How do I vectorize an image in Photoshop?

Photoshop is a popular photo editing and graphic design software used by professionals and hobbyists alike to create and manipulate images. It's the go-to tool for image editing and has an array of features that allow users to do everything from adjusting brightness, contrast, and exposure, to adding filters, special effects, and more.

Does Photoshop Work with Vectors or Pixels?

Photoshop works with pixels, not vectors. Pixels are like tiny squares of color that make up the image, and vectors are mathematical equations used to create shapes and lines. Although Photoshop can't work with vectors, it can work with vector graphics that have already been created.

How Do I Vectorize an Image in Photoshop?

Unfortunately, you cannot really vectorize an image in Photoshop. You can try to trace it, but it's really not going to look like you expect it to. That's because when you trace an image, you're essentially just outlining it and creating a new layer on top of the original. In order to vectorize an image, you would need specialized software like Adobe Illustrator.

You can try to follow this tutorial and try to use filters and outlines but it's really unpredictable and honestly pretty complicated:

Conclusion

Photoshop is a great tool for editing and manipulating images, however it does not really work with vectors (with minor exceptions such as the shapes and pen tool). If you're looking to vectorize an image, your best bet is to use specialized software like Adobe Illustrator.

Even then, you may not get the exact results you're looking for, as vectorizing an image is pretty complex.