called for sacrificehellipof time or money Sometimes the sacrifice came in the way of a sleepless night worrying if an order that was lost in delivery would be found and re-routed to us in time to make a clientrsquos deadline Someone (unknown) said ldquoA day of worry is more exhausting than a week of workrdquo Anyone in business could testify to that Part of success is going the extra milehellipeven if it results in a sleepless night Going the extra mile is worth all the paid advertising in the world on the road to success
December 2007 37Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETS
Donna Grayrsquos 2nd book Itrsquos All Relative Surviving amp Thriving in a Family Business was published in September 2007
It describes her quest to identify the keys to suc-cess for small business and family businesses in particular She interviewed top businesses nationwide and discovered five common qualities implemented by successful business owners Check it out at the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore wwwcoreldrawprocomAllBook-storehtm
Commitments made and kept Our team felt good about some commitments we made and kept this past year like
We used a daily ldquoto-dordquo list and we set priorities in order of importance When we finished a project we ldquocelebratedrdquo and then moved on quickly to the next job We built in some time for ldquostress reliefrdquo with morning meeting breaks This was especially good when treats were served since wersquove got some good bakers on our staff We didnrsquot ldquoscreenrdquo calls through voice mail We considered every call to be important We ldquodid it right the first timerdquo even though it sometimes took longer We tied up all the ldquoloose endsrdquo We became ldquocheerleadersrdquo for each other When one of us accomplished a goal we all applauded We all tried to deliver more than we promised This can be challenging sometimes when working with a difficult project We eliminated (or tried to eliminate) unnecessary procedures and we simplified our paper flow system We spent most of our time on high priority tasks We all worked on our delegation skills We were committed to not wasting time either our own or other peoplersquos
Goals that were lacking Now all those great things being put on paper reminds me that we also had some goals we didnrsquot quite succeed athellipbut wersquoll try harder next year
We didnrsquot always ldquogrouprdquo tasks togetherhelliplike going to the bank and the post office in one trip or answering mail when it gets opened It wasnrsquot always easy to avoid procrastination Some low priority chores got put off There were still times when we couldnrsquot find enough hours to finish the work Our ldquotoolsrdquo didnrsquot always get put away when we were through with a project even though this is Daversquos pet peeve
Conclusion Experts say that we have to actively create our success not wait for it to happen This coming year hopefully none of us will sit in the comfort zone waiting for the phone to ring Therersquos an old Chinese proverb that goes ldquoIt you continually give you will continually haverdquo Our team will go on being involved in community activities When time is spent on worthwhile projects outside the business opportunities come knocking at the front counter Besideshellipat yearrsquos endhellipit makes us feel really good about the help we gave on these projects
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since1977 She can be reached by email at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
December 2007 38Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
GRAPHICS NEWS NETWORKAll these news and information products and services are part of the
Graphics News Network developed for ACDRP The goal is ldquoAll the News All the Time mdash For the World of Graphicsrdquo
GRAPHICS NewsWireThe Graphics News Wire is the always live always updated source for graphics news mdash products equipment technology and more Make it (CorelDRAWProcomNewsPagehtm) your home page or favorite to gain access to Breaking news updated regularly New Classified Ads New Job Announcements Supplier SpecialsAll news is related to graphic productsQuickSourceTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive amp Easy-To-Use
Search Engine
It gives you one-click access to suppliers products phone numbers and live links to ACDRP Member Suppliers Itrsquos always up-to-date searchable by keyword and accessible from your desktop
Quick TnTTM
The Industryrsquos Newest Resource for Graphics Tips amp Templates
Gain access to a growing library of CorelDRAW tips and templates that will make your work easier
QuickLearnTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive and
Easy-To-Use Article Library
Gain access to hundreds of articles on graphics-related and business topics searchable by keyword
The Entrepreneurial Magazine for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro Magazine is delivered to you once a month in PDF format It features in-depth content that readers rave about including articles on how to use CorelDRAW how to apply CorelDRAW and how to profit from CorelDRAW
News Tips amp Resources for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month mdash about the 15th and 25th It brings you highly targeted content that you wonrsquot find elsewhere including CorelDRAW Tips extensive product news links and a calendar of shows and training
MARKET PLACE
Quality Engravable JewelryHand-crafted in New England
GIFTS amp ACCESSORIES FOR WOMEN AND MEN
John E Lepper Inc800-835-3623 Fax 508-222-2732
wwwjeleppercom
GenuineWhite-tone
Pewter amp Gold
Some Things Were Meant To Be In Etched in Stone
Call for a free color catalog
NampR International1155 Allgood Rd 13Marietta GA 30062
678-560-4088Fax 678-560-1157
Importers amp Wholesalers of MarbleOnyx
Gifts amp Accessories
JOIN TODAY
The worldrsquos only association for CorelDRAWreg Users
wwwcoreldrawprocomJoinhtm
Place an Ad for as little as $215 per month
Find out how by calling our Ad Representative John McDaniel II
541-990-6687
the entrepreneurial magazine
GET LISTED TODAY
Generate new businessby doing jobs for others
List your company in GSG the Digital Yellow Pages for the industry wwwcoreldrawprocomListGSGhtm
December 2007 39Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Louie Alvarez started in the industry working for one of the largest trophy shops in Central California and then opened one of the first retail laser engraving businesses He has given seminars and workshops on CorelDRAW and Laser for many years and has written for several publications He is now with Vytek Industrial Lasers and is based in Las Vegas NV He can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
Kathryn Arnold is the Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
Errol Barr has a wide range of experience in sales amp marketing eventually getting into laser systems in 1999 currently with Vytek Industrial Lasers He also sold extensively in the CNC router industry selling the machines as more of a business opportunity wrapped around the machine He can be reached by email at errolbarrgmailcom
Dave Demoret founded Prolink Graphic Services to help people understand and profit from learning CorelDRAW He has been in both the Flat Graphics Industry and the Decorating Graphics Industry for 30 years He has written articles for several publications is a Corel Training Partner and conducts workshops nationwide and online He is the author of several CD Instructional programs on CorelDRAW He can be reached at 765-DO COLOR (362-6567) or davedprolinkgscom
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since 1977 She has presented seminars on a variety of topics nationwide and has won many marketing awards She is the author of two books on family business and can be reached at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
Bill Leek is a color consultant for JBL Graphics in Houston TX and has over 30 years experience in computer engineering and graphics design He has developed several lines of color imprintable products and does testing on a variety of products for different manufacturers He can be reached at wfleekjblgraphicscom or 281-970-6677
Jeff McDaniel is the owner of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon He worked as a journeyman machinist before getting into the graphic products business Creative Graphic offers laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials Contact him at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
John McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry He worked for many years with computers in electronic data processing and pioneered the use of CorelDraw for engraving applications He owned a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years and writes about hardware design software laser engraving sublimation and more He is a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals For information on training and more call 541-967-4271 or write to mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
Judy McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry Her background includes many forms of art and retail sales as well as the operation of a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years She is a regular columnist on sandblasting sublimation and diversifying business as well as a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals She can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
David Milisock is president of Custom Graphic Technologies Inc in Pennsylvania He has been in the print production business since 1975 and specializes in professional support for CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite Output includes computer-to-plate processes for all commercial digital front-end applications as well as Postscript-compliant graphic applications He offers technical and color management support for all RIP-driven corporate digital output systems He can be reached at 717-509-3523 or davidmilisockcomcastnet
Deborah Sexton former editor of Impressions Magazine has been in the apparel graphics industry since 1981 She currently does marketing and public relations for apparel graphics companies and is a columnist for several industry publications She can be reached at dsextonsbcglobalnet
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at 916-567-1867
December 2007 40Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
by Otis Veteto
Traveling Tidbits
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the
RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of
the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Itrsquos a fun and
informative column focusing on the human-interest side of
the industry Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars
for industry organizations and some of that knowledge
will rub off as well He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at
916-567-1867
Reps Volunteers People Skills amp Agreements
RS Owens Southeast RepFirst of all a Traveling Tidbits welcome to
the newest member of the RS Owens Company sales team Anita Brennan Anita is the new Regional Sales Manager for the Southeast She will be calling on you folks in Alabama Tennessee Mississippi Florida Georgia North Carolina and South Carolina Anita has worked in all phases of our industry as a retailer (her own business) multi-line rep and now as a regional sales manager When I asked Anita what she likes to do when not on the road she told me she likes to spend time with her two-year-old granddaughter Kaylee Welcome to the RS Owens family Anita Brennan
Railroad Museum VolunteerI know Christmas is the time for giving
but some people give all year long I was talking recently with Elias Athanasiou whose regular job is a server in a restaurant my wife and I frequent when I am in Sacramento Elias has been associated as a volunteer with the California State Railroad Museum for about 16 years Every Saturday during the ldquorunning seasonrdquo April-September Elias can be found working as a volunteer on the Steam Engine excursion train that runs for 6 miles along the top of the levee on the Sacramento River The ride takes about 40 minutes Elias is the Engineer now but has worked as conductor and fireman in his tenure with the train It is people like Elias Athanasiou that make this a much better world A huge Traveling Tidbits SALUTE You can find out more about the Railroad Museum at wwwcsrmorg
Real People SkillsThis next tidbit is from the PPAI Promotional
Consultant Today The author is Roy Chitwood president of Max Sacks International in Seattle Wash It is entitled To Shine Polish Your People Skills
ldquoPeople buy not because they understand your product or service but because they feel that you understand them People buy emotionally As a professional salesperson you need to be more people-oriented not product centered Here are seven quick and easy techniques to improve your people skills
SMILE It is the universal sign of friendship in any language The Chinese have a proverb ldquoA man who cannot smile should not open a storerdquo Think about that Give a smile and you will get a smile in return
DEVELOP A GENUINE INTEREST IN OTHERS When you have sincere interest it shows Look directly at people when they are talking to you Let your facial expression register your interest Ask good open-ended questions to let people know that you are interested in what they say
TALK IN TERMS OF THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS INTERESTS You will never meet anyone who doesnrsquot have time to talk about what they want to talk about Encourage your prospect to discuss his or interests rather than launching into a discussion about yourself
USE THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS NAME Using a name builds personal rapport and shows you are listening with respect Be careful about overusing the personrsquos name
GIVE COMPLIMENTS Everyone loves a compliment when it is genuine Make a
concentrated effort to give at least 3 honest compliments every day of your life You will be amazed at what it will do for your relationships
LISTEN Listening is the greatest compliment you can pay When you assume the role of the listener it relaxes the sales climate As you listen you are demonstrating that you truly care and you are genuinely interested in what he or she has to say
MAKE THE OTHER PERSON FEEL IMPORTANT When you are sincerely impressed by something the other person has achieved or owns let them know it Understand that fundamentally every person is important and treat them accordingly
Personal comment When I finished reading this I thought to myself ldquoThese make sense in our everyday life not just in salesrdquo
The Third AgreementI will close with the 3rd step from the book
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel RuizDONrsquoT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS Find the
courage to ask questions and to express what you really want Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings sadness and drama
Sounds a little like what I wrote at the beginning of the column doesnrsquot it
Thatrsquos all for now Remember to save some time for yourself and your family And when you travel please travel safe
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE
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December 2007 32Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
KISSCUT TECHNOLOGIESrsquo SELF-WEEDING INKJET TRANSFER PAPER
Kiss Cut Technologies Ltd Newcastle UK has addressed the ldquopolymer windowrdquo issue and developed the worldrsquos first self-weeding inkjet transfer paper for printing to textiles In simple terms only the areas of their patented transfer paper that have been printed will be transferred to the garment when heat pressed A Kiss Cut print can be further embellished with specialized textile foils so in effect a digital foiling method is now available Foil is heat pressed onto the garment and when peeled the foil only sticks to the image areas
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW PHOTOPLAS-TIC MATERIALLaserSketchcom of Lemont IL a leading supplier of
LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble Super Black Granite and Black Onyx Jewelry introduces their new PhotoPlas-Tic This is a new material developed for front andor reverse laser engraving on micro surface impact acrylic plastic It is a premium plastic for laser engraving that is UV stable ideal for photo badges plaques trophies signage and high-end awards Each sheet of PhotoPlas-Tic is specially designed for a crisp clean burn and ultra-fine laser lettering logo and vector output For details call 630-243-6360 or visit wwwlasersketchcom
THEMAGICTOUCH LAUNCHES WOW TRANSFER PAPERTheMagicTouch USA launched WoW Professional
71 transfer paper which requires no weeding or profile cutting and the vibrant colors are achieved using digital laser technology making it great for short runs It uses PolymationTM which incorporates a newly designed catalyst that provides the ultimate compatibility with all generations of dry toner material According to the company PolymationTM is the next generation of laser heat transfer Sublimation requires the substrate to have a specialty receiving polymer coating to absorb the pigments but PolymationTM delivers everything at once polymer pigments and catalyst
December 2007 33Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
offers distinct advantages over any other process It allows for an unlimited number of colors and very fine detail which is impossible with screen printing or embroidery And the cost does not go up as colors are added These new specialty materials are so advanced they can be heat sealed to all kinds of fabrics and hot new multimedia designs can be easily done
VAPOR APPAREL LAUNCHES VAPOR ART VOLUME 1V a p o r A p p a r e l
a s u b s i d i a r y o f SourceSubstrates LLC Charleston SC announces the launch of Vapor Art - Volume 1 a collection of 127 vector graphics for digital sublimation and general use The diverse collection
of high-quality graphics comes after several years of customers requesting access to the companyrsquos sample art at trade shows and educational events The Collection of art includes vector drawings and JPGs for everything from mountain biking and snowboarding to yoga and cheerleading
BLANK PRODUCTS
COLORADO HEIRLOOMrsquoS COLOR LACQUERED FRAMES
Colorado Heirloom Inc of Loveland CO introduced their new Color Lacquered Frames This is an option to add color your unique creations It is not color fill Colored lacquer is sprayed on their high quality wood frames Because
INKTRA STRETCH TRANSFER PAPER FROM STAHLSrsquoStahlsrsquo based in St Clair
Shores MI adds InkTratrade Stretch a flexible transfer paper A revolutionary product InkTratrade Stretch provides a soft hand with an amazing stretch and recovery feature InkTratrade Stretch lets you take your favorite photo or graphic design and apply it to light colored or white hats shirts bags and more for a long lasting and completely personalized garment The highly stretchable paper can be applied to cotton polycotton blends spandex and Lycrareg
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo GOOF-PROOF TRANSFERSWant the look of screen
printing without the hassle With Goof Proofreg transfers offered by Transfer Express of Mentor OH you can custom order a transfer that has the popular athletic feel and will apply in a blazing four seconds Ordering is done step-by-step online and you can customize hundreds of designs You choose your
typeface colors and size Once your design is just the way you want it you can print it out to show a customer for approval Or Transfer Express can print from your artwork The minimum order is only five pieces and your one-color order ships in one to three working days
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo NEW FULL-COLOR DIGI PRINTSApparel decorators can now offer full-color designs on light
and dark apparel made of virtually any type of fabric without the hassle or minimums of screen printing with new state-of-the-art heat transfer technology called Digi Printstrade Offered through Transfer Express this revolutionary new method of decorating
December 2007 34Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
lacquer is used instead of paint any design can be lasered on these frames The possibilities are endless These colorful creations are offered in two different designs -- a designer frame and a frame with an insert Call 970-667-4222 or visit wwwcoloradoheirloomcom
CONDE ADDS PET MATS FOR SUBLIMATIONCondeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added food bowl placemats and litter box
mats to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Favorite photographs and pet-related artwork can be transferred to the
mats to create fun products for individual pet lovers or for the pet industry such as pet stores veterinarians groomers boarding facilities and animal adoption groups Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing Call Conde at 800-826-6332
CONDE INTRODUCES FABRIC PATCHES FOR SUBLIMATION
Condeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added fabric patches to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Custom decorators can now produce unique full-color patches that will impress organizations businesses clubs sports teams sports enthusiasts and individuals alike -- without the use of embroidery Heat seal patches are great for identification marketing awards trade show promotions or to commemorate special events Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing or call 800-826-6332
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW LASERSLABLaserSketch of Lemont IL Internationally known for
their LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble and Super Black Granite announces LaserSlab Super Black Granite at 4rsquo x 8rsquo x 7mm and 4rsquo x 4rsquo x 7mm weighting in at just over 2 pounds per square foot The surface of the LaserSlab Granite has the sheen of a black mirror The reverse side features epoxy fiberglass backing to give structure integrity to the ultra-lite granite sheet All may be viewed wwwlasersketchcom or by calling LaserSketch 630-243-6360
MATTHEWS INTRODUCES ALUMICOLORTM
Matthews International Corp of Pittsburgh PA introduced Alumicolortrade a high-resolution graphics solution for aluminum signage recognition commemoration and way finding Using cutting-edge technology Matthews embeds a four-color image into the aluminum to create an anodized reproduction of unsurpassed durability Alumicolortrade products which are designed for interior and exterior installations are resistant to extreme weather conditions graffiti scuffing grease chemicals and UV rays Additionally they will not chip crack or peel
