Live Tracing Handout
Tracing a raster image – using Live Trace (pages 342-350)
1. Open a raster (bitmap) image, using the Place command. Do not link.
2. Select the image.
3. Click Live Trace on the Control Palette
You can set many options for Live Tracing – this will affect the way your raster image is traced. Experiment with these options. Undo (Command Z) after each to go back to the original.
To go back to the original image (make it a bitmap again)
1. Select the Live Trace object.
2. Object…Live Trace…Release
Expanding a Live Tracing
1. This converts a tracing into standard paths that can be recolored, reshaped, transformed, etc.
2. Select your live trace object and use the Expand command in the Control Palette
To Open, Trace and Expand in one step:
1. Object…Live Trace…Make and Expand
Do the exercise on page 349 to practice using Live Trace
Using The Pen Tool handout
Draw Your Computer!
1. Screen and stand
2. Keyboard (with most keys, don’t go overboard!)
3. Mouse with cord
4. Modify stroke widths as necessary
5. Use Align options to keep everything straight and in alignment
6. Edit your anchors as needed to make smooth things smooth, and for accuracy.
Optional: words/numbers on keys; make things look 3D, use gradients.
Save your work as “draw your computer and your name/initials”
Drop a copy of your work in my (Instructor Station) Public Folder.
Print a copy.
Due on Friday 9/18
A “how to” guide for using the magic wand tool in Illustrator.
When wanting to select objects that have similar attributes, the Magic Wand tool is a great choice. First you must set the attributes and tolerance level of the Magic Wand.
1. Open the Magic Wand palette by double clicking the tool in the tools palette. Click the up/down arrow on the palette tab to display all three panels.
2. On the left side of the palette, check the attributes you want the magic wand to select. (Similar fill color, stroke color, stroke weight, etc.)
3. On the right side, select the tolerance level of the magic wand tool. The higher the number the higher the tolerance level. IE. A high tolerance on fill color may select all shades of greens as well as yellows. A low tolerance on fill color would select only specific shades of green.
4. If the tool did not select everything you wanted hold down shift and click another object to add to your selection.
Magic Wand
