How to convert a PNG to SVG
- Add the image. Drop it on the tool, paste it with Ctrl+V or browse for it. PNG, JPG, WebP, GIF and BMP all work.
- Keep the colours or pick a mode. The page opens in Logo mode, which keeps your colours as a flat palette of 2 to 16. Switch to Detailed for artwork with many shades, or Cut for a single-colour shape.
- Compare. Drag the divider across the preview to see the original and the SVG side by side. Zoom in on an edge and turn on Outlines to see every path.
- Tidy it. Remove specks drops stray dots, Smoothing rounds stair-stepped edges, and Remove background gives you a transparent SVG.
- Download. Save the SVG, a vector PDF or a DXF, or copy the SVG code straight into your project.
Three modes for three kinds of image
| Your image | Mode | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Icon, logo, sticker, clip art | Logo | One flat layer per colour, edges snapped to a clean palette. |
| Illustration with shading | Detailed | More colour steps; a poster look when you lower Colour detail. |
| Lettering or line art to cut | Cut | One compound path in one colour, holes kept as holes. |
PNG vs SVG: which should you use?
A PNG is a grid of pixels. It holds photos and screenshots well, but when you enlarge it the edges blur, and every size you need is a new export. An SVG is a list of shapes described by maths, so a logo, icon or diagram stays sharp at any size, the file is often smaller, and each colour can be edited as a shape. Keep photos as PNG or JPG; use SVG for anything with flat colours and clear edges, especially if it will be printed large, cut by a machine or animated on the web.
Do it without Illustrator
Adobe Illustrator's Image Trace, Inkscape's Trace Bitmap and the many online converters all do the same core job: find the edges of each colour region and fit curves along them. This page does that job in your browser tab with a WebAssembly build of the open-source VTracer engine, then adds the clean-up a desktop app leaves to you: it merges near-identical colours before tracing, removes specks, keeps holes as real holes and reports the node count so you can judge the result. You need no subscription, no install and no upload. If you do own Illustrator or Inkscape, you can still open the SVG or PDF here in either app to keep editing.
What makes a good vector
Watch the Nodes figure in the result bar. For the same look, fewer nodes means smoother curves and a file that edits, cuts and loads easily. Start from the defaults, then raise Smoothing until a corner you care about begins to round, and back off one step. If a fine detail disappears, lower Remove specks.
Photographs are the exception. Tracing turns every shade into its own shape, so a photo becomes thousands of paths and still looks painted. Use Detailed for a deliberate poster effect, or start from artwork with clean edges.
Questions people ask
Is my image uploaded anywhere?
No. The image is read and traced by code running in your browser tab, a WebAssembly build of the open-source VTracer engine. Nothing is sent to a server, so it is safe for private artwork and client logos.
Does it keep the colours of my PNG?
Yes. The page opens in Logo mode, which groups the image into a flat palette (6 colours to start, adjustable from 2 to 16) and traces each colour as its own layer. Detailed mode keeps more shades, and Cut mode makes a single-colour shape.
What is the difference between PNG and SVG?
PNG stores pixels, so it blurs when enlarged. SVG stores shapes, so it stays sharp at any size and each colour can be edited. Use PNG for photos and screenshots and SVG for logos, icons, lettering and anything you will cut or print large.
How do I vectorize an image in Illustrator?
Place the image, open Window > Image Trace, pick a preset such as 6 Colors or Black and White Logo, adjust the paths and noise sliders, then choose Object > Expand to turn the trace into editable paths. Or trace it here, then open the SVG or PDF in Illustrator to edit.
How do I vectorize an image in Inkscape?
Import the image, select it and open Path > Trace Bitmap (Shift+Alt+B). Use Single scan with Brightness cutoff for one colour, or Multiple scans with Colors for a palette, then click Apply and move the trace off the original. The SVG from this page opens in Inkscape too.
Can I vectorize an image in Canva?
Canva does not trace pixels into paths itself. Convert the image to SVG here, then add it to Canva through Uploads. It scales without blurring, and Canva lets you recolour most SVG graphics.
Is there a size or file limit?
There is no daily limit, watermark or account. Large images are scaled to the Working size you choose (2,000 px on the long edge by default, up to 4,000 px), because the tracing runs on your own device.