Gerber Scientific Products

Internet Blog Posting!

2007-03-25T08:48:00.000-05:00

This is REALLY cool!

This blog post was sent via email.

You can also post pictures and text from your cell phone.

The joys of software and technology!

2007-03-25T06:02:00.000-05:00

Well, first there is the Solara UV2, a UV inkjet that can print gorgeous color images onto roll to roll vinyls or flat-stock materials...

http://www.gspinc.com/products/printers/solara.asp

Then there is the new GerberCut option for the Sabre router that lets you cut those flat-stock graphics from the Solara UV2 (or any other printed graphic with 1/4 inch targets).

http://www.gspinc.com/products/routers/gerbercut.html

We have had a couple new software release, including OMEGA 2.5 and 2.5.1. Lots of good stuff there! And there are new 7.0 versions of Gerber IMAGERIP by Onyx products that will be out in the next couple of weeks.

http://www.gspinc.com/products/software/omega.html

And as always, more great things to come!

Field Proven "Wheels on the EDGE"

2005-08-10T04:48:00.000-05:00

JD Iles from Lincoln Sign Company in Lincoln, NH created this vehicle graphic more than a year ago.

www.signsneversleep.com

JD Says "we recently gave this edge job its 14 month checkup and it still looks just like the first day we printed it."

You can believe magazine articles for the durability of other technologies, or you can believe field performance with the GERBER EDGE.

See more of JD's vehicle work at http://signsneversleep.typepad.com/photos/lincoln_sign_company_vehi/dsc00347.html

EDGE Graphics on Reflective

2005-08-02T16:28:00.000-05:00

Here is anopther great EDGE job from Artie Schilling in Myrtle Beach.

"Sparky the Dog" is printed with spot colors on reflective while the window graphics are reflective cut vinyl.

More great work from Artie!

Selection Tip

2005-07-25T07:17:00.000-05:00

Here is a tip to help with selecting the proper vector shape in Composer. This is especially useful with complicated jobs where many vectors overlap:

Click on the shape you wish to select. If the wrong shape selects, press the BACKSPACE key on the keyboard. This will select the next closest object within the selection "halo" of the original selection click.

If the selection does not change, or the system beeps at you there are no other objects within the selection range.

EDGE FX Trade-In Ends Tomorrow

2005-07-21T14:08:00.000-05:00

If you have a GERBER EDGE and are looking for faster print speeds, lower material costs and better image quality, you should check out the GERBER EDGE FX.

If you are looking for all of the above and want to save $5000, you should check out the GERBER EDGE FX by tomorrow! The EDGE to EDGE FX trade-in program ends tomorrow, July 22, 2005.

See the following link for more information:
http://www.gspinc.com/promotions-q1fy06/index.asp#fxtradein

Where's That Confounded Font?

2005-07-16T05:45:00.000-05:00

The good news is that you have thousands of fonts, regardless of whether they came with the software (1997 come with OMEGA CP), bought them from the internet (literally "a dime a dozen"), or you made your own (does anyone still do that?).

The bad news is that you can't find the font you just used five minutes ago because you have thousands of fonts! Plus your system is sloth-slow because you have so many fonts loaded.

OMEGA has some great tools to help you view organize, find, add and delete OMEGA fonts quickly and easily.

Font Catalog: Your Font CD includes a complete PDF font catalog that shows all the characters of all the URW fonts that come with OMEGA. You can look at fonts on the screen, print the catalog (about 65 pages) and the PDF is searchable so you can find a font by name.

Font Manager: Font Manager is accessed by right-clicking on the Gerber G at the bottom-right of the screen. Font Manager lets you:

View your installed and uninstalled fonts
Quickly install and delete fonts so you don't have to have thousands installed
View fonts by style (serif, sans serif, script, etc...)
Assign your own styles to fonts (specify fonts for "Penelope's Pantry" or "Damian's Dance Hall")
and more...

Print Installed Fonts: Also in GSPTray is "Gerber Installed Fonts." Use this program to print the following:

Print a a list of Gerber fonts and font file names currently installed in OMEGA.
Print the installed Gerber Fonts in their letter styles.

Font View: If you are entering text in the text entry dialog box you can view specific fonts by clicking on View Font. Font View also will start if you double click on a Gerber Soft Font (*.gsf) file in Windows Explorer.

I'll add some pictures a little later but be sure to read all about OMEGA fonts in your OMEGA documentation or m the Gerber web site:

http://www.gspinc.com/literature/pdf/OMEGA20/Book_10_Managing_Converting_Designing_Fonts.pdf

Looking for the Adventurous but Conscientious Types

2005-07-16T05:37:00.000-05:00

Do you like to go new places, discover new things, BUT you also feel compelled to take notes about your experiences and share them with others?

