How to Convert a Scanned Logo to Vector in Inkscape

The short answer

To convert a PNG or scanned logo to SVG in Inkscape, import the image, select it, open Path > Trace Bitmap, choose a detection mode, click Apply, then delete the original image and save the traced result as SVG. Trace Bitmap converts the pixels into vector paths, which are shapes defined by mathematical curves and anchor points (nodes) instead of a fixed grid of pixels. Vector paths can be scaled to any size without blurring, which is why logos are normally delivered in vector form.

Tracing is an automatic approximation. It works well for simple, high-contrast marks and gives you a usable starting point for more complex ones, but it rarely reproduces exact geometry, true circles, straight lines or real typefaces. For artwork that will represent a brand, plan to clean up or partly redraw the traced paths, and replace traced lettering with real type where possible.

Menu names and dialog options below refer to the Inkscape 1.x series. Layouts and option labels have changed between releases, and no version-specific documentation was supplied for this guide, so check the labels against the version you have installed.

Before you start

Confirm you have the right to reproduce the logo. Converting a file to SVG does not change who owns the mark or grant permission to reuse it.

The quality of the trace depends almost entirely on the quality of the source image. Before importing, prepare the scan:

• Scan or export at a resolution high enough that the thinnest strokes and smallest gaps are several pixels wide; tiny details at low resolution trace as blobs or disappear.
• Scan flat and straight so the logo is not skewed, and crop away surrounding paper, borders and other content.
• Increase contrast so the logo and background are clearly separated; remove paper texture, dust, stains and JPEG artifacts in a raster editor if you can.
• Use the largest, cleanest original available; a large clean print usually traces better than a small or reprinted one.
• Avoid heavy sharpening or resizing filters that create halos around edges.

Step 1: Import the image

Open a new document and use File > Import (Ctrl+I), or open the PNG directly with File > Open. When the import dialog asks whether to embed or link the bitmap, either works for tracing; embedding keeps the image inside the document while you work. Make sure the image is selected by clicking it once with the Selector tool.

Step 2: Open Trace Bitmap and choose a mode

Go to Path > Trace Bitmap (Shift+Alt+B). The dialog offers single-scan modes, which produce one path, and multiple-scan modes, which produce several stacked paths for multicolor artwork. There is also a separate pixel-art tracer, which is intended for low-resolution pixel graphics rather than scanned logos.

• Brightness cutoff (single scan): the usual choice for one-color logos. Pixels darker than the threshold become the shape. Raise or lower the threshold until edges are crisp and fine details survive without filling in.
• Edge detection (single scan): traces outlines around edges rather than filled areas; useful occasionally but often produces doubled lines on logos.
• Color quantization (single scan): reduces the image to a set number of colors and traces the boundaries between them.
• Centerline tracing (single scan, where available): follows the middle of thin strokes to create open lines, which suits line art and signatures more than filled shapes.
• Colors or Grays (multiple scans): for logos with several flat colors. Set the number of scans to match the number of colors in the logo, and consider the options to stack scans and remove the background.

Additional options affect the path quality. Speckles suppression ignores small specks below a size you set, which removes dust from scans. Smooth corners rounds sharp corners; reduce it if your logo has crisp angular corners. Optimize reduces the number of nodes by merging curve segments; too much optimization distorts shapes. Use the preview in the dialog to compare settings before committing.

Step 3: Apply and separate the result from the original

Click Apply. Inkscape places the traced vector directly on top of the original image, so it can look as if nothing happened. Drag the top object aside or use Edit > Select All and inspect the objects to confirm you now have both a bitmap and a path. Compare them side by side, and if the trace is not right, delete the path and try again with different settings.

Once you are satisfied, delete the original bitmap. This step is essential: if the image stays in the document, the saved SVG will still contain raster content.

Step 4: Inspect and clean up the paths

Switch to outline view (View > Display Mode > Outline) to see the bare path geometry without fills. Look for wobbly edges, lumps on curves, unwanted small shapes and excessive nodes. Then refine:

• Select the path with the Node tool to see its nodes; fewer, well-placed nodes generally produce smoother curves and cleaner files.
• Use Path > Simplify (Ctrl+L) to reduce nodes, checking that it does not soften corners or alter shapes you need to keep.
• Use Path > Break Apart to separate a single traced path into individual shapes so you can delete stray specks or recolor parts, then Path > Combine to rejoin shapes that should stay together.
• For a multiple-scan trace, ungroup the result, delete any background shape, and set exact fill colors with the Fill and Stroke dialog, using the brand color values if they are known.
• Replace elements that should be geometrically exact, such as circles, rectangles and straight rules, with shapes drawn using the shape tools, and use Path operations like Union and Difference to combine them.

If the trace is too rough to fix, a manual redraw is often faster and more accurate. Put the scan on its own layer, lower its opacity, lock the layer, and redraw over it with the Pen (Bezier) tool on a new layer, then delete the scan layer when finished.

Step 5: Handle lettering separately

Traced text usually shows uneven stroke weights and soft corners. If the logo uses an identifiable typeface that you are licensed to use, retype the wording with the Text tool, match the spacing and size to the scan, and then convert it to outlines with Path > Object to Path (Shift+Ctrl+C). Outlined text is a set of paths, so the file will display correctly on systems that do not have the font installed; keep an unoutlined copy if you may need to edit the wording later. If the lettering is custom, treat it like the rest of the artwork and clean up or redraw the letterforms as paths.

Step 6: Set the page and export

Fit the page to the logo with Edit > Resize Page to Selection (Shift+Ctrl+R) or the equivalent option in Document Properties, adding margin if your delivery requires clear space. Then save with File > Save As:

• Inkscape SVG keeps editor-specific data such as layers and is best as your working master file.
• Plain SVG removes Inkscape-specific data and is generally better for handing to other people or applications.
• Optimized SVG, where available, further reduces file size for web use; review the output, as aggressive settings can alter precision.
• PDF or EPS, available through Save As or Save a Copy, may be requested for print workflows; confirm the format and color requirements with the printer.

How to confirm the result is a true vector logo

A file ending in .svg is not proof that it contains only vectors, since an SVG can wrap an embedded PNG. Check the file before delivering it:

• Open Edit > XML Editor (Shift+Ctrl+X) and confirm there are only path, group and similar elements, with no image element.
• In outline view, every visible part of the logo should appear as an outline; an embedded bitmap shows as a box.
• Zoom in far on curves and corners; vector edges stay sharp at any zoom, while raster content pixelates.
• Click parts of the logo with the Node tool and confirm they show editable nodes.
• Reopen the saved file in Inkscape, or another vector application, to confirm it displays as expected and that converted text appears correctly.

If you open the SVG in a text editor, an embedded raster usually appears as an image element like the following, and its presence means the bitmap was not deleted:

<image
   xlink:href="data:image/png;base64,..."
   width="..."
   height="..." />

When all checks pass, the logo is a scalable, editable vector suitable for web use and, after confirming any printer-specific requirements, for print.