image trace

[Wynn Lare]

Hi, I am new to Illustrator, with some CAD background a while back.

I have a JPEG screen shot with two letters from an unusual hand written font I want to trace and 'clean up'

The two letters are small on a white background but a 'rectangle' surrounds them....

Do I need to use FILE ▶Place Instead of just opening as a new file ?

I have imaged traced and manually traced, but I can't seem to select the paths/object after.

Any help is appreciated.

I have read quite a bit..... but I am missing something basic.

[Here is the list of all Adobe forums... https://forums.adobe.com/welcome]

[Moved from generic Cloud/Setup forum to specific Program forum... Mod]

[Monika Gause]

Please show.

Does perhaps "Ignore White" in the trace options help?

Or expanding the Image trace and then cleaning it?

[Wynn Lare]

I appreciate your help.

I had to do a few other tasks and I have to figure out how to include a pic.....

I will try and show my results.

I am brand new to forums so I need to learn how.

[Debbie Keller]

Did you click "Expand" after tracing the image?

Yes, it is always a good idea to create a document in Illustrator first and then place the image you want to use. This keeps you from not having any colors in your Swatches panel.

[Wynn Lare]

Ha... Thanks !

I like the Ignore White suggestion

On Expand ...I will have to learn a bit more...I don't know enough about

the command

I didn't know the swatches are kept out when you do File Place... .

I did choose Black and White Logo on Image Trace

Thanks for the help.....

[Jacob Bugge]

Wynn,

To follow up on what Debbie said:

On Expand ...I will have to learn a bit more...I don't know enough about

the command

Always expand after image tracing to get things to work.

Select it/them and Object>Image Trace>Expand.

[Wynn Lare]

I started repying two other times and got sidetracked.

I am just now getting to trying this advice.

I am hoping I get this to work..... and

very happy to see a possible solution.

I have been sitting on it several weeks ...reading here and there ....

Gradually learning more Illustrator...

I am building brand literature such as brochures websites labels....

letterhead and signs.

My big learning curve has been the drawing NOT SURPRISINGLY.

The text I have figured out a lot more.....

Thanks for the help.

[Jacob Bugge]

For my part you are welcome, Wynn.

I hope you will report your findings.

[Monika Gause]

WynnLare  schrieb

Thanks for the help.

Please mark the answer that has solved your issue, so everyone knows this is solved.

[Wynn Lare]

I don't have a full solution yet.

Image Trace and Expand was selected and did vector the TWO LETTERS (that is all I am tracing)

I am on mobile.

I know attachments aren't allowed.

Do you know how I can send a screen shot ....?

Should I sent forum replies from my laptop only ?

The ARTBOARD....is HUGE

I think 20 by 35 inches.

I have zero idea why these two letters are so big

I can't do anything besides turn the path on or off.

No selecting......possible.

'Somehow' .....messing around I was able to fill one of the letters.

But I can't replicate.

I am on an old laptop.

Windows 7 with 4GIGs... of Ram....

But NO SPEED PROBLEMS....

this is perplexing ....

If someone can tell be how to send shots of this I would love to....

[Monika Gause]

use the forum's web interface to send screenshot

[Wynn Lare]

I forgot to mention......

I did do 'show paths' which gets me all the anchor points .....

But I can't select anything .......

[angie_taylor]

Also, once you have Expanded the Image Trace, the easiest way to select individual paths from this (or any group of paths) is to go into isolation mode. This allows you to individually select elements. The easiest way to do this is just to double-click on the path that you want to select. Depending on the depth of grouping, you may need to double-click multiple times till the appropriate path is selected.

Once you've made the desired changes, hit the Escape key to exit Isolation Mode.

Hope this helps.

[angie_taylor]

Hi there,

Here's a link to a tutorial I made a few years back about Isolation Mode and some of its uses;

https://www.lynda.com/After-Effects-tutorials/Using-group-isolation-mode/123481/128887-4.html?lpk35=...
C&utm_content=524&utm_campaign=CD14836&bid=524&aid=CD14836

[Wynn Lare]

Thanks for the help in isolation mode.

I have drawn a marquee around the two letters several times ....that gets me the ability to alternately see the paths with their drawing points.

I HAVE .....  ... been in isolation mode as a 'try and see'  and the two letters really can't have much of anything 'done to them'....(no selecting with either selection tool....)..

I will get back to my laptop and send some screen shots.

This is going to help someone else ....no doubt ....when it gets solved.

[Wynn Lare]

Thanks .....this forum is really a lifesaver.

Something QUITE UNUSUAL is happening with this vectored art ...

It was a poster I made in a quote app on mobile ....

Just 'two letters' I wanted to show,a client .....that might work for a

logo

Months later ... I did locate the 'hand drawn' font it came from and the

person drawing them does offer FREE USE...

With a Chrome Extension. ...but that was 'blowing up my Chrome'

The problem is.. it's coming in HUGE

about 20 x 36 inches ..... for TWO LETTERS

And my archaic..."Windows Photo Viewer' isn't helping

This is 'one of those off-track digital journeys.....we ALL HAVE TAKEN'

DAYS...if not weeks later.... trying to do something basic...

I have transferred and opened these files through Adobe Creative capture on

mobile .... gmail attachment's. ..Google drive ....etc all PNG FORMAT

I never get a result that Illustrator is treating 'normal'.

Even the IMAGE TRACE was 'doing its own thing' .. it wasn't appearing as a

dialog box... or a command in the top line no matter how many work views I

trled and reset to default... such as Layout view......

Essentials.... Typography......

Collectively.... I think this forum is going to solve this ...

I will next go to my laptop and send sone screen shots ....

