Seasoned CAD and BIM users will know the importance of importing images and reference pictures into a file. This is mainly used for transferring sketches or old scanned copies of plans and detail drawings into workable vector files and building models. Alternatively, there might be more niche uses such a process, such as translating graphic files into workable linework for unique architectural details, mural walls, laser-cut metal signs, and CNC-machined woodwork. Whatever the use, it’s important to get the details and scales accurately.

A 2D floor plan drawing in ArchiCAD. (Source)

Most people find importing an image into ArchiCAD and making it usable a difficult process to undergo. You could always opt to do the import and conversion manually, but that takes time and effort to do, especially if the image is complex and you’re unsure about what you’re doing. Alternatively, there is also conversion software out there to take care of this process but the ones that do the conversion seamlessly and accurately are few and far in between. In this post, we’ll talk about ways to accurately import 2D raster images into ArchiCAD and make them completely editable.

Scan2CAD tutorial: Converting an image for ArchiCAD

First off, we should start with a video tutorial on how Scan2CAD, a professional and internationally acclaimed conversion program, can take flat 2-D images and turn them into a DXF or DWG file which are the supported ArchiCAD file types.

Image types for ArchiCAD

Before anything else, we will have to first discuss the two types of images you can choose to import into ArchiCAD and the differences between the two. In general, there are raster images and there are vector files.

Raster images are image files made out of a bunch of colored pixels. Imagine digital pointillism. JPG, TIFF, BMP, PDF and PNG are examples of raster image formats (although PDF files can contain both raster and vector entities). Vector images, on the other hand, are sequential mathematical statements converted into image form. A vector image of a circle, for instance, is actually comprised of data that dictate the radius, thickness, line type, color, etc. of the circle.

CAD programs natively deal with and edit vector images so vector images are much easier to import into ArchiCAD than raster types. In fact, DXF and DWG file formats are actually vector files.

For this post, in particular, we’ll be discussing how to import raster images and convert them into workable formats for ArchiCAD. For raster to vector image conversions, Scan2CAD supports all raster file types and can actually also deal with any vector image type.

How do you import raster images into ArchiCAD?

When it comes to importing images into ArchiCAD, there are two main methods you could use, to manually trace an image or to use automatic conversion software.

Option 1: Manual trace

Manually tracing an image

Manually tracing the image is the go-to (and painstaking) method for ArchiCAD users that don’t have the know-how on how to utilize good conversion software. It’s tedious and, depending on the complexity of the image to be traced, could last for countless hours. Conversion software, on the other hand, let the conversion process happen in an instant for most cases and can save you a whole lot of time and effort. This frees you up to tackle more important and mentally taxing design processes.

There are certain BIM and CAD operators that prefer to use manual methods for its supposed better accuracy. Users like these have probably already tried other free online converters and have been turned off to the idea of automated conversion due to the countless errors and poor results of these programs. That’s why it’s critically important to choose the right conversion software.

Option 2: Conversion software

Automatically converting an image to DXF/DWG using Scan2CAD

Some CAD and BIM software will have built-in conversion functionalities or have conversion plug-ins that can be integrated into the program. ArchiCAD as of now does not have that option. Still, you can opt for third-party quality raster and vector conversion software such as Scan2CAD.

Scan2CAD is an image conversion application that deals with both raster and vector conversions and is designed for both CAD and CAM. For the past two decades, we have focused on developing our program for an optimized and streamlined conversion experience. Scan2CAD saves time and money for design, engineering, and manufacturing companies all over the world.

If what you need is a clean and accurate conversion of any image into readily editable vector formats for ArchiCAD, Scan2CAD offers the best output in the industry. It’s a standalone, third-party application that offers OCD and clean object recognition. This even covers complex entities such as text.

Dispelling doubts

Most users who doubt the accuracy of conversion software usually do so because of output they’ve come across in the past that had poor or downright inaccurate results. Poorer-quality conversion software actually tends to convert every object in the original image into the same type of vector element. For instance, a circle in the original image would sometimes be converted into a polygon with dozens of individual lines as sides instead of a circular entity with one continuous edge. This kind of error is doubly difficult to deal with when it comes to more complex entities such as text objects.

Text, arcs, circles, and anything that isn’t a simple straight line will be outputted as thousands of connected vector lines and would be as much of a pain to correct as just tracing over the image manually.

This is where Scan2CAD’s object recognition capabilities come into play. The program’s ability to identify entities and objects in the raster or vector image and process it accordingly sets it apart from other conversion software.

How does Scan2CAD handle text?

Scan2CAD utilizes OCR capabilities for handling text entities. OCR stands for optical character recognition and seamlessly converts the text in an image into editable text objects. These are identical to the usual text lines that you put into ArchiCAD, which makes importing these images all the more convenient.

Other conversion programs that don’t have optical character recognition will instead turn text in an image into dozens of lines or polylines. This type of exploded text is the bane of most CAD operators and is the main thing that turns would be conversion software users away from automated conversion.

Conclusion

If you need to import images into ArchiCAD for editing purposes, you could certainly just trace over the image manually. If the image is simple or if you have a lot of time on your hands, this might be sufficient. But if you’re looking to streamline the process or if you’re planning to make image conversion a more regular part of your design process, we highly recommend you choose software that was designed to streamline this type of conversion work.

Scan2CAD is by far the most accurate program out there for raster and vector conversions. With software like this, you’ll save hours and hours of work and free yourself to do more important design and engineering tasks.

Let’s begin with a demonstration of how professional conversion software, Scan2CAD, can convert an image to an AutoCAD format.

Table of contents

• What types of images can you convert to AutoCAD?
• What are your options when converting an image to AutoCAD?
  • Manually trace the image
  • AutoDesk’s Raster Design
  • Convert with conversion software
• Why do some converters create poor quality results?
• What if the image contains text?
• Conclusion – How to convert an image to AutoCAD

What types of images can you convert to AutoCAD?

To answer that question, we should first get specific; in this post, we’re focussing on converting raster images to an AutoCAD format DXF or DWG (e.g. convert JPG to DWG or convert JPG to DXF.) A raster image is an image formed of pixels such as JPG, BMP, TIF, and many more file types.

Raster images are different from vector images. Vector images (such as vector PDF files) are typically much easier to convert to an AutoCAD format because DXF and DWG are also vector file types. The technical term for converting raster images to DXF/DWG is ‘raster to vector conversion’.

Scan2CAD supports all the raster and vector image formats you would come across including JPG, BMP, TIF, DXF, DWG as well as raster and vector PDF files.

What are your options when converting an image to AutoCAD?

When you need to convert an image to AutoCAD you have three options:

1. Manually trace the image
2. Convert using Raster Design
3. Convert with conversion software

Option 1: Manually trace the image

If you opt to manually trace a drawing you will commit yourself to a long painstaking process of drawing over each individual element in your image. It’s surprising that many people are still manually tracing raster images when automatic conversion software could save them countless hours and therefore budget.

Some AutoCAD users may prefer to manually trace an image because they believe that it is not possible to achieve a high degree of accuracy with conversion software. This is due to the vast difference in conversion accuracy offered by the available JPG DWG converter or other conversion software (most notably, the poor results provided by online converters). In almost all cases, the far better option is to automatically convert your image to AutoCAD format and then manually edit the file to get that final 1% accuracy if required.

Option 2: AutoDesk’s Raster Design

Raster Design is Autodesk’s solution for automatically converting a raster image for AutoCAD.
Unfortunately, Raster Design is not AutoDesk’s core product and it doesn’t offer much of the required functionality to produce useful converted images, therefore a significant amount of manual input is still required.
Raster Design utilizes simplistic vectorization methods which are not designed to convert each image element to its correct vector CAD entity. Instead, all elements will be represented as lines or polylines.

Raster Design may be commonly used by AutoCAD users due to the fact that it is part of the AutoDesk product offering. Therefore there is little friction in trying Raster Design’s conversion results first before finding that better results can be achieved with another solution.

Option 3: Convert with conversion software

Using Scan2CAD to convert text and other elements in an image

Scan2CAD is raster and vector conversion software designed specifically for CAD & CAM. We have spent the last 20 years focused purely on improving the conversion performance, saving time and money for the world’s design, manufacturing, and AEC companies.

If you need to convert an image to AutoCAD format you will most likely find that Scan2CAD will offer the best performance in almost any circumstance.

Unlike Raster Design, Scan2CAD is a standalone application that doesn’t need to be run as a plugin to other CAD software. Scan2CAD offers OCR and object recognition which means you will convert image entities (including text) to the correct vector CAD data.

Why do some converters create poor quality results?

Scan2CAD converts a circle to a vector circle entity, not a collection of lines

The worst type of image conversion would be to convert every object in your image to the same vector element. For example, some vectorization software might convert a circle in an image to thousands of small vector lines or polylines instead of a single CAD circle entity.

With this type of simplified vectorization software; the text, arcs, circles, and all other elements would be represented as many individual connected vector lines. But that is practically useless if you need to edit the CAD drawing in AutoCAD.

This is why you need conversion software that has object recognition capabilities. What is object recognition? It is the process of identifying entities (objects) in your raster image and converting them to the correct vector CAD entity.

What if the image contains text?

If your drawing contains the text you will need to ensure that your conversion software has OCR capabilities. OCR (optical character recognition) converts text in your image to editable vector text strings, identical to the text strings you would create when writing text in AutoCAD.

If your conversion software does not have an OCR feature, the software will instead convert all the text in your image to a collection of vector lines or polylines. We call this ‘exploded text’ but it is not really a ‘text’ at all, but simply vectors in the shape of a ‘text’.

Text converted to individual vector lines

Text converted to text strings using OCR

The ‘exploded text’ can not be edited in CAD software so you will need to erase these vectors and redraw the text in AutoCAD.

Conclusion – How to convert an image to AutoCAD

If you need to convert an image for AutoCAD we recommend that you choose software designed specifically for that purpose.

Scan2CAD offers the most accurate photo to CAD conversions of your raster and vector designs. With automatic conversion software, you will save countless hours spent fixing poor-quality conversions or manually tracing files.

And yet, despite these capabilities being right at their fingertips, many designers still rely on the trusty pencil and paper approach—at least for the early stages of a project. Given the availability of sketching software, you may assume that CAD has replaced the need for hand-drawn designs. So, if they aren’t technically necessary, why are people still producing them? 

There are actually a number of reasons we shouldn’t turn our back on doing things ‘the old-fashioned way’. It depends on what exactly you’re designing, of course, but sketching by hand can prove useful to a project in both practical and creative ways. Combining these benefits with the vast capabilities of CAD software could prove to be the best approach. 

Let’s take a closer look…

Table of contents

• The creative process
  • Liberating for the artist
  • Issues of accuracy
• Skill
• Cost
  • Time
  • Thinking green
• Communication
  • Presentation
  • Sharing
• Quality
• Are hand-drawings a lost art?
  • Convert your paper designs with Scan2CAD

The creative process

It is still reasonably common for designs drawn on paper to play a role in the early stages of a project. At this point, ideas are still being conceived and many designers enjoy the freedom of being able to play around with materials. Using computer software, with its set tools and the limits of a screen, can stifle creativity in a way that sketching with a pencil does not. 

Liberating for the artist

Graves’ hand-drawn design of Denver Central Library. Image source: Michael Graves & Associates via The New York Times

Some would go so far as to say that drawing by hand onto paper is not just useful, but vital to the creative process. In a 2012 op-ed for The New York Times, the late Michael Graves explained the intertwined nature of hand-drawing and architectural design:

Architecture cannot divorce itself from drawing, no matter how impressive the technology gets. Drawings are not just end products: they are part of the thought process of architectural design. Drawings express the interaction of our minds, eyes and hands.

For certain designers, drawing on paper is not just a way of presenting their work—it is how they form their designs in the first place. Sure, those using the latest CAD software can also produce initial sketches on the computer, but drawing by hand allows for a more flexible exploration of ideas. 

In practical terms, it also means that designers and architects can draw-up ideas whenever inspiration strikes. Not relying on a computer system means you don’t have to be tied to a desk. A pencil and paper can be taken anywhere! 

Issues of accuracy

Before you become a complete convert to hand-drawing, it’s important to acknowledge its limitations when it comes to professional designs. The freedom of sketching on paper can mean that the resulting drawings suffer in terms of accuracy and precision. What’s gained in creativity may not be very helpful for those whose job it is to turn the ideas into some kind of a reality…

Using CAD software to create designs provides the comfort of knowing that the technology is taking care of the mathematical equations, leaving you to focus on the creative side. A computer is likely to flag up any dimensional or structural errors before they are noticed by the designer, for example. 

Skill

A focus on paper designs can be limiting in other ways, too. While the ability to draw by hand used to be an essential skill for those in the design sector, CAD software had opened the door for people who have great ideas but struggle to get them down on paper. There are many talented designers out there who aren’t necessarily great artists. Replacing hand-drawings with sketches created on a computer has therefore allowed more people to enter the design industry. 

While hand-drawing is beneficial to the creative process, not everyone has the artistic skills to produce work like that shown in the video the above by hand.

Then again, anyone who has had to get to grips with new CAD software knows that it isn’t always straightforward! To become proficient enough on a computer to produce detailed designs may require some formal training. Complex technology can be quite hard to master at first. This could mean it’s tricky to have full control over your ideas when just starting out. 

If a career in design is your goal, though, you really do have to get with the times. Most (if not all) jobs in these sectors will expect you to understand how to use the leading software and be able adapt to the latest versions quickly. 

Cost

Time

If design is part of your career and not just a hobby, the old mantra ‘time is money’ will no doubt ring true. The speed with which you are able to create different designs may have a direct impact on how much you are able to earn. Whether hand-drawing or using CAD software allows you to work faster largely depends on the type of project you’re working on.

