Condé Systems - The Sublimation Blog

You Have to Have a Road Map! .

bmcmullen@conde.com — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 21:34:27 +0000

By Steve

Every guy has tried at least once to drive somewhere without a map. It’s in our genes. We don’t need to stop for directions because “if we just drive down this road a little further, we’ll come to something we recognize”.

In spite of all the teasing we guys get about not stopping for directions, the same is true with women – women in business at least. Experts have determined that men and women alike often fail in business because they fail to have a roadmap.

In short, they don’t know where they are going and if you don’t know where you are going, you can’t know how to get there! Those few who do succeed, get there more by accident than design and all that does is leave a bad example for the rest of us.

Call it what you want: A Business Plan, a roadmap, a set of goals and objectives. Whatever you call it, the product is the same – a clear and precise design of where you are now and how you plan to get to where you want to be in a specified amount of time – a roadmap.

Roadmaps can be tricky. My wife couldn’t read a roadmap to save her life – some people can’t. But if you want to succeed in business, you better learn. Your life does depend on it – your business life that is.

If you are just thinking about going into business, don’t do anything until you have created a real, workable business plan. I know it’s difficult but do it anyway. Don’t spend a dime until you have it.

If you are already in business, my guess is, like most of us, your business has hit a plateau. The economy is whipping your proverbial butt. You probably know you need to do something fast but just don’t know what it is.

Well, here it is: You need a plan – a roadmap. An honest evaluation of where you are now and where you want to be in say, five years. Now, break that down into five one-year segments and begin filling a list under each year. The list might include hiring a new employee (mine did) or paying off debt or expanding your showroom or work area. Adding a new process to your existing business is always a good way to expand by selling more products to your existing customers. Whatever it is you need to do, file it under one of the five lists (don’t put them all under the first year, that won’t work). Spread things out so they are truly attainable.

That’s your roadmap. Now that you know where you want to be at the end of this year, you can start going there. Start out slow and careful but start. Sure, there will be times you will have to make changes in your roadmap. Every roadmap is filled with distractions, detours and construction zones. Still, you should feel good because you have at least gotten started on your journey.

In time, you will see some things you can mark off your list – things completed. That is always a time for celebration and a pat on the back. Don’t play them down – they are important. Each one is the beginning of the next step. First one step, then two, then three. Before you know it, you will look back and be amazed at how far you have come.

Don’t want to create a roadmap for your business? Good, that just makes it easier for people like me to come in and take your business away from you because that is part of my roadmap. “Use it or lose it”, the old adage goes. It’s up to you.

Using the Blend Tool in Corel

Vicky Waldrop — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 02:14:28 +0000

To blend objects


To	Do the following
Blend along a straight line	In the toolbox, click the Blend tool . Select the first object, and drag over the second object. If you want to reset the blend, press Esc as you drag.
Blend an object along a freehand path	In the toolbox, click the Blend tool. Select the first object. Hold down Alt, and drag to draw a line to the second object.
Fit a blend to a path	In the toolbox, click the Blend tool. Click the blend. Click the Path properties button on the property bar. Click New path. Using the curved arrow, click the path to which you want to fit the blend.
Stretch the blend over an entire path	Select a blend that is already fitted on a path. Click the Miscellaneous blend options button on the property bar, and enable the Blend along full path check box.
Create a compound blend	Using the Blend tool, drag from an object to the start or end object of another blend. In addition, you will find informative videos for configuring color management by the support team at Condé by visiting Condé TV, the Condé Facebook Page and Condé Twitter. Look for more upcoming videos and informative blog entries to be added for successful sublimation and maintaining your Condé DyeSub System. If there is something that you think would be better said in an instructional video or blog posting, then we look forward to hearing your ideas. Senior Technical Consultant, Vicky Waldrop

How to Apply a mesh to an object in CorelDraw

Vicky Waldrop — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 23:56:33 +0000

For those who like to create vector images and blend color into and object, I have a great tool for you to learn and have some fun with. The “Mesh Tool in CorelDraw id an awesome way to create colorful drawings and transition color into something very artistic. People will ask how you did it. I use this tool with flowers and for creating a more 3D effect with some graphics. I hope you find this tool as useful as I do. Here is how…

To apply a mesh fill to an object:

Select an object.

