Free Resources for Screen Printers and Business Owners

As a business owner, I like getting stuff for free. I’m proud to be cheap. I’m so cheap in fact that, even though I can afford it, I still drive a 92 Toyota Corolla - 35 MPG thank you. It’s that mindset which has prompted me to write a post to build a list of free software and products which I use to run this business. Check back often, as this will be a growing list of free resources for screen printers, and shoe string budgeteers.

Step Wedge Test

Don’t pay $30-40 for a piece of plastic with graduated dots on it. Use this free Step Wedge Tester instead from SMR Software. They also provide a fine tutorial on how to properly use the wedge test here. SMR is also the maker of a very, very high quality vellum, which by their claim has better properties for screen printers, i.e. more transparent, and more durable than artists vellum. I use their vellum, myself, and while I can’t rightly say that I’ve vetted it in a one on one against artist vellum, I can say it works very well, and it is very transparent.

Raster Image Software (like Photoshop)

GIMP is by far the most available, and widespread open source raster image creation software. It works exceptionally well, and while not quite as robust, it certainly is an outstanding free resource. It works well enough that I prefer it head and shoulders above Paint Shop Pro. There is also a hacked version called GIMPshop, which rearranges the tools and interface to more closely resemble Photoshop. It makes the transition to GIMP much easier. GIMPshop is so effective that, many of the tutorials you find for Photoshop can be followed in the GIMP interface.

Vector Image Software (Like Illustrator and Corel)

Inkscape is bar none one of the more robust pieces of vector software available - free or not. It is unique into itself, as they are NOT trying to emulate Illustrator or Corel, they’re trying to compete with them. It more closely resembles Corel than Illustrator, but that’s where the similarity stops. In the past Inkscape users (like me) have complained about text manipulation, and with the latest version they’ve shown that they’re listening by giving much more control to the user in how the text looks pairs, kerns, and resizes to fit the frame. They’ve also finally given us the ability to convert text to curves which has a whole host of added benefits which weren’t previously available in free software.

It’s missing some things I love in Illustrator CS3, like live tracing, but it’s well enough for me to save the extra money. Besides go here and look scroll down the page to look at some of the fabulous vector art that’s being created with this software.

StarOffice and Google Pack (Alternative to Microsoft Office)
I love StarOffice. It comes with an excellent spreadsheet, database, word processor, as well as a very nice animated presentation package like PowerPoint, a very unfortunate piece of vector software. With the exception of the vector tool, it is overall one of the best alternatives to MS Office available. As part of a joint promotion with Google, you can download it with the Google Pack, and get it for free. Other wise it’s an $80.00 piece of software worth every penny - but don’t pay if it’s free from Google!!! The Google Pack also has some other cool features, as well, but you can pick and choose what you’d like to download or skip entirely.

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