Why do you have to trace each line when you want to print a pencil sketch onto a tshirt?
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Why do you have to trace each line when you want to print a pencil sketch onto a tshirt?
Why do you have to trace each line when you want to print a pencil sketch onto a tshirt?
Hi, My husband is an illustrator/graphic designer/Tattoo artist and wants to put some of his very intricate pencil and pen sketches onto Tshirts.
We have taken them to a printer, and he says he has to re-trace each line. Why do you have to do this? Is there not a computer programme that does this automatically?
He wants them screen printed, not iron-on.
My husband is worried about the way the screen printer will alter his work. And it looks extremely time consuming to have to re-trace the art work all over again.
Help please!!
Cheers Lizzy
Re: Why do you have to trace each line when you want to print a pencil sketch onto a tshirt?
I don't know why he wanted it retraced. Are the sketches really light?
What might work, if you have a good scanner, scan it at a pretty high resolution. Then take it into Photoshop and adjust the levels so the drawing stands out a bit more. Then take it into Illustrator and try using the Live Trace function on GreyScale mode. You might have to mess with the settings a bit.
Re: Why do you have to trace each line when you want to print a pencil sketch onto a tshirt?
Thanks, Kyle, I don't know why the drawings need to be retraced, it is just that every printer he has gone to says this. They are done in ink, black art fine line. I thought it was that maybe the lines don't come through on the computer as a smooth curve.
What would be a good computer programme you would recommend?
Cheers Lizzy
Re: Why do you have to trace each line when you want to print a pencil sketch onto a tshirt?
Adobe Photoshop to clean up the scanned drawing.
The if you want to make it a vector illustration, which are usually easier for printers, Adobe Illustrator can trace and smooth out all the lines and such.
Re: Why do you have to trace each line when you want to print a pencil sketch onto a tshirt?
Lizzy, vector puts it in a format that can be scaled for size if the lines are to thin the screen won't see them so they won't print. Hope this helps. John
Re: Why do you have to trace each line when you want to print a pencil sketch onto a tshirt?
Most print shops ask for 'vector' files only because it's easier for us to output the films and often takes less effort to print. We use this request to have the art as clean as possible. Often in photoshop images there's allot of defects, blotching, smudging, discoloration ect.. that is not evident on the computer screen unless scrutinized.
To do nice hand drawn pencil/ink style prints it takes a bit of work scanning and cleaning. printers hate receiving files that will require hours of cleaning and sharpening, this is graphic design work and not usually part of the print shops job. I used to get allot of scanned art work from clients, not cleaned and i'd have to call them in to explain thew issues with the design, i would not let those designs go to print as is, they would have turned out looking dirty.
The photoshop image should be scaled to size, cleaned and enhanced before sending to have films made.
For ideal prints for that hand drawn style, you will want to do simulated process or a mix with index would be ideal, all done in photoshop not vectors.
Re: Why do you have to trace each line when you want to print a pencil sketch onto a tshirt?
Your husbands artwork probably is very line art oriented and that is why the printer is thinking "vector". As long as you provide a High resolution scan, you should be fine. Personally, I think if you were to "vector" a hand drawn piece of art, line art nonwithstanding, you would suck the soul out of the artwork.
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Weigh the world and pry asunder all things to their inmost core.
You will find them made of wonder, everything is something more.
Re: Why do you have to trace each line when you want to print a pencil sketch onto a tshirt?
The most common software would be Adobe Photoshop. You may want to try Gimp for free if you don't want to spend money on software tho. It's a good bitmap editor.
The most common software for Design and illustration are the Adobe apps (photoshop and Illustrator) and Corel apps (Paintshop and Draw)
If you'd like to learn to use these Bitmap apps and Vector apps there's lots of tutorials on the web (many videos on youtube also). These apps take awhile to master but you can get the hang of things after some tutorials and just messing around.
Re: Why do you have to trace each line when you want to print a pencil sketch onto a tshirt?
The printer demand the design to be printed is high-resolution vector file,which can be resized to any size without loosing the resolution. Most of our design, no matter which is pencile design or scanned design, it is bitmap file. When you enlarge the design,it will become blurred or unclear. But vector file will not become unclear in that case. So before printing,you need to convert your design to vector file which is compatible with your printer.
Besides you can learn to redrawn the design /convert the design to vector file.But if you want to save time,you can outsource your design.
Re: Why do you have to trace each line when you want to print a pencil sketch onto a tshirt?
I hate to say this, but the artwork for reproduction must be created with the end process in mind. In this case it sounds like the final piece is what you hold in your hand, ie. an original. My wife had to learn this the hard way many years ago.
Re: Why do you have to trace each line when you want to print a pencil sketch onto a tshirt?
Just to clarify, it is a misnomer to say "high resolution vector file". Vector files are resolution independent and print at whatever resolution the output dictates. Usually, it is the highest setting allowable but not always. That is to say, if the output is to a run of the mill laser printer, it will be 300 dpi or so, an imagesetter would be 4800 dpi or so, straight to web, 72 dpi.
If warriorbull's artwork is scanned in a high enough resolution, there will be minimal damage to the clarity of the design. I suggest a MINIMUM of 300 dpi @ final printed size. I have gone as high as 2400 dpi @ size on some jobs. This will avoid a redraw of the art which, in this case, appears to me to be unnecessary.
__________________
Weigh the world and pry asunder all things to their inmost core.
You will find them made of wonder, everything is something more.
Re: Why do you have to trace each line when you want to print a pencil sketch onto a tshirt?
wow, thanks James. this is very interesting. I have seen lots of t-shirts with complicated designs, and for people to sit down and retrace over every line would take forever. I figured that there had to be another way.
So to clarify, the printer we take the design to, has to have an excellent scanner over 300dpi. Possibly as you said, 2400dpi.
Thanks, Lizzy
This is a discussion about Why do you have to trace each line when you want to print a pencil sketch onto a tshirt? that was posted in the Graphics and Design Help section of the forums.
Why do you have to trace each line when you want to print a pencil sketch onto a tshirt? 