In the toolbox, click the Mesh fill tool .

Type the number of columns in the top portion of the Grid size box on the property bar.

Type the number of rows in the bottom portion of the Grid size box on the property bar, and press Enter.

Adjust the grid nodes on the object.


You can also
Add an intersection	Click once within a grid, and click the Add intersection button on the property bar.
Add a node	Hold down Shift, and double-click where you want to add the node.
Remove a node or an intersection	Click a node, and click the Delete node(s) button on the property bar.
Shape the mesh fill	Drag a node to a new location.
Remove the mesh fill	Click the Clear mesh button on the property bar.

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If the mesh object contains color, adjusting the intersection nodes of the mesh affects how the colors blend together.

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You can also marquee select or freehand marquee select nodes to shape an entire area of the mesh. To marquee select nodes, choose Rectangular from the Selection mode list box, and drag around the nodes you want to select. To freehand select nodes, choose Freehand from the Selection mode list box, and drag around the nodes you want to select. Holding down Alt while dragging lets you toggle between the Rectangular and Freehand selection mode.

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You can add an intersection by double-clicking in a space, or you can add a single line by double-clicking a line.

To add color to a patch in a mesh fill

Select a mesh-filled object.

In the toolbox, click the Mesh fill tool .

Drag a color from the color palette to a patch in the object.


You can also
Color an intersection node in a mesh fill	Click an intersection node, and click a color on the color palette.
Mix a color in a mesh fill	Select part of the mesh, press Ctrl, and click a color on the color palette.

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You can also drag a color from the color palette to an intersection node.

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You can also marquee select or freehand marquee select nodes to apply a color to an entire area of the mesh. To marquee select nodes, choose Rectangular from the Selection mode list box on the property bar, and drag around the nodes you want to select. To freehand select nodes, choose Freehand from the Selection mode list box on the property bar, and drag around the nodes you want to select. Holding down Alt while dragging lets you toggle between the Rectangular and Freehand selection mode.

In addition, you will find informative videos for configuring color management by the support team at Condé by visiting Condé TV, the Condé Facebook Page and Condé Twitter. Look for more upcoming videos and informative blog entries to be added for successful sublimation and maintaining your Condé DyeSub System. If there is something that you think would be better said in an instructional video or blog posting, then we look forward to hearing your ideas.

Senior Technical Consultant,

Vicky Waldrop

Customer Appreciation .

bmcmullen@conde.com — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 17:04:13 +0000

By Steve

Donna Gray is an acquaintance of mine. Although we have never talked much, our paths have crossed many times as we have taught at the same conferences and tradeshows, written for the same magazines and so on. I guess this, coupled with a great respect for her work, I always take note of anything I see published in the trade magazines under her name.

In a recent copy of Recognition Review, she offered a list of ways to show appreciation to our customers. I thought they were worth sharing in this abbreviated form.

1. Write a customer appreciation plan.
2. Educate all team members on customer appreciation.
3. Phone clients occasionally to “reach out and touch” them.
4. Send a magazine article of interest to the customer.
5. Create open lines of communication.
6. When connecting online, ask good questions.
7. Ask for input and feedback.
8. Show care.
9. Share your knowledge.
10. Get creative. Listen actively.
11. Go the extra mile with every order.
12. Make use of the products we sell (send sample products, promotional items, etc. they might be interested in or enjoy using).

If you look around, you will see this happening all the time. Larger companies even have a staff to do nothing but keep in contact with customers through Social Pages such as Facebook or LinkedIn. We small guys may not be able to go to such lengths but a little effort can go a long way.

We can drop a note from time to time. Give a call to check in or drop an email. If you track your customers on Facebook, it is easy to send them birthday congrats. Just the fact you are reaching out is worth a great deal in today’s economy and business environment.

Of course, the most important things are always the basics of:
1. Offer a quality product
2. Do it right the first time
3. Deliver it on time (and if something goes wrong fix the problem immediately)

Word of mouth will be your reward, those clients that appreciate you will communicate what they like and the ball will roll on, picking up steam that will herald your success!

Follow Through .

bmcmullen@conde.com — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:42:31 +0000

by Steve

I don’t think I am going out on a limb when I say, “The Number One Reason for lost sales is a failure to follow through”.

