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the entrepreneurial magazine for CorelDRAW® users worldwide

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March 2007
Published for the Association of CorelDRAW® Professionals (ACDRP) / www.coreldrawpro.com

DYB: Name Badges & Plaque Plates • Inside Screen Printing: Artwork Considerations

Cover Art by
Vincent Ciccia
Details on page 7
Info
 CONTENTS
March 2007 www.coreldrawpro.com

TRAINING: APPLICATIONS: OPPORTUNITIES:

How to Use How to Apply How to Profit

11 Using CorelDRAW: 18 Inside Transfers:

Previewing in X3’s Image 31 Getting Ahead:
Full Color Sublimated Name Managing Color on Your
Adjustment Lab by Corel Corp. Badges by Bill Leek
Step-by-step explanation of how to Direct-To-Garment Printer
use the Preview mode in the Image 19 Inside Screen Printing: Deborah Sexton interviews Don
Adjustment Lab. Copeland of SWF East about the ins
Artwork Considerations
and outs of getting good color.
by Jeff McDaniel

23 Inside Sandblasting:
Photos 10: Halftoning & BW
by Judy McDaniel

13 Using CorelDRAW: The New

Interactive Fit Text To Path Tool
by Corel Corp.
34 ARA Show Report
Editor Mike Neer reviews the innovative
and exciting new products displayed at
the International Awards Market in Las
Vegas Feb. 22-24

COLUMNS
25 Inside Laser Engraving:
Lasering Hard Materials 3: Start 37 Marketing Secrets
14 Diversifying Your Business: with a Template Get Fired Up! by Donna Gray, CRM
by John McDaniel
Product Changes -- Name Badges
& Plaque Plates 43 Traveling Tidbits:
John McDaniel looks at the opportunities Green Time, March Madness, &
that product changes have created due Military Training
to technology. by Otis Veteto

DEPARTMENTS

5 Connections
7 About the Cover
28 Guest Column: 9 Inside ACDRP:
Name Badges Made Easier Spring & Fulfillment Centers
16 Inside Color: A Discussion on by Matt Gusse
Placed Image Resolution 39 Product Focus: Badges
David Milisock talks about the mysteries 41 Graphics News Network
of screen resolution, PPI, DPI, and dot 41 Marketplace
patterns. 42 Contributing Writers

www.coreldrawpro.com • March 2007 3

Info
 CONNECTIONS
February 2007 www.coreldrawpro.com

NEWS LINKS ADVERTISER LINKS

GRAPHICS NewsWire
A&B Supply (Web, Ad)
Brother International (Web, Ad)
Conde Systems (Web, Ad)
Click here to open the NewsWire
CorelWorld 07 (Web, Ad)
Custom Graphic Technology (Web, Ad)
More than 40 news stories have been posted since the last issue.
Epilog Laser Corp. (Web, Ad)
Here are the headlines. Click to the Graphics News Wire for details... Geo. Knight & Co. (Web, Ad)
Product News Headlines: Imprintables Warehouse (Web, Ad)
• Power Graphics 3 Released by Digital JBL Graphics (Web, Ad)
Art Solutions • R.S. Owens Regional Sales Manager
John E. Lepper Inc. (Web, Ad)
Otis Veteto receives Speaker of Year
• JDS adds spinning plastic figures and honor Johnson Plastics (Web, Ad)
trim; Summer Specials Brochure Laser Reproductions (Web, Ad)
• Dalco offers custom rhinestone transfer LaserBits Inc. (Web, Ad)
• Promotional Products sales up by 4.5% designs LaserSketch (Web, Ad)
according to ASI Media Blast (Web, Ad)
• CrystalEdge® presents new LuxorTM
N&R International (Web, Ad)
• SanMar launches new School & Team Series of crystal awards
catalog Paramount Services Inc. (Web, Ad)
• LaserBits releases 2007 Laser Trotec Laser Inc. (Web, Ad)
• Unisub introduces UnisubGraphics Reference Guide Universal Laser Systems (Web, Ad)
service
• Johnson Plastics named Supplier of
• Workhorse offers VacuPallet for signs the Year at Las Vegas awards show Reader Request
and bumper stickers Click here to open an electronic Reader
• Corel Designer® Technical Suite works Card which you can use to request
• Progressive introduces Falcon M with Vista information from multiple suppliers.
entry-level automatic press
• Unisub unveils ChromaLuxe Photo
• Chouinard has men’s ringer T-shirt Panels RESOURCES LINKS

• Printa Systems offers Printa Seps • Royal Apparel introduces new tank
software tops Calendar (Web Link)
Check out the upcoming training
• R.S. Owens wins best new technology • Roland DGA introduces Roland Color classes and trade shows of interest to
award CorelDRAW users.
• Colman & Co. offers special
• Floriani Commercial adds CD catalog embroidery scissors Classifieds (Web Link)
and Nylon Mesh in beige Discover equipment and businesses for
• Mesa Distributors introduces U1501 sale at great prices.
• Vastex adds X Series Conveyors singlehead embroidery system
Career Center (Web Link)
• EmbSupplies.com offers • Geo. Knight unveils DK 25SP Heat Find the right job; find the right
Embroiderer’s Buddy Press employees - targeted for our industry!

• Pantograms offers special on machine • LaserBits adds new training materials Bookstore (Web Link)
service for CorelDRAW and laser The newest titles include:
• What’s New in CorelDRAW X3?
• Sierra Pacific features Featherlite twill • Universal Laser announces new CD Seminar by J&J McDaniel
ladies’ short-sleeve shirt Professional Series • Sublimation How-To Manual and
CD by J. Steve Spence
• Blake & Hollister offers ribbed men’s • Universal Laser introduces new • Sandblasting Essentials
placket shirt VersaLaser CD Seminar by J&J McDaniel

www.coreldrawpro.com • March 2007 5

Info
 About the Cover
Vincent Ciccia MARCH 2007
EDITOR / PUBLISHER
Vinnie is a native New Yorker who has been Michael R. Neer
drawing since pre-school. In his teen years he kept [email protected]
at it and became quite good. He started drawing his GRAPHICS
friends’ cars on cardboard and they loved it. In the John Mise
‘60s he became a talented pin-striper; this exposed ADVERTISING
him to many local cool custom cars and motorcycles. John McDaniel II
Realizing his talent he decided to enter art school [email protected]
after graduation. He attended The School of 541-990-6687
Visual Arts in New York. That got him into the slick CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
‘stylized’ look that his pieces reflect today.
Corel Corp. Donna Gray,
He eventually became interested in
Bill Leek, Randall McClune,
the airbrush. He created many pieces in
Jeff McDaniel, John McDaniel,
that medium and they started to sell well. Then he started doing ‘Promo Pieces’ for
Judy McDaniel, David Milisock,
small automobile-related firms. This developed into a graphic arts business for him. Vicki Moran, Deborah Sexton,
Inthemid‘80sanotherartistencouragedhimtolookintodoingcomputerart. Atthattimedigital Steve Thompson, Otis Veteto
art was still a new thing, but the ‘slick look’of the art got him. He bought his first computer (anApple
II Mac) and taught himself to illustrate with the tools these “magic boxes” had, and the “digital” bug
bit him. Today he works out of his sunny Southern California digital studio creating some killer art.
It takes about 15 hours to create and complete a finished piece. He builds the images Offices
entirely on a computer screen from scratch. He uses photos or pictures for reference only. Membership & Publishing
They are digitally printed on 10mil photo stock using special non -fade inks. In the near future, offices located at:
he is planning on putting these images on other products, such as note cards, drink coasters, 4709 N. El Capitan, Suite 103,
T-shirts, etc. Fresno, CA 93722;
Vinnie can be reached at his e-mail address ([email protected]). 800-276-8428, 559-276-8494
His studio phone number is 760-720-9210. Fax 559-276-8496
His website is www.lebrush.com. He says, “The name “LeBrush” is what I used www.CorelDRAWPro.com
way back when I was a popular Pin-striper in New York; instead of The Brush, I [email protected]
made it French, Le-Brush. © Copyright 2006 by ACDRP.
All Rights Reserved.
Vinnie Ciccia Subscriptions: Free to qualified individuals and
Automobile Art businesses. Send subscription inquiries or change
4086 Karst Rd. of address to the above address or email.
Carlsbad,CA 92010 ACDRP Membership: $60/yr., includes exclusive
content, exclusive discounts, and professional
recognition. See the website for details.
Advertising: Request a Media Guide or download
How the cover images were done it from www.CorelDRAWPro.com. Then call to
discuss frequency, rates, and deadlines.
Believe it or not, I start with a blank screen on the computer. I attend many car Writers: CorelDRAWPro accepts articles from
shows to photograph my future work. Then I use the perspective grid to build an industry experts. Email publisher for details.
outline of the image. Reprints: Boost your sales with reprints. Call to
I use the photos I take as references to details, then I apply all chrome details discuss quantities and special layouts.
first using the gradient tools, blend tool, transparency tool, etc.
I build the body colors as layers using various shades of the same color (I was a
proficient Airbrush artist for many years so I understand reflections, color variances,
and metal looks.)
I am self taught in CorelDRAW, starting about 10 years ago with CorelDRAW 8.
I am now using CorelDRAW X3 and Painter X along with a Wacom Tablet. This will Published by Association of
give my art some exciting new looks to it. CorelDRAW® Professionals
President: John H. McDaniel
Vice President: Judith McDaniel
Executive Director: Michael R. Neer
Assoc. Exec. Director: Steven V. Neer

ACDRP Corporate Office: Albany, OR

www.coreldrawpro.com • March 2007 7

Info
 Inside ACDRP

Spring Things & Fulfillment Centers

By Mike Neer,
Executive Director

It’s Spring, and we’re having what I call when you see something that interests you
our annual Spring Snow here in California. in the publications: 1) Click the direct links
That’s when the first blossoms come out on with each ad in the magazine and some of
the trees, and for a week’s time, the petals the editorial content; and 2) Use the Info
fall onto the roads giving us a layer of white to Request Card, which is linked with each ad or
drive through. highlighted in the E-News and Graphic News
I know those of you in other parts of the Wire. Just open the Info Request Card, and
country and world have real snow to drive check the boxes for info wanted. It’s easy to
through still, but we have to use a little make- use, and Quick! Of course, you can also call
believe here, or drive up to the mountains for the supplier, and if you do tell them you found
snow appreciation days. them in CorelDRAWPro magazine! Thanks.

