How to Vectorize a Hand Drawing on iPad (Without Losing the Soul of Your Sketch)

There’s something special about starting with a simple hand drawing, whether it’s sketched in a notebook, scanned, or drawn digitally. But when it’s time to clean things up, scale it, or get it ready for real use in design, printing, or web, you need more than just a scan. That’s where vectorization comes in.

The best way to vectorize a hand drawing on iPad is to use an Auto Trace in Linearity Curve — an intelligent tool that transforms your raster sketch into crisp, editable vector graphics. No more painstaking pen tool tracing. No need to redraw everything digitally. With just a few clicks, your drawing becomes a flexible, professional-quality vector.

Why Auto Trace Is the Smart Way to Vectorize a Hand Drawing on iPad

Auto Trace uses built-in detection to analyze your drawing and convert it into clean vector paths. It doesn’t just guess. It adjusts based on the type of artwork you’re using. If it detects a line drawing, it traces outlines. If there’s color and shading, it preserves that too.

This is why Auto Trace is such a game changer when you need to vectorize a hand drawing on iPad. It’s fast, accurate, and doesn’t require advanced design skills. You keep the personality of your original sketch while gaining all the benefits of working with vector graphics: scalability, editability, and polish.

Step-by-Step: How to Vectorize a Hand Drawing Using Auto Trace

You can use Auto Trace on any scanned image, photo of a drawing, or digital sketch, whether it’s from paper, a drawing app, or an imported file like JPG or PNG.

Step 1: Import Your Drawing

Start by opening the drawing you want to vectorize in Linearity Curve. It can be a scanned sketch, a photo, or a file exported from your favorite drawing tool.

Step 2: Select the Image

Click on the image to activate it. You’ll see a menu or quick actions bar appear with options for editing.

Step 3: Launch Auto Trace

Look for the Auto Trace button — this is where you’ll begin the conversion process.

Step 4: Choose the Right Mode

Depending on the style of your hand drawing, select a tracing mode that fits best:

• A - Sketch Mode: Great for black-and-white or inked drawings with clear lines.
• B - Illustration Mode: Ideal for colored drawings or shaded artwork.
• C - Photo Mode: Best for images with a lot of gradients, textures, or photo-like details.
• D - Basic Shapes: Perfect if your drawing includes geometric shapes that need to stay clean and simple.

Press the Mode button (2) to select which Auto Trace mode you want to use to trace your image.

The content-aware Auto Trace menu (3) pops up inside the Quick Actions Bar, as soon as you select an image.

Step 5: Fine-Tune the Settings

You’ll be able to adjust settings like:

• Complexity: Controls how detailed the traced output is.
• Contrast: Helps clarify faint lines or shadows.
• Ignore White: Removes paper background from your vector.
• Keep Source Image: Lets you keep your original drawing visible underneath the trace.

Once everything looks right, hit Auto Trace. And just like that, your hand drawing is now a vector graphic

Tips for Clean, Accurate Vectorization

To get the best results when you vectorize a hand drawing on iPad, try these quick tips:

• Use a well-lit, high-contrast scan or photo if your drawing is on paper.
• Make sure lines are solid and clean—eraser smudges or light pencil strokes can confuse the trace.
• Adjust contrast and simplify paths if your traced version looks messy.
• After tracing, use vector tools like the Node Tool to tweak lines and curves.

Real-World Example: From Sketch to Polished Vector

Let’s say you draw a flower by hand — quick pencil lines with some light shading. You take a photo or scan it and drop it into Linearity Curve. You activate Auto Trace and select Sketch Mode. A few contrast and complexity adjustments later, and your flower is transformed into a clean vector outline.

Now you can color it in, adjust the curves of the petals, scale it to any size without blurring, and export it for print, web, or animation. The entire process takes minutes, not hours, and the original hand-drawn feel is still right there.

That’s the beauty of using Auto Trace to vectorize a hand drawing on iPad. You keep the art, lose the hassle.

Why Vectorizing Your Drawing Just Got Way Easier

Vectorizing used to mean manually tracing over every line. Now, with intelligent tools like Linearity Curve Auto Trace, you can convert your hand drawings into professional, editable vector graphics in just a few steps.

It’s fast. It’s accurate. And it keeps the heart of your drawing intact while giving you the flexibility to scale, color, and refine it however you want.

So next time you sketch something you love—don’t let it stay trapped on paper. Vectorize your hand drawing on iPad, and bring it into the digital world, where your creativity has no limits.