What is SVG?

It’s taken a while, but SVG is now widely supported across all major browsers and devices. SVG files are super-small, searchable, modifiable – via code – and scalable. They look great at all sizes and can be used just like images or inline right in your HTML.

Scalable Vector Graphic (SVG) is a vector graphic format—based on XML and is used to display a variety of graphics on the Web and other environments. Under the hood, SVG documents are nothing more than simple plain text files that describe lines, curves, shapes, colors, and text.

Is SVG better than PNG?

SVG. The latest of all the file types, SVG is a vector image file format released in 2001, and is more powerful than other file formats suitable for the web. Unlike raster formats seen in JPG, GIF, and PNG, an SVG image remains crisp and clear at any resolution or size.  Which is great for responsive design!

SVG is an W3C standard, which means it can inter-operate easily with other open standard languages and technologies including JavaScript, DOM, CSS, and HTML. As long as the W3C sets the global industry standards, it seems likely SVG will continue to be the de-facto standard for vector graphics in the browser.

What can open SVG files?

Adobe Animate works with SVG files, too. Some non-Adobe programs that can open an SVG file include Microsoft Visio, CorelDRAW, Corel PaintShop Pro, and CADSoftTools ABViewer. Inkscape and GIMP are two free programs that can work with SVG files, but you must download them in order to open the SVG file.

Read more:

• All you need to know about SVG on the web
• SVG 101: What is SVG? (and what is it actually good for?)
• SVG Tutorial