A Comprehensive SVG Guide [Bonus: How to Use SVG files]

SVG is an image format for vector graphics. The literal definition of SVG is Scalable Vector Graphics.

SVG is essentially the graphic image that you can create within many advanced tools for designers (e.g. Adobe Illustrator) or from scratch by using your coding skills. The great thing about SVG is that you can easily use it on the world wide web.

Why You Need an SVG Guide

Because it has a lot more features than other creative formats, SVG is getting more and more popular. Many designers prefer to choose SVG instead of GIF because it’s scalable, looks good on any device, and decreases page load times.

Here Are a Few of the Major Benefits of SVG Images

As with any and everything, there are major advantages and disadvantages to using SVG.  But despite the existence of some disadvantages, the advantages outweigh many of them. Below are just a few of the significant benefits often associated with SVG images, according to our friends at W3Schools:

• SVG images are actually written in XML. This means you can manipulate images directly by changing the source code and using your programming skills. This ability gives you a ton of power to do complex manipulation and animation that is not possible with standard raster-based images.
• SVG images are accessible with client-side scripts. You can therefore manipulate certain parts of the images with Javascript.
• SVG’s are polychromatic, so you can have multiple colors in your design. This characteristic is what really causes SVG to stand out from icon fonts.

How Can You Use SVG Files?

There are a variety of ways in which you can use SVG files:

1. Inline SVG

Inline SVG is when you take the content of the SVG file and choose to include it directly into your markup. Many designers seem to think this method is easy and allows you to use CSS to target each shape within the SVG.

2. SVG Sprites

If you are a designer who uses different sets of icons across multiple pages, you might want to use SVG sprites. This method gives you the opportunity to include an SVG by referencing its ID. This makes it much easier for you to change an icon and have those changes displayed throughout a site.

How Can You Use an Inline SVG?

If you’ve never used an inline SVG before, you’ll probably struggle while implementing it. The first step is to open the SVG file in a text editor. From there you can copy and paste the content from the SVG file into your markup.

If your SVG editor is like most of the online tools that are on the market, it probably includes an SVG sprite generator. All you have to do is drop all your SVG files into an SVG folder, and it will instantly run and generate any sprite for you. It’s relatively easy to add and remove.

How Can You Use an SVG Sprite?

If you are looking to add an SVG sprite, the process is really not as complex as you would think. Simply add the below contents of your sprite to the markup in a hidden computer.

1. <div hidden>
2. <svg>………</svg>
3. </div>

Editing SVG

When you are editing SVGs, people often suggest that you either use Adobe Illustrator or Sketch.

Here are just a few of the pros and cons associated with each:

• Adobe Illustrator is known for being a tool that has multiple options
• Sketch is generally used for basic editing but can only be used on a Mac
• Adobe Illustrator is best for creating the icons
• Sketch is most commonly used for prototyping user interfaces
• Adobe Illustrator (as well as Inkscape) can be used for automatic transformations of icons

You can find more practical tools online to animate SVG, which still has a lot of other benefits that we didn’t mention yet. In case you are planning to use SVG on your website, you can find awesome resources on Google that will explain everything step by step.

See any information about SVG images that haven’t been shared yet? Leave your comments below.

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Pankaj Verma

Pankaj Verma has worked as a freelance writer for the last 4 years. He specializes in the Technology and Business niches.

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