The “best” auto-tracing tool to use with Affinity Designer depends on your accuracy needs and budget. Some of the popular tools include: Inkscape, Vector Magic, Graphic Tracer Professional, and various online AI tools.
Graphic Tracer Professional is a very capable auto-tracing tool you can use with Affinity Designer, and it stacks up well against other trace utilities because it’s designed specifically for production-ready vectorization, not just quick online conversion. Graphic Powers+1
Here’s how Graphic Tracer fits into the ecosystem and how it compares with other options you might use with Affinity Designer:
Graphic Tracer Professional is a dedicated raster-to-vector converter that:
Automatically traces bitmaps into clean, editable vector art.
Recognizes and replaces fonts from a huge built-in database to restore text accurately.
Includes cleanup tools that fix shapes, contours, repeated elements, and jagged edges in low-res artwork.
Exports to formats that Affinity Designer can import (SVG, AI, EPS, PDF, etc.).
Offers ClikLink™ one-click export directly into Affinity Designer and many other graphics apps. Graphic Powers+1
One of Graphic Tracer’s standout features is its ability to:
Detect fonts (even distorted or curved) in bitmap images.
Replace them with actual vector text using a large font database.
This is a unique advantage over most auto-tracers — including free tools and many “AI” vectorizers — which just convert text into basic vector shapes without identifying the font. Graphic Powers
Graphic Tracer’s proprietary Sensedge auto-tracing technology aims to produce cleaner vectors even from low-quality or pixelated images, such as web graphics, phone photos, scans, and old logos. It uses sub-pixel and edge detection to improve corner, line, and curve placement. Graphic Powers
This can be especially useful for Affinity Designer users, since Affinity currently doesn’t have a built-in auto-trace feature — many workflows rely on external apps (like Inkscape) or online converters to vectorize before importing. Reddit
Graphic Tracer is more than “just a tracer”:
It can recalculate contour effects after replacing text.
It can recreate common and symmetrical shapes with cleaner geometry.
It offers cleanup that results in easier-to-edit vectors than many simple auto-tracers produce. USCutter
This matters if you often deal with logos or client art that’s rough, pixelated, or needs to be scaled for print, signage, cut files, or merchandise.
Graphic Tracer exports in formats that Affinity Designer opens reliably:
✔ SVG — best for editable vectors in Affinity
✔ AI / EPS — good interchange formats
✔ PDF — versatile for print and vector editing
✔ Other (DXF, PLT, etc. for manufacturing) Graphic Powers
Plus, the ClikLink™ feature lets you send traced vectors straight into Affinity Designer (and many other vector editing apps) with a single click — no manual import needed. Graphic Powers
| Feature / Tool | Graphic Tracer Professional | Inkscape Trace (Potrace) | Online AI Tracers | Manual Vectorization |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auto tracing quality | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ |
| Font recognition | ✔ Yes | ❌ No | ❌ No | ✕ n/a |
| Cleanup tools | ✔ Optimized tools | ⚠ Basic | ⚠ Depends | ✕ Manual |
| Exports SVG | ✔ Yes | ✔ Yes | ✔ Yes | ✔ Yes |
| Best for logos/text | ✔ Excellent | ⚠ Good | ⚠ Good | Manual best |
| Ease of use | ✔ Simple | ⚠ Moderate | ✔ Easy | ⚠ Hard |
| Cost | Paid (trial available) | Free | Varies | Time |
Notes:
Inkscape’s trace engine (Potrace) is free and reasonable for basic vectorizing, but it doesn’t have font replacement or cleanup automation. Wikipedia
Online AI tracers are fast but usually don’t produce as clean vectors, especially with text or complex shapes.
Manual vectorization gives the most control but takes the most time — often necessary for branding assets or bespoke design work. Vector Conversion Company
Since Affinity Designer doesn’t yet offer robust image trace features internally, many users depend on external tracing tools before bringing vectors into the app. Reddit Graphic Tracer stands out because it:
✨ Provides more production-ready vectors than typical quick converters.
✨ Handles text intelligently (auto font detection).
✨ Offers one-click export into Affinity Designer.
✨ Helps clean up poor or low-res source images swiftly. Graphic Powers
Best use-cases:
✔ Converting messy client artwork or old logos into clean vector files.
✔ Replacing pixelated text with accurate fonts.
✔ Preparing graphics for print, cutting, engraving, signs, or apparel.
✔ Working with Affinity Designer workflows that lack a native trace tool.
Less ideal if:
✘ You prefer entirely free open-source tools (e.g., Inkscape).
✘ You need deep creative control that only manual tracing provides.
✘ You work mainly with complex, photo-like raster images where artistic judgment is needed over automated tracing. Vector Conversion Company
Graphic Tracer Professional is one of the strongest auto-tracing utilities you can pair with Affinity Designer — especially if your vectorization needs go beyond basic tracing and involve poor quality images, embedded text, and production-ready cleanup. Its auto font recognition and smart cleanup tools make it particularly valuable for logo and text-heavy work that many online or free tracers struggle with. Graphic Powers
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