SVG file

What it is

An SVG file is a text file. It describes three kinds of objects: vector shapes, text and embedded raster images. Its viewBox defines a coordinate system rather than a pixel size, so a browser or app scales the drawing to whatever space it is given.

Property	SVG
Image type	Vector, with optional embedded PNG or JPEG images
Compression	None; .svgz is a gzip-compressed SVG
Colour	Solid colours, linear and radial gradients, patterns
Transparency	Yes; anything not drawn is transparent
Text	Real text, which stays selectable and searchable
Styling	CSS in a style element, style attributes or presentation attributes
Animation	Yes, with SMIL animation elements or scripts
Scripts	A <script> element, like HTML
Pixel size	None fixed; drawn at the size requested

SVG is the usual format for logos, icons, charts and illustrations on websites, because one file serves every screen size. Since an SVG can contain scripts, browsers disable them when the file is shown as an image (in an <img> tag or a CSS background), but not when the file is opened directly or embedded with <object> or <iframe>.

Sources: W3C, SVG 1.0, SVG 1.1 (Second Edition) (introduction, coordinate systems, gradients, styling, structure and animation chapters) and SVG 2; MDN, script element, SVG as an image and Image file type and format guide. Read 27 October 2026.

Which apps open it

Platform or app	Opens SVG	Notes
Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari	Yes, in all current versions	Safari 26 also accepts SVG for favicons
Windows File Explorer	Preview and thumbnails through Microsoft PowerToys	Microsoft documents no built-in SVG preview
Mac	Safari opens SVG files	Apple's Preview documentation does not list SVG
Android	Android Studio's Vector Asset Studio converts SVG to Android vector drawables for apps	Text, filters, pattern fills and blend modes are not converted
Illustrator	Exports SVG through Export for Screens
Inkscape	Yes; SVG is its own file format
Figma	Yes; an imported SVG becomes an editable vector layer
Affinity Designer 2	Yes, open and export
GIMP	Opens SVG as an image; SVG paths can be imported through the Paths dialog
Canva	Yes, as an uploaded image	Under 3 MB, saved with the SVG 1.1 profile

Sources: MDN, Image file type and format guide; WebKit, WebKit features in Safari 26.0; Microsoft, PowerToys File Explorer add-ons; Apple, Convert graphics file types in Preview; Android, Vector Asset Studio; Adobe, Supported file formats in Illustrator (updated 27 October 2025); Inkscape README; Figma, Add images and videos to designs; Affinity Designer 2 file formats; GIMP, Paths and SVG; Canva, Check file upload formats and requirements. Read 27 October 2026.

How to convert it

Converting an SVG to PNG, JPEG or WebP turns the drawing into pixels at one size. The result no longer scales, its text is no longer editable, and animation and scripts are dropped. PNG and WebP keep the transparent background; JPEG has no alpha channel and fills it with a colour.

Route	How	Notes
librsvg	rsvg-convert -w 2048 -a logo.svg -o logo.png	-a keeps the aspect ratio; without -w the SVG's own width is used
Inkscape	inkscape logo.svg --export-type=png --export-width=2048	Also exports PDF, EPS and EMF
ImageMagick	magick -density 300 logo.svg logo.png	-density comes before the input; the default is 72 dpi
Illustrator	File > Export > Export for Screens, PNG or JPEG
Freedam	Download a WebP rendition at a set width, or the original SVG	The rendition is drawn from a 3,072-pixel preview

Sources: rsvg-convert manual; Inkscape, command-line manual; ImageMagick, command-line options; MDN, Image file type and format guide. Read 27 October 2026.

How to convert it with AI

An AI assistant that can run commands on your computer, such as a coding agent in a terminal, can install librsvg, the open-source SVG renderer used by GNOME and run the conversion for you. Paste a prompt like this one, change the folder names, and read each command the assistant proposes before you approve it: it runs with your permissions on your files.

Install librsvg on this computer, which includes rsvg-convert (Homebrew package librsvg on macOS, apt package librsvg2-bin on Debian or Ubuntu, MSYS2 on Windows).

Then convert every .svg file in the folder ~/Logos to a PNG 2,048 pixels wide, keeping the aspect ratio and the transparent background, for example:
rsvg-convert -w 2048 -a logo.svg -o logo.png

Write the PNG files to a new folder ~/Logos/png and keep the originals unchanged. When you have finished, list any file that failed, with the error.

SVG in Freedam

Freedam accepts .svg files in the asset library and stores the original unchanged.

• Preview: Freedam draws the SVG with librsvg into a PNG of up to 3,072 pixels on the long side, keeping the transparent background, and saves it as a WebP preview. If librsvg fails on a file, ImageMagick draws it instead.
• Renditions: WebP copies 128, 256, 512 and 1,024 pixels wide are made at upload from that preview, and larger sizes up to 5,120 pixels on first request. Freedam image URLs deliver the drawing as AVIF, WebP or JPEG, depending on what the browser accepts.
• Downloads: people with download rights choose between the original SVG and a WebP rendition. Because SVG opens in every current browser, the download dialog suggests the original.
• Metadata: on upload Freedam reads the width and height declared in the SVG and checks the file for Content Credentials. A description, keywords, creator or copyright notice in the SVG's XMP metadata fills the asset's own fields.

Frequently asked questions

Is SVG better than PNG?

For logos, icons, charts and diagrams, usually yes: an SVG stays sharp at every size, and MDN recommends SVG for images that must be drawn accurately at different sizes. For photos, use a raster format such as JPEG, WebP or AVIF; PNG suits screenshots and raster images that need transparency.

Can an SVG file contain JavaScript?

Yes. SVG has a <script> element. Browsers do not run it when the SVG is shown as an image through an <img> tag or a CSS background, but they do when the file is opened directly or embedded with <object> or <iframe>.

Why don't SVG thumbnails show in Windows File Explorer?

Microsoft documents SVG previews and thumbnails in File Explorer only through PowerToys, a free set of add-ons. Install PowerToys and turn on its File Explorer add-ons for SVG.