Hi, I am trying to convert a JPEG (looks like a drawing) to Vector on Inkscape. If I manage that I will then have to add some text to it. I then want to save the picture as an EPS to send to an Laser engraver.

2 Questions: I believe I need to Import the Image, then Trace Bitmap... but I always get the message "Not responding". Any idea what the problem could be?

Should I manage to solve the above, I then need to add text and I believe I need to convert into shape. I have tried that in the past, but my engraver says the text comes up as a solid square. Why could that be?

Many thanks,

Hi.

The text issue was probably because of you used some transparency in the fill.
Inkscape cannot save parts of the eps-s with transparency, thus such parts are changed.

The trace bitmap option may not work if your image is too detailed.
To my experience about 10000 nodes/paths is the limit where it is getting real slowdowns.
So you may set all optimising and smoothing options to minimise node count, and may even try to cut the original image into sections with a raster editor program and trace those separately, but that's just a guess.

Can you show the original image/parts of it?

Hi, many thanks for that. I am new to Inkscape and this forum... how could I show the image? Copy and paste does not seem to work.

You can attach the image with your post if you click on the post reply button,
there is some size limit there so you might as well use an image host site like photobucket or like deviantart or such where you can upload your image.
Then after the upload there is an url of the image which leads straight to the image if you type that to the browser; copy that and paste url here between [img ] tags, like , which will make it "embedded" here.