Vector Image Question. Right Spot???

mhkitty8880 · #1 09-02-2006, 08:10 AM

Am I supposed to be posting questions about vector drawing in this forum? On this website? I know vector drawing's not retouching anything, but I'm doing it in PS7, so, yeah!

Sooooo, does anybody know... If I create a vector creature, like a cat or something, and paste it on a jpg image, what happens? Does the vector become jpg, and defeat the purpose? Is it even possible to do such a thing? Will it alter life as we know it forever!? Oh, the power!

K, well, if anyone knows anything about that, could ya let me know? I would love to know, too! Love, (<----I'm very loving today,huh?) Megsie

mistermonday · #2 09-02-2006, 09:43 AM

Megsie, Jpg images are rasterized or comprised of bit mapped pixels. That file format does not support vector objects. If you need to maintain the object as a vector drawing you will need to save it in another file format like Adobe Illustrator, or PSD.
Regards, Murray

recrisp · #3 09-02-2006, 11:55 AM

Megsie,

If you create a Path in Photoshop it won't be rastersized if it's copied or dragged onto the .jpeg image, but when the image is flattened, it'll be rasterized. (I don't think you can copy and paste a path into a .jpeg though, but you can drag it onto it) Open an image in Photoshop and use Paths to create whatever it is that you want, you can save it as a .PSD file and it will stay a vector path, but when flattened, you lose the vector and it will be rasterized. If you have already created a vector based image, you can flatten that (without a background) and COPY/PASTE
it into the new image that you want for your background.
If you haven't made it yet in vector, you can just do the vector path over the existing image, but like what was already said, it will only save as a rasterized image.
If you do this in a higher resolution image though, it will print out clean and crisp, or if it's for the web, it'll look fine.

In short, vector and rasterized images are two different animals...

Randy

mhkitty8880 · #4 09-02-2006, 12:46 PM

Wwll, thanks guys! Hmm... Looks like I'll need to just make the whole thing raster. I'll need to learn how to draw simple vector backgrounds. Man, this is gonna be a fun project! Phew!

I made a vector dog earlier that came out kinda cute, but very much like a kid drew it! Ha! Just need more practice here. Thanks for the advice!! (I'd show you my pic, but I don't see where to add images to this message, so... Guess you'll just hafta imagine how cute and childish it is. Heehee. Later gators, Megarama (I'm writing kids' books. What?)

recrisp · #5 09-02-2006, 01:16 PM

Since I don't have Photoshop 7.0 any longer, I can't remember what the Paths are like, meaning at what point they changed certain stuff.
You can (in later versions at least) start a path OVER the image and trace it if you wanted, by reducing the color's opacity, you can see what's going on.
If that's an option on your version, you might want to try that, it'd work really good for things like what you want to do, I'd think.

Here's a 'How To' thing about Paths, go down to the 'dog' part, it'll kind'a show you what I mean, although, they don't say to reduce the opacity, but if you do, it helps to see what's going on, otherwise, it's not as easy.
http://pubs.logicalexpressions.com/P...cle.asp?ID=416
http://pubs.logicalexpressions.com/P...cle.asp?ID=422
http://pubs.logicalexpressions.com/P...cle.asp?ID=451

Be sure to click on the green "Last Month" links on these if you see 'em, they might help you figure some stuff out.

I just did a quick search using Google with the words, "photoshop path+how to" (without the quotes) and found this, so if you want, you can change up the wording and try and see what you can come up with, I'm sure there's lot's out there on the subject.

Randy

Doug Nelson · #6 09-02-2006, 01:20 PM

Remember that a path in Photoshop won't print unless you stroke it with pixels first. It sounds like Illustrator might be more appropriate for your needs.

recrisp · #7 09-02-2006, 04:27 PM

If one flattens and image that has a Pen Tool vector, it will print.
That's saying that it's like that in version 7.0 though, which I'm not sure of.
Flattening a Vector Mask Shape is what I am talking about, I believe that in earlier versions of Photoshop, we'd have to fill with a color first, then flatten.
It's been so long since I had 7.0, I can't remember, CS2 has me all spoiled...

Really though, vector with a rasterized image kind'a defeats the point anyway, to an extent, and it all depends on what one does with the outcome too I guess.
To take advantage of vector stuff though, Doug's right, Illustrator's best for that stuff.

I just tried to print a Vector Mask Shape in CS2, it printed, I wasn't aware either way really, but I thought I'd give it a shot...

Randy

mhkitty8880 · #8 09-02-2006, 06:15 PM

Wow! Okay, now you guys are like totally (<----Valley Girl to the max!) over my head! But, I get the gist. I need Adobe Illustrator and attempting to layer vector images with/on jpegs is dumb.

K... So... my origianl idea (since learning about vector animals like two nights ago! Haha!) was to layer a vector dog over different famous places like the Pyramids of Giza, an Amazonian rainforest, NYC, Venice, etc... I wanted the dog to be illustrated, but the images "real." So, that seems somewhat impossible to me. Am I understanding incorrectly. Remember, I am like super new to even PS7, so I could be totally misunderstanding the entire situation. Uggh! I want to hurry up and be a master. How long does that take???

Well, thank you guys all for your help and ideas. I'm trying my best to keep up with you geniuses!!

Don't let me drown!

K, well, I have to go be a mom again! Woohoo!

