Fast vector and complex shapes in Illustrator CS5
It happens that you need to quickly open a logo or another image because NG and you have to quickly and quickly stamp a stamping stamp at the printing company, but do not accept raster. Or maybe you need to print a huge poster from the logo that you just scanned from a single business card. Such images are not always simple enough to draw them according to the original. In addition, time is running out for us - the champagne is poured, the jelly cools down ...
Of course, the Live Trace function will always come to the rescue (now already built into Illustrator). It is not strange, even the regular users of the package do not know about its existence or are not able (do not want) to use it fully (but in vain). In addition, I often hear that it is impossible to make “katy” from complex forms. This is especially true of new versions of the package, where the logic of combining forms has been greatly reworked.
For clarity, examples are shown on a transparent background. I also advise you to learn the combination Shift + Ctrl + D - this will help not to miss the extra objects that can later play a cruel joke.
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Suppose you scanned the logo and transferred it to Grayscale. You can do this in Illustrator, but easier and more efficiently - in Photoshop. Indeed, in the latter case, you can also raise the contrast of the image and remove the "garbage" that will only interfere with the automatic tracer.
In Figure 1, a raster image (brazenly stolen from Google - probably the author’s copyright), which easily turns into a vector by clicking the Live Trace button (and then Expand) in the upper toolbar. The resulting should be ungrouped by clicking the right mouse button and selecting the corresponding item of the drop-down menu (Fig. 2).
Now you need to get rid of pieces of white background. In most logos, this is simple, but what if you have a laurel wreath tied with a ribbon, and inside you still have the face of Plato? Each piece of white to allocate a chore, a long time, and no one guarantees that you will not forget anything.
In the third drawing, the object that was chosen the easiest is to choose the largest piece of white. Then in the main menu: Select / Same / Fill Color. This is a selection of all objects with a similar fill style. Menu Select by the way, for some reason unfairly ignored by many users of AI.
Finally, we have nothing superfluous and, if it is necessary to fill the logo with a simple die (just black for embossing), then everything is ready. But what if the result needs to be filled with a gradient or made into a vector style?
Figure 4 shows the application of the gradient to a complex shape. Everything seems to be nothing, but every single part of the object is filled in, and we need to manage the gradient on the whole shape. Button Unite in the palette Pathfinder also does not save the situation. The fact is that now the program does not make the default object Compound Shape. That is why you should visit first in the Pathfinder palette submenu (Fig. 5) and after choosing Make Compound Shape, be sure (otherwise there will be many problems later) remember to click the Expand button in the same palette.
When everything turned out, we suddenly need to adjust the shape, because the fast vector can distort certain lines. You can make a correction pen point, but again - for a long time and not Feng Shui. And we need to quickly and correctly. The easiest way to create a new correct form (Fig. 6), put it on top, and using the Minus Front button of the Pathfinder palette, cut it out of the object. True, after cutting, we again get the effect of a broken gradient. I focus on this, because the effect is not visible on monochromatic dies, but it can be great to blow up your perception of the world when you try to cut something out of shape again.
Repeat the combination of form and expansion again, correct minor defects, apply the necessary effects and - voila!
If such a method speeds up the work of someone, I will only be glad. If I missed something - write, I will try to add.
Of course, the Live Trace function will always come to the rescue (now already built into Illustrator). It is not strange, even the regular users of the package do not know about its existence or are not able (do not want) to use it fully (but in vain). In addition, I often hear that it is impossible to make “katy” from complex forms. This is especially true of new versions of the package, where the logic of combining forms has been greatly reworked.
For clarity, examples are shown on a transparent background. I also advise you to learn the combination Shift + Ctrl + D - this will help not to miss the extra objects that can later play a cruel joke.
')
Suppose you scanned the logo and transferred it to Grayscale. You can do this in Illustrator, but easier and more efficiently - in Photoshop. Indeed, in the latter case, you can also raise the contrast of the image and remove the "garbage" that will only interfere with the automatic tracer.
In Figure 1, a raster image (brazenly stolen from Google - probably the author’s copyright), which easily turns into a vector by clicking the Live Trace button (and then Expand) in the upper toolbar. The resulting should be ungrouped by clicking the right mouse button and selecting the corresponding item of the drop-down menu (Fig. 2).
Now you need to get rid of pieces of white background. In most logos, this is simple, but what if you have a laurel wreath tied with a ribbon, and inside you still have the face of Plato? Each piece of white to allocate a chore, a long time, and no one guarantees that you will not forget anything.
In the third drawing, the object that was chosen the easiest is to choose the largest piece of white. Then in the main menu: Select / Same / Fill Color. This is a selection of all objects with a similar fill style. Menu Select by the way, for some reason unfairly ignored by many users of AI.
Finally, we have nothing superfluous and, if it is necessary to fill the logo with a simple die (just black for embossing), then everything is ready. But what if the result needs to be filled with a gradient or made into a vector style?
Figure 4 shows the application of the gradient to a complex shape. Everything seems to be nothing, but every single part of the object is filled in, and we need to manage the gradient on the whole shape. Button Unite in the palette Pathfinder also does not save the situation. The fact is that now the program does not make the default object Compound Shape. That is why you should visit first in the Pathfinder palette submenu (Fig. 5) and after choosing Make Compound Shape, be sure (otherwise there will be many problems later) remember to click the Expand button in the same palette.
When everything turned out, we suddenly need to adjust the shape, because the fast vector can distort certain lines. You can make a correction pen point, but again - for a long time and not Feng Shui. And we need to quickly and correctly. The easiest way to create a new correct form (Fig. 6), put it on top, and using the Minus Front button of the Pathfinder palette, cut it out of the object. True, after cutting, we again get the effect of a broken gradient. I focus on this, because the effect is not visible on monochromatic dies, but it can be great to blow up your perception of the world when you try to cut something out of shape again.
Repeat the combination of form and expansion again, correct minor defects, apply the necessary effects and - voila!
If such a method speeds up the work of someone, I will only be glad. If I missed something - write, I will try to add.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/134443/
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