Expert: Tom Rouze - 5/30/2005

Question
dear Tom,

I was wondering if there was any easy way to trace a bitmap and convert it into a vectorized image. i have a lot of drawings which need to be converted. if im correct, it takes a lot of time and its tedious work. in fact, at least for me it takes more time than it takes to make the sketch! is there any easier way? i know of the auto-trace tool and of course the pen tool also. i have heard tho, that it is better to take an image that is in a particular resolution. will increasing the contrast of the bitmap help as well? anything to make the job easier ad take less time wuld be of use to me. i usually find that by tracing with the pen tool, i can't get traced objects out line to outline, or edge to edge. pls help with any tips at all.
thanku
mira

p.s. i use illustrator 10.

Answer
Hi Mira,
I know what you mean about taking a lot of time to redraw a logo or image.  
Each situation is different with logos when it comes to how you're going to reproduce them.  The general rule of thumb for reproduction is if you are printing in 4 color Process the resolution should be twice the line screen count that will be used in printing.
If it's  
There are a couple things you can do.  One is in Photoshop there is a way to export paths to Illustrator in the file menu.  I've seen some decent results with that.  Also there is a program by Adobe called Streamline.  It was created to do this.  It take some getting used to though. It does not work for everything.  
Let's step back to Hi res files.  A high res tiff or high res jpeg will usually work.  My suggestion is resize and rotate in Photoshop.  It keeps the file smaller and you'll have better results.  If it's not a complex logo you could probably get away with resizing in Illustrator. going from small to large will become a problem if you have to dramatically change the size.
The First thing I would do in this situation is open the file in Photoshop, check the resolution,  see if the file is the actual size (w x h) or larger than you will need.  If everything looks ok here then print one copy and see how it prints.  Sometime people bring a lower res image into Photoshop and try to increase the resolution. So it's best to print one copy to see for yourself.
I tried to keep it short. There isn't really a quick answer for something like this.  As for redrawing Art my suggestion is the more you do the better and faster you will get.  But like you said it's tedious!!
I hope this helps.  If you have any other questions please feel free to ask.  I can give more specifics if needed.
Thank you,
Tom