SVG: Scalable Vector Graphics

Getting Started with SVG

Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) are an XML-based markup language for describing two-dimensional based vector graphics.

As such, it's a text-based, open Web standard for describing images that can be rendered cleanly at any size and are designed specifically to work well with other web standards including CSS, DOM, JavaScript, and SMIL. SVG is, essentially, to graphics what HTML is to text.

SVG images and their related behaviors are defined in XML text files, which means they can be searched, indexed, scripted, and compressed. Additionally, this means they can be created and edited with any text editor or with drawing software.

Compared to classic bitmapped image formats such as JPEG or PNG, SVG-format vector images can be rendered at any size without loss of quality and can be easily localized by updating the text within them, without the need of a graphical editor to do so. With proper libraries, SVG files can even be localized on-the-fly.

SVG has been developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) since 1999.

See also, SVG Tutorial

Documentation

SVG element reference

Details about each SVG element.

SVG attribute reference

Details about each SVG attribute.

SVG DOM interface reference

Details about the SVG DOM API, for interaction with JavaScript.

Applying SVG effects to HTML content

SVG works together with HTML, CSS and JavaScript. Use SVG to enhance a regular HTML page or web application.

Tools

• SVG Test Suite
• Markup Validator

Examples

• SVG authoring guidelines
• SVG as an image
• SVG animation with SMIL
• SVG art gallery
• D3 (JavaScript library for visualizing data with HTML, SVG, and CSS)