Feature List

This page lists all the features available in the various levels of Sign Wizard and Neon Wizard. Purple indicates an improved feature. Red indicates a brand-new feature in Version 6.0 or 6.5. Click on the feature name to see more information and an animated example of it in action. Expand All	SL	Sign Wizard Letter
	SS	Sign Wizard Scribe
	SA	Sign Wizard Advantage
	SG	Sign Wizard Grand
	SP	Sign Wizard Pro
	NW	Neon Wizard Std
	N+	Neon Wizard Plus
	NP	Neon Wizard Pro

Quick Links

Fonts and Text	Design Tools	Effects and Distortions
Vector Graphics Tools	Image Manipulation Tools	Cutting/Plotting and Printing
Productivity Tools	Neon Design Tools	Wide Format Printing

168 features with current filter:
     Neon Wizard

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Fonts and Text
Direct Text Entry This feature enables you to enter text directly in the layout, as opposed to using a separate dialog box. All of the text attributes are displayed and can be easily adjusted at any time. Direct text entry saves time since you can see the text in your layout at all times. Even after you have made changes to the text characteristics, such as extend or italicize, you can go back and edit the text directly on screen.						NW	N+	NP
Text Editing Property Bar The extremely handy text property bar means the most common changes to your text are just a click away. While most changes can be done entirely with the mouse, sometimes you need to use specific values, such as a height. This is where you do that, and this bar is always there, whenever you have text selected. We've had this feature since 1995, long before Adobe and others saw its merits.						NW	N+	NP
Auto Connecting Script Fonts Sign Wizard and Neon Wizard have 15 connecting script fonts. These specially designed fonts cover a wide range of styles from the casual looks of Brush Script and Lazer to the elegant styles of Zircon and Shelley to the ever popular Commercial Script.						NW	N+	NP
Individual Letter Spacing You can fine tune the spacing, or kerning, between individual letters without using a special tool. This makes it very quick and easy to create the perfect spacing between letters in a large sign. This is now previewed in full color!						NW	N+	NP
Interactive Letter Spacing You can adjust the kerning of an entire line of text with a simple drag of the letter spacing handle, which is located on the lower left and lower right of the text objects. This is now previewed in full color!						NW	N+	NP
Interactive Line Spacing Adjust the spacing between lines interactively with the line spacing tool, which is available by using Shift when dragging a group of lines up or down.						NW	N+	NP
Interactive Rotating You can rotate text and graphics without using a special tool - the lower middle handle is the rotation tool. The angle of rotation is always shown in the property bar. This is now previewed in full color!						NW	N+	NP
Interactive Scaling Scale objects with just a drag of the mouse, and view it in real time, so you never have to guess if the size is right. The exact dimensions will be displayed in the property bar. This is now previewed in full color!						NW	N+	NP
Interactive Slanting You can quickly and easily slant, or italicize, text by simply dragging the top middle handle left or right. The angle of the slant is shown in the property bar. This is now previewed in full color!						NW	N+	NP
Interactive Text on an Arc Creating text in an arc is a simple matter of holding the SHIFT key while dragging the middle bottom handle into the arc shape, either up or down.						NW	N+	NP
Interactive Word Spacing Interactive word spacing is a very handy way to adjust the kerning for the entire line of text at once.						NW	N+	NP
Neon Script Connecting Font All versions of Neon Wizard come with a single tube connecting font called Neon Script. The lower case characters can be easily connected, giving you a clean and flowing single tube script.						NW	N+	NP
Text Notes When you want to add notes to your layouts, perhaps for the production or installation department, use the new Text Notes feature. This will let you jot down the note and position it in your layout. Using the Layers palette, you can then specify to print the notes with a proof copy, but not cut the notes as part of the actual job.						NW	N+	NP
WYSIWYG Font List The font list shows exactly what the font looks like before you choose it! This is called WYSIWYG, "what you see is what you get." The complete font list contains 400 high quality signmaking fonts.						NW	N+	NP
Change Case The ability to change the case of a line of text saves editing time and lets you see what the different options look like in a hurry. This feature lets you change from all lower case to ALL CAPS to First Letter Caps or to SMALL CAPS. You may toggle through the four options by pressing Alt+C on the keyboard or you can use the Change Case function in the Text Menu. This is another easy to use text editing feature that helps you be creative and productive at the same time.							N+	NP
Vertical Text Aligning text vertically is one simple click of the mouse. All the text editing functions used for horizontal text editing - scaling, adjusting the spacing uniformly between characters, adjusting the spacing between two characters, slanting to the right and left, extending and condensing, heightening and rotating - are also available for vertical text.							N+	NP
Font Wizard This huge time saving feature matches the font of scanned letters to a Sign Wizard font. So instead of vectorizing small text from a business card, just use Font Wizard to match the font, and then enter the text the easy way! This "Deep Sea Fishing" example starts with a scanned bitmap. The first step is to select a character and type it in the Letters box - in our example, "D." Font Wizard then scans your font library for a match, and gives the top three results. It then places the font character on top of the bitmap so you can continue typing the rest of the text in a perfectly smooth vector format.								NP
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Design Tools
Adjusting depth order Ordering certain objects to be above or below other objects is an important design tool, and we have made it easy. Simply use the Page Up key to move an object on top and the Page Down key to move an object to the bottom. To move an object one level up, use the "+" key, and to move it one level down, use the "-" key. These are standard conventions that you will be comfortable with from using other graphics programs.						NW	N+	NP
