Trace Image

Quick Reference: Trace Image

Converts images into vector graphics.

Location

Tools → Trace Image

Right-click → Trace Image
Keyboard Shortcuts

Alt/Option+T

Use the Trace Image tool to convert imported images into vector graphics.

This is useful if you want to edit an image that has high contrast or well-defined edges, including logos, silhouettes, cartoons, sketches, and handwriting. You can trace photographs as well, but results will vary based on the composition of the photograph.

Trace Image Window¶

After selecting an image in your Workspace, select Tools → Trace Image, right-click the image and select Trace Image from the context menu, or press Alt/Option+T to open the Trace Image window.

Preview¶

In the image above, the purple lines are the vectors that LightBurn has produced from the image being traced. As you adjust settings in the Trace Image window, the purple lines will change to reflect the new vectors that will result from the updated settings.

You can Zoom and Pan the preview using the same controls as in the Workspace, and double-click the middle mouse button to reset the view.

Fade Image¶

Click Fade Image to dim the image, increasing the visibility of the vectors (purple lines) in the preview.

Boundary¶

Click and drag in the preview to specify a portion of the image to trace. Click Clear Boundary to reset it.

Show Points¶

Click Show Points to toggle visibility of the nodes in the preview of the resulting vectors.

Trace Options¶

Cutoff and Threshold¶

The Cutoff slider controls the lower end of the range of brightness values that LightBurn will outline with vectors, and the Threshold slider sets the upper end. The default is 0 to 128, which traces around all values in the range of 0 to 128 brightness, excluding lighter values in the range of 129 to 255 brightness.

Increase Threshold to include lighter values.

Increase Cutoff to remove darker values.

Ignore less than¶

Instructs LightBurn not to trace areas where the amount of pixels in the valid brightness range is lower than this number. Increase the number of pixels in the Ignore less than field to clean up noisy images by removing small areas from the result.

Optimize¶

Increase the value in the Optimize field to reduce the number of nodes in the resulting vectors, similar to Optimize Selected Shapes.

A value of 0 leads to no optimization, while excessively high values can reduce accuracy. The default of 0.2 usually provides a good balance between accuracy of the result and node count.

Smoothness¶

Increase Smoothness to turn more line segments of the resulting vector into curves. Set it to 0.0 to create only lines (left), and 1.33 to create only curves (right).

Trace Transparency¶

Turn on Trace Transparency if you wish to trace an image based on its alpha layer.

Sketch Trace¶

Turn on Sketch Trace for photographs of pages with uneven lighting — for example handwriting, sketches, and documents. LightBurn will look for edges in the image with this setting enabled, based on local differences in contrast, rather than relying on the brightness or darkness of the whole image.

Delete image after trace¶

Turn on Delete image after trace to automatically remove the image from your project upon hitting OK.

Editing the Trace¶

After hitting OK, you will be presented with a Group containing the resulting vectors. To edit the shapes individually, you must first Ungroup them.

After they are Ungrouped, you can edit them as you would any other shape.

Hidden Vector

If you can't see the vector, it may be hidden by the original image, click and drag the image out of the way to reveal it, or Push the image to the back of the draw order.

Troubleshooting¶

Tracing works by automatically creating an approximation of the pixel-based image in vector format, and while LightBurn's trace function is extremely robust, it remains limited by both the computationally-difficult nature of this task, and the quality of the image it is presented with. In some instances fine details — for example sharp corners and small text — may not be converted well during this process. If changing the Trace options doesn't overcome this issue, exit the Trace Image window and try using Threshold Image Mode to engrave the original image instead of tracing it.

For more help using LightBurn, please visit our forum to talk with LightBurn staff and users, or email support.