Speaking of graphics format, what comes to your mind immediately? JPG, PNG, GIF or anything else? Actually, except for those bitmap files above, there is another type of image named vector. And the most typical vector image format is SVG. In this post by SwifDoo PDF, we are going to give you a full introduction to the SVG file.
What Is SVG
SVG, short for Scalable Vector Graphics, refers to a vector graphics format. It is a markup language used to define vector-based two-dimensional graphics for the web.
Different from other pixel-based raster files like JPGs, SVG files are stored via mathematical formulas based on points and lines on a grid. That is to say, SVG images are stored in XML text files. As a result, SVG images can be zoomed or resized without losing quality, making them popular among graphic designers.
SVG images can be searched, indexed, scripted, and compressed and support interactivity and animation. And given that World Wide Web Consortium has already developed SVG specification as an open standard, the format is super web friendly.
Nevertheless, compared with other pixel-based graphics, SVGs do not perform well with images containing much fine detail or textures like photographs. They will be ideal for logos, icons, or graphics with simpler colors and shapes.
How to Open and Edit an SVG File
Since SVG is a format most people are not familiar with, do you know how to open an SVG file?
Considering that SVG images are stored in XML text files, the simplest way to view an SVG file is to open it through a web browser. And at the moment, they can be rendered by most major browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge and Safari. So even though you are not a graphic designer, you can check an SVG file with ease.
There are many SVG editors on the market that allow you to view and edit SVG images. Some of the most popular SVG editors and creators are Adobe Illustrator Draw, Affinity Designer, Sketch, iDesign, Sketsa SVG Editor, MacSVG, etc.
Also, as an XML text file, an SVG can be created and edited in text editors as well.
How to Convert PDF to SVG
In view of the fact that SVG files are not frequently used by most people, you may not know how to convert other formats like PDF to SVG.
Thanks to technology, there are numerous free online SVG converters available on the internet. Whenever you need to convert PDF to SVG, just search for a free SVG to PDF converter via search engines, upload the files to be converted and choose the target output file format.
