New job and Corel Draw

Hello fellows.

I just started my new job today at a place that makes trophys and plaques and so forth.

They use Corel Draw there exclusively, so I was wondering if anyone has ever used it, or knows of any good learning sites online. I'm searching google as I write this, but haven't turned up much yet other than some cheesy filterizing tutorials.

It seems like a pretty cool program though.

I also have to learn a program called Xenetech that operates the engraver, but it runs on windows 3.11! I haven't seen that in a long time... so it's quite an experience.

yo deker I can ask my friend, if your using the latest version, he helped make the program maybe he knows..
http://designer.com/links/reference.asp
thats what he said
I dunno if its anygood or not :|
anyway good luck with your new job.. stay of the net there :P

Last time I used it, it wasn't too painful. I think it was version 8.

Each time I used it before that, however, was like sticking hot pokers in my eyeballs repeatedly while I was beaten with a lead pipe.

Truthfully, though, CorelDraw has actually gotten to be a pretty respectable vector program (finally!). Really popular in the large format, screenprinting, vehicle graphics and engraving markets.

Deker, look into hooking up with some of these magazines:The BIG Picture, Sign Business, Modern Reprographics, and Digital Graphics

Congrats on the new gig, and best of luck.

So... do they have a big pipe to the internet to satisfy your addiction?

I have used Corel Draw 9 here at my job. You know, I really didn't find it too horribly hard to figure out. Didn't use any tutorials or nuttin. If you've used Adobe Pagemaker, Illustrator, Quark Express, Freehand, or even Indesign.... Corel Draw functions similarly.

Its a very dummy-friendly program that is basically point & click. You move through layers like most vector programs. It can import "most" graphic formats in case you'd rather do something else in another/better application.

If they hired you and they knew that you didn't have much/any working knowledge of Corel Draw, then I don't think you have much to worry about. You will learn just about everything you need to know within the first week or so. Don't sweat it.

Corel Draw is good I suppose for a vector engraving tool. I'd prefer Illustrator for such a job, but thats just me.

As for the Xenetec application/hardware stuff they use, they must use really old equipment there. XGW 32, the newer Xenetec sofware, which can run in all versions of win9x/2k/XP is available. Guess they're too cheap/poor to get it.

lol @ Dan

congrats Deker. I never have used corel draw so I can't help you with that. Good luck and have fun!

yea, and dont get fired this time, please?

Way to go Double D! Make me a Stanley Cup for my living room and send it to me please!

LOL @ Mattboy... I want one too :D

Congrats Deker! hope you like your new job and maybe you can keep this one for a while JK... lol... good luck man.. :D

Thank you all for the congratulations. After two days at the job, I am still planning on going back tomorrow!!

We use Corel Draw 8 on one machine, and 10 on another. 10 is much better from my experience so far. It's basically identical, but for instance, I got a EPS file today, and I couldn't open it in 8. So i had to move it to the 10 machine, save it as a 8 compatible .cdr format, and move it back to the 8 machine. All the computers there are really slow. The one I use 8 on is a pentium II. With a 14 inch monitor. To top it all off, it's a Packard Bell! It gets the job done though I guess.

But yeah, I've already pretty much learned everything I need to to do my job. It's pretty simple stuff. I will know more than my boss pretty soon I think. He is really busy and doesn't have much time to learn new things. So he just keeps doing it the old way, even though it is slower. So since I'll hopefully have a little more time, I'll be able to learn more about the stuff and speed things up.

The machine running 10 is actually pretty fast and has a 17 inch monitor, but we only use it for doing the Laser engraving. Which sucks, because I've only used it once so far. So I don't think I'll get to use that machine much. He is sending the laser thing back though, because it sucks.

Yes, the engraver is really really old. And the Xenetech software is unbelievably complex and hard to use. It doesn't have to be and it shouldn't be, but it is. He has ordered a new engraver though. It's a top of the line model and runs all the latest Xenotech software. So I'm looking forward to learning that machine instead of the ridiculously old one. He's going to try to see if he can get the new pc/software to run the old machine too. Which would help out a lot.

As for internet, yes, I have it. DSL even! But since I'm actually interested in my job, I don't have to look at it all day to pass time.

I think a little later I will make myself a trophy that says: "World's best trophy maker!". It will be hilarious.