How to
How to convert an image to SVG
- Drop your picture above. Choose a file, drag it in, or paste a copied image. It is read on your device and never uploaded.
- Check the recommendation. graphsmith tells you what it found and which converter fits. You can pick one of the others instead.
- Convert. The converter opens with your image loaded and traces it at once. Adjust the number of colors and the speck filter until it looks right.
- Download the SVG. Open it in Illustrator, Inkscape, Figma or your cutting software, or paste the code into a web page.
Raster and vector in one minute
A PNG, JPG or photo from your phone is a raster image: a grid of colored pixels that turns blocky when you enlarge it. An SVG is a vector image. The W3C describes SVG as a language for two-dimensional graphics built from shapes, paths of straight lines and curves, so it stays sharp at any size and each shape can be recolored or cut.
Converting a picture to SVG means tracing it: finding the areas of color and redrawing them as shapes. That works best on flat artwork like logos, icons, signatures and cartoons. Wikipedia's article on raster graphics notes that some information is lost when a raster image is vectorized, which is why a traced photo looks like a poster rather than a photograph.
For the longer version, with zoomed-in examples and file sizes we measured, read our guide to vector vs raster images and SVG vs PNG guide.
Which converter for which picture
| Your image | Converter | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Logo or icon, PNG, transparent | PNG to SVG | Keeps transparency |
| Logo or drawing, JPG | JPG to SVG | Removes the solid background |
| Photo or picture | Image vectorizer | Poster art preset |
| Sketch, scan, signature | Image vectorizer | Line art presets |
| Pixel art | Image vectorizer | Keeps square pixels |
Converting SVG to PNG instead?
This page only goes one way: from an image to SVG. To go from an SVG file to an image, use the SVG to PNG converter, or SVG to JPG, SVG to PDF and SVG to ICO for a favicon. If you drop an SVG on the box above, graphsmith offers them to you.
Private by design
The check on this page and the tracing on the converter pages both run in your browser. Your image is passed between the two pages inside the browser itself and is not sent to a server.
Questions people ask
How can I convert an image to SVG for free?
Drop the image on this page. graphsmith checks whether it is a PNG with transparency, a JPG or a photo, then opens the matching converter with your picture loaded. Adjust the colors and detail, and download the SVG. It is free, needs no account, and runs in your browser, so the image is never uploaded.
How to turn a photo into an SVG for free?
Drop the photo here and it goes to the image vectorizer with the Photo to poster art preset. A trace cannot keep every shade of a photo; as Wikipedia's article on raster graphics notes, some information is lost when a raster image is vectorized. You get bold, flat color shapes instead, which suit posters, stickers and cutting machines.
What does a SVG mean?
SVG stands for Scalable Vector Graphics. The W3C defines it as a language for describing two-dimensional graphics made of shapes, such as paths of straight lines and curves, plus images and text. Because an SVG stores shapes instead of pixels, it stays sharp at any size and can be edited in design apps.
What are the downsides of SVG files?
SVG is made for shapes, not photographs. MDN recommends it for icons, diagrams and user interface graphics, while raster formats store the exact color of each pixel, which is what photos need. A traced photo loses detail and can turn into thousands of shapes and a large file. Fewer colors and a higher speck filter keep it small.
Can I convert an SVG to PNG here?
Not on this page, which converts images into SVG. For the other direction graphsmith has a separate SVG to PNG converter: drop your SVG there, pick a scale or an exact width, and download a sharp PNG with the transparency kept. There are matching converters from SVG to JPG, PDF and ICO, and they run in your browser too.