Illustrator 88 already auto-traces, why would Adobe now market a stand-alone auto-tracing application? Streamline is a utility that does nothing but auto-trace bit-mapped and PICT images. But it does it pretty well.
WHAT IT IS Anyone who has ever printed MacPaint (72 dpi) graphics on a LaserWriter knows that they suffer from the jaggies (stair-stepped edges, especially on curved or diagonal lines). TIFF (300 dpi) graphics don’t. If your printer's resolution is much higher than that of the graphic it’s printing, the product will usually look jagged.
The best answer to this problem has been PostScript. Because PostScript describes shapes geometrically (independently of the number or dots per inch), any PostScript-compatible printer can print graphics at its maximum resolution, minimizing jaggies. Auto-tracing converts bit-mapped and PICT images to PostScript, which is perfect for converting scanner output and bit-mapped clip art.
There's much to like about Streamline. The manual is only 24 pages long. Streamline’s only commands are on the File menu, and it does its job with little human help. The menu choices improve results in specific circumstances. Adobe points out that the higher the resolution of the original graphic, the more accurate the results. High-resolution TIFF or PICT files yield belter results than 72-dpi MacPaint graphics, and black-and-white line art auto-traces better than halftones.
Streamline provides three methods of tracing: Outline (the default). Centerline, and Centerline & Outline. It traces the outline of each shape that makes up a finished image and fills it with either black or white. A letter O ends up as a black-filled oval with a smaller, white- filled oval layered on top. The Outline method is best for freehand art with changing line widths and shapes. Outline tracings contain only filled shapes, no single lines. The Centerline method locates the center of each line that makes up the picture and draws a single trace line along it. The letter O becomes a single oval. This method is better for detailed drawings with even line widths and no filled areas, such as parts diagrams and CAD or architectural drawings. In the Centerline & Outline method. Streamline uses Outline on areas it decides are large, filled shapes and Centerline on areas thinner than a specified line width.
Streamline gives you some latitude in selecting how closely it will follow the edges of a bit map. More tolerance smooths the finished product; too much tolerance loses detail. You can also tell Streamline to ignore shapes smaller than a certain number of pixels, which is useful for scanner output, which often contains a few extraneous dots from dirt on originals or the scanner glass. The default settings seem to work fairly well, but they can he fine-tuned to produce print ready (or nearly so) images, since Streamline automatically retains the original’s blacks and whites.
Streamline has no graphics-editing tools. It isn't intended to produce finished art. Adobe recommends that Streamline files be reworked in Illustrator for two reasons. First, Streamline can create files that won’t print because the trace 1ines are too long. Illustrator automatically breaks those lines into a manageable size. And second, Illustrator has the tools necessary to work on images.
HOW IT WORKS I like Streamline. It doesn’t require much learning time, does its job well, and can even process a full folder of graphics without interruption. It handles FreeHand drawings nicely. Technica1 drawings, however, require too much tinkering with the program’s settings and still produce less-than-ideal results. Nevertheless, Streamline auto-traces faster and better than Illustrator or FreeHand. Canvas is a capable auto-tracer, but it can’t save documents as PostScript files.
For a separate utility, $395 is steep. If you need to auto-trace a lot of art, you should have Streamline. If not. Illustrator, FreeHand, or Canvas will suffice, and they'll give you the tools for touch-ups in the bargain.
Lewis, Darryl. (November 1989). Streamline. MacUser. (pgs. 71, 80).
Adobe Systems, Inc.
Applications
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8 / 
2021-12-03 / 
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Streamline.zip
Emulating this? It could probably run under: 
Mini vMac