PSI ADDS ROUND FRAMES amp STRING PUZZLES Paramount Services Inc of Hollywood FL
introduced new round resin frames for sublimation tiles Choose from Coral or RopeStone with optional Unisubreg Hardboard Tiles They will also accept the Bison 8rdquo round glass Cutting Board Why be square when round may fit better PSI also introduced a new puzzle guaranteed to string you along These String Puzzles come with a Unisubreg Hardboard puzzle and the necessary string and beads along with instructions how to string it after printing Templates to aid in design are available for download in several formats For details call 800-455-7212 or visit wwwDye-Sublimation-Productscom
CRYSTALEDGEreg LUXORTM CRYSTAL AWARDSCrystalEdgereg Chicago IL presented the Luxortrade Series
This stunning cost-effective collection comprises a series of specially designed Rosewood and Black Piano finish bases Matte Mahogany and Matte Black bases and a precision cast Satin Nickel Finish Metal Base with your choice of brass or silver hardware for mounting our twelve unique shapes making this the most versatile award yet Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks are curved 14rdquo thick crystal clear glass with 316rdquo diameter holes for mounting The Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks feature a generous engraving area and there is plenty of room on the base to add an engraving plate
December 2007 35Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
XENETECHrsquoS NEW ENGRAVABLE GIFTSXenetech of Baton Rouge
LA introduced high quality engravable gift items at wholesale and quantity discounts The Xenetech collection provides a selection of gifts created for corporate recognition weddings births holidays anniversaries retirements birthdays special occasions or just expressing appreciation Items include money clips key chains book markers desk accessories quartz movement clocks flasks amp wine accessories entertainment gifts travel gifts genuine Swiss Army knives business card holders luggage tags silver-plated jewelry boxes keepsake gift boxes silver-plated banks and baby gifts The gift items are designed primarily for diamond drag burnishing and rotary engraving personalization
UNISUBrsquoS CHROMALUXE PHOTO PANELSChromaLuxe photo panels are an exciting new line
of sublimatable products from Unisub of Louisville KY These panels allow you to sell a completely finished photo product to your customers capturing some of the additional revenue (and profit) your customers now spend elsewhere on framing Available in a range of traditional photo sizes as well as exciting new shapes these panels can be joined together to create stunning photo displays -- perfect for a fireplace mantle l i b r a r y s h e l f or the top of an armoire Available in aluminum or MDF substrates
CorelDRAWPro IndexOne of our members in Michigan
requested that we put together an Index of all the articles wersquove published during the year
He prints out all the issues and puts them in binders but an Index would make it easy to reference specific articles We think itrsquos a good idea and wersquoll send it to all subscribers in January
Product Focus TopicsJanuary 2008 -- Signage Products esp Wide FormatFebruary 2008 -- Engraving Awards amp GiftsMarch 2008 -- Apparel ProductsApril 2008 -- Laser Wood Products
Coming in 2008
December 2007 36Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETSBy Donna M Gray CRM Opportunities
December ndash Time to Review December finds everyone on our team strategizing how to get out of our parking lot Our business sits right in the middle of an up-scale strip mall which sits right behind a huge shopping mall and right along the main road to a Target Superstore and other large malls We all know that from the day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday) until 2 weeks after the New Year there are great challenges to those of us who like to leave the building for lunch or run an errandhellipso we strategize We all know every secret shortcut to the bank the post office and the warehouse club What we donrsquot know is how to find the way to merge out of our own back alley into the constant flow of traffic that carries people to their end shopping destination Whew
The year-end review So this year Dave and I have decided to stay in at lunch and do our business strategizing instead Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup are good brain food for helping us to look at all the successful things we did last year as a company all the things we thought about doing but didnrsquot because the idea didnrsquot quite fit and all the things we put off until next year We do this kind of exercise every year end and it helps us to map out our strategy for the coming year In the process we identify any mistakes wersquove made wrong turns wersquove taken and we try to find the ldquowhat could have happened had everything gone rightrdquo
The value of making mistakes Albert Einstein said ldquoAnyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything newrdquo Dave has a couple of prints in his office of Abraham Lincoln that describe his mistakes in fact it took Lincoln eight tries to win the presidency Thomas Edison made mistakeshellipand yet he perseveredhellipotherwise wersquod by ldquocomputingrdquo by candlelight And Irsquove heard that Colonel
Sanders had a thousand rejections before he sold his first chicken recipe It would be nice to get to our year end business appraisals and find that wersquove made no mistakes but our business like most others doesnrsquot have that claim to fame My mother always took the high road with mistakes She always said that one should recognize the benefits of a mistake One should learn what good came from it use it to improve and use it to help motivate success the next time So December is the time to analyze everything that made up the past year and look for ways to make the New Year successful in every way
Making a plan Most advisors say that the first step toward business success after looking at a companyrsquos year ending history is to decide on exactly what you want to do going forward in the coming year Then comes mapping out the plan What will be done How will it get done Who will do what What resources will be used When will it get done Is the right equipment in place Is the space adequate Ask these and any other questions that could relate to creating a successful year then focus on the details and follow through Those two wordshellipfocus and follow throughhellipcould mean the difference between marginal and abundant success Simply stated success comes from what you do and the way you do ithellipin your customerrsquos perception Every business wants to have a good imagehellipa good reputation so dedication to having good communication skills is important especially in an industry that does custom work The goal is to be on the same page as our clients so we have to be good mind readers We have to also concentrate on our professionalism on our appearance on our presentation style and in the pride we take in producing a well-done project This
has worked in the past and will remain the same in the future
The extra mile Success has to be nurturedhellipthen it gets celebrated Sometimes sacrifices have to be made to get to the rewards At year end when we analyze how we got from Point A to Point B itrsquos interesting to note that we sometimes had to take detours and sometimes the road blocks called for sacrificehellipof time or money Sometimes the sacrifice came in the way of a sleepless night worrying if an order that was lost in delivery would be found and re-routed to us in time to make a clientrsquos deadline Someone (unknown) said ldquoA day of worry is more exhausting than a week of workrdquo Anyone in business could testify to that Part of success is going the extra milehellipeven if it results in a sleepless night Going the extra mile is worth all the paid advertising in the world on the road to success
December 2007 37Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETS
Donna Grayrsquos 2nd book Itrsquos All Relative Surviving amp Thriving in a Family Business was published in September 2007
It describes her quest to identify the keys to suc-cess for small business and family businesses in particular She interviewed top businesses nationwide and discovered five common qualities implemented by successful business owners Check it out at the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore wwwcoreldrawprocomAllBook-storehtm
Commitments made and kept Our team felt good about some commitments we made and kept this past year like
We used a daily ldquoto-dordquo list and we set priorities in order of importance When we finished a project we ldquocelebratedrdquo and then moved on quickly to the next job We built in some time for ldquostress reliefrdquo with morning meeting breaks This was especially good when treats were served since wersquove got some good bakers on our staff We didnrsquot ldquoscreenrdquo calls through voice mail We considered every call to be important We ldquodid it right the first timerdquo even though it sometimes took longer We tied up all the ldquoloose endsrdquo We became ldquocheerleadersrdquo for each other When one of us accomplished a goal we all applauded We all tried to deliver more than we promised This can be challenging sometimes when working with a difficult project We eliminated (or tried to eliminate) unnecessary procedures and we simplified our paper flow system We spent most of our time on high priority tasks We all worked on our delegation skills We were committed to not wasting time either our own or other peoplersquos
Goals that were lacking Now all those great things being put on paper reminds me that we also had some goals we didnrsquot quite succeed athellipbut wersquoll try harder next year
We didnrsquot always ldquogrouprdquo tasks togetherhelliplike going to the bank and the post office in one trip or answering mail when it gets opened It wasnrsquot always easy to avoid procrastination Some low priority chores got put off There were still times when we couldnrsquot find enough hours to finish the work Our ldquotoolsrdquo didnrsquot always get put away when we were through with a project even though this is Daversquos pet peeve
Conclusion Experts say that we have to actively create our success not wait for it to happen This coming year hopefully none of us will sit in the comfort zone waiting for the phone to ring Therersquos an old Chinese proverb that goes ldquoIt you continually give you will continually haverdquo Our team will go on being involved in community activities When time is spent on worthwhile projects outside the business opportunities come knocking at the front counter Besideshellipat yearrsquos endhellipit makes us feel really good about the help we gave on these projects
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since1977 She can be reached by email at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
December 2007 38Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
GRAPHICS NEWS NETWORKAll these news and information products and services are part of the
Graphics News Network developed for ACDRP The goal is ldquoAll the News All the Time mdash For the World of Graphicsrdquo
GRAPHICS NewsWireThe Graphics News Wire is the always live always updated source for graphics news mdash products equipment technology and more Make it (CorelDRAWProcomNewsPagehtm) your home page or favorite to gain access to Breaking news updated regularly New Classified Ads New Job Announcements Supplier SpecialsAll news is related to graphic productsQuickSourceTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive amp Easy-To-Use
Search Engine
It gives you one-click access to suppliers products phone numbers and live links to ACDRP Member Suppliers Itrsquos always up-to-date searchable by keyword and accessible from your desktop
Quick TnTTM
The Industryrsquos Newest Resource for Graphics Tips amp Templates
Gain access to a growing library of CorelDRAW tips and templates that will make your work easier
QuickLearnTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive and
Easy-To-Use Article Library
Gain access to hundreds of articles on graphics-related and business topics searchable by keyword
The Entrepreneurial Magazine for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro Magazine is delivered to you once a month in PDF format It features in-depth content that readers rave about including articles on how to use CorelDRAW how to apply CorelDRAW and how to profit from CorelDRAW
News Tips amp Resources for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month mdash about the 15th and 25th It brings you highly targeted content that you wonrsquot find elsewhere including CorelDRAW Tips extensive product news links and a calendar of shows and training
MARKET PLACE
Quality Engravable JewelryHand-crafted in New England
GIFTS amp ACCESSORIES FOR WOMEN AND MEN
John E Lepper Inc800-835-3623 Fax 508-222-2732
wwwjeleppercom
GenuineWhite-tone
Pewter amp Gold
Some Things Were Meant To Be In Etched in Stone
Call for a free color catalog
NampR International1155 Allgood Rd 13Marietta GA 30062
678-560-4088Fax 678-560-1157
Importers amp Wholesalers of MarbleOnyx
Gifts amp Accessories
JOIN TODAY
The worldrsquos only association for CorelDRAWreg Users
wwwcoreldrawprocomJoinhtm
Place an Ad for as little as $215 per month
Find out how by calling our Ad Representative John McDaniel II
541-990-6687
the entrepreneurial magazine
GET LISTED TODAY
Generate new businessby doing jobs for others
List your company in GSG the Digital Yellow Pages for the industry wwwcoreldrawprocomListGSGhtm
December 2007 39Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Louie Alvarez started in the industry working for one of the largest trophy shops in Central California and then opened one of the first retail laser engraving businesses He has given seminars and workshops on CorelDRAW and Laser for many years and has written for several publications He is now with Vytek Industrial Lasers and is based in Las Vegas NV He can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
Kathryn Arnold is the Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
Errol Barr has a wide range of experience in sales amp marketing eventually getting into laser systems in 1999 currently with Vytek Industrial Lasers He also sold extensively in the CNC router industry selling the machines as more of a business opportunity wrapped around the machine He can be reached by email at errolbarrgmailcom
Dave Demoret founded Prolink Graphic Services to help people understand and profit from learning CorelDRAW He has been in both the Flat Graphics Industry and the Decorating Graphics Industry for 30 years He has written articles for several publications is a Corel Training Partner and conducts workshops nationwide and online He is the author of several CD Instructional programs on CorelDRAW He can be reached at 765-DO COLOR (362-6567) or davedprolinkgscom
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since 1977 She has presented seminars on a variety of topics nationwide and has won many marketing awards She is the author of two books on family business and can be reached at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
Bill Leek is a color consultant for JBL Graphics in Houston TX and has over 30 years experience in computer engineering and graphics design He has developed several lines of color imprintable products and does testing on a variety of products for different manufacturers He can be reached at wfleekjblgraphicscom or 281-970-6677
Jeff McDaniel is the owner of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon He worked as a journeyman machinist before getting into the graphic products business Creative Graphic offers laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials Contact him at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
John McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry He worked for many years with computers in electronic data processing and pioneered the use of CorelDraw for engraving applications He owned a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years and writes about hardware design software laser engraving sublimation and more He is a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals For information on training and more call 541-967-4271 or write to mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
Judy McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry Her background includes many forms of art and retail sales as well as the operation of a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years She is a regular columnist on sandblasting sublimation and diversifying business as well as a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals She can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
David Milisock is president of Custom Graphic Technologies Inc in Pennsylvania He has been in the print production business since 1975 and specializes in professional support for CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite Output includes computer-to-plate processes for all commercial digital front-end applications as well as Postscript-compliant graphic applications He offers technical and color management support for all RIP-driven corporate digital output systems He can be reached at 717-509-3523 or davidmilisockcomcastnet
Deborah Sexton former editor of Impressions Magazine has been in the apparel graphics industry since 1981 She currently does marketing and public relations for apparel graphics companies and is a columnist for several industry publications She can be reached at dsextonsbcglobalnet
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at 916-567-1867
December 2007 40Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
by Otis Veteto
Traveling Tidbits
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the
RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of
the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Itrsquos a fun and
informative column focusing on the human-interest side of
the industry Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars
for industry organizations and some of that knowledge
will rub off as well He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at
916-567-1867
Reps Volunteers People Skills amp Agreements
RS Owens Southeast RepFirst of all a Traveling Tidbits welcome to
the newest member of the RS Owens Company sales team Anita Brennan Anita is the new Regional Sales Manager for the Southeast She will be calling on you folks in Alabama Tennessee Mississippi Florida Georgia North Carolina and South Carolina Anita has worked in all phases of our industry as a retailer (her own business) multi-line rep and now as a regional sales manager When I asked Anita what she likes to do when not on the road she told me she likes to spend time with her two-year-old granddaughter Kaylee Welcome to the RS Owens family Anita Brennan
Railroad Museum VolunteerI know Christmas is the time for giving
but some people give all year long I was talking recently with Elias Athanasiou whose regular job is a server in a restaurant my wife and I frequent when I am in Sacramento Elias has been associated as a volunteer with the California State Railroad Museum for about 16 years Every Saturday during the ldquorunning seasonrdquo April-September Elias can be found working as a volunteer on the Steam Engine excursion train that runs for 6 miles along the top of the levee on the Sacramento River The ride takes about 40 minutes Elias is the Engineer now but has worked as conductor and fireman in his tenure with the train It is people like Elias Athanasiou that make this a much better world A huge Traveling Tidbits SALUTE You can find out more about the Railroad Museum at wwwcsrmorg
Real People SkillsThis next tidbit is from the PPAI Promotional
Consultant Today The author is Roy Chitwood president of Max Sacks International in Seattle Wash It is entitled To Shine Polish Your People Skills
ldquoPeople buy not because they understand your product or service but because they feel that you understand them People buy emotionally As a professional salesperson you need to be more people-oriented not product centered Here are seven quick and easy techniques to improve your people skills
SMILE It is the universal sign of friendship in any language The Chinese have a proverb ldquoA man who cannot smile should not open a storerdquo Think about that Give a smile and you will get a smile in return
DEVELOP A GENUINE INTEREST IN OTHERS When you have sincere interest it shows Look directly at people when they are talking to you Let your facial expression register your interest Ask good open-ended questions to let people know that you are interested in what they say
TALK IN TERMS OF THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS INTERESTS You will never meet anyone who doesnrsquot have time to talk about what they want to talk about Encourage your prospect to discuss his or interests rather than launching into a discussion about yourself
USE THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS NAME Using a name builds personal rapport and shows you are listening with respect Be careful about overusing the personrsquos name
GIVE COMPLIMENTS Everyone loves a compliment when it is genuine Make a
concentrated effort to give at least 3 honest compliments every day of your life You will be amazed at what it will do for your relationships
LISTEN Listening is the greatest compliment you can pay When you assume the role of the listener it relaxes the sales climate As you listen you are demonstrating that you truly care and you are genuinely interested in what he or she has to say
MAKE THE OTHER PERSON FEEL IMPORTANT When you are sincerely impressed by something the other person has achieved or owns let them know it Understand that fundamentally every person is important and treat them accordingly
Personal comment When I finished reading this I thought to myself ldquoThese make sense in our everyday life not just in salesrdquo
The Third AgreementI will close with the 3rd step from the book
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel RuizDONrsquoT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS Find the
courage to ask questions and to express what you really want Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings sadness and drama
Sounds a little like what I wrote at the beginning of the column doesnrsquot it
