I'm starting to think of what to do on the next step-by-step, and thought I'd ask you folks what you'd like to see.
I use Photoshop and Illustrator, so no SignLab how-to's, animation, etc.
I appreciate the input, and any suggestions to improve the first step-by-step on basic vector drawing will be looked at, too.
By the way, these will eventually be stored in Letterville's step-by-step pages!
[ August 15, 2002, 11:18 PM: Message edited by: Don Coplen ]
Posted by Terry Bull Sign & Custom (Member # 1876) on :
Don Though i am not offering a suggestion for your next step by step I would like the opportunity to say a big THANK YOU for sharing your knowledge with us I appaude you and fellow heads who constantly give their 'trade secrets' to make it easier for us all
all the best
Terry
Posted by Shane French (Member # 2098) on :
Yeah Don, the bitmap-to-vector tutorial was very good. Look forward to seeing more.
-shane
Posted by Don Coplen (Member # 127) on :
Thanx Shane....and you're welcome, Terry...it's sorta just the Letterhead way.
But, hey....I need some input here! hahahah One of these things takes about a full day to put together, and I would like to spend that time writing a step by step on something fun that alotta people want to know how to do.
Posted by Bob Rochon (Member # 30) on :
Hey Don about how to draw chrome in vector?
Oh course I'd like to see a pelucid step bt step but......... Posted by Don Coplen (Member # 127) on :
I was hoping for more input on ideas for step by steps, but no problem. I have come up with a good idea for one all on my own. LOL
I'll have it up in a week or so. Title will be, "how to open a clip art image from a CD". I'm guessin it'll be a long one, maybe 20 pages. So, make sure you've got plenty of ink and paper in your printers!
[ August 15, 2002, 12:17 PM: Message edited by: Don Coplen ]
Posted by Rick Chavez (Member # 2146) on :
Hey Don, How about drawing in scale in Illustrator, using Cad Tools, I know a lot of Corel users used to rub it in that they could do it with thier software when Illustrator couldn't, Another is perspective drawing in Illustrator or Corel, I find a lot of people have yet to tap into thier sofware's potential. Rick
Posted by Cheryl Lucas (Member # 1656) on :
Hi Don,
Don't know if you'd want to touch this one with a ten foot pole, but hey, you asked...
We've had several conversations here in regards to full overlays vs. trapping and registering layers for vinyl applications.
I did a job recently, applying a fairly large graphic to a utility trailer, complete with rivits. In this instance I feel I should have prepared my vinyl using the color trapping method.
In review of my 'color trap' menu, there are several options; corners, border, entry angle, trap size and limit. Sheesh, where do I begin!
Cher.
Before I made this suggestion, I checked out the tips & tricks page. I found this awesome how-to for applying vinyl over rivits:
[ August 15, 2002, 02:36 PM: Message edited by: Cheryl Lucas ]
Posted by Frank Weidman (Member # 3004) on :
was just wonderin if these tutorials can be aslo aplied to other programs such as paint shop pro.
my son is 6 and I am starting to have him learn paint shop pro 1st to familiar him with layers and such. Could these tutorials be used in such program as that one.
also I wouldn't mind seeing a tutorial on cleaning up customers artwork(just a idea) and/or one using eyecandy?
and thanks already for your first one, helps out a rookie like myself.
Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :
Hey Don,
I got one that'll tie ya up for a while maybe..
How about a step-by-step showing how to build a Vector rendering of a car? Then those that don't do this kinda stuff on a regular basis like you and I do can see how much effort goes into it.
Here's one that I have underway now.. it's a Toyota MR2 roadster (I didnt even know they still made these things) that I'm building as a template for another new line of import auto body kits. Started it yesterday but got sidetracked into real work about a half hour into it.
I snagged the picture (top) off Toyota's website, the 153.0 is the overall length (for generic sizing of the vinyl kits), and the bottom is the vector overlaid on the photo..
Posted by Don Coplen (Member # 127) on :
Cheryl, the trapping vinyl overlays idea is good. I'll have to be one step by step. Maybe I can set up a file along with doing a step by step on that as I do it...then take pics of you cutting and putting it together? I'll drink the Pepsi's and be the photographer!
Frank, photoshop is very similar to Paintshop. I've seen a number of photo editing programs and they are all very much alike...for the most part it's a matter of how many bells and whistles that effects the amount of usefulness....and the price.
I'm not sure what I could show about using eye candy. It's a filter for photo editing programs, and you just select what part of the image you want to effect, then open up eye candy. The various tools involved all have sliders and a preview windows. When the preview looks like what you want, you click "OK" and you're done.
One thing though, you want to save your path as a "work path" before doing any eyecandy (or phototools...another similar very nice filter add-on) or you will have a tough time selecting the same part of the image to do something else with.
Email me if you have any questions on it after trying the above stuff.
By the way, thanks for the input, people! It isn't so much that I couldn't come up with some stuff to do step by steps on....but...
I've seen alot of step by steps online, but I've never seen anybody ask people what they wanted to see first. I'm trying to make this fun, but useful, too, and wanted to share a little bit of that with you guys...and gals.
Hey, ya know what I find funny?...Nobody has said a word about my idea for the "opening clip art from a CD" step by step! What's wrong..don't you guys like clip art anymore?
[ August 15, 2002, 03:32 PM: Message edited by: Don Coplen ]
Posted by Don Coplen (Member # 127) on :
Mike, I like that idea! That may fall past the Vector 101 catagory, ya think? lol Hey, and I'd end of with another vector project to post on the webpage, too. Definitely that will be one of the how-to's comin up.
I'm makin a list of you guy's ideas. Maybe once we get a dozen or so suggestions, Steve can do a poll to see which one gets to be next? (I think he likes doin the polls. )
Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :
Don, mmmmm yeah maybe it's a little advanced, but not all that tough really.. just time consuming. I think if you started getting into Gradient Meshes you might lose some people, mostly cause only AI and later versions of Corel offer it, and the files with GM's arent compatible with any other programs out there.
Here's the topics in the fire so far (Rick, unless you wanna buy the cad tools plug in for me, that one's out. sorry.):
-How to set up multiple color vinyl jobs with traps and the basic ins and outs of doing it. -Render a car or a truck. I could show you step by step how to do a decent line drawing of a vehicle, something like what I did with the lexus on my site. -Some basic photoshop stuff...if I can find out what you guys would like to know how to do. There's a whole lotta tricks to show there. -I may be doing a mirror for a project panel for Kathy's meet...if I do that, I'll take screenshots of the set up and pics of the actual process. But that would be more of a November or December deal, as far as putting together a step by step.
Any more ideas? I plan to do a series of these things, and it would be nice to have some ideas lined up for me to think about and maybe get some thoughts from here and chat, too.
Posted by Arvil Shep' Shepherd (Member # 2030) on :
How about a step by step as to how to blend one photo with others ???????
Posted by Jeffrey Vrstal (Member # 2271) on :
ALL IN FUN. Posted by Don Coplen (Member # 127) on :
OK...so Jeff, your idea for a step by step is showing how to do something like this? (Nice legs, by the way.) Posted by Rick Chavez (Member # 2146) on :
WHAT NO CADTOOLS! If I had the money I would buy it for you, I can't live without it now! But the way, those are really nice legs! Rick
Posted by Sonny Franks (Member # 588) on :
Don, A step-by-step on rendering lettering to look like it's been carved and gilded would be a tremendous help to a lot of us. I've had Photoshop for about a year, but haven't scratched the surface of its capabilities yet. Mark Fair posted artwork with a gilded dimensional look he did in FireWorks, but I'm sure it can be done in PS. Thanks for your time in doing this project. Another step in the evolution of Letterville......
BTW, if you're at the Coupe du Main, the beer's on me. Maybe Jeffrey the barmaid will be working that night. He's got great legs.
Posted by Arvil Shep' Shepherd (Member # 2030) on :
ALLRIGHT you guys........that is funny..he he he ....... However my question was supposed to be serious.....NOW SHOW ME A STEP BY STEP on how you do it....... Shep'
Posted by Ernie&DianeBalch (Member # 1301) on :
How about scanning the customers business card vectorizing and scaling it up to T-shirt size and outputting it for screen printing in 5 minutes or less? It's amazing what people supply as artwork.
We have 60 soccer teams to do logos for in the next 2 weeks and We ARE going to Mars.
ernie
Posted by Jeffrey Vrstal (Member # 2271) on :
HA HA HA! Dang!, I better order some of that epil-stop stuff TODAY!
Posted by Don Coplen (Member # 127) on :
Sonny, I remember Mark's gold thing. It was better than great!
I put this together in a couple minutes using photoshop and the metal leaf filter on my wacom tablet plug ins. I'll research into one: if the tablet plug ins work with a mouse, too, and two: if it's a free download, so folks that want to try it don't have to pay out bucks to play with us.
That is depending on if this sample is what you had in mind and if anybody thinks it's good enough to read a how to how to do it.
Posted by Don Coplen (Member # 127) on :
Jeff,
I think most of us guys had a bit of a crush on you, until the accident lightin a cigarette while sprayin Pulicid last year.
That was a sad day for all of us!
Posted by Don Coplen (Member # 127) on :
I just gave a step by step on the subject of the creative process, and not one person noticed!
Any guesses what it was? One hint: you had to be paying attention to get it. Posted by Frank Weidman (Member # 3004) on :
Don,
My guess would be on the creative process would be the plaque you have changed already 3 times and if my guess is right you have kept open the work path.
The 3rd change looks good
Posted by Don Coplen (Member # 127) on :
Frank is the winner! Pretty damn close.
It was changed 9 times today! hahahahahaha wording has changed all day long, and been adding and changing some fufu here and there, typestyles have changed, gold stripes have turned to process blue and back again...textures have been different on some. Little subtle stuff to see how many times I could change it before somebody started doin a doubletake. Just havin some fun. (winner came in at 7 hrs 30 minutes.)
Oh, by the way...grand prize is a gourmet tofu meal at Old Paint's. Contact OP, but I think he'll throw in travel expenses, too!
This makes the tenth change. Anybody who wants to play, join in. If we tweak this more, I'll post the images separately, so everybody can see where it's going.
[ August 17, 2002, 05:44 PM: Message edited by: Don Coplen ]
Posted by Frank Weidman (Member # 3004) on :
Tofu dinner heh?
Will that come with a steak?
damn 10 changes already, would like to see all 10 changes posted.
great work thru out the day
Posted by Don Coplen (Member # 127) on :
I've tweaked that thing as much as I can...I can't think of another thing to do to it. But, I'll play around with whatever input you guys might have...and post the changes so you can see what difference it made. I still have a vector copy of it, plus the layered photoshop copy with the paths saved...so changes are easy to do.
Cher and I are gettin ready to paint the 40x90 inch wall in our foyer...prepping and doin the background tonight. A two person Letterhead meet! I'll post pics on my site of the progress, or once we're done. Havin' some fun this weekend!!
[ August 17, 2002, 07:06 PM: Message edited by: Don Coplen ]
Posted by Don Coplen (Member # 127) on :
He says he likes his One Shot shaken, not stirred...
Posted by Jeffrey Vrstal (Member # 2271) on :
Posted by Judy Pate (Member # 237) on :
Ok Don, how long before your PhotoShop step by step begins? I know this is something I would like to know more about. I have played with Eye Candy but there is a lot to learn. With your expertise I am sure you have many tips to share. Thanks for sharing in true Letterhead style. Judy
Posted by Don Coplen (Member # 127) on :
Judy, there's thousands of things that Photoshop will do, including puttin Dave Grumpy ridin a horse backwards. What would ya like to know how to do?
BTW, eye candy is a play toy. I play with it too, but there really isn't any tricks to it. Just select what you want to alter, open up eye candy, and slide the sliders till what you see in the preview is what you want...then click 'ok'. That's all I know about it, and far as I know, that's all that there is to know about it. I agree though, it is a nice tool.
Posted by Ricky Simpson (Member # 1318) on :
Cool beans!
Thanks Don for your efforts. You are one talented dude. Blessings to ya!
Posted by Dave Grundy (Member # 103) on :
EXCELLENT WORK Don!!! Of course you had a good subject to work with! Posted by Judy Pate (Member # 237) on :
Hey Don, What I want to learn how to do is how to remove the background of a picture in just a few clicks. I have removed the background of a picture before but it takes a while. What I want to do is use the picture to design business cards..trying different colors and textures for the background of the card,etc. Also want to learn other enhancements like how you made Dave get on that horse backwards. Maybe you can show me few things in Louisiana. Judy
[ August 21, 2002, 11:01 PM: Message edited by: Judy Pate ]
Posted by Sonny Franks (Member # 588) on :
Don, I haven't seen this thread for several days- Awesome stuff- hope you're packing a laptop for a Photoshop demo in Looooooziana.
Posted by Kathy Joiner (Member # 1814) on :
Sonny, wouldn't that be great? But.....I don't have a mac for St. McIntosh! All I have here is 2 PCs and Corel 10. Don? Ya got a laptop?
Don you are awesome and we appreciate your sharing with us. I plan to print every step by step you post on your website. Thanks
Posted by Mark Fair Signs (Member # 289) on :
great job don and jeff.
now that is some funny stuff!!!!
hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
mark
Posted by Don Coplen (Member # 127) on :
Nope, don't have a laptop.
[ August 22, 2002, 06:18 PM: Message edited by: Don Coplen ]
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