You would make a perfect GERBER OMEGA beta tester!

GSP is planning some OMEGA beta testing right now. You will get some new OMEGA software, use some new features and tell GSP about your experiences as you use the software.

Sign up now at http://www.gspinc.com/products/software/software_beta_test.asp

OMEGA and EDGE Training in Long Beach, CA

2005-07-08T04:41:00.000-05:00

Do you want to make more money, save time, improve your output, or reduce your frustration?

If you want to do any of the above and you are on the West Coast, you should attend the training seminar occurring before the Sign Business and Digital Graphics tradeshow in Long Beach CA:

What is this training?
Session 1: OMEGA tips and tricks
Session 2: Marketing with an "EDGE" featuring Artie Schilling and GSP

When and Where does this occur?
July 27 at the Long Beach Convention Center. Session 1 runs from 8 am to 10:30. Session 2 runs from 10:45 to 12:30.

Cost?
$75 per session per person

More information and registration?
Go to www.gspinc.com/nbmshows or contact Dana Goodale at goodaled@gspinc.com

Are You Up to Date?

2005-07-08T03:53:00.000-05:00

OMEGA updates typically come in two flavors: upgrades and updates. Upgrades are new releases that primarily add functionality and features and have an upgrade price. If you are at OMEGA 1.56, you can upgrade to OMEGA 2.X for $369.

Updates add minor functionality, drivers, and make strange software behavior like normal software. If you are at OMEGA 2.0 already, you can load the OMEGA 2.1 update at no charge. You cannot update GA or OMEGA 1.56 to OMEGA 2.1. You have to upgrade to OMEGA 2.0 first!

OMEGA 2.1 includes Ethernet drivers for the new GERBER EDGE FX, as well as some other neat features that can make your life easier:

Connected fonts can be made to close automatically from the traditional text entry dialog box (not from Text on the Work Surface)
When viewing vector graphics in wireframe mode, you can choose to see the vinyl colors, foils colors or if shapes are print/cut shapes. There is even a dialog box that shows the legend for the colors!
You can add a name to QuickPlot jobs instead of having some temp filename print on your EDGE jobs. Isn't "FloraVan.PLT" better than "A0991A.PLT?"
There are some other enhancements included as well. See http://www.gspinc.com/products/software/pdf/whatsnew-omega21.pdf for more details.

To get OMEGA 2.1 you can download and load these components as individual pieces:

The OMEGA 2.1 update itself
If updating from OMEGA 2.0, you will need the The OMEGA 2.1 profiles. This is not needed if updating from OMEGA 2.02
The OMEGA 2.1 maintenance update
You can also add the material update for the new EDGE Traffic Grey and Vivid Blue GerberColor Foils.

These downoads are at http://www.gspinc.com/support/downloads/software.html.

Two New GERBER EDGE Spot Colors

2005-06-27T16:09:00.000-05:00

GSP recently made Traffic Grey and Vivid Blue thermal transfer spot colors available. This brings the total number of opaque spot colors to 47. Traffic Grey and Vivid Blue GerberColor foils are both strong matches to our 220 vinyl colors of the same names.

GSP also offers 11 Transparent Spot Colors, five shiny Medal-series spot colors, three fluorescent spot colors, Abrasion Guard, Matte Clear, and five Color Set value-oriented spot colors for a total of more than 70 spot colors! All these spot colors are in addition to our CMYK Process Pro process color foils for creating photo reproductions and other process color graphics. http://www.gspinc.com/products/foils/pdf/GerberColor_MAXX_Color_Tip_Sheet.pdf

Spot colors are important with the GERBER thermal transfer printers for several reasons:
1. Rich dense colors with no halftones.
2. Predictable and reliable color consistency. The color IS what the color is.
3. Great durability with solid color. http://www.gspinc.com/support/fastfacts/ShowFF.asp?ff=5563 Both new colors are rated for three year outdoor durability.
4. GerberColor Spectratone. http://www.gspinc.com/products/foils/spectratone.html Not only do we have two new spot colors available, but these can be overprinted with other spot colors to multiply into dozens of new Spectratone colors.
5. GerberGauge http://www.gspinc.com/products/foils/gerbergauge.asp. You always know how much foils remains on the roll, so you can better control your inventory and don't have to worry about running out of foil in the middle of the job.
6. Single Pass Color. You don't have to mix CMYK to achieve a color. You just print it in a single pass. Plus you can combine spot color printing with vinyl colors (print red flames with fades onto yellow vinyl) for even more special effects.

Ahh...Vacation

2005-06-27T16:03:00.000-05:00

Rested and restored, I am back to blogging and all my other Gerber duties. I look forward to lots more posts and providing interesting information!

