Graphics Unleashed

CorelDRAW X4 and Color Management Bundles

2009-11-11T09:15:00.001-07:00

Corel has put together several holiday bundles that combine CorelDRAW X4 with tools to help you master the art of color management. There are introductory, advanced and professional bundles available and all of them are at special prices good through November 24, 2009. If you want to get an even better deal, use the coupon code "UNLEASHED12" without the quotes to save an additional 10%! Check out all the bundles now!

Canon VIXIA HF S11 Camcorder

2009-11-11T01:00:00.001-07:00

I'm trying to make a decision on whether I want to include video of myself in future products. If the decision is to include that video, I'll need to get a good camcorder. That has led me on a search for a really good HD camera. If I were to buy today, I'd get the Canon VIXIA HS S11 Camcorder. It can store 6 hours of HD content or 24 hours of SD content using the 64 GB of internal storage.

For those who need more storage space, you can also use SDHC cards to add more. The sensor captures full 1080p (1920x 1080 pixels) for amazing clarity. The one knock on the camera mentioned by reviewers is that the battery only lasts about 90 minutes. I don't see that as a big problem. If you are going to need to shoot for a longer amount of time without the ability to plug in, just buy another battery or two or three. I hope to make my decision in the next month and I'll follow up in a future post if I end up getting this camcorder.

***

Last week I wrote about the Linksys WUSB300N-RM Wireless Adapter. A loyal reader asked if the adapter would work with Windows 7 since there were no recent driver updates on the Linksys Web site. I decided to give it a try on my Windows 7 Ultimate (64-bit) machine and it worked just fine. So if you were concerned that you couldn't get Windows 7 drivers for this adapter, you don't need to worry any longer.

Urban Myths, CorelDRAW Users and a Tutorial

2009-11-10T01:00:00.000-07:00

Today I have a few short messages to go along with the tutorial of the day.

Yesterday I got an e-mail from someone I don't know. I can't only guess it was a loyal reader. Yet it is the type of e-mail that all of us get too often. This particular message was talking about the worst virus ever and suggesting that it be sent to everyone you know to minimize the damage done by the virus. Yet it was nothing but a hoax just like almost every message you get that says "please forward to everyone you know". It took me all of fifteen seconds to do a search on Google and to find numerous Web sites which dispelled the message.

Why am I telling you this story? Because the only way messages like this get stopped is if users stop forwarding them to everyone they know. If you get a message that sounds too good and/or too bad to be true and it is asking you to forward it, please do some research first! If you don't want to do the research, don't forward it!

***

I think there are times that we as CorelDRAW users feel bad because we don't use the "industry standard". I'll save my speech on industry standards for another day, because the people who spread that label are misinformed. Anyways, I was as a party hosted by my printer the other day. I was chatting with someone that I knew was one of his customers and it came out that she used CorelDRAW. She was thrilled that she had met someone who knew all about CorelDRAW and could appreciate the smart decision she made to use it.

***

Today's tutorial comes from Roy Brewer, an engraving equipment supplier, and it covers some great ways to use the Print Merge facility in CorelDRAW. It is a free video, so enjoy!

eCut for CorelDRAW

2009-11-09T01:00:00.001-07:00

Do you cut vinyl from artwork you've created in CorelDRAW? While some cutters can be driven directly, most of them will benefit by having software to optimize the artwork before sending to the cutter. eCut for CorelDRAW is a new add-on for CorelDRAW that will do just that. It handles nesting, perimeter and area calculations, cost calculations and much more. If you are cutting vinyl, you want to check out this new add-on!

Tribal Turtle

2009-11-08T01:00:00.000-07:00

I've always loved the various Hawaiian images for common animals such as turtles. Today's vector turtle graphic is somewhat of a cross between the Hawaiian symbol and something a bit more tribal. I still haven't quite figured what I can find a use for this cool graphic, but I'm sure it will find a way into a project soon.

BlueScreenView Helps Diagnose the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD)

2009-11-07T01:00:00.001-07:00

I've been fairly lucky with most of my computers over the past five years. Rarely have I seen the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD). For those not familiar with this name, it shows when Windows had a very serious problem. The name comes because the screen is blue with a lot of unintelligible white text. At least normal humans don't understand it.

Unfortunately I've seen 10-15 blue screens of death with my new computer. Some would say it has something to do with running Windows 7. I don't think the fault is truly with Windows 7. Typically the BSOD is caused by a bad driver or something else really low level such an anti-virus utilities. The problem is that it is extremely difficult to pinpoint the problem based solely on the information on the blue screen.