Those working on film sets, for example, have found that members of the art department sketching by hand (be they cinematographers or production designers) can produce work quicker than those ensconced in the digital design side of things. The former have the luxury of being able to draw directly onto construction blueprints, while the latter must first build 3D models of the set before they can start layering on new elements. 

On the other hand, people working in manufacturing need to be able to easily switch between different scales and amend aspects of a design without slowing down the entire production process. For such tasks CAD software is pretty unbeatable. Rather than having to re-draw the whole thing, on a computer it can just take a few clicks to alter a design in accordance with a client’s demands. 

Thinking green

If you’re just starting out or money is a bit tight, creating designs with a pencil and paper is obviously a much cheaper way to work. There’s no need to invest in pricey software or worry about racking up an eye-watering electricity bill. 

We live in an age, though, where it’s also important to think green in another sense—being eco-friendly. In terms of the cost to the planet, computer software doesn’t use up as much material or create as much waste as drafting on paper. Those who are conscious about such things should keep in mind that storing and sharing designs on computers is better for the environment. 

Communication

Designers often work with people who may not be creatively-minded or have a thorough understanding of the laws of physics. This means it is vital that the drawings they produce effectively convey their intended concept and (at least hint at) its potential.

Presentation

Hand-drawn plans can be a great way to present designs because there is an intimacy to them that suggests both originality and flexibility. If meeting one-on-one with a client, it is quite easy for designers to quickly make tweaks to their work or draft slightly different alternatives during the collaboration process. 

Using both hand sketches and computer drawings can be even more effective. The video below shows how layering hand-drawn designs on top of technical drawings created with CAD software can produce a highly-detailed and accurate floor plan. It’s also a great example of how complex these designs can be and the amount of different factors one needs to consider before embarking on such a project!

Some even argue that computer images can be too realistic—giving the impression that there is little room for manoeuvre. There’s little doubt, though, that combining both approaches can elevate your work to the next level.

Consider the fact that CAD software provides the means to create mixed media presentations. You can chart the evolution of a design from drawings on paper to 3D models and a virtual reality experience. If this doesn’t thoroughly express what you’re attempting to create, nothing will!

Sharing

A major advantage of creating designs using a CAD program is that your work will be much easier to save and share. You can produce as many identical copies of a design as you want and share them with collaborators all over the globe in the click of a button. For practical purposes it is therefore advisable to convert your work to a digital format at some point. 

Just imagine if you were to distribute the paper version of your designs and then learn of an error or modification that needed to be implemented. It would be an absolute nightmare to rectify. A lot of current CAD softwares actually store design specifications in one central data set. This means that any changes trigger automatic updates within files that can be seen by everyone working on the project. 

Quality

Sketches are great when forming ideas, but in its final stages a design should be characterised by precision and clarity. The slick results offered by computer software can be hard to match by hand. 3D renders and CGI technology provide an incredibly realistic vision of a designer’s work. For professional results with the least amount of manual labor, CAD is the way to go. 

This does not mean that hand-drawing cannot produce high-quality results. On the contrary, products designed by hand are often associated with luxury. As you can see in the video above, many top fashion houses rely on designs drawn by hand as the basis of their products. This links back to the idea that using a pencil and paper can encourage a more fruitful creative process that results in original work. 

Are hand-drawings a lost art?

Given the number of designers still relying on a pencil and paper, at least at the formative stages of their work, it doesn’t seem accurate to suggest that this method is a ‘lost’ art. There is no doubt, however, that the advanced capabilities of CAD software present a decent alternative to traditional methods. As this technology is likely to continue to improve, it is very possible that in the next decade or so the process of hand-drawing designs (at least in the AEC sector) will become obsolete. 

The obvious (or perhaps on-the-fence, depending on your personal standpoint) conclusion is that each technique is suitable at different stages of a project. For the sake of preserving the creative process and allowing people to work on the go, it would be beneficial for the two methods to continue to coexist. There will always be people who favour one over the other, but for now there is no reason to make either approach the industry standard.

Convert your paper designs with Scan2CAD

If you do want to enjoy the best of both worlds, the good news is that Scan2CAD makes converting your paper drawings into CAD designs incredibly simple. It’s a case of scanning your paper design into the software (this can be done directly or indirectly, depending on the scanner you are using), saving it as a raster file format and making any necessary clean-ups, and then converting said file to a vector format. This vector file can be easily edited with CAD software, allowing you to make the most out of your designs.

With Scan2CAD at your disposal, you’ll enjoy a range of benefits, including:

• The ability to convert your designs to a wide range of popular raster and vector file types.
• An extensive suite of drawing and editing tools that can be used on both raster and vector designs.
• Powerful OCR technology that automatically converts text and can even be trained to recognise handwriting.

To test out Scan2CAD’s features for yourself, simply download a free 14-day trial using the link below.

Our guide will take you through the intricacies of tracing, looking at how each process works—measuring up the cost and man hours of each method. We’ll even answer the all-important question: which method is the most cost-effective?

Table of Contents

• Tracing 101
  • Rasters and vectors
  • Why is conversion necessary?
• How manual tracing works
• How automatic tracing works
• Cost comparison
  • Manual tracing
  • Automatic tracing
  • Which is best?

Tracing 101

Image tracing—otherwise known as vectorization—is the process in which we trace over a raster image in order to create a vector. There are two methods to this process: manual tracing or automatic conversion. We’ll look more closely at how these two methods work—and what types of software you can use to do so—further below. Firstly, however, we’re going to run through the reasons as to why we need to vectorize images or drawings in the first place. 

Rasters…

It’s practically impossible to browse the internet or your favorite social media platform without encountering a raster image. In fact, you’re using raster images without even realizing it—from the photographs you share on Facebook to the GIFs that you send to your friends. Incredibly easy to share and store online, it’s no surprise that rasters are so popular in web graphics and photography. 

While rasters do come with advantages—holding incredible detail and millions of colors—they’re not always ideal. Made up of colored pixels, raster images have no real structure—you can’t even edit the individual pixels. Additionally, pixels ensure that raster images can only be displayed at a set resolution. To attempt to change the scale—or zoom in—would result in a major loss of quality. The inability to attach information to rasters further renders them useless for CAD. 

Vectors…

If rasters are the preferred file format for photographers, vectors are the preferred format for designers and engineers. Not only are vectors devoid of the many issues that plague rasters, they also come with a range of benefits—not the least of which includes a compatibility with CAD software. 

Vector images use an entirely different method to storing image data. Instead of using pixels—inheriting their abundance of issues—they use objects. A vector will display the individual elements of an image. Examples of elements include—but aren’t limited to—lines, curves, shapes and text. And that’s not all that makes vectors so different to rasters. Each object that’s displayed in a vector is defined by mathematical coordinates—meaning you can view a vector at any scale without any loss in quality. To put it simply, vectors are infinitely scalable. 

Whilst you can’t edit individual pixels in a raster image, you can quite easily make edits to the individual elements within a vector image. This ability is particularly useful when it comes to working with your vector drawings in CAD software. Not only can you edit and reuse elements, you can also attach data to them—specifying material, size and dimension. 

Why is conversion necessary?

If you’re working in industries like graphic design, you’re relying on artwork and designs that are of a high quality. Raster images—while detailed—are resolution dependent. Let’s say that you’re using a single logo multiple times on your website. If you need the logo in different sizes, you’ll have to create multiple versions of your raster logo—you can’t just resize and hope for the best. If you convert your raster designs to vector instead, however, you can use the same vector logo for any purpose. It doesn’t matter if you’re using it as a tiny icon or a huge wallpaper design—it’s infinitely scalable. 

The more prevalent use for conversion—tracing, or vectorization—is for CAD and CNC. As we’ve said, raster images aren’t compatible with CAD software—or CNC for that matter. For example, if you’ve scanned a hard copy architectural drawing, you won’t be able to use the digital raster copy directly in CAD. You can, however, convert your scanned drawing ready for use in CAD—and later CNC if you so wish. 

Manual tracing

How it works

And now for the interesting part! The first method we’re going to look at is manual tracing. As you’d expect from the name, manual tracing involves a drafter tracing over a drawing by hand. By doing so, they create a vector representation of their raster image. There are two ways to do this: 

• In an image editor, use your mouse to trace over your drawing with vector entities
• Use a tablet and graphics pen to physically trace over your image

Many drafters opt for manual tracing for a more “hands on” experience. While it does give a drafter ultimate control over the tracing process, it also requires them to have a lot of skill and patience to do so. This control however, plays into one of the biggest benefits of manual tracing—human understanding. When you’re working with older, dated drawings, you have the advantage of understanding where you should be tracing. 

Of course, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows when it comes to manual tracing. Sit back for a moment and try to think about how long it would take you to physically trace over one of your architectural plans or contour maps. Manual tracing can be an incredibly long process depending on your experience, skill and choice of image editing software. And, while you might have a great understanding, your spatial accuracy won’t ever measure up to some automatic converters. 

Automatic tracing

How it works

Whilst manual tracing offers a more hands-on approach, automatic tracing takes it completely out of your hands. You’ll start by scanning your drawing and opening the subsequent raster image into a conversion software package. The software will detect the lines, shapes and text present in your image—drawing over them with vector entities. By the end, you’ll have a vector image. 

Automatic tracing with Scan2CAD

One of the biggest disadvantages to manual tracing is how time consuming it can be. With the right conversion software, however, you could convert your raster in minutes. If you’ve got a heavy workload, or you’re a freelancer looking to complete as much work as possible, this is extremely beneficial. If you’re using the right software, it doesn’t even matter what types of drawings you’re converting—whether they’re mechanical plans or CNC profiles. 

That being said, automatic conversion isn’t without its flaws. In almost all cases, you will have to put in some manual work. You have to ensure the image you’re converting is of the highest quality, and you’ll have to make some minor tweaks to ensure you get the best possible vector output. 

To figure out which method is more effective—in regards to cost and time—we’ve put together a manual and automatic trace cost comparison below.

Cost comparison

Now that we’ve explained how each process works, we’re going to look at which method is most cost-effective. Is it cheaper—and easier—to get a professional drafter to convert your drawings to CAD for you? Or are you better off trying it yourself manually or with an automatic converter? Don’t worry—we’ve got all the answers for you below!

Manual tracing

Professional drafters use a variety of software—ranging from AutoCAD to SolidWorks—to convert the designs of engineers or architects into technical drawings. They also make use of manual tracing to convert hard-copy and digital drawings to vectors, ready for use in CAD. To help you get a better idea of how much time it would take a drafter to trace your drawings, we’ve put together a video below. It’s a brief snippet showing the process of manually tracing an architectural plan using Scan2CAD. 

In the video, we made use of Scan2CAD’s variety of tools to trace over our architectural plan. In this case, we use vector lines to trace over it, much like you would with tracing paper. Now, the time taken to manually trace a drawing varies depending on a variety of factors including: 

• Your level of experience
• The software you’re using
• How complex the drawing is

The manual trace shown in the video above would take anywhere between 5 to 10 hours. If you’re using other software, like Inkscape or Illustrator, you’re looking at an even longer process. So, how much would it cost you to get a drafter to do this process for you?

The cost and man-hours

The median salary for drafters in the US in 2017 stood at $54,170 according to the BLS—that’s $26.04 per hour. So how much would it cost for the a drafter to trace the drawing in the above video? The speed with which a drafter converts your drawing will vary depending on their experience and level of expertise. Let’s assume the worst and say that it will take them 10 hours—that’s $260.40 if we’re going by an hourly rate. Alternatively, assuming they can get it done quickly and closer to the 5 hour mark, it will set you back $130. 

Looking at online CAD drafting services, the price varies. We see quotes of $125 ranging from  to $640 for the same sized drawing. But these quotes will of course increase depending on such factors as image quality, complexity, the nature of the elements in the drawings and so-on.

What if I do it myself?

If you’re put off by the cost of getting a professional to manually trace your drawings for you, you might want to look into doing it yourself. Ultimately, it all depends on how much time and money you’ve got to dedicate to your projects. 

Beware of using generic graphic design software (such as Inkscape , Adobe Illustrator and CorelDRAW ) for tracing technical drawings these appications are not designed for CAD/CAM requirements and although they may support such files as DXF, they do not support the types of data and vector elements required for CAD/CAM.

Don’t forget to weigh up the man-hours involved. Depending on your experience, chosen software and the complexity of your design, it could easily take over 10 hours to manually trace your drawing. If you’re doing that with dozens of drawings in a month, is it really cost-effective?

If you’re working towards tight deadlines and you’ve got a steady stream of drawings to convert to CAD, we’d definitely recommend avoiding manual tracing. In fact, we’d even avoid outsourcing CAD conversion and advise you do it yourself via automatic tracing. 

Automatic tracing

As we’ve said, manual tracing has its advantages and disadvantages. One thing’s for sure, however: unless you’re willing to spend a lot of time and money on your conversions, automatic tracing might be your best bet. To give you an idea of what you can expect, we’ve included an excerpt of us automatically tracing the same architectural plan as above in Scan2CAD. 

With just the click of a few buttons, the entire vectorization process took mere seconds to complete. Of course, taking into account the time taken to manually tweak the image before and after conversion, you’re looking at 1 to 2 hours of work overall.

The cost and man-hours

So how much would it cost you to buy a conversion software package that will do most of the work for you? As we’ve said, there are image editors that offer automatic tracing, such as CorelDRAW and lllustrator but these are not suitable for CAD/CAM & CNC requirements.  If you’re going to the effort of looking at a cost comparison of manual and automatic tracing, then you’ll want to use something worth your time and money. 

Specialized conversion software packages might seem costly at first. Take Scan2CAD, for example. This market-leading conversion software package—which we’ll look further into below—can be purchased on a monthly or annual basis.

