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Software to Divide an Image Into Discrete Patterns

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the from-full-raster-to-collection-of-shapes dept.

slashyslashy asks: "My preschooler son is fond of color-by-number pages. We have already exhausted most of the online sites that offer somewhat limited sets of coloring pages that he can print to a paper and color. Besides, most of them offer extremely basic (read boring) sets of simple images (flowers, dinosaurs, etc). We were wondering if we can take any regular picture image and convert it into a pattern suitable (divide up the black and white picture into series of random patterns) for color-by-number pages. Is there any good software that allows converting a picture to a pattern suitable for coloring by numbers? Linux is preferable but Windows is also fine. Thank you."

5 of 109 comments (clear)

  1. Jesus H Christ by Monkelectric · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Just goto the 99 cent store and get him some books. Not everything needs to involve a computer

    --

    Religion is a gateway psychosis. -- Dave Foley

  2. Quick by labratuk · · Score: 5, Informative

    Open inkscape. Drag image in. Select imported image. Go Path -> Trace bitmap. You'll probably want to use the 'multiple scanning' options. Probably with fewer than the default 8 scans. Select created vectors. Open the fill & stroke dialog and set it to 'no fill' and a plain black stroke.

    As always, you'll want to play with parameters to get good results.

    --
    Malike Bamiyi wanted my assistance.
  3. Google it by quaker5567 · · Score: 5, Informative

    Search Google for "color by numbers software" http://www.stoik.com/hobby/Color_By_Number/ Is it really that hard?

  4. Photoshop! by Peganthyrus · · Score: 5, Informative

    It's called Photoshop.

    1. image->adjustments->posterize
    2. filter->stylize->find edges
    3. image->adjustments->desaturate
    4. image->adjustments->levels, pull the leftmost triangle all the way to the right

    You can skip the first step, but then it'll be reeeeally complex.

    You might also want to scale your images up a lot before processing them.

    Or you could use autotrace tools like Streamline, or the "LiveTrace" feature built into Illustrator.

    Or you could pop up another layer over it and trace the image by hand, then turn off the original image layer and print it out.

    Or, yeah, you could just go buy some coloring books, they're reeeeeeally cheap!

    --
    egypt urnash minimal art.
  5. Re:Since when are Dinosaurs boring by eam · · Score: 5, Funny

    > Since when are Dinosaurs boring?

    Jurassic Park III