Adobe Type1 and OpenType font support You can import and use any Adobe Type1 and OpenType font you have access to. It is converted to our native format for quicker access.						NW	N+	NP
Alignment There are a number of alignment and centering tools for text and graphics to quickly get the design you want. For lines of text, you can align left, center, or right. The choice of alignment will determine the control point options and where the text will snap to guidelines or a grid. For a group of objects, you can align them to the left, right, top, or bottom edge of the group. You can also align a group of objects or any individual object relative to the layout, such as vertical or horizontal center, or center of the layout. These alignment and centering tools are excellent design aids, especially when working with shapes and graphics or designing custom logos.						NW	N+	NP
Anchor Points This is very handy for making precise numeric placements of graphics. You can now specify which of the 9 handles should be used as the reference point for the X and Y position values.						NW	N+	NP
Arrow Tool This handy tool lets you easily design arrows, giving you complete control over the shape.						NW	N+	NP
Auto Square Vector editing is made easy when you need to square up a design with this useful feature. Let's say that you scanned in a logo and it isn't quite square. Auto Square will make the vectors snap to the vertical and horizontal axes when you are editing the vectors. You can toggle this feature on or off, and you can set the limit in degrees to determine when the vector snaps to be square.						NW	N+	NP
Border Tool The Border Tool enables you to design custom borders with unique and saveable corners. It uses a property bar to manage the design and editing of the borders in version 6. These examples show how you can change the size and shape of the corners and add thickness to your borders.						NW	N+	NP
Color Management Several standard color palettes are available with colors from popular vinyl suppliers. The color palette can be placed anywhere on the screen or as part of the top, right, bottom, or left toolbars. If you want to create custom colors, you may create them with the Color Management dialog box shown here. You can even create an entirely new palette corresponding to the vinyl that you carry in stock. Version 6 now supports CMYK Process and CMYK Spot colors as additional color models.						NW	N+	NP
Color Palette Navigator This feature of the Color Tab lists a color palette in a tall list, with a global navigation strip to its right, making finding the right color within the larger palette a snap - just click on the hue you want and the main list scrolls to that part of the palette.						NW	N+	NP
Common Shapes Creating simple shapes is just a click and drag of the mouse away! In one easy step you can draw a square, rectangle, circle or ellipse. All of these are available from one fly-out icon in the toolbar. We also have the option of drawing a Rounded Rectangle. This feature replicates any changes you make to the radius of one corner to all the corners. Please also see Polygon/Star for more advanced options. This example draws several shapes, Welds them together, adds an Outline, and adds Colors to create a border.						NW	N+	NP
Distribute Another useful design tool, Distribute is used to equally space objects of a group vertically or horizontally. Not to be confused with the Alignment tools, Distribute simply evenly spaces the objects along an axis.						NW	N+	NP
Faster screen refresh The drawing engine has been improved, resulting in reduced screen flicker and faster rendering.						NW	N+	NP
Full Color Animated Transformations Version 6 features full color animation when using the common transformations, such as move, scale, italicize, etc. This means that you can see the changes in real-time to assist in common design tasks.						NW	N+	NP
Guidelines, Grids, Rulers Guidelines can be easily created as vertical, horizontal, or angled, and can be locked in the design so as not to be accidentally moved. Objects will automatically snap to the guidelines, as an option, when they are moved close enough.  A Grid can be put in the layout area at a user specified interval, such as one inch or one centimeter, which can be used to help layout and positioning. You can specify objects to snap to the grid, similar to how guidelines operate.  Rulers are a standard default a the top and left edge of the layout area. Depending on the scale of the design, and the amount you are Zoomed in, the rulers will display the appropriate increments of measure (US or metric).  This image shows the text on a 45 degree guideline, with a one inch grid and rulers.						NW	N+	NP
High Quality Anti Aliased Drawing Mode This great new feature gives you vastly improved screen rendering quality, enhancing your design process and effectively increasing your screen resolution by at least 50%, because you don't have to zoom in to details nearly as often.						NW	N+	NP
History Window The History Window shows all the actions performed on the layout since it was opened. They are named, so it's easy to Undo back to the exact spot you want to, without performing each undo separately. Using the Redo feature, you can then skip back ahead to the current state. The actions that are grayed out can be re-done.						NW	N+	NP
Layers Layers allow you to better organize the elements of your design. You can drag graphics between layers, and rearrange layers to suit your needs. You can also lock layers from editing, and hide them from the screen and from being printing.						NW	N+	NP
Measure Tool The Measure Tool is used to measure the distance between any two points in the design. For 6, a property bar is used.						NW	N+	NP
Mirror A simple and convenient design tool, Mirror lets you reverse an object or line of text. You may mirror vertically or horizonally, and there is a keyboard shortcut to make it even faster.						NW	N+	NP
Move to Layer This command makes it easy to move a graphic between layers in a very complex job, in which drag and drop is not possible.						NW	N+	NP
Nested Groups This is a powerful new design capability that speeds up working with multiple design elements. Now you can make groups hierarchical, meaning you can put groups within groups with no limitations. Additional elements to a group can be added and subtracted one at a time, and you can always see the exact contents of a group in the Layers palette. It sounds technical, but just think of it as a better way to create and manage your designs.						NW	N+	NP
