[Lriv]

create a new layer and have it active/unlocked before attempting to paste your image…your image will pasted into this layer.

[Lriv]

I don’t know of software that will do all of what you are asking for, but w/ illustrator and photoshop CS the fonts will activate automatically if you have extensis suitcase. As far as preparing your files for your printer goes…I recommend you flatten your artwork (photoshop) or create outlines (illustrator), so fonts don’t become an issue

[Lriv]

You might have the “Shape Layer” button selected in the options bar for the pen tool…so it is filling the path w/ your foreground color. If so, click on the “Paths” button in the options bar…now when you trace your image w/ the pen tool, the path will appear in the Paths Palette…double-click it and rename it to save it…you can make this path into a selection and cut and paste your image within this selection to a new layer or mask out the background outside this selection.

[Lriv]

try this tutorial:

https://www.tutorialoutpost.com/count/3724

[Lriv]

Image>Mode>Grayscale

[Lriv]

you actually can take high-res images and drop the res while maintaining image quality…for example:

I took some digital photos at 600 dpi tiffs. I brought them into photoshop and changed the image size to 300 dpi, leaving “Resample Image” unchecked…notice how the dimensions of the image will increase proportionally when doing it this way…now you have a larger photo to work with, thus maintaining quality.

[Lriv]

saving an image in .ai format doesn’t make it vector. You’re getting that error because there are no paths… it is still just a bitmap image that you opened/saved with AI. Illustrator CS2 can make vector paths from rastor images, but since you’re using an older version, you would have to recreate the bitmap image in illustrator to get vector paths.

[Lriv]

Can you elaborate. What is the resolution of your original pics and what is the res. of the ad? Are you using only Photoshop? Are you scaling the images?

[Lriv]

Try increasing the ppi of your digital files to about 600, so that when you crop at 300, your image has enough information to keep clarity.

[Lriv]

For future reference, anytime you need help with terms you don’t understand, search them in HELP. You’ll get alot of detail there. For now, the cleanest way to get rid of the white in illustrator would be to use a clipping mask. If you are familiar w/ photoshop, it’s like a mask…it hides part of the image. Here’s how to create a clipping mask:

1. Draw a path around the part of the image you want to keep (everything but the white background) using the pen tool.
2. Make sure the path is in front of your image and select both the path and the image.
3. Go to Object>Clipping Mask>Make

this should cut out everything outside of the path

I think the magic wand will only work to select vector images in illustrator. However, you can use it in photoshop to select the white background and either delete it or mask it and then bring your images into illustrator. There are other ways to accomplish what you want in photoshop. But still, I think using paths is the cleanest way.