Image to Vector — Online
TracePen converts PNG/JPG images to SVG, PDF, and DXF directly in your browser. No install. No account on the free tier.
Workflow
- Open TracePen.
- Upload a PNG or JPG (WebP / GIF / BMP also accepted).
- TracePen detects whether the image is a photo or a flat graphic and suggests a colour count. Move the slider from 2 (black & white) up to the detected maximum.
- Click Trace.
- Tweak per-layer if needed: toggle visibility, change a layer's hex, adjust stroke / noise filter / minimum region size.
- Click Save and pick a format.
Export formats
| Format | Best for |
|---|---|
| SVG | Figma, Illustrator, Canva, CorelDRAW, Inkscape, Affinity Designer, web |
| PNG | Any tool that doesn't support SVG (Photoshop, PowerPoint, Keynote, Word) |
| Print layout, vector in slide decks | |
| DXF Lines (closed LWPOLYLINE) | Cricut, Silhouette, Lightburn (Cut mode), AutoCAD, Fusion 360, LibreCAD, CNC, vinyl cutting |
| DXF Hatch (solid HATCH) | Lightburn (Fill / Scan engrave), AutoCAD visual import |
| DXF Faces (3DFACE triangulated) | SketchUp, Blender, 3ds Max, Rhino, Cinema 4D — enable Merge Coplanar Faces on import |
Free plan exports SVG and PNG at 2 colours. Premium unlocks every format at unlimited colours.
Tool-specific import
Figma / Illustrator / Canva / CorelDRAW / Inkscape / Affinity
Drag-and-drop the SVG, or File → Open / File → Import. No conversion.
Cricut Design Space / Silhouette Studio
Upload → select the DXF Lines export. Each colour becomes a separate cuttable layer, ready to Make It / Send.
Use DXF Lines, not Hatch — cutters follow outlines; HATCH fills are often ignored.
Lightburn
- Cut a shape → DXF Lines (outlines assign to Cut mode).
- Engrave a filled region → DXF Hatch (filled regions assign to Fill / Scan mode).
AutoCAD / Fusion 360 / LibreCAD
Import DXF Lines for outlines, DXF Hatch for filled regions. Every colour becomes its own CAD layer.
SketchUp (DXF path)
- Export DXF Faces.
- File → Import → set file type to AutoCAD Files → select the DXF.
- Click Options… at the bottom-right of the dialog.
- Tick Merge coplanar faces under Geometry → OK → Import.
Without Merge Coplanar Faces every triangle stays as a separate face.
Prefer native faces and a re-editable component? Use the SketchUp plugin instead — no triangle cleanup, no DXF round-trip.
Blender / 3ds Max / Rhino / Cinema 4D
Import DXF Faces. Triangles sit on a single plane — merge coplanar after import if the tool has that option.
Frequently asked
Does TracePen use AI?
No. Deterministic tracer: ADU color quantization (Celebi 2014) → Mumford-Shah region merge (arXiv 2409.15940, 2024) → grid-walk contour tracer → Potrace Bezier fit (Selinger 2003). Same image in → same SVG out, every time. Essential for production use (laser cutting, CNC, print).
What is the free tier?
2 colours (black & white), SVG and PNG export, unlimited traces, no sign-up. Covers most line-art, logo, silhouette, laser-cut, Cricut, and vinyl workflows.
What does premium unlock?
- Unlimited colours (full multi-layer trace).
- All formats: SVG, PNG, JPG, PDF, DXF Lines, DXF Hatch, DXF Faces.
- The SketchUp plugin.
- Server-side API endpoint for batch / automation.
One-time purchase. No subscription.
Is my image uploaded?
- Free tier — no upload. Everything runs in your browser.
- Premium multi-colour trace — the image is sent to an API endpoint, processed, and discarded after the response. Not stored.
What image format should I upload?
PNG is best for flat artwork, logos, screenshots, icons. JPG works for photos — raise the Noise filter to 3–6 to clean up JPEG compression artefacts before trace.
How does it compare to Vector Magic / Vectorizer.AI / Adobe Image Trace?
| Tool | Type | Pricing | Runs where | DXF for CNC / laser |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TracePen | Deterministic trace | Free · one-time | Browser + SU plugin | ✓ (Lines + Hatch + Faces) |
| Illustrator Image Trace | Deterministic trace | Subscription | Desktop | via export |
| CorelDRAW PowerTRACE | Deterministic trace | One-time | Desktop | via export |
| Inkscape Trace Bitmap | Potrace | Free | Desktop | via extension |
| Vector Magic | Deterministic trace | Subscription | Desktop + web | ✗ |
| Vectorizer.AI | AI | Subscription | Web | ✗ |
TracePen is the only free, browser-based, deterministic tracer that exports DXF Lines (for cutters) and DXF Faces (for 3D) out of the box — plus ships a native SketchUp plugin.