What do you get with the vector shapes sets?
Designs for many different kinds of application. Instead of an application specific format, the format of these vector files is PDF (as well as EPS vector shapes in some of the later sets). They can be colorful or black and white. They are all vectors for any size of work. They are a wonderful toolkit of designs.
All for commercial use, all royalty-free. You can also, of course, convert them to TIFF files. The sets also include a gallery, documentation and more
example above shwos a selection of the spiral shape PDF files found in the spirals pack 9 set (as displayed in the PC browser)
Installation of artwork PDF
There is no specific folder requirement for the files. I would suggest just placing the PDF files in a sub folder of Photoshop / Photoshop Elements / Paint Shop Pro or application being used. Use the file > open command to open the files or any import command that accepts PDF.
PDF is a vector format and can be set to any size. PDF files can also be displayed in a browser etc.
1) Open zip (if included in a zip)
2) Expand (if included in a zip)
3) Go to the Graphic Artworks PDF folder (if using one of the graphicxtras PDF sets)
4) Select all PDF files
5) Copy
6) Go to a sub folder of Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro or My Documents My PSP files or any other location (create your own folder if you wish for the files)
7) Paste
8) Open application such as Paint Shop Pro or Photoshop
9) Use file > open command
Placing the shape artwork files (as a layer in Photoshop )
You may wish to use the item as layer instead of separate document (of course, if you open the PDF via the open command, you can always copy the design and then paste into an existing document)
example above shows the place command in the file menu of Photoshop - useful for the import of PDF documents into Photoshop
1) Open a document or create a new document
2) file > place
3) Select PDF
4) Crop to 'bounding box' or whatever
5) OK
example above shows the placed spiral document in Photoshop - at this point you can resize the layer in any way as well as rotate etc
You can then easily use the design as a layer (though you can do the same via the open command). Please note that the place option will fail with some PDF in older versions of Photoshop.
Use layer effects etc on the layer as normal or use the layer transparency etc
1) select design
2) layer > layer style
example shows a shadow and bevel added to a PDF design in Photoshop
You can also go to the layer palette and double click on the 'smart object' - at this point you will be able to edit the design in Illustrator - change color, change design etc. Once edited, select the file > exit in Illustrator and you will be returned to Photoshop and the design will be updated (all the layer styles etc will be as before)
example shows the bevel shape turned into a smart object and the result of changing the underlying design
Open shape PDF in Photoshop Elements tutorial
1) file > open
2) Select file (PDF)
3) Set DPI, width, height, color etc
4) OK
Note, the PDF are the same as the content / artwork designs found in the effects palette (the only difference being that they are not stored in the browser for immediate use)
Applying a flowing brush stroke to a PDF design in Photoshop CS5 CS4 etc
In Illustrator it is fairly easy to apply a stroke to a PDF design and also there are now many options such as width profiles, brushes etc but with Photoshop it is a little more effort and requires a little setup.
Import a PDF heart design - this is from pack 1
example heart shapes from pack 1
Once imported, goto the select menu and select > load selection
and then layer > flatten image
Then go to the path palette (found in the window menu) and select make work path menu command.
Select the brush tool and set the color for the brush, set the size to a fairly small size such as 10 pixels and go to the brush palette and set the shape dynamics control to pen pressure
Go back to the path palette and then select the stroke path option for the selected heart shape and apply brush with simulated pressure on.
You can also improve the flow of the brush by changing the roundness of the brush by squeezing the brush to a narrow width and then rotate the brush by 45 degrees.
example shows one brush stroke applied to the design.
You can also apply the brush stroke via the path palette multiple times. A quick way to create a contour brush stroke around the path is to apply an initial brush (via path palette) of 30 pixels with dark pink, then 20 pixels with a different color and then apply the brush again with 10 pixels and white setting.
example of stroke contoured heart path (PDF from pack 1 hearts).
Sadly there appears to be no way to move the start point of the path brush stroke so all the path strokes are from the same initial point zero.
