| Still digitizing, huh? Why? If you're still digitizing I'm | | | | due to the limitations of numerous proprietary |
| guessing you either enjoy it or feel as if you have no | | | | systems. Forcing the digitizer to be mindful of their |
| other choice available to you. I realize there are | | | | final output and keeping points to a minimum. |
| certain individuals who get satisfaction from creating | | | | Through the years of now more than two decades, |
| or reproducing an image by hand. The very process | | | | computers and software as we once knew it, has |
| of plotting or punching points (also known as nodes) | | | | come a long, long way. We've all seen dozens of |
| can be very time consuming and become a tedious | | | | "state of the art" programs and hardware |
| job. Once you've completed a complex or intricate | | | | improvements to fill a small garage! Yet many of us |
| piece of artwork, it's only natural to feel a sense of | | | | still find ourselves looking for that "perfect" solution |
| pride for a job well done! | | | | that would allow us to stop fretting over artwork. |
| I can remember as far back as 1982, when personal | | | | Well, my friend … I have a solution for you. |
| computers were just beginning to be introduced into | | | | Let me give you an analogy or rather a comparison |
| the Awards & Engraving industry. Digitizing was | | | | of digitizing (or scanning, it's really all very much the |
| painful! This was long before the development of | | | | same involved process), versus mowing your yard. |
| computer aided design (CAD) software. All drawings | | | | Yep, you read it correctly … Digitizing vs. |
| had to be created from beginning to end with no | | | | Mowing! |
| mistakes or you had to start all over from the very | | | | Think about it … just because you can mow |
| beginning. You sure didn't want the phone to ring or | | | | your yard, does that mean you should? (Again, I |
| have a customer come through your door while in | | | | realize some people get satisfaction and pleasure |
| the middle of any drawing!! | | | | from mowing, my wife loves to mow our yard). |
| A few years later we were blessed with CAD | | | | Much like I stated at the beginning of this article. You |
| programs that enabled you to digitize logos and | | | | may do it for pleasure or feel as if you're stuck with |
| images much faster. Using software commands to | | | | it! You may choose to push mow with your standard |
| create vectors, curves, ovals, arcs and numerous | | | | hand mower or step up to a riding mower and sit |
| other short cut keys, allowing you to improve your | | | | comfortably within the leather seat. Either way, |
| work and in many cases enhancing the original | | | | you're still "married" to the task at hand. |
| artwork. Certainly one of the coolest things was | | | | Digitizing = Hand Mower (push from point to point) |
| being able to stop, save your work and pick up | | | | Scanning = Riding Mower (scan across the land) |
| where you left off at another time. Whether it was | | | | You've heard it and read it many times, "your time is |
| later that day, the next day or sometime the | | | | money". Most of us at some time or another have |
| following week. It was nice to not feel "married" to | | | | chosen to hire someone to do our yard work. |
| the system and be able to take a break if needed. | | | | Whether it be mowing or simply raking leaves, we've |
| As computers became more and more popular, | | | | shuffled the chore to another individual or company. |
| hardware and software progressed quite rapidly. It | | | | So I pose the question to you, "Why don't you hire |
| wasn't long before people were talking about | | | | someone else to do your digitizing?" Choose a |
| scanning and converting their raster files into vector | | | | respectable service and send your artwork to the |
| formats. Many individuals retired their digitizing pads | | | | professionals for digitization. |
| and began the "on screen" clean up process, believing | | | | With technology as advanced as it is today, you can |
| this was their salvation from the point to point | | | | email (or fax) your logo to the pros and have it back |
| digitizing, we all thought was so nice in the beginning! | | | | within 24 hours (two business days for some). This |
| Well, I must say for me it lacked the luster some | | | | creates a win-win situation for all parties involved in |
| were boasting of over the phone. Most all tradeshow | | | | the process. You win by saving time and money |
| demonstrations were what I would refer to as, | | | | (remember, your time is money), not to mention the |
| "smoke and mirrors"! | | | | mental challenges that may arise should you continue |
| Honestly I thought it was more challenging to scan | | | | to do everything "in house". Your customer wins as |
| and clean up my artwork as opposed to simply | | | | well! They receive a top quality reproduction of their |
| digitizing it from scratch. To me it was much easier | | | | artwork in a digital format. This could and should open |
| and faster to continue to use CAD software and | | | | up more avenues for you to "lock in" their business |
| turn out a drawing that was much cleaner, with | | | | for life. Giving you the slight edge over your |
| fewer points and maintained a much smaller file size. | | | | competitors and versatility to create more quality |
| Most digitizers were (and are) concerned about the | | | | products and services for your clients. |
| overall byte size of the finished logo. This was greatly | | | | |