Hi. I am new to coreldraw x4 and was wondering if a plugin is available to cut the vinyl direct from corel rather than exporting it and importing it into artcut. The model is JK871 and it uses a Redsail package. (I think) 

If your plotter came with a driver that makes it look like another printer (Look at Window's 'Printers and Faxes' for your plotter), then you can output your vector image to the plotter, just like it was another printer.

If that is not feasible, then you could export your vector artwork as a *.plt file. That is a HPGL plotter format file. Then using your plotter communications, you send the *.plt file to the plotter. (i.e.: if your plotter is on COM1, then do "copy <filename).plt COM1:" from a command prompt.)

If the plotter interface is only accessible via the artcut software, then what you are doing now is about it. Other than a third party software, such as CoCut, but then I do not know if CoCut supoorts the Redsail plotter.

Thanks for the prompt response. It isn't seen as a printer as it's connected by a usb serial on com2. I know the software exists and works on usb it's just finding it that appears to be the problem. 

Then export your vectore drawing as a *.plt file. Then bring up a command prompt and do "copy <filename>.plt COM2:

That will output the drawn vectors to the plotter. Of course, you want to do only one color at a time.

http://coreldraw.com/forums/p/7073/26536.aspx#26536

oth, CorelDRAW X3 and X4, are compatible with Graphtec Vinyl Cutting plotters, and you don't need any plugin. I been using for a long time CorelDRAW with a Graphtec plotter. You only need:

- install drivers, as any printer

- change language from HPGL to GP-GL

- send to print (Ctrl+P) objects with "hariline" and "Black" outline, and "no fill".

 Thanks guys. I have been offline for a few days after a Vista service pack 1 installation failure. Now back online using XP. Vista isn't getting near my system again.

There is value in exporting to a plt file first. You can plot that on paper and know 100% that you will get 100% the same result when you load vinyl.

I think it would be quite resonable to call on Corel to supply a tool to copy files to a printer/plotter. It's a pretty minor coding job that cold be given to a newbie. And it would round off one rough edge.

Here's a code reference... http://support.microsoft.com/kb/119113

Maybe this could be done really simply with send to... http://www.geekgirls.com/windows_sendto.htm

And this classic... http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~ghost/redmon/index.htm

Good wiki topic to build on.