Image Trace panel options

Last updated on Sep 11, 2025

Learn about Image Trace panel options to convert raster images into editable vector artwork.

The Image Trace panel has basic and advanced tracing options to customize the result. These options are active only when you select an image.

The Image Trace Panel displays various presets options and control for editing raster images — Customize the basic and advanced options for converting raster images.

UI option	Function
Auto-Color	Creates a posterized image from a photo or artwork.
High Color	Creates high-fidelity photorealistic artwork.
Low Color	Creates simplified photorealistic artwork.
Grayscale	Traces the artwork into shades of gray .
Black and White	Simplifies the image to black-and-white artwork.
Outline	Simplifies the image to black outlines.
Preset	Switches between the enhanced and legacy versions of the presets to run Image Trace. To create, save, or manage custom presets, select Manage Presets.
View	Shows the trace result or the source image with or without outlines. Select Press & hold to view source image next to View to quickly compare the trace result with the source image.
Mode	Specifies a color mode for the trace result. The available options define basic color versus grayscale modes for your traced artwork. Color: Displays the Colors slider or the Colors dropdown appears based on the selected Palette. The Colors slider specifies the number of colors, and the Colors dropdown specifies the color group for a color trace result. Grayscale: Displays a Grays slider to specifiy the amount of gray to be used in a grayscale trace result. Black and White: Displays a Threshold slider to define the Threshold value for creating a black-and-white trace result. All lighter pixels turn white, and all darker pixels turn black.
Palette	Specifies a palette for generating a color tracing from the source image. This option is available only when you set the Mode to Color. Automatic: Automatically switches between the limited palette and full tone for the tracing, depending on the input image. You can adjust the Colors slider between simplicity (0) and accuracy (100) in the tracing results. Limited: Uses a small set of colors in the result. You can use the Color slider to reduce the number of colors you want in the result. Full Tone: Uses the entire set of colors in the result to create photorealistic artwork. The Color slider determines the pixel variability within each fill region. 100% results in more paths defined by smaller areas of color, while 0% results in fewer, larger fill areas. Document Library: Uses an existing color group from the Swatches panel to define the exact colors you want in the result.
Advanced options	Select the arrow next to Advanced to show the advanced tracing options.
Paths	Controls the distance between the traced shape and the original pixel shape. Lower values create looser path fitting, while higher values create tighter path fitting.
Corners	Specifies the emphasis on corners and the likelihood that a sharp bend will turn into a corner point. A higher value results in more corners.
Noise	Specifies an area in pixels that is ignored while tracing. A higher value results in less noise. For high-res images, set to 20–50. For low-res, use 1–10.
Method	Specifies a method for tracing. You can select one of the following options: Abutting: Creates cutout paths where the edge of one path is exactly the same as the edge of its neighbouring path. Overlapping: Creates stacked paths where each path slightly overlaps the next.
Create	Fills: Creates filled regions in the trace result. Strokes: Creates stroked paths in the trace result. Specifies the maximum width of features in the source image that can be stroked. Features larger than the maximum width becomes outlined areas. Gradients: Detects and traces linear gradients from the image. Supported in enhanced High Fidelity Photo and Low Fidelity Photo presets or when Mode is set to Color or Grayscale, and Palette to Automatic or Full Tone. Gradients work in Grayscale mode only if Palette is already set. Adjust the Smooth slider to control the gradient smoothness. A higher value gives a smoother gradient. Select Tracing Result with Outlines in the View dropdown to see how the select smoothness level affects the outlines of the trace result. Use the Gradient tool to adjust the gradients in the trace result after you expand it.
Shapes	Detects and traces circles, squares, and rectangles in the image as live shapes for easy editing. It only detects isolated, perfect circles and squares, and slightly rotated rectangles can be less accurate. Enhanced versions of all the presets provide built-in support for Shapes except High Fidelity Photo.
Options	Snap Curves To Lines: This function replaces slightly curved lines with straight lines and snaps lines near 0 or 90 degrees to absolute 0 or 90 degrees. It is useful for geometric artwork or slightly rotated shapes in your source image. Transparency: This prevents the transparent background in the image from being traced as white. Enhanced versions of the High Fidelity Photo, Low Fidelity Photo, 6 Colors, and 16 Colors presets provide built-in support for Transparency. Alternatively, you can set the Mode to Color and select at least four colors if you set the Palette to Limited. Ignore Color: Ignores a specific color while tracing. Use the color picker to selectively ignore a color. This option isn’t available if the Mode is set to Grayscale and the Method is set to Overlapping.
Info	Shows the number of Paths, Anchors, and Colors in the result.
Auto Grouping	Organizes the paths in the trace result into logical groups, allowing you to edit easily. Enhanced versions of all the presets provide built-in support for Auto Grouping. To see the groups in the Layers panel, select Expand.
Expand	Converts the result into editable vector paths for further refinement.
Preview	Previews the result of the current settings.
Trace	Traces the image based on the preset and options you select.

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