Now if I can only figure out how to get that sand out of my laptop keyboard...

The GERBER EDGE of Direct Mail

2005-06-13T05:39:00.000-05:00

The U.S. Postal Service offers a GREAT direct mail tool that allows you to sit at home or work and create quick and easy letters or postcards. It's like the EDGE because you have all electronic setup, you save lots of time, and its very easy!

Create a document in Word or use a PDF file. For postcard images you can use a jpg file.
Upload the file to the web site
Upload your mailing list or create a manual list
Pay for postage with a credit card. You even get a discount for letters at $.31 instead of $.37!
The site does a mail merge. Letters are addressed, folded and inserted into envelopes.
You can schedule the mailing up to 30 days in advance or it can be sent as soon as the next day.

See http://www.usps.com/mailingonline/faq.htm.

It's Good to be Dense!

2005-06-07T05:02:00.000-05:00

I find it very easy to be dense, obviously through the use of GerberColor™ Floodcoat White and Jet Black!

Floodcoat White and Jet Black are specialty foils designed to prevent light from passing through EDGE® graphics.

Floodcoat white is intended for use as a backing or floodcoat layer for reverse-printed clear graphics such as with LexEDGE or Clear Enamel Receptive. Floodcoat White is not a replacement for regular white spot color. Because of the heavy pigment load, Floodcoat White should only be used for simple geometric shapes.
Jet Black is an extra-opaque black specialty GerberColor Foil also for use with clear graphics. Jet Black can be used with EDGE Positive for dense screenprint positives, or as a super black layer with clear labels and decals.

Both colors are offered in 45 meter lengths for the EDGE/EDGE 2 and the EDGE FX.

More Floodcoat White information: http://www.gspinc.com/support/fastfacts/ShowFF.asp?ff=5581

More Jet Black information: http://www.gspinc.com/support/fastfacts/ShowFF.asp?ff=5559

We Miss You Brendan

2005-06-06T08:18:00.000-05:00

GSP recently lost a good friend and a valuable coworker. Brendan McCarthy suddenly passed away on May 21, 2005. Brendan worked at Gerber for 11 years. His dry sense of humor and hard work are missed by all.

Protection in a Bottle

2005-05-18T05:06:00.000-05:00

GSP recently introduced two new products to add extra protection to our already durable graphics.

- Gerber EZ Guard™ is a glossy water-based liquid laminate that is applied with a roller, brush, sponge or other means. It adds abrasion, chemical, moisture, and UV resistance to Gerber Solvent and UV, EDGE™, MAXX™ and other graphics. EZ Guard is dry to the touch in 15 to 20 minutes, can be handled in 2 to 3 hours and should dry for 24 hours before applying. It is sold in 4 liter containers.

- GERBER LUSTER™ is a traditional 2 mil film laminate recommended for Gerber inkjet graphics. It is conformable for curves corrugations and rivets. Testing is in process with GERBER EDGE and GERBER MAXX graphics.

See http://www.gspinc.com/support/fastfacts/ShowFF.asp?ff=7006 for EZ Guard information
See http://www.gspinc.com/support/fastfacts/ShowFF.asp?ff=7007 for Gerber Luster information

Training in Columbus

2005-05-17T16:08:00.000-05:00

Once again, GSP will hold an OMEGA class and an EDGE Marketing Class before the Sign Business tradeshow in Columbus, OH.

OMEGA Tips and Tricks will be held on Wednesday June 1 from 8 to 10:30.

Marketing with an "EDGE" features Artie Schilling on topics of sales, pricing, design and other important business topics. This class will be held on June 1 from 10:45 to 12:30

Each class costs $75 per person.

Send me an email with questions at goodaled@gspinc.com. More information will be posted on our website on Thursday.

Happy Birthday!

2005-05-17T16:02:00.000-05:00

My son turns 11 today. Yikes, am I in for it!

Happy Birthday CJG!

Color Vectorize in OMEGA

2005-05-07T08:14:00.000-05:00

I have encountered several customers recently who do not know that OMEGA has a color vectorize feature; it's just disguised by its name.

POSTERIZE IMAGE (AKA Color Raster to Vector) is in the TOOLS menu.

Using Posterize Image:
1. Import the color image to be vectorized into Composer. If possible, use 16-color or 256-color images instead of 24-bit images.
2. Go to Tools>Posterize Image.
3. You may get a message about "Image not a template." Answer yes or no to this question.
Onc in the dialog box, you can reduce the number of colors down to something reasonable, like 2 to 5 colors.
4. The background color (white in this case) will be a separate color. For best results, delete this color once in Composer (there is another way to do this but I don't want to be verbose).
5. Once done, the results come into Composer on top of the original image. Move or delete the image to see the vectors.

