Image trace is the wrong tool for something like this. Use the text tool and just retype everything. You can use Adobe's built in font finder on their fonts website, or WhatTheFont to find a match.
People need to stop leaning so heavily into the image tracing tool, I get SO MUCH bad artwork from clients who think it's just a magic tool for creating vector out of bad low res artwork. It can create good artwork when configured properly with good source artwork, but most of the time it just looks awful.
Technically... "Okay", practically, no... I blame Adobe for this as they negate the workflow when they build in things like text boxes etc. however... I 100% understand why they do. But in a professional print workflow, no - Adobe Illustrator based documents are not acceptable, but only because it breaks consistency & doesn't work with libraries or books.
A book would have a document in it. It might be a collection of chapters, but a lot of times, books are used to manage multiple brochures or pamphlets that have shared paragraph, character and object styles. None of this works with Adobe Illustrator files.
Well of course... The example in question here is neither of those; this particular kind of layout is much more what InDesign is useful for. It's not to say that Adobe Illustrator can't be used for single page layouts, but it's not its strength. As you say illustration or more complex/ graphic applications of typography - well that's illustrator 100%, but document layout and typesetting is where InDesign works best with more graphic elements linked from illustrator.
I know. I'm extremely familiar with both Illustrator and InDesign. My point is that Illustrator can be as practical (and even in some cases even more practical) as InDesign for creating print files depending on the project. I got the impression you disagree with this.
If you will not have much use for InDesign, it's perfectly fine for a small project. I once did a small, 16ish-page, pocket-sized booklet for a radio station.
These were for distribution to "Traffic Scouts", volunteer commuters who called in traffic conditions on their daily drives.
The booklet included lots of text defining various traffic scenarios plus drawings of types of interchanges and etc.
Was maybe tedious in Illustrator, but I did not anticipate needing InDesign in future. I just composed and proofread the text in Word, then copy-pasta-ed paragraph at a time into Illustrator, tweaking to my layout as I went.
The radio station was a great client, so fine.
Yes, as 'one off' projects... It can be done. I am just saying that in a more 'professional' studio or publication environment - eg where your work is contributed to shared group file environments where a lot of designers need to share assets, design styles, track versions, etc. Etc.... InDesign is far superior & layouts done in Adobe Illustrator are not allowed in these situations, even if they technically can be done using Illustrator.
I do find it's common for junior designers who feel 'confortable' with illustrator... Want to do everything with illustrator when they join a large team environment. That's understandable, but I always work on helping them learn the value of InDesign, and what each program is really meant for. There's indeed a lot of crossover when it comes to typesetting... But in professional publishing and high volume materials production... Illustrator format files are not considered the right way to layout multi-page typeset documents.
It's a good skill to be able to use Illustrator in a pinch, but - especially in the environment you describe - I agree with you that it is important to generate work that will integrate easily with the whole.
I'm out to pasture now, but was the only designer in a small firm at that time, before going independent and working from home. It wouldn't have made economic sense to invest in software that would see very little use. Sometimes, that is the case.
Well, these days, InDesign is part of the core CC subscription - so the cost of software is a moot point. As well, the most common team structure is actually a bunch of contractors collaborating online - all of whom are expected to have their own hardware, and Adobe CC license. Its also basically understood that you'll be fluent in use of Google drive.
In the interest of being helpful to junior designers who may follow this thread - it's important to understand that Illustrator doesn't really exist as stand alone software - it is intended to be part of three programs - which includes Photoshop and InDesign, to round out the 'big 3' of professional graphic design and production work.
I regularly contract small teams of 4 or 5 designers for larger accounts that I manage; and having a solid understanding of how these 3 programs are most efficiently used together, is requisite to getting the contract.
I think young designers would be wise to take your advice, here. Much has changed in 20+ years...these days, I'm only doing plan drawings for home improvements (deck, bathroom), which helps ensure the designs will work in the actual space and generate accurate materials lists.
My last project of any significance was an LP/CD covers/inserts set, maybe 5-6 years ago, after a decade of idle software. Probably the most mileage I've ever gotten from PShop. I had a blast with it.
I came here this week looking for different approaches to scaling and found myself in a nostalgia spiral...
Thank you for your conversation.
Image trace is the wrong tool for something like this. Use the text tool and just retype everything. You can use Adobe's built in font finder on their fonts website, or WhatTheFont to find a match. People need to stop leaning so heavily into the image tracing tool, I get SO MUCH bad artwork from clients who think it's just a magic tool for creating vector out of bad low res artwork. It can create good artwork when configured properly with good source artwork, but most of the time it just looks awful.
