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02/07/2009 06:44:07 PM · #1 |
| Does anyone know how to convert a layer (my logo) into a path without using adobe illustrator? |
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02/07/2009 07:28:38 PM · #2 |
- Select the area that you want to use for the path.
- Go to the Paths palette, under the Layers and Channels palettes.
- Click the "Make work path from selection" icon at the bottom of the palette.
- Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown. :-) |
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02/07/2009 07:37:43 PM · #3 |
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02/07/2009 08:02:19 PM · #4 |
| Alright, I'll show my inexperience with Photoshop...What's a "Path" in this context? |
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02/07/2009 08:28:32 PM · #5 |
Originally posted by NathanW:
Alright, I'll show my inexperience with Photoshop...What's a "Path" in this context? |
A "path" is a vector object, not a bitmap object. It can be scaled without resolution problems. If it is a closed path it can be filled and stroked. Those who have worked with Illustrator" type programs (Adobe, Corel are two examples) understand well the difference between vector objects and bitmap objects.
There's a LOT of things you can do with paths that you can't do with selections, but for all practical purposes these applications are in the realm of using photoshop as a design tool rather, as opposed to a photo editing tool, so we don't talk much about paths in here.
R.
Incidentally, on reflection I'm pretty sure a PS "selection" is itself a vector object as well, and I'm not real familiar with using paths in PS 'cuz I have never had the need, so take above as a gross oversimplification.
Message edited by author 2009-02-07 20:31:16.
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02/07/2009 09:15:03 PM · #6 |
Thanks Robert,
However, I'm still pretty lost. *grin* When I use Photoshop, it's more hit-or-miss if I get what I want to happen. |
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02/07/2009 09:46:56 PM · #7 |
Paths are mainly used in illustrator to allow flexibility with objects. Think of it like the warp tool but allows warp at any position around the edges.
I needed to create a path of my logo so I could run an automated logo action that inserts my logo's at the same position on portrait and landscape style images. |
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02/07/2009 10:28:53 PM · #8 |
Originally posted by NathanW:
Thanks Robert,
However, I'm still pretty lost. *grin* When I use Photoshop, it's more hit-or-miss if I get what I want to happen. |
Let's do a really basic discussion of bitmap vs vector images then, just for the heck of it:
Bitmap Images:
We're all familiar with these, photographs are bitmaps. If we blow them up too big or crop too small an area, we see jagged edges on objects that had appeared smooth at lesser magnification. If we resize a picture to 640 pixels and then, as an exercise, resize it back UP to its original size, we will see a serious degradation in smoothness, it no longer looks anywhere near as good, because there are far fewer points of information making up the totality of the image.
Vector Images:
A vector image is formed by defining its various curves mathematically; the curves comprising a vector image are called "Bezier Curves" after a French mathematician, the guy who invented those cool curves templates draftsmen use. Those are called "French Curves" usually. A vector image is infinitely scalable; no matter how much you expand it or shrink it, it's smoothness remains constant. A vector image is also much "smaller" in size in the computer sense, because no matter how big you make it, it is still defined by the same equations.
You are most familiar with vector images/objects because you have probably used type in Photoshop. Windows and Adobe (and virtually all other typefaces, for that matter) are vector fonts, and so they can be scaled up and down without getting the jaggies. Each individual letter is a path, in Photoshop. All the letters in the word or text are linked together so you can change attributes globally on the linked paths, basically.
*************
That's it in a nutshell, what they actually are. You can basically process photographs forever without knowing anything about paths, because for most practical purpose, in photography, a path and a selection are the same thing. It's when you want to do stuff like Dirt Diver is doing with his logo, or when you want to take a photographed object and make it into a path so you can use it to create a "window" to a lower layer, and have it be scalable, that you start needing to learn to use paths.
You might, for example, decide to do a poster of New York City on the "Big Apple" theme. You might want to have an overlay photo that's fairly abstract, say, on whi9ch you'd be laying the type for your poster, and in that you might want a "cutout", a hole, the precise shape of a perfect apple, under which is revealed a nice base layer of, say, the NYC skyline at sunrise, whatever. So you layer the abstract scene over the skyline scene, and then you open another image, your apple photo, and create a path out of the apple, then bring the path over to the composite and push a few buttons and voila! You have a window through the overlayer in the shape of an apple, and you can make it bigger or smaller as needed while you fiddle with the work.
Something like that anyway... I do it better in Corel :-)
R.
Message edited by author 2009-02-07 22:30:48.
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02/08/2009 04:51:12 AM · #9 |
Thank you both for the explanation. I'm much less confused now. *grin* Too bad I live out in the middle of nowhere or I'd probably be able to find a class that will teach me some of this stuff.
Thank you again. |
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02/08/2009 10:14:12 AM · #10 |
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02/08/2009 10:38:59 AM · #11 |
You might have played Flash games where no matter how large you make the window, the objects in the game scale up without any jaggies around the edges - only possible because Flash is capable of using vector graphics.
Or if you use Excel and create a chart - it's made from vector graphics, make it bigger and it still looks nice and sharp and smooth. Same applies to things like arrows in Powerpoint. You can make them any size you like without artefacts appearing.
Compared with upsizing a jpg or a bmp (i.e. a non-vector graphic) where things get blurry and jaggy very quickly. |
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