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What is a Vector Image?

Converting to a vector image

  • Talk to me like I'm 12: Is there a good way to convert a .jpg to a vector image? I have a high-resolution .jpg that I need to make into a vector image so that it can be printed on shirts. Unfortunately, I don't know what the best way to convert it is. I've googled a bit for guides on how to do this, and my brain has been thoroughly boggled. I can't seem to find something that takes me through the process step by step. I know my way around photoshop and illustrator, but I'm not an expert on either. So, can anyone point me to a good guide, or write me a quick one here?

  • Answer:

    Download http://potrace.sourceforge.net/. Save the jpg as a bmp in a short directory path. Open command prompt: potrace x:\temp\file.bmp. Bask in the glory of file.eps. On preview, phil ftw.

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Not any one best way. I'd give http://www.roitsystems.com/cgi-bin/autotrace/tracer.pl a shot. Seemed to work okay with a couple jpgs I fed it. It's based on autotrace

alikins

The open source "Illustrator clone" Inkscape has potrace built into it, if you need something a little more user-friendly. I've used it myself for the exact same reason as yours.

Symeon

Fourth LiveTrace.

limeonaire

Thirding Flash. As someone who uses Illustrator and Photoshop all the time, there really is no easier method than importing the image into Flash and letting it convert the image to vector automagically. It's that good.

Civil_Disobedient

I third Live Trace. I just taught my students to do it and they LOVE it.

nimsey lou

If it's simple, say black-and-white-- you can do this all within Photoshop. 1. Enlarge size of image -- say, to 3000x300 pixels. 2. Use the magic wand and select the black portion. Go to the 'Select' menu and press 'Simliar'. This will (hopefully) select all of the black portions. If not, play around with the threshold number for the magic wand. 3. Go to the 'Select' menu and press 'Smooth'. Try 10px or so. This will smooth out your selection. 4. Open the 'Paths' dialog window, click on the right-pointing triangle button in the window. Click on 'Make Work Path'. Give a threshold of about 1px. 5. Go to File- Export- Export to Illustrator. Play around with the settings, and hopefully you'll get there in the end.

suedehead

tumble

am i being totally stupid here, if it truely is high res why do you have to convert it to vector to be printed? or do you want to screen print the outline of the graphic? then its a diff story really

moochoo

You can do this in Flash, VERY easily. And you can use the free, 30-day trial of Flash, in case you don't have it. DenOfSizer covered it, but I wanted to vote for that method.

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