Tracing downloaded images to cut - General Software Topics

General Software Topics

Tracing downloaded images to cut

Posted by Julian Thompson on February 9, 2005 at 10:02 am

Hi Everyone!

My first post here. We’re in the throws of upgrading our machine to a 540/Grenadier but for now we’ve still got an old Roland Camm jobby with steam powered version 7 Corel 😮

Anyway. When we download a pretty ratty low res image off the web and want to trace this to cut we get rubbish results with the corel tracing program making a real dogs dinner of the trace!

Any hints and tips or will I just have to wait for Flexi Pro to turn up 😀 ?

Thanks in advance, Julian.

Vitor Brito replied 19 years, 2 months ago 7 Members · 8 Replies
8 Replies

Bill Dewison

Member
February 9, 2005 at 10:08 am

Hi and welcome Julian 😀

The later versions of Corel improved on the trace facilities, but not massively, you still have to work the image hard in a paint package before you get good results in the trace package. The was a thread a while back though that described an effective method for basic tracing. Other than that, its painstakingly doing it by hand, node by node, curve by curve. I use Corel for this quite alot, and once you get the hang of it, you can very quickly get good results with quick sketches, cleaning them up later if the customer is happy with the artwork.

Another alternative is to use a vectoring service like VectorWise. Andrew, who runs it, is excelllent at producing great vectors from photographs and his prices are quite keen as well. 😀

Cheers, Dewi
Shane Drew

Member
February 9, 2005 at 10:10 am

Hi Julian

Welcome to the site.

Corel Trace never works for me either and I use Corel 10.

I just scan the image into corel then use the vector tool to ‘hand draw’ the image over the top.

Once you get the knack, it is fairly quick. Other than that, the quickest option is to send it to Vectorwise and they will do it for you.

If it is a logo, try http://www.brandsoftheworld.com/ too. It can save heaps by not reinventing the wheel.

Cheers
Shane
Shane Drew

Member
February 9, 2005 at 10:11 am

sorry mate, posting at the same time as Dewi.
Julian Thompson

Member
February 9, 2005 at 10:18 am

Thanks so much for your speedy replies !

I’m glad we haven’t been tearing our hair out for no reason, then!

Can you imagine if you guys had said “oh yes, you just download this bit of software and bingo!” – You’d have heard me scream from here!

Anyhow, off to play with the vector trace tool 😀

Wish me luck because I suspect you are just being modest when you say it is “fairly quick” !

Cheers

Jue
Chris Wool

Member
February 9, 2005 at 3:00 pm

sorry !

quote :

When we download a pretty ratty low res image off the web and want to trace this to cut we get rubbish results

but what do you expect.

wecome anyway

chris
Kevin.Beck

Member
February 9, 2005 at 8:06 pm

some times it is quicker to recreate the logo from scratch…
Steven Griffiths

Member
February 14, 2005 at 5:19 pm

I stumbled upon a peice of a Adobe software the other day “Streamline 4.0” It seems far better than Corel trace even though the software seems to be quite old (around 95-97). Ive given a whirl and the results are pretty cool. You can download a trial from adobe.com (although u cant save in this version). Hopefully it will be given the “CS” treatment oneday. 😀
Vitor Brito

Member
February 14, 2005 at 6:51 pm

quote dsi:

If it is a logo, try http://www.brandsoftheworld.com/ too. It can save heaps by not reinventing the wheel.

Cheers
Shane

(hot)(hot)(hot)(hot)
OMG!
I wonder how the hell did i miss this one for soo long!
That’s a hell of a link Shane, thanks for sharing, u certainly can imagine the time spent by almost everyone in this boards drawing and retouching major brands logos, i tought i had a great collection of them but this beats it all. Thanks M8! :appl: :thumbup2:

Cya
Britchenko