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Published by the Association of CorelDRAW® Professionals (ACDRP) / www.coreldrawhelp.com the entrepreneurial magazine for CorelDRAW® users worldwide April 2018 Then & Now: Mission... In Search of an Opportunity INSIDE: Learning CDR: Modifying the Workspace CorelDRAW Tips: Layouts and Labels Marketing Secrets: Motivation Through Appreciation Video of the Month: Shaping Docker -- Intersect Selection Wellness at Work: Change Our Jeans Genes Getting Ahead: Directions in Digitizing with Norman Gates NEW Symmetry Drawing Mode

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Published by the Association of CorelDRAW® Professionals (ACDRP) / www.coreldrawhelp.com

the entrepreneurial magazine for CorelDRAW®

users worldwideCorelDRAW® HelpApril 2018

Corel Launches CDR 2018

Then & Now:Mission... In Searchof an Opportunity

INSIDE: Learning CDR:Modifying the

Workspace

CorelDRAW Tips:Layouts and Labels

Marketing Secrets:Motivation Through

Appreciation

Video of the Month:Shaping Docker --Intersect Selection

Wellness at Work:Change Our Jeans

Genes

Getting Ahead:Directions in

Digitizingwith Norman Gates

NEWSymmetryDrawing

Mode

April 2018 2Click ads to go directly to advertiser’s web site.HelpCorelDRAW®

JPPLUS.COM • 1-800-869-7800

NEW Saddle CollectionFrom rustic styling to urban chic, our leather-like goods redefine simple everyday comfort. Discover our beautifully designed leather-like essentials that are easy to personalize with a laser or UV printer.

Get it NOW at jpplus.com

13 CorelDRAW Tips: Layouts and Labelsby John Mise

16 Learning CorelDRAW:Modifying CorelDRAW’sWorkspaceby John McDaniel

22 Video of the Month:Shaping Docker-IntersectSelectionby John McDaniel

29 Then & Now:Mission: In Search Of The NextOpportunityby John McDaniel

April 2018 3Click ads to go directly to advertiser’s web site.HelpCorelDRAW®

April 2018

Magazine Sponsors Logo-LinksOnline Expo Sponsors Logo-Links

Conde Inc. WebEpilog Laser Corp. 1 Web AdEpilog Laser Corp. 2 Web AdJohnson Plastics 1 Web AdJohnson Plastics 2 Web AdLaserSketch 1 Web AdLaserSketch 2 Web AdRowmark Inc. WebTrotec Laser WebUnisub Web

SPONSOR INDEX

DEPARTMENTS

Click “Web” to go to sponsor’s website. Click “Ad” to go to the ad in this issue. Clicking the ad itself will go to website.

LEARN! APPLy! bUILD!

4 Inside: Spring Ahead

7 Graphics News Wire Product News Headlines

39 Product Focus Apparel

CONTENTSCorelDRAW® Help

41 Marketing Secrets:Motivation Through Appreciationby Donna Gray

8 Featured Products: Showcase of unique products from our sponsors

38 Logo-Links

33 Getting Ahead:Directions in Digitizing:with Norman Gatesby Deborah Sexton

43 Wellness at Work:Change Your Jeans Genesby Mike Neer

10 NEW RELEASE: Corel Corp. LaunchesCorelDRAW 2018

Spring Ahead

Spring is in the air! It’s time to plant seeds for new crops. Animals are excited about making new babies. The weather is freshening with water and wind after the cold, dry, hard winter. The soil is moist.

Nature is letting us know that it’s time for new beginnings, and that’s what we should be doing for our businesses. If we act in tune with cycles in nature, then we are more likely to achieve success. Everything unfolds more naturally. So I recommend 8 ways to spring ahead and try something new in this season.

New EquipmentIs it time to invest in that UV printer we’ve been thinking about? Should we add another station to our screen printing operation or try a new kind of frame system or a new ink?

New TrainingDo we need more knowledge on using CorelDRAW software? Or any other business software? Maybe we should upgrade our accounting system? Or maybe it’s time we bit the bullet and got more involved in social media to promote our business?

New EmployeesDo we need new people? Can we add a new profit center that requires a new person? Where do we need help?

New ProjectsShould we start a new program for non-profits? Should we pursue fundraising projects? Should we set up a mentor

or mastermind group to share ideas?

New Shop OrganizationIsn’t it time to change up the workflow in the shop? Are all the tools where they should be? Is our inventory stored where it’s easily accessible and accounted for? Are our work order forms designed properly?

New MarketingDoes our website need an update? Can we add new networking opportunities in our community? Can we provide sample products to key customers? Again, can we expand our social media presence? What about display advertising online? Or in local media?

New ProductsIs it time to add a new line of apparel or awards or gifts? Have we made plans to attend trade shows to find the latest products? What else can our equipment do that we could add on without too much effort?

NEW CORELDRAW 2018As described later in this issue, is it time to upgrade to the new version of CorelDRAW that just came out? Corel Corp. is planting seeds this spring with their new version. Read all about the highlights of what’s new, and then upgrade so you can stay on the cutting edge.

Do it now. Use the spring thing to create a fling that will produce more bling!

April 2018 4Click ads to go directly to advertiser’s web site.HelpCorelDRAW®

Inside

By Mike Neer, Publisher

Published by Association of CorelDRAW® Professionals

President: John H. McDanielVice President: Judith McDaniel

Executive Director: Michael R. Neer

ACDRP Corporate Office: Philomath, OR

Offices Membership & Publishing offices located at:

4549 N. Glenn, Suite 110,Fresno, CA 93704

559-479-2160 Fax 559-272-2134www.CorelDRAWHelp.com

[email protected]

subscriptions: Free to qualified individuals and businesses. Send change of address to the above.

AcDRP Membership: Basic $60/yr.; Premium $120/yr.See the website for details.

Advertising: Request a Media Guide or download it from www.CorelDRAWHelp.com.

Writers: CorelDRAWHelp accepts articles from industry experts. Email publisher for details.

© Copyright 2018 by ACDRP. All Rights Reserved.

EDITOR / PUbLIShER – Michael R. [email protected]

GRAPhICS – John MiseADVERTISING – Mike Neer

[email protected] 559-479-2160

APRIL 2018

HelpCorelDRAW®

These sponsors offer equipment, products, and services that will help you make more money with your graphics. Check out the ideas and possibilities

The mission of the Association of CorelDRAW Professionals (ACDRP) is (1) to help you improve your graphics skills -- and (2) to help you make money with those skills. This page is being provided as an entry point for the second part of that mission. Here you will find a range of ideas and sources for making your graphics more profit-able. Check out all the links!

This presentation gives a short history of graphic products, and outlines the role CorelDRAW played in its development. Then, for each of 16 production processes, it outlines six things: 1) a definition of what the process is; 2) a description of the types of products that can be made with it (with photos); 3) the type of equipment needed; 4) the general cost of such equip-ment; 5) the skill level you need to operate this process; and 6) the profit potential with this process.

In 2014, CorelDRAWHelp Magazine joined with Unisub to produce three webinars. These webinars have been broken down into short videos for easy learning, and are available to ACDRP Premium Members. Click on the link to view each group of videos.