Let’s look at why these pricing options would save you so much time and money over any other option. Taking the examples above in the manual tracing section, you’re looking at an average price of around $130-$260 for each converted drawing, depending on where you go. If you’re in the market to convert large, complex technical drawings, you’re probably looking at the higher tier of expense which is $260+. 

So which is best?

If you’re only converting the occasional drawing to CAD, you could probably get by with paying a drafter to do the work for you. If you’ve got enough time on your hands, you could even get away with doing it yourself. It’s a great way to build up your drafting experience after all, and who knows your drawings better than you? And if you already have software like AutoCAD or Illustrator that enables you to manually trace your drawings, you don’t have to spend any additional money. 

Of course, this all changes when you throw deadlines and heavy workloads into the mix. If you’re looking at converting hundreds of drawings in the space of a year, manual tracing really isn’t an option. Even if you’re only converting a handful of drawings per month, it’s still a heavy expense—particularly if you want it done quickly and efficiently. 

Automatic tracing—done using the right kind of software—can speed up your entire workflow and save you money. If you’re a freelance drafter, it would enable you to take on more clients and complete more work than ever before. You can even use a combination of manual tracing with an automatic converter—tracing your drawings by hand, scanning and converting the subsequent raster image.

The answer is yes—Vectorworks comes with its own automatic tracing tool, which we will show you how to use. We’ll even show you how to automatically trace an image with Scan2CAD if you’re looking for a more specialized trace!

Tracing: what is it?

Tracing is the process of converting a raster image into a vector image. It’s done by drawing over a raster with vector entities such as vector lines, polygons and text strings. If you’re a regular in the world of CAD and CNC, you might have heard of this process by another name—vectorization. This process can be done manually or automatically. 

Manual tracing—as the name suggests—involves tracing over a raster image by hand. This can be done in certain software with a mouse. Alternatively—using a more hands-on approach—you can trace an image using a graphics pen and tablet, enabling an arguably smoother process. Automatic tracing by comparison involves using a conversion software to convert your raster design. 

So which method is best? 

It all depends on what type of image you’re converting and how much time you’ve got on your hands, as we discussed in tracing: manual or automatic. 

Manual tracing might be a suitable solution if you have a simple design which you can draw over with a small number of vector elements.  However, the process can be very time-consuming—particularly if you’re working with complex images or you need to convert more than one image. 

Automatic tracing, by comparison, is a speedier process. Tracing software is increasingly adept at picking up on the subtleties of images and drawings now—some even come with Smart OCR capabilities. If you’re working with low-quality images, however, you’ll have to be prepared for cleaning your raster image before conversion. Software like Scan2CAD has automatic image cleaning tools called ‘Raster Effects’ which will make the image suitable for conversion.

Automatic tracing can be a speedy process—here we’ve converted a TIFF to a DXF in mere seconds using Scan2CAD.

So why do we need it?

If you’ve followed us so far, you might be wondering why exactly we need to trace an image to begin with. In fact, if you’re new to the world of CAD, you might not even know what rasters and vectors are—let alone the differences between the two. 

You couldn’t go a single day without encountering some form of a raster image. Raster images—like JPGs, PNGs and GIFs etc—are all formed using a grid of colored pixels. If you’ve ever zoomed into a photograph, you’ll have noticed tiny squares that appear, ruining the overall quality. These squares are pixels, which become more prominent when you try to change the size of an image. Not only are rasters resolution dependent, they’re also difficult to edit. 

Vector images—like DXFs and DWGs—by comparison, are more likely to be encountered in graphic design and CAD. Vectors are special in that they’re mathematically perfect. Made up of paths, you can zoom into them as much as you like without affecting the quality at all. Vectors aren’t just infinitely scalable however, they’re also easy to edit—you can modify each individual element of one. These elements can also contain masses of data, which makes them perfect for CAD—enabling users to create designs replicating real-world objects. 

Here you can see the difference in quality when zooming into a raster image versus a vector image.

Is that all?

Vectors files are the industry-standard format in CAD. By using vectors, users can edit individual parts of their drawings—even reusing them in other drawings. Nowadays, most companies work electronically—sending their work across the world. It’s for this reason that tracing is so vital to the CAD industry.

If you’re a business—or individual—who possesses a lot of hard copy drawings, e.g., electrical plans or architectural plans, then you can scan them and convert them to a vector. This then allows you to edit your drawings in CAD software, ready to be sent across the world. 

A little about Vectorworks

Developed by Nemetschek Vectorworks Inc, Vectorworks is a cross-platform CAD and BIM software. With it, users can create 2D and 3D models using parametric features. It also offers photo-realistic images and 3D rendering which is incredibly useful for users who want to show clients their finished product before starting production. 

Vectorworks isn’t just offered through one single package, it has different suites—each designed with a specific industry in mind: 

• Architect
• Landmark
• Spotlight
• Designer
• Fundamentals

While it might be tempting to compare Vectorworks to software like AutoCAD, it’s more appropriate to compare it to Autodesk’s Revit instead. This is because Vectorworks is a drafting, designing and rendering package with BIM capabilities. While the learning curve might be steep, it’s certainly a package to look out for if you’re in the AEC or entertainment sector. 

Automatic tracing using Vectorworks

Vectorworks comes with a simple Trace Bitmap command which enables users to convert imported image files into vector lines. Users can either opt to use default settings, or change the two presets available for the trace.

Begin by importing your raster into Vectorworks the same way you would open a file in any other program. You should then select the entire bitmap using the selection tool. To begin the trace, select Modify > Trace Bitmap. Once you do so, a dialog box will pop up. This gives you two preset options: 

• Thin Line Threshold: sets the maximum number of pixels to be recognized as a single line. 
• Collinearity Sensitivity: sets the segment size and accuracy of the trace. 

You can opt to use the default settings, or you can alter the threshold and sensitivity yourself. Once you’re happy, click OK to start the trace. It can take anywhere between a few seconds and an hour depending on how complex your image is. It’s a simple enough process, as the video below shows. 

A setback you might have with tracing using Vectorworks is that there isn’t much room for changing parameters with your trace—all you can change is the threshold and collinearity sensitivity. This is a stark contrast to software like Inkscape, Illustrator and CorelDraw which offer additional tracing feature presets. If you’re just looking for a simple trace however, Vectorworks will more than suffice. 

Automatic tracing using Scan2CAD

So it’s possible to trace using Vectorworks—why would you need to use any other package? It’s simple really. Vectorworks is a CAD and BIM package which offers a general trace. This might be an issue if you’re looking for a specialized solution for CAD. And that’s where Scan2CAD comes in. 

A market leading CAD/CAM and CNC conversion software, Scan2CAD offers a suite of tools all designed for the solution of converting your designs accurately and quickly.

How does it work? Scan2CAD uses shape recognition to identify raster elements and proceeds to convert them to appropriate vector entities. The lines and edges of your raster are subsequently redrawn as vector lines, shapes and text. You don’t even have to worry about the image issues that plague rasters—highlighted below—due to Scan2CAD’s full raster and vector editing suites. 

With ease of use and accessibility in mind, Scan2CAD also offers batch processing for users who are looking to convert hundreds of files at once. And with smart OCR, you don’t have to worry about discrepancies when converting raster text to vector text—it can even be programmed to understand handwritten text. So before you start looking into CAD outsourcing, try out everything Scan2CAD has to offer in a free 14-day trial. 

Looking to stay updated on everything in the CAD, CAM and CNC world? Keep a close eye on Scan2CAD’s blog covering topics ranging from BIM to CAD on Android to which CNC control software should I use?

Interested? Scan2CAD has put together a guide to show you exactly how to manually trace an image using DraftSight. We’ve also describe how you can automatically trace your image using Scan2CAD!

Automatic Tracing: Converting an architectural drawing (TIFF) to a vector CAD format (DXF) in Scan2CAD

What is tracing?

Tracing is the process of drawing over a raster image with vector lines, and other vector entities such as beziers, polygons, text strings and so on. This then gives you a vector output. So, what’s the difference between raster and vector files? To put it simply, vector images are much more suitable for CAD.

Raster images—like JPEGs and PNGs—are mostly used for photographs, they are programatically simple to create and display since they are effectively a grid of color blocks. They’re not always ideal, however, as they come with many disadvantages. When you want to make changes to a raster image, any edits you make will be made to the entire image. Essentially, it’s like painting over the whole image, instead of altering specific elements. Additionally, rasters are made up of pixels which affects the quality of the image when you try to resize it. This means that rasters are resolution dependent. 

In contrast, vector images are mathematically perfect. They’re made up of paths, which means that you can scale the image up and down as much as you’d like without impacting the quality of the image. In other words, vectors are infinitely scalable. Meanwhile, it is possible to edit each individual element within a vector image without impacting on the rest of the image. Each element can also contain masses of data, making vector images perfect for CAD work, which often involves creating designs which replicate real-world objects.

Tracing is the process of identifying objects within the image and converting them to their appropriate vector entity.

When would I need to trace an image?

Vector files are the industry-standard format in CAD. By using vectors, you can edit individual elements and re-use them when you start a new drawing. If you have a raster image that you want to use in CAD software, you can trace it to convert it to a vector. Similarly, if you have an old technical drawing, you can scan it and convert it to a vector. 

If, for example, you work in architectural design you may wish to assign co-ordinates and real-world measurements to a vector element such as a line representing a wall. This is all possible with industry standard vector file formats such as DXF and DWG. 

How does the process work?

You can choose to trace manually or automatically. As the name suggests, manual tracing involves drawing over a raster design by hand. This can be done with your computer mouse or with a graphics pen and tablet. It can be a time-consuming process, which is why many opt for automatic tracing instead. This process is enacted with conversion software which detects the shapes and lines of your raster and redraws them as vector entities. 

Not sure which method is right for you? Check out our article on manual and automatic tracing.

What is DraftSight?

Another popular product from Dassault Systèmes, DraftSight is a freemium 2D CAD product used worldwide. With it, users can access, create and edit DWG files. It also supports the DXF file format, which is supported by so many programs that it is effectively the lingua franca of CAD. In DraftSight, users can easily create entities, move them, and store them in libraries for future use. Designed to target different users, DraftSight comes in three separate packages, each offering more advanced capabilities as you go along: 

• Free DraftSight
• DraftSight Professional
• DraftSight Enterprise

While SolidWorks supports both 2D and 3D, DraftSight focuses only on 2D, which eradicates any competition between the two products. It has an easy-to-use interface for those familiar with CAD software. And, with a relatively easy learning curve, it’s of no surprise that DraftSight is such a popular CAD product. 

Manual Tracing using DraftSight

Whether you’re a regular user of DraftSight or you’re debating using it, you might have wondered if it was possible to use it for tracing. The answer is yes—it is possible to manually trace an image with DraftSight. 

• Import your image. Click Insert > Reference Image. For a better look, you might have to zoom into it.
• Open a new layer. You’ll want your trace to be in a new layer in case you make any mistakes. 
• Trace over your image. Using drawing tools such as line and arc, you can trace your reference drawing. 
• Delete the original layer. Once you’re happy with the trace, you can delete the layer below. 
• Save your image. You can save your trace as a DXF or DWG—it couldn’t be simpler. 

Of course, there are setbacks to tracing in DraftSight. One of the main issues you’ll face is scaling. If you’re looking to print in a PDF format, for example, you’ll find that DraftSight can occasionally export off-scale. Additionally, you’ll have to ensure that your original image is at the right angle and aligned before you can even import it into DraftSight. 

What About Automatic Tracing?

If you’re a hobbyist, or you have a very simplistic design which you need to convert then you could survive by manually tracing your image using Draftsight.

However, if your line of work requires you to regularly convert designs or if your designs are more complex than a few simple shapes you would greatly benefit from automatic image tracing.

Here’s a floorplan — before and after conversion! We’ve used Scan2CAD to convert it from a scanned image (left) to an editable vector (right), and saved it as DXF

We recommend that you learn the difference between general raster to vector conversion software compared to a specialised solution for CAD. Scan2CAD is conversion software for CAD/CAM & CNC. This specialized solution uses shape recognition to identify raster elements in your design converting them to their appropriate vector entities. With shape recognition dash-lines will be converted to vector dash-line entities, arcs will be converted to vector arcs and so-on. 

Scan2CAD offers unique conversion presets for all types of technical drawings. Whether it’s an electrical plan, a CNC drawing or a contour map, you’re going to get a unique trace that takes different variables into consideration. 

Automatic Tracing Using Scan2CAD

Scan2CAD is a market-leading raster-to-vector converter. It specializes primarily in the conversion of technical drawings. As we mentioned in the above section, Scan2CAD comes with vectorization settings that ensures its automatic trace is specifically catered to the type of image you’re converting.

With a full raster and vector editing suite, you don’t have to worry about the many problems that plague raster images as highlighted below: 

Scan2CAD’s ‘Raster Effects’ help you avert the the problems caused by poor quality images.

The process couldn’t be simpler with Scan2CAD. The software detects the lines and edges of your raster image and then redraws them using vector lines, shapes and text. It takes into consideration aspects like line weight, angles and even the type of line. By using pre-programmed variables that control how the conversion is enacted, Scan2CAD ensures you get a precise conversion. And with capabilities like batch processing and smart OCR, you can convert hundreds of images in next to no time at all. 

As with many software packages out there, you can try out Scan2CAD with a free trial. But don’t worry—it doesn’t come with any limitations. This means that you can convert your images without the worry of watermarks or a conversion limit. Don’t settle for anything less than the best—start your free 14-day trial with Scan2CAD today. 

Want to stay updated on all things CAD, CAM and CNC-related? Check out Scan2CAD’s blog covering topics ranging from generative design to building information modeling to Autodesk software compared.

Scan2CAD has put together a guide showing you how you can trace using SketchUp ready for use in the program. We’ve even included alternative ways to trace an image for SketchUp or CAD/CNC. Plus, get a free download of Scan2CAD. 

