Affinity Designer Trace Image to Vector: How to Rebuild a Logo from a Scan

The short answer

Affinity Designer 1 and Affinity Designer 2 do not include a one-click automatic tracing command that converts a raster image into vector shapes. Adobe Illustrator's Image Trace is an example of that kind of command. In Affinity Designer, you turn a PNG, JPG or scanned logo into vector artwork by redrawing it on top of the image with the Pen, Shape and Node tools. Another route is to auto-trace the image in a separate tracing tool and then open the result in Affinity Designer for cleanup.

Affinity's product lineup and features have changed over time. Check the version you have installed for any newer trace function. No version-specific feature evidence was available for this guide, so confirm current capabilities in the official release notes before you rely on them.

Key terms

• Raster image: a picture made of a fixed grid of pixels, such as a PNG, JPG or scan. Enlarging it makes edges blurry or blocky.
• Vector artwork: shapes defined mathematically by paths. A vector logo can be scaled to any size without losing edge quality.
• Path: a line or outline built from connected points called nodes.
• Node (anchor point): a point on a path. Sharp nodes create corners. Smooth nodes create continuous curves.
• Bézier handles: the control arms that extend from a node and set the direction and tension of the curve.
• Tracing: creating vector paths that follow the edges of a raster image, either by hand or automatically.
• Convert to Curves: an Affinity command that turns live shapes or live text into ordinary editable paths.

Why a file extension is not proof of vector artwork

Formats such as SVG, PDF, EPS and AI can hold vector paths, embedded raster images, or both. A PNG placed inside a PDF is still pixels. Before you treat a supplied file as finished vector artwork, open it and look at its layers in outline view. Also keep in mind that recreating a logo does not grant permission to use it. Confirm you have the right to redraw and reuse the mark before you deliver it.

Option 1: Redraw the logo manually in Affinity Designer

Manual redrawing takes the most time, but it gives you the cleanest result. You control how many nodes each shape has, whether curves are smooth, and whether lines are truly straight and symmetrical. This matters most for logos that come from low-resolution files or worn printed material.

Step 1: Prepare the reference image

• Scan or photograph the printed logo as flat and square-on as you can. Perspective distortion carries straight into your redraw.
• Create a new document. Place the image with File > Place, or drag it onto the canvas.
• If the scan is skewed, rotate it until known horizontal or vertical edges line up with the guides.
• Optionally, raise the contrast with an adjustment such as Levels so the edges are easier to read. This only helps you see. It does not create vectors.
• Lower the image layer's opacity and lock it so it cannot move while you draw.

Step 2: Analyze the construction before drawing

Work out which parts of the logo are basic geometry. Look for circles, rectangles, rounded rectangles, straight strokes and repeated or mirrored elements. Primitive shapes drawn with the Shape tools are more precise than freehand Pen paths. Wherever possible, build the logo from those shapes rather than tracing every edge.

Step 3: Build shapes and paths

• Use the Ellipse, Rectangle and other Shape tools for geometric parts. Turn on snapping to keep alignment exact.
• Use the Pen tool for organic outlines. Place nodes at the ends of curves and at corners rather than along the middle of a curve. Then drag the handles to fit the shape.
• Use as few nodes as the shape allows. Extra nodes cause lumpy curves and make later edits harder.
• Use the Node tool to adjust node positions and handles, and to switch nodes between sharp and smooth.
• Use the Corner tool for consistent rounded corners instead of drawing each rounding by hand.
• For parts drawn as strokes, use Expand Stroke so the line becomes a filled outline.

Step 4: Combine shapes with Boolean operations

Boolean operations combine overlapping shapes into new ones. Add merges shapes. Subtract cuts the top shape out of the one beneath. Intersect keeps only the overlap. Divide splits shapes along their overlaps. Combine joins shapes into one compound shape so that holes, like the inside of a letter O, stay open. Use these operations to build the final silhouette and to cut out counters and gaps.

Step 5: Handle the lettering

If the logo uses an identifiable typeface and you have a license for it, set the text with that font. Then match the size, spacing and baseline to the reference. Once the type is final, use Convert to Curves so the lettering keeps its look on systems that don't have the font installed. Keep an unconverted copy on a hidden layer for future edits. If the lettering is custom or you can't identify the font, redraw it as paths, just like the rest of the mark.

Step 6: Apply colors

Do not take color values from a scan by picking pixels. Paper, ink, lighting and scanner settings all change the color you see. Use the brand's documented color specifications if they exist. If no specification exists, treat any sampled color as an approximation and say so when you deliver the file.

Option 2: Auto-trace elsewhere, then clean up in Affinity

You can generate a first-pass trace in a dedicated tool. Examples include the Trace Bitmap feature in Inkscape or utilities based on the Potrace engine. Export the result as SVG or PDF and open it in Affinity Designer. Automatic tracing is quick for simple, high-contrast marks. However, it usually produces too many nodes, wobbly curves, rounded corners that should be sharp, and edge noise picked up from scan texture.

Treat an auto-trace as a draft. In Affinity, delete stray fragments, simplify or redraw rough curves, and replace near-circles and near-rectangles with true Shape-tool geometry. Rebuild text from proper type or clean paths. For a professional logo, this cleanup often takes as long as redrawing from scratch.

Approach | Best suited to | Main drawback

Manual redraw in Affinity Designer | Logos for brand use, poor scans, geometric marks, anything needing precision | Slower and needs Pen-tool skill

Auto-trace in another tool, cleanup in Affinity | Simple high-contrast shapes, rough drafts, quick previews | Messy paths and lost geometric accuracy that need correcting

Verify the result

• Switch to Outline view mode to check the paths without fills. Look for overlapping duplicates, stray nodes and open paths.
• Hide or delete the reference image and confirm that no raster layers remain in the artwork.
• Zoom in closely on curves and corners. Curves should flow smoothly and corners should be crisp.
• Check the mark at a very small size and a very large size to confirm it reads well at both.
• Compare it against the original at the same scale to catch shape or spacing drift.
• Confirm that all text has been converted to curves in the delivery files, or that the font is supplied along with a valid license.

Export for delivery

Save a master file in Affinity's native format so the artwork stays editable. Then export the formats the recipient needs. SVG is common for web and digital use, and PDF or EPS for print workflows. Add PNG versions only as convenience copies for situations where vector files are not accepted. After exporting, reopen each vector file to confirm it contains paths and not an embedded image. Confirm the color mode matches the intended use: RGB for screens, and CMYK or specified spot colors for print as the printer requires.

Gaps in this guide

No version-specific evidence was available. That includes release dates, the exact feature set of the newest Affinity releases, or settings for third-party tracing tools. Menu names and locations can also differ between versions. Check the documentation for the software version you use.