On Thu, 17 Dec 2015 19:33:07 +0100, carvar wrote:

I need to enhance this attached logo for large print. The current quality is terrible.

Ask whoever designed the logo to give you the original vector file.

< Jernej Simončič ><><><><>< http://eternallybored.org/ >

On Wed, 23 Dec 2015 09:10:26 +0100, carvar wrote:

Ask whoever designed the logo to give you the original vector file.

Big help :)

I'm serious - the only way to "enhance" it is to redraw it, and it's probably cheaper to just ask the designer for the original.

< Jernej Simončič ><><><><>< http://eternallybored.org/ >

On 12/24/2015 10:43 AM, Jernej Simončič wrote:

On Wed, 23 Dec 2015 09:10:26 +0100, carvar wrote:

Ask whoever designed the logo to give you the original vector file.

Big help :)

I'm serious - the only way to "enhance" it is to redraw it, and it's probably cheaper to just ask the designer for the original.

Jernej is right: A logo "wants to be" a vector graphic file, because over its lifespan it may be used in many contexts (four color printing, offset printing, silk screen, laser engraving, etc.), and at many scales (anything from package labelling to book covers to outdoor signs). A vector file such as an SVG one can be scaled, rotated, etc. as needed and just "dropped into" any other art in progress, or supplied to any shop from a printer to a sign maker for use by them.

Whoever originally created the logo "should have" given the source file(s) to the logo's owner; it is possible that the client was given these files and promptly lost them. It may not be too late to find those files, or find whoever made the logo and ask for a copy of it.

Failing that, I would import the image into Inksacpe and use it as a guide to create a vector copy. This amounts to "tracing" the available image using closed Bezier curves, then filling the closed curves with gradients in colors picked from the sample image. Once finished delete the bitmap image, save the file in SVG format, and the logo problem is solved "for all time", or at least until the client loses it again.

You could do essentially the same thing in the GIMP, using the Paths tool set to re-create the logo on layers above the bitmap image you have in hand. Again, you would be creating closed curves and filling them with gradients. But the resulting source file would not be nearly as "universal" for future applications as an SVG file made with Inkscape.

I recently did something similar for a friend who was rebuilding some old machine tools, reconstructing the original labels from the best available photographs. This screen shot somewhat illustrates the process in progress:

http://pilobilus.net/xfer/vector-tracing.png

:o)

On 12/24/2015 06:03 PM, Steve Kinney wrote:

On 12/24/2015 10:43 AM, Jernej Simončič wrote:

On Wed, 23 Dec 2015 09:10:26 +0100, carvar wrote:

Ask whoever designed the logo to give you the original vector file.

Big help :)

I'm serious - the only way to "enhance" it is to redraw it, and it's probably cheaper to just ask the designer for the original.

Jernej is right: A logo "wants to be" a vector graphic file, because over its lifespan it may be used in many contexts (four color printing, offset printing, silk screen, laser engraving, etc.), and at many scales (anything from package labelling to book covers to outdoor signs). A vector file such as an SVG one can be scaled, rotated, etc. as needed and just "dropped into" any other art in progress, or supplied to any shop from a printer to a sign maker for use by them.

Whoever originally created the logo "should have" given the source file(s) to the logo's owner; it is possible that the client was given these files and promptly lost them. It may not be too late to find those files, or find whoever made the logo and ask for a copy of it.

Failing that, I would import the image into Inksacpe and use it as a guide to create a vector copy. This amounts to "tracing" the available image using closed Bezier curves, then filling the closed curves with gradients in colors picked from the sample image. Once finished delete the bitmap image, save the file in SVG format, and the logo problem is solved "for all time", or at least until the client loses it again.

You could do essentially the same thing in the GIMP, using the Paths tool set to re-create the logo on layers above the bitmap image you have in hand. Again, you would be creating closed curves and filling them with gradients. But the resulting source file would not be nearly as "universal" for future applications as an SVG file made with Inkscape.

I recently did something similar for a friend who was rebuilding some old machine tools, reconstructing the original labels from the best available photographs. This screen shot somewhat illustrates the process in progress:

http://pilobilus.net/xfer/vector-tracing.png

:o)

I hate to be one of those "me too" folks, but Steve is 100% right and also correct in indicating that Inkscape is the more proper tool for the job.

I have spent hours on end converting graphics from bitmap to vector so that I could acquire very scalable and flexible images. Blurs and all manner of effects can still be managed and maintained. Now if you happen to absolutely prefer Gimp, you can use it in the tracing process as you create paths for export. Those paths can then be imported into Inkscape for polishing.

Yes - that logo needs to be recreated (or found again) in vector format - all these folks are correct.

I do want to throw out a trick though. It didn't work for your logo, but you'd be surprised at how often it *does* work: reverse image search:
http://www.tineye.com/search/925a0d00b7662176f504844394cf0625481d1f26/?pluginver=chrome-1.1.4

As you can see, that search is a bust: it only found one image, and it's the same size. But sometimes you can find a much higher res version using this method. Google Images can also reverse search, but it's not as reliable as TinEye.

Also if it's a somewhat well-known brand, it's always worth checking brandsofheworld.com to see if it's already available in vector.

But yeah - there's no magic wand in GIMP (or anywhere) that's going to make that logo hi-res and look OK. It's simply too small.

HTH, Chris