Crucial step: Prepare or optimize the bitmap in bitmap software first where you have much better control, before doing vector versions. Posterize filter, or exaggerate contrast, curves and levels carefully in Photoshop or Photopea with the vector versions you want in mind.
super awesome tutorial. I have been using inskape for a few years now and I love how sharp it makes the vector images. I use this feature to screen print super clear and sharp artwork on shirts and wood. it is priceless. thanks again.
Thanks for posting this! I've used the trace bitmap function once or twice but really want to learn more about how it works and more importantly, how to use it properly. Thanks!
I use Trace Bitmap quite a bit to convert photos into something I can plot with my AxiDraw pen plotter. I wasn't always sure what some of these options did. Thanks for the thorough and clear explanation!
I always feel that Trace Bitmap is more art than science so avoided it for a long time. But I played with it recently and found 0.75 Brightness cutoff is really good for b/w line drawings used in sewing so I can process these really quickly now.
I'm using trace bitmat to get vector graphic of a simple graphic (like logo from game so I can scale it up to fit my desktop as wallpaper) and using autotrace (I think it's a new feature?) works very well.
I still don't care what you talk about. I just come to listen to your voice and the music. : ) Sort of just kidding. I love your voice and the music, but the info you give is always so helpful. Thank you for videos that keep on giving. (May 2023)
I found this feature great to combine with "simplify path " for creating some cartoon type characters! Just grab some photo of some interesting person and make simple cartoonized character!
Hi Nick, This is super helpful. I am looking to create simple outlined images in black. Is there a simple way to maintain black borders around an image and eliminate the color within the image using trace bitmap? The end result I am after would look like a coloring book picture of the image. Does that make sense? Thanks! Jane
The trace bitmap feature is not working. When I import my image and go to the Trace...Bitmap...and when the window opens and I hit the Live Preview nothing shows up in the box and no layer is created. What do I do?
This might seem redundant, but you can use single trace for all sorts of monochromatic pictures, not necessarily black and white only. Worth noting in case anyone thought they might need to remove the saturation in a single-color photo so it was black and white before trying to trace.
Hello Thanks for this great video, I have a question. Can I use this technique for laser engraving? I'm trying to convert photos into vectors like this that can be engraved on a leather surface, but I'm not sure if that will work or not
@Logos By Nick- Love these tutorials- thank you for the approach and the information staging you do- it is appreciated from a Gen Xer who was not as techno-oriented as the common market needs... Realize these are 2 years old- and if you even see/read/respond- Would love to know if Inkscape can be used for building Wordpress Templates! My dude- if youre ever in my neck of the woods- coffee's on me! Subscribed and thank you 100% Be safe and as always- at peace!
Another good video thanks Nick. I find that "Trace bitmap" virtually never gives satisfactory results unless a stylised/approximate "image" is required. Its just asking too much of the software.
I really like your guide and appreciate them. One that liked the most was the "How To Prepare Logo Files for Clients" via Illustrator. I'd like to ask you, would it be possible to make a similar guide for Inkscape?
So when I use regular bezier tool and using left click try to make curves, i find it difficult to make my next curve as it forces me to curve in the opposite direction. So say I make a curve towards the left hand side by drawing a line and then using left click, to make the next curve on the same side there is simply no option as it doesn't curve on the left hand side no matter what i do, moreover it suggests to curve towards the right hand side. It is super frustrating and making is impossible it to trace anything.
You make this program look so easy. I watch and think to myself, 'I can do that" only to struggle along the way. I love your style and presentation. Well done. Hey when I fill a vecotr it never seems to fill fully, and leaves a white edges, unless I zoom and fill and then it works. Is this my bad doing or an Inkscape bug? Thanks again for all your help.
The white edges might be a stroke that has been applied to your object. Try holding Shift and clicking the little red X in the bottom left corner where the color bar is. You may also have the alpha channel turned down a bit. Check the color properties in the fill and stroke menu (control + shift + f)
I really don't understand Inkscape. If I press "update", it only works one time. Then any change in the trace bitmap function does not work anymore no matter what I select and how many times I press "update". Same thing for the filters, it just won't apply to my picture. Not sure what I'm doing wrong...
