How to Easily Trace a Logo in Photoshop

We've all been there. A client gives you a logo in JPG, PNG, or any other type of raster file when you need a vector version. Your client can't find it, so your only option is to trace it. And tracing logos can be a tedious and time-consuming task, especially if the logo has complex shapes and curves. However, with new Photoshop technologies, you can quickly and accurately trace a logo with just a few clicks. This new tool analyzes the image and creates paths and selections based on the content within the image. Because it can convert any raster logo into a high-quality vector image, it's perfect for print or digital use. Today I will show you how to trace a logo in Photoshop in less than 5 minutes using the powerful Content-Aware Tracing Tool.

Step 1

Open Photoshop and go to Edit > Preferences > Technology Previews.

Step 2

In the Preferences window, check the "Enable Content-Aware Tracing Tool" and click OK.

Step 3

Restart Photoshop and open the logo file you want to trace.

Step 4

Click and hold over the Pen Tool in the toolbar to display the other tool options.

Step 5

Select the "Content-Aware Tracing Tool" from the tools dropdown list.

Step 6

In the top toolbar, be sure to have the following options enabled.
Note: You may set any color you want, in this case I will use red.

Step 7

Place the mouse cursor over the edges of your logo and click to add a path segment.

Step 8

If you have separated shapes (like in this case), a new shape layer will be created for every part, so click over any of the others logo edges to add a new path segment.

Step 9

Keep adding new path segments until your logo is completed.

Step 10

Once you have completed all the paths, select all shape layers and press "Ctrl+E" on your keyboard to merge the layers and have your logo finished in a single vector shape layer that you can scale, change the color or even export it as paths to Illustrator.

Conclusion

The Content-Aware Tracing Tool is a powerful feature that makes it easy to trace logos and other complex shapes quickly and accurately. Although this technology is still in development, you can save time and effort while achieving professional quality results with minimun adjustments.