Vector with InDesign

Hi All,



I have a question.



One of our engravers is asking us to send him a ''vector'' graphic of the artwork. What kind of formats are ''vector'' and can I do it with Indesign. The file is .indd



thanks,



Alex
Vector with InDesign
PDF, EPS, AI. Note that any of these formats can *contain* bitmaps, but

vector information will be retained in vector format.



Vector artwork (drawings, type) consists of instructions like ''start at

X=0, Y=0, end at X=600, Y=600, draw 2 pt thick black line between those

points''. As such, vector artwork has no maximum resolution. It prints at

the resolution of the output device.



Bitmap artwork (photos, screencaps) consist of a grid of dot positions,

each dot position filled in or not filled in, each dot position having a

color assigned to it (or a lack of color). As such, bitmap artwork

contains a finite number of dots. That number (expressed generally as

pixels per inch) determines the maximum resolution the graphic can be

printed at.



--

Kenneth Benson

Pegasus Type, Inc.

www.pegtype.com
Vector with InDesign
%26gt;can I do it with InDesign



What's in the file? If all you have is type and objects drawn with ID's drawing tools, yes, but if there is any sort of raster (pixel based) art it will be unsuitable. Most people would use Illustrator for this, but ID will work fine as long as you only use vector objects.



Peter

Thanks for your answers!



For example, lets say I have an image (logo) in JPEG and want to convert to Vector in ID or Photoshop.



How can I do it?



The ID file is a mix of images and text.



Alex

You would have to draw it or trace it in Illustrator or some other

drawing program.



A better option would be to contact the company that owns the logo and

ask them for the vector version of their logo. You have the bitmap

version because it was used on a website or some other electronic

presentation, but any decent logo starts life as a vector object, gets

used for printed material as a vector, gets converted to a bitmap for

the web.



--

Kenneth Benson

Pegasus Type, Inc.

www.pegtype.com

Ken's suggestion is the best. You can try auto-trace in Illustrator, but the results will be quite variable. You may also be able to make selections in Photoshop and save those as paths, but again, the odds are it won't be anywhere near as good as the original vector art.



Some things, like gradients, may not work at all.