Webinar #3: Creating a Sublimated business Card with Unisub Product 5530S-101: Finding the Unisub TemplatesS-102: Modifying Unisub’s TemplateS-103: Set CorelDRAW Page SizeS-104: Save the Modified TemplateS-105: Adding & Arranging Text & GraphicsS-106: Creating a Background; S-107: Using Imposition Layout

Webinar #1: CorelDRAW X7 Photo basics1101-1: Capturing Photos (Digital Camera and Scanning Basics)1101-2: Resolution Recommendations1102-1: Simple Photo Retouching (Straighten Image, Crop Tool, Image Adjustment Lab, Touch-Up Brush)1102-2: Removing the Background (Cutout Lab)

Webinar #2: Shape a Photo to Fit a Product1102-3: PowerClip… Place Inside Frame1102-4: Feather the Edge1201: Introduction to Templates1201: Using and Saving Templates

The Videos of the Month from each issue of CorelDRAWHelp Magazine are now archived on the website. The current video is available to all readers in each month’s issue. The archive of all past Videos of the Month is available to ACDRP Premium Members. Click on the link above to see the contents. If a member, you can click right to the archive; if not a member, you will be directed to information about mem-bership. New ones are posted each month.

Making Money with CorelDRAW GraphicsVisit the ACDRP Online Expo

Visit the Webinars

Webinar #1

Webinar #2

Webinar #3

View the Making Money with Graphics PowerPoint Presentation

(28 minutes)

View the Video of the

Month Archive (available to ACDRP Premium Members)

April 2018 5Click ads to go directly to advertiser’s web site.HelpCorelDRAW®

April 2018 6Click ads to go directly to advertiser’s web site.HelpCorelDRAW®

April 2018 7Click ads to go directly to advertiser’s web site.HelpCorelDRAW®

GRAPhICS NEWS WIREApril 2018

Product News headlines:

Calendar (Web Link)Check out the upcoming training

classes and trade shows of interest to CorelDRAW users.

CorelDRAW® HelpNEWS

DETAILS(Click Here)

• Conde announces 2018 Trade Show Schedule

• Supply55 announces price reduction on Guardian 65” laminators• Conde announces dates for

Annual Open House

• Hirsch offers Adelco Digi-Cure Dryer

• Hotronix offers can cooler platen

• Brother DTG offers AccuLine Camera System for GTX DTG Printer

• Hirsch releases new Tajima Singlehead Embroidery Machine Guide

• Ryonet offers Free Beginner’s Guide to Water-Based Screen Printing ebook

• ASI announces 3000 product videos now viewable in ESP

• ASI Counselor Magazine Honored with National Award

• Joto offers new Epson F2100 DTG Printer

• Dalco offers Spotlight Faux Alligator Apparel Fabric

• Ryonet offer Startup Screen Print Experience Classes in May, June

helix 24 Laser For large engraving

pieces 24” x 18” x 8.5”

April 2018 8Click ads to go directly to advertiser’s web site.HelpCorelDRAW®

Featured Products Showcasing unique products from our sponsors; something new each month.

Support Our Sponsors

OKI Pro 6410 NeonColor Textile Transfer Printer

high Def LED Color Prints with fluorescent toner and interchangeableblack and white toner

Lighted LED Name badge

Laser engraved graphics Thin, LightweightReplaceable Panel

Sparkles in bright lights

Mirrored Acylic Sign Material Lighter, 8x Stronger

Front or Reverse Engraved

April 2018 9Click ads to go directly to advertiser’s web site.HelpCorelDRAW®

Featured Products Showcasing unique products from our sponsors; something new each month.

Free Subscription

Basic Membership

Premium Membership

Association of corelDRAW Professionals

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44” DyeTrans Wide Format Printer RJ-900X by Mutoh

2880 dpi, high speedFour colors (CMyK)

Speed Marker Galvo Laser Marking

Machine Mark Metals, Glass,

and Plastic in Industrial Settings

Corel Corp. introduced on April 10, its CorelDRAW® Graphics Suite 2018, the latest version of Corel’s industry-leading design collection. It is packed with powerful features and updates to help graphics professionals transform their creative ideas into professional, visually stunning designs. With a focus on user feedback and top requests, the suite unveils new design and photo-editing capabilities together with extensive workflow enhancements. The goal has been to make it faster than ever to deliver exceptional outputs, from large format prints to online graphics, and everything in between.

“No matter your industry or background, everyone working with graphics has the same

essential wish list. How can I design without boundaries, deliver a final product that will make an impact, and of course, do it all on deadline?” said John Falsetto, Senior Director of Products, CorelDRAW and Productivity.

“For our 2018 version, we worked closely with the CorelDRAW community to find this ideal balance of possibility and practicality. The new Symmetry mode brings a sense of fun and wonder, enabling you to experiment and draw spectacular images in minutes; while a simpler and smarter approach to design fundamentals, like working with nodes and images, ensures every project is completed on time and on budget. The end result is a powerful suite that supports your workflow from inspiration to flawless output.”

Corel Launches New Version: CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 2018

The biggest update in many versions, CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 2018 offers new creative possibilities and dramatically boosted productivity in a complete design environment known for being easier to use. Benefits include:

Empower creativity with new looks

NEW! Symmetry drawing mode: Create a range of symmetrical designs, from simple drawings to stunning mandalas and impressive kaleidoscopic effects, in real time. Design highly complex graphics with a tool that automates what could typically be a prohibitively time-consuming workflow.

• NEW! Add Perspective effect: Quickly create the illusion of distance and depth by applying perspective to bitmaps, vector objects, or both directly in the drawing

New Symmetry Drawing Mode: Create a range of symmetrical designs, such as stunning mandalas and complex kaleidoscopic effects, in real time.

April 2018 10Click ads to go directly to advertiser’s web site.HelpCorelDRAW®

window. Ideal for making mock-ups and proposals to showcase your artwork in real-world scenarios.

• ENhANCED! Impact tool, Pointillizer™, and PhotoCocktail™: Now included directly in CorelDRAW, use the Impact tool to effortlessly add movement or focus to an element in a drawing; try Pointillizer to make high-quality vector mosaics from vector and bitmap objects; and experiment with PhotoCocktail to design stunning photo collages.

Work faster with powerful updates• NEW! block Shadow tool: Add solid vector shadows to objects and text with

this interactive feature that can dramatically reduce the time it takes to prepare a file for output.

• NEW! Align and distribute nodes: Align nodes using the bounding box of a selection, the page edge or center, the closest grid line, or a specified point. Easily add equal spacing between nodes horizontally or vertically.

• ENhANCED! Experience a streamlined design experience: CorelDRAW 2018 offers a variety of updates to boost your productivity, including: customized curve previews; updated vector previews; redesigned fill and transparency pickers; and new Toggle snapping to make everyday tasks faster than ever.

New capabilities for photos (including AfterShot® 3 hDR)• NEW! Straighten photos interactively: Rotate crooked images interactively. All

controls are easily accessible on screen or on the property bar for perfect results in seconds.

• NEW! Adjust photo perspective interactively: Use the interactive Perspective Correction tool to adjust the perspective of buildings, landmarks, or objects in photos.

• NEW! Apply envelopes to bitmaps: Shape a bitmap interactively by placing it in an envelope and dragging its nodes. Quickly and seamlessly blend a bitmap into an illustration by using envelope presets or crafting a custom envelope from scratch.

• NEW! AfterShot 3 hDR: Make professional-grade, non-destructive corrections and enhancements to RAW or JPEG photos and create high dynamic range (HDR) images.