New Beginnings Fulfillment Center

Spring is also a time for new beginnings, Would you like more business? Can
so I’d like to remind readers of several you create CorelDRAW Graphics for others?
new “things” that are available to you from Can you Create Products for others? If you
ACDRP. answered YES to any of these questions,
then you are a good candidate for the ACDRP
Bookstore Discounts Fulfillment Center Membership.
Members can now use a 10% discount on all Bookstore As a Fulfillment Center, you fill orders for others in the industry.
products. You will be sent a Coupon Code with your copy of each It could be an innovative graphics job, or a large job that a smaller
monthly issue of Tips, Templates & Fixtures Newsletter. Then you business can’t handle, or a production job for companies that don’t
can just plug the code into a spot on the shopping cart and your have the equipment you do. Put your equipment or knowledge to
discount will be automatically applied. If you haven’t checked out the work doing jobs for others! It’s revenue you can use!
CorelDRAWPro Bookstore recently, you can visit www.coreldrawpro. All ACDRP Fulfillment Centers are listed in the QuickFillTM
com/allbookstore.htm Search Engine that is promoted in our publications and on the web.
This is the DIGITAL YELLOW PAGES for industry services, and your
CorelDRAWPro Career Center listing costs less than any telephone Yellow Pages ad, only $10-15
I wanted to remind all readers that if you’re looking for new per month. All orders come by email as a Request for Quotation.
employees, or you’re looking for a new job, you can use the new Your QuickFill listing gives you the opportunity to list in more
CorelDRAWPro Career Center to post your resume or employment than 40 service categories. You can promote your business with a
ads. All sorts of jobs can be posted – from customer service and marketing-oriented description, describe the types of orders you’ll
production and graphics to sales reps and top management. Check accept, limit the geographic region you’ll serve, and upload a photo of
it out at http://careers.coreldrawpro.com . yourself, facility, or logo. Plus, you can include a link to your website.
It’s a great way to toot your horn and get more business.
Making Money with CorelDRAW Road Show The low introductory rate is $180 a year, and current ACDRP
This 15-city tour is stirring up a lot of excitement nationwide members can upgrade for $120. Check out the current listings and
about the 10 different processes for making money with CorelDRAW sign up today by visiting www.coreldrawpro.com/joinff.htm
that John & Judy McDaniel are talking about at each site. The goody
bag for attendees is getting bigger and better at each stop as more Enjoy your Spring!
sponsors are participating, and adding more info.
The latest cities and dates have been announced: Cleveland,
April 5; Baltimore, April 12; Newark, April 19; and Boston, April 26. Put Your Artwork on the Cover of CorelDRAWPro!
To register for this FREE seminar, visit www.coreldrawpro.com/tour.
htm We are looking for examples of outstanding artwork for the cover of
future issues of CorelDRAWPro. If you would like to have your work
Quick Info Service featured, check out the details on the website. We look forward to
I also wanted to remind readers that you can get a quick showcasing the work of more and more CorelDRAW users!
response to your inquiries for information by doing one of two things www.coreldrawpro.com/coverart.htm

www.coreldrawpro.com • March 2007 9

Info
Using CorelDRAW® Training

Using preview modes in Image Adjustment Lab

By Corel Corporation

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-PAINT® and CorelDRAW®. 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 Lab

Do one of the following:

• If you're working in CorelDRAW, click Bitmaps > Image Adjustment Lab.

• If you're working in Corel PHOTO-PAINT, click Adjust > 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 .

www.coreldrawpro.com • March 2007 11

Using CorelDRAW® Training

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 .

(contents page)

www.coreldrawpro.com • March 2007 12

Using CorelDRAW® Training

Interactive Fit Text to Path Tool

By Corel Corporation

With CorelDRAW X3, it’s never been easier to attach text to a path with precision — a common effect used in creating
signs and logos. The interactive Fit Text to Path tool lets users simply select text, move the pointer along a path, and click
to set the text’s position. Users can also easily control the text’s offset distance from the path.

In addition, users can scale the text after it has been placed on a path by simply selecting both the text and the path and
dragging one of the handles.

Using the interactive Fit Text to Path tool

1. Click the Freehand tool, and draw a curved line to use as a path.

2. Click the Text tool, click anywhere in the drawing window, and type.

3. Click Text > Fit Text To Path.

The pointer changes to the Fit Text to Path pointer. As you move the pointer along the path, a preview of

where the text will be fitted is displayed.

4. Move the pointer along the path, and click to fit the text.
With a closed path, the text is centered along the path. With an open path, the text flows from the point of insertion.

5. On the property bar, adjust the value in the Distance From Path list box.

6. On the property bar, adjust the value in the Horizontal Offset list box.

7. In the Mirror Text area on the property bar, use the Mirror Horizontal or

Mirror Vertical buttons to choose the text’s orientation.

(contents page)

www.coreldrawpro.com • March 2007 13

 DIVERSIFYING YOUR BUSINESS
By Judy and John McDaniel Applications

Product Changes:
Name Badges & Plaque Plates
The last time we were considering changes in the industry
which should alert us to new ways we can serve our customers.
These included changing demands in education, and new
offerings that existing equipment manufacturers have brought
to market. Now let’s consider other changes we’ve seen.

Product Changes
One way of measuring change is to evaluate some of
the products we produce and how they’ve changed over the
years. To do this now, let’s take a look at a couple of traditional
products for competition from various processes or methods
of production.

Name Badges
Let’s take name badges as an example. When we started
in the business, most name badges and small signs were Example of a Print & Cut Glass Award
produced by rotary engraving alone, or in combination with
screen printing, or hot stamping, to add color for corporate suitable for both laser and rotary engraving. Laser engravers
logos, etc. have added the ability to quickly engrave filled text in a variety
In the early ‘90s, laser engravers came on the scene to of materials.
challenge the dominance of rotary engraving. At first, lasers Let’s follow name badges just a little further. In the late
had an uphill battle because at the time, there was very ‘90s, three additional processes placed pressure on engraving,
little engraver’s stock suitable for laser engraving. Now, of both rotary and laser. The processes are sublimation, direct
course, all that has changed, just look at any current catalog printing on plastic, and printing die-cut, self-adhesive, stickers
for engraver’s plastic. You’ll find almost half the offerings are which typically involves printing on inkjet printable vinyl and
applying the vinyl to a substrate suitable for badges. All of
these processes are full color, so they also eliminate screen
printing and hot stamping for color.
In short, a product that only a few years ago was primarily
produced with rotary engraving equipment can now be
produced with rotary engravers, laser engravers, sublimation
equipment, printers that can print directly on plastic, or even
standard inkjet printers.

Plaque Plates
Let’s look at another core product historically produced
with rotary engravers, plaques and trophy plates. Here again,
we find a similar story. Ten to 15 years ago most of these
products were produced using rotary engraving equipment.
Now production choices are wider. You can produce plaque
and trophy plates using rotary or laser engravers, sublimation
equipment, direct printers, or even with specialized combination
vinyl printer/cutters.
In fact, a few years ago I attended a training class for
a print and cut machine. During that session, there was
Example of a Print & Cut Plaque a student who worked for a company that specializes in
 DIVERSIFYING YOUR BUSINESS

producing award plaques. They produce thousands per year. In the past, they
produced them using eight traditional rotary engravers, engraving on coated
metals. They sheared and notched the plates, then mounted them on plaque
boards.
They transferred most of the work they were doing on their rotary engravers
to one machine that could print directly on vinyl, and then cut the vinyl into the
shape of a typical metal plate. They primarily print gold and silver on black vinyl,
and then mount the printed vinyl on a plaque board. Don’t forget, many plaque
boards today are vinyl on pressboard already, adding a vinyl print is not a stretch.
Using this method, they have significantly reduced their cost of production.
They now offer their customers a choice. Customers can order plaques with
the traditional metal plates, or with the new plotter plates. What they did is raise
the price of the traditional metal plate plaques. As a result, their customers have
overwhelmingly chosen the vinyl plotter plates.

Changes implemented by raw material suppliers

Another way we can gauge change in the industry is to look at raw material
Example of a Print & Cut Santa Plate supplier catalogs. What’s in their new catalogs? As I mentioned above, certainly
we’ll find materials suitable for rotary and laser engraving, but now, we’ll also find
materials suitable for sublimation and perhaps direct printing processes.
Catalogs are expensive to produce. There must be demand for the products
they contain. So you can be certain if there is demand for the raw material to
produce products that compete with rotary engraved items, material suppliers will
include that raw material in their catalogs as soon as they see it as profitable.

Conclusion
These, then, are some of the many changes going on around us. I know it
seems that I’ve singled out, and picked on rotary engraving; but, I’ve done this
as an example to show how quickly things change. The key to this change has
been the explosive growth of the computer and the willingness of equipment
manufacturers to make use of its capabilities.
My main point is that all of us need to maintain a watchful eye. If we’re not
careful, we can become too busy in the day-to-day operation of our business that
we’ll miss some industry change that can ultimately impact our business; and
perhaps leave us behind.

Judy and John McDaniel are owners of JHM Marketing in Albany, OR. They
can be reached by phone at 541-967-4271, via SKYPE (user name JHMcDaniel),
or via email at [email protected]. See full bio on the Writers Page. Example of a Print & Cut Name Badge

(contents page)

Put Your Artwork on the Cover

of CorelDRAWPro
We are looking for examples of
outstanding artwork for the cover of
future issues os CorelDRAWPro. Check
out the details on the website. We look
forward to showcasing the work of more
and more CorelDRAW users!

www.coreldrawpro.com/coverart.htm

Info
www.coreldrawpro.com • March 2007 15
 ide
Ins r
col
o
INSIDE COLOR
By David Milisock Training

A Discussion on Placed
Image Resolution
This discussion is not intended to be the tell-all discussion demonstrated with E. This would reproduce two aspects of a
of image resolution -- just a little theoretical insight to the captured scene that should reproduce identically, differently.
basics.
I have decided to bring this issue up because of several Screen angles, PPI, and DPI
questions I have had asked concerning down sampling of Now we can discuss screen angles. What we have been
images in PDF files. discussing in A and C is relevant with the standard screen
angles for a plate of C15, M75, Y0 and K45 degrees as well
Increasing the resolution does not improve the image as any other screen angle because the 2 to 1 ratio of pixels
The green dots in objects A, B, C, D & E represent the dot per inch (PPI) of the image to dots per inch (DPI) of the plate
pattern of a printing plate. In reality and in general, the screen remains the same throughout the image. It repeats the pattern
is a square, where percentages under symmetrically throughout the image
50% are represented by a dot in the for all screen angles and all colors.
square (as you see in A, B, C and The same error as displayed above
E) and percentages over 50% are in B and E would apply to the
represented by a square with some mismatch between any image and
percentage of the image removed by plate resolution (any ratio of image
a blank circle as in D. resolution to plate resolution that is
The yellow dots overtop of the not 2 to 1) except that the distortion
green dots in A represent a resolution is increased as the repeating cycles
of an image at an exact multiple of the do not coincide with one another due
plate screen ruling -- for example a plate of 100 lines per inch to screen angles. This is one aspect of a poor image where a
and an image at 200 pixels per inch. In B the image resolution technician looks at it and just can’t place what’s wrong with it.
was increased 35% to 270 pixels per inch. It kind of looks ok but why does it have that pattern?
One would think that the image resolution being increased
would either improve the image or at the very least have How this affects down sampling
no detrimental effects. Well, we will need to re-think this! This is where we get back into the discussion on down
Remember this is a basic quality issue, and this discussion sampling. First a RIP does not down sample; it does just as
is simplified, but the basics are always the basics. We will displayed above in A and B. Distiller and Corel Publish to
address the screen angles at the end of this discussion. PDF will down sample. First make sure that the image was
placed in the document at high enough resolution and sized
Look closely at A. Notice the symmetrical and perfect proportionately only. Then make sure that Distiller is set for
repeating nature of the patterns of green, pure yellow and a sufficient minimum resolution and to down sample to that
yellow over top of green -- each row exactly like the last. Now setting if the image is any PPI over that resolution. Having
look at B, notice that the pattern only repeats every eighth the minimum set at 300PPI if over 400 will induce distortion
row. C and E show how the plate dot captures the elements of as displayed in B and E. Corel did not repeat this mistake in
the pixels, C as it should be, and E with a different pattern that their Publish to PDF so just make sure the resolution is set to
repeats only every eighth row. the minimum required.
Now imagine an image with perfect lines running through Never place an image and size it non-proportionally. For
it, like a siding or other building material brochure. In A, a example, if you set it to 332 PPI horizontal and 300 PPI vertical,
vertical or horizontal line can be reproduced exactly like the and then resample in a PDF, this will induce an unknown
one before it every 1/100th of an inch. In B the dot pattern distortion. If you must size an image in such a manner, convert
only repeats every eighth row or every 8/100th of an inch. An that image to the proper 300 x 300 or whatever resolution in
image reproduced with an issue such as B can reproduce the CorelDRAW or PHOTO-PAINT before publishing to PDF.
image of two identical lines with two very different dot patterns
-- one as demonstrated with the first row of B and one as 
www.coreldrawpro.com • March 2007 16
 INSIDE COLOR

