Keep the same source, zoom location, and output method, and change only one value at a time. If several settings change together, it becomes difficult to identify which one improved or worsened the result.
DrowPack's current preset values
Quick and expert modes are not just labels. Selecting a button applies the values below. This table was checked directly against the tool implementation as of July 19, 2026.
| Mode | Threshold | Colors | Detail | Sharpness | Speckle removal | Main options |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Line art | 150 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 2 | Remove background |
| Logo | 128 | 128 | 8 | 3 | 1 | Preserve source colors |
| Silhouette | 128 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 4 | Remove background |
| Simple color | 128 | 160 | 8 | 2 | 1 | Preserve source colors |
| Photo trace | 128 | 128 | 8 | 1 | 1 | Preserve source colors |
| High-quality illustration | 255 | 256 | 10 | 10 | 1 | Remove outer background only, suppress white seams, remove artificial strokes, gap correction 1.0 |
A preset is a starting point, not a guarantee. Even two files called “logos” can trace differently when one is a 200px JPG and the other a 3000px PNG, or when one has shadows along its edges. High-quality illustration mode tries to preserve the most information, but processing time and SVG complexity can rise sharply.
What each control actually changes
Threshold
For black-and-white line art and silhouettes, this determines which brightness levels count as foreground. Raising it can capture faint lines, but may also include paper marks and shadows. In color tracing, preserved-color processing has a greater effect, so there is less reason to change threshold first.
Color count
This controls the palette complexity that color tracing attempts to distinguish. A higher value can divide subtle gradients more precisely, but it also creates more small paths with nearly identical colors. For flat-color illustrations, start slightly above the number of representative colors actually present, then lower it first if the file is too heavy.
Detail
Detail affects curve simplification and tracing resolution. A high value may preserve small ornaments, but can also turn dust and compression marks into shapes. If an outline looks angular, first ask whether using a larger source would be more effective than simply increasing detail.
Image enhancement
This strengthens contrast and edges in line art and, in some color modes, sharpens preserved color boundaries. Too much can produce double outlines or rough edges around thin lines. It does not “restore” compression noise in a small JPG.
Speckle removal
This suppresses noisy paths by removing connected components below a certain size. It helps with paper dust, but can also erase intended details such as eye highlights, stars, and eyelashes. That is why silhouettes start higher and detailed illustrations start lower.
Color-gap correction
To reduce thin white seams caused when adjacent color paths are antialiased in a browser, DrowPack can add a narrow stroke matching each fill. The default 1.0 is a troubleshooting starting point; too much makes edges thicker and can close small holes.
Map a visible problem to the first setting to try
| Visible problem | Check first | First adjustment | Avoid this reaction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Faint lines disappear | Source contrast and resolution | Adjust threshold slightly in line-art mode | Maxing color count and detail together |
| Too many dust-like dots | Whether the JPG already has artifacts | Raise speckle removal by one step | Increasing sharpness and emphasizing the dots |
| White hairline gaps between color fields | Whether they are visible at 100% | Compare gap correction from 0.8 to 1.0 | Using a large stroke that changes the shape |
| Internal white highlights disappear | Background-removal method | Use “remove outer background only” | Making every white region transparent |
| The file is too large | Path count and color count | Lower colors, then lower detail | Assuming SVGZ compression solves edit complexity |
| The outline looks stair-stepped | The pixels in the source itself | Use a larger or simplified source | Making traced paths even denser |
| Small holes close up | Gap correction and speckle removal | Reduce stroke width or speckle removal | Changing threshold drastically at the same time |
Reproducible adjustment orders by input
Black-and-white line art
- Prepare a PNG source. Check the contrast between the paper background and the lines first.
- Apply the line-art preset. See whether the complete outline connects with the default settings.
- Inspect only the faint lines. Change threshold by a small amount only when something is missing.
- Clean up dust. Raise speckle removal one step at a time and note where important dots begin to disappear.
- Compare 100% and 400%. Make sure the lines look natural at both the use size and enlarged view.
Logos and icons
- Use a transparent PNG or original SVG when possible. A small JPG screenshot already has blended edge colors.
- Start with the logo preset. With source colors preserved, check whether the key colors are correct.
- Match color count to the real structure. A 2–6 color logo may not need 128 colors.
- Inspect corners and holes in letters. Confirm that speckle removal and gap correction have not closed internal spaces.
- Check the path structure in an editor. Test whether colors and dimensions are genuinely editable.
Complex color illustration
- Create an original-quality SVG first. Establish a visual reference.
- Reconsider whether pure vector is necessary. For web display alone, preserving the source may be more reliable.
- Try the high-quality illustration preset. Check the distinction between the outer background and internal white details.
- If the file is heavy, lower color count first. Then reduce detail one step at a time to eliminate small fragments.
- Record any intentional texture that was lost. Decide whether the detail removed by automatic simplification is acceptable.
What settings cannot solve
A tracer estimates boundaries from input pixels. It cannot know the original artist's Bezier handles or reconstruct hidden contours. For the following problems, replacing the source or cleaning paths manually is more direct than moving sliders.
- Block and mosquito noise already present in a small JPG
- An out-of-focus or enlarged low-resolution logo
- A photo where subject edges and shadows share the same brightness
- Rebuilding tens of thousands of paths into a few meaningful shapes
- Precise curves for trademarks, cutting paths, or technical drawings
Treat automatic output as a draft. In the application you will use, separately review color mode, outlined fonts, open paths, stacking order, and the requirements of the printer or production vendor.
A simple test record
To find a successful setting again, record only the mode and key change in the filename. Examples: logo-colors16-detail7.svg and line-threshold145-noise3.svg.
- Source filename and pixel dimensions
- Selected preset
- Values changed from the default
- Output SVG file size
- Location inspected at 400%
- Reason the result was accepted or rejected