How a use case changes the result
A use case is a set of priorities, not a file-format label. It influences which trace candidates are tested, how visual similarity is balanced against complexity, which output preparation is applied, and which checks are relevant. The same raster can therefore produce a detailed Web SVG and a simpler Logo SVG even when both look close to the source.
General-purpose use cases
Auto
Auto is the starting point when you do not yet know how the SVG will be used. It analyzes the image and seeks a balanced result. Choose a specific target when responsive markup, photographic detail, or fabrication geometry has a clear priority.
Web
Web favors responsive, compact SVG markup while keeping strong visual similarity. It is suited to interface icons, decorative graphics, and illustrations embedded in a website. For flat artwork, it also tests restricted 2-, 3-, 4-, 6-, and 8-color candidates so a clean palette can compete against a much larger high-fidelity trace.
Logo
Logo gives more weight to clean shapes, stable colors, and manageable geometry. It is useful for marks, badges, and brand graphics that need recoloring or editing. The same restricted-color candidates used by Web are considered, while complexity receives stronger scrutiny. Automatic tracing cannot reconstruct original brand curves or typography with design-source accuracy.
Photo
Photo permits layered color detail and greater complexity to approximate continuous-tone imagery. It is best when a stylized vector interpretation of a photograph is acceptable. Photographs can produce many paths and large SVGs; vectorization does not turn them into compact, manually illustrated artwork.
Complex Illustration
Complex Illustration aims to retain detailed shapes, overlapping regions, and a broader palette. Use it for artwork that is more structured than a photograph but too detailed for Logo. It tolerates heavier output where simplification would remove meaningful features.
Craft and fabrication use cases
These presets add geometry-oriented checks and may retain explicit physical dimensions. They help prepare output, but they do not certify compatibility with a machine, material, importer, or fabrication workflow. Always inspect the file in the target software and test safely.
Cricut / Craft Cutter
This use case favors closed, manageable regions suitable for common craft-cutting workflows. It checks silhouette, region closure, topology, and excessive complexity. Fine details may still be too small for a blade or material.
Vinyl Cutter
Vinyl Cutter prioritizes simple closed cut regions and low complexity. It is appropriate for decals and single- or limited-color designs. Overlapping paths, weeding difficulty, blade offset, and minimum feature size still require review.
Laser Cutting
Laser Cutting strongly favors closed contours, avoids duplicate geometry that could cause repeated cuts, and limits traversal complexity. It does not apply kerf compensation or guarantee that a contour is manufacturable.
Laser Engraving
Laser Engraving preserves filled regions for raster-like engraving artwork. It is not a centerline tracer. Power, speed, dithering, material response, and the engraving software’s interpretation remain outside the converter.
Tinkercad / 3D Extrusion
This preset emphasizes closed regions, preserved holes and components, and a strong silhouette so imported shapes are more suitable for extrusion. It cannot guarantee that Tinkercad or another CAD tool will accept every path, and it does not validate wall thickness or 3D printability.
CNC / Fabrication
CNC / Fabrication applies conservative checks for closed, duplicate-free topology and manageable nodes, segments, and subpaths. Physical sizing is available, but tool diameter, clearances, feeds, material, minimum features, and CAM strategy are not calculated.
Choosing between similar use cases
- Choose Web when page weight and responsive embedding matter.
- Choose Logo when clean, editable shapes matter more than retaining every small raster variation.
- Choose Photo for continuous-tone source images and Complex Illustration for layered drawn artwork.
- Choose the exact fabrication target when geometry checks matter, even if another preset looks visually similar.
You can change the use case for the batch and compare the result. Use the settings reference for manual refinements and read how automatic selection works to see why candidate winners differ by target.
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