Deliver file of an image as objects or as strokes

[Asterixx]

Hello everybody,

I am not a experienced graphic designer but just draw illustrations (also without computer) and from time to time I deliver illustrations as PDF, sometimes as AI or PNG or SVG. But my question would probably be about PDF.

Until some weeks I only used objects with the blob brush. This was easy as you can see directly how the lines are and don't have to care about anything else. But of course strokes have also advantages :).

As I don't have a printer background or anything, I am not sure whether the file of the image is also good for delivery when I use strokes instead of the blob brush (=objects). I saw already in some small tests that the stroke width can change when copied into another program (like Corel) or closed (when it is not closed, but illustrator opens it like it is and Corel as closed).

So with my limited knowledge would it perhaps be a good idea to indeed work with strokes to have more possibilities, but at the end before delivery to convert the stroke to objects? So that there are only objects in the PDF (e.g. PDF/X-1a 2001).

And is this perhaps even in the graphics industry somehow "normal" that you export and deliver your AI illustration then as objects and then as PDF? So ist this a real problem?

Sorry for this beginner's question, but somehow I was not aware that strokes have more issues in export and import than object (probably).

[Monika Gause · Accepted solution]

It depends on the situation. So it's best to ask the other people. That is a professional thing to do. But: if they are not available for talking:

If it's a logo, outline the strokes.

If you deliver a project and do not know how it will be used (and also nobody wants to tell you): definitely outline the strokes.

If you deliver it into an Adobe workflow and you know it will only be used in Illustrator by pros and they might need to adjust strokes or have even told you that they want it to be editable. Do not outline strokes.

If you deliver it for a website as an SVG: talk to the developer. It will depend on their needs whether or not to outline strokes. They are even able to change stroke thickness with their code.

If you want to make it difficult to edit for some reason (perhaps because they are not willing to talk), outline the strokes.

Of course you keep a fully editable copy with live strokes for your own purposes.

[Asterixx]

Thank you very much, this was really helpful. To begin with I was really not sure whether this is perhaps somehow not "cool" so do so and if it is made by the professionals also.

I forgot to mention that indeed most of the time I just don't know how the image will be used as PDF. My customers usually know even less than me about this and are very happy with a PNG file, but they heard anywhere that vector files are existing and so they also want vector data. As they probably only use the PNG then I add a PDF X-1a just to be sure, to deliver the vectors and the correct CMYK colors. Until now only objects, but I begin to work with strokes as the width is better to handle.

No I know that I will most of the time outline the strokes, and if somebody really needs the strokes (normally I should change them...) I will tell him that I am not sure whether they are correct when he imports them :).

[Asterixx]

I tried to learn more about outlining the strokes :).

After all I have the effect (of course?) that the outlined strokes are not perfect concerning the anchors. So there are more anchors than I would expect. When I try to simplify this or manually correct then I get another version of the line drawing than I had with strokes.

So when we talk about a case where I want to outline the strokes (as mentioned by you).

What do the pros:

- do they outline the strokes and from that point work with this outlined version and correct everthing that it is perfect, but then can't go back to the stroke version (because it's too different then)?

- do they just click on outline the strokes when the stroke illustration is ready, and don't make too much corrections then in the outlined version?

(Perhaps my images are just too bad (drawn by hand), but I have too many anchors when I outline the strokes.)

(I tried also CorelDraw for all those tasks but get even more anchors and double anchors and so on, but in Illustrator also)

[Monika Gause]

Outlining strokes can indeed create more anchors than necessary. You probably need to reduce them. Try Object > Path > Simplify.

As for the workflow: I prefer to keep strokes not outlined as long as possible. But some things cannot be done with live strokes and then I outline them. And of course continue working with that.

[Asterixx]

thank you again!

I thought that way when for example I creat some drawing with lines in a certain line thickness, outline the strokes to deliver everything, working some hours on it, then the customer comes back a few days later and wants another line thickness again. In that case I would have to rework the strokes and outline again and rework those again :). I guess this is normal work in this case, I was not sure whether the pros just click on outline strokes and go for it. But I am glad that this work on anchors just has to be made, fine with me.

[Monika Gause]

OK, that is one of the situations ofr which you prepare by macking backups. And yes, that happens. So: it dpepends. If there are several breakpoints in the workflow, then I make a backup or copy at each step where it could be useful to have that.

Also: even when strokes are outlined you can still have options. Offset path is one of them to still be able to change line width. 

[Asterixx]

thank you again. Yes, I know about the offset path, but there are other cases where it is just as we wrote both :).

I was drawing more in pixel mode the last years and am discovering the advantages of vector graphics now - and some additional work :).

[Monika Gause]

It is always some kind of choosing your methods wisely. Outlining strokes is most needed for cutting is some way or other. Using pathfinders on them or whatnot.

So when you are only doing the first sketches in order to present to someone: do you really need to cut? Or is masking OK as well or just overlaying a white shape? What gets you there faster and what is less work when there are comments by the customer or boss?

[Mohammad.Harb]

Pdf converts stroke to fill  to maintain the same appearance of the artwok .

even if you keep "maximize illustrator editing compatibility " turned on when saving pdf,

This will make the pdf editible only as an illustrator file,

However if you open the pdf file in another software the objects will be expanded 

[Asterixx]

I hope I understand correctly, but I am not sure about the english terminology sometimes.

When I create a new file in Illustrator and just draw one stroke and save as PDF/X-1a and open this in Corel or Affinity (or Illustatror) then the stroke is still there, not an object / fill / shape ?

[Monika Gause]

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@Mohammad.Harb  schrieb:

Pdf converts stroke to fill  to maintain the same appearance of the artwok .

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Not necessarily. It will only do that with "special" strokes that are aligned to the outside or inside or have width profiles or brushes applied. When transparency exists it will depend and it might lead to strokes that are partly outlined.

[Asterixx]

Yes, I mostly only use normal strokes as in the test, no brushes applied. But perhaps sometimes I apply a certain look (calligraphic) to a stroke then indeed in the PDF they are outlined. But in general my thought were about normal strokes which are not automatically outlined, as I learned now.