Struggling to change a pixel image into a vector image on Illustrator CC 2018 and need help

[michaelf8997984]

I have done a drawing on photoshop which I have placed into illustrator. But when I use image trace on the top of the screen...it just becomes a white block. I have tried using the mask took, the rasterize tool, the sub options but it still changes into a blank square. I tried looking everywhere on the internet but it doesn't saying anything but the basic image trace options which I have followed. 

Can anyone help me with this as I don't really want a pixelled image when I finally place it in in design?

Thanks

Michael

[Monika Gause]

Please show your pixel image.

[michaelf8997984]

I took a screenshot of the image in illustrator but there isn't an option on here to post an image.

[Monika Gause]

Please click on the blue answer button above and then you can insert an image.

[Myra Ferguson]

Can you tell us more about what your end goal is? I'm guessing that your drawing in Photoshop is too small of a resolution for print (because you say you want to finally place it in InDesign). Depending on your drawing, there are some techniques you could also use in Photoshop to increase the size of your image and address artifacts. If you do really want to turn your image into vectors and you're having trouble with the default presets, go to Window > Image Trace to open the options up. Here is some more information on those settings https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/using/image-trace.html

[michaelf8997984]

Well this image I was going to use in the background as a large vector image which I can play around without losing the quality. I looked on that information site but it still hasn't changed anything.

[michaelf8997984]

Maybe it could be the case that is it a low resolution

[michaelf8997984]

Turns out it wasn't a dark colour so the image trace couldn't read it as my image was white.

[michaelf8997984]

Before image traceAfter image trace

[Monika Gause · Accepted solution]

Ah, OK: Illustrator can't do that. You need to change the white lines to black in Photoshop. Or you could try if Edit > Edit colors > Invert in Illustrator turns it to black. Might depend on the file format. ALso: the image needs to be embedded for that.

[michaelf8997984]

That worked!! Thank you so much! I just need to remember that the image has to be a dark colour. I used another image like that which was brown and it seemed to like it. Most appreciated.

[Monika Gause]

The important point is that Illustrator treats "invisible" as if it were white. So for Image Trace your image is a white drawing on a white background 🙂