# corel draw for rhinestone transfers



## BlingItOn (May 29, 2008)

I'm looking to purchase Corel Draw software to create dot patterns to use for rhinestone patterns. Can anyone please tell me what version of Corel Draw I should purchase X3 or X4 and does it make a difference if the version is the full version or the academic version if this is what I intend to use it for? I'm trying to justify paying $400.00 for a full version or buying one off of ebay for $75-$100 and hoping that the buyer who states that it is a full version doesn't really sell me an academic or some other version instead. I'd hate to waist the money if I couldn't make the patterns from any other version except the full version. 

Thank you for all of your help


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## joeshaul (Mar 1, 2008)

How are these patterns going to be useful to you? 

Currently there seem to be three common techniques for rhinestones:
DAS's system which utilizes a vinyl cutter and their own software I believe to cut a thick mask material (similar to sandblast mask I hear).
Engraved templates, most commonly done with a Roland engraver.
Hand placed, you print the design, then follow sjidohair's tutorials to create a finished product. 

With the DAS system and Roland's system, they both have extra software I believe, which may make having to purchase Corel unnecessary (or necessary depending on if they integrate macros and such). So I would contact them or ask if it's necessary from some users on these forums, when a free solution like Inkscape may be used. 

That being said, I use Corel for almost all of my designing, it's an excellent program that I found very easy to learn (although I'm quite advanced with computers). The academic versions will not allow User macros, which means that 3rd party developers macros, plugins, and etc will not be accessible and with some of them you can do some really cool stuff. I'd also be leery of any ebay deals as someone may just be pawning off pirated software to you.


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## DTFuqua (Jun 26, 2008)

BlingItOn said:


> I'm looking to purchase Corel Draw software to create dot patterns to use for rhinestone patterns. Can anyone please tell me what version of Corel Draw I should purchase X3 or X4 and does it make a difference if the version is the full version or the academic version if this is what I intend to use it for? I'm trying to justify paying $400.00 for a full version or buying one off of ebay for $75-$100 and hoping that the buyer who states that it is a full version doesn't really sell me an academic or some other version instead. I'd hate to waist the money if I couldn't make the patterns from any other version except the full version.
> 
> Thank you for all of your help


For the ebay seller, set up a pay-pal account and use them for protection. You should get the retail version for the add-ons to be able to work( for thinks like cutters and some major printers).


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## charles95405 (Feb 1, 2007)

joes advice is dead on...ebay is full of scams on software..often you get pirated software w/o recourse. do a search here, a couple of members have posted ways to do the rhinestone motiffs with corel X3 or X4...also there is one thread showing manual placement system

The Roland and DAS systems are both good. But if you are starting out, you will pay 5k or more to get setup.


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## BlingItOn (May 29, 2008)

I currently hand place all of my rhinestones in my designs and I have gotten pretty good at it but there are a lot of times when I have designs which take multiple rows of rhinestones to fill in the design. I have gotten fairly good at eyeballing my placements and aligning my rows of rhinestones so that they are as straight as possible but it gets to be very time consuming doing these kinds of designs by just eyeballing it. I would like to use a program the would evenly space the dots apart and align them straight. This would save me a lot of time. Plus I think it would also be a good tool to use to help me quote jobs. If I could figure out how many stones I will use on a design then it would help me to price my jobs more accurately and quicker. This is basically the intentions I have for purchasing Corel Draw.


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## veedub3 (Mar 29, 2007)

Here is a post where this topic was discussed and has many different point of views. check it out here:
http://www.t-shirtforums.com/graphics-design-help/t74693.html

Katrina


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## bob emb (Apr 5, 2007)

Dear Bling,

You did not mention whether or not you were still going to set stones by hand. If you buy Corel to just get a stone count, what is your pupose for it other than that. You mention if you used Corel it would give you a straight alignment. How will that effect you if you are still hand setting. The alignment from Corel will be of no value to you if you are not using some type of template like Charles uses or a CAMMS machine like we use.

If you could be more explicit we may be able to give you better insight on how to get you from point A to B in a more timely fashion.

No matter what software you use it will still take you a very long tedious amount of time to do something intricate if you hand set.

Regards,

Bob


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## BlingItOn (May 29, 2008)

Hi Bob,
Yes at this time I still plan on hand setting my rhinestones but I would hope some time in the future to be able to upgrade to a faster way of producing my designs. Anyone that has ever hand placed rhinestones can probably agree with me when I say it is definitely faster and easier to do a design if you are working from a dot pattern than starting out fresh and creating a design from a regular image. More than 1/2 of my business is custom designs and I was thinking that if I could do the designs first on the computer then it would speed up the process of actually laying the rhinestones and would also help to figure out the placement for the more difficult designs that I do.

Basically what I'm looking for is some insight as to the difference between the X3 and X4 Corel Draw program and if I were to get the Academic version would I still be able to create the patterns that I have read so much about in this forum?


