Let’s be honest: how many times have you received a client request with a logo in a tiny, blurry, pixelated JPG? They call it a “logo,” but it’s more like a “little pixel mess.”
We know that if you don’t have the source file (the original .AI or .SVG), you need to vectorize that image so it looks perfect on the web, in an app, or on a huge banner. Forget about drawing every curve by hand.
But relax, because I’m going to show you the foolproof Adobe Illustrator trick to vectorize any pixelated image in under five minutes and, most importantly, without losing strokes or fine details.
How to Vectorize a Logo in Illustrator Step by Step
1. The secret is “Image Trace”
Many people try to trace with the Pen tool (P) and end up wasting an entire afternoon. Don’t do it! The “Image Trace” feature is magical if you know how to set it up. It’s the button that turns your pixelated mess into pure vector art.
Step 1: Prepare the image
Open Adobe Illustrator and drag your logo (JPG, PNG, or whatever pixelated file you have) onto your artboard.
- Designer tip: If the logo has no colors, convert it to pure black and white before dragging it in. This makes the AI work much easier.
Step 2: Activate Image Trace
With the image selected, look in the top toolbar for “Image Trace”. If you don’t see it, go to Window > Image Trace. By default, Illustrator will apply a basic preset that may look awful. Don’t panic! The trick comes next.
2. The settings that save your design
To vectorize without losing detail, don’t use Illustrator’s default presets. Go to the Image Trace settings panel and apply these adjustments:
- Mode: Change it to “Color” or “Grayscale”. If the logo has only two colors (like white and blue), use “Color” and reduce the “Colors” option to 2.
- Palette: If using Color, select “Limited” or “Full”. If using Grayscale, leave as is.
- Paths: This is key. Move the “Paths” slider to the right. This tells Illustrator to stay faithful to the original edges and lines, creating more anchor points.
- Corners: Move the “Corners” slider to the right as well. If your logo is geometric, this keeps corners sharp instead of rounded.
- Noise: Move the slider to the left. Noise is what Illustrator considers “junk pixels.” Reducing it prevents vectorizing specks or defects from the original JPG.
The magic button: “Ignore White”
If you’re vectorizing a logo on a white background, enable “Ignore White” at the bottom of the panel. This automatically removes the background and leaves only the logo artwork—a cleaning step saved!
3. The grand finale: Expand and Export
Once you’ve adjusted the parameters (Paths and Corners to the right, Noise to the left) and previewed a result you like, there’s just one crucial final step:
- Click the “Expand” button in the top toolbar.
What does “Expand” do? It converts your Image Trace (still temporary) into a group of real vector objects with anchor points, ready to edit. Once expanded, you’ll probably need to ungroup (Right click > Ungroup) to manipulate or change colors of individual parts. And voilà! Your logo is perfectly vectorized in Illustrator’s native format. You can now export it as SVG for the web (always SVG for web!) or AI/EPS for print.
See? Less than 5 minutes and you’ve turned a pixelated mess into a professional design. Now go vectorize everything that moves. 😉
