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How to work with hand drawings?

4314 Views 40 Replies 23 Participants Last post by  DomazLT
My wife is an excellent artist and will draw on paper. I would like to take her drawings and get them printed on t-shirts. What is the BEST way to approach this?

Do I need to go out and purchase a WACOM tablet and have her draw on there? If so, what application should she draw into?

I understand scanning the picture to my computer may not offer the best resolution, so is there another way to get a paper drawing printed to a t-shirt?

Can anyone help or offer assistance?

Thanks!
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I second that question and in particular what step by step method when using CS5?
Of it is drawn to scale scanning it is not a problem and can look as good as the drawing with the right printer.
Scan it into a PDF or usable file give it to a printer or send it to a vectorizing Company like 24hourartwork to make it a vector

Sent from samsung gem(the worst smart phone ever)
Scan this page and transfer it into PDF after this you may got the good print out on t-shirt.
I don't know why everyone thinks you have to have a vector image to seperate or screen print. First off there are plenty of good raster image separation programs out there and some are low cost. As long as you graphic is higher resoultion preferably 300 Dpi at the correct size<---- this is the most important when working with raster images. If someone gives a 3x3 image and wants it 12x12 then vectorizing would be the way to go.

I just took for granted this was for screen printing. What is your intention for printing.
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If you are to scan them in it is best to use Photoshop and import them at 400 dpi (resolution). From there you can use "Curves", "Levels" and other image adjusting tools to filter out noise and darken lines.

After that it is really up to you what to do as far as print. You can then resize and crop the image and drop it down to 250-300 dpi when ready to go to print.

You should try scanning the image in and posting here for us to give you a better tutorial on how to edit the image.
she might want the wacom tablet if she decides to paint/draw in the program itself.

i personally do a sketch (if the design is simple and can be recreated easily with the tools in illy or photoshop) or an inked line drawing if the design is more complicated. then either vectorize it in illy and paint or just import into photoshop as stated above and get to work.

-good luck!
I draw all my designs on paper, scan them in, and "ink" them and color them in photoshop.

This isn't a new technique. A lot of designers Do it
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I draw all my designs on paper, scan them in, and "ink" them and color them in photoshop.

This isn't a new technique. A lot of designers Do it
That's what we do
I don't know why everyone thinks you have to have a vector image to seperate or screen print. First off there are plenty of good raster image separation programs out there and some are low cost. As long as you graphic is higher resoultion preferably 300 Dpi at the correct size<---- this is the most important when working with raster images. If someone gives a 3x3 image and wants it 12x12 then vectorizing would be the way to go.

I just took for granted this was for screen printing. What is your intention for printing.


Thank You !!!
That drives me nuts too. I sep/print more raster work than vector. Artwork doesn't have to be vector only.
Thanks Sben763.
My wife is an excellent artist and will draw on paper. I would like to take her drawings and get them printed on t-shirts. What is the BEST way to approach this?

Do I need to go out and purchase a WACOM tablet and have her draw on there? If so, what application should she draw into?

I understand scanning the picture to my computer may not offer the best resolution, so is there another way to get a paper drawing printed to a t-shirt?

Can anyone help or offer assistance?

Thanks!
Nothing wrong with scanning as long as you scan at at least 400dpi. I do this often for local art students who have to make a wearable item (t-shirt) from their drawn or painted artwork. The biggest hassle I have is the texture of the paper they create on, but your editing programe should be able to sort this out.

Cheers and good luck.
Thank You !!!
That drives me nuts too. I sep/print more raster work than vector. Artwork doesn't have to be vector only.
Thanks Sben763.
No problem. When I first started 6 years ago everyone told me vector,vector,vector. First entire year was vectorizing rather images. Then I seen a program that was a add on for photoshop and it was a like a light switch. When I design in photoshop just make a layer for each color or with designs that were sent to me make separate channels. With a little digging I found out it wasn't that hard. I still do manual separation from time to time but have found a few low cost separation tools then adjust after separation.