Redo Redo is a great feature to have when you want complete freedom to experiment with different designs, or even the occasional situation when you undo one too many times. Redo works in conjunction with Undo and the History Window to give you a complete list of all actions						NW	N+	NP
Snap to Guidelines When you have added a guideline to a layout, either vertical, horizontal, or angled, an object will automatically snap to that guideline when it is moved close enough. Once the object is snapped to the guideline, you can then move it along the guideline.						NW	N+	NP
Stack This feature stacks multiple objects on top of each other, aligned at the exact center.						NW	N+	NP
Step and Repeat Step and Repeat is used to make multiple copies of an object in the vertical and/or horizontal directions at a specified distance apart. This feature is especially useful in making custom logos, borders, and layouts of the same object for mass production. Please also see Step and Repeat in the Plot Manager. Step and Repeat for version 6 now features an intuitive graphic display of the proposed layout, as well as a property bar. You can also create a sequence of numbers, as in this example for motel room numbers.						NW	N+	NP
Streamlined User Interface The user interface for version 6 has been greatly streamlined. Property bars are used extensively to speed the design process and minimize pop dialog boxes that can obstruct the screen. Property Bars appear at the top of the screen when you are working in a certain mode, such as Vector Editing, or in a certain feature, such as Shadows. The property Bar shown here is for bitmap editing.						NW	N+	NP
Text Notes enhanced with Title and Fields The Text Notes feature now supports optional titles and fields on the left side, for creating organized table-like notes. You can easily reuse previously defined fields by simply selecting from a dropdown list.						NW	N+	NP
Automatic Vectorizing Vectorizing is the process of converting a bitmap image to a vector image so that it can be plotted or cut out of vinyl or other material. We provide a number of features and options to make this process fast and accurate, including different settings to use for different kinds of artwork. Vectorizing and the associated vector editing tools are important capabilities in our higher end programs that will save you time and money when dealing with custom logos and graphics. Please also see Color Vectorizing. In 6, a property bar is used so that no part of your scanned image is obscured.							N+	NP
Dimensioning Dimensioning is fast, easy and precise – it doesn’t get any easier than this. Click on the Dimension tool or on Dimensions in the Tools menu. As you move the cursor around the screen, guidelines will appear momentarily as you move past each of the horizontal and vertical lines in the layout. Click when the correct guideline appears, drag the mouse to the second guideline and click again. Then move the mouse where you want the numbers to appear. You can change the size of the numbers and the arrowheads with a single click of the mouse. You can also display the numbers in feet, inches, fractions or decimals.							N+	NP
Hot Keys can be used without Control, Shift or Alt This lets you assign a shortcut key that's simply A for example, instead of having to add Ctrl, Shift or Alt as used to be.							N+	NP
Polygon/Star Tool With this tool you can create a polygon or a star with a number of different shapes and styles. There are editable nodes on each side and on each endpoint of the polygon or star that will replicate to all sides. You may also round the endpoints, add any number of sides, even create an inline. This is the ultimate Shapes tool!							N+	NP
Styles Styles offer a way to save various properties of text or graphics so that you can apply them over and over in the future. If you have a customer who repeatedly orders highly customized lettering, just save the text properties (such as height, color, letter spacing, slant, etc) as a Style. Now you won't have to reinvent the job every time! In this example, the user creates a Style called Boat Lettering, which contains specific properties of a client's lettering specification. Now he's ready for the next job, when he can simply apply the Style to any text.							N+	NP
TWAIN Support Compatibility with the TWAIN scanning interface means that you can call your scanning software directly from Sign Wizard or Neon Wizard through the Acquire function. After scanning, the image will come straight into the program from your scanning software - you don't have to save and then open any files. This provides a big time saver since you don't have to leave your signmaking program to import custom artwork.							N+	NP
Color Vectorizing Color vectorizing enables you to scan a color image, separate the colors, and convert it into vectors. Unique bitmap processing and vector editing features make Sign Wizard's color vectorizing reliable, fast, and simple. This feature provides a whole new set of capabilities for your shop. Now you can bring in color graphics and logos without the hassle. The color vectorizing capability builds on our 10+ years of experience with black and white vectorizing.								NP
Height and Slant Options in Soft Shadow You can now change the height and slant of soft shadows.								NP
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Effects and Distortions
Common Weld This variation on weld preserves only the shapes that are in common between the various graphics to be welded. It is kind of like the opposite of Weld, where the overlapping areas are retained instead of removed. The example shows overlapping circles that are colored to help demonstrate the effect. The aqua colored portion is the overlapping portion that is retained in the Common Weld operation.						NW	N+	NP
Contour Outline This variation on the Outline feature enables you to create one smooth outline around the outside of any design in one simple and fast operation. This is an interactive effect, meaning that you can see a preview of the countour outline as you create it graphically. You can also enter numeric measurements if you need to be very precise. Version 6 uses a property bar for streamlined operation.						NW	N+	NP
Warp Warp is a handy way to create a virtually unlimited number of distortions on your text or graphics. Using Bezier curves to create a bounding box around your object, this distortion lets you create much more than this "flag" distortion! You have complete control over the position of each corner point and the Bezier curve connecting them. The Warp tool for 6 has support for dynamic effects, which preserves text properties even after applying the warp. There is also a property bar and you can save your Warp templates for future use!						NW	N+	NP
