Sijun Forums :: View topic - Illustrator Transparent Background for Sanned Line Art???

Abbadon74 · junior member Member # Joined: 08 Nov 2002 Posts: 21

Hey everyone. I was hoping to get some guidance on an Illustrator issue. I've been trying to work with some of my hand-drawn line art in Illustrator lately, but I'm having a rough time trying to get the backgrounds to stay transparent. I was hoping someone could maybe give me some guidance on this.

I begin by scanning line art in Photoshop. I then save it as a PICT or TIF file, then import it to Adobe Streamline 4, which I use to convert to a vectorized file. I then open it in Illustrator to edit the line art. I can edit the lines just fine, but no matter what I've tried, I can't get the white to go transparent. It seems when Streamline converts the file, it doesn't convert the line art as actual lines, but shapes of white with larger black shapes below them. This is particularly troublesome when I try to do MINUS FRONT on the Pathways, in order to make it transparent. At that point, it just removes the smaller white image in front, leaving the larger black area beneath.

Any ideas? I don't know if I'm using the right programs, or the right programs correctly. Is there a setting in Streamline I need to be setting to get it to scan as lines rather than what looks like layered shapes?

ANY help would be appreciated, as this project deadline is looming.

Thanks,

-B

TheNeverman · Posted: Sun Aug 28, 2005 7:48 pm

I'm not aware of any way around it (in Streamline) - but find it easier to 'compound paths' in Illustrator for all the objects of the same color - and then you only have to do a minimal amount of subtractions.
_________________
"They're toys. My friends are toys, I made them..."
J.F. Sebastian

Abbadon74 · junior member Member # Joined: 08 Nov 2002 Posts: 21

Hmmm, then should I be using another program? Any suggestions you can make, I'll be willing to consider. It would make life a lot easier for me.

Thanks for the reply,

-B

B0b · Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2005 12:34 am

try having your white as white...

whats the file you're trying to convert?

post it here and we'll try and help Smile

Abbadon74 · junior member Member # Joined: 08 Nov 2002 Posts: 21

Great idea. Here's the link:

www.brettbarkley.com/sink_line.eps

Because of my background in traditional illustration and drawing, I'm more comfortable drawing the piece first, then scanning in Photoshop, taking it through Streamline, then doing any finalizing in Illustrator. I hope to teach myself the pen tool when I'm not under such deadline issues.

So if anyone has some ideas, please help me out on this. I would really appreciate it.

Thanks,

-B

TheNeverman · Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2005 9:28 am

I hear Macromedia has a slightly more robust bitmap->vector, but for those of us that chained to Adobe, hopefully the below vid helps a bit... (I hear improved trace function in CS2)

http://members.cox.net/hskow/etc/illycut.avi

May need to have the Techsmith codec to watch...
http://www.techsmith.com/download/codecsdefault.asp
_________________
"They're toys. My friends are toys, I made them..."
J.F. Sebastian

B0b · Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2005 1:42 pm

i'll re-draw it for you vector, shouldn't take more than 2 mins Wink

here u go

http://graphic-artwork.co.uk/pics/Sink_Line.eps

ok a little more than 2 mins but thats cos i'm using a trackpad on my laptop rather than my mouse Wink

Abbadon74 · junior member Member # Joined: 08 Nov 2002 Posts: 21

Ha Ha Ha... I know I'm a total primate when it comes to this aspect of my art, but two minutes!?!?!? Wow, it's taken me hours to do what you see here. Can you give me some insight on how I can draw it, how I can do it myself? I mean, I don't want to have to bother everyone on the board every time I have an assignment like this.

ANY insight on how you do it would be appreciated.

Thanks so much,

-B

B0b · Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2005 2:00 pm

use the manual and have a play with the pen tool Smile

Abbadon74 · junior member Member # Joined: 08 Nov 2002 Posts: 21

Abbadon74 · junior member Member # Joined: 08 Nov 2002 Posts: 21

Ok, after a TREMENDOUS amount of frustration, I think it would probably be better for me to keep going the way I have been. Unless there's something I'm missing, is it possible to create files in Illustrtor that are of the same or better quality than this?

www.brettbarkley.com/bathroomsinktest.eps

This has taken me hours to get to a point I can almost tolerate it. HOWEVER, when I tried using the pen tool I got something I didn't like AT ALL (and it took me an hour to do less than a fifth of the entire piece), and all the lines were the same thickness and it just looked very disjointed. So doing it the old way just seems like the lesser of two evils.

I know this may be a really primitive way to do this stuff, but am I missing something in Illustrator that actually creates decent art in a relatively decent amount of time? Otherwise, I guess I'll stick to the first way.

-B

Capt. Fred · Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2005 1:52 am

B0b · Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2005 4:02 am

for learning vector illustration i found Freehand easier than Illustrator and still do..

i've been using Freehand since v2 way back @ the beginning of the 90's..

i only keep illustrator around for opening those difficult EPS files that people send over e-mail..

i suggest if you want to use illustrator to draw with, take a short beginners course or google for some tutes Smile