How to Digitize Your Artwork for Print | Noissue Tissue

I’ve been digitizing my artwork for years. And like most things with the Adobe Creative Suite, there is more than one right way to do it! So I never thought about sharing my own methods until recent requests have made it apparent that you are all curious! And to be honest, I would be too, so here we go!

How to Digitize Your Artwork:

This tutorial was completed using CS5, Photoshop and Illustrator. If you are using CS5 or higher (cloud included), you should be able to follow these steps. In fact, there is probably a faster or easier way if you are using the cloud, but I’m a firm believer in keeping costs down and often run on the “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it” mentality for systems like this. I do it so often, that my hands move almost before I think through the process, so I think I’ll probably stick to this method. Regardless, I would love to hear if you have any tips or tricks of your own that might make my life easier!

Plan Ahead:

This might seem a little obvious, but knowing the style of printing or what the artwork will be used for BEFORE you start creating or scan will make a HUGE difference in the speed and ease of the digitizing process. For example: the size of the paper that you are working on. I (almost) NEVER work larger than 11x20 because my scanner is an 8.5x11 and anything larger than 11x20 doesn’t scan without a ton of hassle. I can merge two scans, but 3 or 4 becomes a headache and something always goes wrong the first time.

Another thing to note: if you plan to convert your design into a VECTOR, then I recommend creating your illustration in ink rather than pencil (assuming that it’s a line illustration like the one in my example). Pencil is harder to clean up and will result in more uneven and textured lines. If that’s what you’re going for, GREAT! But otherwise it can be frustrating to clean up, so I recommend the higher contrast that ink provides.

Scan:

I set my scanner to 600dpi, which is the highest that it will go to. You can adjust this in your scanner’s settings or in manual mode (shown in tutorial). It might take a little digging (and a quick google search of your scanner’s user guide), but it’s worth it to get that crisp, high resolution image. It’s easier to take the resolution down if needed, than to add information that isn’t there!

Clean Up the Artwork:

Like I mentioned before, my scanner is an 8.5x11 size, so I often need to merge two scans together to get a good image. I do this in Photoshop’s photomerge, which is an option under File —> Automate —> Photomerge (at the bottom). It’s quick, it’s easy and usually does a good job. Then I rotate, merge the files and crop/trim as needed. From there I up the contrast and clean any rogue smudges that appear.

Preparing the File:

To make sure you are on the right track, I always recommend going back to your vendor/printer and making sure that you are following their guidelines. Most printers will have templates that you can directly download and work off of (these often include helpful markers for bleeds and the like). In the US, the “rule of thumb” is a 1/4 inch bleed on the length and the width (so a 5x7 invitation is 5.25x7.25), but not every printer is the same so it’s always best to double check. I have found that the easier I make their job, the better our relationship is all around!

After you have the size established, make sure you are using the format that they recommend. For this example, I am working with Noissue (**), and they prefer vectors, so that’s what I’m going to show you today! If your printer isn’t picky about the design file, the great news is that you can be DONE with your “digitizing” work if you want now that it is on the computer, the proper size and cleaned up!

For watercolors, I usually transfer them to transparent PDFs and clean up the edges. This is so that I can use them for spot illustrations later or for other items that my bride might want (like a sticker or something on a dark background, etc). But that’s a bit much for THIS tutorial—let me know if you would be interested in seeing a watercolor specific tutorial :)

Photo to Vector:

Now that your artwork has been cleaned up, it’s time to vectorize it! Vectors are used for specialty printing methods like letterpress, foil printing and even making wax seals! And the vendor that I am working with in this video (Noissue) to create my custom tissue paper also prefers vectorized images, so I want to make sure that I deliver what they are looking for!

To vectorize an image, I save and close the Photoshop file and then open the artwork in Adobe Illustrator (being sure to open a file that follows the sizing requirements specified by my vendor!). Then I simply live trace! I always have to mess with the Tracing Options settings (box on the top banner) to get the look that I want—one of my biggest tips to capture those details is to hit “ignore white space”. Game changer. Mess around with it, try a few different techniques out and when you’ve found your happy spot, hit “Expand” on the top bar to instantly turn the image into a vector!

Send it to Print!

After the files have been edited to fit your needs (be sure to double check the bleeds!), it’s time to save and upload the files to your printer. Most printers want PDF files, but be sure to ask or research and find out.

I hope that this tutorial was helpful! Feel free to leave a comment below if you have any questions or if anything was unclear. I’m really happy with how my custom tissue from Noissue turned out and I highly recommend checking them out if you are hoping to upgrade your packaging!

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