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COGordonW
Inspiring
January 7, 2026
Answered

How to Use Image trace on blue prints

  • January 7, 2026
  • 4 replies
  • 322 views

Hi,
I am recreating a large floor plan. I thought this might be a great job of image trace since I had a very clean digital pdf of the floor plans and every thing is either black or a single shade of grey. All lines are mostly straight with a few exceptions for door icons. However I am getting terrible results. Most of the image disappears and there are no straight lines, only blobs. I've go through all the presets and tried many alteration with "Black and white logo"  "Technical drawing" "LIne art" and "Greyscale" however I keep getting terrible results. Im a bit confused because, although large, the image is pretty simple. I am using Illustrator 2024 and I attempted to place the image both as a pdf and a jpeg. Any Ideas?

Correct answer Monika Gause

Imagetrace will probably not give you the solution you are looking for in the end, but here's how you can optimize it with the advanced settings: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVqhHu3CSohV3AbA0DP6c6kJ5EJIqgFFf 

4 replies

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Community Expert
Bobby HendersonCommunity Expert
Community Expert
January 7, 2026

Does PDF of the floor plans contain pixel-based images? Were the images scanned from paper blue prints? If so, the best approach is doing like what Bill Silbert suggested (locking the images down on one layer to use as a template and then draw new, clean paths above the images).

 

Pixel-based images of blue prints often contain an additional complication: they may not be level. If the images weren't scanned very well they may be marred with wrinkles, warping, etc. These issues can affect the scale and accuracy of the plans.

 

It's far better to get a PDF that has been output directly from a CAD application. The artwork will at least contain vector paths and not have any issues from scanned/analog materials. But CAD-based artwork can have its own problems too.

C
COGordonWAuthor
Inspiring
January 8, 2026

What I have seems to be a pdf made from the original cad file. Its pretty clean however no vectors. There isnt any noise and its of a reasonable resolution.

B
Community Expert
Bobby HendersonCommunity Expert
Community Expert
January 8, 2026

If you know who provided the PDF file it might be good to ask if they can export the CAD artwork to PDF using different settings. Most CAD-related PDF files I receive from clients have vector line work. I still have to re-build things like building elevations since the line work from the CAD files is often nothing but lots of "exploded" open path segments. But the vector line work makes for an easier starting point. I can snap/align clean, closed paths over or under the CAD line work and end up with something that is easier to fill with colors and manipulate.

Jacob Bugge
Community Expert
Jacob BuggeCommunity Expert
Community Expert
January 7, 2026

COGordonW,

 

Agreeing with Bill, is it in any way possible to get the original file/document and convert that as vector artwork (from AutoCAD or something) with the necessary additional work?

 

C
COGordonWAuthor
Inspiring
January 8, 2026

What I'm working off of seems to be a rasterized version of the orignal cad. That's why I was surprised it trace well. The lines are very clean, and there are fewer than 3 different shades of black.

Monika Gause
Community Expert
Monika GauseCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
January 7, 2026

Imagetrace will probably not give you the solution you are looking for in the end, but here's how you can optimize it with the advanced settings: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVqhHu3CSohV3AbA0DP6c6kJ5EJIqgFFf 

    Bill Silbert
    Community Expert
    Bill SilbertCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    January 7, 2026

    Image Trace has never been a very precise tool. It can do a reasonable translation of a photographic image but as a tool for accurate line drawings it will never give you the results that you're looking for. In this case, it seems to me, that using the original as a template and manually drawing the lines and shapes with Illustrator drawing tools is the best way to achieve accuracy.

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      COGordonWAuthor
      Inspiring
      January 8, 2026

      I was afraid of that. Thanks for the advice. I suppose ill just have to use the pen tool.

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