How do I design a coin on my computer?

[+Ble68]

I am wondering how to design my coin on the computer. Is there a software I can buy or something like that? I tried my paint program but it doesn't let me write anything.

[+Renegade Knight]

I am wondering how to design my coin on the computer. Is there a software I can buy or something like that? I tried my paint program but it doesn't let me write anything.

 

There are programs that do more than paint but they all have a learning curve.

 

One called The Gimp and another called Paint.net are open source type programs. Photoshop is still high up the list of good programs but it's also going to make a dent in your pocket.

 

My method is to draw it by hand. If I tried to draw on the computer it would be like a singing pig. At least by hand I can convey what I'm trying to say to an actual artist.

[+Ble68]

When I draw my coin do I color it?

[+islander1988]

You should colour it, and state the PMS colour number to avoid confusion (or the mint picking a shade you end up not liking).

 

For my coins I use Corel Draw. I like it a lot since it's vector based so things scale nicely.

 

You can read a past thread on this topic here.

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=152060

[+Renegade Knight]

When I draw my coin do I color it?

It you want color.

 

The post above points out that you should specify the right color...that can be hard to do if you are a notive (like myself) and it can take a couple of go rounds with the mint to get the right color.

 

When I ran into some trouble I had access to the original artists color #'s and the problem went away.

 

http://www.mfa-uk.co.uk/images/colorchart.htm

[+islander1988]

When I ran into some trouble I had access to the original artists color #'s and the problem went away.

 

http://www.mfa-uk.co.uk/images/colorchart.htm

 

That's a good site to bookmark. Here's another with the same sort of info.

http://www.d-zignsinc.com/view/pantone.html

 

If you tend to work offline you can find PDF charts for download like this one.

http://www.ukbagselite.com/assets/File/pantone_colors.pdf

Just Google "pantone colors pdf" to find more.

 

You could also check if your drawing program lets you specify fill colours by Pantone number (Corel Draw does). That will help you see right in your artwork how a shade will look.

[Jake - Team A.I.]

I've done quite a bit with using something simple as paint. The trick is, you can import text from other programs. I use word to make arc'd text and paste it into the images. MS Paint does have the ability to add words, but only straight. You can change the rotation and angle, but sometimes it's easier to just copy and paste it from a word processor.

 

Your work doesn't have to be perfect. Chicken scratch on a napkin can convey the idea you're trying to put into your coin.

 

I drew this up mostly in Paint. I used Wordart in MS Word to get the arc'd text.

 

This is the coin that came from that artwork.

[+rasj & Stacey]

 

This is the coin that came from that artwork.

<snip>

 

Hmmm, I too would like to design a coin with paint. I think you did an excellent job with yours Jake. I still don't quite understand how you drew it with Paint though....Maybe if you sent me one of those coins so I could have a better look at it, it would help me out. Yeah, that's it. I need to see it up close and hold it and maybe even stick it on my display rack for a few years while I practice my paint skills. Why, I could even take it to events with me so that I would always be able to refer to the coin if an idea comes to mind. It's strictly to help me design my own coin with Paint you see... that's it. I have my address ready to send to you if you ever need it. okay?

 

TIA!!1!

 

 

 

 

(translation: Your coin is awesome!)

[+Ble68]

Thanks you were a big help and I will have to keep that color thing in mind! P.s That coin is awesome!!

 

LAter I'll post the coin design I made!!

[Jake - Team A.I.]

 

This is the coin that came from that artwork.

<snip>

 

Hmmm, I too would like to design a coin with paint. I think you did an excellent job with yours Jake. I still don't quite understand how you drew it with Paint though....Maybe if you sent me one of those coins so I could have a better look at it, it would help me out. Yeah, that's it. I need to see it up close and hold it and maybe even stick it on my display rack for a few years while I practice my paint skills. Why, I could even take it to events with me so that I would always be able to refer to the coin if an idea comes to mind. It's strictly to help me design my own coin with Paint you see... that's it. I have my address ready to send to you if you ever need it. okay?

 

TIA!!1!

 

 

 

 

(translation: Your coin is awesome!)

 

I don't know if this will be much help, but it shows someone drawing the Mona Lisa using MS Paint. Btw, this is way beyond my set of 1337 paint skillz

 

Youtube - Mona Lisa w/ MS Paint

[+Ble68]

Now after I made the coin how do I post the picture here?

