[halfacre]

Having exhausted most of my talents in woodworking, I want to try "one more thing" (as Columbo says) - and that is INTARSIA !!! I've been scrolling through the internet for "free" beginner's software to convert photos and sketches to usable line art for the scroll saw.
Just out of curiosity, what do you actually use ??
Books on Intarsia are not the problem, I'm looking for computer software to "assist" me in navigating through the projects. One that someone "actually uses" - not what you found on the internet to "suggest".

Edit to add:
I guess I should mention that the MAIN reason for line-art tracing for patterns is that after the art is processed in the sizing program, you only have to print out the line drawing. Which is a tremendous saving on ink. Yesterday, I printed out a project that was 16 pages tiled and it took an awful lot of black ink. So that is one of the advantages of the tracing program.
I did it years ago in CorelDraw 8 for sign projects, but I was using a pen plotter and never a printer. I no longer have Corel and wouldn't have a use for it if I did have it.
Still looking.

John, some might call what I do intarsia for I start with a picture , scroll saw it all to pieces. Shape each piece into something then finish each piece and glue it all back together.
I like to exaggerate different heights and a few deep valleys more or less. Someone might call this work intarsia but hey, some folks likes to be a little different in one way or the other and I think I fit that description

I use Rapid Resizer and a small printer to make all my patterns. Some patterns I draw up on some graph paper using a set of French Curves, 15 dollars from Hobby Lobby
Or I can take a picture of something, download it then have Rapid Resizer make it any size then it prints out a picture and I glue it on some wood then using my scroll saw makes me a bunch of pieces to hold in my hands to power carve with a Dremel or I have a few air grinders and some great bits do all the work. I don't have any carving knives for my hands and fingers says too old for that. I use an air brush to spray on some water base paint for all the coloring of the wood.

 

[halfacre]

Thanks Jess - I looked at RapidResizer earlier and I think that's what I'm going to go with. It's only $39 a year.
And yes, your style is called Intarsia and you are quite good at it.

John the 39 a year is the best for me as it only kicks out things in black only and that is all I want to use for my patterns plus saves buying colored ink for the printer. I have used 3 different printers for the last 23 years and all three was 40 dollars or less and we still use two of them. Canon and Hp. Neither enlarges or reduces but Rapid Resizer does all that plus it will flip a pattern and when sizing up and down you can change either direction if need be or leave the measurements as a pattern or picture that has been downloaded the same measure and you can arc names to fit the curvature of the wood you are working with.
There are 3 more Resizers but for my work I don't need all those bells and whistles , color, designing and can't remember what you get for the highest priced model.
You do need a printer for the patterns to slide out . If making large patterns you will have lots of pages to size then clear tape them together but all this Is easy . You will have maybe 100 letter fonts to choose from for names and things
Some of my pictures I turn in to are not what they start out being like this clock and what ever style I used to make it don't interest me, its what I make it in to.

I don't worry what I call my procedures and it don't matter what anyone else calls it for I am happy I can still go out to the shop and get lost doing things I like to do.
I think different for the expensive wood is a waste of money and I was not born with enough of it to start with so I learned to make the wood to suit me. It is what I end up with is important to me.