How to vectorize an image and create your own original vectorized images? step by step guide

When a user chooses an avatar as a virtual identity for different social networks or video games, we can often wonder how he made this image so similar to his face without suffering major deformations and at the same time being sharp.

What this person did was vectorize an image that was composed of a bitmap into a file that can be enlarged considerably without losing sharpness. In order to carry out this work, he had to resort to different tools.

In this article we will talk about what vectorizing means and what are the alternatives we have to do this task in an easy and fast way. In addition, we will include all the step-by-step steps to use the Adobe Illustrator program on a computer or from our mobile device.

What is vectorizing an image and what is the point of doing it?

Pixels are the smallest units that an image has, they are indivisible and show a certain color in a compact way.

When we change these pixels for geometric figures that are dependent on each other, we are generating a vector image. In this way we will be able to enlarge the size of the image and obtain a better resolution of it, since these vectors do not suffer from the deformities that the set of bitmaps has.

The most used geometric figures are lines, circles, ellipses, Bezier curves and Bezigons.. For example, if we have a circle and we want to vectorize it, we will have to take it according to its diameter, the center and also consider the radius to be able to enlarge it.

What kind of programs are needed to create a vector from a photo?

In order to vectorize a photo we can do it according to the following tools that we name below:

bitmap software

As we mentioned earlier, in order to display images on our screens, they have to be translated into pixels or bitmaps through a double input structure pattern of color points, which we will call matrix.

What bitmap software does is convert those maps into vectors, that is, they work in the form of an art workshop where they are created and edited in a “work table” the different photographs according to the controls and functions. Many of these tools work with mathematical systems.

Online Tools

These pages are an excellent alternative for beginner users. Through these tools we simply have to upload the image in a file with format JPG, PNG, BMP Y gifs.

In a short time it will return a vectorized image with extensions SVG, EPS Y PDFwhich we can download without any type of restriction.

Steps to vectorize an image from any device easily and quickly

When we need to convert a bitmap from a file into a vector image, we can choose different programs no matter what kind of device we are doing it from.

We will show you below the necessary steps to vectorize an image in an easy and fast way:

With Adobe Illustrator

To use this program through our computer and convert a bitmap of an image, for example, in PNG format into vectors, we will follow this guide:

• Once we have the program open we select the image
• We look for the option “Window”
• We click on “image tracing”
• We select photo of “High Fidelity”
• Then we click on “Okay”
• We look for the option “Source Image” and we click on it
• We press Expand

Right now we will have a vectorized image with thousands of points. What we have to do now is edit it.

When we have this software installed on our mobile device we will have to follow these steps that we show below:

• We open from our mobile the Illustrator Capture appto be able to take a photo, if we do not already have it saved in another destination
• We choose the option “Shapes”
• We select “+”
• We seek to correctly frame the image to which we will take the photograph of the drawing that we want to vectorize and wait a few minutes
• We select “To perfect”
• We verify that the image is in shape and close the application

At this time we will have to open another software module to be able to continue with our steps. If we already had the image and we don’t need to take the picture, we will need to start from this stage.

We follow the steps:

• We open the app IllustratorDraw
• We choose the format with which the image will count, those can be: Large portal, letter (vertical), Android tablet (vertical), Android tablet (landscape) a square
• We choose the tab “My projects”
• We select “Library Forms”
• We choose the image and then we edit it
• We click on send to Illustrator CC

Next, we will go to our computer and the image will open with which we can finish its edition.

With Vectormagic.com

When we need to vectorize images in a simple way, we can use the Vectormagic online tool.

Next we will show the necessary steps:

• We enter the website
• We have two alternatives, one is to drag directly on the image to an area indicated by the Internet site and the other is to choose the image through its location. For this last option we look for “Choose the image”.
• We select the location of it by searching for the folder where it is located.
• We click on “To accept”.
• Next, it will show us a process of loading the image and editing it.
• It will indicate the level of detail that it has, to which we can indicate if it is a digital image or a drawing, giving us the option to process it as an illustration.
• Subsequently we choose the level of details and colors.
• For a more advanced edition we can edit the result by dividing the segment
• Once we are satisfied with the work, we select “Download the result”.

List of the best programs and websites to vectorize images automatically

As we have mentioned before we have two alternatives to convert a bitmap image into a vector document.

For it, we need to decide which path to choose. If we opt for software that we have to install on our computer or mobile device or for a website that we cannot do for free without the need to download anything to our computer.

Next, we will show the best tools that exist for each of these two alternatives:

GIMP

With this program we can avoid our images in an advanced way, since it has different controls that will allow us to carry out specific measurements according to each one of the needs that we have. This available for the Windows operating system and we can download it through BitTorrent or directly.

INKSCAPE Draw Freely

This professional image editor will allow us to vectorize each of our files in a really perfect way. Thanks to this application we can have results with a few steps and without spending much time learning how to use it.

It is available for Windows, MacOS and Linux operating systems. It is characterized by being an open source software.

CorelDRAW Graphics Suite

This creative graphic design tool will allow us to create true works of art in a very precise way since it has controls with which we will be able to carry out our task in the best professional way.

It is available for Windows and Mac OS operating systems or is a 15-day free trial.

auto tracer

We can create our vector graphics with very few steps from the raster images. Simply we have to upload the file or enter the urlgiving us a maximum dimension of 5000 x 5000.

It allows us the option of choosing the number of colors from monochrome to 256. It is a completely free and easy-to-use tool.

Vectorization

It allows us to convert our pixel images into true vector graphics with very few steps.

Like the previous page, they are very simple steps we can get a really good result. We simply have to upload the file or copy the URL. It allows us to choose the output format, which can be SVG, EPS, PS, PDF, DXF. The maximum upload limit is 3000 x 3000.

Online Convert

It offers the possibility to add this tool as a extension of our Google Chrome browser. We can convert the images into vectors through the choice of our file, whether it is in our browser or in the cloud. We can also do it by entering a URL.

It gives us the possibility to make optional adjustments such as modifying the size, color and DPI.