Trace

[stevef30209121]

https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/using/image-trace.html#tracing-option-presetI'm trying to clean up a jpg photo of a black and white line drawing from an old book, I thought it would be so easy and quick using Trace in AI, I want to turn it into a vector image and get rid of the anti-aliasing

How to edit artwork in Illustrator using Image Trace

I'm following the above Tut but at position 4, I click Object>Image Trace>Expand and the Image Trace in the properties panel grays out and is not accessible only when I undo does it return so I can't advance any further. How can I make manual changes in the Image Trace if this is the case?

But have you better approaches to this exercise ?

[Bill Silbert]

When you expand the image trace it becomes editable Illustrator vector art. It is only before expanding that it is uneditable. You can possibly understand this better if after you do the image trace and before you expand you go into the artwork mode [Command (Mac)/Control (PC)-Y]. You will see nothing there! Then after you do the expand when you go into the artwork mode you will see the complete lifework for your drawing which is now completely editable.

[Barbara Ash]

From your description I'm not sure what you're stuck on, but it should be easy to trace the black and white artwork in your book.

Place the art on the Illustrator artboard.

Select the art and click on Image Trace.

Choose Black and White Logo from the list.

If the lines need adjusting, open the Image Trace panel and use the sliders.

When satisfied, click Expand.

Once you click Expand, the image will be converted to smooth vector objects. All of the objects will be filled shapes, and they will be grouped.

It is often not easy to make changes to the resulting vector art (other than coloring it or resizing it), so make as many adjustments as you need while using the Image Trace panel, before you Expand.

[stevef30209121]

Thank you. Here is the results of your reply, after (top) and before (below) they are at 600%

I had my Preset on Outline but B&W logo is better, the project forms part text and graphics (here) the text I clean up in A Acrobat DC and I will try and clean up the characters AA DC. Not got my head round what Expand does, I know it vectors,

and why all the blue paths appear? Can you please just say something about saving ? My aim was clean up these and I'm happy with the result, not sure I needed the vectoring as I will place these images along side text eventually for people print off as a PDF.

Thank you again

[Monika Gause]

stevef30209121  schrieb

Not got my head round what Expand does, I know it vectors,

"Expand" makes editable vector paths out of the live object.

Please do read the documentation.

How to edit artwork in Illustrator using Image Trace

The blue lines are the paths.

Illustrator Help | Illustrator User Guide

[stevef30209121]

Yes I've been using these vids but they need going through several times for me to grasp and apply (I'm 68) along with having AI open

Thank you

[Barbara Ash]

When tracing, Expand converts what you are seeing in the preview to a group of vector paths and discards the original image. When the paths are selected, the default highlight color is blue.

Illustrator's trace is not accurate enough for text so it is good that you are replacing the text.

You may or may not need the trace, depending on how high the resolution is of your scan.

When saving as a PDF for print, Illulstrator Default should work fine.

[Jacob Bugge]

Steve,

a black and white line drawing from an old book

Just to make sure, I hope the book is old enough for the drawing to be beyond copyright issues.

[Ray Yorkshire]

Besides, Daisy Duck won't be too impressed if Donald turns up wearing all those scruffy image trace artefacts..

A better approach?, might be to learn to use the Pen Tool, or a brush  with a drawing tablet.

If it's a one off thing look for a better quality image to use.

[Barbara Ash]

Yes, the Pen would be the best choice, the most accurate and fastest. But it is possible that steve30209121 has a deadline and not enough time to become proficient with the Pen. In the long run, putting the time in to practice with the Pen will pay off in spades.

[stevef30209121]

Thank you. Here is the original, before putting it through PS just to turn B&W, it's actually done on a home made book scanner so it's a camera JPG, I chose a complicated of the drawing it must be said and it's not a one off as there are many, but simpler.

Yes I have used and considered my pen & tablet it's a choice I need to look at again.  But after having another few attempts it looks like it's going to be a trade off between losing some detail in the center and having clean lines to the spirals. I've settled on what you advised but saving by Export (JPG) as opposed to PDF, that's fine with what I want achieve. Thank you

[stevef30209121]

I chose the most complicated of the drawings it must be said and it's not a one off as there are many but simpler. Yes I have used and considered my pen & tablet it's a choice I need to look at again

[stevef30209121]

Yes, I checked all that the author died in 1934, plus 70 years so it was out of copyright 15 years ago

[KShinabery212]

Trace is nice.... but sometimes if it easier using the image as template and simply rebuilding it as vector graphic. 

I do this all the time with the characters I design.  Some I draw out in my notebook, then I quickly take a pic with my cell and then place them in Illustrator and simply turn them into a template.  Then in a new layer I start building the character as a vector graphic.

Or if it is a book... you can use the Adobe Apps to capture it as vector graphic as well and then simply import it into your library.  But the cleaner way is to simply recreate it from scratch.

Cheers!

[stevef30209121]

Yes your right that is the course I may take with some drawings. There is a lot of stuff to clean up I'm just going through/finding out what approach is best. Thank you