How to use it
- Write on plain white paper with a dark pen, then scan it or take a photo straight on in even light.
- Drop the image in. Black and white is selected for you.
- Move the threshold until the letters are solid and the paper texture disappears.
- Download the SVG.
Getting a clean capture
The trace is only as good as the picture. Use a dark felt tip or gel pen on white paper, light from above, and a camera held directly over the page so there is no shadow or tilt. Crop close to the writing.
The tracer reads handwriting as shapes, not as text. The result keeps your exact letterforms, and it cannot be typed over afterward.
Using the SVG
The SVG works in Cricut Design Space, Canva, Figma and laser software. Recoloring it takes one click, since the whole piece is a single color.
What the settings do
- Threshold
- Pixels darker than this become ink. Raise it for faint pencil, lower it to ignore paper texture.
- Smoothing
- Rounds the wobble from tiny pixel steps while keeping the pen character.
- Remove small specks
- Drops dust and stray dots around the writing.
What people use it for
- Engraving a loved one's handwriting on jewelry or wood
- Handwritten recipes and notes on mugs, cutting boards and prints
- Custom fonts and lettering references
- Decals and stickers with real handwriting
Questions
Does it turn handwriting into text?
No. It keeps the shape of your writing as a picture. It does not read the words.
Can I trace pencil?
Yes. Raise the threshold so the lighter strokes count as ink, and use good light.
Can I trace a photo of a card or letter?
Yes. Crop to the writing and keep the card flat. Background patterns will trace too, so plain paper works best.
Is my file uploaded anywhere?
No. Tracing and file creation happen in your browser, using code that is part of this page. Your image is not sent to a server. You can check this in your browser's network tab while you use the tool.