looking to convert JPG to cdr-- is it possible?

[Mark Conde]

Hello-- I dont post much. But read almost all the threads. Now I have a an issue. Is it possible to convert JPG to cdr file. I am looking to clean up a jpeg and am having problems getting it done.

Thanks --

[Dee Gallo]

Hi Mark,

If you only use CorelDraw, you can import the jpeg to a new document and then edit the image using CorelPaint. It will allow you to get rid of backgrounds, stray marks, etc. but it is a process requiring some work... and time. It is easier to handle in PhotoShop in my opinion, as there are filters and commands for adjusting contrast, highlight/shadow, etc. But are you planning to use a line art image or a continuous tone image? If it's line art, you might get away with a more simple approach: import, convert to B&W, trace. You can clean up strays by ungrouping and deleting.

Hope this helps, you might post the image which will help us to help you.

cheers, dee

[Mark Conde]

It's a jpeg of a diploma. And my CorelDraw skills are progressing, but still weak. I appreciate the insight. I have not tried using CorelPaint. I will give it a try. Thanks again.

[Dee Gallo]

Mark,

If you have the diploma, you would be best off to scan it at a high resolution like 600 to get a nice clean picture, then work from there. Camera photos are never going to be as good as a scan for flat work like that... makes for less cleanup work. Keep the contrast high so it will eliminate any shadows and darken the writing. Hopefully it's signed in black ink.

[John Noell]

Just a heads up - the quality of the jpg is CRITICAL. The bigger the file the better your chances of getting something useful out of it. Unless that is a very high resolution jpg, you may do better to re-create the entire thing from scatch. How many kilobytes is it? (Not the only important metric but usually the most important.)

[Larry Bratton]

Jpegs are by nature not very usable files for our purposes. This format was developed in the beginning for a file that could be highly compressed for movement over the internet. It is described as a "lossy" format, each time it is saved and compressed it loses data and thus quality. If your trying to get something that is laserable out of it, it needs to be high resolution at the size you intend to use it at or it needs to be very large in size. If it is a large file dimensionally like 24" x 36" at say 72 dpi, as would come from a digital camera, you can open the file in Corel Photopaint, Edit/ Resample. Uncheck Antialias first.(Antialias is intended for use with images for screen display only) Check Maintain Original Size, then enter the size you want to get to or use the arrows to the right of the size windows. You will see, as you downsize the resolution will increase. Essentially what your doing is squeezing the existing pixels closer together. If you can get it to the size you need and still maintain about 300dpi, you can then print it and then scan it. You should also be able to get a decent trace out of it via the Corel trace tool.
(Oh and by the way, when you re-save it as a bitmap, save it as a Tiff or Png file type) Png is probably best.

[Chuck Stone]

Mark,

If you have the diploma, you would be best off to scan it at a high resolution like 600 to get a nice clean picture, then work from there. Camera photos are never going to be as good as a scan for flat work like that... makes for less cleanup work. Keep the contrast high so it will eliminate any shadows and darken the writing. Hopefully it's signed in black ink.

I find a good scan into Photoshop lets e put blank layers over the existing image and type the text
right over it. That lets me get the cleanest image, adjusting font size, kerning etc so they match as
closely as possible. Then I can get rid of the parts in the background I don't want and adjust or
replace as necessary. (example: insert Hahvid University after removing Jake's Driving Skool)

[Mark Conde]

Thanks yo everyone for their advice. I am working with the file today. I seem to be getting good results exporting into CorelPaint and cleaning it up. I will keep working on it let you know how it turns out.

Thanks again,

Mark

[Mark Conde]

Well...The results were very poor no matter how much I tried to clean the diploma up. I did successfully recreate all the type. That was actually pretty fast. But those darn signatures and the seal look terrible. It looks like I will try to get my hands on the actual diploma and scan it. Is this a pretty straightforward process and do you believe the results will be favorable?

Thanks,
Mark

[Chuck Stone]

if you scan at high resolution, you should be able to drop it into PhotoPaint with no problem.
I've done it lots of times and if the scan is good, it is easy to separate from the background
so you can move it into your document.

[Mike Null]

Well, I must really be getting old, two or three days ago I wrote a response to this thread but apparently didn't hit the post button.

My experience with diplomas has been mostly bad. Diplomas are often printed on parchment which when scanned shows the texture of the paper and which requires a lot of clean up. I have finally resorted to redrawing diplomas from scratch. All is easy until you get to the seals and signatures which probably have to be scanned. Sigs can be traced but scanning is easier. Corel has the fonts you'll need to redraw the text.

BTW, university seals are closely guarded and you are not likely to have any success getting the original art.

[Craig Matheny]

I would send it out to copyartwork dot com have them convert it for under 20.00 and do something else to make up for the 20

[Mark Conde]

CRAIG- Thanks for the suggestion and I will keep copyartworkdotcom in my back pocket. But for this job, If I cant get the quality I want, I will pass on it. I am not very understanding to loss leader projects or products. It's make a profit or dont do it.