Why this tends to go wrong.
Old logos often reach me as a screenshot, a website graphic or a JPG from an email. I first check whether the pixel edge still contains enough information about the intended form. The fewer pixels in a curve, the more judgement is required.
Fine is my starting point. Subpixel works well when the source already has antialiased edges. Smooth edges removes stair steps. Bézier simplification then reduces small direction changes in the path. Those are separate jobs.
Places where logos change quickly
- Small counters inside letters
- Sharp corners and short serifs
- Symmetrical curves
- Very narrow gaps between shapes
The curve was not the real problem.
A tiny old logo for a sign often looks pixelated, but the dangerous areas are not the large curves. They are tight counters and deliberately sharp corners. Global heavy smoothing creates a new logo instead of translating the old one cleanly.
- What worked
- Compare outside contour, corners and counters separately and calm only visible stair steps.
- What did not
- Applying one high smoothing value until the whole mark looks modern and round.
- Lesson learned
- Good tracing interprets as little as possible and as much as necessary.
How I do it.
- Load the largest available file rather than the smallest screenshot.
- Set tonal controls until every intended shape is closed.
- Start with Fine and compare Subpixel on a typical curve.
- Increase Smooth edges in small steps.
- Add Bézier simplification separately and slowly.
- Inspect the logo at high zoom and at real output size.
If a letter is only five pixels wide, real information is missing. At that point, rebuilding the geometry may be more honest than automatic tracing.
Questions that usually come next.
Why is Subpixel not always better?
A hard pixel motif may gain a curve that was never intended.
What is the difference between smoothing and simplification?
Smoothing calms the contour. Simplification reduces points in the final path.
Can Vector Boy restore perfect symmetry?
No. It follows the source. Perfect geometric symmetry needs to be rebuilt in vector software when required.