Thatrsquos all for now Remember to save some time for yourself and your family And when you travel please travel safe
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE
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December 2007 33Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
offers distinct advantages over any other process It allows for an unlimited number of colors and very fine detail which is impossible with screen printing or embroidery And the cost does not go up as colors are added These new specialty materials are so advanced they can be heat sealed to all kinds of fabrics and hot new multimedia designs can be easily done
VAPOR APPAREL LAUNCHES VAPOR ART VOLUME 1V a p o r A p p a r e l
a s u b s i d i a r y o f SourceSubstrates LLC Charleston SC announces the launch of Vapor Art - Volume 1 a collection of 127 vector graphics for digital sublimation and general use The diverse collection
of high-quality graphics comes after several years of customers requesting access to the companyrsquos sample art at trade shows and educational events The Collection of art includes vector drawings and JPGs for everything from mountain biking and snowboarding to yoga and cheerleading
BLANK PRODUCTS
COLORADO HEIRLOOMrsquoS COLOR LACQUERED FRAMES
Colorado Heirloom Inc of Loveland CO introduced their new Color Lacquered Frames This is an option to add color your unique creations It is not color fill Colored lacquer is sprayed on their high quality wood frames Because
INKTRA STRETCH TRANSFER PAPER FROM STAHLSrsquoStahlsrsquo based in St Clair
Shores MI adds InkTratrade Stretch a flexible transfer paper A revolutionary product InkTratrade Stretch provides a soft hand with an amazing stretch and recovery feature InkTratrade Stretch lets you take your favorite photo or graphic design and apply it to light colored or white hats shirts bags and more for a long lasting and completely personalized garment The highly stretchable paper can be applied to cotton polycotton blends spandex and Lycrareg
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo GOOF-PROOF TRANSFERSWant the look of screen
printing without the hassle With Goof Proofreg transfers offered by Transfer Express of Mentor OH you can custom order a transfer that has the popular athletic feel and will apply in a blazing four seconds Ordering is done step-by-step online and you can customize hundreds of designs You choose your
typeface colors and size Once your design is just the way you want it you can print it out to show a customer for approval Or Transfer Express can print from your artwork The minimum order is only five pieces and your one-color order ships in one to three working days
TRANSFER EXPRESSrsquo NEW FULL-COLOR DIGI PRINTSApparel decorators can now offer full-color designs on light
and dark apparel made of virtually any type of fabric without the hassle or minimums of screen printing with new state-of-the-art heat transfer technology called Digi Printstrade Offered through Transfer Express this revolutionary new method of decorating
December 2007 34Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
lacquer is used instead of paint any design can be lasered on these frames The possibilities are endless These colorful creations are offered in two different designs -- a designer frame and a frame with an insert Call 970-667-4222 or visit wwwcoloradoheirloomcom
CONDE ADDS PET MATS FOR SUBLIMATIONCondeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added food bowl placemats and litter box
mats to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Favorite photographs and pet-related artwork can be transferred to the
mats to create fun products for individual pet lovers or for the pet industry such as pet stores veterinarians groomers boarding facilities and animal adoption groups Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing Call Conde at 800-826-6332
CONDE INTRODUCES FABRIC PATCHES FOR SUBLIMATION
Condeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added fabric patches to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Custom decorators can now produce unique full-color patches that will impress organizations businesses clubs sports teams sports enthusiasts and individuals alike -- without the use of embroidery Heat seal patches are great for identification marketing awards trade show promotions or to commemorate special events Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing or call 800-826-6332
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW LASERSLABLaserSketch of Lemont IL Internationally known for
their LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble and Super Black Granite announces LaserSlab Super Black Granite at 4rsquo x 8rsquo x 7mm and 4rsquo x 4rsquo x 7mm weighting in at just over 2 pounds per square foot The surface of the LaserSlab Granite has the sheen of a black mirror The reverse side features epoxy fiberglass backing to give structure integrity to the ultra-lite granite sheet All may be viewed wwwlasersketchcom or by calling LaserSketch 630-243-6360
MATTHEWS INTRODUCES ALUMICOLORTM
Matthews International Corp of Pittsburgh PA introduced Alumicolortrade a high-resolution graphics solution for aluminum signage recognition commemoration and way finding Using cutting-edge technology Matthews embeds a four-color image into the aluminum to create an anodized reproduction of unsurpassed durability Alumicolortrade products which are designed for interior and exterior installations are resistant to extreme weather conditions graffiti scuffing grease chemicals and UV rays Additionally they will not chip crack or peel
PSI ADDS ROUND FRAMES amp STRING PUZZLES Paramount Services Inc of Hollywood FL
introduced new round resin frames for sublimation tiles Choose from Coral or RopeStone with optional Unisubreg Hardboard Tiles They will also accept the Bison 8rdquo round glass Cutting Board Why be square when round may fit better PSI also introduced a new puzzle guaranteed to string you along These String Puzzles come with a Unisubreg Hardboard puzzle and the necessary string and beads along with instructions how to string it after printing Templates to aid in design are available for download in several formats For details call 800-455-7212 or visit wwwDye-Sublimation-Productscom
CRYSTALEDGEreg LUXORTM CRYSTAL AWARDSCrystalEdgereg Chicago IL presented the Luxortrade Series
This stunning cost-effective collection comprises a series of specially designed Rosewood and Black Piano finish bases Matte Mahogany and Matte Black bases and a precision cast Satin Nickel Finish Metal Base with your choice of brass or silver hardware for mounting our twelve unique shapes making this the most versatile award yet Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks are curved 14rdquo thick crystal clear glass with 316rdquo diameter holes for mounting The Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks feature a generous engraving area and there is plenty of room on the base to add an engraving plate
December 2007 35Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
XENETECHrsquoS NEW ENGRAVABLE GIFTSXenetech of Baton Rouge
LA introduced high quality engravable gift items at wholesale and quantity discounts The Xenetech collection provides a selection of gifts created for corporate recognition weddings births holidays anniversaries retirements birthdays special occasions or just expressing appreciation Items include money clips key chains book markers desk accessories quartz movement clocks flasks amp wine accessories entertainment gifts travel gifts genuine Swiss Army knives business card holders luggage tags silver-plated jewelry boxes keepsake gift boxes silver-plated banks and baby gifts The gift items are designed primarily for diamond drag burnishing and rotary engraving personalization
UNISUBrsquoS CHROMALUXE PHOTO PANELSChromaLuxe photo panels are an exciting new line
of sublimatable products from Unisub of Louisville KY These panels allow you to sell a completely finished photo product to your customers capturing some of the additional revenue (and profit) your customers now spend elsewhere on framing Available in a range of traditional photo sizes as well as exciting new shapes these panels can be joined together to create stunning photo displays -- perfect for a fireplace mantle l i b r a r y s h e l f or the top of an armoire Available in aluminum or MDF substrates
CorelDRAWPro IndexOne of our members in Michigan
requested that we put together an Index of all the articles wersquove published during the year
He prints out all the issues and puts them in binders but an Index would make it easy to reference specific articles We think itrsquos a good idea and wersquoll send it to all subscribers in January
Product Focus TopicsJanuary 2008 -- Signage Products esp Wide FormatFebruary 2008 -- Engraving Awards amp GiftsMarch 2008 -- Apparel ProductsApril 2008 -- Laser Wood Products
Coming in 2008
December 2007 36Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETSBy Donna M Gray CRM Opportunities
December ndash Time to Review December finds everyone on our team strategizing how to get out of our parking lot Our business sits right in the middle of an up-scale strip mall which sits right behind a huge shopping mall and right along the main road to a Target Superstore and other large malls We all know that from the day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday) until 2 weeks after the New Year there are great challenges to those of us who like to leave the building for lunch or run an errandhellipso we strategize We all know every secret shortcut to the bank the post office and the warehouse club What we donrsquot know is how to find the way to merge out of our own back alley into the constant flow of traffic that carries people to their end shopping destination Whew
The year-end review So this year Dave and I have decided to stay in at lunch and do our business strategizing instead Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup are good brain food for helping us to look at all the successful things we did last year as a company all the things we thought about doing but didnrsquot because the idea didnrsquot quite fit and all the things we put off until next year We do this kind of exercise every year end and it helps us to map out our strategy for the coming year In the process we identify any mistakes wersquove made wrong turns wersquove taken and we try to find the ldquowhat could have happened had everything gone rightrdquo
The value of making mistakes Albert Einstein said ldquoAnyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything newrdquo Dave has a couple of prints in his office of Abraham Lincoln that describe his mistakes in fact it took Lincoln eight tries to win the presidency Thomas Edison made mistakeshellipand yet he perseveredhellipotherwise wersquod by ldquocomputingrdquo by candlelight And Irsquove heard that Colonel
Sanders had a thousand rejections before he sold his first chicken recipe It would be nice to get to our year end business appraisals and find that wersquove made no mistakes but our business like most others doesnrsquot have that claim to fame My mother always took the high road with mistakes She always said that one should recognize the benefits of a mistake One should learn what good came from it use it to improve and use it to help motivate success the next time So December is the time to analyze everything that made up the past year and look for ways to make the New Year successful in every way
Making a plan Most advisors say that the first step toward business success after looking at a companyrsquos year ending history is to decide on exactly what you want to do going forward in the coming year Then comes mapping out the plan What will be done How will it get done Who will do what What resources will be used When will it get done Is the right equipment in place Is the space adequate Ask these and any other questions that could relate to creating a successful year then focus on the details and follow through Those two wordshellipfocus and follow throughhellipcould mean the difference between marginal and abundant success Simply stated success comes from what you do and the way you do ithellipin your customerrsquos perception Every business wants to have a good imagehellipa good reputation so dedication to having good communication skills is important especially in an industry that does custom work The goal is to be on the same page as our clients so we have to be good mind readers We have to also concentrate on our professionalism on our appearance on our presentation style and in the pride we take in producing a well-done project This
has worked in the past and will remain the same in the future
The extra mile Success has to be nurturedhellipthen it gets celebrated Sometimes sacrifices have to be made to get to the rewards At year end when we analyze how we got from Point A to Point B itrsquos interesting to note that we sometimes had to take detours and sometimes the road blocks called for sacrificehellipof time or money Sometimes the sacrifice came in the way of a sleepless night worrying if an order that was lost in delivery would be found and re-routed to us in time to make a clientrsquos deadline Someone (unknown) said ldquoA day of worry is more exhausting than a week of workrdquo Anyone in business could testify to that Part of success is going the extra milehellipeven if it results in a sleepless night Going the extra mile is worth all the paid advertising in the world on the road to success
December 2007 37Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETS
Donna Grayrsquos 2nd book Itrsquos All Relative Surviving amp Thriving in a Family Business was published in September 2007
It describes her quest to identify the keys to suc-cess for small business and family businesses in particular She interviewed top businesses nationwide and discovered five common qualities implemented by successful business owners Check it out at the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore wwwcoreldrawprocomAllBook-storehtm
Commitments made and kept Our team felt good about some commitments we made and kept this past year like
We used a daily ldquoto-dordquo list and we set priorities in order of importance When we finished a project we ldquocelebratedrdquo and then moved on quickly to the next job We built in some time for ldquostress reliefrdquo with morning meeting breaks This was especially good when treats were served since wersquove got some good bakers on our staff We didnrsquot ldquoscreenrdquo calls through voice mail We considered every call to be important We ldquodid it right the first timerdquo even though it sometimes took longer We tied up all the ldquoloose endsrdquo We became ldquocheerleadersrdquo for each other When one of us accomplished a goal we all applauded We all tried to deliver more than we promised This can be challenging sometimes when working with a difficult project We eliminated (or tried to eliminate) unnecessary procedures and we simplified our paper flow system We spent most of our time on high priority tasks We all worked on our delegation skills We were committed to not wasting time either our own or other peoplersquos
Goals that were lacking Now all those great things being put on paper reminds me that we also had some goals we didnrsquot quite succeed athellipbut wersquoll try harder next year
We didnrsquot always ldquogrouprdquo tasks togetherhelliplike going to the bank and the post office in one trip or answering mail when it gets opened It wasnrsquot always easy to avoid procrastination Some low priority chores got put off There were still times when we couldnrsquot find enough hours to finish the work Our ldquotoolsrdquo didnrsquot always get put away when we were through with a project even though this is Daversquos pet peeve
Conclusion Experts say that we have to actively create our success not wait for it to happen This coming year hopefully none of us will sit in the comfort zone waiting for the phone to ring Therersquos an old Chinese proverb that goes ldquoIt you continually give you will continually haverdquo Our team will go on being involved in community activities When time is spent on worthwhile projects outside the business opportunities come knocking at the front counter Besideshellipat yearrsquos endhellipit makes us feel really good about the help we gave on these projects
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since1977 She can be reached by email at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
December 2007 38Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
GRAPHICS NEWS NETWORKAll these news and information products and services are part of the
Graphics News Network developed for ACDRP The goal is ldquoAll the News All the Time mdash For the World of Graphicsrdquo
GRAPHICS NewsWireThe Graphics News Wire is the always live always updated source for graphics news mdash products equipment technology and more Make it (CorelDRAWProcomNewsPagehtm) your home page or favorite to gain access to Breaking news updated regularly New Classified Ads New Job Announcements Supplier SpecialsAll news is related to graphic productsQuickSourceTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive amp Easy-To-Use
Search Engine
It gives you one-click access to suppliers products phone numbers and live links to ACDRP Member Suppliers Itrsquos always up-to-date searchable by keyword and accessible from your desktop
Quick TnTTM
The Industryrsquos Newest Resource for Graphics Tips amp Templates
Gain access to a growing library of CorelDRAW tips and templates that will make your work easier
QuickLearnTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive and
Easy-To-Use Article Library
Gain access to hundreds of articles on graphics-related and business topics searchable by keyword
The Entrepreneurial Magazine for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro Magazine is delivered to you once a month in PDF format It features in-depth content that readers rave about including articles on how to use CorelDRAW how to apply CorelDRAW and how to profit from CorelDRAW
News Tips amp Resources for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month mdash about the 15th and 25th It brings you highly targeted content that you wonrsquot find elsewhere including CorelDRAW Tips extensive product news links and a calendar of shows and training
MARKET PLACE
Quality Engravable JewelryHand-crafted in New England
GIFTS amp ACCESSORIES FOR WOMEN AND MEN
John E Lepper Inc800-835-3623 Fax 508-222-2732
wwwjeleppercom
GenuineWhite-tone
Pewter amp Gold
Some Things Were Meant To Be In Etched in Stone
Call for a free color catalog
NampR International1155 Allgood Rd 13Marietta GA 30062
678-560-4088Fax 678-560-1157
Importers amp Wholesalers of MarbleOnyx
Gifts amp Accessories
JOIN TODAY
The worldrsquos only association for CorelDRAWreg Users
wwwcoreldrawprocomJoinhtm
Place an Ad for as little as $215 per month
Find out how by calling our Ad Representative John McDaniel II
541-990-6687
the entrepreneurial magazine
GET LISTED TODAY
Generate new businessby doing jobs for others
List your company in GSG the Digital Yellow Pages for the industry wwwcoreldrawprocomListGSGhtm
December 2007 39Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Louie Alvarez started in the industry working for one of the largest trophy shops in Central California and then opened one of the first retail laser engraving businesses He has given seminars and workshops on CorelDRAW and Laser for many years and has written for several publications He is now with Vytek Industrial Lasers and is based in Las Vegas NV He can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
Kathryn Arnold is the Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
Errol Barr has a wide range of experience in sales amp marketing eventually getting into laser systems in 1999 currently with Vytek Industrial Lasers He also sold extensively in the CNC router industry selling the machines as more of a business opportunity wrapped around the machine He can be reached by email at errolbarrgmailcom
Dave Demoret founded Prolink Graphic Services to help people understand and profit from learning CorelDRAW He has been in both the Flat Graphics Industry and the Decorating Graphics Industry for 30 years He has written articles for several publications is a Corel Training Partner and conducts workshops nationwide and online He is the author of several CD Instructional programs on CorelDRAW He can be reached at 765-DO COLOR (362-6567) or davedprolinkgscom
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since 1977 She has presented seminars on a variety of topics nationwide and has won many marketing awards She is the author of two books on family business and can be reached at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
Bill Leek is a color consultant for JBL Graphics in Houston TX and has over 30 years experience in computer engineering and graphics design He has developed several lines of color imprintable products and does testing on a variety of products for different manufacturers He can be reached at wfleekjblgraphicscom or 281-970-6677
Jeff McDaniel is the owner of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon He worked as a journeyman machinist before getting into the graphic products business Creative Graphic offers laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials Contact him at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
John McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry He worked for many years with computers in electronic data processing and pioneered the use of CorelDraw for engraving applications He owned a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years and writes about hardware design software laser engraving sublimation and more He is a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals For information on training and more call 541-967-4271 or write to mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
Judy McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry Her background includes many forms of art and retail sales as well as the operation of a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years She is a regular columnist on sandblasting sublimation and diversifying business as well as a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals She can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