Tools Options menu settings

This mathematical relationship between image resolution
and plate resolution or printer resolution always exists and the
most crucial aspect of this for a Corel user can be found under
the Tools menu options as displayed in F. Notice near the
bottom of the dialog the rendering resolution which by default
is set to 300 PPI.
We must understand that if we are working with processes
that require different resolutions we must set this setting first
before we start to design. An example would be screen
printing where 150 PPI may be fine for a 74-line screen or
even 90 for 45-line screen. The rule is twice the screen ruling
at output. So for a print job that outputs at 200-line screen we
need to set this to 400 PPI.
The good thing is that when we are working with screen
printing or inkjet output only we can set this resolution lower
and speed up our system. The best thing is that we can get
the very best quality out of our lens-rendered effects, which
includes all transparencies, in CorelDRAW or Corel PHOTO-
PAINT. (contents page)

Info
www.coreldrawpro.com • March 2007 17
 INSIDE TRANSFERS
By Bill Leek Applications

Full Color Sublimated Name Badges:

A Consistent Source of Profit for Your Business

U nisub name badges were one of the first imprintables for

sublimation developed by Universal Woods in the 1990s.
They were an immediate hit in the marketplace and after
many years they remain a best seller. The reasons for their
success are obvious. The badges serve as strong competitor
to engraved badges as they offer full color, exciting design at a
very competitive price. In addition, production times, even for a
small supplier, are very short.
The badges are made from Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic
(FRP). This material is heat resistant and rigid. The blank
badges come in a variety of sizes including 1.25x3, 1.5x3, 2x3
rectangles, and 1.5x3 ovals. If you need custom designs, the
FRP material may be cut to your requirements. Unit pricing
in case quantities for the standard sizes ranges from 0.43 to Unisub FRP name badges come in a variety of shapes and sizes.
0.57. Through the years magnetic backs have come down in
price, gradually replacing pin backs and bullnose clip backs. will be positioned on the lower half of the page with the print/
Currently, about 90% of our customers order badges with image upside down. Use heat tape to attach the badges to the
magnetic backs. The cost for these in large quantities is 0.35 front template, then carefully fold the sheet so that the back
to 0.40. template is aligned. Make sure you apply the heat tape so that
The badges typically sell for 11.00 to 13.00 in single it will not interfere with the back image transfer.
quantities to 6.00-7.00 in large quantities. Given the low Design a template for each badge size you produce.
material costs and labor, the gross margins on the badges can
be excellent. SOME DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
The market for the badges is extensive. Local stores, Name badges are normally viewed from 3 to 5 feet away.
restaurants, churches, civic organizations, realtors, medical Use fonts that are at minimum 10 to 12 pts. Use simple fonts if
offices, banks, etc. are all good candidates. you can.
Avoid busy designs. Use outlines to make the text stand
PRODUCTION HINTS out against the background.
When the badges were first released, jigs were offered that Color choice for the fonts is critical. Don’t be afraid to use
would allow you to produce a group of name badges at one bold colors and bold designs. A well-designed full color badge
time. This was a good concept, but for a variety of reasons will make a dramatic statement.
it was difficult to get even heat press pressure and consistent
results. FINAL COMMENTS
I recommend that you press 4 to 6 badges (depending on Creating name badges can be a fine standalone business
size) at a time. Create a template using CorelDraw and evenly or a complement to your existing product offerings. They are
distribute the name badges on a letter size page. inexpensive to produce, easy to make, and have high perceived
Place the printed transfer face up on the lower heat press value. This again is the winning combination for all personalized
platen. Carefully position the blank name badges face down, products.
cover with parchment paper or a Teflon sheet and then press
with medium pressure for 1 minute at 400 degrees F. Be careful Bill Leek is a color consultant for JBL Graphics in Houston,
with the pressing time. Using some inks, excessive times will TX, and has over 30 years experience in computer engineering
cause slight blurring on the badge. and graphics design. He has developed several lines of
You may also wish to print both sides of the badge at one color imprintable products, and does testing on a variety of
time. It is a good idea to include your company name and some products for different manufacturers. He can be reached at
contact information on the name badge back. In this case, you wfl[email protected] or 281-970-6677.
will design a template for both sides on a single page. The front
template will be on the top half of the page. The back template (contents page)

www.coreldrawpro.com • March 2007 18

 INSIDE SCREEN PRINTING
By Jeff McDaniel Applications

Artwork Considerations
Background need multiple passes with the squeegee to get a convincing
In the last 2 articles we covered the supplies and materials color.
you will need to run a screen printing job. In this article we will Multi-color artwork
cover acceptable types of artwork for screen printing, types Multi-color artwork can be broken down into two categories,
of screen printing jobs, and maximizing the colors on one vector art and color-separated art. A good example of vector
screen. art is the ACDRP logo (see image 4). The logo consists of red,
green, and black layers (see images 5-7). There are some
Ways to produce your artwork terms associated with multi-color vector art that we should
If you have more artistic skill than computer skill, you can cover now.
create your artwork by hand using paint or markers. There are
many sources for digital artwork on the internet that can take Trapping: Trapping is the process of overprinting one color
the lovely cocktail napkin artwork your client brought in and on another to avoid gaps in the finished product.
create digital vector art for you. You can produce your films For example, 2007 in the ACDRP logo (see image 4) is
with an opaque black marker, a vinyl cutter, or a digital printer a black outline trapping a green number. In CorelDRAW®
to name a few methods. The important factor is opacity; the outlines are drawn half way out and half way in to the object
artwork has to be opaque to create a viable screen. they surround. If you have a 2 point outline on an object,
the outline extends out 1 point and into the object 1 point.
One-color artwork By selecting the object and then using EDIT…OVERPRINT
A one-color artwork job is the easiest to set up and run. OUTLINE, you can set the outline as a trap for the center color.
Examples of one-color artwork are a simple logo or wording When you later decide to print your separations make sure to
in contrasting ink on a garment or work piece (see image preserve overprints in your printer driver. An excellent way
1). This job started out as a photo of an existing shirt. The to check your overprints in CorelDRAW is to select VIEW….
artwork had to be created in an acceptable format for screen ENHANCED WITH OVERPRINTS.
printing (see image 2). Once the artwork was converted, we
could produce the product (see image 3). If you are running Choking: Choking is the process of shrinking your white base
one-color artwork on a dark or black garment, you will usually layer to keep it from printing over the edges of your design.

Picture 1: Example of one-color artwork Picture 2: This job started out as a photo of an existing shirt,
and the artwork had to be changed to an acceptable
format for screen printing.

www.coreldrawpro.com • March 2007 19

 INSIDE SCREEN PRINTING

If we took the same 2007 from the ACDRP logo (see The white outline doesn’t print when you print out your color
image 4) and tried to print it on a dark blue garment the colors separations so the image will be a point or two smaller (see
would be less vibrant. If you take red paint and put it on a image 8).
blue wall you get something other than red. The solution in
screen printing is to create a white base layer so the colors Process color separation
will print true. This base layer needs to cover the entire area An easy way to think about process color separation is to
of the graphic and be 1-2 points smaller than the colors to consider it similar to bitmap art. The artwork either cannot be
be laid over top of it (see image 5). In CorelDRAW, duplicate separated into solid-colored vectors or is color-filled in a way
the object, then select ARRANGE….CONVERT OUTLINE that precludes simple gradient filling (see image 9, courtesy
TO OBJECT. Now select the outline object you just created Freehand Graphics, Inc.). If you are interested in creating
and the center object that is left over. Select ARRANGE…. screen printed images like this you will need more software to
SHAPING….WELD. work with your CorelDRAW Graphics Suite.
Once you have welded the two pieces together, apply a When we searched the internet looking for compatible
2-3 point white outline or CONTOUR 1 step to the inside .02in. software we found a product called Spot Process VueRite™.

Picture 3: Once the artwork was converted, we

could produce the product. Picture 4: A good example of vector art is the ACDRP logo.
Note the black outline trapping the green number in 2007.

Picture 5: This base layer needs to cover the entire area Picture 6: The green layer for the logo
of the graphic and be 1-2 points smaller than the
colors to be laid over top of it.

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 INSIDE SCREEN PRINTING

The program is designed to export tiff files into CorelDraw as

separations. Once you have separations in CorelDRAW™
you will need a RIP software to properly print them.
There are many RIP software packages available. Spot
Process VueRite™ is sold as a bundle with AccuRIP™. We
downloaded a free 30-day trial of the Spot Process VueRite™
program and were impressed with the features. You can
download and evaluate the program for yourself at www.softw
areforscreenprinters.com.

Getting more out of your screens

Sometimes your artwork will have more colors in it than
you have screens available. Maybe your client doesn’t want
to pay for six screen charges. A simple way to get multiple
colors out of 1 screen is to use the gradient fill feature in
CorelDRAW (see image 10).

Info

Picture 7: The black layer for the logo.

Picture 8: Example of welding and contouring an image.

Info
www.coreldrawpro.com • March 2007 21
 INSIDE SCREEN PRINTING

The four colors shown are all percentages of

PANTONE black C. In order to take advantage of this
feature you will need a RIP software or a PostScript
printing device. When you print a gradient fill through RIP
software the printer will print dots of solid black at varied
spacing to create the percentage you specify in your color
fill. When the ink is applied to the shirt your eye is tricked
into seeing varied shades of gray by the frequency of
black ink on the garment. In theory, you could take a
four-color press and create a sixteen-color design on a
white shirt.

Conclusion
In this article we covered different types of screen
printing artwork including single color, multi color, and
process separation. In the next article, we will go over
trouble spots in the artwork and what to look for.

Jeff McDaniel is the Owner/Operator 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 Jeff@creativegraphic.
net.
(contents page) Picture 9: The artwork either cannot be separated into
solid-colored vectors or is color-filled in a way that
precludes simple gradient filling
(Photo courtesy Freehand Graphics, Inc.).

Picture 10: A simple way to get multiple colors out of one screen
is to use the gradient fill feature in CorelDRAW.

