How to draw in photoshop? lol

[awsomeaussies206]

Help, it's been a couple years sinced I fiddled around in photoshop. I'm trying to make a logo and need some help. First off, I drew the logo I wanted and then scanned it in my computer. Opened it in photoshop 7 and basically I just want to outline it. I've been trying to use the pen tool. I don't want to free hand it, I want to be able to make some nice curves. Im I using the right tool? The curve tool in "paint" is so easy. lol I'm not sure how to work the photoshop one. Please help, thanks.

 

[Fred Weiss]

Do you not have a vector drawing/editing application or a signmaking program? If not, then kill two birds with one stone and pick up that copy of CorelDRAW I suggested in the fonts forum. photoshop has a vector pen tool but it is not the most eficient way to go about creating the vector paths you will need for running a plotter.

 

[southpawP8NTR]

Fred's right about the vector based output. But if you don't have such a program then in Photoshop take the majic wand tool click in the fill areas that you want outlined. Then go to the top toolbar click on Layer>New>Layer via Copy. Then take your pointer tool click on the new layer you just created, then go back to the top again to Layer>Layer Style>Stroke -pick your color then stroke thickness and your done. If you need vector based I'm not too fimiliar with Corel so I'm not going to be any help there. I know you could try exporting as an EPS and maybe it will work. Just a suggestion!

 

[Bobby H]

Adobe Photoshop is a must have for anyone calling himself a graphic artist. However, Photoshop is NOT a logo design tool. All logos should have their first, base version made within a vector drawing program (and have a basic one ink/one vinyl color version). You're shooting yourself in the foot if you go backwards in a bitmap program like Photoshop.

There are certain aspects of Photoshop that can be used for designing vector graphics. Photoshop's pen tool is excellent for creating clipping paths to knock out backgrounds from photographic objects. It can also be used to manually digitize vector paths from certain scanned objects.

One paradoxical thing: the keyboard shortcuts for Photoshop's pen tool are actually far better implemented than the shortcuts for the same tool in Illustrator or Freehand. And they absolutely blow Corel into the weeds. On the downside, Photoshop doesn't have all the technical vector editing tools those drawing programs boast. So you can't really do complete vector drawings within Photoshop. Especially any that have a technical or geometrical feel to them.

 

[southpawP8NTR]

Photoshop is all Aussies has by his profile. I agree with you on the fact that this is all being accomplished backwards. Just trying to help them along in their logo design project. It can be an initial drawing used for further logo apps. by other people in other programs. They're looking for a start and using the only tools they have.

 

[awsomeaussies206]

I guess I better just start off right and get CorelDraw. Thanks

 

[JMDigital]

I guess I better just start off right and get CorelDraw. Thanks

Good timeing get the New COREL X3 .. let us know how it is.. I use 12 now and was thinking of an upgrade to x3.

 

[jayhawksigns]

I do all of my initial design work in Flexi, and then export to Photoshop to dress it up when the job calls for it.

 

[Rick]

May I also suggest Illustrator? You can upgrade your Photoshop 7.0 to Creative Suite CS2 Standard for 499.00 (includes Illustrator, Photoshop, and In Design) or CS2 Premium for 749.00 (that adds Acrobat and Go Live)

 

[Bobby H]

Photoshop and Illustrator make a very powerful combination. You can copy AICB vector paths into Photoshop's paths palette and use them to make selections and create much more accurate looking artwork.

It's also pretty useful if you want to do a quick low res comp of something to get the color and other stuff right -then scale the image up to a much higher resolution and redo the fills using the vector objects. Flexible. Fast. Accurate.

 

[signdesign]

jayhawk - After you dress it up do you then export it back to flexi

 

[awsomeaussies206]

I'm on a budget right now, so if you guys had to choose one program what would it be? Corel or Flexi? I don't know anything about either one, do they both have the same features?

 

[Fred Weiss]

Budgetwise there's no comparison. CorelSuite is a few hundred dollars. FlexiSign is $2500 to $4000.

CorelDRAW is an illustration application which can be used to also make signs. FlexiSign is a full fledged signmaking application and is considerably more powerful and efficient.

My guess is that you do not require that level of productivity at this point in time, so you will do better getting Corel and then getting a setup which will allow you to drive a plotter from Corel. Getting that setup can be accomplished by getting a Roland plotter and driving directly from Corel, or by getting any other plotter and a bridge program to use the Corel setup and get it to the plotter.