What you should know
SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) is not a pixel image but a mathematical description of shapes, lines and curves. Published in 2001, it renders sharp at any size and remains editable in a text or vector editor.
It is the format of logos, icons and diagrams. A well-written SVG weighs a few kilobytes and can even be animated with CSS or JavaScript.
Strengths
- Perfect sharpness at every resolution and for print
- Very light files for simple shapes
- Editable, animatable and stylable with web tools
- Accessible: the text it contains can be read by screen readers
Limitations to know
- Unsuitable for photographs and thousands-of-colours images
- Can become bloated and unreadable when exported from software without cleanup
- Can contain code: an untrusted SVG is a risk
- Limited support in some office software
When to use it
Use SVG for a logo, an icon, a chart or a geometric illustration. For a photograph it does not fit: no converter turns a photo into credible vectors without manual redrawing.
Quality, size and compatibility
Automatic vectorisation of a pixel image almost always produces a disappointing result on a photo. On a simple logo it may provide a base to rework. In the other direction, SVG to PNG is rasterisation: it freezes a resolution and loses the vector nature.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I convert a photo to SVG?
- Technically yes, but the result is almost always disappointing: automatic vectorisation cannot reconstruct the detail of a photograph. SVG is made for shapes, not pixel images.
- Why is my SVG huge?
- Drawing software often exports thousands of useless points and metadata. Running an optimiser, or redrawing by hand, cuts the file by more than half.