Potrace Online — Free Bitmap to SVG Converter
The same Potrace algorithm that powers Inkscape's bitmap tracer — running in your browser, free, with no installation required.
Drop your image here
Supports PNG, JPG, BMP, WEBP up to 5MB
What Is Potrace?
Potrace is an open-source vectorization algorithm developed by Peter Selinger that converts bitmap images into smooth Bézier curve paths. It's the algorithm built into Inkscape's "Trace Bitmap" feature, used by Scribus, and trusted by designers worldwide for logo and line-art vectorization.
Our server-side implementation runs the same Potrace binary you'd get from installing it locally — giving you identical output quality in seconds, directly in your browser.
Best Use Cases for Potrace
- Black-and-white logos — Potrace traces single-color shapes with perfect smooth curves
- Hand-drawn sketches and ink drawings — clean line tracing with minimal noise
- Cricut and Silhouette cut files — precise cut paths from clipart or stencils
- Scalable icons from bitmap originals — small file, crisp at any size
- Converting PNG to SVG for Inkscape editing — editable paths, not embedded rasters
Potrace vs VTracer — Which to Use?
| Potrace | VTracer | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | B&W logos, line art | Color photos, artwork |
| Output style | Smooth Bézier curves | Layered color paths |
| File size | Very small | Larger (color data) |
| Cricut use | ✓ Excellent | ✓ Good (color layers) |
Our converter auto-selects Potrace or VTracer based on your image. You can also try VTracer Online directly for color artwork.
Tips for Best Potrace Results
- Use PNG over JPG — lossless PNG avoids JPEG compression artifacts that confuse the tracer
- High contrast is key — dark subject on white background traces cleanest
- Remove the background first — use our background removal tool before tracing
- For Cricut: use B&W color mode to get a single cut-path layer
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Potrace and how does it work?
Potrace is an open-source bitmap tracing algorithm developed by Peter Selinger. It converts bitmaps to smooth Bézier curves by decomposing the image into paths that follow the edges of the shapes. It excels at logos, line art, and high-contrast images.
Is this the real Potrace algorithm?
Yes — imagetosvg.com runs Potrace server-side, the same algorithm used inside Inkscape's 'Trace Bitmap' feature. You get identical output quality without needing to install Inkscape or any software.
Potrace vs VTracer — which should I use?
Potrace is best for black-and-white logos, line art, and single-color graphics where you need clean, smooth Bézier curves. VTracer handles color images and multi-color artwork better. Our converter auto-selects the best algorithm based on your image, or you can choose manually.
What file formats does Potrace Online accept?
Potrace Online accepts PNG, JPG, JPEG, BMP, and WebP files up to 5MB. For best results, use PNG files with high contrast and a clean background.
Try Potrace Online — Free
Upload your bitmap above and get a clean SVG vector in seconds. No signup, no watermarks.