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Rodney · November 10th, 2006

I have a full color vector image open in coreldrawx3 and I'm trying to change it into a one color image (black/white to make it look like a silhoutte or shadow).

I know there has to be an easy way to do this, and I thought I read something here before about turning a photo into a one color image, but I can't seem to find the right button (or the past forum topic in a search).

Any ideas?

Rodney · November 10th, 2006

With some more searches using different spellings of "silhouette", I found Fluid's helpful tutorial here:
silhouettes Using Corel X3

But it doesn't seem to work for a vector image.

Can you only change the "mode" on a bitmap image to grayscale then b/w?

hammered · November 10th, 2006

With a vectored image wouldnt be easier to just remove all the internal parts and do a fill? Im still learning X3 but this is what I do in my cut software. Open, remove all the smaller internal parts, weld everything remaining and I have a silhouette.

Uglysign · November 11th, 2006

Use these tools:

Weld/Trim/Intersect
Create Boundary - makes a solid of all parts (no insides) (weld acts sort of the same)

Playing with these tools will get your desired effect.

Welding may seem to be the answer but sometimes Weld gets a bit hungry and gobbles up important objects. Thats where Intersect or Trim comes into play.
Create Boundary will make the overall shape, but the top 3 listed finishes it off.
When all is said and done, combine it.

If the insides do not combine properly or show, Break Apart. Select insides -> Reverse Contours. Combine.

Anyone lost?

badalou · November 11th, 2006

I know in Illustrator I can do a live trace and change the way it looks, including all one color.Does Corel have this feature?

hammered · November 11th, 2006

Corels trace feature is so much better than the one Illustrator 9's. Although I have to say Cibercut's trace surpasses Corels for quality of the output. Corel's allows you to choose the style of outcome, i.e. logo art, lineart, fine detail, and more.

Fluid · November 13th, 2006

Rodney your best bet is to use the color styles docker and manually edit the colors to fit your design needs and look. For vector designs and depending on how they were created this might be the best option. Or convert the vector to a bitmap and use the other tut.

Annushka · November 13th, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rodney


	Can you only change the "mode" on a bitmap* image to grayscale then b/w?*

Hi guys,

May I ask a follow up question to this thread? I noticed that in Corel there are additional features available if the image is converted to bitmap. These are normally disabled if you are sill in vector.
Let's say I convert my vector image to bitmap and make some changes to it. Can I convert it back to vector and still preserve those changes? I'm going to do a trial-error to see for myself, but figured I'd ask since Rodney and Richard briefly mentioned it here.

Quote:


	Or convert the vector to a bitmap and use the other tut

Thank you everyone

Fluid · November 13th, 2006

Quote:


	Can I convert it back to vector

Not really. not they way your thinking. You can convert to a bitmap, apply filters and trace the new bitmap to vector using CorelTRACE. The results might not be what you weant. Just all depends on what changes you make to the bitmap.

Rodney · November 13th, 2006

Thanks guys. I'm going to try the weld option that Ronnie suggested and if that doesn't work, I'll try Richard's method of just editing the numerous colors.

Uglysign · November 13th, 2006

Rodney... it will work but sometimes you can get caught up doing this. Especially at times when you're flipping back & forth wireframe/previews. Its very doable and may take a few tries. Always drag/copy a dupe before tackling the task.
As for reverting back to vector from bitmap, no can do unless ya hit the undo button

Basically I just find using a trace method way too much and excess node work. And it usually does distort the intricaies of the overall design. If i need to manually redraw a bitmap, i place white (30-60% depending) lensed box over the image and lock them both. Then draw over them. Maybe using No Fill and a Red outline. Depends on the picture.

im sorry, I managed all my hand/node work from Gerber Graphics advantage days when setting up objects for the vinyl plotter were needed. So iam pretty strict about nodes and how the overall image should be. If it matters, I always think 'vinyl to be cut' sometime in life for the images I work with. Nothing like getting an Illustrator file and having numerous lines crossing each other then having to clean it all up. Sort of like this file:
http://www.teepeesigns.com/x3/seal.pdf or CDv9: http://www.teepeesigns.com/x3/seal.cdr

Anyways, this was pretty much the same as Rodney was speaking of except this is Black & White version. Alot of weld/intersecting was involved. No one could get clean artwork.

Fluid · November 14th, 2006

Quote:


	If it matters, I always think 'vinyl to be cut' sometime in life for the images I work with

I as well. IMO I dont do too much vinyl work yet editing designs to fit this application seems to help with transferring to adobe products without a hitch

gmille39 · November 16th, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rodney


	I have a full color vector image open in coreldrawx3 and I'm trying to change it into a one color image (black/white to make it look like a silhoutte or shadow). I know there has to be an easy way to do this, and I thought I read something here before about turning a photo into a one color image, but I can't seem to find the right button (or the past forum topic in a search). Any ideas?

I was just going to say that Fluid had some good input on that a while back. You fiddle with the color/contrast, and a couple other things.

I ended up using tracing paper and a fine point sharpy to trace the outline of some wakeboarding pics, then scanned them in and they worked fine. Right now I'm looking for a silhouette of a pole dancer so if anyone has one laying around...

hammered · November 17th, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by gmille39


	Right now I'm looking for a silhouette of a pole dancer so if anyone has one laying around...

Sounds like a trip to the local nudie bar. Al Bundy would be up for this mission.

Rodney · December 1st, 2006

Quote:


	Rodney your best bet is to use the color styles docker and manually edit the colors to fit your design needs and look. For vector designs and depending on how they were created this might be the best option

I think I may have stumbled upon an easier way to do this task in CorelDraw.

I just used the pick tool and dragged a square box around the outside of my image.

Then I went to the color picker pallete and just clicked on the black color and all the nodes and colors in the vector graphic filled black. It worked pefect

There were a few extra nodes I didn't need so I selected and deleted them, but this method seemed to work well. Hope it helps someone else.