Prepare the image

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You can optionally pre-process the image to improve trace quality. The Image handling area of the PowerTRACE dialog box includes options for upsampling or downsampling, removing JPEG artifacts, or removing the background.

Increase image resolution

Upsampling increases the effective resolution of an image before tracing. A higher-resolution version is created and used for the trace, while the original image remains unchanged. Use upsampling when important details are too small or unclear in the original image. It can help improve results for thin lines, fine edges, or compressed images where detail may be lost.

The application provides two upsampling modes:

Upsampling is applied as a pre-processing step before tracing, so the trace engine operates on the enhanced version of the image. You can switch between upsampling modes or other resampling options, and the trace result updates accordingly.

Depending on your system hardware configuration, upsampling an image by using the Illustration and Photorealistic methods can take from a couple of seconds to several minutes. A progress bar in the PowerTRACE dialog box indicates the status of the operation. The time required may vary based on system performance and other processes running on your computer.

Reduce image resolution

Downsampling reduces the resolution of the source image before tracing. A smaller version is used for the trace, while the original image remains unchanged.

Very high-resolution images (such as 16K) do not improve trace quality because tracing converts raster images into resolution-independent vector shapes rather than reproducing pixel-level detail. To improve performance, the application typically downsamples extremely large images before tracing.

Remove JPEG artifacts

Images with JPEG compression artifacts or dithering may appear noisy or visually degraded. Removing these artifacts before tracing can produce a cleaner, more accurate vector result.

Remove image background

Removing the background isolates the main subject before tracing and excludes unwanted background elements from the traced result. This reduces unnecessary objects and is especially useful for logos, cutouts, and illustrations. Note that this feature requires an internet connection. When the feature is unavailable or disabled (for example when you are offline or using a version of the software that doesn’t include it), you can use the background color removal feature instead. For more information, see Remove background color.

Keep or remove the source image

After tracing, the original bitmap remains on the drawing page by default. You can keep the bitmap for comparison or delete it to work only with the vector artwork.

To prepare an image for tracing

 

To	Do the following
Upsample an image	Choose one of the following options from the Resample mode list box: • Upsample (Illustration) — optimized for artwork such as logos, drawings, illustrations, and digitally created images • Upsample (Photorealistic) — optimized for photographic images
Downsample an image	From the Resample mode list box, choose Auto-downsample (16 MP+).
Remove JPEG artifacts	Enable the Remove JPEG artifacts check box.
Remove the image background	When online, enable the Remove image background check box.

To delete the source image

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