How to convert a PNG image to a SVG? [closed]

How to convert a PNG image to a SVG?

There is a website where you can upload your image, and see the result.

http://vectormagic.com/home

But if you want to download your svg-image, you need to register. (If you register, you get 2 images for free)

potrace does not support PNG as input file, but PNM.
Therefore, first convert from PNG to PNM:

convert file.png file.pnm        # PNG to PNM
potrace file.pnm -s -o file.svg  # PNM to SVG

Explain options

potrace -s => Output file is SVG
potrace -o file.svg => Write output to file.svg

Example

Input file = 2017.png

convert 2017.png 2017.pnm

Temporary file = 2017.pnm

potrace 2017.pnm -s -o 2017.svg

Output file = 2017.svg

Script

ykarikos proposes a script png2svg.sh that I have improved:

#!/bin/bash

File_png="${1?:Usage: $0 file.png}"

if [[ ! -s "$File_png" ]]; then
  echo >&2 "The first argument ($File_png)"
  echo >&2 "must be a file having a size greater than zero"
  ( set -x ; ls -s "$File_png" )
  exit 1
fi

File="${File_png%.*}"

convert "$File_png" "$File.pnm"        # PNG to PNM
potrace "$File.pnm" -s -o "$File.svg"  # PNM to SVG
rm "$File.pnm"                         # Remove PNM

One-line command

If you want to convert many files, you can also use the following one-line command:

( set -x ; for f_png in *.png ; do f="${f_png%.png}" ; convert "$f_png" "$f.pnm" && potrace "$f.pnm" -s -o "$f.svg" ; done )

A png is a bitmap image style and an SVG is a vector-based graphics design which supports bitmaps so it's not as if it would convert the image to vectors, just an image embedded in a vector-based format. You could do this using http://www.inkscape.org/ which is free. It would embed it, however it also has a Live Trace like engine which will try to convert it to paths if you wish (using potrace). See live trace in adobe illustrator (commericial) is an example:

http://graphicssoft.about.com/od/illustrator/ss/sflivetrace.htm

You may want to look at potrace.

Easy

Download Inkscape (it's completely free)
Follow the instructions in this short youtube video

As you'll see, if you want to do a whole lot of other clever .svg stuff you can do it using Inkscape also.

A non-technical observation: I personally prefer this method over "free" website offerings because, aside from often requiring registration, by uploading the image, in all practical terms, one is giving the image to the website owner.