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The Centennial Collection of Panels and Ornaments
The tips and techniques described on this page will translate equally to each of our other three CD collections.
For your convenience, we compiled the Tips and Techniques from our previous offerings into one single page:
Compiled Tips and Techniques
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TIP 1: COLORIZING IMAGES
While almost all images are stored on the CDs in vector formats, to make our colorized examples, we "Opened" the black and white Illustrator files direclty into Photoshop. When opening an Illustrator file (.ai), Photoshop will ask to set a resolution value which affects the file size. We normally work with images at about three to five times larger than needed for final web page graphics.
Colorized images can also be built directly in vector based programs like Adobe Illustrator, Freehand, Corel Draw and a variety of sign making and design programs. Web images can then be exported as either JPG or GIF as desired.
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TIP 2: CONTRAST, COLOR & VALUE
Images are stored on our CDs in black and white, as shown in the examples above. These two images came straight from the Centennial Collection, with a line of text added for this example. In black and white, the ornamentation can overpower the text or main copy. Consider softening some of the ornamentation by lowering the contrast using gray tones or adding middle tone hues of color, as show in the examples below. |
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TIP 3: USING "COMBINE" OR "MAKE COMPOUND" COMMANDS
Most Desktop Publishing and Sign Design Software have a "combine" or "make compound" command. Earlier verstions of Adobe Illustrator handled the "stacking" of larger and smaller elements differently than the newer versions and it had some limitations. It helps to understand what is going on and why we have to deal with those limitations. |
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Example A: Early programs stacked elements on top of each other as seen above. Each object in the stack was assigned a color. When another element, panel or color was placed behind the shape, only the top images were visible above the back panel or shape.
Example B: If all three circles are selected, assigned a single color (maroon in our example), then "combined" or assigned with "make compound", the interior shapes become clear and allow underlying shapes to show through.
On our CD collections, we supply Version 3 Illustrator and EPS files stacked as seen in example A. Beginning with the Centennial Collection, we also supply the same files in later versions of Illustrator saved with the "make compound" command using Adobe Illustrator Version 8 along with Corel 6 files saved with the "combine" command. Some software may not recognize the compounded versions, so if you have any problems, just drop back to the Version 3 formats.
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Example Steps: |
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Original Ver. 3 Image
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Select All
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Fill with one color
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Apply Combine or
Compound commands
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Results on
white background
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Results with gray
panel added underneath
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| Corel Draw's Combine command is located under the Arrange pull-down. |
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| Illustrator's Make Compound Path command is located under the Object pull-down. |
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| The Make Compound Path in early Illustrator versions stumbled on complex images. Recent versions include the Use Even-Odd Fill Rule option under the Attributes tab. Check your "Help" menu for more info. |
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This Even-Odd Fill Rule works flawlessly within later versions of Illustrator, but some other programs have problems opening files saved with this feature. |
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TIP 4: CLOUDS:
Click Here to take you to a special page showing how to use the prebuilt clouds and how to make your own using the vector clouds included with the Centennial Collection of Panels and Ornaments. |
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TIP 5: LINED SHADES:
Click Here to take you to a special page showing how to create lined shades similar to what you might see on a US dollar bill. and in a lot of vintage printed documents. |
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Note:
Adobe Illustrator is a trade name of Adobe Systems, Inc.
Adobe Photoshop is a trade name of Adobe Systems, inc.
Graphics Advantage is a trade name of Gerber Scientific Products, Inc.
Omega is a trade name of Gerber Scientific Products.
Corel Draw is a trade name of Corel Corporation.
Macintosh is a trade name of Apple Corporation.
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