> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.comfy.org/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# VAEEncodeForInpaint - ComfyUI Built-in Node Documentation

> Complete documentation for the VAEEncodeForInpaint node in ComfyUI. Learn its inputs, outputs, parameters and usage.

This node is designed for encoding images into a latent representation suitable for inpainting tasks, incorporating additional preprocessing steps to adjust the input image and mask for optimal encoding by the VAE model.

## Inputs

| Parameter      | Data Type | Description                                                                                                                                                                                              |
| -------------- | --------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `pixels`       | `IMAGE`   | The input image to be encoded. This image undergoes preprocessing and resizing to match the VAE model's expected input dimensions before encoding.                                                       |
| `vae`          | VAE       | The VAE model used for encoding the image into its latent representation. It plays a crucial role in the transformation process, determining the quality and characteristics of the output latent space. |
| `mask`         | `MASK`    | A mask indicating the regions of the input image to be inpainted. It is used to modify the image before encoding, ensuring that the VAE focuses on the relevant areas.                                   |
| `grow_mask_by` | `INT`     | Specifies how much to expand the inpainting mask to ensure seamless transitions in the latent space. A larger value increases the area affected by inpainting.                                           |

## Outputs

| Parameter | Data Type | Description                                                                                                                        |
| --------- | --------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `latent`  | `LATENT`  | The output includes the encoded latent representation of the image and a noise mask, both crucial for subsequent inpainting tasks. |