Unfortunately, you can't directly scan an image into Adobe Illustrator. Illustrator is a vector graphics editor and doesn't have built-in scanning functionality. However, here's the typical workflow for bringing a scanned image into Illustrator:
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Scan the Image: Use a scanner and its associated software (e.g., Epson Scan, HP Scan) to scan your image and save it as a common image format like JPG, TIFF, or PNG.
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Place the Scanned Image in Illustrator:
- Open Adobe Illustrator.
- Go to
File > Place... - Navigate to the location where you saved the scanned image.
- Select the image and click "Place".
- Click on your artboard to place the image at its original size or click and drag to resize as you place it.
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Optional: Image Trace (Vectorize): If you want to convert your scanned image into editable vector graphics (shapes, paths), use Image Trace. This is not scanning, but it's a common next step after placing a raster image:
- Select the placed image.
- Go to
Window > Image Traceto open the Image Trace panel. - Adjust the settings to achieve the desired result. Key settings include:
- Preset: Choose a preset that best suits your image (e.g., High Fidelity Photo, Low Fidelity Photo, Black and White Logo).
- Mode: Color, Grayscale, or Black and White (influences the tracing outcome).
- Paths: Controls the accuracy of the tracing (more paths = more detail, but can also increase file size).
- Corners: Controls how sharp corners are handled.
- Noise: Filters out small imperfections.
- Click "Trace".
- Once tracing is complete, click "Expand" in the Control panel (or go to
Object > Expand) to convert the tracing into editable vector paths. You can now edit the individual paths, colors, and shapes.
In summary: You don't directly scan within Illustrator. You scan with dedicated scanning software and place the resulting image into Illustrator, where you can then optionally use Image Trace to vectorize it.