Hi sir please you help me? I want to know that i want to print a one of the project i designed in gimp but i don't know why there's not showing cmyk profile.. so please help me 🙏
Hi Nick! Great tutorial as always! I’m having a hard time figuring out how to perform bolean operations after tracing a color bitmap. Is there a way to raster or “unify” the color layers to single vector image?
Need some help here please, When I do this. Whenever I click update it says *select an image to trace* It also has no preview image when clicking update aswell.
Great video Nick! I would love to be able to use trace bitmap but my Asus laptop doesn't give me the shadowed replacement image that I should?? Do you have any suggestions ? Thank you
If you make an update of this video, could you please include some information how to handle the resulting image? f.e. the guitar. do we group them to keep them together? is there anything like union or flatten which will help reduce the nodes? thx.
Exactly. What do you do with it afterwards? As far as I can tell, the resulting traces are not useful at all for making into cut files, being able to change the colors, etc. I can't find any tutorials on this.
The less complex the image the better. a pumpkin sketch with lots of colours and shading could be too complex as inkscape struggles with Complex colours in finished illustrations, watercolours etc. A pumpkin that is lineart will scan easily and speed up your workflow you can then add more details and colours in inkscape
very interesting! thank you! I came here looking for this function but to "auto trace" better for simpler stuff, like 2D logos? As example, I wanted to parody a Harley Davdson logo, I just wanted the "shield" shape to write something else inside, but I couldn't get it auto traced easily, it ended all wobbly and imperfect, with corned rounded and stuff, so I traced it manually, there is a way I could get more perfect for more simple shapes?
They both produce the same results. One advantage Illustrator’s Image Trace has is that it’s a bit more stable, so it won’t crash the application as easily.
Illustrator doesn't have to perform multiple runs of Potrace to get every color, for one thing, so it handles colors much better. Also a lot more sensible options which affect the result. That being said, the results are still terrible. Just less terrible. And sometimes AI does produce something usable.
The most current. He usually does an overview video for all the major updates. It's always a good idea to use the most current release version unless there is some plug in that you absolutely need for your work that is broken by an update
Crucial step: Prepare or optimize the bitmap in bitmap software first where you have much better control, before doing vector versions. Posterize filter, or exaggerate contrast, curves and levels carefully in Photoshop or Photopea with the vector versions you want in mind.
super awesome tutorial. I have been using inskape for a few years now and I love how sharp it makes the vector images. I use this feature to screen print super clear and sharp artwork on shirts and wood. it is priceless. thanks again.
I just worked through a simple project last night where I needed this video. Damn, Nick, what timing.
I’ve been struggling to figure this out and this video helped so much, you’re a lifesaver man thank you
Thanks for posting this! I've used the trace bitmap function once or twice but really want to learn more about how it works and more importantly, how to use it properly. Thanks!
I use Trace Bitmap quite a bit to convert photos into something I can plot with my AxiDraw pen plotter. I wasn't always sure what some of these options did. Thanks for the thorough and clear explanation!
I love your tutorials! I have to play them in half speed but I appreciate how informative and concise they are
😄Half speed. Now I'm going to do the same.
Your videos are VERY helpful. Thank you for taking the time to make them.
Thanks for all you do to help us all!
A new video Yay!!! I have learned a lot from your Inkscape tutorial videos. Thank you.
easily the clearest vid i've found on this process. thanks a million for the help!
Really useful. I appreciate you breaking down each of the options and what they do. Looking forward to episode on pixel art next!
How on earth are EVERY SINGLE ONE of your videos so good?
Best Guides EVER.
This is exactly what I need to save time converting my Magna Doodle drawings into 2D Game Sprites! Thank you and the Devs!!
I see why you have the most subs of people doing tutorials. Hands down the best
I always feel that Trace Bitmap is more art than science so avoided it for a long time. But I played with it recently and found 0.75 Brightness cutoff is really good for b/w line drawings used in sewing so I can process these really quickly now.
I'm looking at this at 2:30 am from India. No regrets😎🙌🏻
sleep early and wake up early is the key to learn anything
How can I ever thank this guy
Thank you a lot Nick!
thank you for this tutorial!
Thanks kindly for this.
This video explains quite a bit. Thanks.
Thank you this help a lot man
Thanks for this!!
Ouuu yeah! Greetings from Argentina
awesome! thanks!!