New tech innovations • ENhANCED! LiveSketch™ tool: Sketch and design on the fly! LiveSketch is a

revolutionary drawing tool based on the power of artificial intelligence. Now with enhanced precision, draw as naturally on a computer as with pen and paper.

Empower your creativity: Powerful new features and updates for stunning designs.

New Add Perspective Effect: Quickly create the illusion of distance and depth with bitmaps and vector objects.

April 2018 11Click ads to go directly to advertiser’s web site.HelpCorelDRAW®

• ENhANCED! Pen & Stylus device support: When working with a pen and tablet, now use pressure to vary the size of the eraser nib; link the tilt and bearing to flatness and rotation; and flip the stylus or pen to activate the Eraser tool. CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 2018 also offers state-of-the-art support for Microsoft Surface Dial.

• NEW! Publish to WordPress: Send your work directly to a WordPress media library. Convert objects or an entire project to a JPEG, GIF, or PNG file and then upload to a WordPress account.

• NEW! Project Timer: Keep organized, bill clients, and gain time management insight with an accurate, non-intrusive way to track project time.

Suite programs ideal for projects of any size • CorelDRAW® 2018 – Vector illustration and page layout• PhOTO-PAINT® 2018 – Image editing• Font Manager™ 2018 – Font exploration and management tool• PowerTRACE® 2018 – Bitmap-to-vector tracing (included as part of CorelDRAW

2018 application)• CONNECT™ 2018 – Content finder• CAPTURE™ 2018 – Screen capture tool• AfterShot™ 3 hDR – RAW photo editor• benVISTA PhotoZoom Pro 4 – Plug-in for enlarging digital images

CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 2018 also includes: 10,000 clipart and digital images;

2,000 high-resolution digital photos; over 1,000 fonts; 350 professionally designed templates; 2,000 vehicle templates; over 500 interactive frames and photo frames; and over 600 fountain, vector and bitmap fills. Get started quickly with the redesigned welcome screen, expert insights, product hints, training videos, and more.

Choice in purchasing • Perpetual license: Includes a one-time payment for a permanent license, with

no extra monthly or annual cost.• Subscription: Offers a low annual cost and the flexibility to stop paying as

your software needs change. Get access to the latest version as long as your subscription is active.

Perpetual license customers can save on future versions with the Upgrade Program, an easier and more affordable way to stay up to date with CorelDRAW Graphics Suite.

Add the Upgrade Program when you purchase CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 2018, and you’re guaranteed to get future releases at the lowest possible cost, together with the confidence of knowing you’re using the latest version. Enjoy these benefits as long as your account is active, and even if you decide to stop the Upgrade Program, you can continue to use your latest version.

For more information about purchase options, please visit www.coreldraw.com/purchase.

Availability and PricingCorelDRAW Graphics Suite 2018 is available now for Windows in English, German, Italian, French, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Dutch, Polish, Czech, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Turkish, and Japanese. The full version is priced at $499 USD. Registered users of any previous version of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite may upgrade for $199 USD (excludes NFR, OEM, and Academic versions).

Subscription is $198 USD per year. Upgrade Program pricing is $99 USD per year.

Enterprise clients can take advantage of volume licensing options and maintenance, which offer benefits including network deployment and virtualization. To learn more about CorelDRAW licensing options, please visit www.coreldraw.com/business.

For more information and to download the free 15-day trial (no payment info required), visit www.coreldraw.com.

New block Shadow Tool: For creating vector shadows that make it even faster to achieve high-quality output.

April 2018 12Click ads to go directly to advertiser’s web site.HelpCorelDRAW®

April 2018 13Click ads to go directly to advertiser’s web site.HelpCorelDRAW®

Layouts and Labels

Using CorelDRAW®by John W Mise

As we all know, CorelDRAW is a very good, feature-rich, drawing and vector graphics editor.

Even though CorelDRAW is more of a draw and edit graphics type of software, sometimes designers need to do layouts for things like labels, booklets, tent cards, greeting cards and more, and CorelDRAW can do these as well.

CorelDRAW provides specialized layouts that can make these tasks easier and they are located on the Layout page of the Option dialog. These include Full Page, book, booklet, Tent Card, Side-Fold Card, Top-Fold Card, and Tri-Fold brochure.

Full Page - This is the default setting for all new documents.

book - The Book layout divides your document page size into two equal vertical portions. Each portion is considered a separate page. Each page will print out as a separate page.

booklet - Like the Book layout, the Booklet layout will divide your document page size into two equal vertical portions. Each portion is also considered a separate page. However, when the pages for a Booklet layout are printed, the pages are matched according to their final position in the Booklet. For an eight-page booklet, this means page 1 will be matched with page 8, page 2 will be matched with page 7, page 3 with page 6, and page 4 with page 5.

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Using CorelDRAW®

Tent Card - This layout will divide your document page in to two equal horizontal portions and each por t ion wi l l be considered a separate page. Since the Tent Card layout is folded in the center, your document pages will be printed in sequence and positioned upright after folding.

Side-Fold Card - This layout will divide your document page into four equal parts, both vertical and horizontal. Each document page will print out in sequence, and it will

be positioned and rotated to fit the final fold layout.

Top-Fold Card - This layout also divides your document page into four equal vertical and horizontal parts. Each document page will print out in the proper sequence, and it will be positioned and rotated to fit the final fold layout.

Tri-Fold brochure - With this layout, you will need to change the page orientation to Landscape. You can design and print on both sides. Just be sure to check your margins and

print space within the panels.

Preformatted Labels

CorelDRAW has a pretty good collection of label formats to choose from to make printing labels easier. Most of your label formats will use the Portrait orientation.

Open up the Option dialog and select Label under Document options, then select Labels in the right panel. This will give you access to all of the available labels. Select the desired layout. Once a selection has been made, the preview window will show the general layout of the labels and the number of rows and columns available. Having selected a label format, go back to your document and add the number of pages you need for your labels.

If you cannot find a label format that fits your needs, you can create your own by modifying one of the label formats listed in the drop-down list or create your own from scratch.

Whether you modify one of the available layout selections, or create your own from scratch, you will

need to select Customize Label which is located just below the label list. From here, you can set the number of rows and columns, your label size, margins, and gutters. Once you have created

April 2018 15Click ads to go directly to advertiser’s web site.HelpCorelDRAW®

Using CorelDRAW®

the desired format, you can save it by clicking on the plus (+) button that is located next to the Label Style drop-down list. If you need to delete a Label Style, simply select the label style from the drop-down list and then click on the minus (-) button.

So, instead of having to go and create your labels in a word processor or some other program, CorelDRAW has made it easy for you to do labels by offering these features. You should be able to save yourself a huge amount of time and be more creative when creating your labels.