Video Tutorial: Automatically Tracing an Image for SketchUp

First, let’s jump right into a video tutorial showing you how to use Scan2CAD to automatically convert your images for SketchUp.

What is tracing?

As you may already know, tracing—or vectorization—is the process of converting a raster image to a vector image. It can be done through manual or automatic tracing. 

• Manual tracing is completed by drawing over a raster image with a mouse. You could also make use of a tablet and graphics pen for a more hands-on approach. 

• Automatic tracing is completed with conversion software. It detects shapes and lines in your raster and draws over them with vector entities. 

If you’re not pressed for time, manual tracing can be very beneficial. You don’t have to use high quality raster images, because, unlike conversion software, you know and understand the image. Alternatively, if time is of the essence, you can opt for the speedier process of automatic tracing. Converters like Scan2CAD can enact the process in a matter of seconds, as opposed to hours. 

Vectorization is a vital process in industries like graphic design and engineering. Vector images, unlike rasters, allow for masses of crucial data to be attached to each element of an image. Additionally, they are infinitely scalable. This means you can display them at any size without loss of quality.

Another key advantage of using vectors is that you can easily edit each individual object within a vector image. You can even reuse them when creating new designs. It’s also possible to scan and trace old paper technical drawings, allowing to use the resulting vector output in CAD software.

For more information, check out raster versus vector. 

SketchUp

SketchUp—formerly Google Sketchup—is a 3D modeling program that can be used in a range of fields, from architecture to mechanical engineering to video game design. It’s available as freeware with SketchUp Make and a paid version with SketchUp Pro. It comes with 3D Warehouse—an online library—which provides free model assemblies like windows and vehicles which users can then share and use. 

Its learning curve isn’t too steep, so most people can pick it up quickly enough. While the Pro version comes with more capabilities, you can quite easily get away with just using the free version. 

Tracing using SketchUp

If you’re a fan of working with SketchUp, you might have wondered if it was possible to use it for tracing. The answer is yes—it is possible to manually trace an image in SketchUp. The video below for example, shows how to trace a portion of a bridge expansion joint using SketchUp: 

• Import your image into SketchUp. Click File > Import. The size of the image doesn’t matter—you can alter its scale at the end. You can also zoom in if you need a better look at the image. 

• Use a bright or noticeable color. Pick the color of your trace before you start; make sure it’s bright so that you can see it over your image. Head to Window > Styles > Profile. 

• Trace over your image. Use drawing tools such as line and arc. Zoom into the image to get it as accurate as you can. 

• Move the trace. Once you’ve completed the trace, you can select the lines to move it away from the original image. 

• Alter the scale. The scale can then be altered so that it’s more accurate or to your liking. 

Limitations and alternative methods

It can be time-consuming to trace using SketchUp, particularly if your image is complex. CAD drawings, for example, contain a variety of shapes, line types and text. Fortunately, there are alternate methods.

You could quite easily vectorize using Illustrator and export the vector paths to a DWG or DXF format, which you can then open and use in SketchUp. If you’re pressed for time, this would be a more viable method, because it involves automatic tracing. You can also do this with software like CorelDRAW and Inkscape.

But what if you’re looking for a specialized approach? CAD drawings are like fingerprints—each one is unique and, as such, requires a similarly unique conversion solution that takes different variables into consideration. This is where Scan2CAD—the ultimate vectorization software—comes in. 

Why choose Scan2CAD?

Scan2CAD specializes primarily in the conversion of technical drawings to editable vector images. With its vectorization settings, users can convert different types of drawings using pre-programmed variables. This means that you get a conversion that’s especially suited to your image type—whether you’re converting contour maps, mechanical drawings or images for CNC—in a matter of seconds. You could then quite easily use the output vector in SketchUp or a CAD program of your choosing. 

Using Scan2CAD’s raster and vector editing suite, you can avoid common image issues and optimize your image to give you the best possible output. We even have a variety of raster effects and a raster quality checklist that users can take advantage of to fix any problems. And that’s not all. Smart OCR enables users to train the software to recognize new fonts or handwriting. And if time isn’t on your side, you can make use of batch processing to automate the conversion of hundreds of files at once. 

Interested? Try out Scan2CAD in a free 14-day trial with absolutely no limitations. That means you don’t have to worry about watermarks or limited conversions. Click on the button below to get started today. 

Want to stay updated on all things CAD, CAM or CNC-related? Check out Scan2CAD’s blog covering topics ranging from CAD outsourcing to building the ultimate CAD PC to CAD in virtual reality. 

Scan2CAD has put together a guide to show you how to manually vectorize using Photoshop. We’ve also provided alternative options for vectorization and an overview of Scan2CAD’s capabilities, alongside a free download. 

Table of Contents

• What is Vectorization?
• Vectorize using Photoshop
  • Limitations and Alternative Methods
• Scan2CAD: the Ultimate Vectorization Software
  • Why choose Scan2CAD?

What is vectorization?

Vectorization is the process of converting a raster image to a vector image. You can do this through manual or automatic tracing.

• Manual tracing can be completed by drawing over an image with your mouse. Alternatively, you could make use of a tablet and graphics pen.

• Automatic tracing is enacted by conversion software. It detects the lines and shapes in your image and draws over them with vector entities.

Automatic tracing is a more popular method, due to its speed—it can take mere seconds to complete, compared to hours or days with manual tracing.

Why do we need to vectorize?

Raster images like JPEGs or BMPs, while common, come with a variety of issues. When you zoom into a raster or enlarge it, the individual pixels just get bigger. Raster images are resolution dependent, so they need to be at the right scale to appear correctly.

Vectors, by comparison are mathematically perfect. They’re made up of paths, so you can scale up a vector as much as you’d like—they’re infinitely scalable. Vectors never lose quality, which is why they’re so popular in the graphic design industry. For more information, check out raster versus vector.

Photoshop

Photoshop is a raster graphics editor developed by Adobe Systems. It was released in 1990 and has since become the industry standard in raster graphics editing, spanning across industries worldwide. Photoshop can be purchased for as little as $9.99/month. 

You cannot currently vectorize using Photoshop. You can use it to manually trace an image; however, you would then have to export the paths to Illustrator. Unless you’re desperate to test Photoshop’s capabilities, it’s not really worth the time or effort using it to convert your drawings. That being said, we’ll briefly show you how you could go about manually tracing an image in Photoshop.

• Open your image into Photoshop.  Click Window > Paths. You have three options: 
  • Pen Tool to create straight lines and Bezier curves. 
  • Freeform for a more organic trace. 
  • Magnetic Pen to follow color and brightness.

• Draw vector paths over your entire image. 

• Select further pathways with Lasso, Marquee and Magic Wand. Click Paths > Make Work Paths to turn each selection into a vector path.

• Set the tolerance for paths. A small level makes the path adhere to what you’ve traced and large displays smooth transitions. 

• When you create a new work path, double-click the path name in the Paths panel. 

• Export paths to Illustrator. Click File > Export > Paths to Illustrator. 

Limitations and alternatives

While Photoshop is a great raster graphics editor, it is extremely lacking when it comes to vectors. This is quite simply because that’s not what it was designed for. Whether you’re looking to convert simple raster logos or advanced technical drawings for CAD, Photoshop is not the answer. We’ve previously looked at how you can vectorize using: 

• Adobe Illustrator
• CorelDRAW
• Inkscape

You should avoid using online converters at all costs. They almost always come with limitations—a limited number of conversions, no large file sizes, no text conversion—so it’s really not worth it. They can also put your entire system at risk with possible trojans or viruses.

Scan2CAD: the ultimate vectorization software

If you’re looking for a program that converts drawings quickly and efficiently, then look no further than the ultimate vectorization software: Scan2CAD. It specializes primarily in the conversion of technical drawings to editable vector images. Unlike software like Inkscape or Illustrator, Scan2CAD was developed for the primary purpose of conversion. With a variety of vectorization settings, it can use pre-programmed variables to convert different types of drawings to the utmost quality. Plus, it takes mere seconds to complete.

Before you convert…

Locate image issues

Make sure that your image doesn’t suffer from common issues like dithered, merged or hairy lines. It needs to be of high quality for Scan2CAD to detect the lines and shapes present.

Don’t bother converting any raster image that sports any of these problems…

Fix the problems

We have a variety of raster effects and a raster quality checklist that you can take advantage of to fix any problems you have. You can also take the following steps…

• Change the image format to the lossless TIFF. 
• Reduce colors to provide a clearer contrast between the image and background. 
• Use Thresholding to divide into image into black and white pixels. 
• Cleaning tools such as Thicken Lines, Remove holes/speckles and Smooth. 

Convert

Once you’re happy, you can convert your image in a matter of seconds. You can save your new vector as a DWG, DXF or even as G-code if you want to use it with your CNC machine. 

Why choose Scan2CAD?

Scan2CAD doesn’t just convert images. It comes with a raster and vector editing suite so you can optimize your images. It also provides a batch processing feature so that you can automate the conversion of hundreds of drawings. Not to mention, its Smart OCR feature which you can train to recognize new fonts and handwritten text. 

Fancy testing it out? Try out Scan2CAD in a free 14-day trial with absolutely no limitations. You don’t have to worry about watermarks or limited conversions. Click on the button below to get started today.

Want to stay updated on all things CAD, CAM or CNC-related? Keep an eye on Scan2CAD’s blog covering topics ranging from how to convert paper drawings for CAD to CAD training courses to how CAD changed product design.

Scan2CAD’s latest guide will show you exactly how you can vectorize using Inkscape. We’ll also show you when you should use Inkscape, and when you should opt for a more specialized solution like Scan2CAD. Plus, we’ll show you how you can get Scan2CAD for free. 

Table of Contents

• What is Tracing?
  • Rasters and Vectors
  • Why is it Important?
• Inkscape
• Vectorize Using Inkscape
• When to Vectorize Using Inkscape
• Scan2CAD: What is it and How is it Different?
• How to Get the Best Results
• Beyond Vectorization
• Scan2CAD: Free Download

What is tracing?

If you’re new to the world of graphic design or CAD, you might not be familiar with tracing—otherwise known as vectorization. This process involves tracing over a raster image in order to create an editable vector image. This is how people are able to create the flawless images you might have seen on websites or advertisements. It’s possible to trace a raster and convert it to a vector in one of two ways—manual tracing or automatic tracing. 

Manual tracing used to be the only method you could use to create a vector from a raster image. Using specific software, you can trace over a raster image by using your mouse. If you have a tablet and graphics pen, you could draw over the image. Manual tracing is beneficial in offering precision. While a computer might struggle differentiating between lines on a drawing, you would have no such issues due to your knowledge of the drawing. Unfortunately, manual tracing can be a time-consuming process.

The evolution of technology brought about a new method of vectorization—automatic tracing. This process involves making use of conversion software, which converts your raster to a vector automatically. It does this by detecting the lines and shapes present in your image and creating a vector output. This method increases work efficiency—you could quite easily convert dozens of technical drawings or designs in the time it takes you to manually trace one image. There are, of course, setbacks to conversion software, as they require you to be working with high quality images.

If you have many deadlines or a heavy workload, you should definitely opt for automatic tracing. It’s easy enough to vectorize using Inkscape or Scan2CAD, for example—eradicating the need to outsource CAD conversion.

But what exactly do the terms raster and vector refer to?

Rasters and Vectors

Raster images are mostly used for photographs. Most of the images you see on your computer are stored in a raster format. Images in this format are made up of pixels—tiny blocks of color. You might have seen pixels in a raster image when you’ve tried to scale the image up or zoom into it. Raster images are resolution dependent, so they need to be at the right scale to appear correctly, otherwise they lose quality. These types of images can be compressed using lossy compression or lossless compression. Common raster formats include JPEG, BMP, PNG and TIFF. 

Vector images are mostly used in graphic design and engineering. They are made up of paths instead of pixels, which means that they are much easier to edit. When you make changes to a raster image, you make changes to the entire image. In contrast, you can make changes to individual elements of a vector image. Vectors rely on pure math, which is why you can increase the size of a vector without any loss of quality. Vectors are therefore infinitely scalable. It’s also possible to attach data to each element of a vector design, making them ideal for use in architecture and engineering. Common vector formats include DXF, DWG, PDF and AI.

Why is tracing important?

Tracing—or vectorization—is a fundamental part of dozens of industries, from graphic design to architecture.

If you’re looking to vectorize using Inkscape, you’re probably based in the graphic design industry. If that’s the case, you might be looking to create vector logos or images to feature on a website or an advertisement. You’ll want to avoid raster images because, more often than not, you’ll be able to see heavy pixelation. If you want a raster logo in different sizes, you’ll have to create separate ones—you won’t be able to re-size it due to resolution dependency. If you vectorize your logo, however, you can use the same logo for everything—from a billboard poster to a tiny business card.

Of course, it’s not all about graphic design. The ever-important CAD industry makes heavy use of vector graphics. Originally, CAD designers would hand-draw their designs and specifications. This made for a lengthy design and production process—any changes that needed to be made would result in entire designs being redrawn. This was thrown out of the window with the introduction and evolution of CAD software.

Screenshot of PTC Creo

CAD drafters now create and edit their drawings in CAD software, meaning everything can be edited and changed quickly and efficiently. Vector graphics are the industry-standard format for CAD software—you can edit each individual entity and reuse them when you create new drawings. If a CAD drafter has an old technical drawing in a paper format, they can scan them and then convert them to a vector format using tracing. This vector image can then be opened in CAD software where it can be turned into a 2D or 3D model.

Inkscape

Inkscape is a free and open-source vector graphics editor, similar to Adobe Illustrator and CorelDRAW. It can be used to create and edit vector graphics including illustrations, logos and line arts. Inkscape stands out in the market due to its use of SVG—an open XML-based W3C standard—as the native format. It’s used across a range of industries, from marketing and branding to engineering and design. It can take you through an entire design process with a professional-grade design format ready for publication on the internet or in a physical form.