Weld Welding combines two or more objects or lines of text together where they overlap. This feature has very broad use in creating custom graphics and logos. To use this tool, all you have to do is overlap the text or graphics and click on the Weld tool. In this example, we have entered a line of text using a serif font, reduced the character spacing, grouped the text together, and then clicked on the Weld tool.						NW	N+	NP
Cast Shadow Another of the many shadows available, Cast Shadow lets you create striking shadows graphically or numerically. This shadow simulates the sun casting a shadow on the ground behind the lettering or graphic. The original object will cut through sections of the shadow so that there are no overlapping pieces of vinyl. The dialog box allows you to enter the height and angle numerically if the design requires this level of precision. Version 6 uses a property bar for streamlined operation.							N+	NP
Drop Shadow Dramatic drop shadows can easily be created graphically or numerically, and you always have an interactive preview to show you exactly what the shadow looks like. Here you can see that there are options for the position of the shadow, an outline on the text, and the colors. Version 6 uses a property bar for streamlined operation.							N+	NP
Inline/Outline Inline/Outline creates an inlined or outlined path from lettering and graphics. This classic Effect has been improved in version 6 with an optional second outline and a property bar to help manage the options. As with other Effects, you can define the Inline or Outline graphically and/or numerically.							N+	NP
Knife The Knife tool is a great feature that enables you to slice any vector graphic into as many pieces as you want. You can adjust the cut to have zero width, a gap or an overlap of whatever amount you specify. The above example shows a series of horizontal cuts, but you can make the knife cut at any angle. To use this feature, simply select the Knife tool, click where you want the knife to start, and then drag it across the image you are cutting. Version 6 uses a property bar for streamlined operation.							N+	NP
Text on a Path This feature allows you to fit a line of text to a complex path defined by one or more Bezier curves. It is also a Dynamic Effect, meaning that you can edit any of the text properties at any time.							N+	NP
Extruded Shadow Create dramatic three dimensional designs. Select the text or graphic to be shadowed. Click on the Shadow tool in the toolbox or on Shadow in the Tools menu. Select Extruded Shadow in the Shadow dialog box. With the cursor positioned away from the design, click and drag the right mouse button to move the shadow into the desired position and release the left mouse button. Move the cursor close to the top of the design. Click and drag the left mouse button away from the design to set the amount of the outline. Click on Ok to complete the Shadow function. Version 6 uses a property bar for streamlined operation.								NP
Perspective Shadow It's easy to create a perspective shadow - just drag the shadow and then set the distance the shadow should be from the face. The Perspective tool for 6 has support for dynamic effects, which preserves text properties even after applying the effect.								NP
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Vector Graphics Tools
Adjustable tangency indicator This feature lets you know whether two adjacent vectors are tangent by showing the node as a "+" sign. If the vectors are not tangent, a small black box will be shown instead. You set the angle at which the tangency indicator switches from the plus sign to the box. All of our standard fonts are tangent to less than 1 degree for maximum quality. The adjustable tangency indicator takes away all the guesswork about the quality of a design when you cut it or print it at a large size.						NW	N+	NP
Bezier Tool The On-Screen Digitizing tool contains a greatly improved Bezier editing tool, which is very compatible with popular programs like Corel and Illustrator and their bezier tools, so the learning curve is quick.						NW	N+	NP
Improved AI filter: Versions 1.1, 3 through 6 Our support for AI is greatly improved in version 6. We now support groups, layers, bitmaps and strokes in AI files (both import and export).						NW	N+	NP
Improved AI/EPS importing With version 6.5 our AI/EPS support is much improved.						NW	N+	NP
Node Edit: Insert/Delete/Move/Break/Join Editing vectors is fast and intuitive without any unnecessary steps. Changing a flower into a letter is not a typical sign designing task, but it shows how easy and versatile the vector editing tools are. This example is taken from one of the tutorial lessons.						NW	N+	NP
On Screen Digitizing If the quality of a bitmap image is less than ideal, On-Screen Digitizing may be more cost effective than automatic vectorizing for converting bitmap images to vector images because it eliminates vector editing time. Scan or import a bitmap image. Click on the On-Screen Digitizing tool. Start on any inner loop, preferably a corner, and proceed counterclockwise around the loop selecting lines, arcs and Beziers as needed from the dialog bar to follow the shape of the design. When the inner loops are completed, proceed clockwise around the outer loop(s). Switch to the Vector Edit tool, if needed, to fine tune the vectors so they match the design as closely as possible. For 6, we've redesigned the bezier tool to work much like the tools in other popular graphics programs, making it much easier for designers familiar with other programs to design graphics in our software.						NW	N+	NP
Optimize Vectors Optimize Vectors is a must-use feature for imported files and vectorized files to ensure good, clean data. Optimize Vectors has replaced and improved upon the Smooth Vectors command. This one feature enables you to reduce the number of vectors, close loops, and reorder loops. It will also convert chords into arcs and lines for better and faster operation in the program. A property bar is used, and you can now see the OLD path superimposed with the new smoother path to ensure that there is not too much deviation with the settings you've used.						NW	N+	NP
PDF Import and Export We now offer comprehensive support for PDF import and export, including ICC profile support, along with improved EPS/AI importing.						NW	N+	NP
Sharp Corner Tool This handy tool will turn a radiused corner into a sharp corner, by deleting the arc and extending the two adjacent vectors so they meet, or joining with the straight lines if the projections won't intersect.						NW	N+	NP
