How to make svg

Comm 328 Responsive Web Design

One of the great things about Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) is that you can create them in a variety of graphics programs. Also, because the file is based in XML, you can roll your sleeves up and edit the file directly or programmatically via JavaScript

Tools to Create SVG Files

Graphical Editors

Examples of common graphic editors you can use to make SVG files.

Inkscape is free for use and might be a decent option if you don’t have access to Illustrator or Sketch. There is a comprehensive tutorial online for using Inkscape. See the section below for more information on creating SVG files in Adobe Illustrator.

Text Editors and JavaScript

You can also create and edit SVG files by simply opening a text editor and creating the files.

SVG graphics should start with the svg element:

You can also use several different JavaScript libraries to draw SVG files and manipulate them on your web pages. Examples of these libraries are:

There are also many other options available for JavaScript libraries to manipulate SVG files.

Creating SVG files in Adobe Illustrator

Perhaps the easiest way to create sophisticated SVG files is to use a tool that you are likely already familiar with: Adobe Illustrator. While it’s been possible to make SVG files in Illustrator for quite some time, Illustrator CC 2015 added and streamlined the SVG features. These changes include different exporting options, cleaner generated SVG code, and ability to copy and paste SVG files into a text editor.

SVG is a native file format in Adobe Illustrator. Start by creating an illustration. Here is an example of a bear face:

A simple illustration in Illustrator of a bear face.

Exporting the SVG file

You can use the Save As feature to save to the SVG format directly. Choose File > Save As from the Menu Bar.

You can create a file and then choose File > Save As to save the file.

In the save window, change the Format to SVG (svg) and then click Save.

Change the format to SVG.

SVG Options

After clicking save an SVG Options window open. This window offers a variety of options to fuss with. For the most part, the default options are ok.

Advanced Options

This button provides several «advanced» option for your SVG file.

SVG Code Button

You can press this button any time to generate the text of the SVG file. It will automatically open in the default text editor. You can use this to see what your final file will look like or even copy and paste the text from it.

We’ll save our bear face graphic using the the Style Elements option in the CSS Properties drop down. All the other options are the default.

Change the CSS Properties to Style Elements.

This will give us the following SVG file, which we can open in a text editor.

Removing the XML Declaration and Comments

When Illustrator generates your SVG file, it adds two extra lines to the top of the file.

The first line is the XML declaration. If you are including your SVG file inline with your HTML, you can safely delete this line. However, if you do not delete it, it will not hurt anything.

The second line is just an HTML comment added by Illustrator to include information about how the graphic was created. This line should be deleted to reduce the final file size.

Using Layers In Illustrator Effectively

While the above file will work just fine, we can actually utilize the layers in Illustrator to add names and groups to our final SVG file. The layers and groups in Illustrator will be translated into classes and g elements in the file and will help us style out graphics with CSS.

In the original bear file, we didn’t name any of the layers or group similar shapes. When we view the file, it is hard to tell which shapes are what. They have strange ids like XMLID_3.

None of the layers are named or grouped.

Now I’ve given each sublayer a name. Each of the names will be translated into an id attribute in our file. I’ve also organized the layers into logical groups. Each group will be translated into a g element.

Now all of our layers are named and grouped logically.

Now our exported SVG file is much more readable and ready to be styled if we want to.

Exactly how you choose to organize your file into groups will depend on your final goal. If you’re doing any kind of animation or styling via CSS or JavaScript, it’s helpful to have your shapes organized into groups that can be styled or animated together.

Resources for using Illustrator Layers

Generally, the layers work similarly to how they work in Photoshop. Below are some resources:

Setting the Artboard Bounds

Your actual graphic probably will not fill the entire Artboard (white background) in Illustrator. If you export your SVG file without addressing this, your file will end up including all that extra space. While this will not affect the file size, it will affect how your graphic displays in a browser. Before saving your graphic, you show make sure that you fit the Artboard to the artwork.

In the Menu Bar, go to Object > Artboards > Fit to Artwork Bounds.

After doing this, our bear file looks like this:

Our graphic after we fit the Artboard to the artwork.

Как проектировать, создавать и анимировать SVG

Вы можете считать Масштабируемую Векторную Графику (Scalable Vector Graphics — SVG) отзывчивой графикой. SVG основан на формате XML, который позволяет создавать изображение, используя определённые теги и атрибуты. Ваш код сгенерирует изображение, которое можно изменять прямо в текстовом редакторе.

