 Re: what software
Also check and see which file types your plotter uses. We have an Ioline plotter at work that I use occasionally. Since I'm an Illustrator guy I use it where ever I can, however, our Ioline loads .plt files, which Corel will export directly and Illustrator will not.
So for simple lettering I use Corel, anything more complex I will do in Illustrator first, then save the Illustrator file down (as version 9), open with Corel, export from there as a .plt and then open with the Ioline software for cutting.
It's an extra step there, and only takes a little extra time, but it can be a hassel when things are really busy. Illustrator does export a file type that can be imported by the Ioline, but it seemed a bit of a pain in the butt, so I just do it the way I know works.
So yeah, most definitely download the trial versions and test your workflow from start to finish before making a purchasing decision. |