Instructions on how we did the vinyl portraits on tile

[sfandm]

OK, here are the directions I use to make my tiles with vinyl portraits.

I have Print Shop Pro, SCAL, and Inkscape that I used to make these. I can't tell you if another photo editing sw program would work or if so, how to use it, but at least you will get the idea. Note: anytime I use a tab at the top of any of the sw programs I have mentioned, it will be started with an * so that you don't miss any of the steps.

Open your photo editing sw.

Choose the pic that you want to use by going to
*Insert
*from file
find the photo you want and double click on it.

Crop your photo first.

Turn your photo black and white.

Save as a jpeg on your desktop.

Now open up Inkscape

*Import

Find the saved jpeg on your desktop, and import it into Ink.

*Path
*Trace Bitmap

Choose 3 on your #'s, and make your settings "Grays"

It gets a little tricky here, I sometimes like what the preview pic looks like and other times I have to change the Threshold, along with other buttons in the Trace Bitmap box. If you like the preview, then click

*Update
*OK

Close the box.

Now seperate the two pics, and move the original to the side.

Click on the new pic, and go to
*Object
*Ungroup

Click off the new pic and right back on it.
Seperate the three pieces, I normally come out with a gray, background, and a light shade of black.

I delete the background and if I need to use some of the gray, I delete the nodes I don't need and change that color along with the other to black, using the bottom color bar.

I then position the two pieces together, and select all.

*Path
*Object to path
*Object
*Group

*File
*Save as

and name your new improved black pic. I always save it to my desktop for faster location.

Open your SCAL program. Make your pic fit to page or whatever size you wish, and cut. Just remember tho, the smaller the pic, and more detailed the cut, the more weeding you will need to do.

Someone try these steps and let me know if they work good for you.

I wanna see finished pics of your creations.

Sonya