David Milisock is president of Custom Graphic Technologies Inc in Pennsylvania He has been in the print production business since 1975 and specializes in professional support for CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite Output includes computer-to-plate processes for all commercial digital front-end applications as well as Postscript-compliant graphic applications He offers technical and color management support for all RIP-driven corporate digital output systems He can be reached at 717-509-3523 or davidmilisockcomcastnet
Deborah Sexton former editor of Impressions Magazine has been in the apparel graphics industry since 1981 She currently does marketing and public relations for apparel graphics companies and is a columnist for several industry publications She can be reached at dsextonsbcglobalnet
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at 916-567-1867
December 2007 40Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
by Otis Veteto
Traveling Tidbits
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the
RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of
the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Itrsquos a fun and
informative column focusing on the human-interest side of
the industry Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars
for industry organizations and some of that knowledge
will rub off as well He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at
916-567-1867
Reps Volunteers People Skills amp Agreements
RS Owens Southeast RepFirst of all a Traveling Tidbits welcome to
the newest member of the RS Owens Company sales team Anita Brennan Anita is the new Regional Sales Manager for the Southeast She will be calling on you folks in Alabama Tennessee Mississippi Florida Georgia North Carolina and South Carolina Anita has worked in all phases of our industry as a retailer (her own business) multi-line rep and now as a regional sales manager When I asked Anita what she likes to do when not on the road she told me she likes to spend time with her two-year-old granddaughter Kaylee Welcome to the RS Owens family Anita Brennan
Railroad Museum VolunteerI know Christmas is the time for giving
but some people give all year long I was talking recently with Elias Athanasiou whose regular job is a server in a restaurant my wife and I frequent when I am in Sacramento Elias has been associated as a volunteer with the California State Railroad Museum for about 16 years Every Saturday during the ldquorunning seasonrdquo April-September Elias can be found working as a volunteer on the Steam Engine excursion train that runs for 6 miles along the top of the levee on the Sacramento River The ride takes about 40 minutes Elias is the Engineer now but has worked as conductor and fireman in his tenure with the train It is people like Elias Athanasiou that make this a much better world A huge Traveling Tidbits SALUTE You can find out more about the Railroad Museum at wwwcsrmorg
Real People SkillsThis next tidbit is from the PPAI Promotional
Consultant Today The author is Roy Chitwood president of Max Sacks International in Seattle Wash It is entitled To Shine Polish Your People Skills
ldquoPeople buy not because they understand your product or service but because they feel that you understand them People buy emotionally As a professional salesperson you need to be more people-oriented not product centered Here are seven quick and easy techniques to improve your people skills
SMILE It is the universal sign of friendship in any language The Chinese have a proverb ldquoA man who cannot smile should not open a storerdquo Think about that Give a smile and you will get a smile in return
DEVELOP A GENUINE INTEREST IN OTHERS When you have sincere interest it shows Look directly at people when they are talking to you Let your facial expression register your interest Ask good open-ended questions to let people know that you are interested in what they say
TALK IN TERMS OF THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS INTERESTS You will never meet anyone who doesnrsquot have time to talk about what they want to talk about Encourage your prospect to discuss his or interests rather than launching into a discussion about yourself
USE THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS NAME Using a name builds personal rapport and shows you are listening with respect Be careful about overusing the personrsquos name
GIVE COMPLIMENTS Everyone loves a compliment when it is genuine Make a
concentrated effort to give at least 3 honest compliments every day of your life You will be amazed at what it will do for your relationships
LISTEN Listening is the greatest compliment you can pay When you assume the role of the listener it relaxes the sales climate As you listen you are demonstrating that you truly care and you are genuinely interested in what he or she has to say
MAKE THE OTHER PERSON FEEL IMPORTANT When you are sincerely impressed by something the other person has achieved or owns let them know it Understand that fundamentally every person is important and treat them accordingly
Personal comment When I finished reading this I thought to myself ldquoThese make sense in our everyday life not just in salesrdquo
The Third AgreementI will close with the 3rd step from the book
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel RuizDONrsquoT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS Find the
courage to ask questions and to express what you really want Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings sadness and drama
Sounds a little like what I wrote at the beginning of the column doesnrsquot it
Thatrsquos all for now Remember to save some time for yourself and your family And when you travel please travel safe
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE
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December 2007 34Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
lacquer is used instead of paint any design can be lasered on these frames The possibilities are endless These colorful creations are offered in two different designs -- a designer frame and a frame with an insert Call 970-667-4222 or visit wwwcoloradoheirloomcom
CONDE ADDS PET MATS FOR SUBLIMATIONCondeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added food bowl placemats and litter box
mats to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Favorite photographs and pet-related artwork can be transferred to the
mats to create fun products for individual pet lovers or for the pet industry such as pet stores veterinarians groomers boarding facilities and animal adoption groups Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing Call Conde at 800-826-6332
CONDE INTRODUCES FABRIC PATCHES FOR SUBLIMATION
Condeacute Systems Inc of Mobile AL has added fabric patches to its DyeTranstrade family of sublimatable products Custom decorators can now produce unique full-color patches that will impress organizations businesses clubs sports teams sports enthusiasts and individuals alike -- without the use of embroidery Heat seal patches are great for identification marketing awards trade show promotions or to commemorate special events Visit wwwcondecom for additional information and pricing or call 800-826-6332
LASERSKETCHrsquoS NEW LASERSLABLaserSketch of Lemont IL Internationally known for
their LaserGrade Absolute Black Marble and Super Black Granite announces LaserSlab Super Black Granite at 4rsquo x 8rsquo x 7mm and 4rsquo x 4rsquo x 7mm weighting in at just over 2 pounds per square foot The surface of the LaserSlab Granite has the sheen of a black mirror The reverse side features epoxy fiberglass backing to give structure integrity to the ultra-lite granite sheet All may be viewed wwwlasersketchcom or by calling LaserSketch 630-243-6360
MATTHEWS INTRODUCES ALUMICOLORTM
Matthews International Corp of Pittsburgh PA introduced Alumicolortrade a high-resolution graphics solution for aluminum signage recognition commemoration and way finding Using cutting-edge technology Matthews embeds a four-color image into the aluminum to create an anodized reproduction of unsurpassed durability Alumicolortrade products which are designed for interior and exterior installations are resistant to extreme weather conditions graffiti scuffing grease chemicals and UV rays Additionally they will not chip crack or peel
PSI ADDS ROUND FRAMES amp STRING PUZZLES Paramount Services Inc of Hollywood FL
introduced new round resin frames for sublimation tiles Choose from Coral or RopeStone with optional Unisubreg Hardboard Tiles They will also accept the Bison 8rdquo round glass Cutting Board Why be square when round may fit better PSI also introduced a new puzzle guaranteed to string you along These String Puzzles come with a Unisubreg Hardboard puzzle and the necessary string and beads along with instructions how to string it after printing Templates to aid in design are available for download in several formats For details call 800-455-7212 or visit wwwDye-Sublimation-Productscom
CRYSTALEDGEreg LUXORTM CRYSTAL AWARDSCrystalEdgereg Chicago IL presented the Luxortrade Series
This stunning cost-effective collection comprises a series of specially designed Rosewood and Black Piano finish bases Matte Mahogany and Matte Black bases and a precision cast Satin Nickel Finish Metal Base with your choice of brass or silver hardware for mounting our twelve unique shapes making this the most versatile award yet Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks are curved 14rdquo thick crystal clear glass with 316rdquo diameter holes for mounting The Luxor Seriescopy glass blanks feature a generous engraving area and there is plenty of room on the base to add an engraving plate
December 2007 35Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
XENETECHrsquoS NEW ENGRAVABLE GIFTSXenetech of Baton Rouge
LA introduced high quality engravable gift items at wholesale and quantity discounts The Xenetech collection provides a selection of gifts created for corporate recognition weddings births holidays anniversaries retirements birthdays special occasions or just expressing appreciation Items include money clips key chains book markers desk accessories quartz movement clocks flasks amp wine accessories entertainment gifts travel gifts genuine Swiss Army knives business card holders luggage tags silver-plated jewelry boxes keepsake gift boxes silver-plated banks and baby gifts The gift items are designed primarily for diamond drag burnishing and rotary engraving personalization
UNISUBrsquoS CHROMALUXE PHOTO PANELSChromaLuxe photo panels are an exciting new line
of sublimatable products from Unisub of Louisville KY These panels allow you to sell a completely finished photo product to your customers capturing some of the additional revenue (and profit) your customers now spend elsewhere on framing Available in a range of traditional photo sizes as well as exciting new shapes these panels can be joined together to create stunning photo displays -- perfect for a fireplace mantle l i b r a r y s h e l f or the top of an armoire Available in aluminum or MDF substrates
CorelDRAWPro IndexOne of our members in Michigan
requested that we put together an Index of all the articles wersquove published during the year
He prints out all the issues and puts them in binders but an Index would make it easy to reference specific articles We think itrsquos a good idea and wersquoll send it to all subscribers in January
Product Focus TopicsJanuary 2008 -- Signage Products esp Wide FormatFebruary 2008 -- Engraving Awards amp GiftsMarch 2008 -- Apparel ProductsApril 2008 -- Laser Wood Products
Coming in 2008
December 2007 36Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETSBy Donna M Gray CRM Opportunities
December ndash Time to Review December finds everyone on our team strategizing how to get out of our parking lot Our business sits right in the middle of an up-scale strip mall which sits right behind a huge shopping mall and right along the main road to a Target Superstore and other large malls We all know that from the day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday) until 2 weeks after the New Year there are great challenges to those of us who like to leave the building for lunch or run an errandhellipso we strategize We all know every secret shortcut to the bank the post office and the warehouse club What we donrsquot know is how to find the way to merge out of our own back alley into the constant flow of traffic that carries people to their end shopping destination Whew
The year-end review So this year Dave and I have decided to stay in at lunch and do our business strategizing instead Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup are good brain food for helping us to look at all the successful things we did last year as a company all the things we thought about doing but didnrsquot because the idea didnrsquot quite fit and all the things we put off until next year We do this kind of exercise every year end and it helps us to map out our strategy for the coming year In the process we identify any mistakes wersquove made wrong turns wersquove taken and we try to find the ldquowhat could have happened had everything gone rightrdquo
The value of making mistakes Albert Einstein said ldquoAnyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything newrdquo Dave has a couple of prints in his office of Abraham Lincoln that describe his mistakes in fact it took Lincoln eight tries to win the presidency Thomas Edison made mistakeshellipand yet he perseveredhellipotherwise wersquod by ldquocomputingrdquo by candlelight And Irsquove heard that Colonel
Sanders had a thousand rejections before he sold his first chicken recipe It would be nice to get to our year end business appraisals and find that wersquove made no mistakes but our business like most others doesnrsquot have that claim to fame My mother always took the high road with mistakes She always said that one should recognize the benefits of a mistake One should learn what good came from it use it to improve and use it to help motivate success the next time So December is the time to analyze everything that made up the past year and look for ways to make the New Year successful in every way
Making a plan Most advisors say that the first step toward business success after looking at a companyrsquos year ending history is to decide on exactly what you want to do going forward in the coming year Then comes mapping out the plan What will be done How will it get done Who will do what What resources will be used When will it get done Is the right equipment in place Is the space adequate Ask these and any other questions that could relate to creating a successful year then focus on the details and follow through Those two wordshellipfocus and follow throughhellipcould mean the difference between marginal and abundant success Simply stated success comes from what you do and the way you do ithellipin your customerrsquos perception Every business wants to have a good imagehellipa good reputation so dedication to having good communication skills is important especially in an industry that does custom work The goal is to be on the same page as our clients so we have to be good mind readers We have to also concentrate on our professionalism on our appearance on our presentation style and in the pride we take in producing a well-done project This
has worked in the past and will remain the same in the future
The extra mile Success has to be nurturedhellipthen it gets celebrated Sometimes sacrifices have to be made to get to the rewards At year end when we analyze how we got from Point A to Point B itrsquos interesting to note that we sometimes had to take detours and sometimes the road blocks called for sacrificehellipof time or money Sometimes the sacrifice came in the way of a sleepless night worrying if an order that was lost in delivery would be found and re-routed to us in time to make a clientrsquos deadline Someone (unknown) said ldquoA day of worry is more exhausting than a week of workrdquo Anyone in business could testify to that Part of success is going the extra milehellipeven if it results in a sleepless night Going the extra mile is worth all the paid advertising in the world on the road to success
December 2007 37Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETS
Donna Grayrsquos 2nd book Itrsquos All Relative Surviving amp Thriving in a Family Business was published in September 2007
It describes her quest to identify the keys to suc-cess for small business and family businesses in particular She interviewed top businesses nationwide and discovered five common qualities implemented by successful business owners Check it out at the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore wwwcoreldrawprocomAllBook-storehtm
Commitments made and kept Our team felt good about some commitments we made and kept this past year like
We used a daily ldquoto-dordquo list and we set priorities in order of importance When we finished a project we ldquocelebratedrdquo and then moved on quickly to the next job We built in some time for ldquostress reliefrdquo with morning meeting breaks This was especially good when treats were served since wersquove got some good bakers on our staff We didnrsquot ldquoscreenrdquo calls through voice mail We considered every call to be important We ldquodid it right the first timerdquo even though it sometimes took longer We tied up all the ldquoloose endsrdquo We became ldquocheerleadersrdquo for each other When one of us accomplished a goal we all applauded We all tried to deliver more than we promised This can be challenging sometimes when working with a difficult project We eliminated (or tried to eliminate) unnecessary procedures and we simplified our paper flow system We spent most of our time on high priority tasks We all worked on our delegation skills We were committed to not wasting time either our own or other peoplersquos
Goals that were lacking Now all those great things being put on paper reminds me that we also had some goals we didnrsquot quite succeed athellipbut wersquoll try harder next year
We didnrsquot always ldquogrouprdquo tasks togetherhelliplike going to the bank and the post office in one trip or answering mail when it gets opened It wasnrsquot always easy to avoid procrastination Some low priority chores got put off There were still times when we couldnrsquot find enough hours to finish the work Our ldquotoolsrdquo didnrsquot always get put away when we were through with a project even though this is Daversquos pet peeve
Conclusion Experts say that we have to actively create our success not wait for it to happen This coming year hopefully none of us will sit in the comfort zone waiting for the phone to ring Therersquos an old Chinese proverb that goes ldquoIt you continually give you will continually haverdquo Our team will go on being involved in community activities When time is spent on worthwhile projects outside the business opportunities come knocking at the front counter Besideshellipat yearrsquos endhellipit makes us feel really good about the help we gave on these projects
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since1977 She can be reached by email at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
December 2007 38Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
GRAPHICS NEWS NETWORKAll these news and information products and services are part of the
Graphics News Network developed for ACDRP The goal is ldquoAll the News All the Time mdash For the World of Graphicsrdquo
GRAPHICS NewsWireThe Graphics News Wire is the always live always updated source for graphics news mdash products equipment technology and more Make it (CorelDRAWProcomNewsPagehtm) your home page or favorite to gain access to Breaking news updated regularly New Classified Ads New Job Announcements Supplier SpecialsAll news is related to graphic productsQuickSourceTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive amp Easy-To-Use
Search Engine
It gives you one-click access to suppliers products phone numbers and live links to ACDRP Member Suppliers Itrsquos always up-to-date searchable by keyword and accessible from your desktop
Quick TnTTM
The Industryrsquos Newest Resource for Graphics Tips amp Templates
Gain access to a growing library of CorelDRAW tips and templates that will make your work easier
QuickLearnTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive and
Easy-To-Use Article Library
Gain access to hundreds of articles on graphics-related and business topics searchable by keyword
The Entrepreneurial Magazine for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro Magazine is delivered to you once a month in PDF format It features in-depth content that readers rave about including articles on how to use CorelDRAW how to apply CorelDRAW and how to profit from CorelDRAW
News Tips amp Resources for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month mdash about the 15th and 25th It brings you highly targeted content that you wonrsquot find elsewhere including CorelDRAW Tips extensive product news links and a calendar of shows and training
MARKET PLACE
Quality Engravable JewelryHand-crafted in New England
GIFTS amp ACCESSORIES FOR WOMEN AND MEN
John E Lepper Inc800-835-3623 Fax 508-222-2732
wwwjeleppercom
GenuineWhite-tone
Pewter amp Gold
Some Things Were Meant To Be In Etched in Stone
Call for a free color catalog
NampR International1155 Allgood Rd 13Marietta GA 30062
678-560-4088Fax 678-560-1157
Importers amp Wholesalers of MarbleOnyx
Gifts amp Accessories
JOIN TODAY
The worldrsquos only association for CorelDRAWreg Users
wwwcoreldrawprocomJoinhtm
Place an Ad for as little as $215 per month
Find out how by calling our Ad Representative John McDaniel II
541-990-6687
the entrepreneurial magazine
GET LISTED TODAY
Generate new businessby doing jobs for others
List your company in GSG the Digital Yellow Pages for the industry wwwcoreldrawprocomListGSGhtm
December 2007 39Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Louie Alvarez started in the industry working for one of the largest trophy shops in Central California and then opened one of the first retail laser engraving businesses He has given seminars and workshops on CorelDRAW and Laser for many years and has written for several publications He is now with Vytek Industrial Lasers and is based in Las Vegas NV He can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
Kathryn Arnold is the Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
Errol Barr has a wide range of experience in sales amp marketing eventually getting into laser systems in 1999 currently with Vytek Industrial Lasers He also sold extensively in the CNC router industry selling the machines as more of a business opportunity wrapped around the machine He can be reached by email at errolbarrgmailcom