Do YOU follow through when you say you will do something? I’ll bet 90% of the people reading this will have to say, “no” or at least “not always”. This is a serious problem. It goes far deeper than just losing a sale, although this is our main focus here.

Failure to follow through speaks volumes to a customer about your honesty, trustworthiness and your concern for them as a client. Many purchasing agents I have known through the years actually use this ploy to discern who they want to do business with and who they don’t. Think about it: Purchasing Agents from medium to large companies can buy from whomever they want. They aren’t spending their money and so long as they obtain a usable produce and stay within their budget, they’re good. This may be a far cry from the Soccer Mom who has to dicker and beg to get what she wants and is willing to put up with unprofessional behavior to get it.

Someone who follows through and calls that Purchasing Agent back with the information he or she asked for has demonstrated they can be depended upon to do what they promise – they take giving their word seriously.

I wonder how many jobs and how many dollars have been lost because someone on the team just failed to follow through.

Now, I’m not the best at it, I admit. I have one customer right now I need to get back to – one of my best customers, and I don’t have an answer for him that he can use. Still, I need to get back to him and tell him I “just don’t know”. Man, I hate that.

None the less, here is how I do it: When a customer (or anyone) asks for something that requires my following up, I place a Post-It note on a section of my desk I reserve for things like: “Things that will explode if I don’t attend to them today”. These notes are in front of me at all times and they cannot be removed until they are dealt with appropriately.

However you do, learn to follow through. How would you feel if you asked your Condé rep to check on something for you and they never called you back? Wouldn’t it make you want to find another distributor? Darn right it would and for good cause. There is no excuse…. See, what I mean? Your customers don’t feel any different than you do. Learn to Follow Through!

Creating the perfect Square or Circle in CorelDraw for Template Use

Vicky Waldrop — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 02:04:26 +0000

Here at Condé we attempt to provide a template with every product we provide to to our clients. Sometimes it is easier to create a usable shape on your end that will suffice as a workable template. Not only is it workable it can too save you the time of downloading and importing into your CorelDraw document. All you have to have is the radius of the circle or the length and width of the product. Using the template will be as easy as using any of the templates I design here at Condé. In a few brief instructions I can have you drawing the perfect squares and circles for those time when it would be less time consuming than locating and downloading templates that have simple measurements.

Know the sizes of the product by either measuring or as listed on product page at www.conde.com. Once you have noted the accurate size you are ready to draw your template.

1. From your tool bar select the shape that you wish to draw.

2. Press down on your “Ctrl” Key at the keyboard. Place your mouse somewhere over the document (you should see cross hairs (+)), and hold your left mouse key down and drag until you have a visible shape on the document.

3. With the object selected or in the bounding box, go to your menu bar at the top and find the length and width fields and enter the sizes you pulled for the product page or the measurements you got and enter them into the correct fields. For ex: a 6 inch tile will be 6.225 with bleed.

Now you have the perfect square. Keep in mind this works with circles too. All you have to know is the radius. If you want to see a more detailed view of this procedure watch my video on Creating the Perfect Square and circle in CorelDraw and exercise what you learned in your application.

Senior Technical Consultant,

Vicky Waldrop

Curving Text in CorelDraw

Vicky Waldrop — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 22:24:05 +0000

Most anyone who has used CorelDraw has had to exercise the software in order to continuously sharpen their skills. Some of the more simple needs from the application can consume a major chunk of time when attempting to design something. Curving text is one of those things that you may not use often but when you need it; you need it! I have a simple method for accomplishing this task from within the application. In this blog entry I will provide a simple instructions using the “envelope” tool to curve text. It is up to you the user to perfect this technique.

Curving Text using the envelope tool:

Curving Text using CorelDraw

1. Choose your font and type.

2. Select the the object using the “pick tool” from the tools menu.

3. With the text selected, in the tools menu select the “envelope” tool (fifth one from the bottom). If you do not see it. Left click over the tool showing and choose if from the drop down menu.

4. Select center node and, hold the left mouse key down and drag to the desired spot. If desired you can use other nodes to create curvature in other place within the font. Swing the arrow to ad an even more wavy graphic.