Флаг Японии сделанный с помощью SVG

Но более интересное использование заключается в том, что мы можем вставлять SVG напрямую в

SVG бесконечно масштабируем, отзывчив, имеет очень маленький размер файла, перспективен для следующего поколения экранов с неисчислимой плотностью пикселей и может быть стилизован, анимирован и оживлён при помощи известных веб-технологий — CSS и JavaScript.

Все эти вещи ранее были возможны только с использованием Flash, для которого требовался flash-плеер и много сложной работы. К тому же сейчас никто не любит использовать Flash.

Векторные картинки против растровых

Растровые картинки состоят из пикселей, создающих целостное изображение. JPEG, GIF и PNG — самые распространённые типы растровых изображений.

Растровые изображения состоят из фиксированного числа пикселей, поэтому изменение размера картинки невозможно без влияния на её качество. Вы наверняка замечали, что изменение размера таких изображений делает их зернистыми и размытыми. Всё это происходит из-за фиксированного количества пикселей.

Вот что происходит при увеличении растрового изображения:

Что происходит при увеличении растрового изображения

С другой стороны, векторное изображение является гибким и не зависит от разрешения устройства. Они построены на использовании геометрических фигур — линий, прямоугольников, кривых или последовательности команд. Вы можете изменять их атрибуты, такие как цвет, заливка и рамка.

Один из самых распространённых вариантов использования векторных изображений — это иконки и анимация маленьких иконок. Они всегда будут чёткими даже на дисплеях с самой высокой плотностью пикселей, таких как новые 4K смартфоны.

Вот что происходит при увеличении векторного изображения:

Что происходит при увеличении векторного изображения

SVG-теги

Тег внедряет SVG-документ внутрь текущего документа, например, HTML. Тег имеет свои координаты X и Y, высоту и ширину, и свой уникальный id.

Вот как он может выглядеть:

Вот пример тега :

Элемент представляет собой базовую фигуру SVG — прямоугольник. Он может иметь различные атрибуты, такие как координаты, высота, ширина, цвет заливки, цвет обводки и острые или закруглённые углы.

Вот пример тега :

Вот пример тега :

определяет путь, состоящий из координат точек для формирования фигуры. Код с использованием

может казаться магией, но не пугайтесь! В примере ниже код можно прочесть как:

Вам, скорее всего, не потребуется учить этот код, так как он может быть сгенерирован любым SVG-редактором, но будет здорово, если вы будете его понимать.

Вот пример тега

Вот пример тега :

Создаём SVG

Есть множество доступных SVG-редакторов, например, Adobe Illustrator или Inkscape. Последний бесплатен и с открытым исходным кодом. Поскольку SVG-файлы это XML-код, то в крайнем случае вы можете написать его вручную.

Для этого примера я буду использовать простой онлайн-редактор. В нём вы можете создавать SVG без необходимости устанавливать что-либо ещё.

CSS3-анимация

SVG может быть анимирован с помощью добавления атрибута id или class SVG-тегам, и последующей стилизации их в CSS. Так же, как и любой другой документ. Ниже приведён пример того, как может быть анимирован SVG.

CSS-анимация предлагает множество типов анимации, которые вы можете выбрать. Линейная анимация — это ещё один крутой атрибут SVG.

Для следующего примера я написала текст «Hi, I am Surbhi», используя инструмент «Pen» в редакторе. Затем я использовала ключевые кадры из CSS3 для создания анимации.

Обратите внимание, что каждый тег path имеет уникальный идентификатор. Это связано с тем, что нам важна задержка при создании анимации для нескольких слов.

Анимационный тег

Основные элементы, которые анимируются этим тегом: цвет, движение и трансформация.

Вот пример анимации SVG с помощью тега :

Анимация и интерактивность, основанная на JavaScript

Поскольку SVG — это просто документ с тегами, то мы можем использовать JavaScript для взаимодействия с отдельными элементами SVG, получая их при помощи селекторов ( id или class ).

Помимо стандартного JavaScript, есть множество JS-библиотек для анимации и взаимодействий с SVG: Vivus.js, Snap.svg, RaphaelJS и Velocity.js.

В следующем примере я использовала библиотеку Vivus.js вместе с jQuery, чтобы получить анимацию линий:

Почему нельзя использовать SVG для всех изображений?

