Image to SVG Converter

Vector graphics are fundamentally different from raster images: instead of storing a fixed grid of colored pixels, SVG files encode shapes, paths, and curves as mathematical descriptions. This makes SVG infinitely scalable — an SVG logo looks equally sharp at 16px or 1600px — and produces much smaller file sizes for graphic-style content like logos, icons, and illustrations.

Converting a raster image to SVG is called vectorization or tracing. The process analyzes the pixel grid of a bitmap image, identifies contiguous regions of similar color, and converts those regions into vector path descriptions. The quality of the result depends heavily on the input image: high-contrast graphics with few colors (logos, icons, line drawings) vectorize beautifully, while photographic images with thousands of gradient colors produce complex, unmanageable SVGs.

This tool uses Potrace — the gold-standard open source vectorization algorithm compiled to WebAssembly — to trace your images directly in the browser. Potrace was originally developed for technical illustrations and logos, producing clean, optimized SVG paths rather than jagged pixel-mapped shapes. Configuration controls let you adjust the tracing threshold, path smoothing, and simplification level to balance precision against SVG complexity. Output is clean, standards-compliant SVG that can be opened in Inkscape, Adobe Illustrator, Figma, or any other vector editor for further refinement.

Potrace is the same vectorization algorithm used by professional tools — it analyzes bitmap outlines using a polynomial approximation of the optimal path through corner pixels, producing round Bezier curves rather than step-staircase outlines. Running Potrace as compiled WebAssembly means the full algorithm executes directly in your browser with no server involvement, handling images up to several megapixels without upload latency. The threshold control determines which pixel values are treated as foreground vs. background — essential for grayscale photos or images with anti-aliasing. The turn policy setting controls how corners and junctions are handled in the vectorized output.