Inkscape is cross-platform which means that it can be used on Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. One of its biggest advantages is that it is free to use and distribute—you can even look at the source code. You can easily vectorize using Inkscape with its Bitmap Trace tool, which we will discuss shortly. Using its automatic tracing tool you can quite easily turn your raster artwork into vectors. You might even use Inkscape in CAD and CNC applications. Of course, like other free software, Inkscape does come with some limitations, which we will discuss briefly later in this article.

Vectorize using Inkscape

Inkscape comes with a variety of drawing tools which you can make use of to manually trace your raster image. It can be a time-consuming process, however, which is why we’re concentrating on automatic tracing instead.

Inkscape comes with a simple trace feature—Trace Bitmap—which enables users to trace and convert raster images to vectors. The process also involves specific trace features which enable users to alter aspects of their raster and vector output—from the color to the background. By using these features, you can modify your vector until it’s completely to your liking.

You can start the process by loading your image into Inkscape. Head on over to File > Import and choose your raster image. Once you’ve selected your image, start the trace by clicking Path > Trace Bitmap. Inkscape then gives you two options for tracing—you can choose between single or multiple scans, each giving you different settings. Single scans should be selected if you want to create a single path from the image. Alternatively, multiple scans should be chosen if you want a group of paths.

Single scan

• Brightness cutoff: uses the shade of a pixel to figure out whether it should be black or white. The higher the threshold setting, the darker the image will become.

• Edge detection: creates a path based on the differences in brightness of pixels. The threshold settings then adjust the darkness of the output image. A higher threshold will produce a darker output.

• Color quantization: produces a path based on the differences in color. The ‘number of colors’ setting allows you to specify how many colors you want in your output. An algorithm is then used to turn these theoretical colors black or white.

Multiple scan

• Number of scans: the number of paths. If you’re using multiple colors, you’ll need to increase the number of scans.

• Brightness steps: allows you to specify the total number of scans.

• Colors: makes use of the number in the scans box to then determine how many colors it should output.

• Grays: the same as the color setting, except that it creates a grayscale version.

• Smooth: applies a Gaussian blur before the trace option. This eradicates any rough patches on your paths.

• Stack scans: gets rid of holes in path coverage.

• Remove background: gets rid of the background, giving you a vector on a transparent background.

Additional options include: suppress speckles, smooth corners and optimize paths. 

After you’re happy, click Update to see a preview of the trace. If your lines are too thick or too thin, you will have selected an unsuitable trace mode. Inkscape recommends testing out the different settings for the tracing tool in order to determine which one suits you best. You can then click OK to create the paths. If you need to make any changes, you can click ‘Edit paths by node’ to adjust the nodes and curves.

When to vectorize using Inkscape

Inkscape comes with a variety of advantages. It’s free to use which is a great bonus when you compare it to software like CorelDraw which costs $499. In addition, it’s open-source which means you can make your own improvements and changes to the software. If you’re looking to convert simple artwork to a vector graphics format, then Inkscape is perfect. However, if you’re looking to convert more complex images with a higher number of colors, then Inkscape is the wrong fit.

You might also find Inkscape to be unsuitable if you’re looking to convert technical drawings for use in CAD software. All technical drawings are different in some way. For example, electrical plans consist of precise straight lines while contour maps contain more curves and polylines. Unfortunately, Inkscape only provides a generalized trace. This means that you’ll get a generalized trace that takes the same variables into consideration no matter which type of technical drawing you’re converting. When it comes to these types of drawings, it is vital that you get a specialized trace that caters to each type of drawing you’re converting. This is where Scan2CAD comes in. 

Scan2CAD: what is it and how is it different?

Scan2CAD is a conversion software that specializes primarily in the conversion of technical drawings to editable vector images. It supports a vast array of different design types, ranging from engineering drawings to site plans to contour maps. It can also be used in a variety of industries, from glass reproduction to metal sculpting to routed signs. You can quite easily scan a technical drawing and convert it to a vector, ready for use in CAD software. Of course, it’s not just limited to technical drawings—you can also convert raster images like logos or artwork.

So what makes Scan2CAD different from other conversion software or Inkscape? It’s simple, really. Scan2CAD was developed for the primary purpose of conversion. It gives users a specialized trace—when you use Scan2CAD to trace a technical drawing, you’re given a variety of vectorization settings. These settings come with pre-programmed variables that enact exactly how your conversion is carried out. If you’re converting a contour map, for example, Scan2CAD will convert the shapes into Bezier curves or splines. In short, Scan2CAD offers you a specialized solution that caters to all of your vectorization needs. 

Plus, the process takes only seconds to complete!

How to get the best results

Step 1: Locate the problems

Before you begin the vectorization process, you first have to make sure that your input image is of the best quality. After all, if you’re using a tiny raster image that’s already pixelated, you’re not going to get a great output. This is even more important when it comes to technical drawings. If you’ve scanned a drawing, the image has to be of a high quality. Otherwise, Scan2CAD (or any other conversion software) won’t be able to identify the lines and text in the image.

There are a variety of common problems that plague raster images, making it difficult to produce an optimal vector output. If your image contains heavy pixelation, or is blurred in some way, then you won’t get a great output. This also follows for dithered, merged or hairy lines—in which case the software won’t be able to differentiate between text and shapes. Additional image issues are highlighted below.

Don’t bother converting any raster image that contains any of these problems…

Step 2: Fix the problems

Scan2CAD comes with a wide variety of pre- and post-processing editing features which allow you to produce the most optimal result possible. We’ve highlighted a few of the main features, but for more information you can check our raster quality checklist or our top 10 raster effects.

• Pick the right format. Formats like JPEG are compressed using lossy compression, so each time you edit them they lose quality. Scan2CAD recommends the use of the TIFF format which uses lossless compression. If you want a great output, you have to start with the right file format.

• Reduce colors. Vectorization is an easier process for images that have a less amount of colors. This gives a clear contrast between the image and the background, allowing the software to pick up on the shapes and text easily.

• Thresholding. To avoid issues like grayscale, you can use thresholding to divide your image into black and white pixels. This is especially vital in scanned images. Scan2CAD offers two different types of thresholding:
  • Simple thresholding, which applies the same settings to the whole image.
  • Adaptive thresholding, which applies different settings to different parts of the image.

• Cleaning tools. Once you’ve got everything else sorted, you can make use of Scan2CAD’s wide range of cleaning tools.
  • Thicken lines to fix dithered or broken lines.
  • Remove holes or speckles to tidy up the image.
  • Smooth to remove hairy edges surrounding your image.

Step 3: Vectorization

Once you’re happy with your image, you can move on to the easiest part of the entire process—vectorization. Scan2CAD can convert your drawing in a matter of seconds, so you don’t have to worry about time-consuming conversions anymore. Once you’ve finished the process, you can save your vector as a DWG, DXF or even as G-code if you want to send it straight to your CNC machine. It really couldn’t be easier with Scan2CAD. 

Beyond vectorization

Scan2CAD isn’t just used for converting technical drawings for use in CAD software: it can also be used for CNC and CAM purposes.

CNC machines work by executing pre-programmed commands, the most common language of which is G-code. To start the CNC process, you need your raster image in a vector format. Once you’ve completed the vectorization process in Scan2CAD, you can then convert your vector to G-code which will be read and turned into motion by control software. This CNC control software will then run your machine.

Using Scan2CAD, you could create any type of CNC project, from laptop decals to laser cut jewelry to wooden plaques—the world is your oyster. If you’re interested, check out how to vectorize a logo for CNC to see it in action. Or, if you’re looking for an in-depth look at how CNC works, take a look at how to convert an image for CNC.

Not interested in converting technical drawings or creating your own vectors? Sometimes we just want to get stuck into a project rather than getting weighed down by the tiny details. Scan2CAD isn’t just a conversion software, it’s also a source for all things CAD, CNC and CAM-related. So if you want to get started with your own projects, why not make use of Scan2CAD’s cut-ready CNC designs that are free and ready to use? These packs include 6 or 7 designs in a DXF and JPG format.

Worried they’re not suitable? That’s okay—each week brings in a new theme, ensuring that you’ll be rewarded with exciting and innovative designs every single week.

Scan2CAD: free download

If you’re converting raster images for a website, advertisement or just general graphic design purposes, then you can’t really go wrong with Inkscape. After all, it is free to use. However, if you’re looking for a software that offers you a specialized solution for all of your conversion needs, then look no further than market leader Scan2CAD. 

Scan2CAD doesn’t just stop at converting images. It also comes with a raster and vector editing suite so you can optimize your image before and after conversion. With its batch processing feature, you can automate the conversion of hundreds of files at once. If you’re converting drawings that contain a lot of text, you’ll also be pleased to hear about Scan2CAD’s Smart OCR feature, which allows users to convert text and even train the software to recognize new fonts and handwritten text. 

Now that you know how much Scan2CAD has to offer, you might be wondering how to get your hands on it. Before you become tempted enough to try to download a Scan2CAD crack, how about you try it for free without compromising the security of your files and system?

Scan2CAD is available in a free 14-day trial with absolutely no limitations. You don’t have to worry about watermarks or limited conversions—you get to enjoy the software to its fullest. Click on the button below to get started today. 

Want to stay updated on all things CAD, CAM and CNC-related? Keep an eye on Scan2CAD’s news section that covers topics ranging from Autodesk University London to CAD outsourcing to the pitfalls of designing for CNC. 

Interested? Scan2CAD’s guide will show you exactly how CorelDRAW can be used for vectorization. Plus, we’ll show you when you should vectorize using CorelDRAW, and when you should make use of other resources like Scan2CAD. 

What is tracing?

To convert a raster to a vector, you have to vectorize the raster image—or, in other words, trace it. The process of image tracing or vectorization involves drawing over a raster image with new vector lines, shapes and text. You can either use manual or automatic tracing to convert your image to a vector.

Manual tracing—as the name suggests—involves tracing over the raster by hand. If you’re using a laptop or computer, you can trace over the image with your mouse. If you’re using a tablet, you can make use of a graphics pen to draw over the image.

Automatic tracing, by comparison, makes use of raster-to-vector conversion software. This software detects the lines and edges of your raster image and redraws them as vector lines, polygons, curves and other entities. In this particular guide, we’ll be showing you how you can use CorelDRAW to convert your raster to a vector—this is an example of automatic tracing. We’ll also be showing you how you can use Scan2CAD for the conversion of technical drawings for a specialized solution. 

Of course, some people work with both processes. If you’ve found an old technical drawing, like an electrical plan, you might find that the lines are all faded. You could quite easily trace over the outline by hand and scan this new drawing. You can then vectorize using CorelDRAW or Scan2CAD to produce a vector.

If you’re not entirely sure which method is suitable for you, check out tracing: manual or automatic?

Why convert a raster to a vector?

For general purposes

Raster images are typically used for photographs. You undoubtedly use them on a regular basis—the images on your computer are likely to be a raster format. 

Rasters are made up of millions of pixels, which are essentially tiny blocks of colors. You’ll be able to see pixels when you change the size of a raster. Making a raster image bigger makes the pixels more evident—the more you zoom in, the more pronounced the squares become. As a result, the image loses quality as it becomes more blurry and undefined. Raster images, therefore, are resolution dependent.

The most common raster formats include JPEG, GIF, BMP and PNG. If you’re looking to share images easily with a small file size then you’ll use JPEG. If you want to exchange animations then you would choose a GIF. Alternatively, if you’re looking to vectorize your raster, you’re best off picking a PNG or TIFF. 

Vectors are mathematically perfect formats. They’re used in graphic design and engineering because they’re easy to edit and they don’t suffer from loss in quality. 

Unlike rasters with pixels, vectors are made up of paths. These paths, or mathematical coordinates, ensure that no matter how much you scale a vector up or down, it retains its quality. If you enlarge the size of a vector then the paths are also enlarged. Essentially, the lines multiply in size. Vector images are therefore infinitely scalable. This means that you could use the same vector as a tiny logo on a business card, or enlarged as a billboard poster. 

The most common vector formats include AI, DXF, DWG and SVG. DWG is the native file format for the popular AutoCAD. Alternatively, DXF is the gold-standard exchange format in most CAD software. 

For more information, check out raster versus vector. 

For graphic design

If you’re working in graphic design or with illustrations, you’ll have undoubtedly used vector images before. If you’re using a logo or a graphic on a website, you need to ensure that the image will be of a high quality no matter what. When you’re advertising with posters and leaflets, you also want to make sure that the image isn’t pixelated. Vector graphics are also an industry-standard file format. 

One of the great advantages to vector graphics is that you can make changes to them at any time. You might decide that you only need a web logo, in which case a raster image would be suitable. If you create a vector logo, however, you can use that same vector in a banner or merchandise at a later date. This saves you the trouble of having to create a brand new raster logo—your designs are no longer limited to a single usage. 

For CAD

Drafting in CAD software like Rhinoceros 3D makes the design and production process smooth and simple

Before the introduction of CAD, drafters had to draw all of their designs and specifications by hand. As you can imagine, this would make design and production a lengthy process. If an engineer decided that there needed to be changes made to a design, the drafter would have to redo the entire thing. 

With the introduction and evolution of CAD, designers and engineers were given access to programs that brought about an entirely new way of doing things. These CAD programs merged the roles of drafters, engineers and designers—nowadays, there’s still a lot of overlap as you can see in AutoCAD careers.

Vector graphics are an industry-standard format in CAD. The use of vector designs means that you can easily edit a CAD drawing, such as an architectural plan, without having to redraw it. You can edit each individual entity, and even reuse them in an entirely new drawing. If you have an old paper drawing or technical drawing, vectorization is the answer. You can scan your drawing and then convert the resulting raster image to a vector. This vector can then be opened in CAD software where you can edit it and create your own 2D or 3D model. 

