Image to SVG · trace a bitmap to vector
Colours 2–32, smoothness 0–10, one layer per colour. Processed locally; nothing uploaded while signed out.
Tracing a bitmap into vectors is worth doing for one family of images: logos, icons and simple illustrations with few colours and clean edges. Those stay crisp at any size and drop straight into CSS or a print file. A photograph traced into vectors becomes a heap of colour blobs — neither small nor good-looking.
Tracing happens in two stages: the image is first quantised to a chosen number of colours (between 2 and 32, default 8), then the outline of each colour's connected regions is traced into polygons, simplified, and assembled into SVG paths. First, where to find it: dropping an image on this page only opens the editor — the tracing itself lives in the menu Image > Vectorize…. Each colour becomes its own layer, so you can still recolour or delete one afterwards. Two controls: colours 2–32 — more is closer to the original, but path count and file size rise with it — and smoothness 0–10, where higher means cleaner outlines and fewer details. Be clear about the fit, too: this is colour quantisation plus contour tracing, not AI vectorisation. It suits logos, icons, line art and flat illustration; a photo traces into a pile of colour blobs, looks nothing like the original, and with that many paths the file can end up larger than it. It all runs in your own browser; nothing is uploaded while you're signed out, and once you sign in your work is saved automatically to your own cloud projects.
Key features
Colours 2–32
More is closer to the original, but path count and file size rise with it. Logos usually need 4–8.
Smoothness 0–10
Higher means cleaner outlines and fewer details; nudge it up when edges look ragged.
One layer per colour
Each colour lands on its own layer, so you can recolour or delete one after tracing.
Runs locally
Processed in your browser. While you're signed out nothing is uploaded — only an automatic draft stays in this browser (clearing browser data deletes it); once you sign in, your work is saved automatically to your own cloud projects.
How to use
- 1 Add an imageLogos, icons and line art fit best. Drag it into the box.
- 2 Set the colour countDropping the image opens the editor; then take Image > Vectorize…; colours run 2 to 32 — start at 8, and go lower for images with few flat areas.
- 3 Tune smoothnessSame dialog, 0 to 10. Up when the edges look ragged, down when details go missing. Confirm, and the traced vector layers sit on top of the original.
- 4 Export SVGAfter tracing, the original is still the bottom layer — export as-is and the SVG embeds that whole bitmap as base64. Hide or delete the original layer first, then take File > Export As > SVG…; only then do you get a pure vector SVG that stays sharp at any size and edits in any vector app.
FAQ
- Can I convert a photo to SVG?
- Technically yes, but it is not advisable. This is colour quantisation plus contour tracing, so a photo comes out as a pile of colour blobs that looks nothing like the original and often ends up larger than it. SVG really suits logos, icons and line art — few colours, clean edges.
- How many colours should I use?
- The range is 2 to 32, default 8. More colours get closer to the original, but path count and file size rise with them. Logos usually need 4 to 8; illustrations with gradients can go higher, though do not expect the gradient back — quantisation turns it into bands.
- The edges look ragged, or details went missing — now what?
- Adjust smoothness, range 0 to 10. Higher gives cleaner outlines at the cost of detail. Nudge it up when you see jagged edges and down when small elements disappear; small steps get you there fastest.
- Is it free? Is my image uploaded?
- Free, no sign-up, no usage limit. It all runs in your own browser; nothing is uploaded while you're signed out, and once you sign in your work is saved automatically to your own cloud projects.
Try Image to SVG · trace a bitmap to vector now
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