posted
I am wondering if there is such a thing as photographic type vector art.... That is, artwork that looks fairly realistic, like a nice ink drawing of wildlife, or similar type images. I have a client who has a laser engraving machine and he wants to do large images, say, about 12" X 12", and before he called me, he had some very pixellated pictures on his substrate. So I'm looking to see what might be available. Any type of clip art packages? Photo services? This is kinda beyond my experience... usually, I hand draw or paint something like this, but they want to laser cut repeated images into their substrate. Thanx. LE
------------------ LazyEdna in RL known as Sara Straw from southern Utah 5 National Parks within 3 hours drive Red Rock Heaven
Posts: 776 | From: Aurora, Utah, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
le most vector art ...is drawn....you can draw it but you need to visualize the lines thicker and negitive spaces as giving the drawing most of its body......sorta think in black and white....no shades...
------------------ joe pribish-A SIGN MINT 2811 longleaf Dr. pensacola, fl 32526 850-944-5060 BEWARE THE TRUTH.....YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT YOU FIND
Posts: 11582 | From: pensacola, fl. usa | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
Take any photo that you may already have and open it in PhotoShop and convert it to greyscale mode. It will help to play with levels and contrast to get the most detail from your image first. Open it in a tracing program like Streamline and posterize it and convert it to paths.
------------------ Bill Modzel Mod-Zel screen Printing Traverse city, MI modz@traverse.com
Posts: 1358 | From: Traverse City, MI | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
also, your graphics program should be able to vectorize most any bitmap....Signlab does it....I took a guy's phot and vectorized it, and was able to cut a recognizable likeness from ONE COLOR vinyl...... Barry
------------------ Master's Touch Signs & Screenprinting Clinton AR 5017456246 ICQ 17430008 "Imagine the Possibilities..."
Posts: 2500 | From: Clinton, AR USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
If you want to engrave it, just scan it on any software & convert to grayscale. click print, & voilá, you're laser engraving your favorite photo. If you need any further explanation you can email or call me.
------------------ Marcano-Welch Signs Luquillo, Puerto Rico 787-889-6608
Posts: 2287 | From: Luquillo, Puerto Rico, USA | Registered: Nov 2000
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posted
What's the resolution on the engraver? I've seen some rated at 1200 DPI so I'll use that as an example.
First he needs to start off with a photograph that he can scan.
The scanner software is going to determine exactly how the next step is done, but my software (came with the scanner) would let me specify 1200 DPI for the scan then in another setting I can tell it to make the image the size I want, say 12"x12".
Now if the source image is 6"x6", the scanner would actually scan at 2400 DPI in order to make it 12"x12" at 1200 DPI, but this calc is handled by the software.
This is the only way to get the detail in a photograph at that size and eliminate pixelation. It could be done at lower resolutions but it depends how detailed the particular laser can cut.
It also depends what kind of artwork he's wanting to produce. I know those lasers can actually etch photos with gradations in tone and the like. If that's what he wants, he just wont get the right results with vectorized bitmaps. Vectorized bitmaps (even full color ones) will still be made up of single color patches which may not appear right thanks to the precision of the lasers. If he wants solid patches arranged to simulate shades (kinda like screenprinted fades), that's fine but up close it's gonna look like crap.. then again, I'm picky!
------------------ Mike Pipes Digital Illusion Custom Graphics Lake Havasu City, AZ http://www.stickerpimp.com
Posts: 8746 | From: Lake Havasu, AZ USA | Registered: Jun 2000
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posted
Oh by the way, a 12"x12" image at 1200 DPI is 207360000 pixels. Grayscale images are 8 bits per pixel and there's 8 bits per byte, so one pixel=one byte in this case which means the image is also 207360000 bytes or 207.36 MB in size.
That's a huge file for grayscale, although still the only way to get an enlarged image to look as crisp as the original.
Now he can probably GET BY with lower resolution scans but he has to experiment with his materials and equipment to find the happy medium.
Say if he scans a 6"x6" image at 400 DPI which would only be 5.7 MB in size, he could engrave it at 12"x12" at 200 DPI (same number of pixels, same file size, different print size) but he has to test this to make sure it offers the detail level he wants.
------------------ Mike Pipes Digital Illusion Custom Graphics Lake Havasu City, AZ http://www.stickerpimp.com
Posts: 8746 | From: Lake Havasu, AZ USA | Registered: Jun 2000
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posted
Hi LE, if you want to get away from the 'pixelated' look of halftones and into more solids. You could still use photos, but run them through an effects filter in your photo editing software - filters like 'pen&Ink drawing' or 'posterize'. In the old days, I used to run a photo through several passes of a photocopier to degrade out all the grays.
posted
Sarah...Crazy Jack Wills CD Designer Cafe has some wildlife vector clipart that I think looks very good. I will turn one of them into a small bitmap and email it to you so you can judge for yourself.
I have Jack's permission to send this to you. Vic G
------------------ Victor Georgiou Bob Loves Signs Inc Danville, CA email blssign@pacbell.net
Posts: 1746 | From: Danville, CA , USA | Registered: Dec 1998
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posted
Thanx to everyone for their great replies. You've given me some good information to try to help this person so they can make some money so they can give me some! LE
------------------ LazyEdna in RL known as Sara Straw from southern Utah 5 National Parks within 3 hours drive Red Rock Heaven
Posts: 776 | From: Aurora, Utah, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
I'd have to disagree with the need for 1200 or 2400 DPI unless the image was for very close up viewing and had to display every pore and facial hair.
I've been playing with my router table and although it's not a laser, it does something similar with black and white photos. The one I used was only 75 DPI and the final image on wood was about 6" high x 5" across.
Yes, it's a little rough looking. It was my first attempt. Part of the lettering didn't show up because it was the same shade of color as the area behind it. A heavier outline would have taken care of that. And the wood was soft pine. Hardwood works better in this case since the router is actually cutting grooves with a V-tip and the difference between the darkest and lightest places is only a couple thousandths of an inch.
The method is dependant on your software being able to generate the cutting or tool path for the differences between light and dark.
Even small images like this take some time to do on a router. I imagine the laser would be much quicker and cleaner (as long as you have your toxic fumes vented) :-)
------------------ EmpY® is also known as Mayo Pardo. Has wandererd Australia, currently in Elgin IL.
I cut stuff on my router table. 847 931-4171
I also refill inkjet cartridges for people (someone's gotta do it) www.difsupply.com
[This message has been edited by EmpY (edited April 21, 2001).]
Posts: 436 | From: South Elgin, IL | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
I took that picture of myself holding the camera at a slight angle to accentuate the positive, so to speak ;-)
Here's a pic I did in PVC plastic of my newest great nephew (my nephew's son)
------------------ EmpY® is also known as Mayo Pardo. Has wandererd Australia, currently in Elgin IL. Soon to be cutting stuff on my router table. 847 931-4171
posted
Please correct me if I'm wrong here, but doesn't a cnc engraver, laser engraver router cut vector positions from bitmaps. I have read through the posts, and the conversations have went from asking for tight vector art to answers heavily towards, dpi bitmap. Surely the software for such a position sensitive device would convert the bitmap to position, or read the bitmap as a scanner to define x/y position for the engrave or cut. I have seen photos that were just engraved in metal, like the ones empy has shown. LE, I don't believe vector art is necessary or expected for these tools at all, but I could be wrong. On the other hand, I't sure that a cnc can follow a x/y plotted route. I will talk to a cnc man about it.
haha
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