Skip to main content
Inspiring
August 10, 2021
Answered

Convert photo to line drawing

  • August 10, 2021
  • 3 replies
  • 90185 views

This should be fairly simple, but I am having a lot of trouble converting a photo to a line drawing.

 I thought there was once a filter for just that, but maybe I am dreaming that. Any suggestions?

Correct answer jane-e

Hi @active_Brilliance1549 

The basic steps in Illustrator are:

  • Start a new file in Illustrator and choose File > Place to place your photo
  • Select the image
  • Choose Image Trace from either the Control or Properties panel
  • Try the Presets to see which is closest — some create fills, some paths, some both
  • Adjust the setting in the Image Trace panel (Window menu, Control panel, Properties panel)
  • Be sure to expand the "Advanced" section
  • When it looks good, Expand (Properties or Control panel) to convert to vector
  • It is now a Group of vector objects

https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/using/image-trace.html

 

~ Jane

 

3 replies

jane-e
Community Expert
Community Expert
September 22, 2024

@Subrata_Biswas1828 

Do you have a question about how to use Photoshop?

Jane

davescm
Community Expert
Community Expert
August 10, 2021

If you have Adobe Illustrator in your subscription package you might want to look at Illustrator's image trace options

Dave

Inspiring
August 12, 2021

Thanks. I do have a subscription, but I am not very well-versed in AI. I will give it a try.

jane-e
Community Expert
jane-eCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
August 12, 2021

Hi @active_Brilliance1549 

The basic steps in Illustrator are:

  • Start a new file in Illustrator and choose File > Place to place your photo
  • Select the image
  • Choose Image Trace from either the Control or Properties panel
  • Try the Presets to see which is closest — some create fills, some paths, some both
  • Adjust the setting in the Image Trace panel (Window menu, Control panel, Properties panel)
  • Be sure to expand the "Advanced" section
  • When it looks good, Expand (Properties or Control panel) to convert to vector
  • It is now a Group of vector objects

https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/using/image-trace.html

 

~ Jane

 

D Fosse
Community Expert
Community Expert
August 10, 2021

There's Filter > Stylize > Find Edges - but it does just that. I can't guarantee that you'll be happy with the result.

Stephen Marsh
Community Expert
Community Expert
September 22, 2024
quote

There's Filter > Stylize > Find Edges - but it does just that. I can't guarantee that you'll be happy with the result.


By @D Fosse

 

Keeping this in Photoshop, in addition to the filter mentioned above, there is also Filter > Filter Gallery > Stylize > Glowing Edges.

 

This can also be performed using the custom filter. Here are some actions that I created many years ago using various custom convolution kernels:

 

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/v39rtjk2o5d4dv4zwgr4x/Custom-Convolution-Kernels.atn?rlkey=i6rad9i14q3eqfyay6k3qtynk&st=61qxf68r&dl=0

 

In most cases, one may need to pre-process before using any edge-finding filter, to simplify or remove noise etc.