Documentation

How to use Vexel

Vexel makes images look identical but be technically unique. Here's everything you need.

Getting started

1. Drag images onto the window (or click +). Supported input: WebP, PNG, JPEG, HEIC, TIFF and more.
2. Pick an output format (WebP · PNG · JPEG · HEIF) in the center of the window.
3. Adjust settings in the left sidebar — sensible defaults are already on.
4. Click Run All (or the play button on a row). Output is saved next to the source, or in your chosen Destination.

Defaults: metadata removal on, smart rename on, and a uniqueness guarantee on — so even a plain run produces a unique file.

Output formats

WebP — best size/quality; becomes lossless automatically when an invisible watermark is on. PNG — always lossless. JPEG / HEIF — smallest, lossy (not suitable for invisible marks). The compression slider applies to lossy formats. SVG — via Trace mode (below).

Vector Trace (image → SVG → WebP)

Flip the Optimize ⇄ Trace switch in the header (or enable Vector Trace in the sidebar). Vexel redraws the image as flat vector shapes and saves an .svg:

• Modes — B & W (with threshold), Grayscale, or Color (2–32 colors via k-means).
• Detail / Smoothing / Despeckle — trade fine detail for cleaner, simpler paths and rounded corners.
• Transparency preserved — transparent pixels stay transparent in both the SVG and the raster export.
• Also export WebP/PNG… — re-renders the traced vector at the original resolution into the format picked above, in the same pass. That's the clean image → vector → WebP round trip.
• Trace resolution — working-size cap; raise it for sharper edges on large images.

Sidebar sections

• Save Location — where outputs are written.
• Format & Quality — remove metadata + compression.
• AI Rename & Tags — smart rename engine (below).
• Vector Trace — image → SVG (+ raster round trip).
• Effects — noise, warp, wave, twirl, motion blur, blur, sharpen, brightness/contrast, vignette, grain, color shift, plus Force 99%+ and Micro-crop.
• Logo Stamp — stamp a logo bottom-center on all images.
• Watermark — invisible and/or faint visible text/logo.
• Notifications — banner + sound for finish / error / import.
• License — activate your key.

AI smart rename & API keys

Offline Apple Vision reads English + Persian/Arabic text and falls back to visual labels — filenames are ASCII. For clean English from any language, pick an AI engine and paste a key:

• OpenAI — create a key at platform.openai.com.
• Gemini — create a key at aistudio.google.com.
• Claude — create a key at console.anthropic.com.
• Custom — any OpenAI-compatible endpoint (set Base URL + model).

Use Test key to confirm it works. Keys are stored in your macOS Keychain. The image is only sent to the provider when smart rename runs with that engine.

If an AI call fails (bad key, quota, network), Vexel retries once, then falls back to the offline engine — and the file row shows the exact error (e.g. AI rename failed (HTTP 401) — offline name used) so you know why a name came from the fallback.

Watermarks

Invisible hides text/logo in pixel bits (use WebP-lossless or PNG so it survives). Faint visible tiles it at low opacity. Logo stamp places a logo bottom-center. The Preservation Guide in-app explains what keeps a hidden mark intact.

Activating your license

After purchase you receive a key by email. In Vexel open Settings → License → Activate, paste the VEXEL-… key, and click Activate. It verifies offline — no internet required.

Troubleshooting

"Vexel can't be opened" on first launch: right-click the app → Open → Open. (The app is signed but not notarized.)

Trial ended: exporting pauses until you activate a license.

Still stuck? Contact support.