PORTABLE DOCUMENT FORMAT files

Attributes of PDF files:

• Resolution-Independent
(like vector-uses path)

• Compressed

• Contains all the information-text, fonts, images, graphics, links...

• Free Distribution of Acrobat Reader

• Set a variety of end-user restrictions.

• Open Standard-Royalty Free


Uses:

Printing (standard printing format)

Web Viewing


Limitations:

Difficult to Edit (but not impossible)

Large file sizes

SAVING FILES AS PDFs

1) Saving Adobe Doc or Word Doc:
a) It is easy to save Adobe File as a PDF: Simply go to File>SaveAs and in the format drop down menu choose Adobe PDF. (Remember to change the name if you want to keep your original as an .ai or a psd. Otherwise it will override your original file)
b) For InDesign go to File/PDF Presets
c)For a Word Doc, go to File/Print and the Bottom Left of the Window, Click PDF/SaveAsPDF

2) Saving Photoshop and Illustrator Layers in a PDF: This is also simple to do. With all the layers visible choose File/SaveAs and in the format drop down menu choose Adobe PDF and click save. Another menu will come up. In the Adobe Version Menu choose Adobe Reader 7.0 (this version allows you to save layers while older ones do not) (The pages section of this document will be muddled if the layers were not for one image.)


3) Saving Photoshop and Illustrator Layers as pages in One PDF file. This is a little more difficult to do, but will give you the best results when wanting to display several images that exist in one file as pages in a PDF.

a. Open the original file and make visible the first layer that you want to be page 1.

1. Save the file as a PDF- File/SaveAs
   
2. You do not need to change the name (See above for saving one image)
3. In the “Save Adobe PDF” Window, Check, Embed “Page Thumbnails” and “View PDF after saving”.
4. Click Save as PDF.

There should now be 2 PDF’s open one in the original application (ai, psd…) and one open with Acrobat Reader


b. Save the .pdf open in Acrobat Reader with a new name

1. Click on the .pdf open in Acrobat Reader
2. Click File/Saveas and change the name of the file
3. At the left of this PDF, click the pages tab. You should see the visible layer saved as a page from your file.
4. Click on this page icon, to highlight it

c. Save the next visible layer in the .pdf open in the original application.

1. Now toggle back (F9) to the .pdf open in the original application and choose the next layer from page 2
2. click File/ Save ( S)

d. Insert Page 2 in the .pdf open in Adobe Reader

1. Toggle back to the new PDF open in adobe reader and with page 1 highlighted
2. Go to Document>InsertPages
3. Choose the original file with the new visible layer saved
4. Click open and ok. Page two should appear.

e. Repeat this process until all desired pages are created.


4) Saving Multiple Files as pages in One PDF file.
There is a great video tutorial on the CS3 Online Tutorial Site-look under Adobe Acrobat.

CHANGING A BITMAP IMAGE TO A VECTOR GRAPHIC

PLACE
First place your image in your AI document by clicking:

File/Place, locate the image, highlight it * and click Place.

*Make sure the link option in the place window is unclicked. (if the link is clicked, your image will NOT be imbedded into the file and when you move the file the image will not move with you.)







SCALE

If necessary, scale the image to fit within the parameters of the art board.

Object/Transform/Scale






LIVE TRACE

Now Open up your control panel (it may already be open) Window/Control
In the middle of the control panel there is a button named, Live Trace. (remember the image must be selected to see the control panel option for it.) To the right of the Live Trace button, click the down arrow key and choose Low or High Fidelity Photo. (depending on how much detail you want will determine whether you choose low or high.)




ENLARGE

With your navigator tool, enlarge the image. You will notice that it is no longer pixelated, rather the colors are separated into shapes. This is your indicator that the image is now a vector graphic.

EXPAND/Ungroup

Now you are ready to expand and ungroup your image. With the image still selected, click the EXPAND button- at the right of the control panel. Once you have done this all the paths and anchor points for your shapes will appear.

Now go to Object/Ungroup to ungroup the paths.

Once you have ungrouped the paths you can now manipulate them in anyway you want.

REMOVING THE BACKGROUND FROM A TRACED BITMAP IMAGE

When you place and trace an image in illustrator, often this image will come with a background color, usually white. This is even the case, when you have gone to the trouble to select and delete the background in photoshop. The reason for this is that your photoshop file is set to have a background vs being set for transparency.


When this is the case you can go back and attempt to set the .psd file with a transparent background or you can remove it in illustrator. Here is how you remove it in illustrator:

Convert your Bitmap file to a Vector graphic, using Live Trace
(see the tutorial- Changing your Bitmap Image to a Vector Graphic)

Select the Background:
Using the Select Tool in the Top of the Tool, press down the Shift Key and select all the background ground closed paths (there may be more than one) Once the are all selteted hit delete.

Rasterize you Image
If you prefer to have the image back to its bitmap state, convert the graphic back to a Raster Image by selecting the image and choose Effect/Rastorize.

Digital Tools-Assignment 7: Image making with Live Trace.

This is Brittany's Collage Assignment
Jo's Collage is intruiging too!

This assignment is similar to the "AnythingGoes" Photoshop Assignment, in that you will be utilizing all the tools you have learned so far in illustrator to create an interesting, dynamic graphic image. It will also be an opportunity for you to further develop your point of view as it relates to your subject. The assignment requires that you do a little research too, in this way you will see what other people are saying about you topic. Your research should be guided by the perspective that has been developing while you have been visually exploring your topic.

Part 1 Research your topic on the web.

1. Using the advanced google search, look for articles that seem to be of interest to you. Read through a couple of websites and pick an article(s) that you feel gives you new insights and builds on your interest in your subject.
2. Post on your blog a description (in your words) of the article(s) you read, name the new insights you learned from reading this article(s).
3. Include in your post links to the article(s), along with the title and author.

Part 2 Live Trace an Image (For help with Live Trace refer to the post:
"Changing a Bitmap Image to a Vector Graphic"

1. Choose an image either of your own or an image off the web that relates to your topic. (remember in either case it must be a large file.
2. Place this image in an illustrator file (remember to uncheck the link box.)
3. Live Trace the image. You have the option of tracing it in any way you want, there are a lots of options to choose from. Look on the right of the Live Trace Button in the Control Panel. (Photo high/low fidelity will give you a trace most accurate to a photograph-though difficult to edit.)
4. Once you have placed the image then Expand and Ungroup it, in order to edit the image.
5. From here you can now use Live Paint to change the look of the image, as well as other tools you have practiced and learned in illustrator.

Part 3 Create a collage of your work. You collage should reflect something about your point of view that you are researching.

1. Use the "Live Traced" image, and the edits you have made to it, the background for your collage.
2. Go ahead and Place your logos and your sketched images in new layers. You will use these new layers to create a collage with your Live Traced/Live Paint image. This is the place to be really creative with opacity, transparency tools, gradients and so on:

• Use the opacity tool to create contrast,
• Use the affects to dramatize parts of your image.
  
• Rotate and skew parts to give a sense of motion.
• Create multiples and repeat parts to create a feeling of rhythm.
  
• Play with the intensity of colors to create a mood.
• Use text...etc...

DUE Next Week


Post to Your Blog: (Remember to format for the web!!!)

1. A description of the article you read. (Include the link for the article.)
2. A post of the original image you Live Traced (Include a link if this is not your image.)
3. A post of the Live Traced version of the Original Image.

1. DUE at the end of Class: A post of the collaged image you created in Illustrator, this will be used as the basis for you cover page for your final project.

POST to Server at THE END OF CLASS

1 pdf file with pages showing your four logos, our traced gradient illustraton and you collage.