Tracing an image or converting raster to vector

Dear Members:

Please forgive me if my question is rather basic but I haven’t found an answer to my questions in the documentation I currently have.
I am trying to convert an image acquired with a scanner to either a vector image that can be scaled without loosing quality or a good quality raster image composed by well-defined paths that look smooth.

My first thought was to trace over the existing image using the pen tool in
Photoshop and then save the tracing. However, I haven’t been able to save the tracing and delete the scanned image since Photoshop treats it as the background image and doesn’t allow me to delete its layer.
What is the simplest way to do this ? How can I import this image into Photoshop, trace it on a separate layer creating a clean path, and then erase the image saving only the new one ?

Adobe has sold a package in the past (I am not sure but believe the name was
Streamline) that claimed to convert raster images to postscript images. Is there a tool in Photoshop that can be used to convert a vector image acquired with a scanner to a vector (or good quality raster) image with well-defined lines and paths ?

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance,

Joseph Chamberlain

Dear Members:

Please forgive me if my question is rather basic but I haven’t found an answer to my questions in the documentation I currently have.
I am trying to convert an image acquired with a scanner to either a vector image that can be scaled without loosing quality or a good quality raster image composed by well-defined paths that look smooth.

My first thought was to trace over the existing image using the pen tool in Photoshop and then save the tracing. However, I haven’t been able to save the tracing and delete the scanned image since Photoshop treats it as the background image and doesn’t allow me to delete its layer.
What is the simplest way to do this ? How can I import this image into Photoshop, trace it on a separate layer creating a clean path, and then erase the image saving only the new one ?

Adobe has sold a package in the past (I am not sure but believe the name was Streamline) that claimed to convert raster images to postscript images. Is there a tool in Photoshop that can be used to convert a vector image acquired with a scanner to a vector (or good quality raster) image with well-defined lines and paths ?

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance,

Joseph Chamberlain

My first thought was to trace over the existing image using the pen tool in
Photoshop and then save the tracing. However, I haven’t been able to save the tracing and delete the scanned image since Photoshop treats it as the background image and doesn’t allow me to delete its layer.

My first thought was to trace over the existing image using the pen tool in Photoshop and then save the tracing. However, I haven’t been able to save the tracing and delete the scanned image since Photoshop treats it as the background image and doesn’t allow me to delete its layer.
What is the simplest way to do this ?

Create a new layer first and trace onto that

Layer>New>Layer

Pen paths are not associated with a layer. If you create a layer and then begin making paths with the Pen tool, that new layer will still be completely empty.

Dear Members:

Please forgive me if my question is rather basic but I haven’t found an answer to my questions in the documentation I currently have.
I am trying to convert an image acquired with a scanner to either a vector image that can be scaled without loosing quality or a good quality raster image composed by well-defined paths that look smooth.

My first thought was to trace over the existing image using the pen tool in Photoshop and then save the tracing. However, I haven’t been able to save the tracing and delete the scanned image since Photoshop treats it as the background image and doesn’t allow me to delete its layer.
What is the simplest way to do this ? How can I import this image into Photoshop, trace it on a separate layer creating a clean path, and then erase the image saving only the new one ?

Adobe has sold a package in the past (I am not sure but believe the name was Streamline) that claimed to convert raster images to postscript images. Is there a tool in Photoshop that can be used to convert a vector image acquired with a scanner to a vector (or good quality raster) image with well-defined lines and paths ?

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance,

Joseph Chamberlain

Hi Jeff!

Really funny and creative cartoons. I enjoyed browsing them.
Mohamed Al-Dabbagh
Senior Graphic Designer