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Vectorizing an image

Andy D

Active Member
Minus one for graphic power, it's pretty much useless IMHO.
Its font finding is horrible.
 
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Inkscape's native format is SVG actually. There is a "plain" SVG and really that is more geared to web work as it cuts down the extra XML data (open up an SVG in a text editor and can see that XML markup) that makes it easier to us CSS and JS with SVGs. Once 1.0 is stable, quite a bit more abilities with different SVGs versions (even have an optimized one), html5 canvas version as well.

EPS is quite finicky with Inkscape. I would suggest keeping it as SVG, just may have to use Plain instead of the default. But that does depend on what machine you are sending it to needs. Some can't parse out that extra info on it's own and some can.

However, both of those options will be found in the "Save As" dialogue box. The only file format that Inkscape technically "exports" is PNG.

Bad use of terminology on my part. Thank you for clarifying.

I've never had an issue with eps files from Inkscape when opening them in CorelDraw X7. Is this more of an issue with AI users?
 

WildWestDesigns

Active Member
I've never had an issue with eps files from Inkscape when opening them in CorelDraw X7. Is this more of an issue with AI users?

In my experience (and it doesn't happen all the time, so either it's something that I'm doing that's throwing "confusion" to the program or it's a bug that requires very specific steps to initiate) is that when exporting as an EPS from Inkscape, is that Inkscape will put a rasterized bounding box around the parameter of the design. Now, it won't prevent Ai or DRAW (at least not in CS6 and X5-6 that I can vouch for) from opening them at all. In fact, one would have to use an other program in order to get rid of that bounding box and to have access to the vectors within the file.

I wasn't even able to go into the objects docker or the XML docker in Inkscape to remove it, so if one is only using Inkscape, that might present a problem when having to re open those files. SVGs on the other hand, no problem (in fact, there are some even powerful characteristics of that format depending on what you are trying to do (if using that, don't want to open them up in Ai or DRAW and especially don't want to resave as all that will be wiped away)).
 

Boudica

Back to "educational purposes"
I have Vector Magic, it's okay but now I use Graphic Tracer and it's much better. It also identifies fonts. https://www.graphicpowers.com/
I have Vector Magic and Graphic tracer. Personally I have a better time with image trace in Illustrator. I have used inkscape - that's what they use at my kids middle school. I've vectored very simple artwork with Inkscape - I was impressed how well it worked but then again it was a very simple design.

Did not know that Graphic Tracer will identify fonts - I may have to check that out :cool:
 

Joe Anderson

Shawn Welch
Inkscape works incredibly well and it's free. It's certainly good enough for any project I've ever had to use it for and as a screen printing shop we've done a TON of logo vector conversions over the years. We even took a low res photo of an MMA fighter once and converted it to a 128 color vector that allowed us to blow it up onto a 6' x 6' banner and the vector looked far better than what resampling the low-quality raster image could have ever produced, in my opinion.
I second Inkscape! I've had great success and it is free software. I use all Linux.
 

Bobby H

Arial Sucks.
I'll use Adobe Illustrator's Live Paint and Live Trace features for some quick and dirty conversations. Astute Graphics' Phantasm filter can generate some interesting vector halftone effects and other kinds of effects from placed images. The Pointillism feature in CorelDRAW 2018 and up can do some interesting things too (I like it for simulating LED board images). But the end results of those filters are things that usually can only be printed.

If the artwork is going to be cut out on a vinyl plotter or routing table it's a whole lot better to have clean and precise artwork. That type of conversion has to be done by hand using things like the pen tool in Illustrator or Photoshop and/or building up other line and shape objects in Illustrator or CorelDRAW over the top of placed artwork.
 

GTracer

New Member
I have Vector Magic and Graphic tracer. Personally I have a better time with image trace in Illustrator. I have used inkscape - that's what they use at my kids middle school. I've vectored very simple artwork with Inkscape - I was impressed how well it worked but then again it was a very simple design.

Did not know that Graphic Tracer will identify fonts - I may have to check that out :cool:

With Graphic Tracer you can currently Identify over 100,000 fonts, + any fonts from your own collections. You can quickly know whether or not you already have a font or a similar font that may have a different name.
 
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