Inkscape Autotrace vs Potrace
Inkscape supports two tracing backends: Potrace (built-in) and Autotrace (optional extension). Each uses a different algorithm — Potrace produces smooth Bézier curves while Autotrace generates polyline-based paths.
About Inkscape autotrace vs Potrace
Inkscape supports two tracing backends: Potrace (built-in, always available) and Autotrace (optional extension, requires separate installation). Each uses a different algorithm with different strengths.
Potrace: Potrace converts a bitmap to smooth Bézier curves. It works by decomposing the image into closed polygons, then fitting cubic Bézier curves to each polygon boundary. Result: smooth curved paths that scale cleanly. Best for logos, icons, and any artwork with clean edges and areas of solid colour. Potrace settings are accessible directly in Inkscape's Trace Bitmap dialog (Path > Trace Bitmap). No installation required.
Autotrace: Autotrace is an older vectorization library that produces polyline-based output — paths made of straight line segments rather than curves. The output is less smooth than Potrace for curved shapes but can be useful for technical drawings with predominantly straight geometry. Autotrace requires separate installation and is accessed via Extensions > Generate from Path > Autotrace in Inkscape.
When to use each: use Potrace (default) for logos, icons, stencils, clipart, and photos converted to high-contrast bitmaps. Potrace output is smooth and compact. Use Autotrace for technical line drawings, circuit diagrams, or cases where Potrace produces overly smoothed output that loses angular detail.
Inkscape Potrace settings explained: the Threshold slider controls what is traced; Speckle removes noise; Smooth controls Bézier curve fitting; Optimize reduces node count.
For most users, Potrace is the correct choice — it is built-in, faster, and produces better output for the majority of vectorization tasks. Autotrace is a niche option for specific technical illustration workflows.