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Known Participant
June 5, 2022
Question

Illustrator Live Trace produces objects when I really just need a path

  • June 5, 2022
  • 1 reply
  • 320 views

Hi Experts

 

I'm using Illustrator CC.

 

I am needing to trace many charts like the following so they can be modified in Illustrator.

 

 

 

Usually I strip off the axes and just try to trace the lines.

 

And often rather than the trace producing paths, it produces more complex objects.; For example one of these lines might really be composed on a path of many rectangles.

 

How to I force the Live Trace to only produce a single path for these kinds of charts?

 

Thanks!

This topic has been closed for replies.

1 reply

Monika Gause
Community Expert
Community Expert
June 5, 2022

You can safely forget that. It won't produce good results. Someone suggested an online tracing service lately that might give you better results, but maybe not with the dotted lines.

 

So maybe take the pen tool and then just click a few times to get the line?

jdballouAuthor
Known Participant
June 5, 2022

Ugh. I was afraid of that. Yes - with this line the pen would work fine. But for other charts of have lines with multiple curves.

 

Thanks.

Monika Gause
Community Expert
Community Expert
June 5, 2022

Where do those come from?

Any chance to get better output from that source?