Converting A Scanned Logo to Vector

Ever have a scanned logo that isn't good enough quality or needs to be prepared for separations?

Forget about trying to clean it up in PhotoShop - sit down with your favourite illustration package and get to work! Although many people are intimidated by illustration packages like CorelDraw or Adobe Illustrator, many tasks, such as simple "vectorization" of a logo are actually pretty straightforward.

To "illustrate" this example, we used the brand new Hillside logo and went step by step through a recreation of it as a top quality vector image. The techniques described will work great for a scan (or in this case a screen capture) of a fairly straightforward logo.

1) Import your bitmap (scan or screen capture) into your illustration package of choice (This particular example was performed in CorelDraw ).
2) Zoom right into the image and place guidelines around the edges of the logo and important planes that run through it (you may also want to set your drawing tools to "snap" to these guidelines).
3) Set a line colour that will show up against the image you are working on and draw or "trace" the basic elements of the logo right on top of your imported image. When possible, "constrain" your use of the drawing tool to achieve perfect lines and right angles. Don't worry about the curves yet. For multiple objects on the same plane, duplicate the first object on the plane to ensure they are on the same "baseline" (see the duplication in the magenta area).
4) Stretch the objects so that they are the same rough shape as the areas they will represent.
5) After "converting to curves" the lines that need to be rounded, use your node-editing tool to shape the curves to match the logo you are duplicating. Remember to set the curves to be "symmetrical" where it is helpful (i.e. this was done to the node in the middle of the "p" to make sure it was even on the top and bottom.
6) With your lines now in place, apply the appropriate fill (in this case 100% magenta, 100% cyan and 100% yellow) to the different coloured areas of the logo. Delete or move the imported image from underneath your traced image and add a background if necessary (the black background in this case). Voila:

 The finished example above is not perfect, but with just a bit more tinkering we'd have it identical to the original. The techniques described here definitely require some practice, but keep at it. It's easier than you think and being able to do this will be a valuable addition to your arsenal of skills.

 We strive to be as accurate and current with our information as possible. Due to the infinite number of scenarios that occur in print & desktop publishing, we can not guarantee that the above information will be correct in all situations.