The One-Page Manual¶
If you read nothing else, read this. The entire Vexy Lines workflow fits on a single page.
The Workflow in Four Sentences¶
Load a raster image. Add one or more fills: algorithms that read pixel brightness and generate vector strokes. Shape each fill with masks. Export as SVG, PDF, or PNG.
That's it. Everything else is refinement.
Step by Step¶
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Open an image. File > New, then drag a photo onto the canvas. PNG, JPEG, TIFF, BMP, SVG, and PDF all work. This becomes your source image, the blueprint that fills read from. It never appears in your export.
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Add a fill. Click the + button in the Layers Panel and choose a fill type. Linear is the classic starting point: parallel lines whose thickness maps to image brightness.
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Adjust the fill. In the Properties Panel on the right, drag Interval to control line spacing (small = fine detail, large = bold strokes). Rotate with Angle. Open the Image Threshold histogram to control which tones produce strokes.
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Mask areas. Select the Brush tool (B) and paint white to reveal, black to hide. Use the Rectangle (I) or Ellipse (O) mask tools for geometric shapes. Alt+click a region for auto-detection.
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Stack more fills. Add a second fill at a different angle for crosshatching. Add a Halftone fill for dot patterns in specific areas. Each fill is a separate layer, so you control them independently.
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Export. File > Export. Choose SVG for scalable vector, PDF for print, PNG for raster. Done.
The 12 Fill Types at a Glance¶
| Fill | What It Does | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Linear | Parallel lines, thickness varies with tone | Engraving, banknote illustration, woodcuts |
| Wave | Flowing sinusoidal curves | Organic portraits, water effects, fabric |
| Circular | Concentric rings from a center point | Targets, ripple effects, medallions |
| Spiral | Continuous winding path outward from center | Hypnotic effects, vinyl record art |
| Radial | Rays emanating from center | Sunburst patterns, dramatic emphasis |
| Halftone | Dots or shapes on a grid, sized by brightness | Pop art, newsprint, retro printing |
| Trace | Contour lines following image edges | Topographic maps, edge-based abstraction |
| Wireframe | 3D lattice mesh draped over the image | Elevation maps, retro-digital, sci-fi |
| Scribble | Chaotic strokes, dense in darks | Sketch effects, nervous energy, texture |
| Fractal | Space-filling Peano curves | Mathematical art, intricate detail |
| Text | Letters and words following tone | Typographic portraits, word art |
| Handmade | Your own strokes, repeated and modulated | Custom textures, artistic brushwork |
The 7 Tools¶
| Tool | Shortcut | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Editor | V | Select, move, and transform fill regions |
| Pencil | P | Draw precise vector paths |
| Knife | K | Split fills and cut paths |
| Brush | B | Paint masks freehand (white = show, black = hide) |
| Rectangle Mask | I | Draw rectangular mask areas |
| Ellipse Mask | O | Draw elliptical mask areas |
| Freeform Mask | S | Draw irregular mask boundaries point by point |
Navigation Shortcuts¶
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Zoom in | Z |
| Zoom out | X |
| Zoom at cursor | Alt + scroll wheel |
| Pan | Spacebar + drag |
| Frame selection | Cmd+2 (macOS) / Ctrl+2 (Windows) |
| Show all | Cmd+3 (macOS) / Ctrl+3 (Windows) |
Export Formats¶
| Format | Type | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
| SVG | Vector | Web, Illustrator, Affinity, scalable output |
| Vector | Print, sharing, archival | |
| EPS | Vector | Legacy print workflows |
| PNG | Raster | Web with transparency, social media |
| JPEG | Raster | Web without transparency, email |
Key Properties Panel Controls¶
| Control | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Interval | Spacing between strokes: the single parameter with the largest effect |
| Angle | Rotation of the fill pattern in degrees |
| Image Threshold | Histogram with handles for shadows, midtones, highlights; controls which brightness values generate strokes |
| Stroke Thickness | Maps brightness to stroke weight; three modes: Linear, Thick, Thin |
| Smoothing | Reduces jagged edges in generated strokes |
| Randomization | Adds controlled chaos (0–100%) to stroke placement |
| Shift | Offsets the pattern origin |
| Dynamic Color | Strokes sample colors from the source image instead of using a flat fill |
One More Thing¶
Turn off Auto Refresh (in the toolbar) when your document gets complex. Manually trigger Refresh Fill for the selected fill or Refresh All when you're ready to see changes. Your computer stays responsive.
For everything else, there's the rest of this manual.