Info
www.coreldrawpro.com • March 2007 22
 INSIDE SANDBLASTING
By Judith McDaniel Applications

Sandblasting Photos 10:

Halftoning and Black & White
Background There are halftone tools available in Corel PHOTO-PAINT
So far in this section on etching photos we’ve discussed that can be used if necessary, as well as third party programs,
what makes a good photo for sandblasting; explored capturing which can make the task a little easier.
photos with a digital camera or scanner; created a product
template; sized and shaped the photo. We’ve done some Converting an Image to Black-and-White
basic retouching, and last time, removed the background with In order to etch a photo, at some point the photo needs
the Cutout tool in Corel PHOTO-PAINT v12 and showed you to be converted to black-and-white color mode. Black-and-
the enhancements in X3’s Cutout Lab. Last time we converted white color mode is not the same as the grayscale. In black-
our photo to grayscale, this time we will halftone it and turn it and-white images, each pixel must be either black or white;
to black & white. grayscale images can include black, white, and 254 shades of
If you have been following along, please open the file gray.
we saved last time. Your screen should look something like Both CorelDRAW and Corel PHOTO-PAINT have the
Picture 1. tools to convert images to black-and-white color mode with
lots of flexibility built-in.

Picture 1: The opening file, a grayscale image, for

working on these steps. Picture 2: A halftone of the same image.
What are Halftones?
Halftones are a method of printing photographic images
using single dots of ink to simulate continuous tones. They
are widely used in the printing industry since printing presses
can either apply, or not apply ink. Presses don’t mix colors as
they print; they don’t mix black and white to achieve gray.
The way halftones simulate continuous tone images is
by printing groups of dots sometimes referred to as halftone
cells. The closer the dots are together the darker the image
area appears; the fewer the dots, the whiter the area. To
demonstrate the effect compare picture 1, the grayscale
image we’ve been working with, to picture 2 a halftone of
that image. Then compare both of those to picture 3 which
shows a zoomed-in shot of the halftone image. The closer
you inspect the image the more you see the individual dots
from which it’s constructed. Picture 3: A zoomed-in shot of the halftone image.

www.coreldrawpro.com • March 2007 23

 INSIDE SANDBLASTING

In CorelDRAW select the image you wish to convert

and click-on:
Bitmaps/Mode/Black and White (1-bit)… (See Picture
4)
In Corel PHOTO-PAINT click-on:
Image/Convert to Black and White (1-bit)… (See Picture
5)

Black-and-White Color Mode Choices

In either program, once you’ve selected bitmap
conversion, you’re presented with a dialog screen, see
picture 6. This screen offers a number of color mode
choices and controls. Choices include:

• Halftone — simulates different shades of gray by

varying the pattern of black and white pixels in an image Picture 4: This is the dialog screen in CorelDRAW for
You can choose the screen type, angle for the halftone, converting bitmaps to black and white.
lines per unit, and the unit of measure.
• Line art — produces a high-contrast black-and-
white image. Colors with a grayscale value lower than the
threshold value that you set change to black, while colors
with a grayscale value higher than the threshold value
change to white.
• Ordered — organizes the gray levels into repeating
geometric patterns of black and white pixels. Solid colors
are emphasized and image edges are hard. This option is
best suited for uniform colors, such as those used in charts
and graphs.
• Jarvis — applies the Jarvis algorithm to individual
pixels. This is a form of error diffusion that is suitable for
photographic images.
• Stucki — applies the Stucki algorithm to individual
pixels. This form of error diffusion is suitable for photographic
images.
• Floyd-Steinberg — applies the Floyd-Steinberg
algorithm to individual pixels. This form of error diffusion is Picture 5: In Corel PHOTO-PAINT you click-on Image,
suitable for photographic images. then Convert to Black and White.
• Cardinality-Distribution — creates a textured look
by applying a calculation and distributing the result to each
pixel.

With all of that said, there is a little software program

put out by PhotoBrasive/IKONICS Imaging, called Half-Wiz,
which can make your life a little easier. With this program
installed in PHOTO-PAINT you click on the Wiz button
and it automatically does all of the work of converting your
picture for you. Nothing could be easier.
At this point we are ready to send the image to the
printer.
If you are following along, complete your adjustments
and save your work.

Judy McDaniel can be reached at 541-967-4271 or via

email at [email protected]. See her full bio on
the Writers Page. Picture 6: In both programs, you are presented with this
choice screen for the type of conversion.
(contents page)

www.coreldrawpro.com • March 2007 24

 INSIDE LASER ENGRAVING
By John McDaniel Applications

Lasering Hard Materials – Part 3

We began this section by discussing the various ways a
CO2 laser engraver can be used to mark hard materials. To
review, there are essentially three different methods:
1. The first is by direct engraving. A laser engraves by
intense focused heat. In the case of some hard materials, the
heat causes the surface to fracture producing a frosted look
that is similar to sandblasting. Materials like stainless steel,
ceramics, and glass may be coated with special materials that
bond with the surface when exposed to the heat of a laser.
2. The second method is by producing stencils and masks
for use in sandblasting;
3. And the third combines direct engraving with
sandblasting.
So far we covered direct engraving glass and crystal, and
using the laser to produce sandblast masks. This time we’ll
start exploring how to set up the graphics in CorelDRAW. Picture 1 shows a layout created for a glass award.
The Object Manager is expanded so you can see
Start with a Template! how the objects in the layout have been arranged.
Over the many years that we’ve been using CorelDRAW
for rotary and laser engraving, sandblasting, sublimation, and A template might be substantially more complex. We’ve
other processes, we’ve learned the value of using templates. created templates with imaginary boundaries so that we didn’t
A template can perhaps be nothing more elaborate than engrave too close to the edge of a piece; with special alignment
an approximate outline of the piece you intend to engrave, lines, so we could get every piece properly positioned before
a rectangle for a trophy plate, for example. That simple engraving; even some with constant information that appears
rectangle will give you a visual perspective of everything you on every piece, like a company’s logo.
plan to place on your piece. Furthermore, it will give your Once you’ve created your template, you can use it again
customer some reference when you submit your proof for his and again for new customers who order the same item.
or her approval. You are submitting proofs, right? Suffice it to say, that we’re convinced that creating a template
is always of value.
Memorial HeadStones
Making a Template for a Flat Object
from LaserSketch.com To make a template for a flat object either:
1. Measure the object, and draw it.
4” x 7” x 2”
2. Or trace its outline on a blank sheet of paper and…
6” x 10” x 2”
a. Scan the outline into CorelDRAW.
8” x 12” x 2”
b. Then redraw the outline as a vector.
9” x 14” x 2”
10” x 16” x 2”
12” x 24” x 2” Manufacturers and suppliers who’ve provided
24” x 36” x 7/8” support for the demonstration system include:
LaserSketch.com, internationally Epilog Laser
known for their LaserGrade Ab- All can be Manufacturer of laser engraving and cutting equipment
solute Black Marble, Super Black viewed at Reader Response xxx
Granite, and Diamond Black LaserSketch.
Stone, now offers Memorial Head com or call JHM Marketing
Stones in 7 different sizes from Consulting and training services
4x7 inches to 24x36 inches.
630-243-6360
Reader Response xxx
Info
www.coreldrawpro.com • March 2007 25
 INSIDE LASER

Once you have the outline drawn:

3. Print it out on a sheet of paper (if it’s small enough).
4. Cut the shape out of the paper.
5. Match it up to the original product.
6. Make any adjustments, if necessary, until you’ve got it
right.
7. Size the page in CorelDRAW so that it’s just slightly
larger than the item’s outline.
8. Then name and save the template.

Create the Layout

After you’ve created your basic template, create the job
layout. Picture 1 shows a layout I’ve created for a glass
award. I’ve expanded the Object Manager so you can see
how I’ve arranged the objects in the layout.
First notice, there are two pages and several layers;
some of which are master layers. This year, for this job, the
client required two pieces. I therefore placed all the constant
information on master layers so that information will appear
on every page; and the engraving will be in the same location
on each piece. The master layers include:

1. Master item outline – this layer contains the object Picture 2: For printing the object outline, I turned on the
outline only. In this case I traced the outline and scanned it. Red Dot pointer and aligned the piece while the
The outline is for a popular upscale piece called the Prestige machine was running with the top up.
Summit. You can tell from its outline it’s an unusually shaped
piece.
2. Master item lines – this layer contains the interior bevel
line of the object. I use these lines for visual reference only. I
only print this layer for proofing purposes.
3. Master Logo – this layer contains the Client’s logo. I
will turn this layer on for printing when I engrave the piece.
4. The other master layers, Grid, Desktop, and Guides,
are CorelDRAW standard layers.

Picture 3: For the Text and Master Logo layer, the laser
only had to burn through the mask material, because
we planned to finish it with sandblasting.
Info
www.coreldrawpro.com • March 2007 26
 INSIDE LASER

In addition to the master layers

I have objects on detail layers,
i.e. layers that are tied to specific
pages. Those layers include:
1. Text – this layer contains
all the variable text for a specific
award; it’s different for each page
in the layout. This layer will be
turned on for engraving.
2. Text Location – this layer
contains a vector line which
surrounds the text. These awards
are fairly expensive and can vary
somewhat from piece to piece; so
I’ll use this outline to double check
the text location on the piece before
I engrave it.
After the layout was complete,
we printed it out and submitted it
to the client for approval. When
we print a proof, we turn on all
the layers, so that the client gets
some feel for how the final product
will look.

Engrave the Piece Info

For this piece I sent 3 separate
jobs to the laser, turning layers on
and off for printing as required. Picture 4 shows the completed piece.
1. First the object outline, as
a vector, at 0% power and 100% speed. At the engraver I turned on the Red Dot
pointer and aligned the piece while the machine was running with the top up; see
picture 2. Other times I’ve lightly burned the outline in a scrap piece of something,
usually acrylic, and aligned the piece to the outline.
2. Next I printed the Text Location outline, again as a vector, at 0% power and
100% speed. At the engraver, I traced the text location on the piece with the Red Dot
pointer to ensure its location didn’t fall off onto a bevel.
3. Finally I sent the Text and Master Logo as a raster, at 80% power and 100%
speed. I was able to use those settings because we planned to finish the piece by
sandblasting and the laser only had to burn through the mask material, see picture
3.
Picture 4 shows the completed piece.

Conclusion
Next year, when it’s time to run these awards again, it will be a simple matter to
change the variable information in the existing layout. In addition, we can use the
layout as a template for anyone else who wants to purchase the same item for their
award needs.
Next time we’ll continue with templates for cylindrical items.

John McDaniel can be reached by phone at 541-967-4271, via SKYPE (user name
JHMcDaniel), or via email at [email protected]. See full bio on the Writers
Page.