SVG больше всего подходит для изображений, которые могут быть построены с помощью нескольких геометрических фигур и формул. Хотя, в принципе, вы можете конвертировать ваши фотографии в SVG, но размер изображения будет несколько мегабайт, что нарушит цель SVG — экономить место. SVG лучше использовать для иконок, логотипов и небольшой анимации.

Вот что я создала, пока изучала SVG, используя CSS и SVG без каких-либо дополнительных библиотек. Не судите строго!

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Beginner’s Guide to Creating and Animating SVGs

posted on May 9, 2018

Using SVGs in web design opens up a whole new world of possibilities. It’s a great way to make your design unique and enhance the user experience.

One of the biggest advantages of SVGs that I’ve found is its flexibility and an ability to modify particular internal elements with CSS. That way you can create multi-color icons and illustrations and even animate them using CSS or JavaScript.

SVG files are vector, so they scale without losing any quality and are super lightweight if done correctly and optimized.

I don’t have too much experience using SVGs in real projects yet, but I started using them on my own site, and we used them for our illustrations in the recent StudioPress.com redesign.

So, today I wanted to share with you what I’ve learned so far about creating and using your own SVGs.

For the purpose of this article, I created a simple checkmark icon and animated it with CSS:

Let’s get started!

Creating SVGs

The easiest way to make your SVG is by writing the code; for example:

Of course, that’s a really hard way if you want to make more complicated shapes, so I would recommend using apps to draw your vector images and then export them to SVG files.

I use both Adobe Illustrator and Sketch for creating my SVG files, but there is a ton of other apps available (InkScape is free) and you can even find some online tools (vectr.com or editor.method.ac).

Adobe Illustrator is my favorite app for any vector work and most of the client logos or illustrations come as AI files, so I can easily open them and export to SVG if I need to.

Let me show you how to create your own vector image in Illustrator.

First, create a new regular web document:

The canvas size is 400x400px. The size doesn’t really matter because it’s vector, but I would keep it around the dimensions that you expect it to be in the browser. It’ll be easier to maintain your stroke sizes and scale it down or up from the base size.

Then, you can create your icon using any shapes you want. I created my checkmark icon for the purpose of this tutorial:

A good rule of thumb: the fewer points, the better!

Your SVG code will be cleaner and much lighter. I made many mistakes by making my shapes too complicated, especially when I used hand-drawn illustrations. Be smarter than me! 😉

It’s OK to use strokes, different colors, and even gradients. It’ll all be exported into SVG code.

If you’re planning to animate individual elements of your icon, you can name layers and groups:

When you export it, those names will be turned into IDs. It can be really helpful for more advanced illustrations.

However, I would recommend changing IDs to classes for internal elements. You can still use ID for your main element, but it’ll be easier to manage if all of your paths and shapes have classes.

I’ll explain exporting options and dealing with the SVG code more in the next steps.

Exporting and optimizing your SVGs

Once you have your icon ready, let’s export it to SVG.

If you want your SVG canvas to be exactly the size of your artboard or if you’re exporting multiple icons from one document, check the “Use Artboards” box. Otherwise, Illustrator will crop the canvas to the size of your content and will ignore the artboard size.

I would recommend always using your artboard size. It’ll be easier to maintain if your image has a specific size. Especially if you need to change or update your icon. You can simply export it again within the same artboard size.

Next, you’ll see a little box with some SVG code specific options:

In the first dropdown you can choose the way how CSS should be generated. If you have only a few elements, then “Inline Style” will probably be your best option. For more complicated illustrations, you can go with “Internal CSS.”

If you don’t want to use your layer and group names as IDs, change the “Object IDs” dropdown to “Minimal.”

You definitely want to “Minify” your SVG code for production. The only reason you may want to uncheck it is when you’re working on your animations and want to have a cleaner code to work with. Once you’re done, export the SVG again and minify it.

After choosing my options, this is what my icon’s exported code looks like:

Like I mentioned before, I’m going to change the internal element IDs to classes, and add some attributes for better accessibility (learn more here). So, my final SVG code is:

SVGs don’t take much space and when used inline as a code, it doesn’t require an HTTP request, which can improve your page load speed. If you want to optimize your SVG files even more, you can try this great tool: SVGOMG.

You can upload your SVG file there and have a bunch of extra options to optimize it even more:

Just be careful because it can break your design if you go too far.

Also, if you already have some styling or animations, make sure you don’t lose any of your classes and elements after optimization.

