impact vehicle outlines, change outline colour?

[Peter Dee]

We use Signlab thus: ungroup the vehicle outline, turn off all colours except the colour to be changed (usually white). Marquee all items, turn on all colours and select the colour for the body colour change. Keep items selected and apply a hairline. Sometimes it helps to apply a hairline to every colour/item within the image.
Usually a dark grey hairline works well.
De-select items then marquee the whole image and group.

I would imagine in Illustrator you would do a similar thing but apply a thin stroke.

[Alan Drury]

With the newer versions I just ungroup, select the outer edge and change colour then regroup. While I’m at it I thicken the outline and it then prints better. I also use Signlab but same method in Corel.
Alan D

[John Harding]

Really easy in flexi sign

ungroup all
go to fill stroke editor,select stroke whatever width hairline etc, click on new colour
done

Never thought to try this before took seconds to suss though, I have signlab so will try that too but sound complicated 😕

john 😀

[Tim Painter]

I just set the fill to around 85% black so the lines are still visible.

[Phill Fenton]

I usualy just paint the van a dark grey colour when representing a black vehicle in order that the contour lines remain visible

[Richard Urquhart]

I do the same as Phill but from our software we just drag a colour onto the fill colour of the van to save time.

[Andrew Murray]

Thanks for replies, how do you apply a hairline in signlab?

[Brian Hays]

Adrian, select the whole thing & click the right mouse button on a colour other than back. A grey would be good for a black van. The right button changes the line colour rather than the fill.

[Peter Dee]

quote Andrew Murray:

Thanks for replies, how do you apply a hairline in signlab?

Use the stroke & fill tools icon on the side toolbar.

[Glen Mathers]

quote Brian Hays:

Adrian, select the whole thing & click the right mouse button on a colour other than back. A grey would be good for a black van. The right button changes the line colour rather than the fill.

"Adrian"? do you mean Andrew? 😀

[Brian Hays]

Possibly, it’s been a long day. 😳

[Andrew Murray]

Brian that is excellent , you learning something new everyday!

[Warren Beard]

I just select all and make all lines dark grey and then just fill the white body with black, doesn’t really matter if there are extr grey lines on it, they so small you don’t notice.

One thing that would be great is if all edges were closed so you can crop inside them, I’m always having to draw shapes to create exact paths around the edges to crop images etc inside.

[Alan Drury]

If you are using Corel use the ‘smart fill’ tool, this will colour the shape whether the nodes are joined or not. I’m not explaining this very well just try it and you will see what I mean.
Click here to see video of what I mean (Hopefully:) http://screencast.com/t/zhaMm188K
Alan D