Tracing Tool Script

Introduction: What is Vector vs. Raster? (5 minutes)

Teacher: "Good morning, everyone! Today, we're diving into a really cool feature in Adobe Illustrator that can transform the way you think about images. Has anyone ever heard the terms 'vector graphics' or 'raster images' before? Don't worry if not, we're going to break it down."

Show Tracing Magic Slide Deck Slide 1-2

Teacher: "Think of a digital photo you've taken. If you zoom in really, really close, what do you see? Little squares, right? Those are pixels. Images made of pixels are called raster images. They're great for photos, but if you try to make them really big, they can get blurry or 'pixelated.'"

"Now, imagine a company logo. You see it on a tiny business card, then on a huge billboard. Does it ever look blurry? No! That's because it's usually a vector graphic. Vector graphics are made of mathematical paths and points, not pixels. This means you can scale them to any size, from a postage stamp to the side of a building, and they'll always look perfectly crisp."

"Why is this important for a graphic designer? Can anyone think of a reason why it would be super useful to have an image that never gets blurry?"

(Allow for student responses, guiding them towards ideas like professional printing, logos, web design flexibility.)

Demonstration: The Image Trace Tool (10 minutes)

Teacher: "Today, we're going to learn a magical tool in Illustrator called Image Trace. It allows us to take a raster image – like a drawing you scanned or a simple photo – and automatically convert it into a vector graphic. It's like turning pixels into paths!"

Open Adobe Illustrator and project your screen.

Teacher: "First, we need to get our raster image into Illustrator. We go to File > Place... and then I'll select one of our practice images. I'm going to choose this simple sketch. Once it's placed, it looks like a regular image, right?"

Show Tracing Magic Slide Deck Slide 3-5

Teacher: "Now, for the magic! With the image selected, look up here in the Control Panel, usually at the top. You'll see a button that says Image Trace. If you click it, Illustrator will do a quick automatic trace. See how it instantly changed?"

(Demonstrate a basic trace.)

Teacher: "But we have more control! If you go to Window > Image Trace, a whole panel opens up. Here, we have different Presets. Let's try 'Black and White Logo.' What do you notice about how it changed the lines? Or 'Sketched Art'? How does that look different? Experimenting with these presets is key to getting the look you want."

(Demonstrate a few different presets, explaining how they affect the outcome.)

Teacher: "Now, here's a crucial step. Right now, this is what we call a 'Live Trace' object. It's still linked to the original pixels in a way. To turn it into actual, editable vector paths, we need to click the Expand button, which appears in the Control Panel after you trace. Once you click Expand, notice how the lines change again? Now, if I zoom in, it's perfectly smooth and crisp!"

"After expanding, your traced image is a group of vector shapes. I can use the Direct Selection Tool (A) to grab individual points and adjust them, or I can Ungroup (by right-clicking or going to Object > Ungroup) to separate all the individual shapes. This allows for really precise editing."

Guided Practice: First Trace (10 minutes)

Teacher: "Alright, your turn! Please open Adobe Illustrator on your computers. I'd like everyone to try placing one of the practice images – choose a simple one to start, like the 'Sketch 1' or 'Logo Example'."

"Once you have your image placed, try clicking the Image Trace button. Then, open the Image Trace panel and play with a few different presets. Don't forget the Expand button! I'll be walking around to help anyone who has questions."

(Circulate and assist students. Distribute the Tracing Practice Worksheet now or after a few minutes of free exploration.)

Independent Application & Wrap-up (5 minutes)

Teacher: "You're all doing great! The Tracing Practice Worksheet has a few more prompts for you to try different images and presets. Continue to experiment and see what results you can achieve."

"Remember, the Image Trace tool is incredibly versatile. It can turn a quick sketch into a polished digital drawing, or a scanned texture into a reusable vector pattern. It's a fantastic way to bridge the gap between physical art and digital design."

Show Tracing Magic Slide Deck Slide 6

Teacher: "What are some ways you can imagine using this skill in your own projects or even outside of art class?"

(Allow for a few student shares.)

Teacher: "Any parts of the worksheet you don't finish today can be completed for homework. Great work today, everyone! You've just gained a new design superpower!"

Tracing Practice Worksheet

Name: ____________________________
Date: ____________________________

Part 1: Basic Tracing

Instructions: Follow the steps to trace the provided images. Answer the questions after each trace.

Image 1: Simple Line Drawing

• Goal: Convert a black and white sketch into a clean vector outline.
• Steps:
  1. Place the image named "sketch-1.jpg" into Adobe Illustrator (File > Place...).
  2. With the image selected, click the Image Trace button in the Control Panel.
  3. Open the Image Trace Panel (Window > Image Trace) and select the preset "Black and White Logo."
  4. Click Expand in the Control Panel to convert the trace into editable paths.

Questions:

1. Describe what happened to the lines of the sketch after you clicked "Image Trace."
   
   
   
2. What changes did you observe when you selected the "Black and White Logo" preset?
   
   
   
3. After clicking "Expand," what tool would you use to move an individual point on the traced image?
   
   
   

Image 2: Cartoon Character

• Goal: Trace a simple colored cartoon and make it editable.
• Steps:
  1. Place the image named "cartoon-char.png" into Adobe Illustrator.
  2. Select the image and use the Image Trace button.
  3. In the Image Trace Panel, try the preset "Sketched Art."
  4. Click Expand.
  5. Ungroup the traced object (Object > Ungroup or Right-Click > Ungroup).

Questions:

1. How did the "Sketched Art" preset handle the colors in the cartoon compared to the previous trace?
   
   
   
2. After ungrouping, what did you discover you could do with the individual parts of the cartoon?
   
   
   
3. Can you change the color of one of the traced shapes? Briefly explain how you did it.
   
   
   

Part 2: Exploring Presets

Instructions: Use the provided photograph and experiment with different Image Trace presets. Observe the results and answer the questions.

Image 3: Simple Photograph

• Goal: Understand how different presets interpret photographic detail.
• Steps:
  1. Place the image named "simple-photo.jpg" into Adobe Illustrator.
  2. Select the image and open the Image Trace Panel.
  3. Try the "High Fidelity Photo" preset. Observe the detail.
  4. Undo (Ctrl+Z / Cmd+Z) or re-place the image.
  5. Try the "Low Fidelity Photo" preset. Observe the detail.
  6. Undo or re-place the image.
  7. Try the "Shades of Gray" preset. Observe the detail.

Questions:

1. Which preset (High Fidelity or Low Fidelity) captured more detail from the original photograph? Why do you think that is?
   
   
   
2. How did the "Shades of Gray" preset differ from the other two photo presets you tried?
   
   
   
3. Based on your experiments, when might you choose "Black and White Logo" over a "Photo" preset, and vice-versa?
   
   
   

Part 3: Challenge!

Instructions: Choose one of the remaining practice images or find a simple line drawing online (ensure it's school-appropriate). Trace it using any preset and settings you like. Aim to get the cleanest, most editable vector graphic possible.

Challenge Image Choice: ____________________________

Briefly describe your process and the preset(s) you found most effective for your chosen image:

What was the most challenging part of this trace?