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## BML Builder (Jul 8, 2008)

We have the Corel X3 full version. Although we use the design from Corel to cut our templates on laser in oil boards, I understand what you are saying about creating the design in a program and printing it off on a piece of paper then placing clear plastic over picture and placing rhinestones ontop of dots. It makes it much quicker and easier than just making up the design from scratch. Although there have been some good improvements in X4 version you do not need to get that version to do what you want to do with it. You should be able to find the Corel X3 full version at a reasonable price and it will still do exactly what you want it for.

Marilyn


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## BlingItOn (May 29, 2008)

Thank you Marilyn for your reply. I will definitely try to look for a reasonably priced X3 version of the Corel Draw program. 

And thank you to everyone that has replied to my question. This forum has been such a wealth of information to me. Keep up the great work!

Lori


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## sjidohair (Apr 9, 2008)

I think you will be very happy with corel, and making a brush and using that to make your tranfers,
sandy Jo
MMM


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## Lnfortun (Feb 18, 2006)

BlingItOn said:


> I'm looking to purchase Corel Draw software to create dot patterns to use for rhinestone patterns. Can anyone please tell me what version of Corel Draw I should purchase X3 or X4 and does it make a difference if the version is the full version or the academic version if this is what I intend to use it for? I'm trying to justify paying $400.00 for a full version or buying one off of ebay for $75-$100 and hoping that the buyer who states that it is a full version doesn't really sell me an academic or some other version instead. I'd hate to waist the money if I couldn't make the patterns from any other version except the full version.
> 
> Thank you for all of your help


If you are just going to use the software to make a pattern and not for vinyl cutter you don't need a full version nor X3 or X4. I have V5, V7, X3 and X4. All those versions work the same way and the blend tool is located under effects menu. As long as you know how to use the blend tool that is all you need and watch the pattern getting filled right before your eyes.

I explained how it is done in a pdf file:

http://sites.google.com/site/lnfortunspages/Home/RhinestoneTutorial.pdf?attredirects=0


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## jackyd52 (Mar 10, 2009)

Lnfortun said:


> If you are just going to use the software to make a pattern and not for vinyl cutter you don't need a full version nor X3 or X4. I have V5, V7, X3 and X4. All those versions work the same way and the blend tool is located under effects menu. As long as you know how to use the blend tool that is all you need and watch the pattern getting filled right before your eyes.
> 
> I explained how it is done in a pdf file:
> 
> http://sites.google.com/site/lnfortunspages/Home/RhinestoneTutorial.pdf?attredirects=0


 I was thinking of downloading the trial version of Corel X4 before I buy it just in case I can't get on with it.
I have tried to download the pdf file but can't. When I hit download nothing happens, would you be able to email it to me if I PM you?


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## Lnfortun (Feb 18, 2006)

jackyd52 said:


> I was thinking of downloading the trial version of Corel X4 before I buy it just in case I can't get on with it.
> I have tried to download the pdf file but can't. When I hit download nothing happens, would you be able to email it to me if I PM you?


It is a huge file. There are some 89 from the forum, 15 from Uksignboards and 26 from other forum groups that had downloaded already. It takes a while to download if you are on dial up connection. When you look at the status bar (bottom left corner of the browser) you will see an icon or a message that signifies that download is in progress.

Please try again. Let me know if you are still having problem downloading the file and I will give you the link to the home page.


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## ashamutt (Feb 22, 2008)

DTFuqua said:


> For the ebay seller, set up a pay-pal account and use them for protection. You should get the retail version for the add-ons to be able to work( for thinks like cutters and some major printers).


 
Thanks to you Terry, I finally figured out WHY my cutter was not working!! LOL!!!

Like you said......

I had an OEM version of Corel X3 and it did not have the VBA/macros files need to run Cuttingmaster2 that came with my Graphtec CE5000-60 !!!

After time and time again of uninstalling & reinstalling I was finally informed(thanks Terry) that _*most*_ OEM's did not have the capability to run 3rd party software! (scream)

I then called the Ebay seller and was informed that "_yes, this is true....but here is the Corel PH. # ...call them and tell them your problem and they will send you a set of replacement discs for 25.00_".

I call Corel......I paid 25.00 ....got the replacement discs in the mail a few days later and now have the VBA/macros files that I need!

Again......thank you so much Terry!


So, as was stated in the posts above, buy the FULL version of CorelDraw if you ever plan to run 3rd party software from it!


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## spiv8 (Feb 25, 2009)

Luis........thank you so very much for this tutorial.....this is exactly what I have been looking for.
Susie


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## Lnfortun (Feb 18, 2006)

spiv8 said:


> Luis........thank you so very much for this tutorial.....this is exactly what I have been looking for.
> Susie


You are very welcome. Let me know if you have any question about it. My email address is on the first page.


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