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Format

Overview

SVG is a vector format: shapes and text are described mathematically and scale cleanly to any size.

Features

  • Resolution-independent
  • DOM/CSS/scriptable
  • Tiny for simple icons

Advantages

  • Crisp at any size
  • Editable as text/XML
  • Ideal for icons and illustrations

Disadvantages

  • Not for photographs
  • Complex SVGs can be heavy or hard to sanitize

Format details

Typical file size
Often only a few KB for icons; grows with path complexity.
Transparency support
Yes — Inherent; no rectangular alpha bitmap required.
Animation support
Yes — SMIL/CSS/JS animation possible.
Compression type
Vector (optionally gzipped as .svgz)
Browser support
Excellent in modern browsers.

Common uses

  • Icons
  • Logos
  • Illustrations
  • Data charts

Related formats

Related compression tools

Related editing tools

Image editing tools will appear here when published.

Related guides

Related knowledge

FAQs