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Hi,
I'm a pretty skilled designer with skills in both photoshop and illustrator. I have some designs I've created in Photoshop as well as in Illustrator, but am not sure about this entire vector process in order to give it to a printer to print.
Are vectors just saving a .eps in illustrator?
If someone could help me out and explain vector and the process of making them that would be much appreciated!
a vector graphic is just a scalable graphic. which means you can blow it up to whatever size you need it and it wont pixelate. take a .jpg and blow it up and it will but a vector wont. you can take a photo and save it as an .eps but that dont make it vector. a bitmap image uses dots to make up the image. a vector graphic uses math that i cant explain. im sure there is a better explaination of what vector is somewhere.
thank you very much for the quick response.
Is the best way to move a jpg or bmp into a vector by using Vector Magic or using Live Trace in Illustrator?
thank you very much for the quick response.
Is the best way to move a jpg or bmp into a vector by using Vector Magic or using Live Trace in Illustrator?
Well its not the best way but its the easiest. It doesnt always produce the best results.
thanks so much for all the help.
Are there any other techniques or tips I should know about designing in Photoshop and Illustrator. This vector stuff is starting to piece itself together!
Hi!
Its better to know what design you are having problem with. You can upload it and I will explain to you what sould be done and what should not be done with the design. Live Trace can trace to a certain extend only. Some of the clearer vector designs are actually done manually.
Manoj
Digitizingfactory
A shirt like this is the type of stuff I've been working with. What I've managed to do (so I think) is have a .eps file with just the purple and yellow, with no background as it will be printed on a blue shirt.
Am I on the right track?
Adam...just remember that all .eps files are not vector...eps in and of itself is not necessarily vector. the .eps stands for encapsulated post script...with Illustrator..any design that you create within illustrator is a vector file...if you save as eps and then open in say..photoshop and make some changes and save as eps..it is NOT a vector file..it is a raster...or bitmap file. If you have a simple design..vector magic is okay..if you have a full color photograph...you will not vectorize successfully as a photo has blends and tone which are by their very nature something that is not mathmatically reproducible in a commercial way..
You can google vector files and get a lot of info and insights
Looking at the design from what I understand, you will need a ripping software to rip the design into half tone dots like you see on art. Need you to contact Screeners Choice | Home. I think he will have a better advise for this design. Once you know, please let me know too
Manoj
digitizingfactory
Looking at the design from what I understand, you will need a ripping software to rip the design into half tone dots like you see on art.
no, you won't need a rip software for those halftone dots. they are part of the design and do not need to be interpreted by a rip.
that image could be saved as a bitmap tif and linked to your illustrator file. you could make it a vector with live trace, but there really shouldn't be a need to if the bitmap is high res enough. just embed the image and apply a spot color. the text could be set in vector.
simple two color seps (+flash) for this.
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"Those are my principles, and if you don't like them... well, I have others." Groucho Marx
Thanks for the advice, but I'm not sure what you mean by this. Could you please explain further?
in illustrator, go to File>place and nav to your image. in your links pallet, select your image, go to the pull-down options and select "embed image"
then go back to your layers and select the image on the artboard. apply a color from your color swatches. choose a pms color the your swatch library (pantone solid coated is recommended).
applying a color will only work with bitmap or grayscale images.
then set your text on a separate layer, apply a color, create an outline for your text.
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"Those are my principles, and if you don't like them... well, I have others." Groucho Marx
Hey I found a couple sites you might be interested in for vectoring....Im no expert by a long shot but these look good so take a look at them they might be useful:
So lost with Vectors. Please Help 