Vector Filters: DXF,EPS,AI,EMF,more The ability to import and export files between various design programs is an important requirement today. We support vector-based files in the following formats: AI, DXF, EPS, EMF, and WMF. Please see our Support page for additional information on importing and exporting.						NW	N+	NP
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Image Manipulation Tools
Bitmap Filters: BMP, JPEG, TIFF, more Full color bitmaps can be imported, manipulated, and exported in the following formats: TIFF, PCX, BMP, JPG, PSD, TGA, and more. For 6, ALL levels can import and export all file formats, and in color. Please see our Support page for more information on importing and exporting various file formats.						NW	N+	NP
Export Original Bitmap This makes it easy to convert a bitmap to a different format without losing any information or inadvertently resizing it. In version 6 the dialog box is simplified.						NW	N+	NP
Interactive Bitmap Rotate Tool This tool is very handy for rotating an image that is slightly skewed. You simply drag a line along the horizon to define the angle to rotate.						NW	N+	NP
Adjust Bitmap Brightness The image brightness can be edited in the Image Property Bar. A negative number makes the image appear darker and a positive value makes the image appear brighter.							N+	NP
Adjust Bitmap Contrast The contrast of an image can be adjusted right in the Image Property Bar. Lowering the contrast makes the image have more mid-tones, while increasing contrast makes the image have more extreme light and dark tones.							N+	NP
Adjust Bitmap Saturation The image saturation can be edited in the Image Property Bar. A negative number makes the image appear less saturated and a positive value makes the image appear more saturated.							N+	NP
Crop Bitmap This handy tool lets you crop a bitmap into a smaller image. When you select the tool from the Image Property Bar, it will appear on the screen as a rectangle with four editable corners. Simply edit the shape and then double click the mouse to crop out the unwanted areas.							N+	NP
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Cutting/Plotting and Printing
All popular plotters/cutters supported Through the open plotter/cutter driver format that we've had for over 10 years, we can drive any popular plotter or cutter on the market. If you do not see your specific model number listed in our software, chances are you can use a standard driver from the same manufacturer. Contact us if you have any questions or see our Support page for more information on plotter/cutter drivers.						NW	N+	NP
All Windows printers supported Any printer supported by Windows is automatically supported in our software, since we use the printer's standard Windows driver. This includes all kinds of printers at all different sizes, including wide format color printers.						NW	N+	NP
Horizontal and Vertical Paneling When a design is larger than the vertical media size, or longer than supported by the plotter, then it will be paneled into sections for output. Vertical paneling is very common, and occurs when the design is taller than the usable height of the material. Horizontal paneling occurs when the plotter has a Page Size limit, and the design is wider than this limit. For some large jobs, the design will be paneled in both directions, resulting in four or more distinct panels that need to be aligned and reassembled for installation. Paneling is automatic in the Plot Manager, depending on the settings in the Setup dialog box and the overall size of the design. This image shows a job paneled in both directions, as indicated by the vertical and horizontal lines in the design. You may also set the size of overlap (if any) between the panels. The exact location of the panel lines can be adjusted, as long as the new position is within the maximum limit. In this example, the horizontal panel line was moved to the left between the "e" and "l" so as not to cut a letter into two pieces.						NW	N+	NP
Mirror, Scale, Rotate (Plot Manager) When you bring a design into the Plot Manager, there are several adjustments that you can make before plotting or cutting, including Mirror, Scale, and Rotate. These features are also available in the Layout Window, but here in the Plot Manager they are used for production instead of design purposes. In version 6, convenient icons have been added for Mirror and Rotate.						NW	N+	NP
Network Plotting This productivity feature enables you to plot or cut to any machine that is on the network, not just a machine that is attached to the current design computer. You no longer need to design and plot on the same machine with this capability. For a shop with several design stations and/or multiple plotters/cutters, this feature will add significantly to your productivity.						NW	N+	NP
Plot to File Mainly a diagnostic tool, plotting to a file lets you see exactly what is being sent to your plotter. You may view this file in the regular Layout Window, or you may view it in a text editor to see the HPGL commands. If you ever experience plotting problems, this is a good tool to help figure out what is happening.						NW	N+	NP
Print Preview The Print Preview feature lets you see your design before you print, so that you can verify the size and the relative position of the design on the media. In 6, the Print dialog box has been enlarged.						NW	N+	NP
Quick Plot This feature is a handy time saver that enables you to plot directly from the Layout Window to the default plotter, without opening the Plot Manager. You may Quick Plot just a selected object, or the entire layout (assuming it is one color). You must make sure that the Plot Manager is properly configured for your plotter and that your plotter is online before using this feature.						NW	N+	NP
Step and Repeat (Plot Manager) In the Plot Manager, the production module of the software, you may lay out multiple copies of your design using the Step and Repeat function. This is particularly useful if you need to organize the copies on the material in a certain way, because you can specify the X and Y copies of the design. Otherwise, simply enter the number of copies you want, and they will be organized to maximize the use of available material. In 6, you can now manually specify the the rows and columns of your repeating design, which means the material height is no longer a concern.						NW	N+	NP
