Vectorising automatically creates vector objects from existing spot layers or images.
- Add a vector layer and make it and a spot layer containing some design information active.
Flat colour information translates better to vector layers than tonal information.
Tip: If you do not want to vectorise all of the objects on your layer or image, make a selection around the ones you do want to vectorise and only those will be completed.
- Go to Vector Menu > Vectorise.
- Enter the Vectorization tolerance required (the maximum distance between the original curve and the new curve at a given number of points) and click OK. The selected information will be added to the vector layer as vectors (the spot layer will remain unchanged).
Increasing the Vectorization tolerance value will decrease the number of nodes in the new vector. Decreasing the Vectorization tolerance value will increase the number of nodes in the new vector.
If the result is not satisfactory, undo the action using the keyboard shortcut ⌘Z and try vectorising with a different value. Often when vectorising, straight line sections are used in the resulting vector, so it may be beneficial to your design to smooth the vector layer to improve the result. Do this by activating the resulting vector and going to the Vector Menu > Smooth.
Use the Optimise feature (Vector Menu) to further adjust the number of nodes in the resulting shape.