SVG
XML-based vector format that scales cleanly at any size for logos, icons, and UI.
Compression tools
Format details
What is SVG?
SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) is an XML-based vector format that describes images as shapes, paths, and text rather than pixels. It stays crisp at any zoom level and is ideal for logos, icons, charts, and UI illustrations. Because SVG is not pixel-based, raster tools like quality sliders and pixel-level compression do not apply in the usual sense.
Specifications
- Typical file size
- Icons: 300 bytes-5 KB. Illustrations: 5-100 KB. Very complex artwork can push into hundreds of KB but is usually still smaller than a comparable PNG.
- Quality
- Resolution-independent and always sharp, since the browser or renderer redraws the shapes at the exact display size.
- Transparency support
- Yes — Native transparency and opacity at both shape and pixel level.
- Animation support
- Yes — Animation via CSS, SMIL, or JavaScript rather than a frame-based codec.
- Compression type
- Text-based XML, commonly served with gzip or brotli compression
- Browser support
- Universal in all modern browsers.
- Compatibility
- Supported across browsers, design tools, and OS previewers. Print pipelines and some legacy office software may require rasterization first.
Advantages
- Scales perfectly at any resolution
- Very small files for logos and icons
- Editable as text and stylable with CSS
- First-class support in modern browsers
Disadvantages
- Not suitable for photographs
- Complex artwork can slow rendering
- Requires care to sanitize when accepting user-uploaded SVGs
- Not directly editable in raster-only photo apps
Common uses
- Logos and brand marks
- UI icons and interface illustrations
- Charts and data visualizations
- Print-ready vector artwork
- Responsive hero graphics
Common conversions
- Rasterize to PNG/JPG when a site requires a bitmap
- Then open PNG to JPG, Compress Image, or related Konvert tools
Compression tips
- Run through an optimizer to strip metadata, editor cruft, and unused defs
- Round path coordinates to a sensible precision
- Reuse shapes with <use> and <symbol> instead of duplicating paths
- Serve with gzip or brotli; SVG compresses very well as text
- Konvert's raster tools do not apply to SVG the same way; convert to PNG or JPG first if a target requires a raster upload
Frequently asked questions
Most photo editors either rasterize the SVG on import or refuse it. Use a vector editor or edit the XML directly for true vector edits.
SVG when the source is vector, because it stays sharp at any size. PNG when you only have a raster export or a target that does not accept SVG.
No. Photos are pixel data and belong in JPG, WebP, or AVIF. SVG is designed for shapes and text.
Not today. Konvert's live image tools work with raster formats (JPG, PNG, WebP, AVIF, GIF, BMP). If you need a bitmap, export or rasterize the SVG to PNG in a design tool first, then use Konvert for further conversion or compression.