Please advise if you can: Best software for copying logo/adding text???

[MICHELLE REILLY]

Hello all.. im really hoping someone can help me - I have purchased a mug press, printer etc and am almost ready to start my mug printing business!!!!.. however, I have NO idea what is the best software and/or how to use it.... I have had a look at Adobe Elements and Gimp, and although im a pretty intelligent person - I cannot seem to get my head around how to do what I want.. I basically want to be able to copy/edit Company logos and then just add my own text seperatley onto the mug... Can anyone give me any advice?? Id be really grateful. Thanks,

[Lee]

I use photoshop, and it took me a while to get to grips with it.... how about opening a blank page - say 210x80mm (dep. on the mug size etc you're working with), then paste the logo in, position it and add your text....

[jennywren]

I use photo shop but I did have someone show me how to do a mug and layers, after that I had the basic to go on, but I do know that I don't use photo shop to it full capacity, but its the one I started with before I found the forum, so I carried on with, if I had found the forum before I might be using something else and cheaper.

[JSR]

If you don't want the bloat (and expense) of Photoshop, and GIMP seems a little unwieldy at first, there are simpler and more lightweight pieces of free software you could try.

A lightweight photo editor is Fotografix (the portable version is available from http://portableapps.com/apps/graphics_p ... x_portable). It offers simple photo adjustments, filters, and layers, in under 2MB. It also opens .psd files.

For slightly more advanced use there's PhotoFiltre (the portable version is available from http://portableapps.com/apps/graphics_p ... e_portable). It, too, has many filters and will open .psd files - all for under 7MB.

For vector work there's Inkscape (the portable version is available from http://portableapps.com/apps/graphics_p ... e_portable). It's a little more meaty at 75-145MB (only 35MB to download, though).

These are all free apps so you may want to play about with them. As they're portable, they won't clog up your system with bloated installation hooks. If you don't like them, just delete the folder.

These apps don't tend to have good colour management options (if they have any at all), so you probably wouldn't use them for doing the actual printing but you might find them useful for tweaking/adjusting/creating.

If I'm creating a layout for a mug, I tend to just create a new document of the size I intend to print (8" x 3" is a sensible "safe" printing area but you can alter this depending on your mug) and then work on that. I print via Qimage (using it to layout an A4 page) so, if I'm just printing customer photos, I don't need to use any other photo software.

[mgibbs]

I use Coreldraw - cheaper than Photoshop

If you are using a Ricoh printer then you can use any software at all without worrying about colour profiling as it uses the Powerdriver software.

Mark

[JSR]

I use Coreldraw - cheaper than Photoshop

Last time I looked on their websites Coreldraw Graphics Suite X5 was £480 and Photoshop CS5 £650. After recovering from wallet-induced heart palpitations, I decided that both were well outside my budget. :biggrin:

[djhutton]

Maybe buy an older version of Corel, there are a few online dealers for this sort of thing. I'm using Coreldraw version 9 ( so a bit behind, but has plenty of features). IIRC I paid less than £30 for it quite a few years ago. I posted a link a while ago and here it is

Found this site doing older versions of Corel

http://www.bmsoftware.co.uk/coreldraw9.htm

V9 £69 or you could buy V10 at £119.

All looks like a legit company with contact number etc so worth...

Worth looking at for a budget start, you can always upgrade later. You get the corel photo editor, Corel trace (for making vectors) and a few other bits as well.

DJ

[Lee]

I bought a copy of Photoshop CS3 (i think) for £20...an old version, but works great......and I don't use anywhere near all of the options available...

[MICHELLE REILLY]

thanks.. I will give this a go I think.

[Matt Quinn]

I bought a copy of Photoshop CS3 (i think) for £20...an old version, but works great......and I don't use anywhere near all of the options available...

A very valid approach IMHO - We still use Photoshop 6.0 for most things including some fairly high-end photographic work. RAW shooter for initial processing. There is a copy of CS5 on one of the edit suites and it offers no useful advantage to us. Many of the other low cost solutions suggested seem equally good.

Slightly worried by the O/P's post though...

I have purchased a mug press, printer etc and am almost ready to start my mug printing business!!!!however, I have NO idea what is the best software and/or how to use it...

...I basically want to be able to copy/edit Company logos and then just add my own text seperatley onto the mug...

With no disrespect intended Michelle, if you don't know what software you intend to use to manipulate images you are a very long way from being remotely ready to start any kind of business that involves imaging. You are it seems to me very much putting the cart before the horse.

Have you a proper business plan for what you propose doing? And are you fully aware of the legal requirements and obligations with respect to this 'copying' of Company logos. - As well as other issues such as public liability etc.

On a superficial level (like many business ideas) this looks like an easy business to get into; but like all these things there is much more to it that meets the eye.