New Business Opportunity converting Xara Files ????

[DoKo]

I can't imagine how many posts I have seen where people are trying to convert Xara (.xar) files to either illustrator or photoshop or some other format. Many of the answers require that they use another graphics software to accomplish the conversion and I am guessing that the person asking the question probably doesn't have the software or the expertise to do the conversion.

So, here's my thought. Is there anyone that would be interested in starting a little business converting xara (.xar) files to the format that the person or their print service needs?

Needless to say, I would expect that they would have to pay for the file conversion. A person probably won't get rich, but it may be kind of fun and challenging.

[Marius]

that relates to this issue which I forgot to bring up was that some of Xara's unique effects are actually impossible to export into other vector drawing programs because of the way Xara achieves them. Gary pointed out that shadows and bevels are translated into Corel Draw as bitmaps -- that is because they are bitmaps to start with. Xara creates them as bitmap fills but this is not revealed to the user unless you convert them to editable shapes and ungroup them.

In other words, these effects are great if you are for e.g. making web images and plan the final version to be a jpg or animated gif. But they are no use for any application that demands a vectorial file.

So it's another reason for following Mohamed's example and doing more of this stuff by hand!

Sorry to keep ruminating on this topic. It exercises a dull fascination over my decaying old brain (49 next month).

[Jackie]

I've played the game with printers, but with my current guy have reached a happy solution for both of us. I supply him with high-res, font-embedded PDF files.

And the app I use to generate them is only $10 USD (I haven't had the heart to tell him yet - he assumes I'm using Acrobat, which satisfies his Adobe-centric worldview).

I've just used Xara to produce a centenary logo for our local infantry regiment - it's currently on stationery and letterhead in full colour - so I can attest that the result is flawless (bevels, blends and all).

Jackie

[Lord]

I WISH ME THIS DEBATE BETWEEN ME AND THE Illustrator.world people oooooonly....
Thanks...
And Regards....
Lord(Mohamed)

[Sheff]

What is that $10 PDF app? And what are your Xara settings when you export?

Sheffield Abella
www.sheff.com

[jens g.r. benthien]

I really don't understand why you want to 'convert' Xara files for another illustration app. Either you master Xara and value its features, or you abandon it and switch to Illustrator, Freehand, RealDraw etc.

I don't need anything else. I **do** print everything directly from Xara, or I export it as a Xara X *.eps and place it in Pagemaker if I **really** need a layout software. That's it. And if anything else fails, there is the fabulous TIF format...

So what's your point?

If I would prefer high velocities, I'd purchase a Ferrari. But I'm driving a 4wheel monster truck because it's fulfills my needs better. For the same reason I use Xara - for illustraitons, brochures - you name it. If you think Xara doesn't meet your needs, go ahead and switch, but please don't complain or ask for conversions. IMHO none of the other packages can do anything that might match the Xara X features.

Last week we've been working on setting up theme boards for a customer, using the fantastic color options (child or shade of another color etc) to generate new color schemes just by dragging the color slider. No other software does offer this great feature! My brother spent days to accomplish this task with other apps and he didn't reach his goal, but with Xara we've finished the task in 3 hours...

We've generated TIFFs and EPS from our Xara files, and now the team is working with these great results.

But maybe you prefer a more complicated, 'industry standard' and 'want-to-be-professional' way to approach the task, because you don't know the real value of Xara X?

jens g.r. benthien
designer
http://www.sacalobra.de

----------//--
If you don't know how to dream you'll never be a designer.
----------//--

[wW]

Jen & everyone else...

I don't think I've made myself clear. The problem is with spot colors illustrations relative to seperations.
If I do a spot color drawing with blends, linear fills, glass effects, shadows & bevels. Send it out to the printer as seperations, I loose most of my drawing. I'm not talking about CMYK seps but Spot seps. Xara can not do this. It's a Bug. If you can draw with it, one should be able to print with it as well.

Perhaps I could be missing something. You mentioned ripping. Is this relative to spot or CMYK? In Xara or 3rd party software?
Where I work now we provide in-house t-shirt(clothes) designs (art) & prints. Graphics output direct to a high quality lazer printer on vellum. From there it is burned onto screens for printing on multi-print presses. They can hold up to 11 screens per design.

I think though that we are both correct. I could be missing something though. If I'm incorrect please feel free to set me straight as I am willing to learn. I want Xara to be the main vector tool here, not Draw & Illustrator, as is currently the situation.

Till next time

Ww

Xara Color Spot Seperation Guru - one step closer!

[xalres]

Lord,

I was speaking purely in terms of converting for the purpose of sending it to a print shop. The harsh reality is there aren't any local print shops that have even heard of Xara, let alone print files from it. So given the choice between not getting my work done and spending 30 minutes converting something to Illustrator I'd rather choose the latter.

This doesn't mean I don't support the program or aren't loyal to it. It's still my first choice for all of my graphic projects but the reality is I'm using a program that not many people here in the states have ever heard of.

Truth be told, I HATE Illustrator, I find it too clunky for what I do, but the sad fact is that I work in print sometimes and Illustrator becomes a necessary tool and we were discussing the best ways and methods we use to convert .xar files to fit another program. This isn't a post about choosing sides or loyalty, so please try to keep it on topic.

All Your Graphic Are Belong To Us

[Marius]

Yep! DoKo, I'm guessing the folks who got hot under the collar here have never had to deal with screenprinting garments. DoKo is NOT attacking Xara, and he is absolutely right, and I used to dream exactly the same thing he does.

I have to supply artwork for the rag trade and .xar files are no use to any printer I have ever dealt with. However most use all or at least two of the Freehand-Draw-Illustrator triumvirate. Unfortunately, each of these three programs lacks at least some of the features of Xara X (besides all being much less intuitive to use).

A little while ago, Emanuel posted this workaround for exporting Xara X files:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Make your vectorial work in Xara using a CMYK palete.
Export to CMX32 (the color model is maintained)
Open in Corel (I use version 9)
Export to AI or EPS
Open in Freehand or Illustrator in a PC or a Mac
Save natively in that format.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I asked why Emanuel recommended this procedure and Gary answered:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>In a nutshell, Illustrator 7 lacks the support for many of the things Xara can do, such as gradient transparency, soft shadows, bevels, etc. even if you convert the editable shapes which in the case of shadows and bevels, converts them to bitmaps.

Corel can export to a newer version of AI format including PDF for Illustrator 10 as PDF is now the basis for Illustrator's export.

So Corel serves as an interpreter.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

However, Illustrator 10, Freehand 10 and Draw 11 are STILL far short of the full range of Xara X features, so no matter how you work around the problem, you are not going to get gradient transparency in Illustrator or elliptical fills in Draw. And you will STILL find many of your effects mangled in the export.

So my advice to DoKo on this issue, based on much sad experience, is this: when preparing art for screenprinting, find out what program the screenprinter's art department prefer, and tailor your work to that. In other words, don't use any Xara X features that won't be supported at the other end.

By this I mean, for e.g., instead of transparency, use a fill; if you need a bevel effect, do it by hand, not with the bevel tool; if you need shadows, do them by hand, not with the shadow tool; convert everything to editable shapes before exporting, etc etc.

You must also be prepared to clean up the exported image and do some final work to get it right -- applying feathering, etc. So you will have to get your hands dirty, after all!

And finally, all this means that your dream ain't never gonna come true, DoKo because, quite simply, no other program can do all the things that Xara X can do.

[Lord]

If you think that is good for you and the shitt Furistrator, then work please with only Illustrator, and do not toutch Xara X........
Regards...
Lord (Mohamed)