Converting a white image to a vector

[tiapoppymai]

Hello,

I have a fairly complicated logo (too complicated to recreate using the pen tool) which I created in Photoshop which I have made into a vector on Illustrator. I need to make this label white without a background. I have tried doing this in illustrator and a white box appears where my image once was. I have also tried inverting the image to black and then using image trace to ignore the white and then inverting it once more (but this deletes my image as my image is white). I've also tried importing my image back into photoshop, creating a white image with a clear background there and exporting it back into illustrator to turn back into a vector but again I get that same white box. Can somebody give me some advice? All I can see is the 'image trace' option or to invert the image and neither of these have worked for me! Thank you ☺️ 

[Ton Frederiks]

Did you try View > Show Transparency Grid to show white against a transparent background?

[tiapoppymai]

So I can either have the image shown as a vector (in grey scale) with the
transparency grid behind or I can have the image shown in pixels (in white)
with the transparency grid behind but I seem to be unable to create a white
vector.

[Monika Gause]

Of course you can create a white vector graphic. You just can't autotrace a white shape on a transparent background. That's just not possible. Color it afterwards.

[Ton Frederiks]

You can do it in Photoshop as Monika suggested, but you can also select your white image in Illustrator and choose Edit > Edit Colors > Invert Colors.

Image Trace with Ignore White selected and recolor the expanded result with white.

[Monika Gause · Accepted solution]

Color it black in Photoshop.

Then trace in Illustrator.

Expand and apply whatever color you like.