How to prepare your pencil design into vectors for transferring

Arnaud Van Tilburgh

~ Elite 1000 Member ~
Joined
Oct 3, 2008
Messages
4,221
Location
Belgium
Well I made a video tutorial as that is easyer for me than using English words.
But as I can’t broadcast this video on my server, it is on YouTube
It shows how I prepare my pencil designs with Adobe Illustrator CS3, to be transferred with my Laser Printer on bakery parchment.

• First I scan the pencil design at 600dpi at real size
• Then I open this scanned design in Illustrator, but Corel Draw sure works quite the same way
• The layer where the scanned design is on, I lock it so it can’t move anymore
• Than I ad a new layer to draw the vectors on I choose for “no filling” so only a curved line is drawn.
• I set the thickness of the line at 0,25mm and sometimes to see the line better, I choose for a red line. After the design is done I can select all the lines and change them to black.
• In the video you see some jumps, that is the “ctrl Z” shortcut that is most important to go some steps backwards.
• I use the “Pen Tool” as well as the “Pencil Tool”.
• The “Pen Tool” makes a line by adding different points, but it is not a smooth curve. But using the “Smooth Tool” I can change the curve in a smooth one.
• The other tool, the “Pencil Tool” you can tune it how smooth you want the curves to be drawn. If the curve is not as I want, I use the same tool to redraw the curve until it suites me. The smoothness also depends on the magnification factor.
• When the design is done, I hide the scanned layer and mirror the design.
• I than print this design that is real size, as it was scanned real size. You have to experiment a bit with the settings of your printer, as the setting “automatic optimizing the design” is turned of. The reason is that you don’t want a raster print like the photos in the newspaper, but very thin lines.
• I use a HP laser6 and print at 600dpi
• I use dammar varnish and zippo fluid (20% 80%) like I learned from Mike Cirelli
• I use a little burnish with my fingernail, as the laser ink transfers very well.
• Than I spray some Fixative on the ink that is used for Pastel colours

I hope you enjoy this tutorial, arnaud

As I can't embed the code in a tread, here is the link
http://www.juwelenarnaud.be/clipart/illustrator.php
 
Top