(contents page)
Info
www.coreldrawpro.com • March 2007 27
 Guest Column
By Matt Gusse Applications

Name Badges Made Easier

Name badges will never leave our industry; personal films, select fabrics, fine art papers, floor/wall murals, decals/
identification is our key focus. So how can we serve our client, stickers, almost any printing application you can think of there
our production needs, and still be profitable? This article’s is a material for. (Materials must be meant for Eco-Sol printing,
purpose is to give an insight into unique applications with just ask your suppliers) The big advantage is the versatility of
name badges using a Roland VersaCamm and doming. We the ink and its low cost.
will also address the many applications doming plays in our
industry. Roland VersaCAMM printer
OK, so now we have a little knowledge of the inks, but
what about the equipment? The Roland VersaCamm is the
only machine of its type that integrates printing with cutting
IN 1 MACHINE! This is BIG to YOU, the end user. The
VersaCamm is available is two sizes, 30” and 54”. The vast
majority of the people reading this will do just GREAT with the
30” model.
The ability of the VersaCamm to print up to 63 sqft/hr @
360 dpi or print at 1440 dpi for photo realistic results is the
perfect combination of speed and quality. Its unique ability
to precisely contour cut the graphics you create and print
eliminates any and all guesswork. Simply create a custom
spot color, name it “cut contour”, and give your graphic an
outline and you’re ready to go. So whether you’re printing 1 or
1000, the VersaCamm will print your job, then go back and cut
-- without having to stop and re-load a separate machine.
The VersaCamm also comes with VersaWorks RIP
Software. This allows you to easily store and view files,
Picture 1: The job is set up in VersaWorks with cutlines.
resize, nest, mirror, rotate and more. VersaWorks also comes
First let’s start with a quick review of name badges and complete with pre-profiled materials for accurate color, and
the way they are created. Unless we are hand engraving or can be used with all of the most popular design programs.
writing with a magic marker on Avery (or other) pre-made With this equipment, we can print and cut FULL PROCESS
labels, we will assume a computer and CorelDraw or other COLOR any shape or size and then have it cut and ready for a
software is involved. wide variety of applications. This opens up our opportunity to
This leads us to the available technologies to create name offer our clients 1st class name badges and much more. “Yes
badges. The most popular include: rotary engraving, laser sir, you can have a photo & YOUR logo on your badges and
engraving, dye sublimation (laser & ink jet), screen printing, YES we could do them in the shape of a star shape for you.”
pad printing, ink jet printing, or what we will discuss, Eco-
Solvent printing on a VersaCAMM printer with Doming. All the
mentioned technologies have their place in the market, but
which gives us the biggest advantage?

Eco-Solvent Ink
What is Eco-Solvent? Roland’s ink used in its
VersaCamm printer is Eco-Sol Max; its advantages include:
• Fast drying time for increased production
• Wider Color Gamut for reds, blues and greens
• Improved scratch resistant for
better durability and easy handling
• Virtually Odor less, No ventilation needed
• Up to 3 year UV WITHOUT lamination/doming
• Up to 8 years w/ ACS’s Polyurethane Doming
• Print on a HUGE range of affordable substrates
• LOW ink costs…16 cents-20 cents per sq.ft.
To sum up we can print onto gold and silver metals,
carbon fiber materials, chrome, static cling, banner materials, Picture 2: Badges are cut on a Roland VersaCAMM printer.

www.coreldrawpro.com • March 2007 28

 GUEST COLUMN

Picture 3: After printing, the doming solution is Picture 4: A metal backing is cut for the badge.
applied with a syringe.

WOW! In house we can do custom full color, small or large

runs, photorealistic, low cost, quick turn-around name badges,
and more. What’s the more? Banners, Signs, Vehicle decals/
wraps, photo printing, heat transfer, proto-typing, floor/wall
graphics, full color acrylic awards, labels, soft signage, etc…
The applications for the VersaCamm are nearly endless.

Profitable Badges
Back to the badges! For this article we printed on two
types of permanent adhesive vinyl -- Glossy White and a
Metallic/Brush Gold Metal. Remember, we are printing on a
vinyl and still must place it on a backing material. We can use
pre-cut badges, pre-cut shapes, or utilize our laser (or other
cutting device) to cut plastic or acrylic. If we use the laser, this
gives us even greater creativity. We can use the same laser
vector file for printing and cutting our full color graphics. These
materials all print and cut at the same speed – a total of 36
1.25”x 2.75” badges in less then 5 minutes. Picture 5: The finished badges really pop!
The cost to produce the white is about $0.75 and the
Metallic/Brush Gold Metal about $2.20 FOR ALL 36! Add in
$7.00 for plastic or acrylic back and $4.50 for polyurethane concepts have been introduced to our markets. Name badges
resin and hardener $17.00 for the metal back and magnet, are one that fits our market like a glove.
and we are complete. Total Cost to produce 36 name badges The system we used to produce our badges was the Art.
-- $30.70; time to produce about 45 minutes-1 hour. Sell E33 Pneumatic Dispenser from Advanced Color Solutions.
for $6.50ea x 36=$234. Profit=$203.30 on this job. Also (When doing runs of 100 or more, it is recommended to use
remember, if we wanted to, we could also sell this customer a their Art. E36 Automatic Doming System). Like many doming
banner, sign, t-shirt, and vehicle decal for his business using systems, this uses one part resin and one part hardener.
the same machine leading to more profits! The unique features of the system include a PolyMix unit,
which accurately mixes your resin and hardener together
Doming process using a vacuum system. It is easy to set up and use but most
Let’s discuss the Doming process of this application. importantly it insures an accurate mix each and every time.
Doming has been around for quite sometime in the label and The other main difference from some of the other doming
decal market. It has only been within the last few years where systems is that Advanced Color Solutions only uses a
more businesses are expanding what they can dome. With Polyethylene Resin. This is less harmful then epoxy resin and
this experimentation and creativity, additional products and is sure to be free of any “yellowing” that occurs with epoxies.

www.coreldrawpro.com • March 2007 29

 GUEST COLUMN

Picture 6: The doming solution can be applied to fabric, Picture : Finished badge after corner rounding.
signs, gifts, and more, in addition to name badges.

It is a “free-flow, self- leveling” mixture. This means you can and Engraving or any business to the next level. With its
Dome any flat object with an edge, (that is, printed/cut vinyl, one-of-a-kind print/cut features, speed, ease of use, low cost
business cards, name badges, magnets, letter openers, desk of printing and wide range of media and applications, your
plated, dog tags, etc. business is sure to succeed.
The hand lever dispenser allows easy free-hand work Also remember, if you’re just looking for Doming, it can be
for 1-up’s or custom designs. It hooks up to a small 40psi applied to dye sublimation, rotary, laser products -- anything
compressor. The airflow pushes the resin through the syringe flat with an edge!
with ease. Simply place the dispenser over your graphic and
press the lever; gravity takes care of the rest. Clean up is a Matt Gusse handles technical sales
breeze, toss the mixing cup and syringe in the trash and wipe and support for Advanced Color
off your mixing blade! Solutions of Riverside, CA. He has a
What does Doming do for my name badge or other domed wide range of experience with CAD-
items? The Polyurethane resin not only gives dimension, it also Cut, computer graphics, embroidery,
protects. The Doming will add up to 8 years of UV protection screen printing, laser engraving,
over your graphics, insuring quality for years! Doming also transfers, sublimation, and wide format
enhances the printed graphics, making colors POP. Unique printers, having worked with Stahls’, Universal Laser Systems,
doming applications include car dealership signs, boats/ The Paper Ranch, and his own distribution business, prior to
marinas, vehicles, apparel, I-Pod Skins, Cell Phone Skins, his current position with ACS. He can be reached at 951-359-
and laser-cut acrylic, just to name a few. 2000, [email protected], mattg@advancedcolorsolutions.
com. For more information on the systems described, visit
Conclusion www.advancedcolorsolutions.com
To sum up, using the VersaCamm and Advanced Color
Solutions Doming System will allow you to take your Awards (contents page)

www.coreldrawpro.com • March 2007 30

 GETTING AHEAD
By Deborah Sexton Opportunities

Managing Color On Your

Direct-To-Garment Printer
The promise of digital direct-to-garment printing is Knowing the Boundaries
alluring. No screens, no emulsion, no messy cans of ink; just Even with a solid understanding of color theory, you still
quick, high-quality images printed directly onto garments. But may encounter a few minor speed bumps along the road.
while direct-to-garment printing undeniably has numerous That’s because direct-to-garment printing is a relatively new
advantages — and represents a significant technological decorating process, and industry suppliers are essentially
advance in the decorated apparel industry — it’s still not as tackling an entirely new world of color rules, Copeland says.
simple as pressing a button and getting perfect prints. “We have to over-saturate the colors because we’re
To be successful with a digital printer, decorators must dealing with an absorbent substrate, but the rules were written
possess a thorough understanding of color theory to truly get around paper,” he says. “Equipment such as colorimeters,
the most from this breakthrough technology. If you don’t have densitometers, and spectrometers used to gauge color now
a firm grasp on color principles and follow some basic color- have to deal with an absorbent fiber that is, to a degree,
management steps, it will be tough to handle the less-than- translucent, so the equipment often gives a false reading.”
ideal artwork that many customers will provide, and the color Also keep in mind that certain colors simply don’t yet
challenges that will inevitably arise. reproduce with complete accuracy on digital direct-to-garment
printers — something that’s true of screen printing, too, in all
A Crash Course in Color fairness — partly due to variations in garments. “Violet is a
Before attempting to print a single garment, make sure you color that’s really hard to match with process printing, and
understand a few key concepts about color. “There are a lot of reds are hard for everyone. A company that may be better
people who are uneducated about color,” says Don Copeland, with reds will have trouble with flesh tones,” Copeland says.
digital products manager, SWF “Of course, you can’t produce
East/DTG, Tampa. “People tend to exact Pantone colors in process
think you just mash a button and
you’re printing money.”
“People tend to think you just screen printing either.”
Look for improved color vibrancy
While color theory is a subject mash a button and you’re and accuracy as suppliers add color
too complex for a single article, channels into offerings, moving
here a few essentials: For starters, printing money.” to multiple whites and, eventually,
a “color mode” is essentially the spot color channels, like red, blue,
method used to reproduce colors, green, and orange. “Being able to
Copeland says. Commonly used color modes are RGB (red, mix those colors expands your gamut immensely and makes
green and blue), often associated with projected light, such as your prints look more realistic,” Copeland says.
that of your monitor or television; and CMYK (cyan, magenta, Eventually, decorators may use inexpensive handheld
yellow, black), commonly associated with process printing. color devices that read a shirt’s color and adjust the printer’s
A popular way to express RGB is “sRGB,” a standard color color output accordingly, Copeland predicts — similar to the
space created by Hewlett-Packard and Microsoft Corp. for colorimeters used to calibrate a monitor’s color.
printers, monitors, and the Internet. A gamut, or a color space, Ultimately, though, decorators using digital direct-
refers to a plane within the visible light spectrum, Copeland to-garment printing must realize both the strengths and
says. shortcomings of the technology, using it where it makes the
While such abstract concepts about color may seem most sense, not as a way to replace screen printing outright.
intimidating, the time spent learning them is well worth it in “The biggest issue where people are missing the boat is
the long run. “Google words such as ‘color matching, color trying to capture screen printing jobs. You’re offering a new
management, and color space,’ and read until your brain product, and it’s not screen printing. It’s not going to be as
hurts,” Copeland advises. “You need to understand color at its shiny,” Copeland says. “But it doesn’t have a hand, and it’s
simplest levels. When you print a sample and the blues look environmentally friendly.”
too green, the simple solution is dropping some of the yellow
out of the blues.” Color Me Bad
Color management issues begin at the beginning with