Why should you automatically trace an image?

Automatic tracing has many benefits that tend to overshadow manual tracing. The process is much faster than manual tracing. With some converters or programs, it can take minutes or even seconds. Manual tracing, by comparison, can take you hours or even days. 

If you’re at the mercy of looming deadlines and a growing workload, the idea of converting dozens of raster logos or old drawings can be overwhelming. This can lead to many people and businesses to outsource CAD conversion. Automatic tracing can be the best solution to this problem. It’s easy enough to vectorize using CorelDRAW, for example.

Of course, you have to make sure that you’re using an automatic tracer like CorelDRAW for the right reasons. If you’re looking to convert complex photographs with hundreds of colors, then you probably won’t get the output you want—as we’ve shown in what is (and isn’t possible) with converting photos. The best candidates for vectorization are images that have simple lines and few colors. Images that best fit this description include logos, cartoons and technical drawings like site plans and architectural plans. 

CorelDRAW

CorelDRAW is a vector graphics editor developed by Corel Corporation. It was released in 1989 as the first graphics software for the Windows platform. It’s used worldwide by designers to create logos, signs and to vectorize images. It can even be used to create new fonts. CorelDRAW covers a range of areas including vector illustration page layout, digital editing, web graphics and animation. It’s often seen as a viable alternative to Adobe’s Illustrator, offering its services as a one-time purchase of $499 or a $25/month subscription. 

It’s possible to vectorize with CorelDRAW by making use of its PowerTRACE tool, which we will discuss in depth at a later section. This is very useful in the design industry, enabling users to turn raster artwork into vectors. The software can also be used in CAD and CNC applications—it works well with CorelCAD. It can, of course, be overwhelming to use CorelDRAW at first. With its vast range of tools, it comes with a steep learning curve.

Did you know that Corel also has its own CAD software package?

CorelCAD

CorelCAD is a Computer Aided Design software package. It comes with 2D drafting tools and 3D modeling tools. Not only is it compatible with all major CAD programs, it also uses DWG as its primary drawing format. CorelCAD can be used with CorelDRAW for a complete technical graphics workflow. For example, users can import graphics from CorelDRAW and convert them into 3D models in CorelCAD. 

The software package is available for both Windows and Mac, and supports DXF, DWF, PDF and STL for 3D printing. It costs $699 with an additional $199 for updates. It’s much cheaper than most CAD software packages which is a huge benefit.

If you’re a student, did you know that you could get most popular CAD packages for free or at a discount? Find out more in our students’ guide to free CAD and resources. Alternatively, you can check out Scan2CAD’s list of 14 top free CAD packages. 

Vectorize using CorelDRAW

It is possible to manually trace your raster image and vectorize using CorelDRAW, but, as we have discussed, it’s much easier and faster to use automatic tracing instead. 

CorelDRAW comes with its own tracing feature called PowerTRACE. This feature allows you to convert raster images to vectors by using specific settings and additional options to create the perfect vector output. To start, you need to have an image in a BMP or TIFF format for optimal results, as they offer lossless compression. 

These are the 4 steps to vectorize using CorelDraw:

1. Import the image
2. Launch ‘Trace Bitmap’
3. Define the image tracing settings
4. Preview and export to vector format

Below we delve into detailed descriptions of each step.

1. Import the Image

As with most programs, you start by importing your image into CorelDRAW by going to File > New, then File > Import.

From this import dialog you can select your desired raster image and open directly into CorelDraw.

2. Launch Trace Bitmap

Trace bitmap menu option in CorelDraw (Source)

Once you have imported the image, click the following menu options: Bitmaps > Outline Trace > and select the appropriate next option described next. 

For more control over the trace, after selecting the Outline Trace, you will see options for specific image types. These image types include Technical Illustration, Line Drawing, Lineart, Logo, Detailed Logo, Clipart or Low/High Quality Image. 

Once you’ve chosen the right image type, a dialog box will pop up. This box is split into two areas; the left displays a preview of your trace and the right features additional options. 

3. Define the Image Tracing Settings

Image source: learn.corel.com

Don’t be overwhelmed by the number of image tracking settings in this dialog. Here’s an overview of each of the settings:

• Preview selector: you can view the results of your trace in one of three ways. You can view it in the standard Before & After pane view, a full Large Preview pane view, or a full pane-view with a Wireframe Overlay. This overlay enables you to see the vector shapes as red outlines over your original image. 

• Smoothing slider: this enables you to control the complexity of traced areas. It also affects the number of nodes per object. 

• Detail slider: determines the size and color threshold of the traced areas in your image. The higher the detail, the lower the threshold which causes smaller areas of color to be traced. As a result, you have a greater number of objects and colors in the finished product. 

• Delete original image: this leaves you with the new vector image. 

• Remove background: you can use a manual or automatic option to apply a soft mask during your trace.

• Automatically choose color: the software automatically detects the background color using the color at the top-left or bottom-right corner. 

• Specify color: enables you to choose your own color from the color selector. 

• Remove color from entire image: this can eliminate a color throughout your entire image. 

• Number of colors/color mode: controls the total number of color samples in your trace results. 

4. Preview and Export to Vector Format

Viewing raster and vector image in CorelDraw (source)

You can check the Preview button at any time to see the results of your trace. Once you’re happy with the result, enable the trace to convert your image to a vector. If you need to make any changes, you can use CorelDRAW’s drawing tools. You can then save your vector image once complete: 

• AI: native file format of Adobe Illustrator. 
• CDR: native file format of CorelDRAW. 
• DXF: a data exchange format used in CAD. 
• DWG: AutoCAD’s native file format. 
• PDF: used for sharing and printing documents. 
• SVG: used mostly for web graphics. 

And there you have it—you now know how to vectorize using CorelDRAW. This doesn’t mean that you can use CorelDRAW for any type of vectorization, however. CorelDRAW is used mostly in the graphic design industry, so if you’re looking for a specialized vectorization for CAD or CNC you’ll have to look elsewhere. Read the next section to find out when you should and shouldn’t use CorelDRAW. 

Manual Tracing using CorelDRAW

Manual tracing in corelDRAW can be a laborious process. Tracing, when done manually, is the process of drawing over every shape of your raster image using your vector drawing tools. Unlike automatic vectorization, there’s no shortcuts for this process and in most cases users will opt for automatic vectorization rather than manual tracing. 

A user could choose to manually trace an image if they are not obtaining the results they desire from automatic tracing.

In the below video demonstration you can learn how to utilize the vector drawing tools to manually trace over a raster image, such as a logo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuDnKljtLu8

When you should (and shouldn’t) use CorelDRAW

CorelDRAW is geared towards the design industry, more specifically the graphic design industry. As such, most of its focus is on helping you vectorize and produce images to be used in websites, posters or advertisements. When you vectorize using CorelDRAW, you can be sure that you’re getting vectors with a high level of colors and realism. You could quite easily convert your own raster logo and use it in CAD or CNC software. 

Unfortunately, if you’re looking to vectorize scanned drawings or technical drawings, you won’t be getting a specialized solution. In fact, you’ll get the same type of trace no matter if you’re converting contour maps or electrical plans. Scanned drawings also tend to need refining beforehand, especially if they contain text. 

Furthermore, not only is there a steep learning curve with CorelDRAW, it’s also rather expensive at $499. If you’re a casual user looking only to convert old technical drawings for example, do you really want to fork out that much when it doesn’t offer you a specialized solution? Surely it would be easier and more cost-effective to invest in a software package that gives you exactly what you need? 

And in comes Scan2CAD…

Scan2CAD is a market-leading raster-to-vector converter, focusing primarily on the conversion of technical drawings like architectural plans. It can be used in any industry—from architecture to mechanical engineering—and by anyone of any experience. It comes with a full raster and vector editing suite so that you can optimize your image before and after conversion. 

Unlike CorelDRAW, Scan2CAD offers you a complete specialized solution. With its vectorization settings, Scan2CAD offers a specialized trace for all technical drawings and raster images. These settings enable the software to look at different variables depending on the type of drawing you’re converting. Its picture/photo setting for example, enables you to choose which elements are identified, such as circles, bezier curves and regular polygons. 

By using Scan2CAD, you don’t have to worry about text issues. Unlike other converters that struggle with vectorizing raster text into editable and logical strings, Scan2CAD comes with Smart OCR. You could even train the software to recognize new or handwritten fonts. And with features like batch processing, you can automate the conversion of hundreds of files at once. 

How does the process work?

Scan2CAD’s conversion process works by detecting the lines and edges in your raster image—redrawing them as vector entities. The conversion takes into account parameters including the type of line, line weights and even the angle of the curves. 

Scan2CAD makes use of pre-programmed variables that control exactly how your conversion process is carried out. This means that you get a precise conversion that differs depending on what type of image you’re converting. And the best part? Scan2CAD’s vectorization process takes only a matter of seconds. If you don’t believe us, check out the animation below. 

Converting an image to DXF or G-code in Scan2CAD

Why you should avoid online converters

You might decide that you don’t want to buy CorelDRAW, which leaves you at a bit of an impasse in regards to CAD conversion. So what do you do? What you shouldn’t do is look online for the easiest-to-find converter. Take our word for it, you won’t get a good vector output. 

Online converters are free for a reason. And that’s because they come with a vast range of limitations. Firstly, you’ll be limited as to how many files you can convert. Secondly, you won’t be able to convert images with a large file size—so don’t even bother trying. And if your image has text in it, then good luck, because it probably won’t be converted into editable vector text. 

The text on the left was converted using Scan2CAD. The text on the right was converted using a different CAD program, and hasn’t been correctly reassembled into strings.

And that’s not even the half of it. If you use an online converter, you run the risk of opening your computer up to a variety of risks including trojans and viruses. Furthermore, you might end up having your online files stolen—the last thing you need is someone taking credit for your work. We’ve discussed this further in the 5 pitfalls of online file converters. 

In short, it’s just not worth investing your time in online file converters. You just end up spending extra time fixing the finished product. What you really want is software that keeps your files and your system safe and secure. If you’re converting technical drawings in particular, you might find that CorelDRAW isn’t giving you the output you want. Instead, you might want to consider using specialized software like Scan2CAD. 

Tips for Scan2CAD conversion

Common problems with conversion

The process of conversion is completely dependent upon your input file. If your scanned drawing or raster file is full of shadows or incomplete, you won’t get a great output. Site plans, for example, are completely useless if you can’t actually see the lines and annotations clearly. You’ll know your image is unsuitable if it contains any of the following image problems: 

• Heavy pixelation. This makes your image blurry and unfocused. 
• Dithered lines. This is common with scanned pencil drawings. 
• Merged lines. Sometimes software won’t be able to differentiate between text and shapes. 
• Hairy lines. This means that the lines have fuzzy edges. 
• Low resolution. If you want a good output, lines should be around 5 pixels thick. 
• Broken lines. If lines are too thin, the software won’t detect them which may result in incomplete lines. 
• Shadows. This is primarily an issue with scanned drawings. 

Don’t bother converting any raster image that sports any of these problems…

How to get the best results

• Choose the right image and format. If you’re working with scanned images, you need to make sure that you drawing is as clean as possible. In addition, you should save the image in a TIFF format because it comes with lossless compression. You need to start with the right kind of input to get an optimal output. 

• Reduce the number of colors. The best images to convert are ones that have the least amount of colors. This will give you a clear contrast between the background of the drawing and the foreground. Scan2CAD will then be able to detect every shade and shape and produce separate vector entities as a result. 

• Thresholding. Scanned images in particular tend to suffer from grayscale and compression artifacts. The thresholding tool enables you to divide your drawing cleanly into black and white pixels. There are two types of thresholding: 
  • Simple thresholding: applies it to the whole image. 
  • Adaptive thresholding: applies it to different parts of your raster image. 

• Clean up the image. Scan2CAD comes with a range of cleaning tools that can be used to combat the issues highlighted in the previous section. 
  • Thicken lines to fix broken or dithered lines. 
  • Remove holes or speckles. 
  • Smooth which removes hairy edges. 

Here’s a floorplan — before and after conversion! We’ve used Scan2CAD to convert it from a scanned image (left) to an editable vector (right); and saved it as DXF

For more tips, check out Scan2CAD’s raster quality checklist or our top 10 raster effects to see how you can optimize your image before and after conversion. 

All sorted?

Once you’re happy with your image, you can move on to the easiest part of the entire process. Scan2CAD can convert your technical drawings and raster images in a matter of seconds—boasting one of the fastest conversion process times out there. Once this fast vectorization process is complete, you can save your new vector as a DXF, DWG or even a PDF. It truly couldn’t be simpler. 

Scan2CAD: free download

If you already have CorelDRAW then you should definitely test out the PowerTRACE tool—it might give you the output you want. However, if you’re still uncertain as to whether you should fork out for CorelDRAW, then why not try out Scan2CAD for free first? If you’re looking to convert technical drawings or even something like raster logos for CNC, you can’t get better than Scan2CAD. 

The one setback to programs like CorelDRAW is that their vectorization tools don’t offer a specialized solution. Scan2CAD, in comparison, can be used for all of your vectorization needs. It doesn’t matter if you’re converting a site plan or an electrical plan, Scan2CAD can convert them using different specialized solutions suited to the image. And it’s not just useful for CAD: Scan2CAD can also help you bring your designs to CNC. This means you can take your drawings and create your own CNC projects. 

Rather than vectorize using CorelDRAW, download Scan2CAD in a free 14-day trial and find out exactly why it’s the ultimate vectorization software. You don’t have to worry about any limitations—you can convert as many files as you want without so much as a watermark. Just click on the button below to get started. 

Want to stay updated on all things CAD and CNC-related? Check out Scan2CAD’s blog covering everything ranging from CAD training courses to how CAD changed product design. 