Animations and CSS manipulations

After adding your SVG code to your page, you can style it like any other HTML element, for example:

You can find many JS libraries (SVGJS, Snap SVG) that can help you with making some advanced animations. However, I found that for most of the cases you can achieve some interesting effects by using only opacity, scale, translate, and colors.

So, let’s see how I did it for the previously created icon.

First, I created a simple animation for the circle:

It’s a simple scale animation combined with opacity. If you have more icons that have a similar circle, you can reuse the same code, which will save you a lot of time and effort. That’s why using classes for individual elements is better than unique IDs.

Now, let’s see the checkmark icon animation:

Ok, this one is a bit more complicated. I used stroke-dasharray and stroke-offset to create an effect of icon drawing. Chris Coyier wrote a great tutorial on exactly how it works.

I also used some scaling and changed the color of the stroke. As you can see, the code is very simple but the effect can be interesting.

Here’s the final icon and code when combined together:

Summary

This is a very simple example, but it shows you the potential of using SVGs in your designs. There are also many different ways how you can use your SVGs and animate them. I showed you only probably the easiest way to do it.

If you want to learn more, here are some great resources:

SVG Files: From Illustrator to the Web

SVG is a vector image format which began life back in 1998. It was always developed with the web in mind, but only now has the web actually started to catch up. There’s no denying its relevance today, so let’s have a look at the basics of taking SVG from Illustrator to the web browser. So, what is an SVG file? Is SVG a vector file? Curious about how to view SVG files? We’ll address questions like this and more in this article.

Follow along with us over on our Envato Tuts+ YouTube channel:

What Is an SVG File and What Does SVG Stand For?

So, what is the SVG format? The SVG format was developed, and continues to be maintained, by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). The W3C comprises a group of clever folk who strive to standardize the web, making it an open and accessible place for everyone.

SVG is good for the web, especially these days, as it bypasses the problem of screen resolution. It doesn’t matter how densely packed your new smartphone’s pixels are—vectors will always be displayed as crisply as freshly fallen snow, which isn’t always true of rasterized images.

File size is always an issue with the web (no one wants to wait for a 5TB image to load into the browser over a mobile connection). So, what is an SVG document? Is SVG a vector file?

SVG is a simplified vector format. It’s built with XML, and a lot of unnecessary «stuff» is removed, giving a relatively light-weight file.

Lastly, given these XML building blocks, the contents of an SVG file can be manipulated and styled just like any other element on a web page. Parts within an SVG can be isolated, the colors can be changed, the stroke weight and transparency can be altered, and we can even apply certain filters (such as blurring), or even animate—all through CSS and JavaScript.

But what does SVG stand for anyway, you might be asking? SVG stands for Scalable Vector Graphics. This means the graphics in an SVG document can change size without loss of quality.

When Would I Use SVG?

The advantages of crisp line quality and being able to manipulate a graphic element are self-explanatory, but where can you take advantage of this? Here’s a quick list of situations where SVG comes into its own:

Everyday graphics: If you’re using a graphic on a website, consider whether or not it could be in SVG format. If so, why not use it? Photography would be an example where SVG doesn’t make sense, but for everything else, give it some thought.

Demonstrating crisp font specimens. Why bother with fuzzy raster formats?

Icons: Websites the world over are peppered with icons; they’re universally understood (when used properly) and shorten the time it takes for a user to process an interface. Icons these days are often applied to websites through web fonts, but can also be injected into a page as SVG. Perfectly clean and crisp icons for everyone—lovely.

Logos: If there’s one thing a company should keep precious, it’s its identity. SVG offers the best way to display branding on the web, plain and simple. Colors can be precise, line quality is immaculate, and the same file can be used repeatedly across one website, but altered depending on its circumstances. Perfect.

Decoration: I don’t need to sell this idea to a load of vector artists, do I?

SVG decoration courtesy of fixate.it

Animation: Through CSS3 and JavaScript, a whole world of animation has opened up to the web. SVG is the perfect vehicle too, for all the reasons I’ve listed so far. Can you imagine buttons which animate when you roll over them? Icons which give you direct personalized feedback? The sky really is the limit.

Iconic demonstrating SVG feedback

So that’s what SVG is. A vector format, developed with the web in mind. Let’s have a look at how we can use it.

How to Create SVG Files

In this Illustrator SVG tutorial, we’re going to work with a really basic image to demonstrate what SVG does. It’s simple to make an SVG in Illustrator, if you know where to look.