HelpCorelDRAW®

The Power of a Direct Link

12 Ways

All Traffic Builders listed above provideDirect Links to your wesite

To start your traffic flowing, contactPublisher Mike Neer at

[email protected]

brings you up to 120,000 ExposuresPer Month with Direct Links to your Website1. Website - Magazine Download Page Logo-Link2. Website - Making Money Process Pages3. GNN Website - News Page Spotlight Link4. GNN Website - News Release More Info Link5. Magazine - Logo-Link and Contents Link6. Magazine - Articles (in Sponsor Section)7. Email - Enews Link (Twice a month)8. Website - Expo Logo-Link on Site Home Page9. Website - Expo Pages with Videos and Links10.Magazine - Display Ad11. Magazine - Product Review (Zoom Report)12.Email - Enews Banner Ad (Twice a month)

April 2018 16Click ads to go directly to advertiser’s web site.HelpCorelDRAW®

Modifying CorelDRAW’s Workspace – Part 1

LEARNING CORELDRAWby Judy and John McDaniel, Contributing writers

This year, we’ve decided to go back to update the basics in teaching CorelDRAW.The following is an outline of what we intend to cover, using the latest versions of CorelDRAW:

1. Introduction to Computer Art – covered in the February 2018 issue.a. Bitmap Artb. Vector Art

1. Introduction to CorelDRAW’s Workspace – covered in the March 2018 issue.2. Modifying the Workspace

a. Creating a new workspace to customize. – This time.b. Changing the size of command icons. c. Adding commands and command bars to your workspace.d. Exploring and changing the default settings for the color palette(s).e. Adding/deleting and organizing Dockers. f. Keyboard Shortcut Keys

3. Introduction to the Toolbox (several articles)4. How to set Program Defaults5. Drawing Basics – Nodes and Paths6. Cutting Engraving Direction7. Object Organization

a. Cutting – Engraving Sequenceb. Grouping & Combining Objects

8. Text on a Curve9. Power-Clipping

More to come…

CorelDRAW’s Workspace – Review and UpdateA workspace is a configuration of settings that specifies how the various command bars, commands, and buttons are arranged when you open the application.

Picture 1 shows the Welcome screen for CorelDRAW 2017, with the Workspace tab selected. The Welcome screen has changed for CorelDRAW 2018. Picture 2 shows the new layout.

In the Welcome/Workspace screen for either version, you can select any of the

standard Workspaces that come with the program, or any that you’ve created.

Once you’ve selected a workspace, the next step is to start a new document on a blank page, start one using a template, or open an existing document. Picture 3 shows the CorelDRAW 2017 Welcome screen with the Get Started tab selected. Picture 4 shows the new 2018 screen. The Get Started screen lists several choices. They include:

1. New Document – this option calls the New Document dialog screen – see picture 5.

Picture 01: CDR 2017 Welcome Screen Workspace

lEARninG COREl

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2. New from Template – this option calls the template dialog screen – see picture 6.

3. Open Recent – here, there is a list of the documents/projects most recently worked on.

4. Open Other – this command calls the Windows’ Open File dialog screen – see picture 7.

(Note: in the dialog screens shown in pictures 5 – New Document, 6 – Open Recent, and 7 – Open Other, there is no difference between CorelDRAW 2017 and 2018.)

For our purposes, we selected New Document. See picture 8. Picture 8 shows the New Document workspace for CDR 2018.

There is only one new command icon in the default workspace for CorelDRAW 2018. It’s the Snap Off command, which is a toggle. Left-click it one time to turn all snap-to commands off. Left-click it again to restore the snapping options that had been originally selected.

As the final element in our review/update we’ve included picture 9, which is the

CorelDRAW 2017 default workspace labeled.

Creating a New WorkspaceAlthough you can modify any of the standard workspaces that come with the program, we recommend you don’t do that. We suggest you create a new workspace, and then modify the new workspace to suit your needs.

Anytime you plan to make changes to a workspace, it’s a good practice to create a new workspace and modify the new one. That leaves an original unchanged if, for any reason, you want to undo your changes.

To create a new workspace:1. Click on Tools/Options on the menu. – That will call the Options dialog screen.2. In the Options dialog screen, select (click on) Workspace, if it’s not already

selected. See picture 10. The Workspace dialog screen shows all the available workspaces and highlights the one that is selected. In this screen you can select any of the available workspaces.

3. In the Options/Workspace screen, click on New. That will call the New Workspace dialog screen. See picture 11.

4. In the New Workspace dialog screen, type in the name of your new Picture 02: CDR 2018 Welcome Screen Workspace

Picture 03: CDR 2017 Welcome Screen Get Started

lEARninG COREl

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►Picture 04: CDR 2018 Welcome Screen Get Started

Picture 05: New Document Dialog Screen

Picture 06: New From Template Dialog Screen

Picture 07: Open Other Dialog Screen

lEARninG COREl

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Picture 08: CDR 2018 Default Workspace

Picture 09: CDR 2017

Default Workspace

Labeled

Picture 10: Options - Workspace

lEARninG COREl

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workspace. We’ll name ours New Default 01.5. Make sure the “Set as current workspace” checkbox is

checked.6. Click on OK in the New Workspace dialog screen. That will

create the new workspace, list it as an available workspace, and select it. See picture 12.

7. Lastly, click on OK in the Options/Workspace screen. This will save the workspace. Anytime you leave the Options dialog screen:

a. If you click OK, your changes will be saved and implemented.

b. If you click Cancel or the X in the upper-right corner of the dialog screen, any changes you’ve made will be abandoned.

ConclusionIn short, the Workspace is the area you’ll be working in to create or modify layouts. As with most things in CorelDRAW, the Workspace is customizable to suit your needs. This time we reviewed the Default Workspace’s layout, identified changes in the Default Workspace for CorelDRAW 2018, and created a new workspace, ready to change.

Next time – Changing the size of command icons.

John and Judy McDaniel are owners of CorelDRAW® Help, Inc. They started in the personalization business in 1989 with CorelDRAW version 1.0. In their businesses they apply CorelDRAW! They’ve used it with—mechanical and laser engravers— to produce Awards, Gifts, and Industrial Products. They’ve also used it with all types of printers and vinyl cutters—for creating sublimation and other image transfers—for making sandblast masks—screen-printing screens—pad-printing plates—signs and banners—sales literature and flyers. In essence, they have over 20 years of experience in applying CorelDRAW! They have written hundreds of articles and tips; lectured across the country; and have been teaching CorelDRAW since 1991.

Picture 11: New Workspace

Picture 12: New Default 01 workspace

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JPPLUS.COM • 1-800-869-7800

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Textured Finish

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The Shaping docker is a tool that can help in creating a variety of shapes using various operations. Shaping operations include…

1. Weld 2. Trim3. Intersect – covered in this article.4. Simplify5. Front minus back6. Back minus front

7. BoundarySee picture 1 at the right.

Accessing the DockerThere are several ways to open the Shaping Docker…

1. Click on Object/Shaping/Shaping – see picture 2.

2. C l i c k o n W i n d o w /Dockers/Shaping – see picture 3.

3. I f you have some Dockers open already, and are working in CorelDRAW version X7 or newer, then you can also open the Shaping Docker by clicking

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VIDEO OF ThE MONThby Judy and John McDaniel, Contributing writers

The Shaping Docker – Intersect Selection

VIDEO OF ThE MONThLink to Video

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viDEO OF tHE MOntH

on the Quick Customize icon… (the + sign) at the bottom of the Docker’s panel. See pictures 4 and 5.

Note: As shown in all our screenshots, we have the Shaping Docker docked to the right side of our workspace. By default, the first time you open it, using the menu options shown in pictures 2 or 3, it will be docked to the right side of the workspace.

If you already have some Dockers docked to the left side of the workspace and use the Quick Customize dialog screen, as shown in pictures 4 and 5, then it will be docked to the side from which the Quick Customize dialog screen is called.

