# Need Help Vectorizing Pictures



## fresh010 (Apr 4, 2007)

I Have The Pro Software And Im Need Help Vectorizing, Lets Say A Picture Of My Mom For Cutting, Where Do I Start?


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## Jasonda (Aug 16, 2006)

You can't really vectorize a photograph.


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## BRC (Mar 27, 2007)

When you say you have the Pro Software what company are you talking about? Flexi and LXI from Amiable can vector a bitmap but there are a lot of variables and it can sometimes take days to clean up a vectored image. One trick you might try is to convert the image to grayscale and bump up the contrast until you start to loose detail and try to do a trace with that. Another trick is to print an image in black and white then use a highliter to add contrast and scan that back into your computer and trace it. It takes some trial and error but they can be made to look decent if you have the time and patience.


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

You can also read more vectorizing tips here.


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## prometheus (Oct 19, 2006)

If you are looking for a vector of a full color photograph, as Borat would say "Not so good". It will make it looke cartoony. Also if you are going to cut it in vinyl, you would need a lot of differnt shades and layers and such. If you are looking for a one color image of a photo, that might work. If you are looking at a simple logo, that might even be better.


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## John S (Sep 9, 2006)

fresh010 said:


> I Have The Pro Software And Im Need Help Vectorizing, Lets Say A Picture Of My Mom For Cutting, Where Do I Start?


I know someone who has an avatar that was once a photograph...oh that's me. I've taken other faces and cut one color vinyl.

<--- Is this the affect your looking for? (I didn't put my face on shirt, that would scare away the customers)

I did it in photoshop using the Select>Color Range>Midtones to create a path that I open in Illustrator. A little clean up and you are ready to cut. 
Works best with white vinyl on dark shirts. You could design it the other way, but you would need to make some selection changes.


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## KILLER (Dec 15, 2006)

hi fresh good luck with all u do ..... killer in the house....


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## Air Art Girl (Mar 29, 2007)

Need help vectorizing or just don't have the time to do it, we have used http:/www.vectordoctor.com Sometimes it's not that we are not able to vectorize any image, it's just we are so swamped we just don't have the time. I think he charged us like $17 for the last one he did for us and we just pass the cost on to the customer. We would be charging them for our time to do it as well. Fast service, good results, highly recommend.


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## fresh010 (Apr 4, 2007)

thanks for the suggestions!


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## Chani (Jun 18, 2007)

Air Art Girl said:


> Need help vectorizing or just don't have the time to do it, we have used http:/www.vectordoctor.com Sometimes it's not that we are not able to vectorize any image, it's just we are so swamped we just don't have the time. I think he charged us like $17 for the last one he did for us and we just pass the cost on to the customer. We would be charging them for our time to do it as well. Fast service, good results, highly recommend.


Wow. I've never hear of that him!

How detailed was the image you sent him?


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## jberte (Mar 25, 2007)

there's another member on this board - drakesis - who does extraordinary work as well! some of the detail on the things i've seen him reproduce is excruciating to think about


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## Titere (Sep 14, 2006)

My avatar was also a photo once, now it is a logo of my face. I took it to photoshop, made it b/w, played with contrast and stuff, then I took it to freehand and vectorized it as an abstraction.


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## prometheus (Oct 19, 2006)

My avatar was a photo of my face. Then I peeled away the flesh in photshop and vectorized it in illustrator.


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## drakesis (Apr 3, 2007)

If it's a photograph the best way is to print it out and trace over it with tracing paper and a sharpie. Doing it by hand to pick the details that you want. Afterwards scan it in and redraw draw over it using Coreldraw/Illy/Flexi/Inkscape, etc....


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## DBT (Feb 20, 2007)

or...

in photoshop desaturate the image (or make it greyscale) and then go image>threshold

it may take a bit of adjusting but generally this gives you a great starting point to trace over in illustrator - or using one of the previously mentioned methods


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