New Document

So let’s dig in with an Adobe Illustrator SVG. Open up Adobe Illustrator, and begin a new document (File > New). Give it a name if you wish, and set the Artboard for our Adobe Illustrator SVG to 300 x 300 px.

Choose an Image

It makes little difference what you use as your demo vector at this point, but go for something relatively simple for this Illustrator SVG tutorial. I’ve used the «No Pirates Allowed» glyph, freely available with the «Webdings» font (I never thought I’d use that for anything!).

Go to the Glyphs panel (Type > Glyphs), and then select the Webdings font to browse the various available characters.

With the Text Tool selected, click on the Artboard, and then double-click your glyph of choice to make use of it.

Convert to Outlines

We’re now going to convert this type glyph into outlines.

Note: SVG does actually support text objects, but to demonstrate things on a fundamental level, we’ll opt for paths.

Select the glyph using the Selection Tool (V):

Then go to Type > Create Outlines.

Super! We now have a path-based vector object.

How to Create SVG Files (Illustrator Export SVG)

To save this document as SVG, go to File > Save, or File > Save As. In the dialogue that pops up, choose a location, give it a file name (if you haven’t already) and, crucially, select SVG as the format.

You’ll then be presented with another dialogue, this time with some SVG options.

In all truth, ignoring these options at this point will serve you perfectly well. The defaults are all as you’d want them under normal circumstances.

We’ll cover some of these options a bit later, but for now, hit OK.

There you go: now you know how to create SVG files!

So Then, Those SVG Options

We skipped over the SVG options because you don’t really need to pay much attention to them. However, for the sake of being thorough, let’s have a look. They’re good to consider when it comes to Illustrator export SVG options.

SVG vs. SVGZ

To begin with, we could have chosen two potential SVG formats in the save dialogue.

SVGZ is a heavily compressed (zipped, I suppose) version of SVG. It gives a smaller file size, but turns the XML within the file itself into gibberish, preventing us from manipulating the vectors through CSS and JavaScript should we want to.

SVG Profiles

The ever-shifting landscape of the web, and the continual development of web standards, mean that SVG is always growing. You can see this thanks to the first option when saving an SVG file: SVG Profiles. The profile choices currently look like this:

They mean (more or less) the following:

Soon, we’ll be able to add SVG 2.0 to this list. In reality, the nuances of these profiles are largely irrelevant to us. SVG is capable of handling all kinds of things, but for simple vectors stick to the current default of SVG 1.1 and your graphics will be just fine, wherever possible, on the web.

Fonts

SVG files can contain much more than just vector paths. Text objects are one such example, and the Font option allows you to determine how text objects are treated.

Part of the font option involves Subsetting. This is relevant only if you’ve chosen not to convert your text to outlines.

Subsetting embeds character details into the SVG file, allowing the file to display fonts which may not be present on the user’s system. Embedding whole fonts (obviously) results in much heavier files, though you can choose how many glyphs are to be included.

Options

While we’re on the subject of embedding, the last remaining options here can also have an impact on file size.

In much the same way as with fonts, SVG files can hold bitmap images. Where you see Image Location, choose Embed to have images included within the file in code form, or choose Link to have the images referenced instead. This works in much the same way as placing images within Illustrator itself and greatly impacts the end file’s size.

The last checkbox here allows you to preserve Illustrator editing capabilities if needed. This means that details of all layers, filters and effects, symbols, etc. will be kept. Again, keep this unchecked if your SVG is ready for production and file size is important.

Advanced Options

More recent versions of Illustrator have an Advanced Options section at this point, visible if you’ve clicked the More Options button at the bottom. To hide them again click the Less Options button. If you‘re particular about the type of styling code which is generated, then this section will be of interest.

To begin with, we can specify how we want the CSS Properties within the SVG file to be handled. There are a few options:

The last advanced options are for serious fine-tuning:

Element For Text On Path exports text on a path as a

Couple o’ buttons

Finally, the two buttons at the foot of the options dialogue do the following:

Using the SVG on the Web

If you’re not used to working directly with the web, HTML, browsers, and all that stuff, there are a few things to take into account at this point.

Web Browsers

Firstly, let’s demonstrate that your browser can handle this format perfectly well. Right-click your new, shiny SVG file, and choose to open it with your standard web browser:

Older browsers, such as Internet Explorer 8 and earlier, do not support the SVG format, and sadly won’t play along.