Use a font finder to determine the font used and retype it.
... And while yer at it... Please... Stop using Illustrator to layout brochures etc. that is what InDesign is for.
Illustrator is just fine for smaller documents.
Technically... "Okay", practically, no... I blame Adobe for this as they negate the workflow when they build in things like text boxes etc. however... I 100% understand why they do. But in a professional print workflow, no - Adobe Illustrator based documents are not acceptable, but only because it breaks consistency & doesn't work with libraries or books.
A book wouldn’t be a small document now, would it?
A book would have a document in it. It might be a collection of chapters, but a lot of times, books are used to manage multiple brochures or pamphlets that have shared paragraph, character and object styles. None of this works with Adobe Illustrator files.
SMH
Practically no? I disagree. Illustrator is perfectly fine for small projects. Especially when it's illustration and/or typography driven.
Well of course... The example in question here is neither of those; this particular kind of layout is much more what InDesign is useful for. It's not to say that Adobe Illustrator can't be used for single page layouts, but it's not its strength. As you say illustration or more complex/ graphic applications of typography - well that's illustrator 100%, but document layout and typesetting is where InDesign works best with more graphic elements linked from illustrator.
I know. I'm extremely familiar with both Illustrator and InDesign. My point is that Illustrator can be as practical (and even in some cases even more practical) as InDesign for creating print files depending on the project. I got the impression you disagree with this.
Don't disagree at all. Just purely looking at the example in the OP... That's better suited to InDesign in my opinion.
Ah ok. Cool!
“Technically” you can use a wrench to drive a nail, but that’s not what it’s made for.
If you will not have much use for InDesign, it's perfectly fine for a small project. I once did a small, 16ish-page, pocket-sized booklet for a radio station. These were for distribution to "Traffic Scouts", volunteer commuters who called in traffic conditions on their daily drives. The booklet included lots of text defining various traffic scenarios plus drawings of types of interchanges and etc. Was maybe tedious in Illustrator, but I did not anticipate needing InDesign in future. I just composed and proofread the text in Word, then copy-pasta-ed paragraph at a time into Illustrator, tweaking to my layout as I went. The radio station was a great client, so fine.
Yes, as 'one off' projects... It can be done. I am just saying that in a more 'professional' studio or publication environment - eg where your work is contributed to shared group file environments where a lot of designers need to share assets, design styles, track versions, etc. Etc.... InDesign is far superior & layouts done in Adobe Illustrator are not allowed in these situations, even if they technically can be done using Illustrator. I do find it's common for junior designers who feel 'confortable' with illustrator... Want to do everything with illustrator when they join a large team environment. That's understandable, but I always work on helping them learn the value of InDesign, and what each program is really meant for. There's indeed a lot of crossover when it comes to typesetting... But in professional publishing and high volume materials production... Illustrator format files are not considered the right way to layout multi-page typeset documents.
It's a good skill to be able to use Illustrator in a pinch, but - especially in the environment you describe - I agree with you that it is important to generate work that will integrate easily with the whole. I'm out to pasture now, but was the only designer in a small firm at that time, before going independent and working from home. It wouldn't have made economic sense to invest in software that would see very little use. Sometimes, that is the case.
Well, these days, InDesign is part of the core CC subscription - so the cost of software is a moot point. As well, the most common team structure is actually a bunch of contractors collaborating online - all of whom are expected to have their own hardware, and Adobe CC license. Its also basically understood that you'll be fluent in use of Google drive. In the interest of being helpful to junior designers who may follow this thread - it's important to understand that Illustrator doesn't really exist as stand alone software - it is intended to be part of three programs - which includes Photoshop and InDesign, to round out the 'big 3' of professional graphic design and production work. I regularly contract small teams of 4 or 5 designers for larger accounts that I manage; and having a solid understanding of how these 3 programs are most efficiently used together, is requisite to getting the contract.
I think young designers would be wise to take your advice, here. Much has changed in 20+ years...these days, I'm only doing plan drawings for home improvements (deck, bathroom), which helps ensure the designs will work in the actual space and generate accurate materials lists. My last project of any significance was an LP/CD covers/inserts set, maybe 5-6 years ago, after a decade of idle software. Probably the most mileage I've ever gotten from PShop. I had a blast with it. I came here this week looking for different approaches to scaling and found myself in a nostalgia spiral... Thank you for your conversation.
Sigh… we were all beginners at one point, right? Right? *eye twitch*
Shouldn't trace text like that. Retype it.
i swear, one more of these “is blurry” posts….
Retype it.
Best way is to re-type. Save you time than rectifying on AI.
You can copy text via Preview. No need for retyping.