Image Trace presets

Image Trace presets provide a starting point for converting raster images into vector artwork. The most suitable preset depends on the type of image and the result you want to achieve. After applying a preset, you can fine-tune the tracing options in the Window > Image Trace panel.

There isn't a single preset that works best for every image. Choose a preset based on the type of result you want, then adjust the tracing options to suit your artwork.

Auto-Color is available only in the Window > Image Trace panel. It uses AI to analyze the source image and apply the settings it determines will work best, so it's a good starting point when you're not sure which preset to try first.

Cartoons and character illustrations

Cartoon characters and illustrated artwork typically produce the best Image Trace results with minimal adjustment required.

Trade-offs: Higher Paths values add detail but reduce path smoothness. The trace result also shifts slightly down and to the right of its original position, and this can't be corrected.

Brush and pencil strokes

Hand-drawn artwork made with natural media requires a balance between capturing detail and keeping paths smooth.

Trade-offs: It's difficult to capture faint strokes and fine white detail at the same time. You may need to arrange one over the other, depending on how you plan to use the artwork.

1-Color stencil artwork

High-contrast, silhouette-style artwork needs an isolated subject on a clean background to trace well automatically. When the source photo doesn't meet that bar, manual tracing usually gives you a better result.

Trade-offs: Source photo quality and how well the subject is isolated have a major effect on the result. Consider a manual trace when you need geometric precision or when the subject isn't cleanly isolated from the background.

Photorealistic images

Photo tracing preserves tonal complexity but does not make images infinitely scalable. Avoid significant enlargement of traced results.

Trade-offs: The Image Trace panel can handle hundreds of thousands of colors, compared to the 256-color limit of the older Live Trace feature. Even so, traced photos stay resolution-dependent, so avoid scaling them up dramatically.

Posterized and Pop Art effects

Color reduction creates stylized, graphic interpretations of photographs with controlled color palettes.

• Open the swatch library you want to use before selecting it from the Palette menu. Any color groups in that library then become available in the Colors menu.
• Illustrator assigns colors from the library to the original artwork automatically, and you can't influence that assignment during the trace.

Trade-offs: For precise control over which color goes where, expand the trace and use Recolor Artwork to manually reassign colors.

Gradient-filled artwork

A gradient splits into many solid-colored shapes when traced. Adjust the sliders to keep the shape count low, and then apply gradients after expanding the trace.

Trade-offs: Pre-processing the source image in Photoshop to remove gradients usually produces better vectorization results than tracing gradient-heavy artwork directly.

Mechanical drawings and maps

Line-based technical drawings need consistent line weight and a clean source image to trace well.

Trade-offs: Source images with variable line weight produce poor results. Mechanical drawings trace best when the line weight stays consistent throughout the artwork.

Low-resolution images

Small or heavily compressed images need aggressive noise reduction and careful path adjustment. Manual tracing often produces a better result.

With Method set to Overlapping, Illustrator creates stacked shapes where it can, and overlaps edges where stacking isn't possible. This makes manual cleanup easier after you expand the trace.

Trade-offs: Software can't reconstruct detail that isn't present in the source pixels, even though the human eye often perceives it. The minimum resolution that gives a usable result varies by image type — a cartoon sketch works at a smaller size than lettering or a detailed illustration.

General enhancement guidelines

Before tracing:

• Remove backgrounds, dust, and scratches in your image-editing software
• Isolate the subjects for stencil-style artwork
• Increase the source image quality when possible

During tracing:

• Press and hold View Source to compare the trace with the original image
• Check the Info area to monitor the color count and path complexity
• Watch the Preset menu — it switches to Custom as soon as you change a default setting

The sliders below interact with each other, so it helps to know what each one does before you start adjusting.

When you're ready to edit the traced artwork, select Expand in the Control panel or the Properties panel to convert the trace into editable paths.