What is the SVG format?

Overview

SVG stores lines, shapes and curves as math in text (XML) instead of pixels. It stays sharp however far you zoom, and a simple logo can be just a few KB.

On this site an SVG can be turned into a raster image such as PNG or JPG (if it has no size information, it is drawn 1024px wide), and you can also go the other way: raster images can be converted to SVG by vector tracing. Tracing is an estimate that redraws areas of color as shapes rather than copying the original, so it works well for logos and icons but not for photos.

History

SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) was published by the W3C as a 1.0 recommendation in 2001, and version 1.1 from 2003 served as the standard for a long time. Because it's XML you can open it in a text editor.

It is independent of resolution and can be handled with CSS and JavaScript, so it is now the default format for web logos, icons and data visualization.

Pros

• Independent of resolution
• Editable and stylable as code
• Very small files for simple graphics

Cons

• Unsuitable for photos
• Complex SVGs can be slow to render
• Some services reject SVG uploads
• Tracing a raster image into SVG isn't identical to the original and doesn't suit photos

Best used for

• Logos and icons
• Illustrations
• Responsive web graphics

Compatibility

Every current browser supports it, but social networks, messengers and some upload forms don't accept SVG.