You could also create an action to repeat this apply of the stroke. Though without a 'random size' feature in Photoshop, all changes to the size would have to be set to create different designs. Added: January 2nd 2012 |
Opening PDF shape designs in Photoshop
Select the PDF by using the file > open command. Change the anti-alias / Crop to / Image size / Resolution / Mode / Bit Depth etc If the PDF stores a pattern design (such as a Polka dot pattern) then you may wish to set the crop to method to 'art box' (as a pattern is surrounded by a no fill no stroke bounding art box) Once opened, the PDF can be saved as a pattern via the define pattern command in Photoshop. Check the Photoshop help for all the definitions of the 'Bounding Box' 'Media box' etc and decide which one is best for your purposes with the PDF
For a pattern (only a suggestion)
1) Open PDF in Photoshop (set thumbnail to large)
2) Set the Crop to 'Art box'
3) Set anti-aliased to ON
4) Set Width and height (to 2500 x 2500 say)
5) Resolution 300
6) RGB
7) OK
8) Layer > Flatten image (if you wish to ignore the transparency information)
9) Edit > define pattern
10) Use pattern via layer > new fill layer (set scaling)
If you wish you can set the file open to be say 8000 x 8000 or perhaps 200 x 200 300 DPI, the settings depends on your computer resources.
Placing PDF files in Photoshop Elements tutorial
1) Open existing document
2) File > Place
3) Select PDF file
4) Click OK for the selection of the PDF
5) Re-size the layer in Photoshop Elements
6) Click OK
Effects etc can now be applied to the layer (as with any layer), or the layer can be duplicated, or re-applied and much more (or use as source for brushes via the define brush)
Converting PDF to PNG etc (Photoshop) tutorial
If you have Photoshop and would prefer to convert all the designs on mass, use the image processor (or the batch process if you set up a basic action). You can, of course, convert all the PDF files one by one, this shouldn't take too long even with 200 files. You can also create a droplet to apply the conversion.
1) File > Scripts
2) Image Processor
3) Select the folder to use (where the PDF files are located)
4) Select JPG or PSD or TIFF
5) Run
Converting shape file PDF to PNG etc (Paint Shop Pro) tutorial
1) File > Batch
2) Batch process dialog
3) Select files via the browse dialog (source folder)
4) Select the destination folder (which can be the same as the source folder)
5) Select the save mode
6) Select the save options 'type' such as PNG (as well as settings the options)
7) Click start and process the files (this process can be slow to start)
A dialog might appear saying there are limitations with the format. There is a file preference section of postscript files (file > preferences > file format preferences - postscript) such as setting to 300 DPI instead if 72DPI
Other tools to convert PDF to PNG
If you don't have Photoshop or PSP etc then I would suggest looking for a free convertor tool, there are many on the web available via search engines 'search for PDF convert to PNG etc'
PDF Tools and shapes
There are also many additional software to manipulate PDF, a quick search on the web will often find many free or inexpensive PDF studio or PDF edit tools to manipulate designs.
Fireworks and EPS files tutorial
You can access the EPS shapes files (included in many of the graphic sets) in Fireworks, an application from Adobe Systems Incorporated.
1) file > import command
2) select EPS file
Depending on the complexity of the EPS file this process of import may or may not take some time (it is a lot slower, I have found, than in other software).
You will then see a dialog requesting the size, resolution etc
example shows the vector file options on opening a PDF document in Adobe Fireworks
You can then position the design. Once you have clicked the movie / image then the design will be displayed (it is a vector so can be re-sized etc)
example shows the PDF vector design being converted to a symbol in Adobe Fireworks
At this point you can also go to the modify > symbol > convert to symbol command and save the design as a symbol to the Firework document library for future use. You can always also just set the color via the properties panel or apply a filter such as a bevel (as in the example below) or fill with a pattern or gradient etc
example shows effects added to imported design in Adobe Fireworks
Re-coloring PDF designs in Photoshop
Once you have imported a PDF vector design into Photoshop via the place command. The quickest way to apply a color is via the color overlay in layer > layer style menu.
example shows original PDF design from arrow pack 72 set.
example shows the selected design and layer > layer style command applied to the PDF document - color overlay is used
example - end result of the color overlay applied in Photoshop
As the layer is imported as a smart object in Photoshop, you can also just double click on the design in the layer palette and if you have Illustrator installed, you will then be able to change the design color in Illustrator. Added: January 2nd 2012 |
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