How to Convert a JPEG Into a Vector in Photoshop

2025 Author: Jason Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2025-01-23 12:04

This wikiHow teaches you how to use Adobe Photoshop to convert a JPEG to a vector line drawing.

Step

Step 1. Open Adobe Photoshop on your computer

Photoshop is in the area All Apps on the “Start” menu in Windows, and in the folder Applications on macOS.

Convert JPEG to Vector in Photoshop Step 2

Step 2. Click the File menu once Photoshop opens

It's in the upper-left corner of the screen.

Convert JPEG to Vector in Photoshop Step 3

Step 3. Click Open…

Your computer's file (file) browser will appear.

Convert JPEG to Vector in Photoshop Step 4

Step 4. Navigate to the folder containing the JPEG file

Convert JPEG to Vector in Photoshop Step 5

Step 5. Select the JPEG file

Click the file name once to select it.

Convert JPEG to Vector in Photoshop Step 6

Step 6. Click Open

The JPEG file will open for editing in Photoshop.

Convert JPEG to Vector in Photoshop Step 7

Step 7. Click “Quick Selection Tool“

The icon image is a dotted round line with overlapping brushes. If you're using an earlier version of Photoshop, the icon is a dotted line with a pencil.

Convert JPEG to Vector in Photoshop Step 8

Step 8. Click the “Add to Selection” button

It's in the icon bar at the top of the screen and looks like the “Quick Selection Tool” icon, but with an overlapping plus (+) symbol.

By hovering your mouse over each icon, you'll see what the icon does

Convert JPEG to Vector in Photoshop Step 9

Step 9. Click the part of the image that you want to convert into a vector

Each area you click on will be surrounded by a dotted line.

Convert JPEG to Vector in Photoshop Step 10

Step 10. Click the Window menu

It's at the top of the screen.

Convert JPEG to Vector in Photoshop Step 11

Step 11. Click Paths

The “Paths” window will open in the lower right corner of Photoshop.

Convert JPEG to Vector in Photoshop Step 12

Step 12. Click the “Make work from path” button

It's at the bottom of the Paths window, the fourth icon from the left. It looks like a dotted box with smaller squares on all four sides. By clicking on this icon, the selected area will turn into a vector.

Convert JPEG to Vector in Photoshop Step 13

Step 13. Click the File menu

It's in the upper-left corner of the screen.

Convert JPEG to Vector in Photoshop Step 14

Step 14. Click Export

Convert JPEG to Vector in Photoshop Step 15

Step 15. Click Paths to Illustrator

It's near the bottom of the menu.

Convert JPEG to Vector in Photoshop Step 16

Step 16. Enter a name for “Paths” and click OK

The computer's file browser will appear.

Convert JPEG to Vector in Photoshop Step 17

Step 17. Navigate to the folder where you want to save the vector

Convert JPEG to Vector in Photoshop Step 18

Step 18. Type in the file name

Convert JPEG to Vector in Photoshop Step 19

Step 19. Click Save

The vector image has been saved. Now, you can edit it in Adobe Illustrator or another vector editing application.

Recommended:

3 Ways to Turn Images Into Vector

Vector and raster images are different, although in general the differences between the two types of images are not easy to see. A vector image is an image based on computer geometry and uses the X and Y axes, so that the image can be enlarged or reduced for print, web, or graphic design purposes.

3 Ways to Convert Protected Audio Files Into Regular MP3 Files

In the early days of internet music stores, DRM or Digital Rights Management was a fairly popular method of preventing others from copying their own music. However, this gives its own disadvantage because many users can only play or listen to their songs through their own devices.

How to Convert JPG Into Vector (with Pictures)

Vector graphics are an ideal format for simple logos, images or illustrations because they have clear lines and contours. Vector graphics are created using equations instead of pixels so they can be set to any size without losing their quality.

How to Turn a Raster Image Into a Vector (with Images)

A vector image is an image made of lines and directions. Unlike raster, vector images can be resized easily without pixelation because the lines will be redrawn each time they are resized. Converting a raster or pixel-based image is quite tricky due to the inherent differences in the two formats.

How to Convert a JPEG Into a Word File: 11 Steps (with Images)

If you need to extract text from an image so that the text can be edited, you can do so through an Optical Character Recognition (OCR) program. The OCR program will scan the image file and convert the text in it, so you can paste the text into a Word document.