This guide will show you exactly how you can vectorize using Illustrator. We’ll also highlight when you should use Illustrator, and when you should use software like Scan2CAD instead. Plus, find out how you can get a free download of Scan2CAD. 

Table of Contents

• What Is Vectorization?
• Adobe Illustrator
• Vectorize Using Illustrator
• When Illustrator Should And Shouldn’t Be Used
• What Is Scan2CAD And How Is It Different?
• Problems With Conversion
• How To Get The Best Results
• Scan2CAD: Free Download

What is vectorization?

If you’re a novice in the world of CAD, CNC or graphic design, you might not know what vectorization is. It’s the process of converting a raster image into an editable vector image. This process is otherwise known as image tracing which can be done manually or automatically. 

Manual tracing was originally the only way you could create a vector from a raster image. You can trace over a raster using your mouse, or a tablet and graphics pen. It can be a more advantageous method to use, as you’re more likely to understand the image than a computer. As you can imagine however, this process can be rather time-consuming. 

Automatic tracing involves using a conversion software to convert your raster image to a vector. This process can be a lot quicker than manual tracing. However, you need to be working with high quality images for the software to be able to detect everything correctly. 

Not sure which method to use? Check out tracing: manual or automatic?

Why is vectorization needed in graphic design and CAD?

Raster images come with a variety of problems. They are made up of pixels which mean that when you zoom in, they lose definition and each pixel becomes visible. Rasters are therefore resolution dependent which can be an issue when you want to resize an image. The graphic design industry in particular relies upon artwork and designs that can be infinitely scaled—you don’t want to experience any loss in quality when enlarging. 

Vectors by comparison are mathematically perfect formats. They’re made up of paths which means that no matter how much you change the scaling, they won’t lose their quality. You can therefore use the same vector as a tiny logo on a business card or enlarged on a billboard—vectors are resolution independent.

In regards to CAD and CNC, vector drawings are much easier to edit because you can modify individual vector entities. They’re also much easier to store and share due to their small file size. If you convert to formats like DXF for example, you’re given greater accessibility as they can be opened in any CAD software. For more information, check out raster versus vector. 

Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Illustrator is an industry-standard vector graphics editor developed and released by Adobe Systems in 1987. It’s used by designers across the world to create digital graphics and illustrations like logos, icons, typography and illustrations for print, web and much more. It’s a companion product of Adobe Photoshop which you might also be familiar with. Photoshop is concerned with digital photo manipulation and photo-realistic computer illustration, whilst Illustrator is geared towards typesetting and graphic design. 

Illustrator can be used to create freehand drawings or to import photographs and images to trace over in order to create a vector. This is primarily useful for graphic design applications—the software can be lacking when it comes to CAD or CNC purposes, which we will discuss later. In addition, the software can be rather expensive, although it is aimed at professionals who are going to use it to its fullest capacity.

Vectorize using Illustrator

You could choose to manually trace your image in Illustrator, but we’re going to look primarily at automatic tracing. 

Adobe Illustrator comes with a handy image trace feature called Live Trace. It enables users to convert raster images to vectors and use feature presets to create various effects. This tracing engine can automatically apply the most appropriate tracing preset—offering users an intuitive and advanced interface. 

Start by placing your image into your Illustrator artboard. Once you’ve selected the image, click Image Trace. To see your options, click on the Image Trace Panel next to View. This panel contains a variety of preset tools that you can use to create certain effects within your image. 

Illustrator tools

• Preset: you can choose the type of image you want to trace so that the software can set the variables needed to produce the vector, e.g. high fidelity photo, sketched art and silhouette. 

• Mode: this defines the color of your image—color, grayscale or black and white. If you select black and white, you’ll be able to use the Threshold tool to adjust the black to white transition. 

• Palette: determines how the colors are chosen for your image trace. 
  • Automatic: switches between a limited and full tone palette. It analyzes your raster image and uses a suitable palette. If the image trace detects fewer colors in your image, it will use a limited palette tracing as a result. 
  • Limited: uses a small set of colors for the tracing palette. If your image has too many colors, it will either choose colors that are similar and close together or choose colors that take up the most area. 
  • Full Tone: determines the color palette by grouping nearby pixels of similar colors together to create each filled region in the result. 

• Colors: the colors slider generates different results depending on the value selected for Mode and Palette. 

• Paths: controls how closely the Bezier paths fit the pixel boundary—the lower it is, the fewer segments and control points it has. The curves of your image will then be much smoother. 

• Corners: determines how likely it is that sharp bends will be turned into a corner point. 

• Noise: specifies the size of the smallest areas of your raster image which will then be taken into account while tracing. 

All done…

You can check the Preview button at any point to see the results of your preset selection. If you’re happy with the result, click on Trace to convert your image into paths. Once you’ve done so, your image will be replaced by vector objects. You can use the pen tool if you need to make any tweaks or changes. Once you’re completely happy with your vector image, you can save it as any vector format including: 

• AI: native format of Adobe Illustrator. 
• EPS: an older print format. 
• PDF: widely used for sharing and printing documents. 
• SVG: used mostly for web graphics and interactive features. 
• DXF: a data exchange format used in CAD. 
• DWG: AutoCAD’s native file format. 

Before and after tracing an image using Image Trace

So now you know how to vectorize using Illustrator. But does this mean that you can use it for vectorizing any image you have? The answer, quite simply, is no. Adobe Illustrator is primarily used for graphic design purposes—if you’re looking for a more specialized approach for use in CAD or CNC, you’ll have to look elsewhere. Read the next section to find out when you should and shouldn’t vectorize using Illustrator. 

When Illustrator should and shouldn’t be used

Adobe Illustrator is catered towards graphic design. If you’re looking to vectorize your logo or use an image for your website, Illustrator will undoubtedly give you a great output. It enables you to produce vectors with a high number of colors and a high level of realism. It can even be used for simple designs in CAD or CNC—you could quite easily convert a logo in Illustrator, edit it in CAD software and send it to CAM for use with a CNC machine. 

If you’re trying to convert a technical drawing for CAD, you could use Illustrator—it does come with a technical drawing preset. However, it’s a generalized trace—the variables used will be the same regardless of whether you’re converting an architectural drawing or a mechanical drawing. In addition, Illustrator will take longer to convert a scanned image. If your drawing includes text, the live trace might not even detect it properly. This could lead to you having to re-write the text. 

The process of vectorization can also be time-consuming in Illustrator. If you’re vectorizing different types of technical drawings, you want to make sure that the variables used are suitable. Your architectural drawings for example, should retain sharp corners, whilst your contour maps should be converted into Bezier curves or splines. If you’re not happy with the results of the conversion, then you have to go back and make further modifications. So why not use a specialized solution?

What is Scan2CAD and how is it different?

Scan2CAD is a two-in-one solution. It’s a raster-to-vector converter and a PDF-to-vector converter. Its primary focus is on the conversion of technical drawings like site plans to usable and editable vector images. It can be used by anyone in any industry—from mechanical engineering to infrastructure to product design. 

Adobe Illustrator has two main disadvantages when it comes to conversion for CAD or CNC: it only offers a generalized trace for all technical drawings and it can be a time-consuming process. Scan2CAD offers solutions to both of these issues. Scan2CAD comes with vector recognition for architectural drawings, contour maps and much more. In addition, it has specific vectorization settings that take different variables into consideration depending on the type of drawing you’re converting. 

In regards to time efficiency, Scan2CAD’s batch processing feature enables users to automate tasks on thousands of files at once. These converted files can then be opened in any CAD, CNC or GIS package. And with Smart OCR, you won’t come across any issues when converting raster text to vector text—you can even train the software to recognize new or handwritten fonts. 

OCR in Scan2CAD

How does the process work?

Scan2CAD detects the lines and edges present in your image and redraws them as vector entities such as: lines, polygons, circles and Bezier curves. It takes into consideration a number of parameters including the angle of the curves, line weights and the type of line. Scan2CAD comes with pre-programmed variables and vectorization settings that control exactly how your conversion is carried out. It also allows you to make use of a raster and vector editing suite so that you can tidy up your image before and after conversion. 

Want to know what the best part is about using Scan2CAD? The process takes only a matter of seconds—as you can see below. 

Problems with conversion

Poor image quality

The quality of your vector output is dependent on your input file. After all, if you’re looking to convert a technical drawing for use in CAD, you need the ultimate precision. An architectural floor plan for example, is useless if it’s full of broken lines or shadows. You can tell your image is of poor quality if it contains any of the following issues: 

• Heavy pixelation. Pixels become obvious, and the image looks blurry. 
• Low resolution. Lines should be around 5 pixels thick to obtain a good vector output. 
• Dithered lines. This usually arises with scanned pencil drawings. 
• Merged lines. If your drawing has text written over a line, the software won’t be able to distinguish one from the other. 
• Hairy lines. Essentially lines that have fuzzy edges. 
• Shadows. Another issue that plagues scanned drawings. 

Don’t bother converting any raster image that sports any of these problems…

Converting before tidying up

If you try to convert your drawing before addressing any of these issues, your output vector won’t be of a high standard. Drawings need to be checked before and after conversion to ensure that all elements have been correctly recognized. The last thing you want is for one of your dashed lines for example, to be mistaken as short lines. 

Not choosing the right settings

Each image requires different settings when it comes to vectorization. As we mentioned earlier, if you’re working with technical drawings, you don’t want a generalized conversion. Scan2CAD comes with vectorization settings that allow for a more specialized conversion. If your drawing contains straight, orthogonal lines then it might be best suited to the Mechanical setting. If you’re looking to trace the outline of a solid shape, Outline might be more to your suiting. It even comes with a setting for CNC designs. 

How to get the best results

Scan2CAD supports a variety of file types, allowing you to convert from a number of raster files to a vector file format of your own choosing. In order to produce the optimal result possible however, you need to tidy up your image. Scan2CAD has a series of tools on offer that can be used so that you don’t have to make further changes in the CAD software you take your drawing to. 

Pre- and post-processing work

• Pick the right format. If you’re working with scanned images, you should save them in the TIFF format which comes with lossless compression. You need to start with the right format to ensure you get the best result. 

• Reduce colors. Ideally, you want your raster image to have as few colors as possible in order to give you the clearest possible contrast between the background and foreground. Reducing colors is vital, because the converter will detect every shade and produce separate vector entities as a result. 

• Thresholding. This allows you to divide your raster image cleanly into black and white pixels. It’s especially important with scanned images that often come with grayscale or compression artifacts. There are two types of thresholding: 
  • Simple thresholding: applied to the whole image. 
  • Adaptive thresholding: applied to different parts of your raster file. 

• Deskew the image. If your drawing is scanned at a slight angle, it won’t be converted into clean, straight lines in the vector. Scan2CAD’s deskewing tools will fix this problem. 

• Cleaning tools. Scan2CAD comes with cleaning tools that you can use to combat the problems highlighted earlier. 
  • Remove holes or speckles. 
  • Thicken lines to fix broke or dithered lines. 
  • Smooth to remove hairy edges surrounding your image. 

Of course that’s just the tip of the iceberg. You can check Scan2CAD’s raster quality checklist to see how you can fix any further issues you might come across. Alternatively, take a look at our top 10 raster effects for more ways to optimize your raster before the conversion process. 

All sorted?

Once you’re happy with your image, you can move on to the easiest part of the entire process. Unlike other conversion software, Scan2CAD can convert your drawing in a matter of seconds. Once the vectorization process is complete, you can then save your new vector as a DXF, DWG or even as  G-code ready for use with CNC control software. With Scan2CAD, it couldn’t be easier—as you can see below. 

Here’s a floorplan — before and after conversion! We’ve used Scan2CAD to convert it from a scanned image (left) to an editable vector (right); and saved it as DXF

Scan2CAD: free download

If you’re converting images for graphic design purposes, then go ahead and continue using Adobe Illustrator. If you’re looking to convert technical drawings or complex designs for use in CAD and CNC however, why not give Scan2CAD a try?

Whether you’re a hobbyist or a professional, Scan2CAD offers you a specialized solution for all of your vectorization needs. Scan2CAD has been used across industries for a range of uses from routed signs to metal sculpting to glass reproduction. Plus it can be used for CNC projects like laptop decals, wooden plaques and stencils. It’s the ultimate vectorization software. 

So instead of messing around using software like Adobe Illustrator or outsourcing your CAD designs, why not convert them yourself with Scan2CAD? You can try out the software in a free 14-day trial with absolutely no limitations—you can convert as many files as you want without watermarks. Just click on the button below to get started. 

Stay updated on all things CAD, CNC and CAM-related with Scan2CAD’s blog covering topics ranging from outsourcing CAD conversion to the pitfalls of designing for CNC. 

Table of contents

• What is tracing?
• When is it used?
• Why should you automatically trace an image?
• How does the typical process work?
• How does the Scan2CAD process work?

What is tracing?

Image tracing, or vectorization, is the process of converting a raster image into a vector image. This process can be done manually, by ‘drawing’ vector lines on top of the original raster image, using a mouse or a graphics pen. Alternatively, you can automatically trace your image with conversion software, such as Scan2CAD.

With automatic tracing, you start by loading your raster graphic—such as a JPEG, PNG, or TIFF file—into conversion software. The software then works to detect the outline of the image, before tracing over this outline with vector entities such as: lines (continuous, dotted, hatch), polygons, circles and bezier curves. The end product (or output) is a vector graphic. This can then be saved in a vector image format, such as SVG, DXF, or DWG.

When is it used generally?

Whilst raster images are incredibly common in fields such as photography and computer graphics, they aren’t suitable for all purposes. This is because rasters are made up of pixels, which makes them resolution dependent. When you zoom into a raster image, it loses definition, and the individual pixels become visible. You can see an example of this in the image on the right. 