That leads me to NirSoft BlueScreenView (free download at very bottom of the page). It can read the "dump" files created when you get a BSOD error. Admittedly you still have some pretty technical information to decipher, but it is a lot more helpful than the blue screen itself. Since installing BlueScreenView over a week ago, I've only had one BSOD and I think I've solved the problem. My best guess is that it was a combination of a bad driver that has since been updated and a bad desktop gadget that I no longer use.

While the process was a bit frustrating, BlueScreenView definitely gave me enough details that I could hunt down the problem. I think some of the issue was that drivers for Windows 7 were really new and that will resolve itself quickly now that large number of users are moving to Windows 7. If you are getting the dreaded BSOD, get a copy of BlueScreenView and start diagnosing.

Origami Font

2009-11-06T01:00:00.000-07:00

I have always been fascinated with some of the things created with Origami. Today's font shares a name with the ancient method of folding paper into unique shapes, but doesn't really have anything to do with origami. The characters all do have various lines at 45 degree angles and something that looks like a fold mark, but that is about the only connection. I just think it looks cool and would be perfect for headlines on the right project.

The Many Flavors of EPS Files

2009-11-05T01:00:00.029-07:00

We'll start out today with some tips on working with EPS files and then I'm asking for your help in answering a user's question. The first thing you need to understand about EPS files is that they were never meant to be edited. Read that sentence again. This means if you are able to edit an EPS file, you should consider it a bonus. Many EPS files will flat out fail when you try to edit them. This is not the fault of CorelDRAW, but rather that EPS files were never meant to be edited. Corel has done a good job of allowing us to edit many EPS files and we should be thankful for that.

The next thing to understand is that there are numerous flavors of EPS files. For many years, Adobe Illustrator files were a flavor of EPS. Those files will most likely import into CorelDRAW just fine though effects like gradient fills will be made up of numerous strips. Probably the worst thing I hear from users is when they export a file from CorelDRAW to EPS and then immediately try to re-import the EPS file to test it. Folks, you aren't testing anything! The file could import into CorelDRAW just fine and fail on the other end. Or it could fail to import and work just fine on the other end. If someone is blindly asking for an EPS file, you should ask them how they are planning to use the EPS file. Do they expect it to be editable? If so, you should probably export to a different format like Adobe Illustrator. Are they simply placing the file and printing it? EPS and/or PDF are probably the right choice in this situation but re-importing them won't prove anything to you.

For those who often work with suppliers requesting data, you should really get to know the file formats in depth so that you can supply functional artwork. You also need to fully understand the process on their end since many file formats come in a wide variety of flavors.

A user posted a very interesting question in the Graphics Unleashed Discussion Forums this week. A common type of graphic in the world of screen printing is a football or basketball complete with the texture of the ball. The person asking the question isn't sure how to successfully re-create the texture using spot colors and would love to hear suggestions. With all the screen printers reading this blog, I'm sure there is someone who can help. While visiting the forums, don't hesitate to post your own questions.

Linksys WUSB300N-RM Wireless N USB Adapter

2009-11-04T01:00:00.000-07:00

These days it is pretty common that a new laptop will contain some sort of wireless adapter. Yet that doesn't mean that it supports the latest technology. What about connecting your desktop computer via wireless? In any of those situations, it is a good idea to have a wireless adapter that connects via USB.

Both of the situations ring true for me. My laptop doesn't support 802.11n and it doesn't work very well if it is more than 50 feet from a router. I also have a desktop computer that isn't near an Ethernet port. That led me to a search for USB wireless adapters and I think I found a great mix of a powerful component at a very reasonable price in the Linksys WUSB300N-RM Wireless N USB Adapter. The "RM" in the name stands for refurbished which helps to keep the price down to only $24.99. At that price, I didn't hesitate to get one for both my laptop and desktop. It also could be handy if you have a guest in your office (or your home) who needs to connect to your wireless network. One of my friends always keeps a USB wireless adapter handy for guests in his home.

The Evils of Using JPEG Files

2009-11-03T01:00:00.010-07:00

Not a day goes by without seeing a situation where someone has used a JPEG file in a situation where another format should have been used instead. Today's tutorial, The Evils of Using JPEG Files, goes over many of the reasons why you shouldn't use JPG files. Even if you feel you understand JPEG files, I encourage you to read this tutorial at least once. Yes, JPEG files have their place and I use them regularly. The key is knowing when JPEG is the right choice and when it should be avoided.

Noisia Applications Color Spectrum Pro

2009-11-02T01:00:00.010-07:00

When you are printing something for a client, it can sometimes be tough to match the exact color they desire. Even if you select a specific set of CMYK values or a Pantone color, the output may not be the color wanted by your client. That's where Noisia Applications Color Spectrum Pro will come to the rescue.

Select the color you are trying to match and this macro will generate a series of color swatches near the selected color. If the original color doesn't match, the idea is that one of the nearby colors may do the trick. For those who need an exact color, this macro could be a job saver.