More details of SVG and browser support can be found on caniuse.com.

But as long as you’re using a modern browser, the SVG file will open and display without any problem.

The first thing to note is that the SVG file has retained the dimensions we originally gave it. Our SVG has opened at 300 x 300px, the Artboard has dictated the outer boundaries, and the pirate icon is placed as it should be in the center.

Embedding SVG Within a Web Page

So far, we’ve created an SVG file, and we’ve opened it in a browser to check it works. Now it’s time to properly use our file within a web page.

Here’s my file, open in TextEdit for Mac OS X, but you can use whatever text or code editor you please.

This file will open in a web browser just fine as it is, but we need to add some HTML «markup» code in order to embed the SVG. There are a few approaches to doing this.

The Tag Approach

Firstly, we can use an image tag (which you might be used to using for JPG, PNG files etc.) pointing to the exact file path within the src=»» attribute. Paste this snippet into your HTML file:

Assuming the file path is correct, your HTML page will open in a browser just like this:

Yes, I know the general effect at this stage is precisely the same as when we opened the SVG directly in the web browser, but now we have much more power! For example, we can immediately make the SVG larger, by using the width=»» attribute:

A beautiful, crisp SVG, infinitely scalable!

This approach is perhaps the easiest, but it does have its problems. Some browsers, for security reasons, will restrict what you’re able to do with the web SVG (with JavaScript, for example). Let’s look at alternatives.

The result is precisely the same:

For browsers which don’t support SVG, you can even place a warning within the contents of the

Many web designers agree that this approach is the most reliable and flexible way to use SVG within a web page at the moment.

The Inline Approach

We’ve spoken about the XML origins of SVG, and if you open the SVG file with your text editor, you’ll see something like this:

Wow, what a load of nonsense! Actually, once you’re over the initial shock, you should be able to see some sense in amongst it. We can use this XML code inline, by pasting the contents directly into our HTML file.

When you become a bit more familiar with the SVG XML structure, you’ll be able to trim bits out of the file, which all helps file size.

Feel free to remove the line, the comment, and even the statement, if you feel like it.

All you really need is a simplified version, comprising just a couple of XML tags:

Note: You’ll see our SVG element has a viewbox attribute too; if you’re interested in learning how this works, Kezz Bracey has written a thorough beginner’s guide:

The CSS Background Approach

Using CSS (the styling syntax used in combination with HTML), we can also dictate that our SVG file acts as a background image to an element on our webpage.

We’re pushing the boundaries of this tutorial now, but if you’re interested in learning the basics of CSS, take a look at The Best Way to Learn CSS.

We can use a separate CSS file, linking to it from our HTML document, or we can use tags directly within our HTML. Our styles would look something like this:

This style rule states that our SVG file should display as the background to our HTML element.

SVG Files for Cricut Machines

SVG files are also really useful when using a Cricut machine. Now that you’ve explored how to make an SVG in Illustrator, imagine the possibilities!

One of the most important aspects of using imagery for Cricut is the ability to cut out the shapes you need. Thankfully, using Cricut SVG’s ability to store vector data in layers makes SVG a great file choice when importing into Cricut Design Space. This kind of versatility is one of the reasons that SVG files work so well.

To do this, you import the Cricut SVG just like you would with any other image file for Cricut. You’ll find that providing your image had a transparent background, the cutting process will already be done for you. This is especially helpful as many vector programs such as Illustrator can export to the SVG file type.

SVG Files for Cricut and Design Projects

Looking for SVG files for Cricut or other design projects? Then check out Envato Elements! Envato Elements has countless vector assets that you can use in your design projects. Just one subscription and you can download to your heart’s content. There are many SVG documents, ranging from logos to illustrations and design elements.

Envato Elements is a great resource for finding SVG Illustrator graphic templates!

If you’re looking for some recommendations for SVG vector files, then check out this collection!

1. Creative Technology Logo (AI, EPS, SVG)

This cool logo comes with a web SVG file, making it a great starting point for a new logo or icon design. The simple forms and shape are perfect for any design project you have which needs a clean and crisp look.

2. Let’s Go Explore Logo (AI, EPS, SVG)

This charming T-shirt design comes in a large variety of formats, including an SVG vector file! Use the design as is or pick and choose elements from the design to add to your own!