THANK YOU ALL FOR SO MUCH HELP

[Monika Gause]

WynnLare  schrieb

Even the IMAGE TRACE was 'doing its own thing' ..  it wasn't appearing as a

dialog box..

No. Because it's a panel.

Whenever you don't understand something, the documentation is a good start.

How to edit artwork in Illustrator using Image Trace

[Wynn Lare]

You must be kidding. ....

You might ask how I got here ......

I have been pouring over 6 books I have for over three months to learn Illustrator  ....I have watched probably 100 videos at least

And read at least 200 articles multiple times and have saved them.

I don't ask for HELP LIGHTLY

saying ..'it's a panel".... doesn't help...

I'm fact your response should be DELETED it's so useless ......

Why are you bothering to reply..?

I thought I sent four screen shots ....

I will check ....

As far as I am concerned this is an operating system bug unique to Windows 7... I found another thread with nearly IDENTICAL PROBLEMS....

They suggested transform and scale to a percentage ...which I HAVE DONE .... my artwork is now less than one by one inch .....and vectored....but I still can't select it ...

This whole problem is likely how Illustrator is opening the files....

Which ARE COMING FROM MY GOOGLE DRIVE... in PNG....and copied to my USB....then opened in llustrator since OTHERWISE it is cloud to cloud computing and not possible

[Larry G. Schneider]

If you are opening PNG files (Portable Network Graphic) then you are opening a raster image file. It is not and will never be a vector file unless you use Image Trace to turn it into one. After you use Image Trace, you must then Expand the Image Trace object to get vector paths which you can select. To add screenshots to your reply use the Insert Image icon (seventh from the left in the Reply dialog icon bar).

[Wynn Lare]

Much more helpful ....very specific instructions..... not vague 'use the

Web interface'...which was suggested.... and means really nothing.

Moderators....might like to know users can now use Photoshop...and

lllustrator on mobile ....and as a result the forums may me replied to ON

MOBILE

Mobile is frequently NOT OPTIMIZED....or function is missing.... and no

different here in this forum

Which I think for newer users is an -automatic expectation......

As far as the .PNG....I do expect that to be a raster.... almost always (if

not always)?.. they are ....coming off the web....

And I have image traced numerous times ...four different versions of this

file...

Including image trace make

Image trace make expand ...

I have seen black on white .. white on black... outline ...

I just CAN'T SELECT IT. .

I even tried file place AFTER the image trace ....

I have seen the vectoring....and checked on "make pixel perfect"....just to

see the message returned

I will jump on to my laptop in a bit when I get home and follow your

instructions to send screen shots

Thank you for being so thorough.....

On Sep 24, 2017 10:34 AM, "Larry G. Schneider" <forums_noreply@adobe.com>

[Wynn Lare]

Monica specifically has been asking me to provide screen shots.

I learned how to screen shot and insert into PDF files.

I am so new to Illustrator I created a 13 wide by 8 inch high file to paste

the shots.

One file here is an actual AI file after image trace, which I never got a

image trace dialog box just a few options including BLACK AND WHITE LOGO

which I choose.

I can't seem to 'DO ANYTHING WITH THIS OBJECT' if it is even an object.

These shots are pretty much all I can do with this traced image, which does

seemed to have been traced successfully,

I need this to be TINY ... about 21 points....haha...right now it's closer

to 21"...

I am SO LOST.... it looks good...... but I can't do anything with the trace.

ANY HELP..... greatly appreciated......

On Sat, Sep 23, 2017 at 7:35 AM, Wynn Lare <ripplecreektweet@gmail.com>

[Monika Gause]

WynnLare  schrieb

ANY HELP..... greatly appreciated......

You should consider taking a training. When you don't show us what's happening, we can't help and that's it.

Adobe Certified Experts can be researched on the web site, but of course there might be other possibilities in your region:

Adobe Certified Expert (ACE) Finder | Adobe Training & Certification

[angie_taylor]

It would really help us if we could see what your issue is. Once you have taken the screenshots please upload them to your reply using this button at the top of the message pane.

[angie_taylor]

Try this,

Create a new file, choose one of the web presets for now

Go to File > Place and then select the image that you want to trace

Select the image and Click on Image Trace (Open the Image Trace panel if you need to adjust settings)

Once you have traced the image, with it still selected, click on the EXPAND button, in the Control panel.

Now you should see all the paths when you select the artwork?

To select individual elements, double-click the artwork to go into Isolation mode.

Hope this helps.

[Wynn Lare]

​This is the image I have been trying to trace. The screen shots were

placed in PDF files and attached here, which may not be allowed. In which

case I would have to try and see if Ican find the shots in a folder on my

laptop and put them into file type of PNG as an upload...... using the

photo icon on the bottom won't support a PDF .... there are different

issues going on here.

Importing files to Ilustrator and opening them properly, getting Image

trace to react and then trying to send documentation to SHOW the work. And

obstacles at every turn.

I have been scouring a lot of advise and I like your suggestion to open a

file for the web. I did read at one point to have a file to place into that

"already has raster art" that didnt make sense UNTIL NOW.

i did try looking at your LYNDA on isolation, currently I am not a LYNDA

subscriber but I have already been thinking about it. All these

subscription models take time and money and i think all of us have to

budget BOTH. I dont use forums to solve my problems typically. Certainly

not before read and watch and TRY plenty of ideas FIRST.

IF you can't see my files i will have to try and save the screen shots as

PNG and hope that works to upload through the photo icon at the bottom here

on GMAIL.

THANKS !!

On Sun, Sep 24, 2017 at 11:54 PM, theangietaylor <forums_noreply@adobe.com>