Dave Demoret founded Prolink Graphic Services to help people understand and profit from learning CorelDRAW He has been in both the Flat Graphics Industry and the Decorating Graphics Industry for 30 years He has written articles for several publications is a Corel Training Partner and conducts workshops nationwide and online He is the author of several CD Instructional programs on CorelDRAW He can be reached at 765-DO COLOR (362-6567) or davedprolinkgscom
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since 1977 She has presented seminars on a variety of topics nationwide and has won many marketing awards She is the author of two books on family business and can be reached at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
Bill Leek is a color consultant for JBL Graphics in Houston TX and has over 30 years experience in computer engineering and graphics design He has developed several lines of color imprintable products and does testing on a variety of products for different manufacturers He can be reached at wfleekjblgraphicscom or 281-970-6677
Jeff McDaniel is the owner of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon He worked as a journeyman machinist before getting into the graphic products business Creative Graphic offers laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials Contact him at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
John McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry He worked for many years with computers in electronic data processing and pioneered the use of CorelDraw for engraving applications He owned a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years and writes about hardware design software laser engraving sublimation and more He is a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals For information on training and more call 541-967-4271 or write to mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
Judy McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry Her background includes many forms of art and retail sales as well as the operation of a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years She is a regular columnist on sandblasting sublimation and diversifying business as well as a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals She can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
David Milisock is president of Custom Graphic Technologies Inc in Pennsylvania He has been in the print production business since 1975 and specializes in professional support for CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite Output includes computer-to-plate processes for all commercial digital front-end applications as well as Postscript-compliant graphic applications He offers technical and color management support for all RIP-driven corporate digital output systems He can be reached at 717-509-3523 or davidmilisockcomcastnet
Deborah Sexton former editor of Impressions Magazine has been in the apparel graphics industry since 1981 She currently does marketing and public relations for apparel graphics companies and is a columnist for several industry publications She can be reached at dsextonsbcglobalnet
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at 916-567-1867
December 2007 40Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
by Otis Veteto
Traveling Tidbits
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the
RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of
the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Itrsquos a fun and
informative column focusing on the human-interest side of
the industry Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars
for industry organizations and some of that knowledge
will rub off as well He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at
916-567-1867
Reps Volunteers People Skills amp Agreements
RS Owens Southeast RepFirst of all a Traveling Tidbits welcome to
the newest member of the RS Owens Company sales team Anita Brennan Anita is the new Regional Sales Manager for the Southeast She will be calling on you folks in Alabama Tennessee Mississippi Florida Georgia North Carolina and South Carolina Anita has worked in all phases of our industry as a retailer (her own business) multi-line rep and now as a regional sales manager When I asked Anita what she likes to do when not on the road she told me she likes to spend time with her two-year-old granddaughter Kaylee Welcome to the RS Owens family Anita Brennan
Railroad Museum VolunteerI know Christmas is the time for giving
but some people give all year long I was talking recently with Elias Athanasiou whose regular job is a server in a restaurant my wife and I frequent when I am in Sacramento Elias has been associated as a volunteer with the California State Railroad Museum for about 16 years Every Saturday during the ldquorunning seasonrdquo April-September Elias can be found working as a volunteer on the Steam Engine excursion train that runs for 6 miles along the top of the levee on the Sacramento River The ride takes about 40 minutes Elias is the Engineer now but has worked as conductor and fireman in his tenure with the train It is people like Elias Athanasiou that make this a much better world A huge Traveling Tidbits SALUTE You can find out more about the Railroad Museum at wwwcsrmorg
Real People SkillsThis next tidbit is from the PPAI Promotional
Consultant Today The author is Roy Chitwood president of Max Sacks International in Seattle Wash It is entitled To Shine Polish Your People Skills
ldquoPeople buy not because they understand your product or service but because they feel that you understand them People buy emotionally As a professional salesperson you need to be more people-oriented not product centered Here are seven quick and easy techniques to improve your people skills
SMILE It is the universal sign of friendship in any language The Chinese have a proverb ldquoA man who cannot smile should not open a storerdquo Think about that Give a smile and you will get a smile in return
DEVELOP A GENUINE INTEREST IN OTHERS When you have sincere interest it shows Look directly at people when they are talking to you Let your facial expression register your interest Ask good open-ended questions to let people know that you are interested in what they say
TALK IN TERMS OF THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS INTERESTS You will never meet anyone who doesnrsquot have time to talk about what they want to talk about Encourage your prospect to discuss his or interests rather than launching into a discussion about yourself
USE THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS NAME Using a name builds personal rapport and shows you are listening with respect Be careful about overusing the personrsquos name
GIVE COMPLIMENTS Everyone loves a compliment when it is genuine Make a
concentrated effort to give at least 3 honest compliments every day of your life You will be amazed at what it will do for your relationships
LISTEN Listening is the greatest compliment you can pay When you assume the role of the listener it relaxes the sales climate As you listen you are demonstrating that you truly care and you are genuinely interested in what he or she has to say
MAKE THE OTHER PERSON FEEL IMPORTANT When you are sincerely impressed by something the other person has achieved or owns let them know it Understand that fundamentally every person is important and treat them accordingly
Personal comment When I finished reading this I thought to myself ldquoThese make sense in our everyday life not just in salesrdquo
The Third AgreementI will close with the 3rd step from the book
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel RuizDONrsquoT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS Find the
courage to ask questions and to express what you really want Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings sadness and drama
Sounds a little like what I wrote at the beginning of the column doesnrsquot it
Thatrsquos all for now Remember to save some time for yourself and your family And when you travel please travel safe
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE
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- News
December 2007 35Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
XENETECHrsquoS NEW ENGRAVABLE GIFTSXenetech of Baton Rouge
LA introduced high quality engravable gift items at wholesale and quantity discounts The Xenetech collection provides a selection of gifts created for corporate recognition weddings births holidays anniversaries retirements birthdays special occasions or just expressing appreciation Items include money clips key chains book markers desk accessories quartz movement clocks flasks amp wine accessories entertainment gifts travel gifts genuine Swiss Army knives business card holders luggage tags silver-plated jewelry boxes keepsake gift boxes silver-plated banks and baby gifts The gift items are designed primarily for diamond drag burnishing and rotary engraving personalization
UNISUBrsquoS CHROMALUXE PHOTO PANELSChromaLuxe photo panels are an exciting new line
of sublimatable products from Unisub of Louisville KY These panels allow you to sell a completely finished photo product to your customers capturing some of the additional revenue (and profit) your customers now spend elsewhere on framing Available in a range of traditional photo sizes as well as exciting new shapes these panels can be joined together to create stunning photo displays -- perfect for a fireplace mantle l i b r a r y s h e l f or the top of an armoire Available in aluminum or MDF substrates
CorelDRAWPro IndexOne of our members in Michigan
requested that we put together an Index of all the articles wersquove published during the year
He prints out all the issues and puts them in binders but an Index would make it easy to reference specific articles We think itrsquos a good idea and wersquoll send it to all subscribers in January
Product Focus TopicsJanuary 2008 -- Signage Products esp Wide FormatFebruary 2008 -- Engraving Awards amp GiftsMarch 2008 -- Apparel ProductsApril 2008 -- Laser Wood Products
Coming in 2008
December 2007 36Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETSBy Donna M Gray CRM Opportunities
December ndash Time to Review December finds everyone on our team strategizing how to get out of our parking lot Our business sits right in the middle of an up-scale strip mall which sits right behind a huge shopping mall and right along the main road to a Target Superstore and other large malls We all know that from the day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday) until 2 weeks after the New Year there are great challenges to those of us who like to leave the building for lunch or run an errandhellipso we strategize We all know every secret shortcut to the bank the post office and the warehouse club What we donrsquot know is how to find the way to merge out of our own back alley into the constant flow of traffic that carries people to their end shopping destination Whew
The year-end review So this year Dave and I have decided to stay in at lunch and do our business strategizing instead Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup are good brain food for helping us to look at all the successful things we did last year as a company all the things we thought about doing but didnrsquot because the idea didnrsquot quite fit and all the things we put off until next year We do this kind of exercise every year end and it helps us to map out our strategy for the coming year In the process we identify any mistakes wersquove made wrong turns wersquove taken and we try to find the ldquowhat could have happened had everything gone rightrdquo
The value of making mistakes Albert Einstein said ldquoAnyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything newrdquo Dave has a couple of prints in his office of Abraham Lincoln that describe his mistakes in fact it took Lincoln eight tries to win the presidency Thomas Edison made mistakeshellipand yet he perseveredhellipotherwise wersquod by ldquocomputingrdquo by candlelight And Irsquove heard that Colonel
Sanders had a thousand rejections before he sold his first chicken recipe It would be nice to get to our year end business appraisals and find that wersquove made no mistakes but our business like most others doesnrsquot have that claim to fame My mother always took the high road with mistakes She always said that one should recognize the benefits of a mistake One should learn what good came from it use it to improve and use it to help motivate success the next time So December is the time to analyze everything that made up the past year and look for ways to make the New Year successful in every way
Making a plan Most advisors say that the first step toward business success after looking at a companyrsquos year ending history is to decide on exactly what you want to do going forward in the coming year Then comes mapping out the plan What will be done How will it get done Who will do what What resources will be used When will it get done Is the right equipment in place Is the space adequate Ask these and any other questions that could relate to creating a successful year then focus on the details and follow through Those two wordshellipfocus and follow throughhellipcould mean the difference between marginal and abundant success Simply stated success comes from what you do and the way you do ithellipin your customerrsquos perception Every business wants to have a good imagehellipa good reputation so dedication to having good communication skills is important especially in an industry that does custom work The goal is to be on the same page as our clients so we have to be good mind readers We have to also concentrate on our professionalism on our appearance on our presentation style and in the pride we take in producing a well-done project This
has worked in the past and will remain the same in the future
The extra mile Success has to be nurturedhellipthen it gets celebrated Sometimes sacrifices have to be made to get to the rewards At year end when we analyze how we got from Point A to Point B itrsquos interesting to note that we sometimes had to take detours and sometimes the road blocks called for sacrificehellipof time or money Sometimes the sacrifice came in the way of a sleepless night worrying if an order that was lost in delivery would be found and re-routed to us in time to make a clientrsquos deadline Someone (unknown) said ldquoA day of worry is more exhausting than a week of workrdquo Anyone in business could testify to that Part of success is going the extra milehellipeven if it results in a sleepless night Going the extra mile is worth all the paid advertising in the world on the road to success
December 2007 37Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETS
Donna Grayrsquos 2nd book Itrsquos All Relative Surviving amp Thriving in a Family Business was published in September 2007
It describes her quest to identify the keys to suc-cess for small business and family businesses in particular She interviewed top businesses nationwide and discovered five common qualities implemented by successful business owners Check it out at the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore wwwcoreldrawprocomAllBook-storehtm
Commitments made and kept Our team felt good about some commitments we made and kept this past year like
We used a daily ldquoto-dordquo list and we set priorities in order of importance When we finished a project we ldquocelebratedrdquo and then moved on quickly to the next job We built in some time for ldquostress reliefrdquo with morning meeting breaks This was especially good when treats were served since wersquove got some good bakers on our staff We didnrsquot ldquoscreenrdquo calls through voice mail We considered every call to be important We ldquodid it right the first timerdquo even though it sometimes took longer We tied up all the ldquoloose endsrdquo We became ldquocheerleadersrdquo for each other When one of us accomplished a goal we all applauded We all tried to deliver more than we promised This can be challenging sometimes when working with a difficult project We eliminated (or tried to eliminate) unnecessary procedures and we simplified our paper flow system We spent most of our time on high priority tasks We all worked on our delegation skills We were committed to not wasting time either our own or other peoplersquos
Goals that were lacking Now all those great things being put on paper reminds me that we also had some goals we didnrsquot quite succeed athellipbut wersquoll try harder next year
We didnrsquot always ldquogrouprdquo tasks togetherhelliplike going to the bank and the post office in one trip or answering mail when it gets opened It wasnrsquot always easy to avoid procrastination Some low priority chores got put off There were still times when we couldnrsquot find enough hours to finish the work Our ldquotoolsrdquo didnrsquot always get put away when we were through with a project even though this is Daversquos pet peeve
Conclusion Experts say that we have to actively create our success not wait for it to happen This coming year hopefully none of us will sit in the comfort zone waiting for the phone to ring Therersquos an old Chinese proverb that goes ldquoIt you continually give you will continually haverdquo Our team will go on being involved in community activities When time is spent on worthwhile projects outside the business opportunities come knocking at the front counter Besideshellipat yearrsquos endhellipit makes us feel really good about the help we gave on these projects
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since1977 She can be reached by email at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
December 2007 38Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
GRAPHICS NEWS NETWORKAll these news and information products and services are part of the
Graphics News Network developed for ACDRP The goal is ldquoAll the News All the Time mdash For the World of Graphicsrdquo
GRAPHICS NewsWireThe Graphics News Wire is the always live always updated source for graphics news mdash products equipment technology and more Make it (CorelDRAWProcomNewsPagehtm) your home page or favorite to gain access to Breaking news updated regularly New Classified Ads New Job Announcements Supplier SpecialsAll news is related to graphic productsQuickSourceTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive amp Easy-To-Use
Search Engine
It gives you one-click access to suppliers products phone numbers and live links to ACDRP Member Suppliers Itrsquos always up-to-date searchable by keyword and accessible from your desktop
Quick TnTTM
The Industryrsquos Newest Resource for Graphics Tips amp Templates
Gain access to a growing library of CorelDRAW tips and templates that will make your work easier
QuickLearnTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive and
Easy-To-Use Article Library
Gain access to hundreds of articles on graphics-related and business topics searchable by keyword
The Entrepreneurial Magazine for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro Magazine is delivered to you once a month in PDF format It features in-depth content that readers rave about including articles on how to use CorelDRAW how to apply CorelDRAW and how to profit from CorelDRAW
News Tips amp Resources for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month mdash about the 15th and 25th It brings you highly targeted content that you wonrsquot find elsewhere including CorelDRAW Tips extensive product news links and a calendar of shows and training
MARKET PLACE
Quality Engravable JewelryHand-crafted in New England
GIFTS amp ACCESSORIES FOR WOMEN AND MEN
John E Lepper Inc800-835-3623 Fax 508-222-2732
wwwjeleppercom
GenuineWhite-tone
Pewter amp Gold
Some Things Were Meant To Be In Etched in Stone
Call for a free color catalog
NampR International1155 Allgood Rd 13Marietta GA 30062
678-560-4088Fax 678-560-1157
Importers amp Wholesalers of MarbleOnyx
Gifts amp Accessories
JOIN TODAY
The worldrsquos only association for CorelDRAWreg Users
wwwcoreldrawprocomJoinhtm
Place an Ad for as little as $215 per month
Find out how by calling our Ad Representative John McDaniel II
541-990-6687
the entrepreneurial magazine
GET LISTED TODAY
Generate new businessby doing jobs for others
List your company in GSG the Digital Yellow Pages for the industry wwwcoreldrawprocomListGSGhtm
December 2007 39Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Louie Alvarez started in the industry working for one of the largest trophy shops in Central California and then opened one of the first retail laser engraving businesses He has given seminars and workshops on CorelDRAW and Laser for many years and has written for several publications He is now with Vytek Industrial Lasers and is based in Las Vegas NV He can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
Kathryn Arnold is the Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
Errol Barr has a wide range of experience in sales amp marketing eventually getting into laser systems in 1999 currently with Vytek Industrial Lasers He also sold extensively in the CNC router industry selling the machines as more of a business opportunity wrapped around the machine He can be reached by email at errolbarrgmailcom
Dave Demoret founded Prolink Graphic Services to help people understand and profit from learning CorelDRAW He has been in both the Flat Graphics Industry and the Decorating Graphics Industry for 30 years He has written articles for several publications is a Corel Training Partner and conducts workshops nationwide and online He is the author of several CD Instructional programs on CorelDRAW He can be reached at 765-DO COLOR (362-6567) or davedprolinkgscom
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since 1977 She has presented seminars on a variety of topics nationwide and has won many marketing awards She is the author of two books on family business and can be reached at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
Bill Leek is a color consultant for JBL Graphics in Houston TX and has over 30 years experience in computer engineering and graphics design He has developed several lines of color imprintable products and does testing on a variety of products for different manufacturers He can be reached at wfleekjblgraphicscom or 281-970-6677
