# How do I turn this one color TIFF into vector paths?



## JPigford (Feb 24, 2005)

I have a photograph where I isolated the part I wanted then adjested the threshold to where it's just one color shadow shapes. Is there a way to turn it into editable vector paths so i can edit/manipulate/resize/etc in Illustrator?


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## stv1701 (Feb 24, 2005)

There are a few ways of doing this. Firstly I'll assume you're using Photoshop.

1. Make sure the part of the image you want is selected.
2. Click on the arrow on the side of the paths palette in Photoshop and select 'Make work Path'
2. Next select the same menu and select 'Save Path'
3. Go to the File menu and select Export>Export Paths to Illustrator
4. select the path you have saved and save it to where ever you like.

Illustrator

Now once you've opened the file in Illustrator you'll just see a blank page with some crops marks indicating the overall shape of the path.

To delete the crop marks -

1. select all
2. Select the Object menu then Crop Area>Release
4. Delete the newly highlighted square
5. Selecting all again will highlight the path you have exported for you to do with what ever you like

It's worth messing around with the tolerance setting in Photoshop a bit or you will end up with a path consisting of thousands of point.

Hope this helps, it is easier than it looks


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## CaptainQuark (Feb 24, 2005)

I don't use Illustrator *I'm with the _other_ camp and use Macromedia Freehand. In Freehand (and from the odd occasion I have come across Illustrator, I believe you can do it there too) you can use the "Trace" function. 

Alternatively Adobe used to do an application called Streamline which converted bitmaps to vector graphics.


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## stv1701 (Feb 24, 2005)

CaptainQuark said:
			
		

> Alternatively Adobe used to do an application called Streamline which converted bitmaps to vector graphics.




That the only reason I ever boot into Classic. Great program! Never really come across anything to match it.


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## Natobasso (Feb 24, 2005)

I think either Flash or Fireworks has a great trace feature.

Adobe Streamline is another great program, though they have wrapped that feature (very badly) into Illustrator CS.


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## elander (Feb 25, 2005)

There is an application from FreeSoft called Silhouette, that is as good as Streamline ever was (in my opinion even better). It runs as a stand-alone application ($360) in Mac OS X or Windows, and also comes as a plug-in for Adobe Illustrator ($300).

There is also a unrestricted demo version that lasts 15 days.

Here is the address:
http://www.silhouetteonline.com/


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## senne (Feb 25, 2005)

my plug-in lasted 2 months.... Without any hack or crack! So you might want to check Silhouette, which is created by Belgians btw, first


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