Create a stroke from an outlines path

[Amikoe]

Hi, I'm still using an old AI version, but I don't think it matters here:

I'm involved in recreating a logo (that some unknown designer created, and the original Vector art is lost), based on a (hi-res) JPG... The logo is loosely based on Avant Garde font, BUT STILL NEEDS SOME ADJUSTMENTS AND TWEEKINGS. 

Doing those changes causes the lines' THICKNESS not to be totally consistent, which is what one expects a logo to be...

So my question is, please see below, just like creating a stroke (1), giving it a certain thickness, and then doing an "outline stroke" to get #2, I'm looking for just THE OPPOSITE, take a path (my traced logo), like #2, AND TURN IT INTO A SINGLE STROKE. Then I will give all the letters the appropriate thickness — and then outline them. That way all the letters in the logo will be at a consistent thickness, as a logo is expected to be.

Can this be  done?

Thanks for your input!

 

[Monika Gause]

If that is really just as simple as you are showing here, you can try this: https://community.adobe.com/t5/illustrator-discussions/new-year-new-strokes/m-p/12628630

If not, then the long answer is no.

[Amikoe]

The image I'm getting is below, and I don't see any "Import stroker_1.aia" in the list of actions:

[Jacob Bugge]

Amikoe,

Have yous considered cleaner ways such as redrawing on top of the locked JPEG and aided by the actual Avant Garde font oe simply starting over based on the Avant Garde font as in the original, either way maybe using a combination of new stroked paths and new/existing filled paths as covenient, until the final outlining (of each part)?

That might make yous (or at least you) happier and the logo better, hopefully even in a shorter time.

[Amikoe]

Yes, I've been using the font, but the logo was not created using that font, it's just a font that I have (and I have thousands of fonts...) that seems close enough, but still needs tweaking. Straight lines are easy, of course, but curved lines are a challenge, so I was just curious, instead of spending hours on this, if there's a simpler trick... 

[Jacob Bugge]

Amikoe,

I believe it is safe to say that (at least/especially) for artwork such as logos it is generally recommended to redraw rather than try to work directly with Image Tracing, hard to become happy with and hard to avoid much time use/waste to get it tolerable or even satisfactory.

The time needed for redrawing obviously depends on the actual shapes/paths, but the choice of ways and tools can be more important.

Maybe you can show something corresponding to troublesome parts without revealing anything of the logo.

[Amikoe]

[Amikoe]

See how I'm struggling with the thickness of the thickness of the lines?  That's why I was looking to reverse the "outline stroke" to actually make these lines into a stroke, make it as smooth as possible, then thicken the lines and outline them. That way the computer will produce evenly-thick lines.

[Monika Gause]

Why do you need even line thickness? usually in fonts that does not exist.

[Amikoe]

The logo I was desperately trying to recreate is based on an unknown font. I solved it by creating the shapes to actually build each character, using lines, straight and curved (made of circles and part of circles, in different sizes), connected them together AND THEN (1) GAVE THEM THE APPROPRIATE THICKNESS, AND THEN  (2) DID THE OUTLINE STROKES.

Now I have  all the characters consistent in their thickness, and the logo now looks perfect.

[Jacob Bugge]

Amikoe,

I am pleased to see that you chose the cleaner way of redrawing with the use of stroked paths, and I believe it has been happier.

[Amikoe]

Sorry, wrong image (why can't we actually EDIT our replies?...)

[Jacob Bugge]

Amikoe, may I ask how the time to create the logo compares to the time you think you would need to make the Image Trace version tolerable (if at all possible)?

Which (wrong) image are you referring to?

The ability to edit posts, after clicking the More button under the susmitted post, requires a certain level of forum participation.

I am unsure which, but at least one of our friends knows. @pixxxelschubser ?

[Amikoe]

The wrong image is the "an" above. That was before switching to recreating the logo using lines > thickness > outline strokes.

I wish I could just trace the jpg logo I got, but it was small, low-rez, and of terrible quality to create a logo from.  I was able to enlarge it and bump the resolution in PS, but still, garbage in garbage out...

[Jacob Bugge]

Amicoe, I quite understand your being dissatisfied with the traced an image.

No matter the resolution, I believe the gan image shows that redrawing is the right way, especially for something like a logo; and I doubt whether it takes longer than to (try to) repair a traced image.

Apart from everything else, the redrawing of an old(er) logo may also give the opportunity of possible improvement/rethinking, maybe making yous (or at least you) even happier and the logo even better.

[pixxxelschubser]

… The ability to edit posts, after clicking the More button under the susmitted post, requires a certain level of forum participation.

I am unsure which, but at least one of our friends knows. pixxxelschubser ?

By Jacob Bugge

Hi Jacob,
You are absolutely right.
But only Adobe knows the exact ‘magic formula’.

(Since the recent changeover of the profiles, it has also become completely impossible for us to make a ‘forecast’ based on the existing contributions. Sorry)

[Jacob Bugge]

Ah, thank you for sharing, Hans-Jürgen.

I was unaware of that consequence of the recent change.