Need help with a trace in inkscape

[rlmsvcsinc@yahoo.com]

I am having trouble getting a usable trace of this file in Inkscape. We want it to look like the one on the building. I am new to plasma, and I've only been using Inkscape for a couple of months and am extremely frustrated. I can't get the lines to come out crisp. I would really appreciate any tips and suggestions.

Thank you.
Jeff

[beefy]

Perhaps explain how you are trying to get the vector image. Many people asking for help are very vague, and simply say something along the lines of "I just can't get it". It's hard to give someone pointers without knowing exactly where their problem lies.

Are you trying to do an auto trace in Inkscape using the black/red original image shown in the last photo.
I don't use Inkscape but if the original image is a high enough resolution and size, even an auto trace should come out pretty close to the original.
If you are trying to auto trace and getting bad results, can you get a bigger "crisper" original image.

One thing recommended a great many times here is to learn manual tracing and drawing. Apparently there are many tutorials on the web for doing those in Inkscape. Many times an auto trace just doesn't cut it, and manual tracing and drawing is the only way to get a decent vector file.

[acourtjester]

what I would do is get the top part nice and retype the lettering using a font in Inkscape.

airview.dxf

airview 10.JPG

[adbuch]

I agree with Keith that a higher resolution image would be a big plus for auto tracing. Tom has done much of the "heavy lifting" for you already with his image and file posted above. Now you just need to find a font that closely matches the original and you will be "home free".
David

[plasmanewbie]

Ya, I'm with AC. The mountain trace looks good so just forget about tracing the text and type it out and find a matching font.

[acourtjester]

That company has a web page and facebook but no better image of the logo.
I did some work with software that came with a digital camera to resize and tried to make it sharper and contrasty, but letters did not improve.

airview9.JPG

[adbuch]

Thanks Tom! He could also do a manual trace to achieve very good results, even on the letters - if he can't find the original font. If his customer is ok with a different font, then that would make it easier.
David

[plasmanewbie]

For sure David and often if I have to trace a font style so its a perfect match for a logo I just charge for my time to do it.

[ou812]

this may help

[adbuch]

this may help

Looks good! Is this an auto trace of Tom's image above, or some other method.
Thanks,
David

airview ac.jpg

[sbest1]

Most times a business will have had decals and letterhead done of their logo/signs. I always ask if they have a pdf of their logo they could send and most times they do.
Saves alot of time
I agree with those above stating that it is far easier to type in the fonts instead of trying to trace them.

[Joe Jones]

I used to work for various companies in the sign business. One of the biggest mistakes many small companies make, is to create their LOGO on a PC, and save the MASTER FILE as a very small RASTER image of very low resolution and poor quality. Then they build a website, and oh doesn't that LOGO look GREAT on the computer monitor?! This makes the reproduction of that LOGO very difficult, because a small raster image is basically USELESS for printing, banners, wall signs, truck bodies, etc. etc. Companies should have their MASTER LOGO saved as a VECTOR FILE in the highest resolution, and at a size that can be reduced as needed, rather than enlarged as needed.

Someone ... the business owner's grandson, for example, creates a neat LOGO such as this one for AIRVIEW AC. Grandpa likes it, so it is adopted as the official company LOGO. They use it to print up the business cards and the letterheads and the return envelopes, and everything is peachy.

Then grandpa wants to make a sign on the front of the new shop building, but he needs it twelve feet wide! Well, that little raster LOGO created at 72 DPI for PC screens and business cards is going to be nearly useless for creating a file large enough to look good on the wall of a building. It needs to be a VECTOR IMAGE, of course.

The other problem that almost ALWAYS crops up with small companies is that NO ONE bothered to make a note of the FONT(S) used, or what was done to those fonts ... Height stretched? Widened? Bold? Italics? Which industry standard colors were used?

I cannot count the number of times someone has brought a business card to me and asked, "Can you make this eight feet wide for the wall of my building?" My first question is, "Do you have the MASTER FILE in VECTOR format, with ALL of the DATA that makes up this LOGO?" The answer is too often, "No."

I charge a fee for the recreation of a LOGO into vector format, and if I have to hunt down and identify the colors they used, I also charge for that time. I hand them a DVD with the vector file, and the logo both as a solid shape and as an outline, both regular and stenciled fonts, with a NOTE file containing ALL of the DATA about that LOGO, so that the future reproduction of that LOGO will be successful!

This company doesn't even have a high resolution image on their website, and it cannot be found in Google IMAGES either. Sometimes a well designed website will offer a link where a sign maker can download the vector files for LOGO reproduction. It can be traced successfully, but even then, assumptions are made about exactly where those vector nodes will fall in order to get the best reproduction.

Just for s%$#s and giggles, I was going to create a vector file for this LOGO, but I see that someone has already done that.

Joe

[Joe Jones]

what I would do is get the top part nice and retype the lettering using a font in Inkscape.

Sometimes you can get away with that. However, if the company has an official font, they won't want a sign that is "close enough." They will want uniformity in their exposure.

Sometimes, I will ask, "Who originally created this LOGO?" If it is some other sign guy or graphics art designer, he or she will not be willing to release the vector files to the competition. The author of that LOGO will want to retain the Rights to that LOGO, and make any and all future signs for the company.

I am not sure about the legal aspects of reproducing a LOGO that was created by someone else without that creator's permission. A LOGO is USED by the company, but I am not sure it is OWNED by that company. I think that a Copyright issue arises. That all needs to be worked out IN WRITING before the first sign is every produced. Do we have any attorneys on PS?

Joe

[acourtjester]

copy rights has be explored many time here on PC including the legal aspects. Many requests for tracing things have been turned down do to just that, and the poster was reminded of those things. Your post serves as a reminder of those facts. It seemed the original poster was looking for help with the technique for tracing, showing what they were working with as example. They are responsible for the legal end if they produce them for money on the open market. This has been shown in the sports Icon or brand name Icons, like HD. IMHO

[Joe Jones]

My understanding is that even if the COMPANY wants a sign made using the LOGO, they do not have the right to go to any sign maker to have that done. They either need to go to the creator of the LOGO, or get his written permission to reproduce it via another sign maker. Am I wrong about that?

Joe

[adbuch]

copy rights has be explored many time here on PC including the legal aspects. Many requests for tracing things have been turned down do to just that, and the poster was reminded of those things. Your post serves as a reminder of those facts. It seemed the original poster was looking for help with the technique for tracing, showing what they were working with as example. They are responsible for the legal end if they produce them for money on the open market. This has been shown in the sports Icon or brand name Icons, like HD. IMHO

Right your are Tom!
David