What actually changes.
A scanner is convenient, but a careful phone photograph is often enough. Keep camera and sheet parallel and use soft light across the complete surface. Vectorisation cannot repair perspective or blur that is already baked into the capture.
Black level separates the drawing from the paper. Contrast helps with a flat capture and Brightness shifts the complete tonal range. I start with Black level because it most directly decides which strokes remain.
Before taking the photograph
- Keep the sheet flat and avoid folds
- Hold the camera parallel so circles do not become ovals
- Use soft light from two sides
- Focus on the finest important stroke
Step by step.
- Capture the drawing as large and straight as possible.
- Set Black level first in Vector Boy.
- Add Contrast only when paper and line are too close together.
- Remove isolated marks deliberately with the lasso.
- Compare Pixel, Fine and Subpixel in Vector view.
- Export the format required by the next production step.
Very light pencil and glossy paper can share the same local brightness. A better capture is more effective than stacking more filters in that situation.
Questions before export.
Is a scanner always better than a photograph?
Not automatically. A sharp, evenly lit scan is ideal, but a straight phone photograph can be completely sufficient.
How do I keep the handmade character?
Keep smoothing and Bézier simplification low and compare every change with the original.
Can I keep several small drawings on one sheet?
Yes. Their arrangement remains intact. The negative lasso can keep only one area when needed.