Streamlined Plot Manager The Plot Manager has been streamlined with a new property bar and menus. These screen shots show various functions of the Plot Manager window, starting with an overall view and proceding to show the new icons for Mirror, Rotate, and Easy Weed, then the Plot, Delete, and Setup buttons, then the new way to set the plot end position, and finally the input fields for Step and Repeat.						NW	N+	NP
Vertical Weed Lines in Plot Manager This allows you to add vertical weed lines in addition to horizontal weed lines for the ultimate in weeding efficiency.						NW	N+	NP
Weed Border It is very easy to add a Weed Border for vinyl jobs, making it faster to weed the finished design. Simply click on the Weed Border button in the Plot Manager, and a box will be drawn around the design. You may also edit the gap of the weed border to the edge of the design. Please also see Easy Weed.						NW	N+	NP
Windows Printer Driver This is a new architecture for plotting and cutting that takes advantage of the Windows printing capabilities. Among other advantages, you can now easily plot or cut to any machine on your Windows network!						NW	N+	NP
Channel Letter Return Patterns Previously only available as a separate module, this feature automates the tedious process of hand measuring your channel letters for notching and bending the return. It creates a paper pattern with all the appropriate measurements for notches and bends that you simply attach to your return. Why do this by hand when the process can be automated? If you are making channel letters, you can’t afford to miss this time saving capability. This graphic shows a pattern created from the letters "ABC." Each individual loop has an indentifying number and pattern that is nested for plotting. Each pattern contains solid or dotted lines indicating where to notch and bend the return. This feature is available for $300 in the Advantage Level.							N+	NP
Pen Fill This feature is used with a plotter to fill in areas of a design with a thick pen for a less expensive output option. If a sign is very temporary, or otherwise does not merit using vinyl, this Pen Fill feature makes it easy to create professional paper signs. This example shows an image of a flame that has been filled in. You set the width of the pen and the percentage of the overlap to get the desired effect.							N+	NP
Routing/Engraving Support Sign Wizard Pro includes the following features for routing and engraving: HPGL, DXF and G Code output data formats, multiple depth cutting (number of passes, total depth and depth per pass, cleanup pass offset and cleanup pass depth change), male/female/X-axis sorting, spiral inline and linear pocket milling, loop sequence numbering, automatic loop re-sequencing (to minimize total path length).								NP
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Productivity Tools
Auto Save If you ever lose data because of a computer crash or power outage, the Auto-Save feature will save your layout at a user defined interval (in minutes). This feature provides a peace of mind that you will not lose a morning's work if you forget to save your files periodically. The next time you open the software, you will be asked if you want to restore the file that you were working on when the computer went down.						NW	N+	NP
Customizable Toolbar and Icons Every software user has certain preferences about how the screen is laid out and what tools are available where. Therefore, we provide you with the maximum flexibility to lay out the tooolbars and icons as you see fit. The icons along the left of the screen let you access most of the programs features, and you can add or subtract these and put them in any order you want. The toolbars along the top of the screen (which change depending on what you are doing in the program) can also float anywhere over the layout window. The color palette can be placed anywhere on or around the layout window as well. Set up the screen however you want! For 6, the toolbox will remember the last tool you picked from a flyout even after you close the program.						NW	N+	NP
Email Layout Email a layout, JPG, AI, or EPS file directly to your customer or co-worker from within the program.						NW	N+	NP
Job Manager The Job Manager provides everything you need to keep track of your jobs! Never again will you look through files with unintelligible names, with no idea about the job or customer. The Job Manager lets you enter the customer, the designer, a job number, and a description, as well as pertinent information about the file such as when it was created, where it is stored, and its size. You may also attach multiple files to a single job and get a preview of the job when you select it. Finally, you can search on a customer, designer, or job number to find what you're looking for. This feature helps you stay organized and will save lots of time when you need to find an old job. The Job Manager is especially useful in a larger shop with multiple designers and lots of customers.						NW	N+	NP
Online Help The Sign Wizard Online Help is a valuable resource for learning and operating the software. This help is available at all times by pressing the F1 key or clicking on Help in any dialog box or function. This example below shows some of the description for Zooming in and out. Similar step-by-step instructions and detailed examples are included for all Sign Wizard features and capabilities.						NW	N+	NP
Spell Checker The spell check feature helps you make sure you don't make a costly mistake before production begins...such as misspelling "poinsettia" for a plaque to be prominantly posted at a poinsettia ranch. You can also add words to the dictionary for next time.						NW	N+	NP
Tool Tips Tool tips are convenient little pop-ups that give you the name of the icon or text box when you move the mouse over it. This is surprisingly useful in operating the program, especially before you know all of the commands. Some of the Tool Tips give you the acceptable range of values for an input field.						NW	N+	NP
Unlimited Undo The ability to Undo multiple operations provides increased flexibility in the design process, since you know that you can go back and try something again. This feature enables you to Undo operations all the way back until the last time you saved your design. Simply hit the Backspace key to Undo as many times as you wish in order to experiment with different design ideas. For 6, Redo has been added, and the Undo mechanism internally redesigned for better reliability.						NW	N+	NP
Zooming Sometimes it is the little things that make the difference in design productivity. Zooming is a feature that you will use constantly, which is why we made it as easy as possible. Simply draw a box with the right mouse button around what you want to see. There is no tool to select, or special mode to enter. What could be faster or easier?						NW	N+	NP
