Hey Blinddog99

[Steelhorse]

Hey Dog! I was wondering if you could do me a favor? I will be getting the Adobe creative suite premium 2.3 software soon! Could you post a how to on manipulating a pic in photoshop...transfering it into AI and creating a vector image that can be sent to a plotter cutter? Any little hints like auto trace, inline/outline, etc would also be helpful!

I realize that you are a busy so if ya don't have the time I will understand!

Thanks in advance, Len

[Whit]

Len,,,,,,,,
if that prog has a vectoring (auto trace,, etc) capability
in it,,, here's a simple way till you learn all the lil bells n whistles !!!
Is this prog anything like Illustrator ???
Personally,,, I'm drawing program challenged,, but this works for me !!!
posted awhile back,,,
http://www.airbrushtech.info/AIRBRUSH/forum/showthread.php?t=223
hope this may help in some way !!!
Blinddog :dog: can probably tell you more on the bells n whistles !!!

[blinddog 99]

Steel, I will do my best. I am no expert and there is more expertise out here than I have. However, I have a crew of young Techies that dazzle daily, it is how I make a living. I will get with my man Carlos and see if I can't set up a tutorial. No promises on time, if you think owning a business is fun, I spent 3 hours (including lunch) behing pitched by my corporate bankers, as they have a new handler for our accounts. Somebody kill me now! (Looking at expansion and broadbasing our offerings, lotsa money fun.)

Whit's vector piece is excellent and very intuituve and a very good place to begin. In PS you can import a photo image, posterize, increase gamma levels, contrast, almost anything and basically end up with a stylized tracing. I will try to reciprocate on a piece from PS through Illustrator vector, but it will take me a little time. Cheers guys.

Whit, Adobe creative suite (CS2) is a bundle with Photoshop, Illustrator, and GoLive, a sophisticated web building suite. They are all integrated to work together.

[Steelhorse]

Thanks Guys!!!! I haven't gotten the software yet but I will probably overload the server when I do! When I do and get it going.....a new monster will be created!!!! MUAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! Then the plotter cutter will be next!!!!!:partyalone: Thanks again!!!!

[Whit]

Sounds like a great suite,,, (learning curve)
It seems it would be simpler to do the TUT
at your leisure and just put it in a pdf for
a download or link !!!
I tend to be more familiar with corel draw,,,
but even that,,, at times amazes me !!!
On those drawing progs,,,
I just get this blank stare an can't shake it !!!
Not like some stuff:sex_porn: that keeps your
attention !!!:partyalone:

[blinddog 99]

Whit, it is a learning curve, but Adobe Photoshop is simply a BLAST to use even as a beginner. You can take a picture of lines in a road, for example, and make the stripes neon red, with skulls in em. Anything you can imagine, it doesn't take long to get the feel.

I think I need to say that its not always a photo image that translates well to a vector file. Often I will use Photoshop to "tweak" or create a complex image, print it out on my Epson, and use it for chalk-off and reference, or trace onto R-tape with transfer paper, on a tank or helmet.Then use the image for visual reference, cut and paint as you go. Not always does any photo image translate to a vector file. (Unless we use your method, which works every time and is highly valid and just as quick)

[blinddog 99]

Steel, when you get the suite, start by dragging some favorite photo from iPhoto into Photoshop and just mess around. The book has great tutorials in it. Have fun, and keep us posted indeed!

[Steelhorse]

You bet I will!!!!! I am chomping at the bit right now!!!!! So many here have pushed me into new stuff (i have learned a lot and appreciate it!!!!) and my revenge will begin soon!!!!! MUAHAHAHHAHAHAA.....BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU ASK ME TO DO!!! :rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao: On the serious side now!!!...everything I learn from all of you will be passed on to those that I feel I can help. Right now, I just post what I can do and ask for help in what I can't!!!! ^5 Steel

[Skids]

there are some neat filters in PS, like 'trace contours', etc. that can help you get to line art

[Steelhorse]

Thanks Skids! When I get it, I will look for that in the help files and see what happens!!!! "The volcano of questions is gonna be blasting out MOLTEN LAVA and ASH soon!!! :rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao: :hail: I will be a nuisance...so I will ask for your patience and forgiveness at this point and time!!!!!:D

[blinddog 99]

Just hope between us we can answer the questions, that's what its all about! Bring it, steelboy!

