Tracing

Go to File >Preferences Type & Auto tracing. The higher the Auto trace Tolerance (0-10 pt) the less precisely the object will be traced, and the fewer anchor points will be created. The Tracing Gap (0-2 pt) is the minimum width a gap in linework musthave in order to be traced. A high Tracing Gap setting will probably producea lot of extraneous points.

To use the Auto-trace Tool

1. Above the image to be traced , create a a new layer.

2. For now, choose a fill of NOne and a black stroke.

3. Choose the Auto Trace tool (it's hidden behind the blend tool.)

4. To trace, click on or drag over the interior edges of the image,. The shapes will betraced automatically.

Note: Because Autotrace is sensitive to changes in color (which is how it identifies edges), you can often improve the performance by applying a Gaussian Blur effect or filter to noisy or busy raster images before tracing. By blurring, you’re reducing the variation of color with the image, creating areas of more uniform color, which Autotrace can more easily identify. Illustrator offers a couple of other effects and filters that can be used to prepare an image for tracing. Stylize> Glowing Edges can be effective with some images, particularly those that already have reasonably well-defined areas of color. The like-colored areas will be shaded, with bright-colored edges defining them. Since Autotrace is concerned only with edges (and your vector art will be filled and stroked later), the color shift within the image is insignificant. Brush Strokes> Ink Outlines and Brush Strokes> Sumi-E can also be applied prior to tracing. These, too, better delineate the edges within the image. Perhaps the most effective of Illustrator’s effects for preparing an image prior to using the Autotrace tool is Poster Edges. Found with the Artistic effects and filters, it can be used very effectively to create well-defined areas of solid color.

Read more tips