Thank you thank you thank you!!!!!! Love, Ham and Meggs <----Yes! I'm changing my name!

recrisp · #9 09-02-2006, 06:45 PM

Meggs,

If all you want are CLEAN looking images that you make from vector art, and want to paste them over an existing image, that won't be a problem at all.
I'm assuming that you like the vector art styles due to the cleaness of it all, and the cartoon-like look, and that's fine for what you are wanting I think.
Really, I wasn't really sure what you're plans were, but vector art will make really pretty, sharp art, and that is what probably appeals to you.
One thing though, if you make these and you actually use them to print in a book, then you'll need to make sure that it's a high resolution image that will be your background.
If you don't, you'll end up with a 'not so good' image in the end result.
For instance, if a page was 8.5"x11", and you would have an image that was that size on there, you'd need to make sure that image was that size, AND 300 pixels per inch (PPI).
It's not 100% necessary to have the PPI that high, but printers use that, and it does make a difference, just don't go lower than 150dpi.
There's a lot more to it than that, but that's it kind'a at a glance...
(Enlarging your own images that are too small can and will make them pretty blurry, so try to use large images in the first place if you can...
Enlarge as little as possible, it'll work to your advantage.

Hey, if you're already trying to tackle vector stuff, that was way ahead of me when I first started, but just make sure that you don't get the cart before the horse.
(I can say that 'cause I'm a Texan myself!)

If all else fails, just read the help stuff in Photoshop, or do searches online, you'll get there soon enough.

Randy

mhkitty8880 · #10 09-02-2006, 08:00 PM

Aww, thanks Randy! Woohoo. Where are you in Tejas? I'm in FW. Just moved here in May. Yeeha! I love it! Except all the stupid bugs. Anyway, thanks for the advice.

So, I should start big, huh? I can do that. Never thought of that! Duh, me!

Have you ever made vector animals? It's super fun! And, yes, I love vector images because they are clean and cartoonish.

Perfect for kids' books, I'd vector to say. Haha. That was a dumb joke, but I don' care!

Anyway, thanks for your help!! I'll post up here when I finish my first book! Hopefully, it'll be really soon and it will rock!!!

Love, Meg

recrisp · #11 09-02-2006, 09:53 PM

Meg,

I live about 25 miles East of Ft. Worth, in Irving.
The bugs aren't so bad, it's the heat... heh

I have made a lot of stuff using vector paths, (Illustrator too) not every day, but enough, and after I got over being scared of it, I love it.
It'll be perfect for what you want to do, and hopefully it'll all go well for you on this book project.

Make sure that you do understand about PPI though, there ain't nothing like starting out on something and the resolution isn't enough. I did that the first thing I wanted to print when I first started years ago.

Good luck on that, and show us what you came up with when you can.

Randy

Swampy · #12 09-03-2006, 08:28 AM

If you upgrade to CS2 you get the ability to place any vector graphic from Illustrator directly into Photoshop as a "Smart" object. You maintain complete control of the vector object and can still edit it in Illustrator. When you save a change to the vector in Illustrator, the Smart Object in Photoshop will be updated.

Since these Smart Objects retain their vector format, they print clean and crisp just as normal custom shapes do in Photoshop. Resize as much and as often as you like and they stay as vectors. You have the option to rasterize them if you wish.

This is new to CS2 and gives complete control to a designer. I've seen some amazing tutorials where things like a wine label, done in Illustrator, is warped around a photo of a bottle in PhotoShop maintaining all the crisp qualities of text and logos in the vector graphic. Wonderful stuff.

mhkitty8880 · #13 09-05-2006, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by recrisp

Meg,

I live about 25 miles East of Ft. Worth, in Irving.
The bugs aren't so bad, it's the heat... heh

I have made a lot of stuff using vector paths, (Illustrator too) not every day, but enough, and after I got over being scared of it, I love it.
It'll be perfect for what you want to do, and hopefully it'll all go well for you on this book project.

Make sure that you do understand about PPI though, there ain't nothing like starting out on something and the resolution isn't enough. I did that the first thing I wanted to print when I first started years ago.

Good luck on that, and show us what you came up with when you can.

Randy

Well, howdy neighbor!

Thanks for the advice and encouragement! I have been trying out a couple of new ideas that I saw on other vector drawings, so hopefully, something will fall into place soon!!

I'll post pics when I figure out how! Haha! -Megs

mhkitty8880 · #14 09-05-2006, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swampy

If you upgrade to CS2 you get the ability to place any vector graphic from Illustrator directly into Photoshop as a "Smart" object. You maintain complete control of the vector object and can still edit it in Illustrator. When you save a change to the vector in Illustrator, the Smart Object in Photoshop will be updated.

Since these Smart Objects retain their vector format, they print clean and crisp just as normal custom shapes do in Photoshop. Resize as much and as often as you like and they stay as vectors. You have the option to rasterize them if you wish.

This is new to CS2 and gives complete control to a designer. I've seen some amazing tutorials where things like a wine label, done in Illustrator, is warped around a photo of a bottle in PhotoShop maintaining all the crisp qualities of text and logos in the vector graphic. Wonderful stuff.

Hi Swampy! Thanks for the help. That all sounds awesome! Next time I get some moola, I will have to look into getting an illustrating program. Hopefully, I will be able to figure it all out. Heehee. Thanks!! -Megamama