Illustrator Image Trace Issues

[studioversa]

Hi all,

I'm creating some custom sketch designs for a branding project, and all of a sudden I'm having image tracing issues. I've been sketching using Procreate, using the same brush and exporting as PNGs with the same settings to stay consistent.

For reference, I've attached two photos:
1) My first illustrations that I've made vector using image trace. They came out great!
2) New illustrations using Image Trace. All of a sudden they look like absolute garbage. They come out flimsy and totally innacurate.

What seems to be the problem!? I cannot get the image trace to look like my previous sketches and it's really frustrating.

Any and all help please, thanks!

~Mike

[Ton Frederiks · Accepted solution]

Hi Mike, 

Image Trace has some problems in this version. You can go back to a previous version like 27.5 or earlier

In the CC app go to Apps > All Apps

Next to Illustrator you will see 3 dots

Click and select Other Versions

You can Uninstall Illustrator and install the previous version or leave the current Illustrator installed and install an additional previous version.

[studioversa]

Life saver, thank you! Really unforunate Image Trace has issues with the newest version. Have you heard of Adobe hopping on this issue as of recent? Thanks again.

[Ton Frederiks]

Good to hear that helped as workaround. I am sure Adobe is aware of issues.

[Monika Gause]

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@Ton Frederiks  schrieb:

I am sure Adobe is aware of issues.

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Me too.

[Ton Frederiks]

🙂

[meitnik]

I am the lead tester of Autotrace in Fontographer and FreeHand decades ago. All your examples could have been found by QA before shipping. I resent Adobe still has problems on a iMac M4 fully speced out. And resent the time lost trying to figure out what is wrong since on my older iMac 2019 did really well tracing (I have proof). I can't go back unless I accept a much slower preformace under Rosetta. I recently paid for my subscription and feel cheated. For 35 yrs + I struggle with Adobe. Adobe owns autotrace code I tested hard so you could get work done. Whoever is head of QA owes us a public apology. 

[meitnik]

sorry for the spellig errors at 2:30 am fingers hurt due to disablities.

[Monika Gause]

Would like to see the proof.

[meitnik]

talked with support. they are trying to convice me Adobe has removed the autotrace feature since its not been fixed. And they think am lying about the broken feature. I HATE ADOBE. Since its been broken for 2 yrs, Adobe is only pushing users to use other apps thats are not as good for autotrace and pushing users away. I am filing a complaint with the FTC onk adobe fraud. I was not told or warned autotrace was broken when I reinstalled Illy on my iMac M4. Head of QA explain yourself why autotrace bugs were not reported and fixed. You have my money; I dont have a fully working App.

[Monika Gause]

they are trying to convice me Adobe has removed the autotrace feature since its not been fixed. 

By @meitnik

They did tell you what?

Image Trace is still there. So I'm not sure what you are referring to.

[meitnik]

Yes support did say that; I would have to stay working at 72 dpi not at least 300 as I normally do for the last decade or more. 

And thanks for your tut on using Autotrace.

So many years ago I could do an autotrace on a bw 54 x 54 in 300 dpi image of 300 glyphs which came out very well; however the current version of illustrator fails. I discovered if I slice up the large image into letter size chunks I could get it to work. The real problem is Adobe is not making full use of Apple silicon macs to expand the power, speed, and accuracy of the autotrace. Adobe had 4 yrs to make autotrace powerful, not break it. Note the 1500 px limit for bw images fails; I suspect color will work. Yes 300 color images work ok. I feel deeply cheated by Adobe. 

[meitnik]

right side is current autotrace as small image slice from the larger; the left was an autotrace done many years ago on an imac 2019 using the full 54x54 in image.

[Monika Gause]

Specifically black and white has been having issues since day 1 of the Image Trace panel. And so I really wonder how you managed to get a detailed result of a large image in 2019, because that didn't work well until very recently.

But also you should report that in Uservoice and provide your source image to the developers. https://illustrator.uservoice.com

[meitnik]

Been using autotrace tech going back deacdes.  Yes, was able to get bw 300 dpi images, no matter the image size, to trace but I fiddle with the settings a lot to get what I want back then. Yes, will submitt.

[meitnik]

where is my posting about your files?

[meitnik]

now for the 3 image png file....

[meitnik]

Mike, Now to retest your boat image. Autotrace does what I would expect. Used both 144 and 300 dpi. see uploaded files with layered name after settings. It appears for normal range of images, autotrace works. My problems were due to pushing autotrace to compare to older traces I saved.

[meitnik]

so what is correct way up load ai files? the two files are .ai filetype. Help please.

[Monika Gause]

CHange the file extension to .pdf. 

Then use the forum's web interface to upload.

[meitnik]

third try to upload