I can see how inclusion is important, the success of the monthly themes let people express themselves in many forms, the actual icon format is a minor post-work issue that can be worked around. If people don't have the software their piece can be converted by some one who does? My expression of the challenge was supposed to devoid of a suggestion that might restrict going beyond ordinary preconceptions so that, that boundary could crossed. The theme could be 'computer interface, icons', however any submission could redefine what media the design process requires, almost all of the Art i've seen here, people used theme to produce their art with their chosen medium ( including but not restricted to computer programs) then submit that art, so removing the format restrictions might increase the participation. I'd Appreciate your feedback.

That 2nd html has it's uses .. nice! Some filters available for renders and such which make them a bit more cartoon or anime style.. a reduced pallete of colours (less blending of tones) could help the vector conversion along... sometimes it looks a bit better than the "posterize" filter... btw if you have Macromedia Flah i think it can do some crude conversions of bitmap files to vector ones. http://www.algolab.com/Samp_Cnv/Pvf.htm ? a sample of what vector images can look like.. "http://basangpanaginip.blogspot.com/2006/07/worlds-most-photorealistic-vector-art.html" this would be done in illustrator with reference i think...

I work from the bottom up not from the top down... my resolution my not be in context, but it may help someone.

I must have no idea what I'm talking about... ignore that post.

That does make sense,  cmyk should be one of the  the last things most ppl do to an image. . . understanding what 'gamut" is and how your images e spectrumn of colours can fit  into each gamut  is the  tricky part... whatever design is done  it's often unfamiliar to make an image in cmyk mode, and often the interaction of photoshp blending modes, lighten, multiply and filters will not quite work the same... the  jpg compression would be the main factor,  --- if they use a program that is up-to-date to handle that cmyk,jpg  .. after it's opened what are they going to do with it...

if they want cmyk you need to know the profile before you convert the rgb. all .jpg images save as RGB, as far as i know it's how jpg compresses the image information... i think

the head layer can be duplicated,, layer via copy.  select all the background layer - delete - fill it with... green.  select the head layer and use aprilgem's tip ---  view the layers pallete   then clik on, then drag the 'layer mask'  (the one on the right )  to the little bin and click apply.

ta da.. i hope.

maybe you can drag that layer over to the illustrator document and scale to size...

scanning silver is extremly tricky because it relects light back into the scanner - some people have scanned glitter and had troubles - - i've yet to be told how to input that into photshop. i wonder if taking a photo of the photo would work, in the right lighting conditions....

to ensure this addition stays on you computer - while you have the prieview window open the arrow to the side.. ">"   and  click ' save patterns... '  hopefully it takes you to the right folder where the rest are kept. it won't save the individual fill pattern but the entire set of patterns.

i'm not too comfotable with turning .jpg to .pat just by renaming a file name in windows, in this cenario it won't work

the  thing about converting it to cmyk is that converts using your settings not the printer's settings.

perceptual coulours on the monitor can be difficult to match printed output - i think it's near impossible - i doubt you get paper as white as your monitor - nor could you print 'black' as black as you monitor looks like turned off - monitors and printers use a diffent gammut, thus you will have to use a colour, or two, that is allready printed for your logo colour-