Thank you, thank you!
Good video. A lot of info
I have to try this! 😁
This guy do be fueling the laser engraver community.
Awesome!!
thank you kindly!
Awesome !
Nice video, thanks :)
Thanks mate 🙏
Thank you.
Incredible
Hey nick, from my understanding there are new options for tracing bitmaps would be a great opportunity for a new video in this subject
THANKS!
I'm using trace bitmat to get vector graphic of a simple graphic (like logo from game so I can scale it up to fit my desktop as wallpaper) and using autotrace (I think it's a new feature?) works very well.
I still don't care what you talk about. I just come to listen to your voice and the music. : )
Sort of just kidding. I love your voice and the music, but the info you give is always so helpful. Thank you for videos that keep on giving. (May 2023)
So many videos bookmarked!!
I found this feature great to combine with "simplify path " for creating some cartoon type characters! Just grab some photo of some interesting person and make simple cartoonized character!
Mr Nick an update to the inkscape pattern video would be great, thank you
Great tutorial. A quick question: what is the difference between "open" vs. "import", and "save" vs. "export" a document?
Many thanks!
God was hoping for one on the 24, would have released on my birthday lol
i like your music! :)
Thumbs up!
Thanks.
Hi Nick, This is super helpful. I am looking to create simple outlined images in black. Is there a simple way to maintain black borders around an image and eliminate the color within the image using trace bitmap? The end result I am after would look like a coloring book picture of the image. Does that make sense? Thanks! Jane
Ok that's pretty good. I was looking for an auto tracing alternative to adobe. 👍🏻
The trace bitmap feature is not working. When I import my image and go to the Trace...Bitmap...and when the window opens and I hit the Live Preview nothing shows up in the box and no layer is created. What do I do?
This might seem redundant, but you can use single trace for all sorts of monochromatic pictures, not necessarily black and white only. Worth noting in case anyone thought they might need to remove the saturation in a single-color photo so it was black and white before trying to trace.
When you said you had a powerful computer, Idk why but I felt good and happy even though I don't have it.
Hello
Thanks for this great video,
I have a question. Can I use this technique for laser engraving? I'm trying to convert photos into vectors like this that can be engraved on a leather surface, but I'm not sure if that will work or not
I'm using an older version of inkscape for this because it has live preview for bitmap tracing, the current version doesn't have live preview.
What was the hotkey again for making something smaller or bigger from the middle?
@Logos By Nick- Love these tutorials- thank you for the approach and the information staging you do- it is appreciated from a Gen Xer who was not as techno-oriented as the common market needs... Realize these are 2 years old- and if you even see/read/respond- Would love to know if Inkscape can be used for building Wordpress Templates! My dude- if youre ever in my neck of the woods- coffee's on me! Subscribed and thank you 100% Be safe and as always- at peace!
Never thought I'd miss CorelDraw!
Another good video thanks Nick. I find that "Trace bitmap" virtually never gives satisfactory results unless a stylised/approximate "image" is required. Its just asking too much of the software.
Imagine the world without your content
better not
Probably my channel will never exist if so LOL
Is there a way to isolate a color? For example, what if I just want to scan only the red part of the guitar and ignore the rest?
When I do color tracing I try to reduce the colors in the original file for better results
Likewise. I also like to adjust the color curves in GIMP
@@LogosByNick I'm sure you already knew that, might be something to add to a follow up video
I really like your guide and appreciate them. One that liked the most was the "How To Prepare Logo Files for Clients" via Illustrator.
I'd like to ask you, would it be possible to make a similar guide for Inkscape?
+1 for this!!
does the bitmap tracing work only with white background? I've been trying with white text on black background without success. Any advice?
So when I use regular bezier tool and using left click try to make curves, i find it difficult to make my next curve as it forces me to curve in the opposite direction. So say I make a curve towards the left hand side by drawing a line and then using left click, to make the next curve on the same side there is simply no option as it doesn't curve on the left hand side no matter what i do, moreover it suggests to curve towards the right hand side. It is super frustrating and making is impossible it to trace anything.
You make this program look so easy. I watch and think to myself, 'I can do that" only to struggle along the way. I love your style and presentation. Well done. Hey when I fill a vecotr it never seems to fill fully, and leaves a white edges, unless I zoom and fill and then it works. Is this my bad doing or an Inkscape bug? Thanks again for all your help.