www.coreldrawpro.com • March 2007 31

 GETTING AHEAD

good artwork. To equate it to embroidery, the machine is only

as good as the digitizer. Likewise, the printer is only as good
as the artwork generated for it. “If you can get a handle on that,
you’re going to be far ahead of the competition,” Copeland
says.
Although the safest bet is to design artwork in CMYK,
customers often provide RGB artwork, which is not as good
for process printing, according to Copeland. “It doesn’t always
convert well,” he says. “When you try opening an RGB file in
PhotoShop, the program converts it to its working space. Half
the colors may fall out of gamut.” [Editor’s Note: When you
open an RGB file in Corel PHOTO-PAINT, ….
That said, your first step is to bring the artwork into your
design software, make sure it’s CMYK and print a sample.
(When printing color samples for customers, be sure to do it
on the same substrate the order requires, such as ash gray
shirts, for instance.) If the color looks off, go into the software
and tweak the colors accordingly.
Each of these four logos is identical artwork but printed with
But what is “accordingly,” you might wonder? Again, it
different color spaces. As you can see, depending on the
comes down to understanding color theory enough to adjust
settings, the color shifts from blue to purple. CMYK will most
the colors to get the desired result. “You have to be able to
consistently give you the best results with digital printing.
look and see that the hue is extending toward green, and
know what to dial back,” Copeland says. “You have to be able
to look and grasp what’s wrong.” Knowing Your Tools
When you have a repeat client whose jobs represent Much of the color management process occurs in
particular color challenges, consider printing your own color CorelDraw or Photoshop, both of which allow users to control
palette on a shirt. Show this palette to the client and ask color spaces and individual colors. That said, you should have
him to choose the colors that most closely match the ones a thorough understanding of these graphic programs’ deep,
he requests — a process Copeland calls reverse calibration. powerful functions. “Get training in the software. There’s a
“Tell him, ‘Here are the blues on the front and the yellows on plethora of training and support available,” Copeland says.
the back. Which ones do you want to use for your school’s Take any training offered by the supplier, of course, and
colors?’ ” he says. “That’s the most analog version of color then spend time experimenting with the direct-to-garment
management possible.” equipment, learning its strengths and limitations. “When you
buy a printer, get a case of T-shirts and play with it,” Copeland
says. “We’ve had really good customers who bought a
printer and didn’t even advertise for a month until they had
experimented and were up and running.”
Many of the digital direct-to-garment printers in the
decorated apparel industry are based on an Epson inkjet
printer. However, while the standard Epson RIPs are simple
to use, Copeland says, a RIP made especially for direct-to-
garment printing gives decorators more control, allowing them
to produce more vibrant, accurate colors.
“The Epson driver played by the rules of the printer,” he
explains. “As we pump more ink in a single pass, we’re really
making the printer jump through new hoops. With a RIP, we
can take the droplet size associated with the printer’s lowest
resolution and print it at the highest resolution, something we
couldn’t do with the Epson driver.”
SWF East/DTG has developed nearly a dozen color
profiles — sets of rules for specific ink on specific substrates,
such as SWF’s ink on a white mouse pad. Power users can
create custom profiles for high-end jobs, although this isn’t
Whether or not you need a white highlight in your design necessary for the vast majority of those using digital direct-to-
depends on the artwork. The design on the left needs a garment printing. “If you’re trying to reproduce a specific blue
white, but the design on the right does not. and yellow for the Blockbuster Video account, it might make

www.coreldrawpro.com • March 2007 32

 GETTING AHEAD
BECOME A FULFILLMENT CENTER
ACDRP Membership with QuickFill Listing

Generate more business sense,” Copeland says. Otherwise, most customers are going
by providing your services to be happy with a color that is close.
Perhaps the most critical part of the color management
to others! process is simply getting customer approval. Remember,
Can you CREATE CorelDRAW Graphics, you’re most likely your own worst critic, whereas most clients
or CREATE PRODUCTS for others? will be delighted with the color reproduction you’ve achieved.
“The beauty of direct-to-garment is that you can do a one-off
and get the customer to sign off on the exact output,” Copeland
If YES, then you can FILL orders for others! says. “Waste $1.25 on a shirt and show it to him before you
ADA Signs Laser Engraving print 144 shirts. That really pays off.”
Graphics Pad Printing
Digitizing Promo Products Photos
Embroidery Sandblating
Engraving Screen Printing Can we show a monitor being calibrated?
Fixtures Sublimation Decorators should calibrate their monitors to their graphics
Hot Stamping Web Design software, especially as the equipment ages, after doing a
Jewelry Repair & Lots More software update, or if you change brands of software.

Check out the 40 service categories online.

Would it be possible to show the same design with a color
shift? One design has more “Blue” and other design has more
List Your Services in ACDRP’s “yellow”?
Do you have an example of something that has been printed
QuickFillTM Search Engine, with an SWF Color profile? A mousepad for example?
THE DIGITAL YELLOW PAGES
A photo of someone working in Photoshop at their computer?
for Industry Services
 Business description A photo of a shirt being printed on a DTG machine?
 Types of orders, sizes, specialties, etc.
 Region served
About Don Copeland
 Upload a photo or logo Don Copeland has been in the digital graphics end of
 Link to your WEBSITE the screen-printing and sign industries for the past 16 years.
He got his start in 1991 with ARC Graphics Networks, where
he put together computer systems and graphics software
packages for textile and non-textile screen printers.
JOIN TODAY! In 1995, he started his own company, Innovative Graphic
Technologies, which put together integrated computer
Fulfillment Center Membership dues are at the graphics systems for screen printers and sign makers. During
low introductory rate of $180/year -- which in- this time he also expanded into complementary technologies
cludes all the benefits of Regular ACDRP Mem- such as dye sublimation, digital label printers, thermal transfer
bership + QuickFill Listing! printers, and other high-end graphics color solutions.
In November 2004, Copeland joined SWF East as an
account manager in the embroidery division, but has since
If you are already an ACDRP Member, you can been promoted to Products Manager, Digital Division. In
upgrade to Fulfillment Center for $120/year. addition to selling embroidery machines and software,
Copeland is responsible for research and development of
new digital decorating products, evaluating equipment and
Check out QuickFill supplies, and testing of inks and substrates.

and join at: Deborah Sexton, former editor of Impressions Magazine, has
been in the apparel graphics industry since 1981. She currently
www.coreldrawpro.com/joinff.htm does marketing and public relations for apparel graphics
companies. She can be reached at [email protected].
or call 800-276-8428
(contents page)

www.coreldrawpro.com • March 2007 33

 ARA Las Vegas Show Report
By Mike Neer Special Report

T
he recent International Awards Market in Las Vegas, Feb. 22-24, sponsored by the
Awards & Recognition Association (ARA), showcased a wide variety of new products
that would be useful to CorelDRAW® users. Here is a quick report of some of the
most innovative and interesting products seen at the show by CorelDRAWPro staff. Use the
Info Request Card to get more information about the products and suppliers.
NEW VISION LAUNCHES marking and indexing with consistent spot size and power
density over the entire work area. INFO REQUEST
Namifiers of Utah unveiled their new name. The old one
used to be Name Badge…. The new name signifies their RMI Laser of Lafayette, CO, introduced their
expansion beyond Name Badges to offer anything to do with U-Series Laser Marking Systems that feature
identification products. They carry badges and tags, of course, YV04 laser technology. The
but also lanyards, badge reels, and more. advantages over C02 lasers
include: energy efficiency,
SubliVation Technologies is the new name for the PolySub more precise mark with less
division of Sattler Machine Co. of Sharon Center, OH. As power, less need for cooling
their unique PolySub brand has been well received in the supplies and smaller footprint.
marketplace with distributors all over the world carrying this It’s ideal for marking on reflective
unique plastic alternative to ceramic cups, they felt the need to surfaces like metals because of its smaller spot size, and the
launch their vision. They see a range of products developing laser diodes last up to 30,000 hours. INFO REQUEST
in the near future based on this technology. Thus, Sublimation
Innovation becomes SubliVation. Stay tuned. Trotec Laser of Ypsilanti,
MI, introduced their new
Speedy 500 laser system
DIRECT-TO-PRODUCT PRINTING which features a 50” x 28’
engraving area, high rigidity
A couple of companies demonstrated flatbed printers that print in construction, and 110
directly onto hard goods such as plaques, tiles, and more. inches per second in speed
along with all of the standard
Coast Graphic Supply of Ventura, CA, showed the FreeJet features of all Trotec models. The systems are designed for
system. INFO REQUEST minimal wear and tear and eliminate the need for periodic
Direct Color Systems unveiled the DirectJet 13x19 printer. replacement of belts and bearings. INFO REQUEST
INFO REQUEST
Universal Laser Systems
NEW LASER TECHNOLOGY Inc. of Scottsdale, AZ,
introduced an evolutionary
Atomic Art LLC of Las Vegas, NV, announced their re-design of all their systems.
collaboration with Permanent Impressions Inc. to offer for The VersaLaser features
the first time ever, training in a process where your laser can a unique, next generation
produce vibrant four-color images, permanently embedded materials-based printe driver
into the substrate. Licenses are being made available for that automatically calculates
exclusive territories. INFO REQUEST power, speed, and other
system settings. The new
BrightStar Lasers of Lake Arrowhead, CA, introduced four Professional Level Series (PLS)
new models of laser engraving systems for about half has a host of refinements to the laser cartridge, platform
the price of major brands. chassis, system electronics, and software interface.
The most notable feature is their new Laser Interface + that
Epilog Laser Corp. of Golden, CO, gives users a choice between automatic or manual control
introduced their FiberMark System over power, speed, and other settings. INFO REQUEST
which is an economical and versatile
metal marking system that combines fiber
laser technology and flying optics beam
delivery. The result is high speed parts

www.coreldrawpro.com • March 2007 34

 SPECIAL REPORT

NEW EQUIPMENT be available for $299, while the Professional level program
will include a range of support options and FontEye and
Advanced Color Solutions of Riverside, FontFinder type identification software for $690. Check out
CA, introduced a unique new doming the packages online and see how you can save time.
process for signs, textiles, labels with INFO REQUEST
colors, glitters, and metallics. Compared to
other doming systems, the ACS systems Quality One Engraving of Rancho Cucamonga, CA, is now
are easy to use, high quality, and fast. distributing the new PlotAll software program that allows you
Two systems are available – a pneumatic
dispenser with hand lever control for $1895,
and an automatic doming system for $2695.
INFO REQUEST
to print directly to your engraver from any Windows program.
CASI / QLT of Mount It is a Windows driver that works with CorelDRAW, MS Word,
Vernon, NY, introduced Illustrator, Arts & Letters, Paintbrush, and more. It also offers
the new Chroma Crystal additional features to users of EngraveLab or CASMate
process. It’s an image software. INFO REQUEST
to crystal fusion system
– a fast process that NEW MATERIALS
produces stunning color
crystal awards and gifts in minutes. It utilizes a standard inkjet Coast Graphic Supply of Ventura, CA, introduced SoftTouch
printer and CASI/QLT UV, paper, and chemical technologies. digital inkjet transfer paper for cotton. The company says it
Traditional crystal awards have no color and low resolution; is the first transfer paper uniquely engineered to transfer to
those problems are now solved. INFO REQUEST cotton, cotton-poly, or even Lycra and Spandex – without
any noticeable look and feel of typical transfer papers. The
Coast Graphic Supply of Ventura, CA, difference is in the coating, which absorbs and protects the
introduced the PictaFlexTM 3D inkjet ink. It offers a distinct alternative to sublimation and screen
imaging technology. This process printing.
transfers any design or photographic
quality image by dye diffusion onto highly DPI of LeMars, IA, a manufacturer of
complex 3D shapes, such as custom and stock donor boards and
ceramics, glass, sporting goods, sign frames, has introduced a new
consumer electrical products, platinum finish that gives a totally new
fashion items such as footwear, look to plaques and donor boards and
eyewear or jewelry, architectural signs. INFO REQUEST
items, phones, vehicle trim.
INFO REQUEST
IKONICS Imaging of Duluth, MN,
Malahide Design & Mfg. Inc. of unveiled a new addition to their unique
Stratford, ON, Canada, introduced IKONMetal line of sandblastable,
their exciting new M Hot Stamper. routable, and laserable material.
It is the first all-electric version and a IKONBrass is now available to add to
fundamental re-design of traditional their stainless steel and bronze finishes.
vertical hot stamp presses. It features INFO REQUEST
a 9” x 12” impression with 8 tons of
pressure, yet it’s very quiet, with no air
compressor. It has no fixed throat depth Unisub of Louisville, KY,
so parts could be put on a conveyor belt. introduced their new
INFO REQUEST ChromaLuxe line of
sublimatable photo panel
NEW SOFTWARE products. These allow
you to sell a finished photo
Graphical Systems USA of Portland, OR, suppliers of the product to your customers.
popular Imagaro Z bitmap-to-vector conversion program, The panels can be joined
announced a new price structure. The basic program will together to create stunning