Viewing Shaping Docker – Intersect optionAs you can see in picture 1, the docker contains options for several different variations. In this article, we will focus on the Intersect option. Select the Intersect option from the dropdown list shown in picture 1.

The Intersect option contains a simple graphic, along with 2 additional options:1. Leave original source object – The

source object is the object that is selected first. It’s represented by the rectangle in the simple graphic.

2. Leave original target object – The target object is the second object selected. It’s an object that overlaps with the source object. It’s represented by the triangle in the simple graphic.

You can select one, both, or neither of these additional options. If you select one or both options, the option(s) selected will appear in the graphic filled in by light gray.

Picture 6 shows the docker with “Leave original source object” and “Leave original target object” check-marked. Notice that both objects in the simple

Picture 2: Object-Shaping-Shaping

Picture 3: Window-Dockers-Shaping

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viDEO OF tHE MOntH

Picture 05: Quick Customize-2

Picture 04: Quick Customize-1

Picture 06: Leave original…

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Picture 07: Sample Rectangles Picture 08: Red Rectangle = Source

Picture 09: Green Rectangle = Source Picture 10: Leave original source object - Red rectangle = Source

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Picture 11: Leave original target object - Green rectangle = Target

Picture 12: Leave original source & target objects - Red rectangle = Source - Green rectangle = Target

graphic are filled with gray. The area in the simple graphic that’s black represents the intersection between the objects.

Using the Shaping Docker – Intersect optionThe Shaping Docker is very easy to use once you understand how it works. Essentially, there are two objects used in the Intersect operation…the source object…and the target object.

In very simple terms, what the Intersect operation does is create one object where the source and target objects overlap, everything outside of the overlap area is discarded. In addition, the original objects are also deleted – unless “Leave original…object” source, target, or both are selected prior to performing the Intersect.

Picture 7 shows two rectangles that are overlapping, one red and one green. Performing an Intersect operation with them results in creating one new object where they overlap; without leaving either of the original objects.

If the red rectangle is selected first (the source object), the result is shown in picture 8. If the green rectangle is selected first, then it becomes the source object and the result is different. Picture 9 shows the result of selecting the green rectangle first, making it the source. Notice that the Intersected object assumes the fill and outline characteristics of the target object, i.e., the one selected last.

Picture 13: Bitmap pictures ready for Intersection

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ARtWORk FOR PROCESSES

Creating an Intersect object with “Leave original source object” check-marked, results in what we see in picture 10. “Leave original target object” check-marked, results in what we see in picture 11. Picture 12 shows the results with both check-marked. In these examples, the red rectangle was selected first – it was the source object. The green rectangle was the target object.

Additionally, in pictures 10, 11, and 12, we moved the “Intersect” object, so all objects could be easily seen. In all cases the “Intersect” object was created on-top-of, in other words, in front of both the source and target objects.

Finally, the product of the Intersect operation is a curve. A curve is a basic vector object, as opposed to rectangles, ellipses, polygons, stars, and other higher level objects.

Using the Shaping Docker – Intersect option – on bitmap ImagesThe Intersect option can also be used on bitmap images. Picture 13 shows two overlapping bitmap pictures. Picture 14 shows the results of performing the Intersect operation on the images with the back, or bottom picture as the target. Picture 15 shows the result with the front, or top picture as the target.

One possible application of Intersect is to perform shaped crops. For example, picture 16 shows one of the bitmap images with a free-form graphic (the red outline) on top. Picture 17 shows the result of selecting the free-form graphic as

Picture 14: Bitmap pictures Intersection - Bottom picture = Target Picture 15: Bitmap pictures Intersection - Top picture = Target

Picture 16: Bitmap and free-form graphic

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Picture 17: Bitmap cropped by free-form graphic

the source object, and then selecting the bitmap as the target. Essentially the bitmap has been cropped to the shape of the graphic.

ConclusionIn short, the Shaping Docker – Intersect option allows users to easily create objects from object overlaps. This is very useful for creating layouts for any process that includes vector cutting, processes such as laser engraving or vinyl cutting. Hidden lines are removed.

Regarding bitmaps, Intersect eliminates bitmap objects behind other objects. This can be useful for creating color separations, or in cases where the bitmaps are semi-transparent. It can also be used to create custom shapes.

The Shaping Docker – Intersect, is yet another powerful tool within CorelDRAW. Explore it. – Enjoy! It’s easy to use.

ARtWORk FOR PROCESSES

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Mission – In Search of (a new business opportunity)

RecapBusiness opportunity and expansion have been the subjects of some of the most well-attended seminars we’ve ever held. In the USA, and perhaps everywhere around the world, the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well. For many, the challenge is how do I get from where I am, to where I want to be.

What we’re doing in this series is covering these and some other points by recalling our journey, THEN. And, relating how the lessons we learned might be relevant today, NOW.

Here is an outline of subjects we’ve covered, and intend to cover:

1. Introduction – An overview of the series and its purpose. – covered in the January 2018, CorelDRAW Help Magazine issue.

2. Resume – A little about Judy & I before we became “self-employed”. – covered in the February 2018, CorelDRAW Help Magazine issue.

3. Background – A little of our self-employed business background prior to entering the graphic products business. – covered in the March 2018, CorelDRAW Help Magazine issue.

4. Mission – What prompted us to go “in search of” a new business opportunity. – This time.

5. Research-1 – How we arrived at the choice we made and how that choice is relevant today. – Next time.

6. Research-2 – Some of the venues you might explore for inspiration.7. Budget – Determine your opening budget.8. Processes – Explore processes you might have an interest in.9. Skills – Determine skill requirements for the processes you are interested in.10. Requirements – List requirements, other than skill, that the processes you’re

interested in have.11. Samples – Obtain or create product samples.12. Market – Some market research suggestions.

Our Last EpisodeIn our last episode, we outlined our journey through various self-employment adventures. To recap, they included:

1. Time spent exploring real-estate sales.2. Hosting, organizing, and selling products via home parties.3. Managing a kiosk in a major retail store in a shopping mall.4. Life as an independent sales rep in the emerging computer industry.5. Owning and operating coin-op laundries.6. Owning and operating a vending machine route.7. Selling artworks, as an independent rep.8. Creating a fire-safety company that demonstrated and sold products via

trade-shows, home-shows, auto-shows, boat-shows, gun-shows, county and state-fairs. (At the peak of this endeavor we did 30+ shows and fairs per year.)

That’s where we left it, last time.

Then – Change is the ONLy ConstantThe above journey covers 20 to 25 years. Movement along the path was gradual. As we transitioned from one endeavor to another, it always seemed right, the thing to do. In addition, resistance is futile and can be destructive.

As the fire-safety adventure was winding down, it became evident that the days of that experience were drawing to a conclusion. It was time to move on.

Here is a brief summary of why we felt it was time:1. Shows were becoming more and more expensive. As an example, one of the first fairs where we displayed our fire-safety

products was the Los Angeles County Fair. (We were invited to display by fair management. More on this later.) The cost that first year was $800 for a 10 x 20 booth, inside a building.

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ThEN AND NOWby Judy and John McDaniel, Contributing writers

tHEn AnD nOW

That event covered 18 days. It included 3 weekends. Fair hours were 10am to 10pm Sunday through Thursday, and 10am to midnight on Friday and Saturday. Your booth had to be manned all the time. You could be fined, asked to leave, and/or never allowed to participate in future events. They had a waiting list for booth space.