2010 Calendars

2009-11-01T01:00:00.006-07:00

As we get closer to the end of 2009, it becomes more important to get a calendar for 2010. The folks at Xerox have put together some nice 2010 calendars in PDF format that you can download. While you might be able to import the PDF into CorelDRAW for editing, be very careful about how you use the calendars so as not to violate any copyrights. If nothing else, use the calendars to inspire you to create a unique calendar for your customers.

Bart's Stuff Test

2009-10-31T01:00:00.042-07:00

I can pretty much guarantee that the name of this utility gives you very little information about what it does. Even the page where you download it doesn't say much about it, not even the name of what you are downloading. Bart's Stuff Test allows you to test the read and write speed of your hard disks. It is a free utility.

When I built new new computer, I used two different types of hard drives. One was an SSD drive and the other was a traditional mechanical drive. The SSD drive is supposed to be much faster then the mechanical drive and the only way to find out was to run some speed tests. That's where Bart's Stuff Test came into play. Below are my results.

SSD Drive (Patriot Torqx 2.5-Inch 128 GB Sata II)
Average Sequential Write for 66.5 GB: 116.9 MB/s
Maximum Speed: 147.4 MB/s
Average Sequential Read for 66.5 GB: 200.1 MB/s
Maximum Speed: 205.6 MB/s

Mechanical Drive (Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 1.5 TB Sata 32 MB Cache)
Average Sequential Write for 53.4 GB: 112.8 MB/s
Maximum Speed: 116.5 MB/s
Average Sequential Read for 53.4 GB: 113.1 MB/s
Maximum Speed: 115.8 MB/s

Clearly the SSD was faster in all tests. When writing data, the difference was fairly small. But reading data it was significantly faster. Go ahead and test your drives and see how they compare and then post your results as a comment.

Thriller Font

2009-10-30T01:00:00.000-07:00

Just one more day until little goblins and ghouls wander around looking for candy. It is also the week when Michael Jackson's This Is It soundtrack and movie are being released. So it seemed only appropriate to highlight the Thriller font today. Maybe this font will get you and the other zombies in the office dancing. Or maybe you'll just get more designs done.

Outlines That Don't Inflate the Border Size

2009-10-29T01:00:00.006-07:00

A CorelDRAW user recently asked me if there was a way to create a box of an exact size with an outline on it. The most common usage of this would be to create a border around an ad. Remember that half of the outline is inside the shape and half is outside. So even if you draw a rectangle of the exact size, the outline will make it larger than what is allowed.

There is a simple answer for this, though it will take a couple of extra steps to create. Start by drawing a rectangle at the exact size you need. Now use the Contour effect to create a contour line inside of the original rectangle by the amount you want for the thickness of the border. Break apart the two objects making up the contour. Combine those two objects together. Fill the combined border with the color of your choice and remove the outline. Voila, you have a rectangle of the exact size you need with a border the exact thickness you desire.

ATI Radeon HD 5870

2009-10-28T01:00:00.000-07:00

There is a new speed king when it comes to video cards. Even better, the speed comes at a lower price. There are a variety of cards based on the ATI Radeon HD 5870 and all sport the same price of $399. Of those posting comments, the only negative seems to be the large size of the card at 11.5 inches long. So if you are going to get one, make sure you have room in your computer for it.

My preference in video cards has always been to get one from nVidia simply because their drivers have always had a "better reputation" than those of ATI. Of course this is all very subjective so I can't make a personal judgment since I've not used an ATI card. If you are in the market for a new card, look at what is available and see what works best for you. Definitely this is a card that should be on your short list.

Two Ways to Create a Split Front Design

2009-10-27T01:00:00.001-07:00

In only a few days the World Series will start. The New York Yankees against the Philadelphia Phillies. Many of you probably have had to design artwork for the front of baseball jerseys that requires a split front. For those who aren't familiar, a split front has to have a small amount of overlap where the jersey buttons.

Today's tutorial will show you two different ways to create a split front in CorelDRAW. While this tutorial is several years old, the techniques still work great today. Give it a try and you'll have artwork ready for a jersey in no time.

Save Old Version

2009-10-26T01:00:00.002-07:00

If you have multiple versions of CorelDRAW installed in your office or you have clients with older versions, it may be handy to automatically save your files to an older version. The Save Old Version macro will do exactly that and it is free.

Now I'm going to caution you about using this macro unless you know the downsides. No, the macro doesn't do anything wrong. The problem is not having a copy of the file saved in the current version. With each new version of CorelDRAW, the file format changes and features are added. When you save backwards, you are permanently losing those new features. Yesterday I had a user ask me about this macro and his office is a mix between CorelDRAW X4 and CorelDRAW 10. If all files were automatically saved backwards to v10, all of the features added in the last four versions are lost. My suggestion was to save the file in CorelDRAW X4 and then save a second copy (under a separate file name) to v10 using Save As. This isn't as efficient as using this macro, but could save you from potential disaster if too much is lost by saving backwards.

