All of them, CorelDraw, Illustrator, Inkscape, Vector Magic, ect., have similar results when doing an autotrace. People being people, some like the options in one over another, and fits their mindset better. But in the end, their autotrace functions are on the same level. None are push button easy.
Autotrace works ok for some things, but sharp crisp edges like text, it doesn't do so well. It's an algorithm trying to mimic a person with a pen and tracing paper. It can only go so far.
Getting malformed files from customers is frequent. If you get it as vector, even if it has issues, at least it is most of the time fixable by manipulating the path and closing paths. It's better than getting a 72 dpi printout, that was folded twelve times and washed in the washing machine after being left in someones pocket.
The one thing that works almost all the time and gives the best result is manually, (not auto), tracing. That is you import the image. Then to help, though not completely necessary, lock it so it does not move, add some transparency to see through it a bit, and grab the pen tool, (bezier,) and draw/trace it. Manually tracing even works for the washed up printout, (true story, though maybe only folded two or three times.)
At first, using the bezier pen tool is a four thumbs operation. But it is the kind of skill that practice improves quickly. Do it for two hours and you are off to the races. You really can improve fast with practice. It is tracing an image, not drawing from scratch, so much easier.
I prefer CorelDraw and Inkscape over Illustrator. Their node tools I find quicker. I too use SignCut. Whatever design program you have, just check youtube for tons of great tutorials on bezier pens. Also do a youtube search on say Inkscape Manual Trace or Illustrator Manual Trace.
If your dead set on autotrace, sometimes printing the image, tracing with regular tracing paper using a dark marker or pen, rescanning, and re-running autotrace helps. A lightbox in this case helps too.
Autotrace works ok for some things, but sharp crisp edges like text, it doesn't do so well. It's an algorithm trying to mimic a person with a pen and tracing paper. It can only go so far.
Getting malformed files from customers is frequent. If you get it as vector, even if it has issues, at least it is most of the time fixable by manipulating the path and closing paths. It's better than getting a 72 dpi printout, that was folded twelve times and washed in the washing machine after being left in someones pocket.
The one thing that works almost all the time and gives the best result is manually, (not auto), tracing. That is you import the image. Then to help, though not completely necessary, lock it so it does not move, add some transparency to see through it a bit, and grab the pen tool, (bezier,) and draw/trace it. Manually tracing even works for the washed up printout, (true story, though maybe only folded two or three times.)
At first, using the bezier pen tool is a four thumbs operation. But it is the kind of skill that practice improves quickly. Do it for two hours and you are off to the races. You really can improve fast with practice. It is tracing an image, not drawing from scratch, so much easier.
I prefer CorelDraw and Inkscape over Illustrator. Their node tools I find quicker. I too use SignCut. Whatever design program you have, just check youtube for tons of great tutorials on bezier pens. Also do a youtube search on say Inkscape Manual Trace or Illustrator Manual Trace.
If your dead set on autotrace, sometimes printing the image, tracing with regular tracing paper using a dark marker or pen, rescanning, and re-running autotrace helps. A lightbox in this case helps too.