Programmable Hot Keys This feature lets you assign your own keys to menu commands, greatly speeding up tasks you perform frequently.							N+	NP
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Neon Design Tools
Add Blackouts When editing a neon tube, it is easy to add a blacked out section. Simply click on the tube, then click on the Blackout icon or select Blackout from the pop-up menu (both options are shown in the graphic). The tube will now be shown with an inline to indicate that it is blacked out. The Add Blackout feature is another of the easy neon editing tools designed to put the finishing touches on your pattern.						NW	N+	NP
Add Common Housings Adding housings to each tube termination is done by just clicking on the termination, then clicking on the appropriate housing icon from the Neon Editing pop_up menu. You can also add the same housing to all terminations in your pattern in one easy step, as shown in the graphic. The standard housings are PK, 100, 200, 300, G cup, GG cup, Quad, straight boot, and double back boot. You may also add your own custom housings - see Create Custom Housings.						NW	N+	NP
Add Mounting Holes The ability to add mounting holes to your neon design is a very important feature for channel letters and similar applications. You may create custom sized mounting holes, and then place them anywhere on your layout. If you scale the design up or down, the mounting holes will maintain their original size. Mounting holes can be exported or routed along with some or all of the components of the complete design. See Layers for more information.						NW	N+	NP
Add Tube Supports Another of the time saving neon editing features is adding tube supports to your pattern. All you have to do is click on the tube where you want the support, then click on the Tube Support icon from the Neon Editing toolbar or select it from the opo-up menu. The support will be shown on your pattern as a small "X" across the tube. You'll also notice from the graphic that the tube support holes are automatically drawn. These are put on a separate layer that can then be exported to your router.						NW	N+	NP
Auto Tube Layout Neon Wizard can easily create channel letter layouts with any number of tubes, including single tube, using the Auto Tube Layout feature. You specify the tube diameter, the number of tubes, the clearance from the edge of the channel letter, and the gap between tubes (if two or more tubes). In version 6, this tool has been improved with new capabilities (see Neon Auto Spacing and Neon Auto Tube Count) and made much easier to use by utilizing a property bar.						NW	N+	NP
Change Neon Tube Diameter Only When editing neon tubes, sometimes you need to change the tube diameter only, without changing the design. This is done in one easy step in Neon Wizard. Any subsequent changes that you make to the overall design, including scaling it up or down, will NOT affect the tube diameter - this will stay constant according to the setting you entered. The tube diamaters available go from 3mm to 22mm.						NW	N+	NP
Connect Tubes The ability to easily connect neon tubes from different letters or different parts of a design is an important Neon Wizard benefit. This is done in three short mouse operations - click on the end of the first tube, click on the tool, then click on the beginning of the second tube. A new tube will be drawn connecting them that you can then black out. That's it!						NW	N+	NP
Create Custom Housings In addition to the standard housings that we include with Neon Wizard (9 total), you can add your own custom housings and use them across your jobs. This level of customization helps you be more precise and productive. Simply draw the housing with the proper dimensions and export it as a *.NH file for future use.						NW	N+	NP
Current Tube/Total Length Display One of the most important metrics in a neon design is the amount of glass you are using. Neon Wizard provides a constantly updated measure of tube length - both the current tube that you are working on and the total length of all the tubes in the design. Use the current tube information to decide where to break a tube, and the total length information for quoting/job costing and as an input to the transformer choice. This is a simple but extraordinarily useful feature! In 6, the length information is merged with the Neon toolbar into a single property bar that appears as needed, reducing screen clutter dramatically. See also Neon Summary for tube lengths per letter.						NW	N+	NP
Insert Doublebacks Adding double backs to each termination is a simple neon editing function. You can add the double backs to each termination individually, either using the icon or the pop-up menu for neon editing, or you can add them all terminations at once. A standard length is enforced (default is 3 inches), but you can easily adjust the position.						NW	N+	NP
Maximum Tube Length You can now specify the maximum length you want for each tube element in a neon design. With Limit Tubes to Max Length checked (Tools menu/Options/Neon), for any tube whose length is longer than the setting you have entered (e.g. 96 inches), the first 96 inches are displayed in green and for the rest of the tube only the centerline is shown. You can then double click and select Break Open at the end of the green section (e.g. at 96 inches) or at any point prior to where the green section ends to start the next element – such as at the last bend. (Breaking the tube at a point less than the full 96 inch length will, of course, make the first tube shorter than 96 inches, but it may be a more practical place for the break - depending on the details of the design.) If the tube is initially more than twice as long as the maximum setting you entered, you can repeat the Break Open process as many times as needed to make all the tubes equal to or shorter than the specified length. If doublebacks are to be added later, their lengths should be subtracted from the Maximum Length setting you enter.						NW	N+	NP
Move Opening, Break Tube Open Moving the opening on a neon tube to a new location and breaking the tube open at a certain point are both important neon editing requirements. These capabilities are as simple as clicking on the tube and then clicking on the appropriate icon. You may also select the function from the neon editing pop-up menu. Both options are shown in this example.						NW	N+	NP
