PNGJPGWebPSVG

Images to SVG with real gradients

Most tracers turn a smooth sunset into dozens of stripes. Vectacle finds the fades and draws them as true SVG gradients, so skies and shading stay smooth.

Drop a PNG or JPG to vectorize

Or paste one · PNG, JPG or WebP up to 30 MB · up to 30 at once

Choose an image

No image handy?

Cut files for Cricut & Silhouette
Real gradients
Crisp small text
Nothing is stored

Beach and sandstone cliffs illustration, zoomed in on the sky fading from blue to yellow — Drag the line to compare · + / − or pinch to zoom

The same beach as an SVG, zoomed in: the sky is one smooth gradient, the cliffs keep crisp edges — Drag the line to compare · + / − or pinch to zoom

Or click an example to try it

Original

SVG

Original · SVG

100% Scroll to zoom · drag to move · double-click: fit / zoom

Works best for logos, stickers, clip art, lettering and t-shirt graphics with clear edges. Photos, watercolours and soft shading won’t become clean vectors.

Type of image

Colours

Auto

Far left = Auto: the tool finds the main colours.

Colours

Click a colour, or use Pick from image and click the picture, to remove it everywhere. Click a crossed-out colour to bring it back.

Sticker border

Off

A white border around your design, for print-then-cut stickers. Remove the background first.

Smooth curves

No overlaps Every colour becomes its own piece and the pieces meet edge to edge, nothing hidden underneath. Good for cutting layered vinyl and for editing shapes one by one.

Smooth gradients Beta Each colour gradient becomes one shape with a real gradient fill instead of flat colour bands. Best for print; for cutting machines leave it off.

Smooth skies Beta Soft, curvy skies (a sunset, a glow behind a skyline) become a few see-through gradient layers, very close to the original. Works with Smooth gradients.

Sharp text Keeps small lettering crisp and readable. Only the text areas change; the rest of the design stays as clean.

Engine

Vectacle: sharp, connected edges that keep small details. Classic: VTracer, a simpler open-source tracer without the AI edge step.

Width in the SVG (inches, optional)

–shapes

–colours

–file size

Stripes vs. real gradients

Typical tracer

A sunset becomes 30–100 flat colour bands. You see the steps, the file is large, and recolouring it means editing every band.

Vectacle

The same sky becomes one shape with one gradient fill. It looks like the original, prints smoothly, and you can change the colours in two clicks.

Glows and light

Round glows, like a sun or a lamp, become radial gradients, layered over linear fades where both are present.

Only where it’s really smooth

Flat areas stay flat and edges stay crisp. Gradients are used only where the original truly fades.

How to convert an image with gradients

Drop your image: a PNG, JPG or WebP. Illustrations, posters, logos with fades and AI art work well.
Keep Auto, open More options and tick Smooth gradients.
Zoom in on the fades and compare them with the original.
Download the SVG. The gradients are standard SVG and stay editable in any vector app.

More examples

Illustration of winter turning into spring, original — A golden sky and a soft glow, with crisp flowers and hair in front.

Winter to spring illustration as SVG — A golden sky and a soft glow, with crisp flowers and hair in front.

Snowy village illustration, original — A stormy winter sky as smooth gradients behind crisp buildings and trees.

Snowy village illustration as SVG with a gradient sky — A stormy winter sky as smooth gradients behind crisp buildings and trees.

Retro pin-up sticker, original — A radial gradient where the original fades softly; flat colours everywhere else.

Retro pin-up sticker as SVG — A radial gradient where the original fades softly; flat colours everywhere else.

Guides and articles

Tips

Why your sunset turns into stripes when you convert it to SVG

Most image tracers turn smooth colour fades into dozens of flat bands. Why it happens, what real SVG gradients are, and when you want them.

Questions

What kind of gradients does Vectacle make?

Linear gradients (straight fades, like a sky) and radial gradients (round glows), and both together where a design has a fade and a glow on top of each other. They are standard SVG gradients that open in Illustrator, Inkscape, Figma and browsers.

Why do other converters make stripes?

Most tracers can only fill a shape with one flat colour. A fade gets cut into many flat bands, which looks stripy and makes the file much bigger. Vectacle checks each area and uses a gradient where the original is truly smooth.

Can I turn gradients off?

Yes. Gradients are only used if you tick Smooth gradients under More options. Cut-file modes (Logo / 1 colour, Clip art / stickers) always use flat colours, because cutting machines can’t cut a gradient.

Will gradients work in Cricut Design Space?

Design Space handles gradients only for Print then Cut. For vinyl and other cut projects, use a cut-file mode, which gives flat colour layers.

Is it free and private?

Yes, free while Vectacle is new, and your image is not stored.