Guide reviewed by SculptOK ·
1. Choose direct tracing or AI preparation
SculptOK Images to SVG converts raster images into black-and-white vector paths. It accepts PNG, JPG, JPEG, BMP and WebP files. Direct trace uses the uploaded pixels; the AI styles first create a new monochrome interpretation, then trace that result.
Use Direct trace for clean, high-contrast drawings, logos and lettering when you want to keep the source geometry as closely as tracing allows. It runs locally in your browser, costs no generation credits and can be used without logging in. Photos often produce busy shapes because their shading is converted into black regions.
For a photograph or textured illustration, consider Flat, Outline, Silhouette, Engraving or Linocut. AI styles require login and use the credit cost displayed beside Generate. They can alter details and lettering. This converter does not preserve multiple source colors or generate an SVG from a text prompt alone.
2. Upload and generate your SVG
Open Images to SVG, upload your file, choose a style and select Generate. Uploading alone does not start conversion. Use a clear source with a simple background; crop away elements you do not want before uploading.
Direct trace turns the source into vector paths. An AI style prepares the image first and traces it automatically when generation finishes. If an AI image was returned but conversion failed, Retry SVG conversion reuses the prepared image instead of starting another paid generation.
Inspect the result for readable small features, unwanted background shapes and missing gaps. Vector paths scale without pixelation, but tracing does not recover detail that was absent from the source.
3. Adjust SVG refinement
Start with Balanced. Detail keeps more small features; Simple removes more small regions and allows greater curve simplification. They are starting points, not promises of a particular visual result. When you refine a completed result for the selected style, it is traced again locally without another AI generation.
Increase Curve simplification to reduce path complexity; lower it to follow the traced boundary more closely. Compare thin lines, corners and small lettering after each change. On already binary artwork, changes may mainly reduce curve complexity rather than visibly change the style.
| Control | What it changes | When to adjust it |
|---|---|---|
| Curve simplification · 0.05–2 | Higher tolerance permits simpler curves; lower tolerance follows the boundary more closely. | Increase for overly complex paths. Decrease when important contours lose their shape. |
| Black / white threshold · 0–255 | Pixels at or below the threshold become black. Raising it includes more darker and midtone pixels. | Raise to strengthen faint regions; lower when black regions merge or white gaps disappear. |
| Speck cleanup · 0–200 | Removes small isolated regions during tracing; a higher value removes more small features. | Increase to remove noise. Lower when dots, small islands or fine details are missing. |
| Corner softness · 0–1.3 | Controls the corner-versus-curve treatment; higher values favor smoother contours. | Lower for sharper corners; raise for smoother boundaries, then compare against the source. |
4. Download and check the file
Select Download SVG beneath the completed result. The file contains vector paths, rather than a raster image renamed with an SVG extension. Disconnected outer shapes are organized into groups while holes remain associated with their enclosing shapes.
Completed SVGs and refinement settings are stored in browser-local, account-scoped history. Keep a downloaded copy: clearing browser storage removes local records, and full SVG files and their settings are not synchronized across devices. Existing server AI images may be recoverable separately.
For engraving or cutting, open the file in your target application and inspect dimensions, closed regions and narrow gaps. An SVG is artwork; it does not include a finished machine job or material settings.
Common questions
Can I convert PNG or JPG to SVG for free?
Yes. SculptOK Direct trace converts supported images into monochrome SVG paths locally, without generation credits or login. AI style preparation is a separate workflow that requires login and the displayed credits.
Does the SVG preserve the original colors?
No. This converter currently creates black-and-white filled paths. It does not provide multicolor vector tracing.
Is Outline a single-line or centerline trace?
No. Outline prepares contour artwork, but the exported SVG contains filled shapes around those lines. It is not centerline tracing.
Can I edit individual vector nodes in SculptOK Images to SVG?
The converter offers tracing controls and SVG download. It does not expose manual node editing in this workspace; use a vector editor when you need to reshape individual paths.
Does selecting a preset immediately use credits?
No. Selecting a style, uploading a file and changing refinement controls do not submit an AI generation. The Generate action submits the selected AI workflow.