Vector Confusion

[dubya]

I recently acquired some freelance work doing logo design and completed my first piece this past weekend. The requirements demanded that the image be submitted in vector format, whereas all I have worked with prior to now is PS. I installed a 30 day trial of Illustrator this weekend to try and figure out how to convert it, but I came away confused.

My question is: what is the best or most acceptable way to convert a PS image into vector format?

Here are the steps I took in attempting to convert the .psd to .ai format:

1) I selected the outline of my logo and chose File > Export > Paths to Illustrator, saving it as an .ai file.

2) I opened the PS file from within Illustrator and chose "Open Flattened" as the option.

3) I also saved the Paths as a PS Custom Shape.

The problem with my options is that my logo is two color, and only option #2 preserved those colors in Illustrator format, but I'm not sure if it constitutes as a true vector format.

Any advice/comments will be most helpful. Thanks in advance.

~Dub

Here is the original logo:

 

[theKeeper]

If this image is a Vector in PS, is it really necessary for you to port it to AI? I mean, is there a specific reason you need to do that?

What version of AI do you have?
I believe 9 and up you can simply cop'n'paste your paths directly into AI from PS. And it handles that pretty well.

Here's what i did and it worked great for AI10.
Created an image made of Vector Shapes (using 'vector shape layers'), added type as well... saved as a PSD, and opened the file directly with AI. When asked, i chose import option #1: "Convert Photoshop Layers to Objects".

My vectors from PS are now still vectors in AI.

:B

 

[dubya]

I guess I'm just confused about vector in general. Let me break down how I created the image and see if that brings some clarity.

I made the outer frame using the pen tool and stroking it with a hard edged brush. For the red spiral, I used the polygonal lasso to draw a triangular wedge, filled it, and ran the Twirl filter. After I added the Type elements, I rasterized the "When You Wish" font and used Free Transform to get the curvature lined up. (I used Text Warp to get the initial curve before rasterizing.) The only true vector element is the star, which was a custom shape.

Now according to my description, is the image vector or raster? I'm assuming that it's raster, aside from the unrasterized type and the star. If I understand the process correctly, I should be able to convert the non-vector elements into vector format by using a Color Fill Layer coupled with a Vector Mask. Is this correct?

Also, the file that I imported into Illustrator 10 was the raster/vector combination. I chose the option to "Flatten The Image" when opening it from within Illustrator and then saved it as an .ai file. Does this make the image vector or am I confused again?

I feel like I'm making this more complicated than it should be. Thanks for responding initially Mark, and I appreciate any further insight that you or anyone else can provide.

~Dub

 

[theKeeper]

I should be able to convert the non-vector elements into vector format by using a Color Fill Layer coupled with a Vector Mask. Is this correct?

No, it's not Dubya. You answered your own question when you said you had both vector AND raster elements in this image.

Adding Vector "Masks" to a layer does not change the layer to a vector format. It just means that your mask can be edited in the way a vector image can -- using control points and the Pen tools.

Did you try choosing option #1 like i did when you open the doc in AI? Try it, see what it does to/for your image.