*VECTORIZE – A Quick Tutorial

MV
Posted By
Mathias_Vejerslev
Apr 14, 2004
Views
1034
Replies
26
Status
Closed
There´s pixels, and then there´s vectors.

Since Photoshop 6, Photoshop sports increasingly advanced vector tools which often eliminates or at least delays the trip to Illustrator for vectors.

We use vectors when designing logos or creating graphic artwork. In print and in applications such as Flash.

I have made a tool (Photoshop action) for easy vector conversion of any pixel content (high res Line Art scan, Pencil Drawing, photo, or even web graphic), directly in Photoshop, with options to:

Choose Blur value to simplify
Choose Threshold level
Fine tune with a Dodging and Burning layer
Make a Custom Shape
Export result to Illustrator

The technique included is very powerful indeed, albeit simple in idea.

From this ugly jpeg <http://www.piodiaz.dk/Graphics/art_turbotwins.jpg> comes this nice Vector Shape <http://www.96ppi.net/vectorizer/turbotwins.gif>

You can download and study the technique from here: <http://www.96ppi.net/ddt_vectorizer.zip> (Un-zip action and load from Photoshop).

Tell us what you think about it, and add your questions or ideas below.

Mathias & Pierre.
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RK
Rob_Keijzer
Apr 14, 2004
Hey Mathias,

Thanks for yet another fine piece of work!
Rob
P
Phosphor
Apr 14, 2004
Mathias…

May I have your permission to put this in the Repository?
MV
Mathias_Vejerslev
Apr 14, 2004
Yes, Phos!

Rob, you´re welcome.
C
chadda
Apr 14, 2004
Thank you, Mathias. 🙂
ND
Nick_Decker
Apr 14, 2004
Mat/Pierre, as I have told you, this action rocks. Youse da ActionBombs.
PC
Pierre_Courtejoie
Apr 15, 2004
Mat and I prefer to be poor 😀

Mat did enhance the original idea to make it very user-friendly!

I suggest that, to pay it forward, users of this action upload some of their new shapes (Of course, if there is no copyright issue) to the AdobeExchange!
T
Terrat
Apr 15, 2004
Matt and Pierre,
And thank you for continuing with your how to topics.

Do you think the Illustrator forum would also like a link access to this action? It just might make someone’s life easier? (As well, CorelDraw users might like this easy vector/pixel marriage. The list goes on.)
I
ID._Awe
Apr 15, 2004
Terrat: CorelDraw users get a neat little app called CorelTrace, which does an admirable job creating a vector image from a raster image. It has a lot of control over how the vector image is created. I use it a lot.
PC
Pierre_Courtejoie
Apr 16, 2004
Terrat, do it if you feel like it’ll be useful for Illustrator user!
HP
Helen_Polson
Apr 16, 2004
Thanks Mathias and Pierre, that’s very cool 🙂
P
Phosphor
Apr 16, 2004
Now archived in the Repository.

Mathias and/or Pierre. Please check and proofread, and make sure I didn’t mess anything up during my page source copy/paste, cleaning/reformatting. If you find anything that I messed up, or anything you’d like to change or amend, please email me.

Phosphor "Vectorize —A Quick Tutorial (by Mathias and Pierre)" 4/16/04 1:05am </cgi-bin/webx?50>
PC
Pierre_Courtejoie
Apr 16, 2004
For me, it seems perfect! Thanks Phoz!
I’m wondering what you’ll create with it…
MV
Mathias_Vejerslev
Apr 16, 2004
Phos,

Just one thing: The line in the title is too long 🙂
MV
Mathias_Vejerslev
Apr 16, 2004
Thought you guys shouldnt be kept out of the loop:

Mathias Vejerslev "*VECTORIZE – A Quick Tutorial" 4/16/04 8:00am </cgi-bin/webx?13/13>
B
Buko
Apr 16, 2004
somebody posted the link yesterday.
MV
Mathias_Vejerslev
Apr 16, 2004
oh, ok. Sorry for the re-link.
G
graffiti
Apr 16, 2004
Don’t apologize. It’s a great link.

It’s also been posted permanently HERE <http://www.adobeforums.com/cgi-bin/webx?50@@.3bb3a081>.
B
Buko
Apr 16, 2004
I, just wanted to point out somebody was looking out for you.
L
LRK
Apr 16, 2004
Hi Mathias! Thanks very much for the link and tutorial. Hope all is well on your side of the world.
P
Phosphor
Apr 16, 2004
I lurves me my em dashes!
MV
Mathias_Vejerslev
Apr 19, 2004
To test how the action would fare on small images, I decided for a test Google subject: Che Guevara (mostly because of his best known depiction).

The vector results from my picture search are displayed here:

<http://vectorizer.96ppi.net/ches/>

(Mostly for those of you too lazy to try the action yourselves 😉 ).

Mat
KS
Ken_Storch_(aka_photon)
Apr 20, 2004
Mathias,

Using those Che images is so retro revolutionary!
Great work guys.

Ken Storch
GS
Gustavo_Sanchez
Apr 20, 2004
Mathias and Pierre,

Pretty nice work. Thanks.

The Che images are nice, but I’d like to suggest adding the apropriated copyright note.

Keep it up, folks!

PS: At least (c) Alberto Díaz Gutiérrez ‘Korda’, for the famous beret portrait.
MV
Mathias_Vejerslev
Apr 20, 2004
I´d like to credit all the photographers, but I dont think it is possible for me to research them all.

Maybe I should take it down.
GS
Gustavo_Sanchez
Apr 20, 2004
Mathias,

My humble opinion (not joking): I don’t think Korda heirs (he died in 2001) would matter much as you’re not making money but rather paying homage to a 20th century iconic picture.

I just commented that because I think that’s a particular ultra famous picture where a photographer gets usually ignored. That was all.

(Ditto for Iwo Jima’s or Vietnam’s girl runing in flames)
MV
Mathias_Vejerslev
Apr 20, 2004
Gustavo,

John Davies pointed me to this article earlier in the process: <http://www.guardian.co.uk/cuba/story/0,11983,712612,00.html>

I´ll consider how I can credit the photographers, and at least add a sources link.

I also need to shrink the page and do some more stuff at the very least.

Mathias

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