Need graphics help...

[single]

So I have been considering making my own vinyl ski graphics, something along the lines of www.dekal.com. So I have my basic concept done, it is something handdrawn. Now I think I might go locally to a someone that does custom vinyl, but if it is way too much money I will go the Dekal route. So here is my question...

What do I need to do to get the graphic from paper to the computer. I was thinking about making a 1/2 ish scale, and scanning it in. Any thoughts on this? I know I could go to the local guy, and probably hand him my drawing at that size and he would turn it into the sticker. But if I went with the dekal route, what would be the best way to approach this?

Cheers

single

[RShea]

First off you have to understand some basic graphics concepts or the outcome could look very amatuerish. You mention scanning something into the computer and then going to vinyl. If the scanned image is relatively the same size (ie the scanned image is under 8 1/2 x 11 or 14 inches (the size of a standard scanner footprint that the average person would use) and the output is say a sticker or something of similiar size, then you are usually OK. But if you now need to resize this and make it larger it will look crappy without knowing what to do. It is just like taking a magnifying glass to any low resolution graphic- it looks all jagged and lousy. Scanned images are basically bitmapped or raster images- dots making up the image. If you enlarge anything raster a great deal then the result is just big stretched dots or edges that look like a set of stairs. Test this out by opening a paint package (Windows PC and most OS's have one built in) and draw a circle and a diamond shape. Then enlarge these 1000% and see what they look like. Raster images are things like jpeg, tiff, etc. file formats

Now if you have access to a graphics package or illustration software that handles vector images then you have a better chance, since the vector graphic is really a mathematical formula representing the lines, curves, etc. and when you resize and enlarge it it does not get distorted - it just increases the size as needed and keeps the image looking much better. (Some software that handles vector graphics are packages like Adobe Illustrator, Corel Draw, etc.) File formats for these are .eps, etc.

So if you really want to have a quality graphic image to work with use a vector graphic if you are going to do any type of resizing and taking it to vinyl like a sign shop would do. Otherwise if you walk in with a raster image and ask them to resize the image it could end up either costing you more money (they if they know what they are doing will convert the raster image to a vector image), or look like this example of a simple letter:

http://www.sketchpad.net/basics1.htm

[single]

Yeah, I know what you mean about resizing images. I was actually thinking about scanning in the 1/2 scale picture in increments then piecing them together. I guess I could just do the temp. download of illustrator off the website and look for a tutorial on vectorizing images. Then again, I think I saw a vectorizer plug-in for photoshop a while back. I wonder how well that works.

I have used illustrator before to make stencils, and have always used something like a gaussian blur filter to smooth out the edges. I wonder if I could just scan the image at 1/2 actual scale in increments, piece it together in photoshop then use a blur filter accordingly. Or I guess I could just make the graphics at a full size and scan them in. It would just take longer.

[RShea]

Without knowing the graphics you want to use, it is hard to give an opinion on 1/2 size or full size. I'd pick a sign shop go in and talk to them and discuss with them the route they think will result in the best output. Also remember that when you cut vinyl for a sign there are somethings that are not possible due to the nature of the process. You basically also cut everything in a mirrored image so when it is applied it is reading correctly. It has been a few years since I have played with the popular sign packages, but they differ in the process from say what a silkscreen printer would do, just because of the nature of the vinyl cutting paths, etc.

[single]

Cool. Thanks for the help.