The project I was working on required me to convert scalar images to vector images. Turns out, many of the scalar images provided (by customers) were low resolution ones; not condusive to vectorization.
Another limitation was that the existing code uses System.Drawing to process images.
So, here are some quick notes on ImageMagick.NET, System.Drawing and vectorization.
ImageMagick.NET vs. System.Drawing
ImageMagick.NET offers more advanced image processing features and better performance compared to the System.Drawing namespace. This makes it a preferred choice for complex image manipulation tasks.
Online Vectorization Tools
Here are some shortlisted online tools for converting PNG and JPG files to SVG vectors:
- Vectorizer.AI: Provides high-quality vector conversions. Vectorizer.AI
- SVGConverter: Offers free online SVG conversion with AI, SVG, and EPS vectorization. SVGConverter
Essential Libraries
To achieve advanced image processing and vectorization, consider using the following libraries:
- ImageMagick: Comprehensive image processing tool. ImageMagick
- Potrace: Utility for tracing a bitmap and transforming it into a smooth, scalable image. Potrace
- autotrace: Library for converting bitmap images to vector graphics. autotrace on GitHub
Learning and Techniques
What I learned is that as the first step the image quality should be enhanced, and if required, scaled (larger), before vectorizing it. This is the key take-away.
When resizing images, it’s important to understand the difference between resizing and scaling. Resizing can often cause blurring. To mitigate this issue, you can use resampling filters and apply sharpening.
For more information on resampling filters, check out these ImageMagick examples.