Jeff McDaniel is the owner of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon He worked as a journeyman machinist before getting into the graphic products business Creative Graphic offers laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials Contact him at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
John McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry He worked for many years with computers in electronic data processing and pioneered the use of CorelDraw for engraving applications He owned a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years and writes about hardware design software laser engraving sublimation and more He is a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals For information on training and more call 541-967-4271 or write to mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
Judy McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry Her background includes many forms of art and retail sales as well as the operation of a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years She is a regular columnist on sandblasting sublimation and diversifying business as well as a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals She can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
David Milisock is president of Custom Graphic Technologies Inc in Pennsylvania He has been in the print production business since 1975 and specializes in professional support for CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite Output includes computer-to-plate processes for all commercial digital front-end applications as well as Postscript-compliant graphic applications He offers technical and color management support for all RIP-driven corporate digital output systems He can be reached at 717-509-3523 or davidmilisockcomcastnet
Deborah Sexton former editor of Impressions Magazine has been in the apparel graphics industry since 1981 She currently does marketing and public relations for apparel graphics companies and is a columnist for several industry publications She can be reached at dsextonsbcglobalnet
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at 916-567-1867
December 2007 40Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
by Otis Veteto
Traveling Tidbits
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the
RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of
the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Itrsquos a fun and
informative column focusing on the human-interest side of
the industry Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars
for industry organizations and some of that knowledge
will rub off as well He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at
916-567-1867
Reps Volunteers People Skills amp Agreements
RS Owens Southeast RepFirst of all a Traveling Tidbits welcome to
the newest member of the RS Owens Company sales team Anita Brennan Anita is the new Regional Sales Manager for the Southeast She will be calling on you folks in Alabama Tennessee Mississippi Florida Georgia North Carolina and South Carolina Anita has worked in all phases of our industry as a retailer (her own business) multi-line rep and now as a regional sales manager When I asked Anita what she likes to do when not on the road she told me she likes to spend time with her two-year-old granddaughter Kaylee Welcome to the RS Owens family Anita Brennan
Railroad Museum VolunteerI know Christmas is the time for giving
but some people give all year long I was talking recently with Elias Athanasiou whose regular job is a server in a restaurant my wife and I frequent when I am in Sacramento Elias has been associated as a volunteer with the California State Railroad Museum for about 16 years Every Saturday during the ldquorunning seasonrdquo April-September Elias can be found working as a volunteer on the Steam Engine excursion train that runs for 6 miles along the top of the levee on the Sacramento River The ride takes about 40 minutes Elias is the Engineer now but has worked as conductor and fireman in his tenure with the train It is people like Elias Athanasiou that make this a much better world A huge Traveling Tidbits SALUTE You can find out more about the Railroad Museum at wwwcsrmorg
Real People SkillsThis next tidbit is from the PPAI Promotional
Consultant Today The author is Roy Chitwood president of Max Sacks International in Seattle Wash It is entitled To Shine Polish Your People Skills
ldquoPeople buy not because they understand your product or service but because they feel that you understand them People buy emotionally As a professional salesperson you need to be more people-oriented not product centered Here are seven quick and easy techniques to improve your people skills
SMILE It is the universal sign of friendship in any language The Chinese have a proverb ldquoA man who cannot smile should not open a storerdquo Think about that Give a smile and you will get a smile in return
DEVELOP A GENUINE INTEREST IN OTHERS When you have sincere interest it shows Look directly at people when they are talking to you Let your facial expression register your interest Ask good open-ended questions to let people know that you are interested in what they say
TALK IN TERMS OF THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS INTERESTS You will never meet anyone who doesnrsquot have time to talk about what they want to talk about Encourage your prospect to discuss his or interests rather than launching into a discussion about yourself
USE THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS NAME Using a name builds personal rapport and shows you are listening with respect Be careful about overusing the personrsquos name
GIVE COMPLIMENTS Everyone loves a compliment when it is genuine Make a
concentrated effort to give at least 3 honest compliments every day of your life You will be amazed at what it will do for your relationships
LISTEN Listening is the greatest compliment you can pay When you assume the role of the listener it relaxes the sales climate As you listen you are demonstrating that you truly care and you are genuinely interested in what he or she has to say
MAKE THE OTHER PERSON FEEL IMPORTANT When you are sincerely impressed by something the other person has achieved or owns let them know it Understand that fundamentally every person is important and treat them accordingly
Personal comment When I finished reading this I thought to myself ldquoThese make sense in our everyday life not just in salesrdquo
The Third AgreementI will close with the 3rd step from the book
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel RuizDONrsquoT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS Find the
courage to ask questions and to express what you really want Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings sadness and drama
Sounds a little like what I wrote at the beginning of the column doesnrsquot it
Thatrsquos all for now Remember to save some time for yourself and your family And when you travel please travel safe
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE
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- News
December 2007 36Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETSBy Donna M Gray CRM Opportunities
December ndash Time to Review December finds everyone on our team strategizing how to get out of our parking lot Our business sits right in the middle of an up-scale strip mall which sits right behind a huge shopping mall and right along the main road to a Target Superstore and other large malls We all know that from the day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday) until 2 weeks after the New Year there are great challenges to those of us who like to leave the building for lunch or run an errandhellipso we strategize We all know every secret shortcut to the bank the post office and the warehouse club What we donrsquot know is how to find the way to merge out of our own back alley into the constant flow of traffic that carries people to their end shopping destination Whew
The year-end review So this year Dave and I have decided to stay in at lunch and do our business strategizing instead Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup are good brain food for helping us to look at all the successful things we did last year as a company all the things we thought about doing but didnrsquot because the idea didnrsquot quite fit and all the things we put off until next year We do this kind of exercise every year end and it helps us to map out our strategy for the coming year In the process we identify any mistakes wersquove made wrong turns wersquove taken and we try to find the ldquowhat could have happened had everything gone rightrdquo
The value of making mistakes Albert Einstein said ldquoAnyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything newrdquo Dave has a couple of prints in his office of Abraham Lincoln that describe his mistakes in fact it took Lincoln eight tries to win the presidency Thomas Edison made mistakeshellipand yet he perseveredhellipotherwise wersquod by ldquocomputingrdquo by candlelight And Irsquove heard that Colonel
Sanders had a thousand rejections before he sold his first chicken recipe It would be nice to get to our year end business appraisals and find that wersquove made no mistakes but our business like most others doesnrsquot have that claim to fame My mother always took the high road with mistakes She always said that one should recognize the benefits of a mistake One should learn what good came from it use it to improve and use it to help motivate success the next time So December is the time to analyze everything that made up the past year and look for ways to make the New Year successful in every way
Making a plan Most advisors say that the first step toward business success after looking at a companyrsquos year ending history is to decide on exactly what you want to do going forward in the coming year Then comes mapping out the plan What will be done How will it get done Who will do what What resources will be used When will it get done Is the right equipment in place Is the space adequate Ask these and any other questions that could relate to creating a successful year then focus on the details and follow through Those two wordshellipfocus and follow throughhellipcould mean the difference between marginal and abundant success Simply stated success comes from what you do and the way you do ithellipin your customerrsquos perception Every business wants to have a good imagehellipa good reputation so dedication to having good communication skills is important especially in an industry that does custom work The goal is to be on the same page as our clients so we have to be good mind readers We have to also concentrate on our professionalism on our appearance on our presentation style and in the pride we take in producing a well-done project This
has worked in the past and will remain the same in the future
The extra mile Success has to be nurturedhellipthen it gets celebrated Sometimes sacrifices have to be made to get to the rewards At year end when we analyze how we got from Point A to Point B itrsquos interesting to note that we sometimes had to take detours and sometimes the road blocks called for sacrificehellipof time or money Sometimes the sacrifice came in the way of a sleepless night worrying if an order that was lost in delivery would be found and re-routed to us in time to make a clientrsquos deadline Someone (unknown) said ldquoA day of worry is more exhausting than a week of workrdquo Anyone in business could testify to that Part of success is going the extra milehellipeven if it results in a sleepless night Going the extra mile is worth all the paid advertising in the world on the road to success
December 2007 37Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETS
Donna Grayrsquos 2nd book Itrsquos All Relative Surviving amp Thriving in a Family Business was published in September 2007
It describes her quest to identify the keys to suc-cess for small business and family businesses in particular She interviewed top businesses nationwide and discovered five common qualities implemented by successful business owners Check it out at the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore wwwcoreldrawprocomAllBook-storehtm
Commitments made and kept Our team felt good about some commitments we made and kept this past year like
We used a daily ldquoto-dordquo list and we set priorities in order of importance When we finished a project we ldquocelebratedrdquo and then moved on quickly to the next job We built in some time for ldquostress reliefrdquo with morning meeting breaks This was especially good when treats were served since wersquove got some good bakers on our staff We didnrsquot ldquoscreenrdquo calls through voice mail We considered every call to be important We ldquodid it right the first timerdquo even though it sometimes took longer We tied up all the ldquoloose endsrdquo We became ldquocheerleadersrdquo for each other When one of us accomplished a goal we all applauded We all tried to deliver more than we promised This can be challenging sometimes when working with a difficult project We eliminated (or tried to eliminate) unnecessary procedures and we simplified our paper flow system We spent most of our time on high priority tasks We all worked on our delegation skills We were committed to not wasting time either our own or other peoplersquos
Goals that were lacking Now all those great things being put on paper reminds me that we also had some goals we didnrsquot quite succeed athellipbut wersquoll try harder next year
We didnrsquot always ldquogrouprdquo tasks togetherhelliplike going to the bank and the post office in one trip or answering mail when it gets opened It wasnrsquot always easy to avoid procrastination Some low priority chores got put off There were still times when we couldnrsquot find enough hours to finish the work Our ldquotoolsrdquo didnrsquot always get put away when we were through with a project even though this is Daversquos pet peeve
Conclusion Experts say that we have to actively create our success not wait for it to happen This coming year hopefully none of us will sit in the comfort zone waiting for the phone to ring Therersquos an old Chinese proverb that goes ldquoIt you continually give you will continually haverdquo Our team will go on being involved in community activities When time is spent on worthwhile projects outside the business opportunities come knocking at the front counter Besideshellipat yearrsquos endhellipit makes us feel really good about the help we gave on these projects
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since1977 She can be reached by email at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
December 2007 38Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
GRAPHICS NEWS NETWORKAll these news and information products and services are part of the
Graphics News Network developed for ACDRP The goal is ldquoAll the News All the Time mdash For the World of Graphicsrdquo
GRAPHICS NewsWireThe Graphics News Wire is the always live always updated source for graphics news mdash products equipment technology and more Make it (CorelDRAWProcomNewsPagehtm) your home page or favorite to gain access to Breaking news updated regularly New Classified Ads New Job Announcements Supplier SpecialsAll news is related to graphic productsQuickSourceTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive amp Easy-To-Use
Search Engine
It gives you one-click access to suppliers products phone numbers and live links to ACDRP Member Suppliers Itrsquos always up-to-date searchable by keyword and accessible from your desktop
Quick TnTTM
The Industryrsquos Newest Resource for Graphics Tips amp Templates
Gain access to a growing library of CorelDRAW tips and templates that will make your work easier
QuickLearnTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive and
Easy-To-Use Article Library
Gain access to hundreds of articles on graphics-related and business topics searchable by keyword
The Entrepreneurial Magazine for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro Magazine is delivered to you once a month in PDF format It features in-depth content that readers rave about including articles on how to use CorelDRAW how to apply CorelDRAW and how to profit from CorelDRAW
News Tips amp Resources for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month mdash about the 15th and 25th It brings you highly targeted content that you wonrsquot find elsewhere including CorelDRAW Tips extensive product news links and a calendar of shows and training
MARKET PLACE
Quality Engravable JewelryHand-crafted in New England
GIFTS amp ACCESSORIES FOR WOMEN AND MEN
John E Lepper Inc800-835-3623 Fax 508-222-2732
wwwjeleppercom
GenuineWhite-tone
Pewter amp Gold
Some Things Were Meant To Be In Etched in Stone
Call for a free color catalog
NampR International1155 Allgood Rd 13Marietta GA 30062
678-560-4088Fax 678-560-1157
Importers amp Wholesalers of MarbleOnyx
Gifts amp Accessories
JOIN TODAY
The worldrsquos only association for CorelDRAWreg Users
wwwcoreldrawprocomJoinhtm
Place an Ad for as little as $215 per month
Find out how by calling our Ad Representative John McDaniel II
541-990-6687
the entrepreneurial magazine
GET LISTED TODAY
Generate new businessby doing jobs for others
List your company in GSG the Digital Yellow Pages for the industry wwwcoreldrawprocomListGSGhtm
December 2007 39Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Louie Alvarez started in the industry working for one of the largest trophy shops in Central California and then opened one of the first retail laser engraving businesses He has given seminars and workshops on CorelDRAW and Laser for many years and has written for several publications He is now with Vytek Industrial Lasers and is based in Las Vegas NV He can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
Kathryn Arnold is the Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
Errol Barr has a wide range of experience in sales amp marketing eventually getting into laser systems in 1999 currently with Vytek Industrial Lasers He also sold extensively in the CNC router industry selling the machines as more of a business opportunity wrapped around the machine He can be reached by email at errolbarrgmailcom
Dave Demoret founded Prolink Graphic Services to help people understand and profit from learning CorelDRAW He has been in both the Flat Graphics Industry and the Decorating Graphics Industry for 30 years He has written articles for several publications is a Corel Training Partner and conducts workshops nationwide and online He is the author of several CD Instructional programs on CorelDRAW He can be reached at 765-DO COLOR (362-6567) or davedprolinkgscom
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since 1977 She has presented seminars on a variety of topics nationwide and has won many marketing awards She is the author of two books on family business and can be reached at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
Bill Leek is a color consultant for JBL Graphics in Houston TX and has over 30 years experience in computer engineering and graphics design He has developed several lines of color imprintable products and does testing on a variety of products for different manufacturers He can be reached at wfleekjblgraphicscom or 281-970-6677
Jeff McDaniel is the owner of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon He worked as a journeyman machinist before getting into the graphic products business Creative Graphic offers laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials Contact him at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
John McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry He worked for many years with computers in electronic data processing and pioneered the use of CorelDraw for engraving applications He owned a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years and writes about hardware design software laser engraving sublimation and more He is a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals For information on training and more call 541-967-4271 or write to mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
Judy McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry Her background includes many forms of art and retail sales as well as the operation of a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years She is a regular columnist on sandblasting sublimation and diversifying business as well as a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals She can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
David Milisock is president of Custom Graphic Technologies Inc in Pennsylvania He has been in the print production business since 1975 and specializes in professional support for CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite Output includes computer-to-plate processes for all commercial digital front-end applications as well as Postscript-compliant graphic applications He offers technical and color management support for all RIP-driven corporate digital output systems He can be reached at 717-509-3523 or davidmilisockcomcastnet
Deborah Sexton former editor of Impressions Magazine has been in the apparel graphics industry since 1981 She currently does marketing and public relations for apparel graphics companies and is a columnist for several industry publications She can be reached at dsextonsbcglobalnet
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at 916-567-1867
December 2007 40Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
by Otis Veteto
Traveling Tidbits
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the
RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of
the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Itrsquos a fun and
informative column focusing on the human-interest side of
the industry Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars
for industry organizations and some of that knowledge
will rub off as well He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at
916-567-1867
Reps Volunteers People Skills amp Agreements
RS Owens Southeast RepFirst of all a Traveling Tidbits welcome to
the newest member of the RS Owens Company sales team Anita Brennan Anita is the new Regional Sales Manager for the Southeast She will be calling on you folks in Alabama Tennessee Mississippi Florida Georgia North Carolina and South Carolina Anita has worked in all phases of our industry as a retailer (her own business) multi-line rep and now as a regional sales manager When I asked Anita what she likes to do when not on the road she told me she likes to spend time with her two-year-old granddaughter Kaylee Welcome to the RS Owens family Anita Brennan
