Image Trace option not working

[charlotten86139972]

I made a polka dot black and white pattern, I wanted to use image trace and expand it into separate shapes.

So I made my pattern and filled an object with it. then i selected the object, went to object -> rasterise.

But when i goto object -> image trace it is greyed out and cant select it..... I am sure that image trace has worked for me after I have rasterised prints in the past..

but if I export the patterened object, saving it as separate jpeg/pdf file etc, and then drag back into illustrator - image trace works again. but this is looongg.

Please help!

[Monika Gause]

I don't understand your workflow. At all.

Why don't you just apply your pattern and then Object > Expand?

This will expand your pattern into vector dots.

[charlotten86139972]

I can apply the pattern and expand it, but then there is the pattern bounding boxes which still exist and are highlighted when i put the cursor over a polka dot. i don't know how to get ride of those?

[Monika Gause]

Can you please show images of waht you have?

So you only want the background to show through your pattern? You don't need to expand the pattern for that.

[John Mensinger]

If you have purpose-created vector objects in the first place, why would you rasterize them only to then trace them? What does that accomplish?

[charlotten86139972]

I had put the polka dot pattern against a white object behind. I wanted to image trace+expand the pattern so i could have both polka dot and the relief shape of the polka dot as shapes.

If i rasterize an object , I should be able to use image trace on it?

[John Mensinger]

charlotten86139972  wrote

I wanted to image trace+expand the pattern so i could have both polka dot and the relief shape of the polka dot as shapes.

There are at least 3 ways to get that without resorting to rasterize/trace. Pathfinder functions and the Shape Builder tool provide extremely deep features for creating new shapes from the interactions of other shapes. On simpler terms, you could just make a Compound Path from (a copy of) the Polka Dots, and then another from the Polka Dots-Compound Path and the White Object.

If i rasterize an object , I should be able to use image trace on it?

Maybe, but that doesn't mean you should. Notice how I characterized it above as "resorting to" rasterize/trace? Have you ever looked closely at the result of your Image Trace? Have you ever compared the original vector object to the same object rasterized-then-traced? Image Trace can be horribly imprecise. If you rasterize and re-trace to accomplish something that can be accomplished without rasterizing at all, it constitutes a serious flaw in your vector drawing workflow. This is why we're questioning your motives.