Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2005 9:36 am Post subject: Vector Art in Photoshop
There's a very common misconception that Photoshop isn't suited for creating vector art. This is simply not true. Photoshop is capable of producing true high quality vector artwork. The workflow is a little different than in Illustrator or other vector programs, but I find it quite easy to get used to.
For those of you who aren't aware: vector artwork uses mathematically defined curves and lines, rather than pixels, to be defined. That means that vector art can be scaled up and down without losing any quality and the shapes can be easily manipulated by moving the points that define them. (Of course, all computer monitors display everything in pixels, so vector shapes appear as pixels. But, the computer thinks of them as purely mathematical shapes and it recalculates the pixels if you edit the shapes). Vector shapes are well suited to flat areas of color, such as those in logos or vector art like this.
Here, I'll explain a few basic techniques for creating vector art. The bottom line is: use whatever works. If you find a different workflow to be quicker or more effective, go for it. But, these are some guidelines for working with vector shapes in Photoshop.
1. Create a path. Paths are Photoshop's vector shapes. When selected, they can be seen, but their shapes do not print or show up in web images. They are pure mathematical entities. But they are the basis of vector art. You can create paths by using the pen tool, or by using the shape tools (with the paths button selected on the options bar). These are temporarily saved as "work paths" in the paths palette. By double clicking a path's name in the palette, you can rename it. Never leave a path as a work path, because it will disappear.
2. Choose a color. Pick a foreground color that corresponds to the shape you're creating. Keep in mind that you will need to use areas of flat color, unless use layer styles to enhance your work.
3. Create a fill layer. While you still have your path active and the correct color as your foreground color, go to layer/new fill layer/solid color. The dialog box will allow you to name the new layer. Hit OK once you're satisfied. This will bring up a color picker box, with your foreground color automatically selected. Change it if you want to or leave it and hit OK. You now have a fill layer.
If you look at the layers palette, you'll see a new layer. Its thumbnail will be the color you chose with a slider at the bottom. (The slider doesn't do anything). You'll also see a second gray and white thumbnail to the right. This is a vector mask. A vector mask (formerly known as a "clipping path") is simply a path that controls the visibility of a layer. It is the vector equivalent of a layer mask.
You should see your shape on the image, in a flat color. It may have an ugly grayish outline. Don't worry; that's not part of the final image. That's just the path being displayed. Deselect the path by clicking the thumbnail of the vector mask. You should see the shape with nice, clean edges. This is a true vector shape.
Don't believe me? Try scaling this layer up or down. Do you see any quality loss? Try going the other way. This is so perfectly scalable that you could theoretically reduce the shape down to 0.0000001% and then blow it up to 100000000000% without ever losing the clean edges. Yeah. It's pretty cool.
You can also apply layer styles to these shapes. Stroke, gradient fill and pattern fill are very useful.
So now you just have to repeat this process for every shape in your image. Each shape will have its own editable layer.
Another thing I forgot: you can edit the vector masks just as you would edit a normal path. The direct selection tool (the white arrow) can be used to push and pull points to form the shape you want.
Have fun with vectors! Feel free to post any tips or suggestions on this thread. _________________ Interested in showcasing your special effects or learning some new ones from the masters? Check out PSFX!
It's amazing how few people know about vector masks/clipping paths. I know I didn't for a VERY long time. But they're quite useful. Keep in mind that they can be used on any type of layer. It's just that they're most useful on Fill layers, since those aren't exactly raster graphics. _________________ Interested in showcasing your special effects or learning some new ones from the masters? Check out PSFX!
Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2005 10:06 am Post subject: Re: Vector Art in Photoshop
Datameister wrote:
There's a very common misconception that Photoshop isn't suited for creating vector art. This is simply not true.
It's not a misconeption at all, it's the actual truth. Sure, you can make vector art with Photoshop, but to say it's suited for it, well no. Take for example lines, you can give them all kind of thickness and styles in vector programs, this is simple not possible in Photoshop. Stroking a path for example is simply not the same as giving a path a thickness like in Illustrator, which is true vector based, in PS it's pixel based. Sure, you can add a layer style stroke, but anyone who knows a program like Illustrator knows that there is a lot more possible when it comes to giving a line a style.
I don't even mention all the other tools that are not available in Photoshop, like deforming or smoothing paths. The fact that you can scale down shapes in Photoshop simply doesn't make it suddenly very suited for vector art.
Another area in which is falls short is vector based gradients. Take for example the mesh tool in Illustrator, there's nothing in Photoshop that comes even close. Combining gradients with shapes in Photoshop is just cumbersome, it's ancient compared to the flexibility of true vector programs and not even a gradient layer style or gradient map is going to change this.
Printing or exporting vectors, another area in which Photoshop falls short.
Also one of the strengths of a true vector program is that you can zoom in without losing quality. Look at the example, left a vector shape in PS zommed in to 1600%, to the right a shape in Xara X zoomed in to 25601%. It's ten times higher zoom factor and still sharp.
That's allows you to work in great detail without losing quality. Try for example to design a tiny emoticon in PS or in Illustrator and you'll see what I mean. And there are tons of other advantages of using true vector programs.
Still, it is good of you to point out what IS possible, but I don't think we should give people the impression that Photoshop is as suited for vector art as true vector programs, because it's not. _________________ www.lunacore.com
Well, I think DataMeister’s point is that there is a vector element in Photoshop that is ignored, overlooked and/or misunderstood by many PS users. And it can be very, very useful. Of course it is more limited than a dedicated vector drawing program. I don’t think anyone is suggesting otherwise.
But it is “real” vector based art, just the attributes on screen (fill and stroke) are pixel derived. Want proof? Drag and drop a shape from PS into Illy.
Path.
And… if you send a psd file containing vector art to a postscript printer, you are not tied to the pixel resolution of that file. Vector art in Photoshop file can be printed at printer resolution. The printer uses the vector information contained in the psd doc, including clipping info, just like “true” vector art.
Last edited by cbadland on Thu Sep 22, 2005 6:56 pm; edited 1 time in total
“Zoom factor” in a vector program and Photoshop are different things. It can be misleading to compare the two. In a drawing program like Illustrator, the zoom percent is in reference to the print size. In Photoshop the percentage zoom describes pixel display on the monitor. Two different animals. Apples to oranges.
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Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2005 8:58 pm Post subject:
I just made a circle a 1/2 inch across (with a 72 resolution) using the path tool and new fill layer...Then I blew it up to 7 inches across.
I printed both without any pixalating...Freaked me out.
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