resizing patterns

[Micah]

here's something I just did an hour ago. a friend sent me some images he wants for the design on his strap. I don't have a printer/copier or a pantograph, but I do have photoshop and a flat panel LCD monitor (the Dell finally came in handy for something, LOL). So...

1. Open the images in photoshop (any graphics editor with a zoom feature will work).

2. Zoom the images to the right scale (use a ruler, layed on the screen, to verify). Side note: if you can specify an exact zoom amount, like 122%, all the better.

3. lay some tracing film over the screen. The screen has some natural static electricity to it which helps hold the film in place while you grab your painter's tape to secure it down.

4. use a standard pencil (not an eversharp) and LIGHTLY trace the pattern. If you can see rippling on the screen where you are drawing, you are pressing too hard and could damage the display. use several lighter strokes to build up your lines, rather than one or two heavy ones.

5. remove the tape/film... presto!

It also helps a great deal if you can tilt the screen back. the more horizontal the better I'd thought of doing this for a couple months now and finally had reason to put it to the test. works great!

Edited September 27, 2007 by Micah

[Kevin King]

here's something I just did an hour ago. a friend sent me some images he wants for the design on his strap. I don't have a printer/copier or a pantograph, but I do have photoshop and a flat panel LCD monitor (the Dell finally came in handy for something, LOL). So...

1. Open the images in photoshop (any graphics editor with a zoom feature will work).

2. Zoom the images to the right scale (use a ruler, layed on the screen, to verify). Side note: if you can specify an exact zoom amount, like 122%, all the better.

3. lay some tracing film over the screen. The screen has some natural static electricity to it which helps hold the film in place while you grab your painter's tape to secure it down.

4. use a standard pencil (not an eversharp) and LIGHTLY trace the pattern. If you can see rippling on the screen where you are drawing, you are pressing too hard and could damage the display. use several lighter strokes to build up your lines, rather than one or two heavy ones.

5. remove the tape/film... presto!

It also helps a great deal if you can tilt the screen back. the more horizontal the better I'd thought of doing this for a couple months now and finally had reason to put it to the test. works great!

If you have photoshop and a scanner, why not just resize in photoshop?

[Micah]

not sure I follow. I already had the digital images (gif and jpg, which I resized in PS) so a scanner would serve no purpose. a printer on the other hand would be a faster alternative to tracing it on the flat screen. oh wait, maybe that was meant for Dragons Pearl... yes, if he has a scanner and a graphics editor (most scanners come with some sort of editor) he could definitely do it that way... scan that page of the book and resize the image in the editor, then print or trace.

Edited September 28, 2007 by Micah