Posterize Image = Color Raster to Vector

Choose Yes or No.

Use the "Less or More" slider to reduce the colors to a reasonable number.

Artie "on the EDGE"

2005-05-04T05:42:00.000-05:00

Artie Schilling has held several seminars across the country where he discusses the reasons why he uses the GERBER EDGE 2 in his business, and how EDGE has unique capabilities to help him create signs. Our continued gratitude to Artie and to all who have attended his programs.

Artie Schilling discussing "all things EDGE" at a recent EDGE Seminar at Midwest Sign Supply in Denver.

Use GerberTone STC Halftone for Images

2005-05-02T05:30:00.000-05:00

OMEGA 2.0 and later includes a new halftone type for images that provides nice small dots and good color coverage. Using this new halftone type is as simple as 1, 2, 3!

GerberTone Photo vs GerberTone STC
(click on the image for a larger view)

1. Place an image in Composer (JPG, TIF, BMP, etc)

2. In Composer, go into the Image Fill dialog box and choose PROCESS for the fill type and GerberTone STC Photo with a high LPI value such as 70 or 80 lpi.

Select an image and go into the image fill dialog box.

3. In GSP PLOT, choose a 3 color ICC profile (CMY vs CMYK). To do this in GSPPLOT, go to the Image Options dialog box (click on the 123 icon or press F11), turn off Auto Select, pull down the profile dialog box and choose an EDGE 3 color ICC profile.

For even better results, use a 3 color ICC profile (CMY vs CMYK).

As shown in the example at the top, you get great looking images from your EDGE or EDGE 2!

Training in Fort Worth TX

2005-04-19T06:39:00.000-05:00

GSP will be offering training on May 4, the day before the Fort Worth TX Sign Business tradeshow.

We will offer two sessions:

1. Real world sales and marketing training featuring Artie Schilling (8 to 10:30) and
2. OMEGA and EDGE tips and tricks (11 to 1).

For registration details and more class information, go to http://www.gspinc.com/nbmftworth2005/index.asp

Great Customer Visits!

2005-04-19T06:16:00.000-05:00

I have had the chance to visit several shops over the past few weeks as part of an effort to re-acquaint ourselves with our end users. It is interesting to see all the different design styles, usage patterns, trends and reactions to having a Gerber person stop in the shops. So far only one guy has thrown me out!

Most people start off a bit leery as they look at my Gerber shirt thinking I am going to jump on them with a huge sales pitch, but I am only there for a brief visit and I always try to help out if they have a software, usage or material question. By the time my visits are through, they seem to kind of like having a "real Gerber person" in the shop. Thanks to everyone who has let me in so far!

Clear and Solid Uses for Transparent Foils

2005-04-15T08:58:00.000-05:00

Gerber Scientific Products

11 Transparent foils look great when used with reflective or metallic vinyls, but they can also be used as regular spot colors on white vinyl.

One of the great features of the GERBER EDGE is its ability to print with more than 60 spot colors (in addition to CMYK process color). Spot colors provide bright, solid color with color matching and effects that cannot be created with CMYK.

In addition to traditional opaque or solid spot colors, Gerber also offers a family of 11 Transparent Spot Colors. Transparent Spot Colors are formulated to allow the attributes of the base vinyl to show through the color. For example, if you print Transparent Green on reflective, you will get reflective green when the light hits the graphic. Or if you print Transparent Orange on metallic vinyl the result will be a metallic orange graphic.

The other great news about Transparent Foils is that they also serve double duty as regular spot colors if you print onto white. If you need a nice bright orange, a bright blue or a bright green, (or any of the 8 other Transparent Spot colors), the transparent spot colors can be the way to go.

2005-04-09T08:37:00.000-05:00

An EDGE FX decorated with graphics designed by Artie and output from the EDGE FX!

2005-04-09T08:34:00.000-05:00

Well-deserved relaxation after the first day of the show (and 3 days of setup).

2005-04-09T08:30:00.000-05:00

Ready to be jammin' at ISA!

2005-04-09T08:18:00.000-05:00

East Coast Artie Schilling introducing his co-presenter.

2005-04-09T08:15:00.000-05:00

Booth staff at the Sabre 408 router...energized and knowledgeable!

2005-04-09T08:06:00.000-05:00

The finished booth in full swing on opening day. Attendance was lively every day, from start to finsh!

2005-04-09T08:04:00.000-05:00

A booth staffer admiring some of his finest work!

2005-04-09T08:02:00.000-05:00

Booth setup is a far cry from the final result.

2005-04-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

Many ISA attendees stayed at the Luxor, which is adjacent to the Mandalay Bay resort where the show was held.

International Sign Association was GREAT!

