What is the trace function for in Illustrator for? It is used primarily for converting a raster image into a vector one. And this, in turn, is necessary for the manufacture of logos, all kinds of advertising images.
Using tracing in Illustrator, you can create a multicolor interesting graphic picture from a simple freehand drawing with a pencil. Adobe Illustrator is designed exclusively as a vector graphics editor. But today, designers use it for various purposes: for the manufacture of advertising booklets, greeting cards, logos. Vector graphics editor is widely used in publishing, as it has a large set of tools. With it, you can not only draw, but also control the color, text.
What is tracing for?
In order to answer this question, it is worth presenting the following situation. A designer develops a corporate identity for a certain company, and with it a logo. In the future, this sign will be used on the official website of the company, and on products, and on advertising banners. Moreover, the sizes required are different everywhere. Even with the most thorough scanning, it is impossible to create the perfect bitmap image. The only option is to use a vector editor. But creating an image from scratch in such a program is not the fastest and best way.
The main task of tracing is to obtain a vector analog. However, in practice, designers create not one such analogue, but several that generally correspond in shape and proportion to the original bitmap image.
Create a sketch
So where to start? How to trace an image in illustrator? First of all, you need to create a picture that will be further processed in a graphical editor. Need to draw a sketch. Today, all kinds of inscriptions are very common and popular, mainly in English. In order to figure out how to make a trace in Illustrator, we will use a similar plain drawing as an example.
Any design project begins with a sketch. This is not a work of art, but only a way to capture the idea. A person who does not have drawing skills can also learn to create sketches. To do this, you just need to be able to create geometric shapes on paper and, of course, to know some tricks.
We scan
When the sketch is ready, it should be scanned. You can do this using a camera or phone. It is desirable, of course, that the quality of the device is as high as possible. The resulting GIF image should be transferred to a computer. Before scanning, it is desirable to outline the outline of the sketch with ink or a black gel pen. About why this should be done, it is said below.
On the finished image in GIF format, made by photographing the picture, the background is often grayish. But this flaw is easy to fix. In any graphics editor, there are functions "Brightness" and "Contrast". Such a simple program as Photo Skype can also improve the quality of photography. After the image is loaded into the editor, you need to use the "Deepen" and "Lighten" functions (button "Brightness, color"). But in many respects the final result depends on the quality of the original drawing.
We translate into a vector image
Open "Adobe Illustrator". Click "File", then "Open." After you need to click on the image using the "Selection" function. And proceed directly to the trace. In “Illustrator” this function can be found by clicking on the “Object”, then in the drop-down menu, select the item “Tracing”. There is another reason explaining why you cannot leave a GIF image. By tracing in Illustrator, we convert a raster image into a vector one. This allows you to no longer depend on the extension. You can change the scale of the picture many times, its quality will not suffer from this.
It is important to remember that the original picture should be as contrasting as possible. It should not have many shades, halftones. That is why ink or ink is an ideal option. Creating a sketch in color does not make sense. It should be clear, black and white. What is manual tracing in Illustrator? This is the use of various tools ("Pen", "Brush") to give clarity to the picture.
Settings
Tracing has several levels. In order to select the appropriate one, you need to click on the "Style" button, then select the appropriate option. It can be "Technical drawing", "Black and white logo". Starting work with the Adobe Illustrator editor, as well as with other similar programs, it is worth experimenting more often, not relying solely on the instructions of professionals. Only in this way can one learn, gain experience. If the trace level does not suit you, it is easy to cancel it. To do this, click "Edit", then "Cancel" and try another option.
A quick trace in Illustrator SS can be found in the Object tab. Then the "Trace Settings" will open. Here you can select the color mode. You must select indicator 6 as the maximum number of colors, then click on "Trace". If desired, the picture can be made more clear. For example, by selecting "Maximum number of colors 60". Which of these options will be the best depends again on the original image. Here, too, it is worth experimenting, comparing different options.
Make changes
Ready-made images can be changed many times in the future. For example, make letters smaller, more elongated. Some elements can be permanently deleted using the Eraser. In order to be able to do this as accurately as possible, you should zoom in on the image.
You can remove, resize and shape individual elements using the Knife tool. New parts are added when using Brushes. Thanks to tracing, the sketch is reduced, modified, edited. Raster images are regularly converted to vector images, primarily stockers, that is, those involved in the manufacture and sale of images. We can say that tracing is the basis of vector illustration.