The last year we did the fair, the same space cost over $5,000. In addition, they had lengthened the show (that’s one of the ways they justified the increased cost). It went from 18 to 21 days, which included 4 weekends. The hours were the same, 12 hours minimum and 14 on Friday and Saturday. Same manning requirements, just more days.

As it turned out, sales remained about the same for the 21-day show, as we had experienced in previous 18-day shows. Most vendors had the same experience. More time did not necessarily mean more sales.

2. The product was under attack. Halon is a fire-suppression agent that is suspected of damaging the Earth’s

ozone layer. It’s not clear if halon or the products of combustion, i.e. the fire, are more damaging to the atmosphere. But, it was becoming clear halon was going to be restricted.

In addition, Dupont’s patent on halon was expiring and they had developed a less-effective replacement. They needed halon to be banned so they could

profit from the replacement. Always follow the money.3. Personal. I was spending a lot of time away from the family. Judy and the boys were at

home. She handled our wholesale business. I was on the road at shows and fairs. We wanted something we could do together.

Now – Change is the ONLy ConstantOk, so how does all of this apply to today. Well, change is the only constant.

Today, there is even more change. Here are a few global changes underway:1. Transportation is Electrifying! GM’s attempt to kill the electric car, the EV1, has failed. The (ICE)

Internal-Combustion-Engine’s days are numbered. The UK recently announced that it intends to ban the sale of new ICE vehicles by 2040. Some analysts feel ICE vehicles will become uneconomical much sooner than that, perhaps as soon as sometime between 2025 and 2030. Some European cities already restrict or ban ICE vehicles within their city limits.

2. Electrical generation is decentralizing!Big power plants are becoming a thing of the past. Local power generation is more cost effective. There are no transmission lines or infrastructure required. Generation via solar is the future. With roof-top solar and battery backup your house becomes your powerplant.

Closer to Home:

3. The Internet has become the tool for communication, research, and purchasing standard products. People don’t have to come to

Tesla Model 3All-Electric Vehicle Toyota Prius Hybrid Electric Vehicle

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tHEn AnD nOW

a store to shop. Their choices are not limited to what’s available locally.In the middle of the Graphic-Product Production world, things are also changing:

4. Few if any laser engravers existed back in the 1980s. Today they have all but taken over engraving.

5. Direct to Garment and Direct to Product printers didn’t exist 15 to 20 years

ago. Today they are replacing screen-printing.

6. Will 3D printers be able to print/create trophies on demand? Perhaps in the not too distant future.

ConclusionChange is Constant – part of being a successful entrepreneur is to keep abreast of changes that affect your business. Try to minimize unpleasant surprises.

We are all constantly changing, even if we don’t think so. We are born, we grow, and ultimately leave. The bodies we inhabit are constantly changing. The body we had when we’re born is very different from the one we have now or, will have at the end of life.

It’s the Journey! Be aware, live, learn, and above all love! Realize you are the author of your journey. If you choose to do what you enjoy, work will be fun!

We hope that sharing our experiences as business owners for the last 45 years will help those of you considering starting your own business. And, if you already have a business and are considering expansion, perhaps the path we took will help you avoid some of the pitfalls along the way.

Next time – Research-1 – How we arrived at the choice we made and how that choice is relevant today.

John and Judy McDaniel are owners of CorelDRAW® Help, Inc. They started in the personalization business in 1989 with CorelDRAW version 1.0. In their businesses they apply CorelDRAW! They’ve used it with—mechanical and laser engravers— to produce Awards, Gifts, and Industrial Products. They’ve also used it with all types of printers and vinyl cutters—for creating sublimation and other image transfers—for making sandblast masks—screen-printing screens—pad-printing plates—signs and banners—sales literature and flyers. In essence, they have over 20 years of experience in applying CorelDRAW! They have written hundreds of articles and tips; lectured across the country; and have been teaching CorelDRAW since 1991.

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GETTING AhEADby Deborah Sexton, Contributing writer Grow

Directions In Digitizing:An Interview with Norman Gates

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GEttinG AHEAD

Norman Gates is the digitizing a r t d i r e c t o r f o r L e g a c y Monograms and Embroidery, Dallas, TX.

Norman Gates has been in the embroidery industry for more than more than 30 years. He got his start with Great Notions, Dallas, drawing patterns back in the day when an embroidery design was enlarged six times and each stitch was manually punched using a tablet.

After roughly five years at Great Notions, in 1993 he joined DelRossi Embroidery, Richardson, Texas, as the manager over the art and digitizing departments. It was here he furthered his digitizing experience.

In 1998 he was hired by Dalco Athletic as an artist and digitizer. He spetd a lot of his time creating custom appliqué jobs for customers as well as new designs for the Easy Stitch Appliqué series, which was a package that included cut pieces and a sew disk for the home market. At Dalco he also managed the company’s dye sublimation and digital printing departments.

In 2017, he left Dalco to become the digitizing art director at Legacy Monograms and Embroidery in Dallas. There he does all the in-house digitizing as well as managing work that is sent out. He also is involved in new business development for the company.

Gates is an expert on the Wilcom Embroidery Studio e3 digitizing software. He also is intimately familiar with all aspects of the embroidery process. You can reach him at [email protected].

About Norman Gates

No matter what size your embroidery business is, the quality and creativity of your digitized designs will have a tremendous impact on the finished product and reputation of your company. Poorly digitized designs will have loops, be out of registration, have gaps and not look crisp. They also will lack the details that a great design exhibits.

When your embroidery does not look sharp and professional, this means you will be competing for business solely on price, a position no one want to be in. Exceptional digitizing, however, will set you apart and allow you to charge more.

The other downside to poor digitizing is how it impacts productivity. There may be frequent thread breaks, and a lot of starting and stopping as you try to correct things caused by too many jumps, the wrong amount of underlay or too much density. A design that should run in 10 minutes may take twice as long driving up costs and eating into profits.

There are a variety of options to consider when you are starting your embroidery business, and you need to choose which one best meets your digitizing needs. We will discuss the pros and cons of each one.

Most new businesses will choose to send their digitizing jobs to a contractor, whether offshore or domestic. This avoids the cost of the software and finding or training a digitizer.

If a new business has a graphic artist or someone in-house who is inclined to learn the software, it might wise to purchase at least a lower-level program that can be upgraded as the user gets up to speed.

The final option is to hire an experienced full-time in-house digitizer.

Using A ContractorWhen choosing someone to contract out digitizing work, you have two choices: offshore and domestic. In its earliest

days, using an offshore source was risky business. While you couldn’t beat the price, you may have received work that was unusable. Communication also was challenging due to language and cultural barriers.

However, since that time, offshore digitizing has improved, and pricing is still going to be less than a U.S. supplier. But keep in mind, you get what you pay for. In my experience, quality continues to be inconsistent from source to source.

When getting started, most shops rely on outside contractors to do their digitizing. The two main choices will be domestic or offshore with offshore being the less expensive. The downside to offshore is suppliers can be hit and miss. You’ll want to test out a variety of

sources with simpler designs in order to evaluate before committing to a more sophisticated design.

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GEttinG AHEAD

If you go this route, you will find it necessary to go through a trial-and-error process to test different sources until you find one that is reliable and meets your needs. I have found that sometimes, even if the entire design is not usable, enough of it is to still make it worthwhile to send out.

