Posted by Kate Silvia on November 1, 2012 at 9:06 PM
I've been contracted to provide an image for a large scale glass mural. I got an email saying that they'll need a "Vector file". I hate to sound ignorant...but what's a vector file and how do I turn my TIFF into one with Photoshop CS6? I've never used that format before and after "googling" it...got even more confused.
Thanks!
Posted by Buck Ward on November 1, 2012 at 9:35 PM
I'm unfamiliar with the term vector as applied to images. I use a program Called AutoCAD which creates vector files. They are drawings. Image files can be inserted into AutoCAD where they are known as raster files or raster images. A vector file can be scaled to any size with no loss of image quality. No mater how far you zoom in, there's no pixelization. If it were possible I could print a drawing 100' across and the lines would look just as sharp as they would if the drawing had been printed on a letter size. Wouldn't it be great if we could do that with our images.
The use of the term vector for AutoCAD drawings is probably not the same as your instance. Just thought I'd muddy the water a little.
Posted by Kate Silvia on November 1, 2012 at 9:42 PM
Thanks Buck. I think the fact that I'm communicating with the design firm and not the company who will be creating the mural is the issue here. The mural company has two sets of instructions...one is for "Custom Graphics" and the other is for "Custom Artwork". The custom artwork is likely what refers to my image...which they only require a TIFF or other high res image. I think the lady at the design firm may have misspoken when she said "vector file"...because I'm not providing "graphics" as you would create in Illustrator or something. I'm simply providing an image. This is where my confusion lies. I asked her about it...but haven't heard back which is why I posted the question here. Thanks for taking the time to respond. They're wanting to blow the image up to 8 feet in length...which is why the term "vector file" is being used here I think. Perhaps they can figure it out on their end. They're not paying me enough to stress about it!!
Posted by Paul DeCesare on November 2, 2012 at 5:10 AM
Hi Kate,
Have no fear, your answer is here, lol. Design and graphics firms obviously work on large scale and due to that they always need the graphics and text in vector, not bitmap, so they can resize to their heart's content. The problem is that they start throwing that v word around as if that would solve all graphic issues on planet earth, and it does NOT when dealing with images. Images are bitmap obviously but the graphics folks seem to ignore that little factoid. I will say that if you were providing an image that had text in it or any line art drawn on it, then yes, it would be mandatory to provide it in vector format for the text and line part, but it has no effect on the image. You should know that Photoshop does do all text that you add as vector, but as soon as you save it to a tiff or jpeg, it's rasterized into bitmap.
OK, so in a nutshell, you are going to provide them with an image that will be in a vector container but not really be vector data. That will make them happy and THINK they are getting a "vector image", lol. Here's how you do it, there's only one way in Photoshop: Save it as a PDF. Seriously. The beloved "vector file" they desire is contained in a PDF, sometimes referred to as a Vector PDF. But there are a few settings you need to do, so here's the list of steps. And just know that Adobe calls it a "Photoshop PDF" as the file type as if it's some special PDF version. It's not, that is pure marketing right there in the app. It's a PDF.
OK, here we go:
-Open your tiff image in Photoshop.
-Keep it in Adobe RGB or sRGB. Don't provide them an image in ProPhoto RGB, the gamut will be too wide for their CMYK processes and they won't know how to deal with it. Also, do NOT convert it to CMYK, let them do that. Providing an RGB image is your best hope for acceptable output.
-Do FILE-->SAVE AS, and select Photoshop PDF and hit SAVE.
-Photoshop will pop up a gripe box that warns that your settings in the save dialog can override, yadda yadda yadda, click "Don't Show Again" and close the gripe box. It's Adobe covering themselves, the box is irrelevant.
-A "Save Adobe PDF" form will then pop up, wanting to know the settings in the PDF you are about to create. This is an important step.
-First, make sure the High Quality Print Preset is selected at the top. Once that's done, we'll tweak it a bit.
-Next, you need to specify a Standard from the dropdown list. The catchall one is PDF/X-1a:2003. It's compatible with most versions of everything that opens PDFs. If it were me, I'd pick that one.
-Next, move down the page and uncheck Optimize for Fast Web Preview. If this is a mural, we want to throw every available pixel at them. In vector format of course.
-OK, on the left you'll see a list of categories... we've been working in the top one, General. Click the next one down, Compression.
-Change Compression to NONE. This should gray out the 16-to-8 bit conversion box that you don't want.
-That's pretty much it, the next three categories (Output, Security and Summary) can stay at default.
-The next step is to hit SAVE PDF, but before you do that, utilize that wonderful SAVE PRESET button on the bottom left. Call the preset whatever you like, but save these settings for all future vector needs. (I got business cards done at MOO.com and they wanted a vector image of the card I designed. I uploaded a JPEG and the printed cards came back with text that was fuzzy and horrible. I sent a "Vector PDF" next, with all of the settings you just did, and teh cards came out superb).