[blinddog 99]

Meantime, here is an interesting link that might be of some help until I can spend some time on a tutorial. It shows how to trace vectors in Illustrator.

http://www.islandsign.com/russ/vectors%20with%20Illustrator.html

[Steelhorse]

Thanks Dog! Hopefully ordering it today! Wifey has to do it to get the teacher discount on the software!!!!! Saving $800

[Steelhorse]

It's ordered!!!!!! Yahooooooooo!!!!!! Newest edition.....they don't even have it yet! Expected to ship out mid-NOV!!!!:partyalone:

[Skids]

man....i'm green with envy...still using PS 7.0 here!!!

[blinddog 99]

Hey Skids, don't feel bad, I also us PS7. We have to keep on the edge at work, times 4, so I have to spend about 2K/month just on software upgrades. Since I live on the same network as my business, I use the old versions, all paid for, but older so no network conflicts with serial numbers. Nothing wrong with PS 7 man, it does the job for me.

Steel, I am envious too. I installed the most recent version at home on my wifey's big iMac, but I seem to have become a laptop man, too many years on the road. I am typing on my G4 laptop, PS 7, Illustrator 10.2, good enough for what I need. You will also find, you can create in CS2.3 Illustrator, but you will still have to save it out as an Illustrator 8 file for the plotter to read it. No biggie, causes few problems, just kind of ironic......

[Whit]

I've got the illy CS but use it mainly for opening files !!!
I stumble around in there but some files only illy opens !!!
Seems the learning curve is'nt quite so steep in corel,, so
I've got the older illy and corel 11,,, but they still work !!!
For vectoring I mainly use Adobe Streamline 4 but it has
since been incorporated into illy CS2 and discontinued as
a stand alone program !!! Just glad I've got the Streamline
it's so easy to use without having to learn illy !!
I'm a lil interested in these instructions because I do need
to learn what and how to use these progs !!!
There's so much you can do with them !!!
You've got an audience Blinddog,,, your time won't be wasted !!!

[blinddog 99]

Whit, I agree, used to love streamline as a standalone prog. It was very intuitive, easy to use, and quick to draw. I am actually sitting here vectorizing a jpeg right now in ILL 10.2, trying to figure out how to translate this into a tutorial. Good news is, I spoke to Carlos, my best Layout Jockey at my business today and told him what the forum could use. He said he would love to help, so I will lay out a script of steps, and he can fill in the blanks. Should have a good starter tutorial sometime next week.

Anyone look at the weblink I left? It goes fast, but if you look at it, the moves are all there. I will use that as a template for step by step.

>>>BIG CAVEAT<<<<

There are so many jpegs and other bitmapped files that simply do not translate well into a cut file simply because shadows often determine the shape. (This lends big credence to Whit's post on the vectorizing by hand, with an artist's perspective). One has to make arbitrary decisions on where to cut em into lines, then the airbrush magic happens. You blow in the shape with a cut mask, then remove the mask and blend it into a shadow. Not even sure how to make that transition into a visible "how to" but perhaps we can collaborate? Would make a great lesson plan, well worth it in the end, for all interested. Perhaps I will get permission for the article building area and we can meet in there and collaborate til its worthy of posting on the web page. I really don't think its available anywhere else yet. Just bits and pieces here and there.

[Skids]

very kind of you BD99! I'm sure the guys on the clock doing this for use so double-thankys!!

[Whit]

Pins n needles here:partyalone:

[Steelhorse]

Oooooooh! just hit the link!!!! It does go fast but that was cool! I'll have to watch it many times!!!!!! Thanks!!!!

[blinddog 99]

Working on the tutorial, will be next week by the time its ready, hope its worth the wait. Mainly focusing on the basics of making a vector file in Illustrator for plotting, based on a bitmapped image from either photoshop or the web (jped or gif). Sorry it takes so long, just busy and old..... appreciate the patience.

[Steelhorse]

Take your time Dog!!! Still waiting on the software. I have been to a few tut sites!!!!! I am gonna be in trouble for sure!!!!hehehehe....so much to learn and have fun with!!!! The wife is gonna be double dog mad now!!!!!:rotflmao: