Finally retired my black & white scanner and added a color scanner to my system, Gerber Graphix Advantage 6.2
I thought I would be able to scan to vector, simple colored artwork. But I keep getting a message that artwork must be black and white.
When I scan the image as requested it works, just fine. I can scan a color image into Corel 9, without any problems, but CorelTrace results are less than satisfactory.
Is this just a limitation of GA 6.2, and if so has it been addressed in Omega?
Thanks In Advance,
Bruce
Posted by VICTORGEORGIOU (Member # 474) on :
Bruce, I have not used 6.2 to scan for about a year, so someone may have a more accurate answer. My recollection is, scan to vector requires that you scan as a black and white.
You can trace in Gerber without scanning in Gerber. Scan in color into Corel Photopaint, drive the colors to hard black and white with the color tools, save as a black and white bitmap. Then go back to Advantage Scan and trace it there. It is a fact that Gerber 6.2 traces better than Corel 7. Hope this helps. Vic G
Posted by Don Hulsey (Member # 128) on :
I am far from being a guru, but I have been using GA for many years. Yes, it has to be in black & white. I have been told that omega will scan colors, but only for printing.
I sometimes use a lightbox(or window) to trace outlines by hand. Scan these in, and this will create a double outline. Ungroup, and assign colors to fills.
Posted by Golden (Member # 164) on :
Bruce
I just did a quick test in Adobe Streamline 4.0, and it WILL do color vectorization if you set it up to do it. Mine is usually set to do black and white only, but the changes are quick to make. For roughly $149, you can use it for color vectorizations, save the files as AI, and import them directly into GA 6.2. (This assumes, however, that you have posterized a bitmap so it has only solid color shapes and no blended areas.)
Good luck, Mike Jackson
Posted by Roger Hoeft (Member # 2864) on :
In both GA and Omega if the image you're scanning is in color should select "black and white artwork" or "Black and white" in your scanner window in order to be able to import vector art in Composer.
Even if the item you're scanning is in black and white, it still helps to use the black and white scanner settings.
Posted by Bruce & Deb Newton (Member # 2312) on :
Thanks One and All for your quick and insightful responses.
It wasn't the answer I was hoping for but, the work-a-rounds will enable us to get the jobs done.
Victor, I look forward to trying your suggestion, as I already own the necessary software.
Don, I have used your method before but since pencil lines create a double vector when converted, I now prefer to enlarge by copier (if needed) the artwork, stick it on top of scrap vinyl, hand-cut the copy or image and let the software apply the outlines.
Mike, I'll be adding that software to my never ending wish list. Have heard good things about it before, regarding it's accuracy.
Roger, thanks for confirming what I suspected, that Omega won't do this either.
Bruce
Posted by Mark Matyjakowski (Member # 294) on :
I won't rehash the good info already provided but there's another direction to kick this puppy. I'll ass-u-me that if your scanning for cutting your not scanning "photos" (or God bless ya for trying to weed it)
Scan your color image into your image editing prog. (photo-paint/shop) at as high a res. as your memory can take.
Get it down to as many colors as you want to cut (sharpening, saturating, contrast, or just leave it as is ... depends on the art) Convert it to a gif (indexed)image of the same number of colors ... save at high res ... lots of pixels
In composer- "place image" ... then select it and the "fill finger" (the speckly one) ... then select the fill button up top (all the way on the left). Select -process (or was it template?)- quality high. Then posterize the image.
Posted by Laura Butler (Member # 1830) on :
I have found Corel Trace to be more of a nusiance and very frustrating. I can never get a good trace so I don't know if its me or the software. Adobe streamline is good but the best of have used is Macromedia Freehand 9.
Posted by Roger Hoeft (Member # 2864) on :
quote: Roger, thanks for confirming what I suspected, that Omega won't do this either. Bruce[/QB]
I'm not sure if you understood. Both softwares (GA and Omega) will allow you to scan a piece of color artwork to vectors. You just have to select the "black and white" setting in your scanner window when it comes up, in order to avoid getting the "must be monochrome" error.
Posted by Checkers (Member # 63) on :
It's been years since I worked with 6.2 but If I remember correctly, the option your looking for may be associated with your scanner software. There should be a few settings for the type of art being scanned - Color photo, black & white photo, halftone or line-art. You'll want the line-art setting. You also should be able to import a tif image into vantagescan(?) for tracing if it is a black and white image.
Havin' fun, Checkers
Posted by Bruce & Deb Newton (Member # 2312) on :
Roger - I guess I was unclear in my dilemma:
If you were presented with (spot) color artwork, that you need to scan to vector, so as to cut out final image from vinyl, and the COLORS were touching ie, red fill with a black outline.
The GA 6.2 software will scan and process to vector when the setting is set to black and white, (as you stated) but you basically only get the outer most line as a vector, or blob. Because it sees these and all the colors as either black or white.
Mark - Tried your suggestion and got as far as the select process or template part. Did it both ways. Each resulted in the image appearing in composer, but it wasn't vectorized. When applying the last step, posterizing the image, NOTHING happened. I did read in the help section: "Choosing Posterize Image from the Shape menu converts scanned artwork into vinyl shapes and assigns vinyl colors to those shapes. You can then edit these vector shapes using Composer's editing tools, send them to a plotter, and reassemble them into a finished design."
So it should work, maybe it's PEBCAK.
Thanks again Victor, as your method worked.
Hope all this helps another Letterhead
Bruce
Posted by Golden (Member # 164) on :
Bruce, I have been watching all the comments here. Adobe Streamline does exactly what you are asking, and without a lot of hassle. Good luck on it.
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