1. Getting Started

Photo2Vector converts your photos into clean vector files for laser engraving and cutting: line art by default, or a silhouette, outline, stencil or halftone. The entire process takes just a few clicks, but you have full control over every step if needed.

What You'll Need

A photo - JPG, PNG, or WEBP format (max 10MB)
Modern browser - Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge
Laser software - EZCAD, LightBurn, LaserGRBL, etc. for the final engraving

Best Photo Tips

Good Photos

Clear subject separation from background
Good lighting, no harsh shadows
High resolution (1000px+ recommended)
Front-facing portraits work best for line art (side profiles for silhouettes)

Avoid

Busy, cluttered backgrounds
Very dark or overexposed photos
Low resolution or blurry images
Multiple overlapping subjects

2. Upload & Crop

Uploading Your Photo

You can upload photos in two ways:

Drag & Drop - Simply drag your image file onto the upload area
Click to Browse - Click the upload area to open file picker

Photo2Vector upload area with drag-and-drop zone

Cropping Your Subject

After upload, you'll see the crop interface. This step is crucial for getting clean results.

Crop Controls:

Corner handles - Drag to resize while maintaining aspect ratio
Edge handles - Drag to resize in one direction
Center area - Drag to move the selection
Click outside - Start a new selection

Tip: Square crops work best for medallions and circular engravings. Leave some margin around your subject for cleaner edges.

Crop interface with a draggable square selection over the uploaded photo

Crop Actions

Confirm Crop - Apply the selection and start processing
Reset - Reset selection to default (centered square)
Skip - Use the full image without cropping

3. Understanding the Processing Pipeline

Once you confirm the crop, the AI processes your image through several stages. Each stage produces an intermediate result that you can view and adjust.

1

Original

Your cropped input image

→

2

Mask

AI background removal

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3

Normalized

Contrast & exposure fix

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4

Lineart

AI edge detection

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5

Masked

Background applied

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6

Cleaned

Noise removal

→

7

Vector

Final SVG output

Results View

After processing completes, the result opens in the output styles panel (see below), with a Download SVG button right under its settings. Under the panel, the Pipeline steps section holds all intermediate results in a grid; click its title to fold it away. Click any image to view it larger.

Result Actions:

Click image - Open in lightbox for detailed view
Re-run button (↻) - Regenerate this step with different parameters; every step after it, down to the vector, is updated automatically
Edit button (✎) - Open the mask editor (on Mask), local adjustments (on Normalized) or the lineart editor (on Cleaned)

Results grid showing all eight pipeline stages from original photo to vector

Output Styles

The same result can be downloaded in five styles. Pick one with the tabs above the preview; each style has its own settings, and switching back and forth does not re-run the pipeline. Some pages open on the style they are about, for example the silhouette converter on Silhouette.

Line art - The detailed line drawing, fine-tuned through the pipeline steps below it. Edit lines opens the lineart editor
Outline - The outer contour as one stroke plus the main inner lines. Interior detail sets how many inner lines stay (0 = contour only), Line width sets the contour stroke
Silhouette - The subject as one solid shape. Edge smoothing rounds the outline
Stencil - Two-tone: black is cut out, white stays. Darkness sets how much turns black, Bridges tie loose inner pieces to the sheet
Halftone - Shades turned into dots of varying size. Dot size and Darkness set the screen

For every style except line art, Edit shape (mask) opens the mask editor, and the style re-renders from the corrected shape. Reset settings restores the style's defaults. Download SVG, Download PNG and Download BMP under the settings save the style you are looking at.

4. Mask Editing (Background Removal)

The mask determines which parts of the image are foreground (your subject) and which are background. If the AI mask isn't perfect, you can refine it manually.

Opening the Mask Editor

Click the Edit (✎) button on the Mask result, or Edit shape (mask) under a silhouette, outline, stencil or halftone, to open the mask editor.

Brush Tools:

Manual Brush

Paint directly on the mask with brush and eraser for precise control.

Add brush - Paint white (include in mask)
Remove brush - Paint black (exclude from mask)
Size slider - Adjust brush diameter

Mask editor with brush tools and the mask overlaid on the photo

Mask Editor Controls

Opacity slider - Adjust mask overlay transparency to see the original image
Undo - Revert last brush stroke
Reset - Return to original AI-generated mask
Regenerate - Apply changes and continue pipeline

Pro tip: Use a larger brush for big areas, then switch to a smaller brush for fine details around hair or complex edges.

5. Lineart Editor

The Lineart Editor is a powerful tool for cleaning up and perfecting your lineart before vectorization. Access it by clicking the Edit (✎) button on the Cleaned result.