www.coreldrawpro.com • March 2007 35

 SPECIAL REPORT

photo displays – perfect for a fireplace mantle, library shelf, or Tower Ribbons & Awards of Ligonier,
office. Available in all standard photo sizes. INFO REQUEST IN, introduced the Ultimate Spinner
Trophy in the Hidden Showcase. Users
NEW AWARDS spin the showcase to reveal a back
side that holds a 2” insert and 1-1/4”
BiPem Espana from Barcelona, Spain, x 2” plate. Also new is the Epic Line
introduced an American Collection of awards which features a round backdrop with
that features special figures for all sports, unique lettering and an icon for many sports,
cups, artistic trophies, and a magnetic plate holder so no
and outstanding center taping is needed. INFO REQUEST
pieces. The designs are
totally unique and very Venus Award USA Inc. of Fremont, CA, is
creative, creating a new affiliated with Venus Design Co. Ltd. of Taiwan, and
look for sports awards. INFO REQUEST has re-defined award design, led by Chief Design
Director Yan-Liang Jiang. He sees award design
Claytex Trophies of Henrietta, as a process with limited resources and endless
TX, introduced their new line of possibilities, and each piece is a miniaturized art
Hi-Def Snap-in Acrylic Awards, creation. The goal of the entire line, built upon
featuring Ovals, Flames, Waves, refined molding techniques and visual innovation,
Vehicles, Peaks, and Tombstone is to honor the modern heroes who insistently
shapes in bold new acrylics. INFO follow their dreams and live their visions.
REQUEST INFO REQUEST

R.S. Owens & Co. of Chicago, IL,

unveiled nearly 100 new products.
The highlight of the list is the new Victory of Chicago, IL, once again won
boiled and fused glass pieces by awards for its new designs. This year’s
artist Orfeo. Each is done by hand exciting piece was a line of Teardrop
with six weeks lead time and custom Acrylic awards. INFO REQUEST
color. Also new are a line of Artistic
Commemoratives; the Pinnacle
Collection which joins clear crystal
with either cobalt blue or smoked
crystal; the unique Janus Collection Group Launches – Several major awards
representing doorways that lead to manufacturers and distributors introduced hundreds
success; the incomparable Nishra eagle design; unique glass
Chalices of Victory; and more. INFO REQUEST of new products too numerous to mention. These
companies included: JDS Industries, PDU, Freeman
Slee Corp./CrystalEdge® of Products, Discount Trophies & Co., and more.
Chicago, IL, has introduced the
Luxor Series of crystal awards. It was For more information on these products, use the INFO
voted Best New Product –Creative, REQUEST Card.
and features a series of specially (contents page)
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 twelve unique Put Your Artwork on the Cover of CorelDRAWPro!
shapes, making this the most versatile
award yet. INFO REQUEST We are looking for examples of outstanding artwork for the cover of
future issues of CorelDRAWPro. If you would like to have your work
featured, check out the details on the website. We look forward to
showcasing the work of more and more CorelDRAW users!
www.coreldrawpro.com/coverart.htm

www.coreldrawpro.com • March 2007 36

 MARKETING SECRETS
By Donna M. Gray, CRM Opportunities

Get Fired Up!

What fires you up? What gets you going to get going? with their trophy emergency and while we may not get one
What helps you to rise to the occasion? I wake up excited hundred percent of this customer’s business right away, they
each morning…ready to enjoy all the challenges our small now know that we are a professional source for quality work
business sends my way…because I love what I do…most and that we are happy to help them. I feel certain, with my
days. fired-up status, that they’ll come back again and again…for
Like many of you, I have “my days” when I’d gladly sell many non-emergency projects.
out for $1.98 and I’ll pay the taxes…and then…I get so fired
up again that I wouldn’t take millions to get out. Since I feel The fire of training
many times better when I’m fired up than when things get A couple industry friends told me they get renewed
down, I decided to explore ways to stay in that mode of being enthusiasm when they catch their team in the act of doing
excited about what we do, and share them with all of you. something really outstanding. Obviously they trained their
team well to go above and beyond when serving their
The fire of something new customers. Author Tom Peters said, “Train everyone lavishly.
In chatting with others in our industry to see what “fires You can’t overspend on training!”
them up”, I’ve learned that several get excited when their “gut” Speaking of training…I get a kick out of speaking to
tells them to “go for it!” Like when we see new equipment at a groups…sharing what I’ve learned over the years in this
trade show and can picture “School of Hard Knocks”
all the ways we can use it to “If you want to lift yourself up, kind of business. I am
make work and life easier. certain that good training
We recently attended an
industry show where my
lift up someone else.” helps everyone to be
enthusiastic about the jobs
husband, Dave, and our general manager, Kim, spent some they perform, wherever they work. When people know what
time looking at, thinking about, and discussing some new they’re supposed to do, and when they’re supposed to do it…
equipment they saw there. Since Dave gets “fired up” when there is less challenge, less stress, and more opportunity for
he can play with new “toys”, I have a feeling that we’ll be getting and staying “fired up”.
finding room to house some of these new “toys” soon.
The fire of getting and keeping customers
The fire of making a proposal The majority of sales people I talked to about getting and
Others have told me that they get a surge of enthusiasm staying “fired up” said that getting and keeping customers
when they have an opportunity to give a proposal to a prospect was their big “turn on”. When asked how their company can
they’ve been cultivating for a long time. Several say this gets help support their enthusiasm for what they do many answers
their creative juices flowing which puts them in a “flow” that were similar:
ignites their passion for what they do. I think we’d all agree that
most of us would feel that excitement when we’ve romanced • Trust – Trust is a critical feature in building repeat
a prospective customer for a while and finally get a chance to business. A company has to deliver what a sales
show them what we can produce. person promises…the exact product, done the
Not too long ago a prospect we’d been “nurturing” for a exact way, at the exact time promised.
couple years, showed up at our front counter. They had a trophy • Stand behind the work – When a company stands
emergency (Yes, Virginia, there are trophy emergencies) and behind its work, the customer will stand behind the
their current provider couldn’t provide. So, of course, I had company. Guarantees and warranties are ways
a major “fire up”, all the while thinking of the possibilities that to show customers that the company is confident
could accompany our ability to fix this emergency for the in their work and ready to support a good client/
customer. company relationship.
Over the years I’ve learned that customers can feel this • Stand behind the service – Service guarantees
“vibration of appreciation” and their expectations of getting are every bit as important as product guarantees.
fair value for their money are in synch with our expectations In our industry, service is important because with
of giving them more than they expect. Experiences like most of our sales the customer can’t really try our
this keep me “fired up”. We were able to help this customer products until they’ve already bought them.

www.coreldrawpro.com • March 2007 37

 MARKETING SECRETS

• Stand behind the price – Many sales people cringe regular and walk-in customers for granted. Don’t.
when they talk about companies that give a quote Thank them for choosing to do business with you.”
and then when the project is complete the price
has elevated. This is a big no-no. Customers Just talking to the sales persons that shared these tips got
don’t like surprises at the end of the project when me “fired up”. Just like most of you, it would be hard not to
they’ve budgeted for what they bargained for at the be “fired up” when the sales pipelines are full and customers
beginning of the project. In our industry, where are out bragging about your company. Tom Peters said, “In
there can be variables once one gets into custom every instance, we found that the best run companies stay as
work, either bid higher or bite the bullet and honor close to their customers as humanly possible.”
the bid price. Haven’t we all had to bite the bullet at So, all this tells me that we, who own, manage, or work in
one time or another? a small business like ours, can stay “fired up” by giving good
• It’s better to give than to receive – many sales customer service, romancing our clients, making sure we
people say they practice the old adage “If you want have “value added” processes in place, focusing our efforts
to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.” They make on good service, hiring and training good people, and giving
it a point to notice and comment on their prospect/ the customer what they want. What goes around comes
customers place of business or things that are around. When the customer feels good…we can get really
going on in that customers/company’s life and they FIRED UP!
share industry news that will help the client with
future projects. Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards, Promotions, &
• Getting to know you – Charlotte Beers, former Gift (aka AwardsMall.com) in Madison, Wis. See her full bio
chairman of Ogilvy & Mather said, “Only if you really on the Writers Page. She can be reached by email at donna.
know the people who use your products can you [email protected].
win a place, respectfully and affectionately in their
lives.” Ron Zemke said in his book Delivering
Knock Your Socks Off Service, “It’s easy to take (contents page)

Info Info
www.coreldrawpro.com • March 2007 38
 PRODUCT FOCUS

Badges
JOHNSON PLASTICS OFFERS CUSTOM FABRICATED BADGES
Give your customers the custom badges they’re looking for, without making a huge investment
in equipment and training, when you let Johnson Plastics do your custom fabricating. Their
skilled fabrication department uses the finest materials and equipment available to produce
finished products to your specifications. Whether you need custom cut engraving stock,
metals or acrylics, in standard or special shapes and sizes, Johnson Plastics can fill the bill.
Custom capabilities include pressure-sensitive adhesive, beveled and non-beveled radius
corners, drilled holes, bending, polished edges, pinning. For more information or to order, contact
Johnson Plastics at 1-800-869-7800 or www.johnsonplastics.com. INFO REQUEST

CARDS, BADGES, TAGS FROM R.S. OWENS

R.S. Owens of Chicago, IL, offers a variety of options for cards, badges and tags. Digital Print Name
Badges add full color to any name badge and come with magnetic backings. Etched wallet cards,
luggage tags and name badges come etched and frosted or etched with one color colorfill (extra colors
available at an additional charge). All cards, badges and tags have finished backs.
INFO REQUEST

SUBLIMATABLE BADGES
Unisub of Louisville, KY, offers 16 different styles of name badge blanks that you can use
to personalize with full color images and text. They come in several pre-cut sizes and two
gloss levels. They are available in both plastic and aluminum. ID tags, pet tags, and FPR
buttons are also available as well as bag tags to give you a variety of sublimatable color
options. INFO REQUEST