Neon Summary Neon Summary takes the next step in displaying tube length information by presenting a table of tube lengths per letter. This table is automatically generated and can be printed along with the layout as a proof, internal work order, or customer copy. The example here shows the letters "Sum" and the associated Neon Summary table showing the individual letter tube lengths and the total length. Note that the tubes are numbered for easy reference on the original neon layout.						NW	N+	NP
Neonize "Neonize" is a term that we came up with to describe converting a regular vector into a neon tube. This feature will instantly make your regular design into a neon design. Neonize is used mostly to create exposed neon lettering and designs. After you have created the neon tubes, you then add double backs, housings, tube supports, etc. to complete the neon pattern.						NW	N+	NP
Raceway Support When making channel letters, you often want to line up your neon housings along a raceway. Neon Wizard enables you to position the raceway, and then when you use the Auto Tube Layout or Neonize feature, the tube openings will automatically be created along this raceway guideline.						NW	N+	NP
Switch between drop/flat blend A neon tube bend will be displayed as a flat bend or a drop bend depending on the angle of the two tubes (you set the default angle). You may change any bend from one type to the other just by clicking on the Special Bend icon or by using the neon editing pop-up menu.						NW	N+	NP
Tube End Gap This allows you to set a standard distance from the end of a tube to the inside edge of a channel letter, based on a percentage of the stroke width. The default is 50%, which puts the end of the tube an equal distance from the three edges of the letter. This graphic also shows 20% and 75% for comparison.						NW	N+	NP
Tube Support Holes Adding a tube support hole is a snap...because it is added automatically when you add a tube support!						NW	N+	NP
Neon Auto Tube Count Take the guesswork out of your neon layouts! Auto Tube Count will determine the correct number of tubes based on the Tube Size, Clearance, and Tube Gap values you enter in Auto Tube Layout. These examples show 25" letters with various values and number of tubes.							N+	NP
Neon Auto Spacing For evenly lighted double tube channel letters, the new Auto Spacing capability with Auto Tube Layout is all you need. For variable stroke letters, the tubes will be placed closer to the edge on the thin strokes and closer to the middle on thick strokes.								NP
Neon Preview The new Neon Preview gives you amazingly realistic looking previews of what your neon sign will look like. This has been totally redesigned for version 6, and now has several options for fine-tuning the preview. These examples show a few variations on the options, including the Color, Center, Softness, and Glow options in the property bar.								NP
Neon Preview enhanced to work with Groups This enhancement to Neon Preview means you can now preview an entire group of neon graphics.								NP
Parallel Tube Layout Here's a feature that will save you tremendous time and money on big channel letters. Parallel Tube Layout enables you to drop in a whole set of neon tubes inside your letters all at once. You set the angle, the distance from the edge, and the distance between tubes. You can even connect all the tubes together in one easy step. This feature alone more than pays for the software on one big job!								NP
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Wide Format Printing
CMYK and HSV Support CMYK support means you can design in the CMYK color model and be assured that the colors will be accurately carried over into the RIP when it comes time to print. We support both CMYK process and spot colors. HSV is an alternative color model, used mainly for on-screen viewing, that is also supported.						NW	N+	NP
New Bitmap Filters: GIF, TIFF LZW Import and export of bitmap files in the GIF format is now supported. GIF is a common Web format because the files sizes are quite small. Import and export of bitmap files in the TIFF format with the LZW compression is also now supported. The LZW compression is a lossless compression, meaning you are not losing any data when you use this format.						NW	N+	NP
Stroke Support Adding a Stroke to a vector path basically thickens it up for better viewing and printing. This does not change a vector path whatsoever; it is purely a bitmap effect. In this example, the lettering has been given a stroke, and then the color and width of the stroke are changed using the Job Color Toolbar and the new Color tab.						NW	N+	NP
Image Resampling Image resampling allows you to change the pixel dimensions of your bitmap images, thereby adding or subtracting pixels as necessary. You may want to enlarge an image for wide format printing, so you would use this feature to add pixels. Or you may want to create a small Web version of a logo, so you would use this feature to subtract pixels.							N+	NP
Windows Image Acquisition Here is the next generation scanning interface in Windows. Similar to TWAIN, Windows Image Acquisition handles launching your scanning software from Sign Wizard and importing the scanned image when finished.							N+	NP
Clipping Paths Clipping paths are a more generalized and powerful alternative to the Photomask feature. Clipping paths let you create clipping masks with both vector and bitmap graphics, and can be used in conjunction with Contour Cut for print and cut applications. Photomask is still available, and enhanced, but a Photomask is initially created a bit differently now. This example shows a person being cut from a background using the following tools: On-Screen Digitizing, Clipping Path, and Feather. Then a new background is added behind the original image.								NP
External Image Edit This handy button lets you use another image editing program to perform some modification, and reimport the changed image automatically.								NP
Photomask The Photomask feature has been enhanced with a Shift option to more precisely position the underlying bitmap, and a Scale option, allowing you precisely set the size of the bitmap relative to the clipping vector path.								NP
Soft Shadow The Soft Shadow has a wide number of uses, and is ideal for designs that will be color printed. The Soft Shadow feature in version 6 has been totally redesigned. It creates a very realistic shadow effect that's ideal for creating dimensionality for printed signs. You can see a variety of shadow effects, created by altering the opacity and the softness of the shadow. The final image shows the shadow on top of a picture to illustrate how the opacity reveals what is underneath.								NP
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