Vector Smiley Pack

2009-10-25T01:00:00.009-07:00

It seems that every where you turn in software, there are smileys. I thought it might be nice to have some cool vector smileys to use in various projects and so I went searching around the Web. The search led to some really nice vector smileys in the Vector Smiley Pack. The files are supplied as Adobe Illustrator files so you may have to do a little editing after importing into CorelDRAW to get them to look the same. You should only have to edit the transparency ellipse used on each icon to provide highlights. Don't worry, I'll send this file to the appropriate folks at Corel in hopes that they can make it import better in future versions.

Xinorbis

2009-10-24T01:00:00.000-07:00

How cluttered is the hard drive on your computer? Even on a new machine it doesn't take very long for the gunk to build up. Yet often you have no idea what exactly is taking up all the space. That's where Xinorbis can help out. Allow it to scan your hard drive and you will get a wealth of data about what it found. Find out the size of the folders, what types of files take up the most space, the age of those files and much more. The program is completely free, but a small donation to the developer is encouraged. Give it a try and maybe you'll be able to do a little bit of hard disk cleanup.

Sinister Fonts

2009-10-23T01:00:00.003-07:00

Last week I directed you to a dingbat full of skulls to use for Halloween themed graphics. Today I'm going to continue that trend by telling you about a site loaded with some really sinister fonts that are perfect for the holiday. The Sinister Fonts Web site contains a number of free ghoulish fonts, wallpapers and even a few desktop themes sure to get you in the mood for Halloween.

New Reviews and New Deals

2009-10-22T13:31:00.000-07:00

This post is a bit of a mixed bag of information. I decided to put it all in a single post rather than having two separate posts. Hopefully you'll find all of the information useful.

Those of you who have been reading the content on Graphics Unleashed will remember a very prolific reviewer by the name of Kurt von Behrmann. He has been busy the last few years building his career as an artist and hadn't had the time to write any new reviews...until now. We have two new reviews from Kurt. The first is on the just released Windows 7 and the other is on Act 2010. If you have been considering either one, give the reviews a read to get Kurt's thoughts.

Today there was also a new CorelDeal Alert released with limited time offers on CorelDRAW, Corel Painter, Corel DESIGNER, a two for one deal with Corel Paint Shop Pro X2 and VideoStudio Pro X2 and more. These deals all expire on October 31, 2009 so make sure to take advantage of them now. Read the CorelDeal Alert for all the details!

Move It While Drawing

2009-10-22T01:00:00.000-07:00

Does that title mean anything to you? I bet not. It is probably pretty confusing. What I'm talking about it moving an object while drawing it in CorelDRAW. There is one huge gotcha with this feature. You have to be using a mouse. I can't get it to work at all when using a tablet.

Let's start with the rectangle tool. Click and drag to draw a rectangle. Before you let go of the left mouse button, press down the right mouse button. While you have both held down, move the rectangle wherever you want it to go. Now try it with an ellipse or a polygon or some other shape. Pretty cool isn't it?

Amazing Deals for Windows 7 Release

2009-10-21T01:00:00.022-07:00

Last Saturday I told you my thoughts on Windows 7. The release is less than 24 hours away. As a way to capitalize on the release of Windows 7, Corel decided to have an incredible sale on two of their latest products. They didn't plan on this coupon getting out to a wide audience, but I won't tell if you won't. If you use the provided coupon code, you'll get 70% off these products.

Save 70% on downloads of WinDVD Pro 2010 with coupon code P843951. After applying the coupon, it is only $30!

Save 70% on downloads of Corel Digital Studio 2010 with coupon code P843951. That's right, only $30 after applying the coupon!

Remember, this only applies to the downloadable versions of these products. The folks who told me about this coupon also said that it only works for users buying through Corel's US and Canada estores. The coupon expires on October 31, 2009 so take advantage of this while you can.

How to Make a Hi-Tech Interface Using CorelDRAW

2009-10-20T01:00:00.001-07:00

Maybe you need a cool looking interface for a Web design project or maybe you just want it to include in a design to be printed. No matter what reason you have, Jeff Harrison has a great tutorial for showing you how to do it. How to Make a Hi-Tech Interface in CorelDRAW will show users of CorelDRAW 9-X4 a number of cool features and techniques for achieving the interface of their dreams. Of course that also includes tips for getting it done quickly. Jeff has also thrown in a copy of the CorelDRAW file for the interface and some background textures that may come in handy when creating your own interface.