Vectorize a PNG or JPEG to SVG in Gesso
Select a raster image, run Vectorize, compare the traced result, and keep the version that is easier to edit and scale.
Gesso can trace supported PNG and JPEG artwork into vector geometry. This works best for logos, icons, lettering, and flat artwork with clear edges. A photograph can produce a more layered result, but it will not become a semantic illustration automatically.
If you need a new document first, use the first Gesso project guide.
Add the raster image to a canvas
- Open a Canvas document.
- Add or import the PNG or JPEG you want to trace.
- Place the image at a useful size on the canvas.
- Select the image block.
Gesso only shows Vectorize when the selected block contains supported raster image data.
Run Vectorize on the selected image
- With the image selected, choose Vectorize from the selection dock or the canvas context menu.
- Wait for the local trace to finish.
- Gesso places a new vector block in the same frame and gives it a name based on the source image.
- Move the new block beside the original and compare the silhouette, holes, corners, curves, and colors.
- Keep the raster image until you are satisfied with the vector result.
The trace runs from the encoded PNG or JPEG bytes. You do not need to upload the image to a tracing service for this action.
Check whether the trace is useful
Zoom in on the areas that define the artwork. Look for closed shapes where there should be holes, lost thin strokes, rough curves, or extra regions caused by texture and compression.
Do not judge the result only at thumbnail size. A vector can look convincing from a distance and still contain geometry that is hard to edit.
Deliver the traced result
Keep the editable Gesso document as the source. In the browser, SVG export refuses a document that contains embedded vector blocks — and a traced result is one — so PNG and JPEG are the file formats available for traced content today, and PDF pages are rasterized images. The SVG export reference describes what a static SVG carries when a document qualifies for one.
For a larger delivery with raster outputs, follow the vector and export workflow.
Vectorization checklist
- The source is a supported PNG or JPEG.
- The selected image has clear edges at a useful resolution.
- Holes, thin strokes, corners, and curves match the source closely enough.
- Extra shapes from texture or compression have been reviewed.
- The editable Gesso source is saved before export.
- An exported file has been opened outside the editor.
Pro tips
- Start with the cleanest, largest source image you have.
- Remove a distracting background before tracing when the mark should stand alone.
- Compare the raster and vector side by side before deleting either one.
Common questions
Gesso accepts supported PNG and JPEG image data. Simple logos, marks, icons, and flat artwork usually produce the clearest vector result.
Vectorize an image in Gesso
Open a canvas, add a PNG or JPEG, and turn it into editable geometry.