2005-04-05T10:40:00.000-05:00

GSP attended the International Sign Association is Las Vegas, Nevada from March 31 – April 2. The show was wonderful for Gerber for several reasons:

The booth staff was upbeat, positive and knowledgeable (As usual)
We had several new products including the GERBER EDGE® FX thermal transfer printer, the Solara™ UV printer, the XRT 2500 grand format solvent printer and a new auto-initialize tool for the Sabre router.
We also had renowned sign artist and pinstriper "East Coast" Artie Schilling discussing the merits of thermal transfer for creating signs
We had a very commanding new tradeshow booth that served as a fantastic platform for our products
Attendee traffic was high, and they were in a buying mood!
A good time was had by all at a party for our distributors at Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville (thus the Island theme for the booth staff
The Vegas weather was picture perfect with highs in the low 70’s (while it was raining cats and dogs back in Connecticut!)

Overall, an A+ for ISA 2005!

2005-03-15T12:36:00.000-05:00

Rick and Al on the Fast Track!

2005-03-15T12:35:00.000-05:00

Domed Devin

A Great Web Site for the GERBER EDGE

2005-03-15T12:13:00.000-05:00

There is a fantastic community of EDGE owners on the web where experienced and new users alike share usage tips, sales and marketing stories, product information, application ideas and much more. If you have an EDGE (or are thinking about one), you have to go to www.4edgetalk.com. You have to register yourself to gain access to site, but registration is quick and free.

Gary Wiant, the brains and brawn behind http://www.4edgetalk.com/ recently held the third annual http://www.4edgetalk.com/ users meeting . Even though it was held over a weekend, more than 30 people showed up to spend time with each other and gain more knowledge about the EDGE. Many thanks to Gary and to all who attended!

Register at www.4edgetalk.com then check out the forum and some photos from the recent meet:
http://www.4edgetalk.com/homepage/meetphotos05.html

2005-03-15T09:09:00.000-05:00

Spot Color EDGE Job

Hit the SPOT with the EDGE

2005-03-15T09:00:00.000-05:00

The above job shows one of the great reasons to use spot colors with the GERBER EDGE: vivid colors that cannot be created with straight CMYK process color.

This job was created by J.D. Iles at Lincoln Sign Company in Lincoln NH (http://www.signsneversleep.com/).

2005-03-03T17:33:00.000-05:00

Versatility!

2005-03-03T17:18:00.000-05:00

Small medium or large format, the GERBER EDGE can handle the job.

The above job was done by PULSE SIGNS, in the Halifax, Nova Scotia area. They used an EDGE 2.

Material Sample Program

2005-03-03T14:42:00.000-05:00

When it comes to trying out materials for use in a plotter or a printer…

A picture is nice...A swatch is better...but

A printable sample makes the most sense of all!

You can touch it, feel it, print it and get a feel for how well the material suits you needs.

GSP has a one-yard material sample program for just about everything we sell. Simply call GSP Customer Service at 1-800-222-7446 and ask for a one-yard sample of the specific material you would like to try. Turnaround is usually in about 5 to 7 days.

What is the Solara?

2005-02-23T05:49:00.000-05:00

Gerber Solara at a recent tradeshow

Aside from a car, the Gerber Solara is a wide format inkjet printer that uses inks that are cured by UV lights that travel back and forth with the print head.

The Solara is developed and built by Gerber Scientific Products in South Windsor, Connecticut, USA.

UV-curable inks are great for large format use because the dry instantly when exposed to the UV light. This means that the prints are immediately dry as they come off the printer so they can be handled, stored, rolled and shipped immediately. Also, UV-curable inks don’t have the same odor as solvent-based inks.

On the other hand, because the inks will never dry unless exposed to UV light, the inks do not dry on the print head like solvent inks. This means less maintenance and more consistent jetting of droplets.

The Gerber Solara is also special because of the GVCMYK (Green, Violet, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black) ink-set we use. This unique ink set allows us the get more color reproduction in the green, blue violet and purple color ranges. This is important when trying to match existing vinyl color, Pantone® colors or GERBER EDGE Spot Colors.

Overall, the Solara has proven to be an inkjet (great looking large format prints) that doesn’t act like an inkjet (easy to use, easy to get consistent color from).

Check http://www.gspinc.com/products/printers/solara.asp for more details.

Solara Beta Site Pix

2005-02-23T05:24:00.000-05:00

These pictures were sent from Mark Roberts of InterSign in Houston, TX ( www.signprice.com ). Mark is helping out GSP by serving as a beta site for the Solara.

Here is some of his work off the machine.

The word from Mark is that the Solara has been very easy to use as far as work flow and maintenance is concerned, and easy to get great results from.

I’ll keep you posted with more work from the beta sites.

Thanks Mark!

