Learning Guide OMEGA Software THE POSSIBILITIES ARE INFINITE Copyright Notice COPYRIGHT 2003 Gerber Scientific Products, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This document may not be reproduced by any means, in whole or in part, without written permission of the copyright owner. This document is furnished to support OMEGA. In consideration of the furnishing of the information contained in this document, the party to whom it is given assumes its custody and control and agrees to the following: 1. The information herein contained is given in confidence, and any part thereof shall not be copied or reproduced without written consent of Gerber Scientific Products, Inc. 2. This document or the contents herein under no circumstances shall be used in the manufacture or reproduction of the article shown and the delivery of this document shall not constitute any right or license to do so. Information in this document is subject to change without notice. Printed in USA GSP and EDGE are registered trademarks of Gerber Scientific Products. OMEGA, EDGE, MAXX, SUPER CMYK, Support First, FastFacts, enVision and GerberColor Spectratone are trademarks of Gerber Scientific Products, Inc. Adobe Illustrator is a registered trademark of Adobe System, Inc. CorelDRAW is a registered trademark of Corel Corporation. MonacoEZcolor is a trademark of Monaco Systems Inc. 3M is a registered trademark of 3M. Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries. PANTONE® Colors generated may not match PANTONE-identified standards. Consult current PANTONE Publications for accurate color. PANTONE and other Pantone, Inc. trademarks are the property of Pantone, Inc. © Pantone, Inc. 2003. Variables There are many variables in process reproduction of colors generated by the GERBER EDGE and GERBER MAXX, any one of which may affect the quality of the PANTONE Color Simulation, including: • Type of media/paper used • Type of ink film used • Effective final resolution • Dot structures/halftones For optimal results we recommend when using the GERBER EDGE or GERBER MAXX, that the following materials be used: 1. 3M® Scotchcal 220-10 or 225-10 Gloss White Vinyl 2. GerberColor SUPER CMYK Foils Contents Chapter 1: Introducing OMEGA™............................................................................................. 1 Conventions ............................................................................................................................................ 2 Support information.............................................................................................................................. 2 Additional sources of information..................................................................................................... 2 Lesson 1: Learning the program basics .............................................................................................. 3 Using the mouse................................................................................................................................... 3 Viewing Composer .............................................................................................................................. 4 Recognizing screen elements.............................................................................................................. 6 Using the Help System ........................................................................................................................ 8 Chapter 2: Basic Sign Design....................................................................................................9 Lesson 2: Creating text......................................................................................................................... 10 Selecting the text tool......................................................................................................................... 10 Choosing a font................................................................................................................................... 11 Changing the letter height ................................................................................................................ 12 Entering text........................................................................................................................................ 12 Changing a line of text....................................................................................................................... 13 Changing the case of text .................................................................................................................. 13 Spacing the letters .............................................................................................................................. 13 Saving the job...................................................................................................................................... 14 Lesson 2: Exercises ............................................................................................................................. 15 Lesson 3: Creating borders and moving shapes ............................................................................. 16 Opening an existing file .................................................................................................................... 16 Selecting shapes (including text)...................................................................................................... 16 Creating a border ............................................................................................................................... 18 Moving shapes.................................................................................................................................... 19 Correcting mistakes ........................................................................................................................... 19 Lesson 3: Exercises ............................................................................................................................. 20 Lesson 4: Creating shapes and learning to size .............................................................................. 22 Opening a saved file .......................................................................................................................... 22 Drawing a box .................................................................................................................................... 23 Visually sizing .................................................................................................................................... 23 Justifying shapes ................................................................................................................................ 24 Creating a star..................................................................................................................................... 24 Sizing precisely................................................................................................................................... 25 Moving a shape .................................................................................................................................. 26 Copying and pasting shapes............................................................................................................. 26 Justifying on the heightline............................................................................................................... 26 Spacing shapes.................................................................................................................................... 27 Grouping shapes ................................................................................................................................ 28 Justifying the design .......................................................................................................................... 28 Grouping and justifying the design................................................................................................. 29 Lesson 4: Exercises ............................................................................................................................. 30 Lesson 5: Plotting a basic vinyl sign................................................................................................. 31 Opening a saved file .......................................................................................................................... 31 Assigning color................................................................................................................................... 32 Plotting a vinyl sign........................................................................................................................... 32 Chapter 2: Practice Examples ........................................................................................................... 35 Chapter 3: Visually Enhancing Designs................................................................................ 37 Lesson 6: Importing, Repeats, and Fit Text to Path........................................................................ 38 Creating the text ................................................................................................................................. 38 Importing a library file ...................................................................................................................... 40 Positioning