I can't copy and paste it!!

[+geoSquid]

My coins start out as concept, pencil drawings on scraps of paper and the backs of napkins.

 

From there, I use Adobe Photoshop to get the concept into artwork that is useable. If I'm doing it with Keeper of Maps, he refines it using Adobe Illustrator and converts to PNG format. If it's just me I just save in PNG directly.

 

I list colours as Pantone numbers for the most part. My monitor is calibrated using a Spyder II.

[Jake - Team A.I.]

Now after I made the coin how do I post the picture here?

I can't copy and paste it!!

 

I'm sure someone else may post the other method, but I prefer to just use a photobucket account.

 

On photobucket.com, you can upload your pictures to their server (very easily, I might add) and link the image there. Once on photobucket, the image will have 3 text windows under it.

 

The first one is a URL link. Basicly its a special webpage that shows only that picture... but it's not very user friendly for forums.

 

Second is a HTML tag. If you're building a personal webpage and are running out of room for all the pictures you've added to you webpage, you can add this line of code to your webpage to display the image on your webpage, from their server.

 

The third, and the one useful here on the forums is the IMG code. All you have to do is copy the text inside this box and copy it into the message you are typing... where you want the image to appear.

 

I know there is another way that others find easier to use, but this works for me well, because sometimes I want to reference the same image elsewhere, and it's a quick locate, click, and paste process.

 

Also, there are other free image storage services other than photobucket.... it just happens to be the one I use. Be warned that if you post an image gets used a lot and exceeds their bandwidth rules, it will be blocked for a while, if not permanently. I've never had a problem with this, but I've seen it happen with humorous images that get shared across the net.

[+Ble68]

Thanks worked like a charm!

[+Ble68]

 

Well this is what I have been working on and thanks to you guys I finally ifnished! You guys rock! I am thinking o making htis into my personal geocoin! It may not look like it now but it is suppose to be a symphony chocolate bar with a little touch of me! I am hoping that I can add some texture to the actual coin. What do you guys think? All suggestions Welcome!

Edited April 17, 2007 by Ble68

[+tsunrisebey]

That looks good, so much better than I can do on my computer. I have to stick to drawings myself. I think with some graphic refining, you could have yourself a nice personal coin Good luck.

 

tsun

[+Marky]

I'd like to give a shout out for OpenOffice 2.0 (an open source project), which has an awesome draw module. It's object based (i.e. you can place objects, move them around, resize them independently from other objects in the drawing.) It does things like curved text, translucent colors, and lots more. Plus, it's free. It might be more trouble to install than some people are willing to tolerate, but I like it.

 

--Marky

[+LadeBear68]

Great design.

[+Degai]

GEEZ, I wished I could do all of that computer drawing! I have adobe photshop, but I have no idea how to do graphics with it. I thought it was for correcting and resizing photographs! Where do all of the graphics come from?

 

I also have printmaster, but no one can open anything with that one!

 

BTW, nice coins!

[+Ble68]

What is graphic refining?

[CinemaBoxers]

Graphic refining - as a generic term, is basically cleaning, rescaling, and optimizing an image.

 

Honestly - to get a coin close to what you want the final to look like - you need to refine your art. The more finished the art, the more the final coin will LOOK like the art.

 

The mints re-do much of the art when they make the dies for the coins, but you still SHOULD ideally have clean art if you want a good idea of what the coin will look like. (Otherwise, you put it into the mint artists hands!)

[+fox-and-the-hound]

 

Well this is what I have been working on and thanks to you guys I finally ifnished! You guys rock! I am thinking o making htis into my personal geocoin! It may not look like it now but it is suppose to be a symphony chocolate bar with a little touch of me! I am hoping that I can add some texture to the actual coin. What do you guys think? All suggestions Welcome!

 

Well since you're already doing an unusual shape... how about tearing the wrapper off one corner and showing some of the chocolate with a big bite out of it? Like the big bite in the Whitebear coin that comes to mind.

[+Ble68]

That's is exactally what I was thinking! THanks

[+Mauison]

These were mentioned before but they look like they still need to be revised: "preforming" should be changed to "performing" and the treble clef is reversed.