Output from a Solara Beta Site

Got Demo Mode?

2005-02-16T11:57:00.000-05:00

Got Demo Mode?

What is Demo Mode?

Demo mode is a great addition to the OMEGA version 2.0 and later software that lets OMEGA programs load and run without a security key. Demo mode offers full Composer functionality, but jobs cannot be "preserved" in any way. This means that in Composer you cannot save, copy or export jobs in any way. GSPPLOT will run in demo mode, but you must open jobs from the file menu, and you cannot output to the EDGE or to a vinyl cutter.

What is Demo Mode for?
Demo Mode has two main uses:
1. You can use it to evaluate or learn OMEGA software without having to invest in an additional security key. Once you know and love OMEGA, you can hit the ground running when you do purchase another key.

2. The one type of output that Demo Mode does allow is paper printing. Because of this, customers can run full OMEGA with a security key in the back office for designing and outputting to the EDGE or plotters while a Demo Mode version can be used in the front office to show on screen layouts, colors, and fonts. Plus these concepts can be paper printed for a customer as a proof. Remember that any changes made in demo mode cannot be saved, so don’t get too elaborate if making design modifications.

Why do those "Run Demo Mode" messages appear?
When booting your computer, Demo Mode can be very persistent about running if you don’t have the security key plugged in. You can do several things to avoid that the dialog box that asks you if you wish to "run in demo mode."

1. Simply click on YES, run in Demo Mode. If you click on "NO" without a security key OMEGA will continue to check for a key and will show the dialog box again

2. Plug in a security key and click on NO. This will start OMEGA in normal mode.

3. If you never wish to run in Demo Mode, click the right mouse button on GSPTRAY (the little Gerber G icon in the lower right corner of your screen) and click on CLOSE. To get rid of it forever, click RIGHT on the Windows START button, click explore, click start menu, click programs, click startup, then delete the GSPTRAY shortcut. You may have to do the same thing for ALL users as well as the current user.

Close GSPTRAY

Delete GSPTRAY Shortcut

How To Get OUT of Demo Mode?

Simply close all OMEGA Programs including GSPTRAY, install the security key and run Composer or Plot. There is no need to reboot the computer to get out of demo mode.

"Go FX" (aka EDGE FX Improvements)

2005-02-08T06:28:00.000-05:00

The GERBER EDGE FX is the next member of GSP’s thermal transfer family. The EDGE FX offers GERBER EDGE 2 performance at GERBER EDGE 1 pricing, plus many additional usage improvements.
- “Go Green” with reusable plastic cassettes and GerberColor™ Foil-only inserts.
- “Get Smart” with “Smart GerberGauge™” that tells the user the color and quantity of foil on each roll via the FX keypad.
- “Go Deep” with Ethernet connectivity allowing for fast 100 base T connections that can plug into a network OR directly into a PC (network interface card required)
- “Go Easy” with foil cassette loading that slides in to the side of the FX without opening the cover.
- “Go Frugal” with reduced GerberColor Foil costs compared to the traditional Gerber Color foils.

Put it all together and the EDGE FX is the best reason ever to “GO DIGITAL” with proven Gerber thermal transfer technology.

Too Good to be True?

2005-02-02T06:22:00.000-05:00

What would you say about a new digital printer that had the following specifications?

- Creates outdoor durable graphics
- Is extremely easy to use
- Requires no maintenance to start up or shut down. Zero!
- Has no odor, no disposal problems
- Offers easy color matching
- Creates predictable output even across different materials
- Can print onto dozens of mainstream and specialty materials

It sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? If you want one, you better visit this spot:

http://www.gspinc.com/products/printers/edgefx.asp

2005-02-02T06:20:00.000-05:00

GSP recently added an important person to its ranks to help guide the good ship GSP.

Peter Marchi is the Executive Director of Marketing for GSP and leads the marketing and product management functions.

Peter has a wealth of experience with industrial inkjet and thermal transfer technology, has a great sense of humor and is a great addition to the GSP team.

For more information, see http://www.gspinc.com/about/bios/marchi.html.

Moving Text from Word into Composer

2005-01-27T11:32:00.000-05:00

There are several ways to get text only or text AND formatting from other programs such as Word into Composer:

The easiest way to transfer text and formatting is to copy from Word and paste into Composer.
- You should be in regular shape pointer mode when pasting into Composer.
- Composer will put up a font substitution dialog box. Click OK to accept the defaults.
- Paragraphs of text with automatic line breaks come through as individual lines of small text
- If you have different fonts, sizes and bullets, it will bring those over but each text style becomes its own separate block of small text. You might have to slightly adjust the location or point size of the lines of small text.
- If you want to change fonts or bullets for volumes of text, it is easier to do so in Word and re-paste into Composer.
- If you have text in a table, it will bring the text and table from Word into Composer but you will have to select the text and move it down slightly to get it back into the table. But it sure beats re-entering and reformatting the text!