I scan at even higher than 400 DPI. Although not necessary all the time sometimes it helps when enlarging the the image but I do have a professional series epson scanner.
No problem. When I first started 6 years ago everyone told me vector,vector,vector. First entire year was vectorizing rather images. Then I seen a program that was a add on for photoshop and it was a like a light switch. When I design in photoshop just make a layer for each color or with designs that were sent to me make separate channels. With a little digging I found out it wasn't that hard. I still do manual separation from time to time but have found a few low cost separation tools then adjust after separation.

I scan at even higher than 400 DPI. Although not necessary all the time sometimes it helps when enlarging the the image but I do have a professional series epson scanner.
People push vector because you don't run into resolution issues, regardless of how big or small you make your art. For that reason, it's somewhat dummy proof. Scans require you have enough resolution based on how you plan to use the art. In other words there's no magic resolution that works for every situation. For instance, if you scan a 5" x 5" piece of art at 400 DPI, then turn around and output it at 10" x 10", you've altered the 'effective' resolution to 200 DPI. In other words, if you don't understand resolution, it can be easy to mess it up. This is why some people scan at much higher resolutions than they really need.
I don't know why everyone thinks you have to have a vector image to seperate or screen print. First off there are plenty of good raster image separation programs out there and some are low cost. As long as you graphic is higher resoultion preferably 300 Dpi at the correct size<---- this is the most important when working with raster images. If someone gives a 3x3 image and wants it 12x12 then vectorizing would be the way to go.

I just took for granted this was for screen printing. What is your intention for printing.
In our print shop about 90% of the jobs are done with raster images in Photoshop. Our tshirt artist uses channels to do the seps and builds all his art at 300 dpi.

As far as Hand drawing to computer it depends on the artist and the art itself. One of our artist does alot of Cartoon and a comic like art. He likes to scan in the image, then vector it in illustrator and add shadowing and other elements in photoshop.
Jeff I completely understand why people push vector 1 size and 2 a lot of printers don't know how to channel seperate but if you went from a [email protected] To a 10x10 it wouldn't be 200 DPI. it be more like 100 DPI. There are techniques that can be used to enhance the image also. http://www.t-shirtforums.com/show-your-stuff-screen-printing-print-job-examples/t182598.html. The skull print was given at 72DPI at about 5x5 and was printed just under 11" the picture isn't very good but I have had a quite a few people ask how they can get one.
Jeff I completely understand why people push vector 1 size and 2 a lot of printers don't know how to channel seperate but if you went from a [email protected] To a 10x10 it wouldn't be 200 DPI. it be more like 100 DPI. There are techniques that can be used to enhance the image also. http://www.t-shirtforums.com/show-your-stuff-screen-printing-print-job-examples/t182598.html. The skull print was given at 72DPI at about 5x5 and was printed just under 11" the picture isn't very good but I have had a quite a few people ask how they can get one.
Well, of course your right since in my example I want doubling the width and height, but I was just trying to point out that enlarging something lowers the resolution.

If you've been around the block, so to speak, there are many techniques you can use to improve bad artwork.

I find it strange that a printer wouldn't know how to channel separate...but I guess you're right. Many just take what is brought to them and print.
To cut out all that scan vector crap buy your wife a wacom, Amazon has the pen touch for $60
Your wife will love it. Simply draw in photoshop with a white background, make a new layer on top and draw in that layer. It will make your life so much easier this way plis speed up your workflow.



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To cut out all that scan vector crap buy your wife a wacom, Amazon has the pen touch for $60
Your wife will love it. Simply draw in photoshop with a white background, make a new layer on top and draw in that layer. It will make your life so much easier this way plis speed up your workflow.
yeah if she can do freestyle drawing with a wacom without having something to work with as in an imported sketch.
Wacoms are the.way to go and yes she can freestyle,. DONOT GET ANY OTHER BRAND AND NO YOU DONT NEED A BIG AS 12 INCH, to be bonest the bigger they are the harder they are to work with. The reason I say dont get any other brand is because they are crqp. For a artist who has been 100% paper pen/pencil that texture and feel is important some brands drawing on it feels like writing on glass, you need that texture and wacom provides that. Second reason not to buy other brands wacom pens or the only pens that do not require a battery. Others do and this is.a pain when the battery goes dead and/or it leakes destroying the pen. Trust me by it and watch her use it everyday and come up with some sick designs. It will earn you some real cool points

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