[Les Nemeth]

I’ve also tried it in CS5 and yes, I see what you mean now. I didn’t check the file before.

When I scale it down to even 15-20% or less it starts to deform. And going below 15% really messes it up. It must be some rounding error in AI because when I copy the path into PS and scale it there even to 2%, the path looks perfect.

You might want to post it on Adobe as a bug…?

[Les Nemeth]

Yes, I understood when you meant the spacing between the elements and not between the spiral curves. But what I was trying to say, that you get a very different spiral in AI as opposed to in another program. The distance between spiral curves that I showed are almost linear, whereas in AI it’s not. Anyhow.

Here’s a method you can try. Click on the image to expand, because it’s a big image.

[Les Nemeth]

You need to shrink it proportionally. Either use the scale tool dialog box and enter the values for “Uniform” scale, or use the select tool, press Ctrl + Shift + B (latin for View > Show/Hide Bounding Box), hold the shift key down, and resize from one of the corners.

[Les Nemeth]

I never worked with EMF formats, but a quick google brings up:

“Windows vector graphics format recognized by many image-editing applications; basically a 32-bit version of the original Windows Metafile Format (.WMF), which only supports 16-bit data; saves image data in an RGB format and does not support CMYK data.

EMF can also used as a graphics language for printer drivers.”

Why does it have to be EMF? Can it be something else? Can you work with a different format and then save it as EMF if needed? Sorry, I don’t think I can help, just wondered.

[Les Nemeth]

>>First: I don’t really know how to use Illustrator
That’s a problem right there.

Well, I don’t remember what CS have – since that’s a tad old, but maybe this workflow remained the same (I’m on CS4 and CS5). Anyhow…

1. First ungroup all groups. You may have to repeat the Ungroup command a couple of times depending on how they are grouped. If there are elements that you DO NOT want to have separate layers assigned in PS, then do not ungroup those.

2. Click/select (hilite) the very topmost layer.

3. In the Layer’s palette popup menu select “Release to Layers (Sequence)”. This will group every individual object/shape into a group. And every group will be a separate layer in PS.

4. Now File > Export > PSD

Now you should have each item/element that was in a group on a separate layer.

[Les Nemeth]

Your description is a little confusing to me. You start out talking about PS, but then you go onto adjusting the print size in AI. So are you working in PS or in AI? Also, at one point you mention labels (that goes on the actual DVD), at another point you mention cover (which goes into the case). Not that it really matters but I can’t get a grip of what exactly you printing and what program you use.

If you work in AI, you’d increase the print size using the artboard, but that is adjusted differently depending on which version of AI you are using – which you didn’t say.

Are you printing in commercially or just in the office on an inkjet or something similar?

Regardless of which program you use, the workflow would be similar. First you specify the document size, which would be the size of your cover. You also need to take bleeding into consideration, if you need that.

Then just setup guides from the sides inward, and use them as precise measuring of the dimensions.

The artboard/document setup would be different depending on commercial or just home inkjet printing. For commercial bleeding in PS you would create the document size that incorporates the bleed area, then you’d mark it with guides where to trim. In AI you’d setup the artboard to the actual size of the cover and the bleed would fall outside of the artboard – which you’d mark with guides.

For home/office inkjet printing you need to remember that those printers don’t do bleeding (usualy) so you need to print on a bigger paper that you can trim.

But missing out just on 1/16 of an inch is kinda strange. Not sure if it’s a setup error on your behalf, or is this some sort of program bug. Altough I’ve never run into this, and did CD/DVD covers and labels in both programs.

[Les Nemeth]

Well, there’s such thing as using the best tool for the job.

In this case AI is not the best tool for creating such a pattern, since AI does not create a spiral that would be suitable for this job. Sure, you could create it in AI but it would be laborious.

For this first illustration it’s actually easy, because the dots are equal sizes. Simply create a scatter brush from a circle and stroke the spiral, then adjust the size/scale in the brush options.

In this second illustration the spiral was stroked in photoshop, fast and easy.

However, in both cases I outlined the actual path. Notice that you cannot create such a spiral in AI, where the distance between turns are almost equal, yet it’s focusing down into a single point (sorry for the incorrect terms). The spiral was actually created in a 3D program (Rhino in this case) exported into AI and PS respectively and stroked.

The first image you posted also seem to come from a 3D program. The second illustration you posted can be done in AI cuz the dots are equal sizes.

That’s why I said at the beginning that you need to pick the right tool for the right job to make it faster, so in this case you can combine 3D tools with photoshop or whatever else to make it work. If it needs to be vector, some 3D programs can export vector. If you don’t have 3D program as such, then you can go for the simple solution (equal sized circles) and use AI. Or go for the more elaborate method of using blends – but you will have some playing around to do in that case.

If it doesn’t need to be vector, then PS is fast and easy.

[Les Nemeth]

It also could be just an optical illusion because of the magenta and cyan colors. Try it with a different color combo and see.

[Les Nemeth]

I don’t see any white lines what-so-ever here. Even if I take the image into PS and zoom in. There’s no white outline anywhere.

It could be your monitor or maybe color profile settings? Not sure. Maybe try posting an actual screenshot. I mean screen-screen-shot of your whole monitor.

Your posted image reports a color profile of sRGB and created by PS CS4. That’s what I have, and don’t see no outline.

[Les Nemeth]

I’m sure you did something wrong when you performed the masking. That’s how it’s done, using a clipping mask on the hilite. See the attached CS4 example.

Link to CS4 file:
1633_logowithhilite.zip