For example, let’s say a design is a combination of a graphic with lettering. Perhaps the lettering is quite good, but I am not happy with the execution of the graphic. Even if I redo the graphic myself, because the design may have cost only $15 to $25 to do, it was still beneficial to send it out.

So if you do decide to try an offshore digitizing service, you need to get it at a price point where you can afford to jettison the design from time to time. If you’re paying a lot for it, and you have to re-do it, then it’s not cost-effective. You may as well do it all from scratch. This is also supposing you have a full-time in-house digitizer. Otherwise,

you are stuck with finding another source to re-do it.

I have found in most cases, no matter how good the job is, I will still do some editing to remove excess stitches, tweak density, and do other fine tuning to further improve its look and run-ability.

If you choose to use a domestic digitizer, although you may pay more, you will find greater reliability. Also, if there are issues, it’s a simple matter of picking up the phone to discuss sew-out problems and having the digitizer edit the design to fix any issues.

Sewing It OutWhenever you use a contract digitizer, before starting production, you must sew out and evaluate the design. Sometimes it will be surprising how well it sews. But one thing I’ve found is almost all contract designs need some kind of modification of the density or amount of underlay.

Ideally, when interviewing to hire an in-house digitizer, it’s an advantage if the candidate has experience doing the same type of jobs your shop does.

When browsing through a portfolio, look to see what markets, such as childrenswear, spiritwear, etc., work has been done in.

There are many advantages to having a full-time digitizer in-house; however, it does require that your shop generate enough work to justify the cost. Until

that time, using contract services is a viable option.

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GEttinG AHEAD

At some embroidery houses, work is charged by stitch count, so there is every incentive when designing to put borders and flourishes around it and for the digitizer to pack in the stitches. But sometimes less is more. It just adds to the run time of the design.

If you have a double zig-zag underlay with a center run down the middle and an edge around it, it may look okay, but it’s just not necessary. And, it can almost double the stitch count of the design.

Purchasing Software To LearnWhen buying embroidery equipment, most suppliers will bundle in digitizing software as part of the package. Most programs are sold in levels. The first level allows you to do keyboard lettering and some basic editing. The highest level includes automatic features, advanced digitizing tools, and lots of bells of whistles.

In general, experts recommend starting with level one or two and then upgrading as you learn the lower levels. This spreads out the investment so that you are not paying for tools you may not use for a year or longer. The good news is, once you have purchased the highest level, upgrades are generally free.

As you have an employee learn how to digitize, you can be outsourcing work. This also can aid in the education of your digitizer in training as he or she reviews the finished designs, sews them out, and sees how they are done.

It also can be beneficial to have someone who can do simple edits and changes, such as replacing a name or a date or changing the size of a design.

hiring An Experienced DigitizerThere are many benefits to having an in-house digitizer. The biggest challenge to making this happen is building up your business enough to justify the cost.

With someone in-house, you have full control over the quality and delivery of the work. You can get new work out more quickly and tweak designs as needed for new purposes. Over time, this person will get to know your machines, threads, and most popular jobs, and continually be able to fine-tune designs to run at peak performance and quality.

Jobs that need tweaking can be done in real time vs. having to email back and forth with a contractor trying to explain what didn’t work and then waiting an hour or a whole day.

Choosing A DigitizerOnce you’ve decided to bring a full-time person in-house, when evaluating a candidate, you’ll want to see samples of his or her work. You’ll also want to know what software they are trained in. Although there are similarities among software programs, each one has its own quirks and if your new hire is not familiar with your company’s program, there will be a learning curve. That learning curve can be pretty steep on some programs.

You also want to learn what kind of jobs they have experience in. For example, appliqué lettering and numbers on sports uniforms and spiritwear; monograms on gifts; or cutesy designs on childrenswear. Candidates should have a portfolio showing their work, and this can give you a pretty good idea of where they are in their skills and creativity.

Other things to look for are clean lettering that has proper density and thickness to it. There should be defined openings on smaller letters such as an “r” or a “b.” They should not be closed up. An “o” should not be misshapen. If you were to split it down the middle, each side should match. Be sure to turn over samples

One of the best ways to evaluate how good a design has been digitized is to watch it sew out. This is especially important when you use a contractor.

If there is a problem with it, you want to have time to send it back for adjustments, especially if you don’t have editing software in-house.

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GEttinG AHEAD

to look at the backside. You do not want to see any bunching of stitches. There should be an overall cleanliness to how the design looks.

As far as years of experience, even after a full year, that person will still have a lot to learn. I’d recommend, if possible, finding someone with at least five years of experience. Not that someone with less experience would not be valuable, but more experience is better.

When I was learning 30 years ago, you started out by drawing patterns. If you proved yourself capable of that, at some point someone would apprentice you and teach you the trade. This was back when everything was hand punched using a board.

Now, with digitizing systems fully computerized, you just bring in artwork and digitize it on the screen. It’s more accessible. The downside of this is there are people who have been trained on the software who have a lot less skill, but call themselves digitizers when in reality they do not have the nearly the same depth of knowledge that trainees got 30 years ago.

Every shop is different in terms of its niche, customer demographics, and size. Whichever option you choose as you are getting started, the bottom line is you find a source for your digitizing needs that gives you the quality you want to offer at a reasonable price and with reliable turnaround.

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].

Small lettering is one of those skill sets that separates good from mediocre digitizers. Lettering should have a proper density and thickness to it. There should be defined openings on the smaller letters such as an “R” or a “B.”

An “O” should not be misshapen. If you were to split it down the middle, each side should match.

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Busy season is upon our industry. How do we keep ourselves and our employees motivated? O.A. Battista, (1917 – 1995) Canadian-American chemist and author said, “People are always motivated by at least two reasons; the one they tell you about, and a secret one.” Charles M Schwab (1862-1939), first president of U.S. Steel Corporation, said, “I have yet to find a man, however exalted his station, who did not do better work and put forth greater effort under a spirit of approval than under a spirit of criticism.” While it’s a proven fact that high levels of motivation lead to

more effective, efficient, and productive workers, in our industry, we sometimes find ourselves struggling to find ways to keep the motivational levels needed to get through last minute rush orders while keeping up with regular business.

Management studies reveal that 46% of employees that leave a company do so because they feel unappreciated. They report that their bosses don’t place much importance on them as people and many say they do not receive acknowledgement for the work they do. It’s no secret that praise makes people feel good. Positive feedback brings feelings of pride and pleasure, which contributes to creative thinking, problem-solving, and increased productivity. We provide products that organizations use to congratulate, motivate, and inspire others. We get good feelings when customers sing praises about the work we did for them. Do we remember to do the same for our employees?

Today, there’s a shortage of critical talent. Many employers have “Now Hiring” signs in their windows and in some cases are offering hiring bonuses. Good prospective employees are being picky about where they work. They’re looking for employers that are known to engage their team members and demonstrate how valuable their employees are to the company. An article on Forbes.com says “We’re becoming a culture in which people expect to be rewarded for drawing breath and taking up space, which makes the job of an HR pro or business leader tasked with employee retention a difficult one indeed.” It goes on to say, “Financial reward is a great thing, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not the equivalent of recognition. Let’s not kid ourselves. It’s a short-term solution. Neither is constant praise of average work. Recognition is a key tool in employee retention programs for a reason: people need more than constructive

Motivation Through Appreciationfeedback and positive affirmation. They need recognition of extra effort. They need to “feel” it. This will never go away as a basic human need.” We promote this to our customers. Do we do this for our own team members?