Voila! You have successfully created for them a vector file! Congratulations. They don't need to know that there really isn't any vector data in it, that'll be a secret we'll only share with everyone on NPN.
Posted by Lance Warley on November 2, 2012 at 6:00 AM
Jim doesn't pay you enough, Paul.
P.S. Having been a moderator, I know the pay scale.
Posted by Kate Silvia on November 2, 2012 at 2:53 PM
Paul, That was a completely awesome response to my question. THANK YOU so very much!! I just performed the task...easy as pie! I did notice that there is a loss of contrast in the pdf version...is that something I should be concerned about or does it resolve itself when they use the file. Looks somewhat dull to me now. Again...THANK YOU!!
Posted by Paul DeCesare on November 4, 2012 at 12:22 AM
You're welcome Kate. Yes, the image does dull out a bit, but it will when it goes through the CMYK process anyway, so it's sort of a soft proof, lol. What bugs me is that you should just be providing a max res JPEG to them, and they should be plunking that into their software and up-rezzing it to taste. When the standard statement "please provide a vector image" gets launched, it immediately raises a concern about how the final output will come out. Hopefully the offset tech will know more on how to deal with that. Surprisingly, when I took the PS CS5 and CS6 ACE Certification exams, that subject of vector/bitmap came up more in the questions than I expected. I'm waiting for the day when Photoshop and Illustrator merge into one app and we all collapse from sensory overload due to the complexity of it all, lol!
Discussion
6 repliesThanks!
The use of the term vector for AutoCAD drawings is probably not the same as your instance. Just thought I'd muddy the water a little.
Have no fear, your answer is here, lol. Design and graphics firms obviously work on large scale and due to that they always need the graphics and text in vector, not bitmap, so they can resize to their heart's content. The problem is that they start throwing that v word around as if that would solve all graphic issues on planet earth, and it does NOT when dealing with images. Images are bitmap obviously but the graphics folks seem to ignore that little factoid. I will say that if you were providing an image that had text in it or any line art drawn on it, then yes, it would be mandatory to provide it in vector format for the text and line part, but it has no effect on the image. You should know that Photoshop does do all text that you add as vector, but as soon as you save it to a tiff or jpeg, it's rasterized into bitmap.
OK, so in a nutshell, you are going to provide them with an image that will be in a vector container but not really be vector data. That will make them happy and THINK they are getting a "vector image", lol. Here's how you do it, there's only one way in Photoshop: Save it as a PDF. Seriously. The beloved "vector file" they desire is contained in a PDF, sometimes referred to as a Vector PDF. But there are a few settings you need to do, so here's the list of steps. And just know that Adobe calls it a "Photoshop PDF" as the file type as if it's some special PDF version. It's not, that is pure marketing right there in the app. It's a PDF.
OK, here we go:
-Open your tiff image in Photoshop.
-Keep it in Adobe RGB or sRGB. Don't provide them an image in ProPhoto RGB, the gamut will be too wide for their CMYK processes and they won't know how to deal with it. Also, do NOT convert it to CMYK, let them do that. Providing an RGB image is your best hope for acceptable output.
-Do FILE-->SAVE AS, and select Photoshop PDF and hit SAVE.
-Photoshop will pop up a gripe box that warns that your settings in the save dialog can override, yadda yadda yadda, click "Don't Show Again" and close the gripe box. It's Adobe covering themselves, the box is irrelevant.
-A "Save Adobe PDF" form will then pop up, wanting to know the settings in the PDF you are about to create. This is an important step.
-First, make sure the High Quality Print Preset is selected at the top. Once that's done, we'll tweak it a bit.
-Next, you need to specify a Standard from the dropdown list. The catchall one is PDF/X-1a:2003. It's compatible with most versions of everything that opens PDFs. If it were me, I'd pick that one.
-Next, move down the page and uncheck Optimize for Fast Web Preview. If this is a mural, we want to throw every available pixel at them. In vector format of course.
-OK, on the left you'll see a list of categories... we've been working in the top one, General. Click the next one down, Compression.
-Change Compression to NONE. This should gray out the 16-to-8 bit conversion box that you don't want.
-That's pretty much it, the next three categories (Output, Security and Summary) can stay at default.
-The next step is to hit SAVE PDF, but before you do that, utilize that wonderful SAVE PRESET button on the bottom left. Call the preset whatever you like, but save these settings for all future vector needs. (I got business cards done at MOO.com and they wanted a vector image of the card I designed. I uploaded a JPEG and the printed cards came back with text that was fuzzy and horrible. I sent a "Vector PDF" next, with all of the settings you just did, and teh cards came out superb).
Voila! You have successfully created for them a vector file! Congratulations. They don't need to know that there really isn't any vector data in it, that'll be a secret we'll only share with everyone on NPN.
P.S. Having been a moderator, I know the pay scale.