SVG Editor
Edit SVG files directly in your browser. Paste SVG code, preview it live, change dimensions, replace colors, and download the modified file. No software installation needed.
Key features
- Live SVG code preview
- Width, height, and viewBox editing
- Find and replace colors
- Download or copy modified SVG
Guide
SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) is an XML-based image format that describes shapes, paths, and text using mathematical coordinates rather than pixel grids. Unlike raster formats (PNG, JPEG, WebP), SVG images scale to any size without losing quality. A 24px icon and a billboard-sized logo can use the same SVG file. This makes SVG the standard format for icons, logos, illustrations, charts, and any graphic that needs to render crisply at multiple sizes. This guide covers SVG structure, editing techniques, optimization strategies, and practical use in web development. An SVG file is a text document. You can open it in any code editor and read it. The root element is <svg> with attributes for width, height, and viewBox. The viewBox defines the coordinate system: viewBox="0 0 100 100" means the drawing area spans from (0,0) to (100,100). Inside the <svg> element, you find shape elements like <rect>, <circle>, <ellipse>, <line>, <polyline>, <polygon>, and <path>. Each element has attributes that define its geometry, fill color, stroke color, stroke width, and other visual properties. Understanding this structure is essential for editing SVGs effectively because every visual change you make in a graphical editor maps to a change in this XML markup. The <path> element is the most powerful and most complex SVG element. It uses a compact string of commands in its d attribute to describe any arbitrary shape. The commands are: M (move to), L (line to), H (horizontal line), V (vertical line), C (cubic Bezier curve), S (smooth cubic Bezier), Q (quadratic Bezier curve), T (smooth quadratic Bezier), A (elliptical arc), and Z (close path). Uppercase letters use absolute coordinates. Lowercase letters use relative coordinates. A typical path looks like d="M10 10 L90 10 L90 90 L10 90 Z\
Frequently asked questions
Is my SVG data safe?
Yes, all processing happens in your browser. No data is uploaded to any server.
Can I edit complex SVGs?
Yes, you can edit any valid SVG code. The tool supports all standard SVG elements and attributes.
Is SVG better than PNG for web?
For icons, logos, diagrams, and line art, yes. SVG stays sharp at any resolution and usually weighs far less than a comparable PNG. For photographs and complex gradients, PNG, WebP, or AVIF are better, because raster formats encode photographic detail far more efficiently than vector paths ever can.
How to optimize SVG for web performance?
Run every exported SVG through an optimizer like SVGO. It strips editor metadata, collapses empty groups, rounds coordinate precision, and minifies markup, often cutting file size by 50 to 80 percent. Inline critical icons directly in HTML to skip an extra request, and serve the rest as a cached sprite.