This can be a problem in graphic design, art and animation industries, that all depend on artwork or designs that can be infinitely scaled and displayed without any loss in quality. Raster-to-vector conversion software is used in these cases, so that any designs created can be scaled to various sizes, and displayed without the issue of resolution dependency. 

Why is it used in the CAD industry?

Here is how Scan2CAD and other raster-to-vector conversion software trace images

Raster-to-vector conversion is extremely vital in the CAD industry, specifically for the conversion of technical drawings. Indeed, Scan2CAD’s primary focus is the conversion of technical drawings such as: engineering plans, architectural plans, electrical plans and even site plans. 

There are more advantages and uses attached to the vector format, particularly for technical drawings: 

• The drawings are easier to edit and modify, because individual entities can be moved, resized or altered. 
• They are high in quality, and are resolution independent.
• They are easy to store and share due to their smaller file size. 
• Converting to formats like DXF can allow for greater accessibility, as they can be opened in a wide variety of CAD software. Alternatively, converting to formats like PDF is useful for sharing, particularly with clients or colleagues who do not have CAD software available. 

Want to know more about the pros and cons of vectors? Check out: raster versus vector. 

Why should you automatically trace an image?

Automatic tracing has many advantages. The process is quick and easy—with Scan2CAD, it takes just seconds to convert to vector. With manual tracing, it could take hours or even days.

It’s worth noting, however, that the quality of your output depends on your conversion software. Free online converters are unlikely to provide good results, and lack proper safety and privacy features.

As well as this, you must have a good-quality starting image for good vectorization results. A poor-quality raster image will not produce a good quality vector. Furthermore, certain types of images, such as photos, are not suitable for vectorization.

Good candidates for vectorization have clean, simple lines and few colors. The best images to use are synthetic images, such as logos, cartoons, and technical drawings like architectural plans, electrical plans and site plans. You should also ensure that your image is saved in a suitable raster file format. Lossy formats, such as JPEG, lose definition when edited. This makes them harder to vectorize. Meanwhile, lossless formats, such as TIFF, maintain their quality. When converting from raster to vector, we recommend saving your image in TIFF format before conversion to DXF or DWG for best results. 

Need to convert a GIF instead? Check out our Ultimate Guide covering GIF to DXF conversion.

Converting with other software

To start the process, import your raster image into vectorization software. For best results, you should start by optimizing your image. However, if you’re not using Scan2CAD, your conversion software may have only a limited range of image editing tools. This makes it more difficult to achieve good results. Once your image has been edited, you can begin the vectorization process. This is usually a one-click process. The process can, however, have some hiccups along the way if your image is not suitable.

Most conversion programs don’t typically include Optical Character Recognition (OCR). This can cause issues if you wish to convert an image which includes text. Without OCR, text is treated as lines and curves, and the software doesn’t attach any significance or value to them. This makes the text extremely difficult to edit. To combat this problem, users have to manually trace over the text—which defeats the purpose of using automatic tracing in the first place! 

Once the process is complete, you will have a vector image. You’ll then need to save your image in an appropriate vector format. Some software, however, will only offer a limited range of formats. If you need to save your image in a CAD or CNC format, this can be a real issue.

Overall, the process can become tricky and unsatisfactory if you end up using the wrong type of software. 

How Scan2CAD is different

If you need to produce good quality vector images, then choose a software that produces the best results. Want to avoid the issues above? Use Scan2CAD.

Scan2CAD supports no less than 33 file types, including all major raster image file types, vector formats such as DXF and DWG, and PDF. It also comes with a complete image editing suite, helping users to optimize their image before and after vectorization. This means that you can easily tackle some of the most common raster image issues: 

Common problems with raster images before conversion

These tools allow users to improve the image to its fullest potential. Take a look at our optimization tips for more information.

Once you’ve finished editing your image, Scan2CAD allows users to vectorize the image at the click of a button. It has the added bonus of offering OCR capabilities: users can vectorize an image and text at the same time, so they no longer have to manually trace over text to vectorize it. Some of Scan2CAD’s subscription services even allow users to train the software to recognize handwritten fonts!

Once the raster has been vectorized, you can convert the vector to a number of different vector file types such as DXF, DWG, PDF and SVG. Check out our vector file type tips for more information about which is the right one for your needs.

Scan2CAD’s automatic tracing process offers efficient results. It comes with an editing suite and full OCR capabilities, helping you to create the perfect vector image. Interested? Try out our free 14-day trial today.

What is tracing?

Image tracing is the process of drawing over a raster image with vectors. This is the only way to produce a vector representation of a raster image, and is also known as vectorization. Tracing can either be an automatic or a manual process:

• Manual tracing involves tracing over the image by hand. You can either use a mouse to trace over every line, or make use of a tablet and graphics ‘pen’ to draw over the raster.
• Automatic tracing makes use of raster-to-vector conversion software (such as Scan2CAD). This software detects the lines and edges of your raster image, and redraws them as vector lines, curves, polygons and other vector entities.

These two types of tracing can even work in sync. For example, some artists print out their raster image, trace over the outlines by hand, and then scan this image back into vectorization software. Ultimately, the right choice for you is dependent on what you need to trace. Take a look at the pros and cons of each type of tracing to figure out which is best for your needs.

Automatic tracing

Pros

 Speed

Whilst manual tracing generally takes hours of time, automatic tracing is rapid. This is a huge benefit if you have a deadline looming, or if you’re attempting to convert several images within a short time frame. With Scan2CAD, the entire vectorization process takes just a few seconds.

Constant improvement

Automatic tracing isn’t perfect (yet), but the technology behind it is improving every year. Tracing software has become more adept at picking up on the nuances present in different image types thanks to a diverse range of vectorization settings. Issues with raster text are also being solved thanks to advances in OCR technology. So, don’t underestimate automatic tracing—it’s evolving more quickly than you might think.

Cons

 Low-quality images will require manual input

When using automatic tracing, it’s paramount that you use the best quality versions of your images for vectorization. Otherwise, you may end up falling victim to a number of common vectorization problems. Sometimes, you may be given a poor quality image without higher quality versions available. Automatic conversion applications such as Scan2CAD will fix common flaws with low quality images automatically but if you have a very ‘noisy’ image then you may need to manually edit it prior to conversion.

 Works best with as few colors as possible

If, for example, you are converting a JPG to DXF, then your JPG image could hold as many as 16.7 million colors. If you were to convert the image to vector without reducing the number colors, then each area of color in your image may be represented as a separate vector entity. This would result in an extremely poor quality conversion. Luckily, most conversion programs will offer automatic color reduction options. The rule of thumb is that you should reduce the number of colors to as few as possible whilst still keeping all of the required detail in your image.

Manual tracing

Pros

 Better ‘understanding’

While a computer is fast and efficient, it lacks the ability to fully understand a drawing or image. Vectorization software can understand the differences between the pixels, and detect edges and shapes. A human, meanwhile, is able to look at the drawing and tell exactly what it represents. Even with just a smudged outline, a human can tell exactly where lines need to be drawn—giving it a clear advantage over vectorization software.

 Works with images of any quality

The issue of raster quality is rather redundant for manual tracing. As we have already mentioned, a human knows where the lines need to be. If you have a coffee-stained, hand-drawn design, and you scan it into software, its quality won’t be great. But because you’re familiar with it, you know exactly what needs to be done. No matter what the quality of the raster is, your better understanding of the drawing will ensure your vector is of high quality. 

Cons

 Long and strenuous

Tracing over an image manually can be a long and strenuous process—especially if you’re dealing with a complex image. It can also take users a long time to become proficient at manual tracing. It’s therefore often easier to use automatic tracing in these circumstances—and of course, if you’re dealing with a simple, clean raster image, it’s almost always quicker to trace it automatically.

 Inaccurate

Surprisingly, manual tracing is often inaccurate when compared to automatic tracing. A study from the field of map drawing showed that the spatial accuracy level that the human hand can resolve is around 40 DPI (dots per inch) in the best case. This figure can drop further if the user is tired. A computer, meanwhile, is more efficient and precise.

So, which one should I use?

There are advantages to using both forms of tracing—and ultimately, it all depends on your needs.

If you’re at the mercy of tight deadlines and are balancing numerous projects, then automatic tracing is likely be your best option. Sometimes, it’s worth choosing automatic tracing even if manual tracing may provide better results, as it can take hours off your workload. It’s also preferable to use automatic tracing if you’re dealing with relatively simple raster images—especially within the fields of architecture and engineering.

If you’re dealing with more complex images (such as photos), or poor-quality raster images, then manual tracing is a great option. It might seem daunting, but manual tracing is definitely a useful skill to have if you deal with CAD day-in, day-out. It also ensures that your image will be vectorized in exactly the way you intended—something that a computer won’t be able to achieve.

Here at Scan2CAD, we think that there are certainly occasions where it’s preferable to manually trace your image. However, for many images, using Scan2CAD is a great way of achieving high-quality vector outputs in a short space of time. Plus, with a full vector editing suite built into the software, you have the ability to make some finishing touches to your image, and achieve a perfect end product.

As a result, if you work with CAD, it’s highly likely that either you or a collaborator will use DWG files day in, day out. But what if you have an image that isn’t in DWG format? The answer is simple: convert it! Not only does conversion facilitate collaboration with fellow designers, it’s also surprisingly easy. Whether you need to convert JPG to DWG, convert PNG to DWG or any other common image format, you can do this quickly with Scan2CAD.

Video: How to convert your image to DWG for AutoCAD

What is DWG?

Developed by Autodesk in the early 1980s, DWG files are best known as the native file format for AutoCAD, though they are used by several other CAD packages as well. The name DWG is an abbreviation of drawing, which gives a clue as to its intended use – storing design data and metadata. In addition to designs, the format can also be used to store geometric data, maps and geographic information, and even photos. In short, any information that you enter into a CAD program can be stored in DWG.

Some examples of CAD software that you can use to view and edit DWG files

Why convert to DWG?

As the leading format for CAD drawings, using DWG means your image can be viewed and edited by millions of designers worldwide. It’s not quite universal, but it’s certainly ubiquitous, and can be used on almost any major CAD platform. It’s used in all sorts of different industries, with applications ranging from architecture and engineering to virtual reality and game design. Even if you don’t use AutoCAD, there are still plenty of other ways to view and edit DWG files – including using Scan2CAD.

No matter whether your original image is a raster or vector, there are clear advantages to converting to DWG.

How to convert to DWG

So, you’ve heard a lot about why you should convert your image to DWG – but how do you actually go about doing it? With Scan2CAD, converting to DWG from almost any file type is a breeze – here are some of the most common conversions that Scan2CAD can be used for.

Other CAD formats to DWG

Let’s start with the most common, and possibly the simplest, conversion process of all – converting to DWG from another CAD file type. If you’re looking to convert from a file format such as DXF, the conversion process is as simple as opening the DXF file in Scan2CAD and then saving it as a DWG. Job done.

Raster image formats to DWG

Converting from a raster format—such as PNG, JPG, or TIFF—to DWG could be thought of as a more intelligent process. Your conversion software has to first detect lines, shapes, text and other entities present in the image – a process which includes deciding on the appropriate entity type. It must then trace over the pixels in the raster image with vector entities. If you had to do all this manually, it would take an age. Luckily, Scan2CAD makes the process quick and easy.

• Step one: Ensure your raster image is up to scratch using Scan2CAD’s Raster Quality Checklist. After all, if your original image is of poor quality, the vectorized version of the image is unlikely to be much better. If your image contains text, then it’s also worth following our Raster Text Quality Checklist.
• Step two: Select the appropriate settings from the Type Menu. You can choose between Architectural, Electrical, Mechanical, CNC Profile, Contour Map, Site Plan, Sketch, Outline, Scanline, or User. Choosing the correct image type means that the right settings will be applied during vectorization.
• Step three: Vectorize! You can do this by clicking , pressing F7, or clicking Run Menu > Vectorization.

That’s all there is to it! Then, you’re free to view, edit, and use your brand new vectorized image. Scan2CAD also allows you vectorize only part of an image, or to automatically convert a batch of raster images.

PDF to DWG

Although PDF is one of the most common file types in the world, PDFs can be surprisingly complex. Each page in a PDF can contain any combination of 2D vector graphics, text, or raster images. Converting from PDF to DWG therefore involves two different processes: extracting existing vector information, and vectorizing raster images within the PDF. Scan2CAD is capable of both – and also enables you to import vectors only, rasters only, or both.

PDFs are great for viewing vector images, but the vector graphics they contain are very limited, and can’t usually be understood by CAD programs. Converting to DWG with Scan2CAD, however, produces vector entities which can easily be edited using CAD software. Scan2CAD preserves the vector information present within the PDF, including colors, line types, and line widths. Not only that, but it arranges text into easily editable strings, and is able to create vector arcs and circles – entity types which do not exist in PDFs. Once the vector information has been extracted, just export the file as a DWG.

These circles were imported from a PDF using another conversion program. Instead of appearing as two vector circles, they have been reproduced as a series of small vector lines, making them very hard to edit in CAD.	These circles were imported from a PDF using Scan2CAD. Scan2CAD detected them and reproduced them as easy-to-edit vector circles. When importing your PDF, just click File > PDF > Import Options… > Make Vector Circles

In addition to the vector entities, your PDF may also include raster images. If you wanted to edit these images in CAD, you would need to vectorize them. PDFs may also include multiple raster images on a single page. For example, some scanners create “stripped” PDFs made up of many horizontal strips rather than a single image. Scan2CAD maps all of these into a single raster image per page, whilst preserving the quality of the image. Once you’ve imported your raster images from the PDF, simply vectorize them as you would any other raster format, then save as a DWG.

Scan2CAD v9 (and above) offers the facility to import and export DWG files. Not only does it offer improved vector conversion, but with its wide range of features, it’s the ideal tool for all your image editing and conversion needs. Try out all the features of Scan2CAD with our 14-day free trial.