Lineart editor showing the toolbar, canvas and layers panel

Toolbar Overview

Navigation & Zoom

Mouse wheel - Zoom in/out
Middle mouse drag - Pan the canvas
Fit (F) - Fit image to screen
1:1 - View at actual pixel size

Reference Layer

Use the reference layer dropdown to overlay the original photo, normalized image, or other stages while editing. Adjust opacity to see through.

Keyboard Shortcuts

`D`	Draw tool
`E`	Eraser tool
`R`	Rectangle tool
`S`	Select tool
`F`	Fit to screen
`Ctrl+Z`	Undo
`Ctrl+Shift+Z`	Redo
`[` / `]`	Decrease/increase brush size
`Shift+Click`	Draw straight line

Saving Your Edits

Apply & Vectorize - Save edits and generate new vector
Apply Only - Save edits without re-vectorizing
Cancel - Discard all changes

6. Parameter Fine-tuning

Each processing step has parameters you can adjust. Click the Re-run (↻) button on any result to access its parameters. Whatever you change, the steps after it and the final vector are re-run for you, so the result always matches your settings.

Lightbox Parameter Panel

Click any result image to open the lightbox. For steps that support parameters (Masked, Cleaned, Vector), a "Parameters" button will appear.

Lightbox preview with the Parameters panel open for the Cleaned step

Clean Step Parameters

Parameter	Effect	Tips
Block Size	Size of adaptive threshold window	Larger = smoother, Smaller = more detail
Contrast C	Threshold sensitivity	Higher = weaker lines, Lower = stronger
Close Iterations	Connects broken lines	Use 1-2 for gaps in lineart
Open Iterations	Removes small noise	Be careful - can remove fine details
Min Component Size	Removes dots smaller than this	Increase to remove more noise
Thin Iterations	Skeletonizes lines	Usually leave at 0

Vectorize Parameters

Parameter	Effect	Tips
Method	Vectorization algorithm	VTracer = quality, Fast = speed
Min Area	Minimum path size to keep	Increase to remove tiny artifacts
Simplify	Path simplification level	Higher = smoother but less detail

7. Export & Download

Downloading Your Result

Click Download SVG under the style settings to save your laser-ready vector file. The same button sits under the pipeline steps; with another style selected it names the style, for example Download Stencil SVG. Silhouettes, outlines, stencils and halftones also get a Download PNG button next to the SVG one. Download BMP, for every style including line art, saves a 1-bit bitmap for EZCAD and other fiber laser software that marks bitmaps rather than paths.

File Details:

Format: SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics), plus PNG for outline, silhouette, stencil and halftone, and a 1-bit BMP (2048 px on the long side) for every style
Color: Single color (black paths)
Compatibility: Works with all vector software

Result screen with the share link, the output style tabs and the Download SVG button

Sharing Your Project

Each project gets a unique URL that you can share or bookmark. Find it in the "Share this result" box above your results.

Note: Project URLs work as long as the files remain on the server. For permanent storage, download your SVG file.

Using in Laser Software

EZCAD / EZCad2

Open EZCAD
File → Import → Select your SVG (for filled marking, import the BMP as a bitmap instead)
Scale to desired size
Set power/speed for your material
Mark!

LightBurn

File → Import or drag SVG
Select the imported object
Set layer to "Line" or "Fill"
Configure speed/power
Start!

LaserGRBL

File → Open File
Select SVG file
Adjust size in preview
Set power/speed
Send to laser

8. Tips & Best Practices

For Best Results

Use high-contrast photos - Clear subject/background separation helps AI
Front-facing portraits work best for line art - Side profiles can lose detail, though they make the best silhouettes
Crop tightly - Less background = cleaner mask
Check intermediate results - Fix issues early in the pipeline

Troubleshooting

Mask missing parts of subject: Use the mask editor brush tool. Paint white over the missing areas to include them.
Too many small dots in lineart: Increase "Min Component Size" in Clean parameters, or use the eraser in editor.
Lines are too thick: Increase "Thin Iterations" slightly (try 1), or use Clean parameters to adjust threshold.
Important details missing: Lower the "Contrast C" value in Clean parameters. Use the editor to draw missing lines.
Vector has too many nodes: Increase "Simplify" value in Vector parameters.

Material-Specific Tips

Material	Recommendation
Wood	Thicker lines work better. Consider using "Close iterations" = 1-2
Metal (fiber laser)	Fine details engrave well. Can use thinner lines.
Acrylic	Medium line thickness. Clean up noise carefully.
Leather	Simpler designs work better. Increase min component size.

Complete User Guide

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