"Vectorize" a Photo Portrait
robnjay
If so, I have a 28 year old picture of my 30 year old daughter I'd like to get an objectified version of.
It's also a reconstruction challenge I've been working on...
Luke Harvey
Why do you need it vectorized? I'd suggest tracing it with another program, if you want scalability for the image- Elements is a great image editing package, but it's not strong on vectors...
You can create a line drawing, or use something like the Dry Brush Filter to create a simple picture in Elements, that you then convert into a vector-based image with another program.
Sorry, I couldn't be more help - I hope someone out there, has a better answer.
BobHill
You can't do anything in vector from within Elements, but if you truly wished to make a vector image of your raster photo, you CAN do that in a couple of ways. If you use something like Adobe Streamline, you can convert a raster image into vector, but not without a lot of preparation, unless the raster image is very basic. You can also use Adobe Illustrator (a vector imaging program) and by placing the photo image in it's own layer, manually reproduce it with vectoring tools and adding the fill with a very sophisticated application of gradient mesh. I've seen this done where it's very hard to distinguish it from an actual photo image, bye the way. But that was by a very talented user of gradient mesh.
Streamline would make the photo come out looking somewhat like "paint by numbers" as it's limited to 256 (8bit) color. You could use that as a basis to work with in Illustrator and apply gradient mesh to the tonal areas created by Streamline.
It can be done, but not without a lot of work.
Bob
RWard
installed off of the CD. I have changed computers and have no reference
data available, where were they; assuming the actions tool is still
available....
thanks
Ralph
Richard Lynch
Hidden Power tools in The Hidden Power of Photoshop Elements 2 has tools that will convert any selection to vectors in Elements. Select a color (for example, with the Magic Wand), click the Make Shape of Selection tool, and there you have it. You can then work with the vectors and save them in an EPS file for printing (or in PSD, PDF or TIFF).
You can see exactly which tools you get with the book by taking the tool tour here:
<http://www.hiddenelements.com/tools.html>
Bob is, however, correct. It would be a lot of work to turn a portrait into vectors, as you would have to select colors one at a time and convert them to shapes and their own layers. And there would be advantages to using a more sophisticated tool like Illustrator.
What is it that you are trying to accomplish? Perhaps there is another or better way.
Richard Lynch
<http://hiddenelements.com>
Richard Lynch
I don't see taking the Actions package down...I really think people should use it, and that we can build some excellent resources for Elements users.
You can still get it here:
<http://hiddenelements.com/freetools.html>
I'd be glad to learn about actions you run (or want to run) in Elements!
Richard Lynch
<http://hiddenelements.com>
Al Ward
Al Ward
Consumer of Coffee, Designer of Graphics, Writer of Books, Slayer of Fish
Author, Photoshop Elements 2 Special Effects
<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764525972/actionfx-20>
Action Fx Photoshop Resources
<http://actionfx.com>
Jodi Frye
Al Ward
Actually they are at the printer now. I've not even received my copies... I should have mine next week, but I'm not sure how long beyond that the others will be sent. I think they are teaching me patience. ;-)