Image Trace Tutorial

[debasencio]

I'm looking for a good in depth tutorial for using Image Trace and all it's options. Any suggestions? I have some heavy machinery images I'd like to be able to turn into 2 color vector art for screen printing and I'm hoping there's a way to use image trace other than the way I'm doing it now .... which takes way too much time. TIA

[Myra Ferguson]

I'm sure there are lots of tutorials, but I'm afraid they might frustrate you since you're saying what you're trying now is taking too much time. What I mean is while the tutorials can show you what the different settings do, the problem is that it will likely take playing around with the settings in the Image Trace panel (Window > Image Trace) as opposed to using the defaults. And even at that, you might not get the result you want. Depending on the image and the desired output, you might be better off recreating it with shapes or the Pen tool. If you can post an example of the type of art you'd like to convert, we can help you out with some suggestions on what might work to convert it more accurately, efficiently, or hopefully both.

[debasencio]

Here's the first one I did, but this took a lot of extra time and I realize some of the detail will be entirely up to me. I have three others I need to do too. The final vector art will be going on t-shirts for a construction company.

[Monika Gause]

There's no way you will get this solution with Image Trace.

[debasencio]

Most of it WAS done with Image Trace. I had to go in and add some of the finer detail.

My question is "Is there a tutorial somewhere out there that goes over the different settings and how to use them?"

[debasencio]

Basically, I just want something that I can use on my own time to learn how to use Image Trace to it's fullest potential. It's got all these great settings and I just want to learn how to use them.

[michelew83603738]

Yes, Tony Hammer has a great series on Lynda.com

Using the image trace panel

[debasencio]

That would be great if I wanted to pay a monthly subscription. Thanks though.

[michelew83603738]

They will often give a 2 week free trial. But you can also just do one month and learn what you need. If it is important, the cost versus the value. It is all about priorities.

[Monika Gause · Accepted solution]

Then read the documentation. It tells you everything about the settings:

How to edit artwork in Illustrator using Image Trace

[debasencio]

Thanks! THIS is what I was trying to find.

[John Mensinger]

There's no way you will get this solution with Image Trace.

True ^

Tutorial notwithstanding, Image Trace attempts will only eat up more of your time before you resort to doing it properly anyway.

Even if you manage to get a visually pleasing result with Image Trace, you won't like the construct once you start trying to refine it to the standard you've already set with the first one.