Creating a Vector File

[alwfineart]

I have some physical stencils that I have created, and I'm trying to find a way to scan them and have the scanned file be a vector file, or turn the scanned file (in what format?) into a vector file using Illustrator. So far, I've failed miserably (which, I guess, is to be expected, since I'm new to Illustrator). Does anyone have any suggestions/recommendations/instructions as to how to proceed?  Thanx in advance!

[jdanek · Accepted solution]

Depends on what the stencil's colors are.  Best is to scan grayscale and Place the .tif on a separate Layer in Illustrator and then use trace.  Resolution of the .tif should be high.

[alwfineart]

Thanx for the response! Stencils are opaque/translucent, so they are gray-ish in color, with the shapes already cut out. So, on my flatbed scanner, the background of the scanner cover is white. Scanning in hi-res grayscale makes sense (I can go up to 2500 dpi), but I'm wondering if I need to back the stencil up with a sheet of black paper for more contrast.

Your thoughts, please!

[Kris Hunt]

A 300 ppi JPEG is sufficient for tracing. Not sure if a white or a black background would work better; try both.

[alwfineart]

Will do! I'm out of town but will return this weekend and give it a shot!

[jdanek]

"Your thoughts, please!"

2500ppi is appropriate for scanning 1-Bit, B&W.  Like Kris Hut says, 300ppi should be enough.  I see you may have to deal with shadows in the Whites, but that is okay.  You will be tracing the Grays unless you want the inside shapes to be positive.  If you swapped in a Black, there would be far less contrast unless your Gray is light.  This project will help you become familiar with editing vector paths once you've traced.  Be prepared to work on each stencil after the trace.  Good luck and let us now how you are doing.

[jane-e]

alwfineart  wrote

So far, I've failed miserably (which, I guess, is to be expected, since I'm new to Illustrator).

What have you done so far that has failed?

[michelew83603738]

This might help you figure out the different Image Trace Options so that you can get the best trace of your stencils:

How to edit artwork in Illustrator using Image Trace

[alwfineart]

I thought that I could "convert" a jpeg or tiff to a vector file simply by saving it as an .ai file. Obviously, this is not the way to go!

[michelew83603738]

No merely saving out as an .ai file does not do the trick. It merely saves a pixel based file in a vector based program file. You must actually go thru a conversion process within Illustrator to get the results that will work best for you. Good luck.

[jane-e]

alwfineart  wrote

I thought that I could "convert" a jpeg or tiff to a vector file simply by saving it as an .ai file.

Glad you figured this out! Raster means the image is made up of little squares call pixels. The size of the pixels determines the quality and is measured in pixels per inch, so you might have 72 ppi or 300 ppi. Vector is math. You have anchor points and they are connected by straight lines or curvy lines. The curves are controled by non-printing direction lines located at the anchor points.

Illustrator has the Image Trace feature which semi-automatically draws the paths for you. I say "semi" because there are a number of settings and if the Default settings don't work, you have to learn the others. The other option is to manually draw the paths yourself, which involves learning Illlustrator first.

If Image Trace doesn't work when you get back, expand the Advanced panel and show your settings.

[mjbelt]

Image trace is the traditional way to convert raster to vector.

However, try this option:

Photo to vector converter app for iOS, Android | Adobe Capture CC

[Ray Yorkshire]

Could you show one of the stencils, so appropriate advice can be given as to the practicalities of various options?

[JETalmage]

You need to describe what you intend to do with the vector drawing. Auto-tracing is seldom the way to proceed for optimal results. For example, if your purpose is to create additional stencils, cut sign vinyl, etc. on any kind of plotter-cutter, I would not recommend auto-tracing.

There is no lossless "conversion" between raster-based graphics and vector-based graphics, in the sense of converting one file format to another. People need to stop using the term "conversion" in this content, because it is grossly misleading.

Whether automated by an auto-tracing feature or not, it's still a process of completely re-drawing the image as vector paths; creating an entirely other version of the image using a different digital medium. So auto-tracing is just as subject to entropy as any other mechanical reproduction process; degradation occurs in each generation of copying.

JET