Image to vectors

[jshoes51]

I've got a chance to quote on several forest trail signs for Poland Spring water. I can get their logo thru google/image, but can't trace the bitmap image to make it into vectors fro carving with any success.

I tried a free sample on vectormagic.com, and it didn't come out much better than my attempt to trace it in Aspire. They quoted $28 for one of their artists to do it. Since it's just for a quote right now, I'd rather not spend the money, yet I want my preview to look good in hopes of getting the job.

Are these avenues my only two options? All I need from the logo is "Poland Spring". Is that maybe a font I can just download and then size and curve the text to match the logo?

Thanks,

Jim

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[signsbyjay]

If you are doing the quote for Poland Springs, just ask their advertising department for the art work. They should have it in most every electronic version. If you are quoting to a park, they should be able to get it from Poland Springs. Why reinvent the wheel if you don't have to.

Jay

[wegner81]

Jim
We do projects like this for our customers and just use partsworks to do the job. Sometimes we have to put our own lettering over the top if the bitmap is not so clear.
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[GlenP]

I agree with also asking the customer's art department for the graphic. I usually tell the customer that if they can supply their artwork we will wave the artwork charge. IF they can save a buck usually they get on top of it. You can find good fonts at letterheadfonts.com. They are more money but worth every penny.

[jason_remillard]

Hi Jim, I think that if you look around the forum as I did a year or so ago they pointed me to Corel Draw X4. Cost about $400 but I can trace almost anything without problems. It also has a great feature of Center line Trace for fonts that you may not want to V Carve. Just giving you my 2 cents. Thanks.

Jason Remillard
http://www.remillardcustomwoods.com

[butch]

Jim
I usually change to grays or b&w before doing a trace. If it is good quality jpg I can then just go to Aspire and do a trace with fair results. Then I can just clean up the edges and it is ready. But if you call the company, they can usually get you a high quality jpg or gif of the logo, and it often will trace with out to much fixing. Also, I quite often type in the printing, and use the image as a guide.
Butch

[robert_cheal]

I down loaded the V Carve Pro trial version a few days ago I really like what I see. It will trace quite well and you can isolate colors for more specific tracing. It will clean up a drawing with a deleting nodes feature that I really like. And V Carve Pro and Aspire share a feature that that converts vectors from bezier curves into straight lines or arcs and also create tool paths. All of these features in one program for $599 seems great to me. For getting an image into vectors it's light years ahead of the methods I have been using. I am ready to buy it.