If you want to get text only with no formatting, copy the text from Word and bring up the small text or Composer text dialog box and paste the text into the dialog box. The text will be generated using the settings from the dialog box. You will get messages about missing characters but the text itself will come through.

A Picture is Worth 1000 Words

2005-01-25T11:28:00.000-05:00

We are in the sign business, so we all know that showing pictures only enhances the overall message we are try to communicate. Extending that a bit, we come to the concept of display pieces and samples to sell your output. Here are some extremely easy ways to make your sales approach extremely easy:

1. Take a picture of every job you sell. Put the best pictures or pictures of the types of jobs you want to sell in your shop near the entrance. Keep some of the pictures with you in your vehicle for mobile selling opportunities.

2. If you are printing a job, use some of the extra material space to print some sample decals at a smaller scale. These can be used as display samples for your shop or to give to your customers as a small thank you gift.

3. Create a simple "before and after" or "job upgrade" sample to show how a blend, fade, shadow or photo can improve the impact a sign has. Be sure to get a higher price for the extra effect!

4. Be sure your own vehicle graphic and company sign make customers want what you have.

5. Check with equipment and material manufacturers/suppliers and Sign Associations for marketing tools and publications. For example, GSP sell printed brochures at cost to aid in the sales from sign shop to sign shop customer. Call GSP customer service at 1-800-222-7446 for ordering details and see an example at http://www.gspinc.com/literature/pdf/End%20User%20Literature/EDGE-VehicleGraphics.pdf . The United States Sign Council (USSC) http://www.ussc.org/publications.html sells two brochures that explain the value of "signs" as an advertising medium.

These ideas may sound basic, but they really can make a difference in your sales efforts.

For more information on this same topic see http://www.gspinc.com/customercorner/mtsfyi/pdf/Vol3-FiveSellEDGEGraphics.pdf

A Helpful Tip from my Blog Mentor

2005-01-21T09:50:00.000-05:00

Since JD Iles got us started on blogging, I feel no compunction about using this tip that he discussed when we recently visited Lincoln Sign Company http://www.signsneversleep.blogspot.com/ .

From JD Iles:
We use the EDGE, Spectratone and Gerber Foils to print out proof colors or paint matches for a customers approval.

Using the real materials allows us to control the color reference material and ensures that we will always be able to get a reference color match. Plus, it looks nicer than cutting a hunk of vinyl or a PANTONE(R) chip.

Print and use for color proofs

I just printed this out, trimmed it, cut it in half, and sent it away in the mail

My How the Network Grows!

2005-01-21T08:38:00.000-05:00

I am simply amazed by the number of people who have mentioned this blog to me already. I am even getting feedback from end users. Maybe this blog stuff is on to something!

Helpful Clipart

2005-01-20T08:38:00.000-05:00

I am always looking for a quick way to add a graphic element or replace a logo. As I am no artist, I certainly cannot draw, so I rely on clipart. Two of my favorite sites are listed below:

http://www.brandsoftheworld.com/
http://office.microsoft.com/clipart/

http://www.brandsoftheworld.com has thousands of searchable company and other logos in scalable eps vector format. To get these logos into Composer, I find the log I want, download it, then import into OMEGA using the GSP eps import filter.

http://office.microsoft.com/clipart/ is a quick way to add scalable wmf files to my designs. I have rarely been disappointed at this site even when looking for stranger clipart. To get the clipart into Composer, I find the clipart piece I want, then copy the piece and paste into Composer. Sometimes I reassign the colors because these WMF files use non-color-managed RGB colors that convert strangely once they get into Composer, but the color assignment only takes a moment.

As is always the case, be sure to read the licensing agreements to be sure you are using the artwork legally and can resell the output. You may need to get additional permissions. Of course that gets into another discussion about copyright laws, but we'll leave that for another blog!

These sites are great timesavers that I truly enjoy using!

Welcome to Visitors from Far Away

2005-01-18T17:08:00.000-05:00

We were fortunate enough to have had a visit last week from Stephen Woolley and his son Shane from Computastyle Signs (Tauranga, New Zealand). They were in CT last week on vacation and visited GSP.

They spent time with Chaz from and got an overview of Omega 2.0. They are current 1.56 users and saw the benefit of the upgrade. They are a Gerber shop dating back to the 4B and currently operate an Edge/plotter and Omega software. Stephen started as a hand painter and incorporated GSP equipment as he has built his business.

Thanks for stopping by!