3. Friends are Forever (SVG, EPS, PNG)

This charming hand-drawn text element is the perfect SVG document to get you started on your next Cricut Design project. Just import the SVG into Cricut Design Space, and you instantly have yourself an SVG vector file project.

4. Coral Icon Series (AI, EPS, SVG)

Check out these fresh and airy autumn season icons. These SVG Illustrator icons come with 85 designs to choose from! Every one of them is an SVG vector file that can be expanded and transformed to suit many project ideas.

5. Vector Flourish Dividers (SVG, AI, EPS)

Looking for even more SVG files for Cricut? Then check out these vector SVG flourish dividers. You get a large variety of different designs which are great for adding some flair to your work. As they come as an SVG document, feel free to scale them as small or as large as you need.

Conclusion

That about wraps up the basics! In this tutorial, we discussed questions like: what is SVG format, how to view SVG files, what is an SVG document, and ways you can view and use SVGs.

If you’ve always wondered what SVG was, but never knew precisely why you should use it, I hope this tutorial has opened your eyes. The potential for this format is huge and is growing all the time thanks to the imagination and technical wizardry of folks in the web and graphics industries.

However, your questions might go beyond things like «what is an SVG file?» Curious about more things you can do with Adobe Illustrator, Cricut, and other SVG file possibilities? Check out these free tutorials on Envato Tuts+.

What Is an SVG File? SVG Image and Tags Explained

SVG

You can write SVG by hand, but more complicated graphics can be designed in vector graphics editors such as Illustrator or InkScape and exported to SVG files or code.

SVG Basics

Developers start an SVG graphic with the tag and XML namespace like so:

The sample also includes a version attribute. The version attribute is optional but it is recommended for complaince with XML specifications.

This sample won’t display anything, it merely established a viewport. You can add height and width attributes to set a display size for the viewport this essentially establishes a canvas for you to work in.

With a viewport in place you can add basic graphics, text, and path elements.

You can see the output and play with the code in this codepen.

In the opening svg tag we add a width attribute to set the width of the viewport to 100% of the container width, you can use percentages or pixel widths. The opening svg tag also has viewbox attribute which defines a window through which elements of your svg are visible, in this case, the viewbox spans from (0,0) to (600,300). In SVG space the X-axis starts with zero on the left and increases to the right; the Y-axis starts with zero at the top and increases towards the bottom.

The first new tag is the tag which defines a rectangle in the SVG viewport. In this case we define a square which is 10 units from the top and left and 100 units tall and wide. The fill attribute sets the fill color for the shape.

Next we define a circle or oval with the tag. The sample defines a circle centered at (240,60) with a radius of 50 units. The stroke and stroke-width attributes set a stroke color and a size for the stroke.

You can add text to the graphic with the text tag. The sample text is anchored from the middle of the text to a point at (450, 70) and has a font size of 20 units. The nice thing about text in SVG is it will scale with the rest of your graphic, but it is still readable by the browser and web bots.

When you want to apply the same attributes or CSS styles to multiple SVG elements you can group them with the tag. Attributes assigned to the tag, like the stroke attribute in the example, will be applied to all elements within the group. In this case three

element defines a vector path in the viewport. The path is defined by the d attribute. In the first example the definition reads ‘move to the absolute coordinate (10, 170) and draw a line to the relative coordinates 590 in the X direction and 0 in the Y direction.

The following commands can be used to create your path:

M = move to L = line to H = horizontal line to V = vertical line to Z = close path C = (cubic bezier) curve to S = smooth curve to Q = quadratic bezier curve to T = smooth quadratic bezier curve to A = arc

The canvas element

Canvas graphics can be drawn onto a

A context is created through the getContext method on the

After creating the context object, the example draws a red rectangle 100 pixels wide and 50 pixels high, with its top-left corner at coordinates (10,10).

Drawing a pie chart

The results variable contains an array of objects that represent the survey responses.

To draw a pie chart, we draw a number of pie slices, each made up of an arc and a pair of lines to the center of that arc. We can compute the angle taken up by each arc by dividing a full circle (2 π ) by the total number of responses and then multiplying that number (the angle per response) by the number of people who picked a given choice.

This draws the following chart:

Browser Support

Editors

Tools to create SVG

There are few tools available to create SVG in the form of drawing program.

Why you should use SVGs

As a vector image format, it allows you to resize an image without any loss of quality and a particularly light weight. As an XML format, it allows you to benefit from the full power of JavaScript and especially CSS.