Image Trace Settings Help

[Garage5C6B]

Hello,

I've been recreating a label in photoshop for an old tire balancer than i'm refinishing and am now trying to convert it from raster (Photoshop CC 2019) to vector (illustrator CC 2015) but am having issues and want to know if anyone has an suggestions!

First off, I inverted the colors since the Black lines here will be white on a transparent background. So to preserve the image, I inverted the colours. 

Now, there are only 2 colours in this image, black and teal (originally white / red - will color correct later)

The issue is that the image trace isn't doing a great job of "tracing" the objects. The 3 dials in particular turn out badly, however, I created those in illustrator and have those files still and can delete the ones in the image after the trace and superimpose the originals. So my main concern area are the outlines of the tire rims and arrows.

Here is a zoomed in area before and after image trace:

Here are the settings. I was playing around with them but not sure what I should use to make it work and it takes so long in between that I was hoping someone would have a suggestion.

If anyone wants to give it a go for me I could always share the file over google drive...but it's 1.5 GB. 

I should not the other reason that I need it to be better is that this is a user panel that is about 22inches wide by 12 inches tall. So all of those issues will be quite visible.

Thanks!

[Jacob Bugge]

Garage,

I am afraid I would suggest your starting over with the help of Illy; she is rather good at it, with no GB.

[John Mensinger · Accepted solution]

Yeah, unfortunately Image Trace is not accurate to the degree you'd want, as someone who is engaged in meticulous restoration. To truly reporoduce the label, you'd have to redraw the elements, using the raster image as a guide (trace manually). That way you can control and ensure the correct symmetry, balance, and weight of each element. Quality graphics are never the product of an easy button.

[Garage5C6B]

Oh well. I guess I've got another bunch of hours tracing ahead of me. I imagine that the PEN tool and everything I create in illustrator with it is automatically a vector?

[John Mensinger]

Yes, the objects you draw with Illustrator's native drawing tools are indeed vector-defined. There are certain effects, however, that are raster-based. It helps to be aware of that.

https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/using/effects.html#:~:text=Raster%20effects%20are%20effects%20th....

[Jacob Bugge · Accepted solution]

Garage,

Much of the artwork is begging for your using the ready shape tools, such as the Rectangle Tool (the live rectangle can make rounded corners, or you can use the Rounded Rectangle) and the Ellipse Tool (which can make circles). And some parts, such as the V belt pulleys and the filled arrows, can be made from the ready shapes with adaptations and combinations.

You can ask for more specific guidance, just as in your other thread,

https://community.adobe.com/t5/illustrator-discussions/creating-pattern-using-background-image-as-re...

[Met1 · Accepted solution]

You don't mention at what size you are Image Tracing - if you enlarge your scan significantly, then trace, then reduce back down again you might get more fidelity.

It's worth taking a while to play with all the adjustments and bear in mind that the subtleties happen at different points in the various sliders and with different combinations.