Get help with creating your t-shirt graphics. Discuss t-shirt design software, special effect techniques, or other topics related to creating a t-shirt design on your computer.
As I have mentioned in the past these forums have given me much information in alot of the areas of T-shirt printing and design. Hopefully you guys can help me once again. I started to work with photoshop a bit more indepth then I use to and saw that there was much to the program I did not know how to do a quick search using google gave me a few great places for tutorials. However once place in particular showed how to make a killer professional looking shirt using Vector images. Here comes a few questions:
What is so special about using vector images?
Is it just the ability to resize (scale) images more easily or are there more important qualities to using this type of format that I do not know of?
Also, can any image I create be turned into a vector image? and are vector images the same as photoshop brushes, according to a few other design/art sites some argue they are?
Any help you all can give me is highly appreciated,
Is it just the ability to resize (scale) images more easily or are there more important qualities to using this type of format that I do not know of?
This is part of it. With vector art you also have more choices for the use of the art. Sign companies can use it for vinyl cutting, engraving, etc.
Vector art is not resolution dependent like raster images.
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Also, can any image I create be turned into a vector image?
To an extent. Depends on the image and knowledge of vector creation as to whether you or anyone can duplicate the raster image in vector.
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and are vector images the same as photoshop brushes, according to a few other design/art sites some argue they are?
Yes and No this is a hard question to answer. They are vector paths yet have major limitations as to what you can do with them outside of photoshop
Also some shops do not know how to separate from raster images thus request vector. I can work with both easily yet it has taken me all 11 years to know what I know and I still learn something new every day.
I atleast I have a little better idea as to what they are now. Do you Know of any sites where I can learn more about them or learn some of the stuff you've learned over your 11 years of experience with them?
Richard answered it pretty good. I would just like to add also that sometimes the file size for vectors can be smaller. It depends on some factors, but generally can be.
I persanally like to work in vectors first as much as I can. If I have to, I'll take it to a raster program in the end.
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Tim there are a million forums and tutorial site out there for the graphics industries. Just google for vector graphic tutorial and photoshop tutorials and youll get more than you can handle
regarding vector graphics software, i found it easy to design simple graphics using inkscape. it saves in svg format and png too. here's the link. www.inkscape.org
It seems to me Vector is changing a lot atthe moment (atleastthe software and approach) If you look at the new CS2 (besides now supporting many sign cutting machines as part of its standard) it now provides a simple vectorizing solution in Illustrator2.. The final importance to me is broken down in three
1. I do not expect the client to be a graphic designer or familiar with any of these terms.. so I simply ask them to send me a pic (any format) and vectorize it myself.. that way I dont have to fix other peoples problems.
2. I want it to take up the least amount of time.. meaning you need to become really fast in converting raster to vector... other wise you're loosing big money.
3. Vector is universal.. from your mom and pop print place to the larger print shops.. you send them vector.. it should be exactly what you get back... Send them raster.. you may get the companies graph designers creative hand a bit (IE.. if the image originally had sloppy shadows that are all over the place.. they might smooth it out themselves.. which you may or may not like. Also when using vinyl cutters.. if you're vector angles are excessive it will slow down the plotter and make more sharp edges on the transfer vinyl... which can be harder to weed and may pull away atthe corners...
Hope this added some usefull info.. kinda went on a tangent
Now when it comes to vinyl cutters is it also easier to work with when all your work is made in vectors or is it just as easy to transform/convert them after you make the work. I ask because once I get the budget to afford one I think it may become quite handly when a lot of client are asking it white prints can be made. And due to the fact only CIS and Plotters can do such I see my design starting to move that way. Do you guys think I should start to familiar myself with them now (vector images that is). I believe you said there easier to work with in the long run right?
O okay I see what you mean,
Do you guys think I should start to familiar myself with them now (vector images that is). I believe you said there easier to work with in the long run right?
YES! And one thing to know which can save you headache.
Do not let your vectors overlap one another in great detail. Get into the habit of intersecting & trimming your objects, so that they join together clean and you dont see intersecting lines running thru your graphics. Start practicing that now and before getting a plotter will allow you to produce clean objects down the road. Overlaps will be fine as long as you see them as layers (vinyl etc). Be forewarned that someday you will recieve an Illustrator file that will have 'strokes' applied to objects. Meaning, if imported into corel draw or similar apps you'll have duplicate objects. One on top of another. Open objects imported would become closed, it can be annoying. Anyways, you'll see and learn as you go along. The above doesnt apply to the print field but if turning you're images to the plotter will create a disaster. Just one thing, im looking at this through a signmakers point of view and use Coreldraw for most sign designing along with Gerber Omega, FlimsySign yada yada programs. Gotta go! Dinners on! hTh
Vector is the way to go for spot color type designs IMHO. Illustrator and Photoshop are very compatible and it's easy to work between the two. I think a lot of people are able to open photoshop and dink around a bit and make a pretty picture and when they open a vector program they are over whelmed and tend to run the other way. I always prefer to do most tshirt spot color type designs in vector first. Then I will take that into photoshop if I want a bitmap for the web or whatever. Just my two cents.
Help...I am new here and like many, I am trying to get my stuff together to start a homebase business. I found EXACTLY the type of T shirt designs I am after at the T shirt Factory site. This being said I thought I was going to go with the inkjet heat tranfers only. Can i still use the templates they sell to make a ink jet heat transfer OR do I have to use a plasticol ??? And is there anything else Xtra I would need ?
I have been on your site non stop trying to learn as much as possible. IT is so helpful!
I am praying this can be used with any type, I am just so thrilled I found a site that has all the styles I need .
Thanks for your help~
Last edited by Deegirl; January 10th, 2008 at 12:20 PM.
Vector Images opposed to other Types 