5. click off the graphic or on the pick tool again to seal the the deal. You can repeat the instruction to make necessary changes.

I used CorelDraw X4 in this demonstration but the technique should work with any version within CorelDraw. I recommend you test the feature and have fun learning to create awesome designs with this tool. There will be a video to come on our Conde TV page that will demonstrate this technique.

Senior Technical Consultant,

Vicky Waldrop

Using Felt with Condé Products

Vicky Waldrop — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 01:30:57 +0000

When I am asked how and when felt should be used, I have to include the rules of pressure and the types of products you have to transfer onto. For instance if you are pressing to a textured surface or some other uneven surface like tile or something with an easel on the

Using felt to create a meshing effect

back you cant exactly close the press evenly. So to accomplish an even surface where the top platen touches the sublimatable area, you must have something in between the hard surfaces to create a meshing effect. When this occurs the felt is needed.

With the right amount of pressure applied by the press the product will mesh into the softness of the felt and allow some resistance for the top surface to adjust to the flatness of the top platen. Therefore, creating equal distribution across the sublimatable area.

Felt is most often used on the bottom of the press just above the bottom platen and Teflon sheet. The felt is then applied and cover with protective paper to prevent ink from transferring onto the your reusable products that are more costly if replaced.

Senior Technical Consultant,

Vicky Waldrop

Experimenting with various times.

Vicky Waldrop — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:51:33 +0000

Often we have calls about what time to use when the Condé instructions call for a window of time (ex:6-8 mins.), The time variation is due to differences in the equipment. I will try to explain what I mean by an equipment variation. Mug presses have have different amps. The higher the amps the hotter the press can get. Low amps can have lower temperatures. This will cause time variations based on the equipment you are using. Thus, causing variations in color or should I say the finished product. I have a simple solution for finding your time based on your press.

Here is How:

From your digital imaging application create four black boxes small enough to fit on one of the products in test. It is always recommended to purchase a couple of additional products for beta testing on your end.

Using one of the additional products you would have purchased for testing, and various times, sublimate one box at a time allow a cooling period between each of the four transfers. For example refer to the image on the right: Cut out each box and transfer each separately using the different instructions within the individual boxes. At the end of the test you will have four black boxes on one product and within those boxes the different instructions your used for press times. After reviewing, determine the better of the four colors and make a note of which one provides the best result. That is your time and instruction!

I also recommend keeping a notebook of any and all instructions so that you can revisit them for future pressings with that particular product. This will save time and we all know time is money. Not to mention the bad product you will eliminate from your “wall of shame”.

Senior Technical Consultant,

Vicky Waldrop

iPhone Covers make great fundraisers .

bmcmullen@conde.com — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:24:03 +0000

By Steve

iPhone 4 and 4s is a hit. Millions of people have them, including hundreds of thousands of kids. The High Schools and Middle Schools are inundated with them.

“So what” you say? Here’s what. We are missing a huge opportunity to use these little covers as a fundraisers for schools, PTAs, sports programs and any other group that needs to make money for their cause.

The cost of a finished iPhone cover is less than $5. I retail mine for $20 but many people are selling them for $25 or $30 because they are personalized. I offer mine to schools and other fund raising groups for $15 across the board. The group can charge whatever they want to. The price includes their logo or school mascot and their name. So far as I am concerned they could also include a picture but most groups want to keep the order taking process as simple as possible so they look for a single, generic design.

Sublimation, or Photo Gifting, is a great fundraiser for all kinds of groups. There is no money up front, they order only what they sell and the products are so unique, they probably can’t get them anywhere else in their town or city.

On top of all that, these iPhone covers are so easy to make. Just print a piece of metal – that’s it. No special, complicated set ups or expensive jigs to buy. Just print a piece of die cut metal and stick it on the back of the phone cover.

Although there are 9 combinations of iPhone covers you can offer (white, silver or gold metal and white, clear and black covers), encourage your reseller to offer only one combination and let that be whatever best compliments the school mascot or design. For example: I have one school whose colors are orange and black. Their mascot is a tiger. For them, I offered a combination of a black case with a gold metal cover completely over-printed in black except for the tiger. The gold plate causes the tiger to almost jump off the plate!