THE BEST DESIGN SOFTWARE FOR LASER ENGRAVING AND LASER CUTTING

Gravotech (formerly Gravograph) joins Trophex 2023 alongside Mr Fix It Wholesale

Gravotech and Mr Fix It Wholesale understand thyat trade shows are a valuable resource to promote your company to a wider target audience where you benefit from meeting prospective customers face-to-face at one venue, saving you time and money.

The human brain is wired for connection and appreciation. To build relationships and close deals, it is essential to understand what makes each person tick. Businesses need to take into account that face-to-face sales are often the first time a customer gets acquainted with your brand, products, and services. A recent report from Stellar Global discovered that 85% of customers would be encouraged to buy a product after a product demonstration, while 73% want a product demonstration to give them an understanding of how that product works. These findings highlight the importance of taking the time to demonstrate your product, educate prospective customers about its advantages and answer any questions they have. Using face-to-face meetings to show how your product helps them solve their problems, wants and desires is therefore crucial in the sales environment.

All in all, success in B2B sales means using all the methods available to you and using them well. Technology should, of course, be used when it is sensible to do so, but the value of face-to-face interaction can never be understated. At a time when the world is opening up again, embracing in-person meetings is sure to yield success.

Trade shows are a valuable resource to promote your company to a wider target audience where you benefit from meeting prospective customers face-to-face at one venue, saving you time and money. Trophex is a major well established trade event for the Trophy, Engraving, Awards, Medals and Personalisation industry. The aim of the next show in 2023 is to re-connect the industry, creating a space where you can network, build new business relationships, and catch up with current customers and suppliers personally. With this in mind Trophex is returning to its all-time preferred venue, The National Conference Centre and Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham, and will be held on Sunday 22nd and Monday 23rd January 2023. Join an industry trusted show, incorporating over thirty years of experience, with the infrastructure to target prospective new business, from a wider audience than ever before, on your behalf. NEW LOW-COST FORMAT TO EXHIBIT

Take advantage of a revised low-cost pricing structure to put yourself in front of prospective customers in a well-known fit for purpose venue. Exhibitors can show their full range at the right price on the right days at the right venue.

GREAT TRANSPORT LINKS & PARKING

The National Conference Centre and Motorcycle Museum is ideally located, in the heart of the Midlands on Junction 6 of the M42 and only 5 minutes from Birmingham International railway station and airport, travel could not be easier. Combine this with over 1000 free parking spaces and 4 electric charging points.

MARKETING CAMPAIGN DIRECT TO RETAILERS AND OTHER CAREFULLY SELECTED PROSPECTIVE CUSTOMERS

The shows media partner TEN Magazine, the only magazine in the UK for the industry, and show organisers Hill Media Ltd, have a proven track record and the infrastructure to bring visitors to the show.

NEW BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

Exhibitors can meet potential customers face-to-face to discuss their requirements, offer new ways to support their business and create valuable new relationships. Use Trophex in 2023 to secure your position in the marketplace as the industry recovers. Can you afford not to be there.

Trophex now offers the lowest rates for exhibitors seen at the show for many years. Call Nigel on 01442 826826 or send an email to nigelbean1@aol.com or to Jane at janesoones@aol.com

www.trophex.com

The Best Design Software for Laser Engraving and Laser Cutting

Many people ask us “what is the best design software for laser cutting?”

Just like many questions we’re asked, there are a number of variables. Even so, the answer is highly dependent on job requirements and personal preference. Budget, experience, and hardware also have a big influence. Design Software for Laser Engraving and Laser Cutting

Cons

Vector vs Raster

Throughout this page the terms ‘vector’ and ‘raster’ are used a few times. These are two different types of graphics that can both be used for laser applications. Vector graphics use precise paths made from lines between two or more points. They can be scaled up or down without losing quality. They are used for cutting through materials, as well as engraving very thin lines (scoring). Raster graphics are made up of small pixels e.g. digital photos. This means they lose quality when scaled up. Therefore, high resolutions must be used for effective results. Raster is preferred for engraving larger areas e.g. filled letters and shapes, and images. Raster graphics are also referred to as bitmap images. For more information check out Graphic Files Explained.

Many laser machines come with Lasercut software (or similar), which is essentially a communication platform allowing a design to be sent to the machine. It is not intended for design, other than simple shapes and text. Here’s an overview of some of the most popular design programs used for laser cutting.

Adobe Photoshop

Photoshop is the most well-known of these programs. It’s that widely used that “photoshopped” is now in the English dictionary… This software has expanded massively since its release in 1990, and is now the industry standard of digital arts. It’s a raster graphics program frequently used for image retouching and processing for laser engraving.

Pros

Excellent for retouching images Free 7-day trial available Although it’s raster based, you can export files to be converted in a vector based software when necessary Official tutorials online

Monthly subscription (around £20) Fairly high RAM usage

Adobe Illustrator

Illustrator is the industry standard in vector graphics. It’s an extremely popular and versatile piece of software. It can be quite overwhelming for a graphics beginner but, it has just about everything you could ever need for working with vector graphics. Without listing every feature, you can trace images, design business cards, create topography and even design a website, all in this one program. You can find deeper look at its features in this Finances Online review. If you use Photoshop, InDesign, Premiere Pro or any other Adobe software you can save by subscribing to an Adobe CC package.

Pros

Extensive range of features Can link to Adobe CC Image tracing feature Free 7-day trial Official tutorials online

Cons

Monthly subscription (around £20)

Can take some getting used to for beginners

CorelDRAW

CorelDRAW is a powerful vectorbased software available for Windows and macOS. It is extremely popular throughout the laser industry, and is one of Illustrators biggest competitors. Although quite expensive, there are various buying formats covering different packages, subscriptions and lump sum payments. It has a large range of features and a highly customisable interface, you can even change to an Illustrator layout if you’re more familiar with that.