Railroad Museum VolunteerI know Christmas is the time for giving
but some people give all year long I was talking recently with Elias Athanasiou whose regular job is a server in a restaurant my wife and I frequent when I am in Sacramento Elias has been associated as a volunteer with the California State Railroad Museum for about 16 years Every Saturday during the ldquorunning seasonrdquo April-September Elias can be found working as a volunteer on the Steam Engine excursion train that runs for 6 miles along the top of the levee on the Sacramento River The ride takes about 40 minutes Elias is the Engineer now but has worked as conductor and fireman in his tenure with the train It is people like Elias Athanasiou that make this a much better world A huge Traveling Tidbits SALUTE You can find out more about the Railroad Museum at wwwcsrmorg
Real People SkillsThis next tidbit is from the PPAI Promotional
Consultant Today The author is Roy Chitwood president of Max Sacks International in Seattle Wash It is entitled To Shine Polish Your People Skills
ldquoPeople buy not because they understand your product or service but because they feel that you understand them People buy emotionally As a professional salesperson you need to be more people-oriented not product centered Here are seven quick and easy techniques to improve your people skills
SMILE It is the universal sign of friendship in any language The Chinese have a proverb ldquoA man who cannot smile should not open a storerdquo Think about that Give a smile and you will get a smile in return
DEVELOP A GENUINE INTEREST IN OTHERS When you have sincere interest it shows Look directly at people when they are talking to you Let your facial expression register your interest Ask good open-ended questions to let people know that you are interested in what they say
TALK IN TERMS OF THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS INTERESTS You will never meet anyone who doesnrsquot have time to talk about what they want to talk about Encourage your prospect to discuss his or interests rather than launching into a discussion about yourself
USE THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS NAME Using a name builds personal rapport and shows you are listening with respect Be careful about overusing the personrsquos name
GIVE COMPLIMENTS Everyone loves a compliment when it is genuine Make a
concentrated effort to give at least 3 honest compliments every day of your life You will be amazed at what it will do for your relationships
LISTEN Listening is the greatest compliment you can pay When you assume the role of the listener it relaxes the sales climate As you listen you are demonstrating that you truly care and you are genuinely interested in what he or she has to say
MAKE THE OTHER PERSON FEEL IMPORTANT When you are sincerely impressed by something the other person has achieved or owns let them know it Understand that fundamentally every person is important and treat them accordingly
Personal comment When I finished reading this I thought to myself ldquoThese make sense in our everyday life not just in salesrdquo
The Third AgreementI will close with the 3rd step from the book
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel RuizDONrsquoT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS Find the
courage to ask questions and to express what you really want Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings sadness and drama
Sounds a little like what I wrote at the beginning of the column doesnrsquot it
Thatrsquos all for now Remember to save some time for yourself and your family And when you travel please travel safe
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE
- Full Screen 1
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-
- News
December 2007 37Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
MARKETING SECRETS
Donna Grayrsquos 2nd book Itrsquos All Relative Surviving amp Thriving in a Family Business was published in September 2007
It describes her quest to identify the keys to suc-cess for small business and family businesses in particular She interviewed top businesses nationwide and discovered five common qualities implemented by successful business owners Check it out at the Corel-DRAWPro Bookstore wwwcoreldrawprocomAllBook-storehtm
Commitments made and kept Our team felt good about some commitments we made and kept this past year like
We used a daily ldquoto-dordquo list and we set priorities in order of importance When we finished a project we ldquocelebratedrdquo and then moved on quickly to the next job We built in some time for ldquostress reliefrdquo with morning meeting breaks This was especially good when treats were served since wersquove got some good bakers on our staff We didnrsquot ldquoscreenrdquo calls through voice mail We considered every call to be important We ldquodid it right the first timerdquo even though it sometimes took longer We tied up all the ldquoloose endsrdquo We became ldquocheerleadersrdquo for each other When one of us accomplished a goal we all applauded We all tried to deliver more than we promised This can be challenging sometimes when working with a difficult project We eliminated (or tried to eliminate) unnecessary procedures and we simplified our paper flow system We spent most of our time on high priority tasks We all worked on our delegation skills We were committed to not wasting time either our own or other peoplersquos
Goals that were lacking Now all those great things being put on paper reminds me that we also had some goals we didnrsquot quite succeed athellipbut wersquoll try harder next year
We didnrsquot always ldquogrouprdquo tasks togetherhelliplike going to the bank and the post office in one trip or answering mail when it gets opened It wasnrsquot always easy to avoid procrastination Some low priority chores got put off There were still times when we couldnrsquot find enough hours to finish the work Our ldquotoolsrdquo didnrsquot always get put away when we were through with a project even though this is Daversquos pet peeve
Conclusion Experts say that we have to actively create our success not wait for it to happen This coming year hopefully none of us will sit in the comfort zone waiting for the phone to ring Therersquos an old Chinese proverb that goes ldquoIt you continually give you will continually haverdquo Our team will go on being involved in community activities When time is spent on worthwhile projects outside the business opportunities come knocking at the front counter Besideshellipat yearrsquos endhellipit makes us feel really good about the help we gave on these projects
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since1977 She can be reached by email at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
December 2007 38Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
GRAPHICS NEWS NETWORKAll these news and information products and services are part of the
Graphics News Network developed for ACDRP The goal is ldquoAll the News All the Time mdash For the World of Graphicsrdquo
GRAPHICS NewsWireThe Graphics News Wire is the always live always updated source for graphics news mdash products equipment technology and more Make it (CorelDRAWProcomNewsPagehtm) your home page or favorite to gain access to Breaking news updated regularly New Classified Ads New Job Announcements Supplier SpecialsAll news is related to graphic productsQuickSourceTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive amp Easy-To-Use
Search Engine
It gives you one-click access to suppliers products phone numbers and live links to ACDRP Member Suppliers Itrsquos always up-to-date searchable by keyword and accessible from your desktop
Quick TnTTM
The Industryrsquos Newest Resource for Graphics Tips amp Templates
Gain access to a growing library of CorelDRAW tips and templates that will make your work easier
QuickLearnTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive and
Easy-To-Use Article Library
Gain access to hundreds of articles on graphics-related and business topics searchable by keyword
The Entrepreneurial Magazine for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro Magazine is delivered to you once a month in PDF format It features in-depth content that readers rave about including articles on how to use CorelDRAW how to apply CorelDRAW and how to profit from CorelDRAW
News Tips amp Resources for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month mdash about the 15th and 25th It brings you highly targeted content that you wonrsquot find elsewhere including CorelDRAW Tips extensive product news links and a calendar of shows and training
MARKET PLACE
Quality Engravable JewelryHand-crafted in New England
GIFTS amp ACCESSORIES FOR WOMEN AND MEN
John E Lepper Inc800-835-3623 Fax 508-222-2732
wwwjeleppercom
GenuineWhite-tone
Pewter amp Gold
Some Things Were Meant To Be In Etched in Stone
Call for a free color catalog
NampR International1155 Allgood Rd 13Marietta GA 30062
678-560-4088Fax 678-560-1157
Importers amp Wholesalers of MarbleOnyx
Gifts amp Accessories
JOIN TODAY
The worldrsquos only association for CorelDRAWreg Users
wwwcoreldrawprocomJoinhtm
Place an Ad for as little as $215 per month
Find out how by calling our Ad Representative John McDaniel II
541-990-6687
the entrepreneurial magazine
GET LISTED TODAY
Generate new businessby doing jobs for others
List your company in GSG the Digital Yellow Pages for the industry wwwcoreldrawprocomListGSGhtm
December 2007 39Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Louie Alvarez started in the industry working for one of the largest trophy shops in Central California and then opened one of the first retail laser engraving businesses He has given seminars and workshops on CorelDRAW and Laser for many years and has written for several publications He is now with Vytek Industrial Lasers and is based in Las Vegas NV He can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
Kathryn Arnold is the Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
Errol Barr has a wide range of experience in sales amp marketing eventually getting into laser systems in 1999 currently with Vytek Industrial Lasers He also sold extensively in the CNC router industry selling the machines as more of a business opportunity wrapped around the machine He can be reached by email at errolbarrgmailcom
Dave Demoret founded Prolink Graphic Services to help people understand and profit from learning CorelDRAW He has been in both the Flat Graphics Industry and the Decorating Graphics Industry for 30 years He has written articles for several publications is a Corel Training Partner and conducts workshops nationwide and online He is the author of several CD Instructional programs on CorelDRAW He can be reached at 765-DO COLOR (362-6567) or davedprolinkgscom
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since 1977 She has presented seminars on a variety of topics nationwide and has won many marketing awards She is the author of two books on family business and can be reached at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
Bill Leek is a color consultant for JBL Graphics in Houston TX and has over 30 years experience in computer engineering and graphics design He has developed several lines of color imprintable products and does testing on a variety of products for different manufacturers He can be reached at wfleekjblgraphicscom or 281-970-6677
Jeff McDaniel is the owner of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon He worked as a journeyman machinist before getting into the graphic products business Creative Graphic offers laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials Contact him at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
John McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry He worked for many years with computers in electronic data processing and pioneered the use of CorelDraw for engraving applications He owned a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years and writes about hardware design software laser engraving sublimation and more He is a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals For information on training and more call 541-967-4271 or write to mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
Judy McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry Her background includes many forms of art and retail sales as well as the operation of a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years She is a regular columnist on sandblasting sublimation and diversifying business as well as a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals She can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
David Milisock is president of Custom Graphic Technologies Inc in Pennsylvania He has been in the print production business since 1975 and specializes in professional support for CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite Output includes computer-to-plate processes for all commercial digital front-end applications as well as Postscript-compliant graphic applications He offers technical and color management support for all RIP-driven corporate digital output systems He can be reached at 717-509-3523 or davidmilisockcomcastnet
Deborah Sexton former editor of Impressions Magazine has been in the apparel graphics industry since 1981 She currently does marketing and public relations for apparel graphics companies and is a columnist for several industry publications She can be reached at dsextonsbcglobalnet
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at 916-567-1867
December 2007 40Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
by Otis Veteto
Traveling Tidbits
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the
RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of
the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Itrsquos a fun and
informative column focusing on the human-interest side of
the industry Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars
for industry organizations and some of that knowledge
will rub off as well He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at
916-567-1867
Reps Volunteers People Skills amp Agreements
RS Owens Southeast RepFirst of all a Traveling Tidbits welcome to
the newest member of the RS Owens Company sales team Anita Brennan Anita is the new Regional Sales Manager for the Southeast She will be calling on you folks in Alabama Tennessee Mississippi Florida Georgia North Carolina and South Carolina Anita has worked in all phases of our industry as a retailer (her own business) multi-line rep and now as a regional sales manager When I asked Anita what she likes to do when not on the road she told me she likes to spend time with her two-year-old granddaughter Kaylee Welcome to the RS Owens family Anita Brennan
Railroad Museum VolunteerI know Christmas is the time for giving
but some people give all year long I was talking recently with Elias Athanasiou whose regular job is a server in a restaurant my wife and I frequent when I am in Sacramento Elias has been associated as a volunteer with the California State Railroad Museum for about 16 years Every Saturday during the ldquorunning seasonrdquo April-September Elias can be found working as a volunteer on the Steam Engine excursion train that runs for 6 miles along the top of the levee on the Sacramento River The ride takes about 40 minutes Elias is the Engineer now but has worked as conductor and fireman in his tenure with the train It is people like Elias Athanasiou that make this a much better world A huge Traveling Tidbits SALUTE You can find out more about the Railroad Museum at wwwcsrmorg
Real People SkillsThis next tidbit is from the PPAI Promotional
Consultant Today The author is Roy Chitwood president of Max Sacks International in Seattle Wash It is entitled To Shine Polish Your People Skills
ldquoPeople buy not because they understand your product or service but because they feel that you understand them People buy emotionally As a professional salesperson you need to be more people-oriented not product centered Here are seven quick and easy techniques to improve your people skills
SMILE It is the universal sign of friendship in any language The Chinese have a proverb ldquoA man who cannot smile should not open a storerdquo Think about that Give a smile and you will get a smile in return
DEVELOP A GENUINE INTEREST IN OTHERS When you have sincere interest it shows Look directly at people when they are talking to you Let your facial expression register your interest Ask good open-ended questions to let people know that you are interested in what they say
TALK IN TERMS OF THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS INTERESTS You will never meet anyone who doesnrsquot have time to talk about what they want to talk about Encourage your prospect to discuss his or interests rather than launching into a discussion about yourself
USE THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS NAME Using a name builds personal rapport and shows you are listening with respect Be careful about overusing the personrsquos name
GIVE COMPLIMENTS Everyone loves a compliment when it is genuine Make a
concentrated effort to give at least 3 honest compliments every day of your life You will be amazed at what it will do for your relationships
LISTEN Listening is the greatest compliment you can pay When you assume the role of the listener it relaxes the sales climate As you listen you are demonstrating that you truly care and you are genuinely interested in what he or she has to say
MAKE THE OTHER PERSON FEEL IMPORTANT When you are sincerely impressed by something the other person has achieved or owns let them know it Understand that fundamentally every person is important and treat them accordingly
Personal comment When I finished reading this I thought to myself ldquoThese make sense in our everyday life not just in salesrdquo
The Third AgreementI will close with the 3rd step from the book
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel RuizDONrsquoT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS Find the
courage to ask questions and to express what you really want Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings sadness and drama
Sounds a little like what I wrote at the beginning of the column doesnrsquot it
Thatrsquos all for now Remember to save some time for yourself and your family And when you travel please travel safe
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE
- Full Screen 1
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- Info Request
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- Page 39
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-
- News
December 2007 38Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
GRAPHICS NEWS NETWORKAll these news and information products and services are part of the
Graphics News Network developed for ACDRP The goal is ldquoAll the News All the Time mdash For the World of Graphicsrdquo
GRAPHICS NewsWireThe Graphics News Wire is the always live always updated source for graphics news mdash products equipment technology and more Make it (CorelDRAWProcomNewsPagehtm) your home page or favorite to gain access to Breaking news updated regularly New Classified Ads New Job Announcements Supplier SpecialsAll news is related to graphic productsQuickSourceTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive amp Easy-To-Use
Search Engine
It gives you one-click access to suppliers products phone numbers and live links to ACDRP Member Suppliers Itrsquos always up-to-date searchable by keyword and accessible from your desktop
Quick TnTTM
The Industryrsquos Newest Resource for Graphics Tips amp Templates
Gain access to a growing library of CorelDRAW tips and templates that will make your work easier
QuickLearnTM
The Industryrsquos Most Comprehensive and
Easy-To-Use Article Library
Gain access to hundreds of articles on graphics-related and business topics searchable by keyword
The Entrepreneurial Magazine for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro Magazine is delivered to you once a month in PDF format It features in-depth content that readers rave about including articles on how to use CorelDRAW how to apply CorelDRAW and how to profit from CorelDRAW
News Tips amp Resources for CorelDRAW Users
CorelDRAWPro E-News is a free digital newsletter delivered to you twice a month mdash about the 15th and 25th It brings you highly targeted content that you wonrsquot find elsewhere including CorelDRAW Tips extensive product news links and a calendar of shows and training
MARKET PLACE
Quality Engravable JewelryHand-crafted in New England
GIFTS amp ACCESSORIES FOR WOMEN AND MEN
John E Lepper Inc800-835-3623 Fax 508-222-2732
wwwjeleppercom
GenuineWhite-tone
Pewter amp Gold
Some Things Were Meant To Be In Etched in Stone
Call for a free color catalog
NampR International1155 Allgood Rd 13Marietta GA 30062
678-560-4088Fax 678-560-1157
Importers amp Wholesalers of MarbleOnyx
Gifts amp Accessories
JOIN TODAY
The worldrsquos only association for CorelDRAWreg Users
wwwcoreldrawprocomJoinhtm
Place an Ad for as little as $215 per month
Find out how by calling our Ad Representative John McDaniel II
541-990-6687
the entrepreneurial magazine
GET LISTED TODAY
Generate new businessby doing jobs for others
List your company in GSG the Digital Yellow Pages for the industry wwwcoreldrawprocomListGSGhtm
December 2007 39Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Louie Alvarez started in the industry working for one of the largest trophy shops in Central California and then opened one of the first retail laser engraving businesses He has given seminars and workshops on CorelDRAW and Laser for many years and has written for several publications He is now with Vytek Industrial Lasers and is based in Las Vegas NV He can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
Kathryn Arnold is the Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
Errol Barr has a wide range of experience in sales amp marketing eventually getting into laser systems in 1999 currently with Vytek Industrial Lasers He also sold extensively in the CNC router industry selling the machines as more of a business opportunity wrapped around the machine He can be reached by email at errolbarrgmailcom
Dave Demoret founded Prolink Graphic Services to help people understand and profit from learning CorelDRAW He has been in both the Flat Graphics Industry and the Decorating Graphics Industry for 30 years He has written articles for several publications is a Corel Training Partner and conducts workshops nationwide and online He is the author of several CD Instructional programs on CorelDRAW He can be reached at 765-DO COLOR (362-6567) or davedprolinkgscom