In a motivation study by Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton, authors of The Carrot Principle, 94% of the participants who reported the highest morale at work agreed that their managers were effective at recognizing team members’ efforts and achievements. 56% who reported low morale gave their managers a poor rating for recognition. Also according to the report, managers who offer praise and recognition for a job well done are more respected and admired by their employees. They are also motivated to work harder and go out of their way to help their peers or support the organization.

Jack Canfield in his book, The Success Principles says “When you are in a state of appreciation and gratitude, you are in a state of abundance. You appreciate what you do have instead of focusing on and complaining about what you don’t have.”

In his book, 1001 Ways to Motivate Yourself and Others, Sang H. Kim, Ph.D. says that “There are two classes of rewards that motivate people to act: intrinsic rewards and extrinsic rewards. Intrinsic rewards are the intangible feelings we have that motivate us like happiness, recognition, fulfillment, love, understanding, peace and acceptance. Extrinsic rewards are tangible materials that motivate us including money, awards, promotions, and gifts.” He also tells us that “Motivation depends upon having an understanding of people and their wants and needs. Your ability to identify and fulfill these fundamental needs is the key to being a successful motivator.” I asked a business coach friend for tips on how to improve motivation in

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MARKETING SECRETSby Donna M. Gray, CRM

SPONSORS: ONLINE EXPOclick these Logo-Links to go directly to sponsor websites

Visit the CorelDRAWhelp Online Expoour industry and here are some ideas she shared that apply even if you work alone:• Make a friendly workplace. People work better when they feel comfortable.• Provide a well organized workplace in which expectations are clear, and all

employees “live” by the same rules. • Make only the minimum number of rules and policies needed to protect your

business legally and keep order in the workplace. • Encourage team members to offer suggestions and ideas to improve their

work. Provide authority for team members to self manage and make decisions.• Treat employees with respect. They are the business’ number one asset.

Demonstrate trust in all team members. Keep them in the know. Share the “big picture” of your company’s vision and goals with them. Let them know how much their work is essential to the company as a whole, and that their role is crucial to success.

• Say nice things to yourself and to team members on a regular basis. Have 10 times as many nice things to say as bad things. This will motivate and encourage success.

• Offer inspirational messages – especially during busy season. Offering treats and a break in a busy day of production can be a motivator.

• Let team members “decorate” their work space. A study showed that allowing workers to display things like family pictures increased productivity and attention to detail on work projects.

• Use incentives. Particularly during the busy times…bringing in rolls and coffee every now and then, offering lunch to the team, taking an afternoon break together with cookies and soda…all show caring and concern for the team during stressful work times. If you work alone, treat yourself to something good.

• Recognition is high on the list of team members’ needs for motivation. Just like the organizations we sell to…offer rewards for exceptional work. Employees appreciate money; they also like praise, a verbal thank you, and special attention.

• Applaud yourself. My daughter, Zanne Marie, set an example for us. When she was a little girl and learned something new she would clap for herself. Now we all do that. Everyone deserves some applause.

• Celebrate employee failures. Wow! That’s an unusual thought…however…having this attitude gives employees the freedom to take risks, keeps their passion alive, and encourages entrepreneurial and innovative thinking.

Though money plays a huge role in motivating employees to stay, and be productive, and happy with their jobs, it’s the only reward that comes after recognition.

Being recognized for the hard work done during busy season is another way of showing team members that they are valued and appreciated. Because we work in the personalization industry, we should use our own products to recognize excellence

in our own workers. Our team members enjoy getting a plaque or a trophy that shows they’ve worked hard.

Author Sue Fitzpatrick said, “Being told you’re appreciated is one of the simplest and most uplifting things you can hear.” Mother Teresa said, “There is more hunger for love and appreciation in this world than for bread.” Applaud yourself and your team. You deserve it!!!

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 two books on family business, It’s All Relative! Surviving & Thriving in A Family Business (2007), and Never Quit: The Ups & Downs of Running a Family Business (2004). She has earned professional credentials as a Certified Recognition Master. She can be reached by email at [email protected].

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MARkEtinG SECREtS

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Most of us have a favorite pair of blue jeans, and I would bet that most CorelDRAW users wear them to work. These jeans make us feel comfortable, and they are very durable. Jeans are part of our lifestyle, in many cases, and are acceptable almost anywhere. We define ourselves through our jeans. Now, I bring this up because we also define ourselves through the other kind of genes. We know that we all have 23 chromosomes from our father and 23 from our mother. The whole range of our genome is written in these chromosomes which are in almost every cell in our body. The standard theory for more than 60 years is that we are what our genes make us. That whatever we’ve been given is who we are. The idea has been that, unlike blue jeans, we can’t change our genes.

However, in the last 20 years that thinking has changed, thanks to the new science of epigenetics. Epigenetics is considered to be the most important biological discovery since DNA. It has shown that our genes can be turned on or off and expressed to a greater or lesser degree. We have 25,000 genes but also 4 million of these “switches” that change gene expression. Basically, it’s lifestyle and environmental factors that modify these switches. Here are five ways we can change our genes – and thus be more productive and healthy at work and in life.

DietA diet high in refined carbohydrates promotes high blood glucose that attacks your DNA. On the other hand, ingredients in broccoli, turmeric, green tea, and wine have been shown to slow or reverse DNA damage. What are we eating at work?

SleepResearchers found that just a single week of insufficient sleep alters the activity of over 700 genes. Are we tired at work?

Exercise A study on elderly mice has found that 117 genes were expressed differently in the brains of animals that exercised regularly, compared to those that were sedentary. Do we sit all day at work?

StressStress reduction techniques, like meditation, have been shown to reduce inflammation, which is involved in seven of the leading causes of death. One meditation study I know of has shown that meditation produces 74 beneficial changes in genes regarding health and aging. Are we getting rid of the stress we pick up at work?

Relationships/ThoughtsAnother researcher cites 400 studies that show how thoughts and relationships affect the gene expression. This includes things like gratitude, acts of kindness, optimism, and mind-body healing techniques. Are our relationships at work more positive than negative?

Vice VersaOn the other hand, our genes are negatively affected by difficult habits like substance abuse, being sedentary, bad food, toxins, and so on.

In their book Super Genes, Tanzi and Chopra say that 95% of our genes can be influenced by diet, behavior, and other environmental conditions. “You are not simply the sum total of the genes you were born with. You are the user and controller of your genes, the author of your biological story. No prospect in self-care is more exciting.”Bottom line is that we can change our genes just as easily as we can change our blue jeans. Let’s update our wardrobe at work and home!

Mike Neer is the editor and publisher of CorelDRAWHelp magazine. He has been producing publications in the graphic products industry since 1980, and he has been actively involved with wellness programs for 40 years. Since 1977, he has served as the director of the Fresno Center for Transcendental Meditation, teaching CEOs, doctors, lawyers, police officers, war veterans, and more how to relieve stress. From 2008 to 2013, he published a local magazine called World of Wellness that reported on all types of methods to improve health. This column is a walk on the well side to help readers boost creativity and productivity.

Change Your Jeans Genes

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WELLNESS AT WORKby Mike Neer