BLANK, LASERABLE METAL NAME TAGS

Namifiers of Springville, UT, is a one-stop source for everything to do with ID products.
With a huge inventory, fast shipping, and good prices, they have become one of the
fastest growing companies in this field. They offer four types of nametags -- full color
photo-quality, engraved, metal, and screenprinted – plus all the accessories from
magnets to swivel clips.
Their blank, laserable metal name tags are made from .50 material, and come in four
different pre-cut sizes compatible with any laser system. The laser automatically reacts
with the metal and leaves a clean, blackened finish for the engraving. Intricate logos and fine text are no longer obstacles to
worry about. Their average per piece price is 75 cents, which combined with a magnetic backing, gives you an $8 name tag that
costs you about $1 to make. INFO REQUEST

ROWMARK® IDENTIFIERS® OFFER ELEGANCE

For many years, the standard in badge elegance has been the Rowmark Identifiers line.
This line makes is simple to turn ordinary personal identification into name badges with
distinctive flair! Lightweight and durable, The Identifiers are available in five popular sizes --
rectangle, small, medium, large, and oval – and three classic colors. Any Rowmark rotary or
laser engravable material can be inserted into the badge holders. They accept standard pin
and magnet findings. Free downloadable CorelDRAW 8 badge insert files for each size are
available online. Pre-cut sublimatable inserts are available for the Large badge holder, or users
can cut their own to fit the other badge sizes. INFO REQUEST

Info Request: Click here to open an electronic Reader Card which you can use to request information from multiple suppliers.

www.coreldrawpro.com • March 2007 39

 PRODUCT FOCUS

THE MILLENNIUM CARD & BADGE PRINTER

Direct Color Systems of Berlin, CT, offers the Millennium printer for producing full-color badges, cards,
and small signs without the need for additional equipment, or time spent transferring or heat pressing. It
is a one-step printing system with its own ColorByte software for ease of use. You can produce badges,
bar coded or magnetic encoded ID and plate signage easily and consistently. Full support and marketing
program available to owners. INFO REQUEST

BADGE FINDINGS
Magic Novelty Co. of New York, NY, was established in 1940 and today is a
leading supplier of badges and badge findings (or attachments). The company offers bulldog and alligator
clips, pin-clip findings, badge reels, metal snaps, magnets, clutch and tie tack pins, as well as military bars
and badge frames. If you’re making badges, then you’ll need a source for the backings. INFO REQUEST

WOOD STRIPS FOR WOOD BADGES

Colorado Heirloom of Loveland, CO, offers a range of wood strips that can be easily cut
and engraved by a laser to create wooden badges and business cards. They are available in
two sizes – 4-1/2 x 14-1/2 x 3-32 and 4-1/2 x 24 x 3-32 – and custom sizes are available upon
request. All strips come in alder wood for best contrast in engraving. INFO REQUEST

CAWLEY PATENTED TEXTURE BADGE 5 WAYS

The Cawley Co. of Manitowoc, WI, holds the patent on textured name badges, and offers their Thermal Engraving System
as one way to personalize the badges. In addition, you can use laminated tape for Overlay Print Badges affixed to their textured
surface. Then Direct Print Badges use a printed logo thermally bonded to the surface and
then domed. Engraved badges can be done with rotary, laser, or thermal systems. Emblem
badges use a 3-D emblem piece affixed to their textured surface. Finally, Digital badges use
a white plastic plate fed through a card printer for color personalization. Many solutions to
your identification needs from one source. They sell the equipment as well as the finished
badges. INFO REQUEST

LASERSUB AND LASERFROST BADGES

Identification Plates Inc. of Mesquite, TX, offers two unique
materials for badges. LaserFrost is a coated metal
badge stock that when lasered displays a frosted
finish in the letters. LaserSub is a sublimatable
badge stock that can be printed, then lasered and
the letters will show up gold.
These materials provide a distinctive new look to
badges. INFO REQUEST

(contents page)
Info Request: Click here to open an electronic Reader Card which you can use to request information from multiple suppliers.

www.coreldrawpro.com • March 2007 40

 GRAPHICS NEWS NETWORK
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 CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Donna Gray is the president of Total Awards, Promotions, & Gift (aka AwardsMall.com) in Madison, Wis. She
and her husband Dave have run their full service awards and personalization business since1977. She has
presented seminars nationwide, won awards as Business Woman of the Year, Retail Marketer of the Year, and
Sam Walton Business Leadership Award. She is also the author of Never Quit: The Ups & Downs of Running
a Family Business. She has earned professional credentials as a Certified Recognition Master. She can be
reached by email at [email protected].

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 wfl[email protected] or 281-970-
6677.

Randall McClune is the owner of Randall Mac Signs in Watsonville, CA. He has more than 32 years experience
in sign design, manufacturing, and installation. He welcomes your ideas and feedback and can be reached at
[email protected].

Jeff McDaniel is the Owner/Operator 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 [email protected].

John & Judy McDaniel of JHM Marketing in Albany, OR, provide consulting and training services for the
industry. They also own and operate Moments Remembered, a retail personalized gift shop. John has worked
for many years with computers in electronic data processing and pioneered the use of CorelDraw for engraving
applications. Judy’s background includes art and retail sales. They have been using CorelDRAW since 1989
and teaching it for engraving, sandblasting, sublimation, etc. since 1991. Currently they are Corel Training
Partners, and co-founders of the new Association of CorelDRAW Professionals (ACDRP). They write articles for
several trade publications and offer private or group training. In addition they provide one-on-one application
support through CASS, an email subscription service. (For information on training services offered and CASS
visit www.CorelDRAWhelp.com.) (They can be reached by phone at 541-967-4271, via SKYPE (user name
JHMcDaniel), or via email at [email protected].

David Milisock, president of Custom Graphic Technologies Inc. of Lancaster, PA, has been in the print
production business since 1975. He specializes in professional support for CorelDRAW® Graphics Suite. He
started supporting CorelDRAW files for print output with V4. 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, and also offers
Giclee printing. He can be reached at 717-509-3523 or [email protected].

Vicki Moran has worked in the family business since she was 16. She has served on the board of directors of
the Promotional Products Association of Wisconsin, and has a Silver Pyramid from PPAI for consumer programs.
She has two kids, two cats, a dog, and husband (who has learned to plan vacations around PPAI tradeshows).
She can be reached by email at [email protected].

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. She can be reached at
[email protected].

Otis Veteto is the Western Regional Manager for the R.S. Owens & Co. Inc., manufacturer and supplier of the
Elegance in Awards & Gifts line. With more than 30 years experience in the industry, he offers the “PROspective”
of a veteran sales rep in reporting on ideas, people and places that he visits. Otis also presents sales and
motivation seminars for industry organizations. He can be reached in Sacramento, CA – when not on the road
– at 916-567-1867. Or email [email protected]

www.coreldrawpro.com • March 2007 42

 Traveling Tidbits by Otis Veteto

Green Time, March Madness,

and Military Training
It’s Green Time! Angeles. She enlisted in the Air Force, and earned
What a wonderful time of the year, especially her commission in 1999 with a specialty code of
out here on the West Coast! Spring is in the air aircraft maintenance.
and trees are turning into living bouquets, with their Her first assignment was to Nellis AFB, in
blossoms popping like popcorn. I am reminded of Las Vegas, where she worked on combat search
one of my all-time favorite movie scenes…Gene and rescue helicopters, and deployed with them
Kelly skipping along, spinning his umbrella just to Turkey for Operation Northern Watch. She was
Singin’ In The Rain. assigned to the Predator Program (unmanned
It’s also that time of year when for a short aerial vehicles), and was deployed to Kuwait for
period of time everything turns green. For example, Operation Southern Watch.
Chicago dyes its river green, and Savannah, While in Kuwait, Sept. 11 happened, and
Georgia, dyes the city fountains green. Happy St. they were quickly relocated and began Operation
Patrick’s Day, everyone! Enduring Freedom. After a stint at Travis AFB
in Northern California, she was deployed for
Otis Veteto is the Western March Madness Operation Iraqi Freedom. After that she worked
And, of course, with March comes the ultimate with the First To Respond to Tsunami and Hurricane
Regional Manager for the in college basketball, March Madness. H. V. Porter, Katrina relief efforts.
R.S. Owens & Co. Inc., an official with the Illinois High School Association While attending Advanced Maintenance And
first coined the phrase March Madness back Munitions Officers School (similar to pilots’ Top Gun
manufacturer and supplier of in 1939. It was the first year for the now famous for maintenance officers), Marylou was notified of
the Elegance in Awards & Gifts Run to the Final Four tournament. That first year, her selection to be an instructor, and was stationed
Oregon defeated Ohio State for the national back in Las Vegas.
line. With more than 30 years championship. There she met Jim and Michelle Rice, owners
March is also when the clanging of the rim, of Artistic Touch, and became friends with them.
experience in the industry, he
and the squeaking of the shoes gives way to the Marylou thought she would love to do what they
offers the “PROspective” of a crack of the bat and the 7th inning stretch. Enjoy do, and that it would be a perfect vehicle to run
your spring, folks, the dog days of summer are a family business. In December, 2006, Jim and
veteran sales rep in reporting nipping at our heels! Michelle told her of their wish to retire. She said
on ideas, people and places she immediately raised her hand and offered to
Congrats to Dave Bergeson buy the business. So, on February 1, 2007 Artistic
that he visits. It’s a fun and Right now, let’s give a huge Traveling Tidbits Touch had a new owner. Cindy moved to Las
informative column focusing congratulations to Dave Bergeson, executive Vegas to help out, and they are going full force.
director of the Awards And Recognition Association, Captain Marylou Soto is, and will always be,
on the human-interest side of and his wife Brenda, on the birth of their first child. proud of her 8 years in the Air Force, and is honored
Benjamin William Bergeson was born on Nov. to have served her country. Now she will serve
the industry. Otis also presents
27, 2006, weighing in at a whopping 7lb, 11oz. in a different capacity, since the majority of their
sales and motivation seminars Welcome to our world, Benjamin. business is providing awards/recognition plaques
and coin boxes to military organizations around
for industry organizations, and From military to military awards the world. “Serving in the military gave me such
some of that knowledge will rub A Traveling Tidbits welcome to our industry a great foundation, she said, “and now helps me
goes out to Marylou Soto, new owner of Artistic understand the timelines, lingo and requirements
off as well. He can be reached Touch in Las Vegas, NV, and her sister Cindy. of our military customers.”
in Sacramento, CA – when not Marylou and Cindy are originally from Orange, CA. I had the pleasure of spending some time with
and are the two youngest of a litter of six. Their Marylou and Cindy at the ARA show in Las Vegas,
on the road – at mom and dad immigrated here from Mexico way and was I ever impressed! In my mind, we have
back when and just celebrated their 40th wedding a real hero in our midst, and want to extend my
916-567-1867.
anniversary. sincere Thank You for helping keep our country
Cindy has been in college working toward safe. And…..WELCOME Marylou and Cindy.
her biology degree, but will put that on hold for
now, until Marylou comes aboard full time after I will end with this, Never leave home without
separating from her Air Force career in August. At it. You decide what “it” is.
that time Cindy will start working toward a business That’s all for now. Remember to leave some
degree, which will help in their new venture with time for yourself and your family, and when you
Artistic Touch. travel, please travel safe.
Marylou graduated from the University of
California Irvine with a BS in Biology, and attended
ROTC at Loyola Marymount University in Los (contents page)

www.coreldrawpro.com • March 2007 43