Customs via Scanned Template

Hi all,  as you may know, I have designed a few templates & as yet they are all blanks.  I am experimenting in illustrator & watching online training video's so my knowledge is starting to pick up.  I would however like to pick your brains for tips on scanning in templates.

 

I am soon to get a scanner, & have no trouble hand drawing design's on to a template and scanning it in.  At this point though my learning curve flattens out a bit.

 

I'm asking for advice & tips on the best way to change the scanned in image on screen into a digital template.  Do I have to use just the pen tool, or will live trace do it well enough.  Apologies for being a noob in this.

 

Also, any illustrator guru's, can answer me 1 further question.  I have been trying to open my current templates in AI, but when it opens, the worksheet is on the screen with about 2% of my template on it, and the rest is way off, as if it's made it sooo massive. :(  What am I doing wrong.. Im guessing it's a basic error.

 

Thanks in advance.

  • up

    baykiddead

    sinner, as far as I've been able to figure out, live trace doesn't work all that well for a true replication of line art, and so I've had to place the template in my ai doc and then go back over it with the pen tool. Takes time but so far that's what I've found works best. As far as the other issue I don't know what to tell you. 
    • up

      Dan Watson

      I dont use Illustrator, but have scanned plenty of images in my daily job (boring!!) The best way ive found using several differant programs is just to use the pen tool over the top of it.