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since 1977 She has presented seminars on a variety of topics nationwide and has won many marketing awards She is the author of two books on family business and can be reached at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
Bill Leek is a color consultant for JBL Graphics in Houston TX and has over 30 years experience in computer engineering and graphics design He has developed several lines of color imprintable products and does testing on a variety of products for different manufacturers He can be reached at wfleekjblgraphicscom or 281-970-6677
Jeff McDaniel is the owner of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon He worked as a journeyman machinist before getting into the graphic products business Creative Graphic offers laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials Contact him at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
John McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry He worked for many years with computers in electronic data processing and pioneered the use of CorelDraw for engraving applications He owned a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years and writes about hardware design software laser engraving sublimation and more He is a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals For information on training and more call 541-967-4271 or write to mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
Judy McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry Her background includes many forms of art and retail sales as well as the operation of a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years She is a regular columnist on sandblasting sublimation and diversifying business as well as a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals She can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
David Milisock is president of Custom Graphic Technologies Inc in Pennsylvania He has been in the print production business since 1975 and specializes in professional support for CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite Output includes computer-to-plate processes for all commercial digital front-end applications as well as Postscript-compliant graphic applications He offers technical and color management support for all RIP-driven corporate digital output systems He can be reached at 717-509-3523 or davidmilisockcomcastnet
Deborah Sexton former editor of Impressions Magazine has been in the apparel graphics industry since 1981 She currently does marketing and public relations for apparel graphics companies and is a columnist for several industry publications She can be reached at dsextonsbcglobalnet
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at 916-567-1867
December 2007 40Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
by Otis Veteto
Traveling Tidbits
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the
RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of
the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Itrsquos a fun and
informative column focusing on the human-interest side of
the industry Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars
for industry organizations and some of that knowledge
will rub off as well He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at
916-567-1867
Reps Volunteers People Skills amp Agreements
RS Owens Southeast RepFirst of all a Traveling Tidbits welcome to
the newest member of the RS Owens Company sales team Anita Brennan Anita is the new Regional Sales Manager for the Southeast She will be calling on you folks in Alabama Tennessee Mississippi Florida Georgia North Carolina and South Carolina Anita has worked in all phases of our industry as a retailer (her own business) multi-line rep and now as a regional sales manager When I asked Anita what she likes to do when not on the road she told me she likes to spend time with her two-year-old granddaughter Kaylee Welcome to the RS Owens family Anita Brennan
Railroad Museum VolunteerI know Christmas is the time for giving
but some people give all year long I was talking recently with Elias Athanasiou whose regular job is a server in a restaurant my wife and I frequent when I am in Sacramento Elias has been associated as a volunteer with the California State Railroad Museum for about 16 years Every Saturday during the ldquorunning seasonrdquo April-September Elias can be found working as a volunteer on the Steam Engine excursion train that runs for 6 miles along the top of the levee on the Sacramento River The ride takes about 40 minutes Elias is the Engineer now but has worked as conductor and fireman in his tenure with the train It is people like Elias Athanasiou that make this a much better world A huge Traveling Tidbits SALUTE You can find out more about the Railroad Museum at wwwcsrmorg
Real People SkillsThis next tidbit is from the PPAI Promotional
Consultant Today The author is Roy Chitwood president of Max Sacks International in Seattle Wash It is entitled To Shine Polish Your People Skills
ldquoPeople buy not because they understand your product or service but because they feel that you understand them People buy emotionally As a professional salesperson you need to be more people-oriented not product centered Here are seven quick and easy techniques to improve your people skills
SMILE It is the universal sign of friendship in any language The Chinese have a proverb ldquoA man who cannot smile should not open a storerdquo Think about that Give a smile and you will get a smile in return
DEVELOP A GENUINE INTEREST IN OTHERS When you have sincere interest it shows Look directly at people when they are talking to you Let your facial expression register your interest Ask good open-ended questions to let people know that you are interested in what they say
TALK IN TERMS OF THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS INTERESTS You will never meet anyone who doesnrsquot have time to talk about what they want to talk about Encourage your prospect to discuss his or interests rather than launching into a discussion about yourself
USE THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS NAME Using a name builds personal rapport and shows you are listening with respect Be careful about overusing the personrsquos name
GIVE COMPLIMENTS Everyone loves a compliment when it is genuine Make a
concentrated effort to give at least 3 honest compliments every day of your life You will be amazed at what it will do for your relationships
LISTEN Listening is the greatest compliment you can pay When you assume the role of the listener it relaxes the sales climate As you listen you are demonstrating that you truly care and you are genuinely interested in what he or she has to say
MAKE THE OTHER PERSON FEEL IMPORTANT When you are sincerely impressed by something the other person has achieved or owns let them know it Understand that fundamentally every person is important and treat them accordingly
Personal comment When I finished reading this I thought to myself ldquoThese make sense in our everyday life not just in salesrdquo
The Third AgreementI will close with the 3rd step from the book
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel RuizDONrsquoT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS Find the
courage to ask questions and to express what you really want Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings sadness and drama
Sounds a little like what I wrote at the beginning of the column doesnrsquot it
Thatrsquos all for now Remember to save some time for yourself and your family And when you travel please travel safe
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE
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- News
December 2007 39Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Louie Alvarez started in the industry working for one of the largest trophy shops in Central California and then opened one of the first retail laser engraving businesses He has given seminars and workshops on CorelDRAW and Laser for many years and has written for several publications He is now with Vytek Industrial Lasers and is based in Las Vegas NV He can be reached at alvarezwritinggmailcom
Kathryn Arnold is the Senior Developer at LaserUniversity sponsored by LaserBits Inc of Phoenix AZ She can be reached at 1-800-733-7705 or laserulaserbitscom Or visit wwwlaserucom
Errol Barr has a wide range of experience in sales amp marketing eventually getting into laser systems in 1999 currently with Vytek Industrial Lasers He also sold extensively in the CNC router industry selling the machines as more of a business opportunity wrapped around the machine He can be reached by email at errolbarrgmailcom
Dave Demoret founded Prolink Graphic Services to help people understand and profit from learning CorelDRAW He has been in both the Flat Graphics Industry and the Decorating Graphics Industry for 30 years He has written articles for several publications is a Corel Training Partner and conducts workshops nationwide and online He is the author of several CD Instructional programs on CorelDRAW He can be reached at 765-DO COLOR (362-6567) or davedprolinkgscom
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards Promotions amp Gift (aka AwardsMallcom) in Madison Wis She and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since 1977 She has presented seminars on a variety of topics nationwide and has won many marketing awards She is the author of two books on family business and can be reached at donnagrayAwardsMallcom
Bill Leek is a color consultant for JBL Graphics in Houston TX and has over 30 years experience in computer engineering and graphics design He has developed several lines of color imprintable products and does testing on a variety of products for different manufacturers He can be reached at wfleekjblgraphicscom or 281-970-6677
Jeff McDaniel is the owner of Creative Graphic in Philomath Oregon He worked as a journeyman machinist before getting into the graphic products business Creative Graphic offers laser engraving rotary engraving sandblasting sublimation image transfers vinyl signs banners screen printing and promotional products Jeff routinely applies graphics to a wide variety of materials Contact him at Jeffcreativegraphicnet
John McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry He worked for many years with computers in electronic data processing and pioneered the use of CorelDraw for engraving applications He owned a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years and writes about hardware design software laser engraving sublimation and more He is a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals For information on training and more call 541-967-4271 or write to mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
Judy McDaniel is the co-owner of JHM Marketing in Albany OR which provides consulting and training services for the industry Her background includes many forms of art and retail sales as well as the operation of a retail personalized gift shop for over ten years She is a regular columnist on sandblasting sublimation and diversifying business as well as a Corel Training Partner and co-founder of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals She can be reached at 541-967-4271 fax 541-967-4272 or via email at mailCorelDRAWhelpcom
David Milisock is president of Custom Graphic Technologies Inc in Pennsylvania He has been in the print production business since 1975 and specializes in professional support for CorelDRAWreg Graphics Suite Output includes computer-to-plate processes for all commercial digital front-end applications as well as Postscript-compliant graphic applications He offers technical and color management support for all RIP-driven corporate digital output systems He can be reached at 717-509-3523 or davidmilisockcomcastnet
Deborah Sexton former editor of Impressions Magazine has been in the apparel graphics industry since 1981 She currently does marketing and public relations for apparel graphics companies and is a columnist for several industry publications She can be reached at dsextonsbcglobalnet
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at 916-567-1867
December 2007 40Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
by Otis Veteto
Traveling Tidbits
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the
RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of
the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Itrsquos a fun and
informative column focusing on the human-interest side of
the industry Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars
for industry organizations and some of that knowledge
will rub off as well He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at
916-567-1867
Reps Volunteers People Skills amp Agreements
RS Owens Southeast RepFirst of all a Traveling Tidbits welcome to
the newest member of the RS Owens Company sales team Anita Brennan Anita is the new Regional Sales Manager for the Southeast She will be calling on you folks in Alabama Tennessee Mississippi Florida Georgia North Carolina and South Carolina Anita has worked in all phases of our industry as a retailer (her own business) multi-line rep and now as a regional sales manager When I asked Anita what she likes to do when not on the road she told me she likes to spend time with her two-year-old granddaughter Kaylee Welcome to the RS Owens family Anita Brennan
Railroad Museum VolunteerI know Christmas is the time for giving
but some people give all year long I was talking recently with Elias Athanasiou whose regular job is a server in a restaurant my wife and I frequent when I am in Sacramento Elias has been associated as a volunteer with the California State Railroad Museum for about 16 years Every Saturday during the ldquorunning seasonrdquo April-September Elias can be found working as a volunteer on the Steam Engine excursion train that runs for 6 miles along the top of the levee on the Sacramento River The ride takes about 40 minutes Elias is the Engineer now but has worked as conductor and fireman in his tenure with the train It is people like Elias Athanasiou that make this a much better world A huge Traveling Tidbits SALUTE You can find out more about the Railroad Museum at wwwcsrmorg
Real People SkillsThis next tidbit is from the PPAI Promotional
Consultant Today The author is Roy Chitwood president of Max Sacks International in Seattle Wash It is entitled To Shine Polish Your People Skills
ldquoPeople buy not because they understand your product or service but because they feel that you understand them People buy emotionally As a professional salesperson you need to be more people-oriented not product centered Here are seven quick and easy techniques to improve your people skills
SMILE It is the universal sign of friendship in any language The Chinese have a proverb ldquoA man who cannot smile should not open a storerdquo Think about that Give a smile and you will get a smile in return
DEVELOP A GENUINE INTEREST IN OTHERS When you have sincere interest it shows Look directly at people when they are talking to you Let your facial expression register your interest Ask good open-ended questions to let people know that you are interested in what they say
TALK IN TERMS OF THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS INTERESTS You will never meet anyone who doesnrsquot have time to talk about what they want to talk about Encourage your prospect to discuss his or interests rather than launching into a discussion about yourself
USE THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS NAME Using a name builds personal rapport and shows you are listening with respect Be careful about overusing the personrsquos name
GIVE COMPLIMENTS Everyone loves a compliment when it is genuine Make a
concentrated effort to give at least 3 honest compliments every day of your life You will be amazed at what it will do for your relationships
LISTEN Listening is the greatest compliment you can pay When you assume the role of the listener it relaxes the sales climate As you listen you are demonstrating that you truly care and you are genuinely interested in what he or she has to say
MAKE THE OTHER PERSON FEEL IMPORTANT When you are sincerely impressed by something the other person has achieved or owns let them know it Understand that fundamentally every person is important and treat them accordingly
Personal comment When I finished reading this I thought to myself ldquoThese make sense in our everyday life not just in salesrdquo
The Third AgreementI will close with the 3rd step from the book
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel RuizDONrsquoT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS Find the
courage to ask questions and to express what you really want Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings sadness and drama
Sounds a little like what I wrote at the beginning of the column doesnrsquot it
Thatrsquos all for now Remember to save some time for yourself and your family And when you travel please travel safe
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE
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-
- News
December 2007 40Click ads to go directly to advertiserrsquos web site
by Otis Veteto
Traveling Tidbits
Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the
RS Owens amp Co Inc manufacturer and supplier of
the Elegance in Awards amp Gifts line With more than 30 years experience in the industry he offers the ldquoPROspectiverdquo of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas people and places that he visits Itrsquos a fun and
informative column focusing on the human-interest side of
the industry Otis also presents sales and motivation seminars
for industry organizations and some of that knowledge
will rub off as well He can be reached in Sacramento CA ndash when not on the road ndash at
916-567-1867
Reps Volunteers People Skills amp Agreements
RS Owens Southeast RepFirst of all a Traveling Tidbits welcome to
the newest member of the RS Owens Company sales team Anita Brennan Anita is the new Regional Sales Manager for the Southeast She will be calling on you folks in Alabama Tennessee Mississippi Florida Georgia North Carolina and South Carolina Anita has worked in all phases of our industry as a retailer (her own business) multi-line rep and now as a regional sales manager When I asked Anita what she likes to do when not on the road she told me she likes to spend time with her two-year-old granddaughter Kaylee Welcome to the RS Owens family Anita Brennan
Railroad Museum VolunteerI know Christmas is the time for giving
but some people give all year long I was talking recently with Elias Athanasiou whose regular job is a server in a restaurant my wife and I frequent when I am in Sacramento Elias has been associated as a volunteer with the California State Railroad Museum for about 16 years Every Saturday during the ldquorunning seasonrdquo April-September Elias can be found working as a volunteer on the Steam Engine excursion train that runs for 6 miles along the top of the levee on the Sacramento River The ride takes about 40 minutes Elias is the Engineer now but has worked as conductor and fireman in his tenure with the train It is people like Elias Athanasiou that make this a much better world A huge Traveling Tidbits SALUTE You can find out more about the Railroad Museum at wwwcsrmorg
Real People SkillsThis next tidbit is from the PPAI Promotional
Consultant Today The author is Roy Chitwood president of Max Sacks International in Seattle Wash It is entitled To Shine Polish Your People Skills
ldquoPeople buy not because they understand your product or service but because they feel that you understand them People buy emotionally As a professional salesperson you need to be more people-oriented not product centered Here are seven quick and easy techniques to improve your people skills
SMILE It is the universal sign of friendship in any language The Chinese have a proverb ldquoA man who cannot smile should not open a storerdquo Think about that Give a smile and you will get a smile in return
DEVELOP A GENUINE INTEREST IN OTHERS When you have sincere interest it shows Look directly at people when they are talking to you Let your facial expression register your interest Ask good open-ended questions to let people know that you are interested in what they say
TALK IN TERMS OF THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS INTERESTS You will never meet anyone who doesnrsquot have time to talk about what they want to talk about Encourage your prospect to discuss his or interests rather than launching into a discussion about yourself
USE THE OTHER PERSONrsquoS NAME Using a name builds personal rapport and shows you are listening with respect Be careful about overusing the personrsquos name
GIVE COMPLIMENTS Everyone loves a compliment when it is genuine Make a
concentrated effort to give at least 3 honest compliments every day of your life You will be amazed at what it will do for your relationships
LISTEN Listening is the greatest compliment you can pay When you assume the role of the listener it relaxes the sales climate As you listen you are demonstrating that you truly care and you are genuinely interested in what he or she has to say
MAKE THE OTHER PERSON FEEL IMPORTANT When you are sincerely impressed by something the other person has achieved or owns let them know it Understand that fundamentally every person is important and treat them accordingly
Personal comment When I finished reading this I thought to myself ldquoThese make sense in our everyday life not just in salesrdquo
The Third AgreementI will close with the 3rd step from the book
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel RuizDONrsquoT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS Find the
courage to ask questions and to express what you really want Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings sadness and drama
Sounds a little like what I wrote at the beginning of the column doesnrsquot it
Thatrsquos all for now Remember to save some time for yourself and your family And when you travel please travel safe
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE
- Full Screen 1
-
- Page 1 Off
-
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-
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-
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-
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