May we help you? No thanks, just "BROWSING"

2005-01-18T14:57:00.000-05:00

How many times have we been out shopping and a kind, or not so kind, store employee ask us this question? Countless. The reason is because we all know shopping can be more than overwhelming at times. So many choices with usually so little time. But does it mean we're lost? Absolutely not. We just need a minute to sort things out and find the perfect item we're looking for. So many choices!

Now, we have that luxury with web browsers.

I'm not going to get into the heated discussions that take place regarding free, open-source, and anti or pro Microsoft loyalists, but I will say this, take a look at all of them and make a decision based on your own opinions. We're not talking hundreds of browsers here, just the ones that have the ability to continue enhancing their products to fit the customers needs.

Currently, Microsoft's Internet Explorer controls around 90% of the market. Slowly, other browsers like Netscape's Navigator, Mozilla FireFox, and Opera have gained some market share. Now, several browsers are making noise in the industry and are offering some impressive features.

In case you were not aware of them, or if this blog caught your curiosity, learn more about the big players from their web sites:

Internet Explorer

Netscape Navigator

Mozilla

Opera

Happy shopping... or surfing!

File Size Overkill!

2005-01-17T12:25:00.000-05:00

I received a file from a GERBER MAXX 2 prospect today. I need to print a sample and send it back to the prospect. The 6 Mb file seemed innocuous enough for our high-speed email connection. Once I saved it to my hard drive and attempted to open it, the 6 Mb file was a .jpg that ballooned into a 208 Mb uncompressed file that took 50 minutes to open in PhotoShop. Yikes!

Voila! My second blog post: What IMAGE file size do I need to print to a GERBER MAXX or EDGE?

I use two simple ways to determine the file size I need to print to an EDGE or MAXX:

1. In my scan program, scale the image to its intended output size and set the scanner resolution to 100 dpi. So if I want to scan in a 3 x 5 photo at 21x35 inches, I will use the scale factor to set the scan size to 21 x 35 inches and set my dpi to 100 dpi.
OR
2. I use a rough estimate of about 10 megabytes of file size per square foot of EDGE or MAXX output. So if I want to output something at 2 feet by 2 feet, I would set my scan resolution and or scale factor to get my final file size to about 40 MB.

These are quick estimates, but they seem to serve me well for outputting for customer samples, tradeshow and other jobs I output here at GSP.
I ended up resampling the 208 MB file down to about 40 MB (since it needs to be about 4 square feet in output size. I used my #2 method to calculate the size.) Once I had the smaller size I was able to save in about 30 seconds and render it in a fraction of the time I would have needed for the 208 MB monster.

I will show some output comparisons in a future post once I print the large and small files to allay any fears about lost output quality from the smaller file.

Blogging Grows at GSP!

2005-01-14T13:23:00.000-05:00

8 "Gerbs" (GSP employees) visited J.D. Iles at Lincoln Sign Company (Lincoln, NH , www.lincolnsign.com) earlier this week as part of Greg Wolf's initiative to get to know our customers. BTW, Greg Wolf is the President of GSP. The trip was lots of fun and we learned a lot about J.D.'s business. Greg Wolf, smart man!

One of J.D.'s past times is blogging (www.signsneversleep.blogspot.com). He encouraged us to start one too. He said it's fun and informative and helps others to get to know an organization on a more personal level. So, here we are!

I hope to keep this informal and informative, with people posts as well as staid corporate stuff. This is different for me and certainly different for GSP. Wish us luck!

GERBER SOLARA™

2005-01-04T16:57:00.000-05:00

The GERBER SOLARA is a roll-to-roll, large format ultraviolet (UV) inkjet printer that accommodates a variety of affordable, uncoated materials with widths from 15" up to 60" and at maximum speeds up to 75 square feet per hour. SOARA is ideal for shops specializing in durable outdoor signs, producing prints that are instantly dry and ready to cut and apply. The unique properties of the UV inks also allow easy maintenance with low odor and no ventilation requirements. Gerber's exclusive CMYKVG inks and multi-drop technology allow SOLARA to produce beautiful and vibrant colors. Click Here for product details!

GERBER P2C™ Plotters

2005-01-04T16:39:00.000-05:00

Gerber's new P2C plotter line features three distinct formats to more readily meet the needs of today's sign professional. Whether you choose the class-leading, ultra wide-format P2C 1600, or any one of the other P2C formats - from the moment you cut your first job, you'll be very glad you did. Click Here for product details!

GERBER XRT2500™

2005-01-04T16:36:00.000-05:00

The GERBER XRT2500 is a compact, grand format solvent inkjet printer that features state-of-the-art technology and components. Designed for sign shops with big ideas as well as production powerhouses, the XRT2500 is an affordable way to print flexible, durable outdoor graphics such as banners, building wraps, and fleet graphics. Click Here for product details!