The white edges might be a stroke that has been applied to your object. Try holding Shift and clicking the little red X in the bottom left corner where the color bar is. You may also have the alpha channel turned down a bit. Check the color properties in the fill and stroke menu (control + shift + f)
I really don't understand Inkscape. If I press "update", it only works one time. Then any change in the trace bitmap function does not work anymore no matter what I select and how many times I press "update". Same thing for the filters, it just won't apply to my picture. Not sure what I'm doing wrong...
Hi sir please you help me? I want to know that i want to print a one of the project i designed in gimp but i don't know why there's not showing cmyk profile.. so please help me 🙏
Hi Nick! Great tutorial as always! I’m having a hard time figuring out how to perform bolean operations after tracing a color bitmap. Is there a way to raster or “unify” the color layers to single vector image?
Boolean operations won’t work on groups. You could use clipping paths as a workaround though.
@@LogosByNick I’ll try that! Thanks! 👍🏼
Need some help here please, When I do this. Whenever I click update it says *select an image to trace* It also has no preview image when clicking update aswell.
Great video Nick! I would love to be able to use trace bitmap but my Asus laptop doesn't give me the shadowed replacement image that I should?? Do you have any suggestions ? Thank you
If you make an update of this video, could you please include some information how to handle the resulting image? f.e. the guitar. do we group them to keep them together? is there anything like union or flatten which will help reduce the nodes? thx.
Exactly. What do you do with it afterwards? As far as I can tell, the resulting traces are not useful at all for making into cut files, being able to change the colors, etc. I can't find any tutorials on this.
In B&W does the white get removed automatically?
Is it possible with drawings? I mean if you drew smt on a paper, took a picture of it and used it, would this technique work? Thanks!
The less complex the image the better.
a pumpkin sketch with lots of colours and shading could be too complex as inkscape struggles with Complex colours in finished illustrations, watercolours etc.
A pumpkin that is lineart will scan easily and speed up your workflow you can then add more details and colours in inkscape
What if my image is Solid white text with a transparent background that is showing to be Solid white?
Can you share what are the specs of your pc? So i know what you mean by powerful? Thanks
very interesting! thank you!
I came here looking for this function but to "auto trace" better for simpler stuff, like 2D logos?
As example, I wanted to parody a Harley Davdson logo, I just wanted the "shield" shape to write something else inside, but I couldn't get it auto traced easily, it ended all wobbly and imperfect, with corned rounded and stuff, so I traced it manually, there is a way I could get more perfect for more simple shapes?
Damn, I was hoping you would explain one setting I never figured out the use for - SIOX...
Good video though :)
What does it mean if no preview shows up?
Bro I am new user ,, plz tell me how to render or save final results. Plz🙏
Setting is the key
what's your computer spec?
is the results any better in Adobe illustrator?
They both produce the same results. One advantage Illustrator’s Image Trace has is that it’s a bit more stable, so it won’t crash the application as easily.
Illustrator doesn't have to perform multiple runs of Potrace to get every color, for one thing, so it handles colors much better. Also a lot more sensible options which affect the result. That being said, the results are still terrible. Just less terrible. And sometimes AI does produce something usable.
What's the difference with inkscape trace , and adobe illustrator trace ? I canceled my adobe illustrator .
I work on inkscape on the pxl
👍
What are your computer specs Nick?
Can you pls say which GIMP version are you using...
The most current. He usually does an overview video for all the major updates. It's always a good idea to use the most current release version unless there is some plug in that you absolutely need for your work that is broken by an update
@@jcast25 What send the name of it (the current version of GIMP).
@@jojijord_Rs 2.10.22 is the current release version.
gimp.org
Bro tell me how to save the BMP bitmap image in inkscape
Hi Chris :D
How to save BMP bitmap image
A halftone video please!
Hi Mychal, I have several halftone videos on this channel. Just check the search bar.
Remember that if the result comes out inverted, there's a checkbox available in the same Dialogue, to counteract this inversion.
what is name software?
please make a tutorial on how to make pixel art in gimp .
Pretty good info but that black background you are using makes things very hard to read.
How long will we wait for the new video?
trace no longer works in v1.1 on Windows 10