What SVG is good at
SVG files describe lines, curves, and fills as XML text. A logo SVG looks sharp on a phone screen and a billboard because the browser redraws it at any resolution.
File sizes stay tiny for simple graphics — icons, flat logos, and diagrams often measure a few kilobytes. SVG also supports CSS styling and animation in the browser.
Because SVG is text, version control systems diff it like code. Designers and developers collaborate on the same file in Git repositories.
- Logos and brand marks
- UI icons and buttons
- Simple illustrations and diagrams
- Charts and data visualizations
What PNG is good at
PNG stores a bitmap — every pixel — and supports lossless compression plus transparency. Photographs, complex artwork, and screenshots belong in PNG (or JPG/WebP for photos without transparency).
Screenshots with small text stay crisp in PNG because lossless compression preserves sharp edges. JPG would introduce artifacts around letters.
PNG is universal. Every app, browser, and social platform accepts it. Complex SVG support varies when filters and fonts embed exotic features.
When SVG is the wrong choice
Detailed photos and paintings cannot be vectorized meaningfully as SVG — the file would be enormous or inaccurate. Use JPG or WebP instead.
Raster effects like soft photo textures inside a logo sometimes export cleaner as PNG than as an overcomplicated SVG.
Email clients and some document systems render SVG poorly or block it for security. PNG is safer for attachments and Word documents.
Converting between SVG and PNG
You often need PNG exports from SVG sources for platforms that require raster uploads — app store icons, Open Graph images, or legacy CMS fields.
Rasterizing at the correct pixel dimensions matters. Export a 512×512 PNG from SVG for an app icon, not a 64-pixel export stretched upward.
The opposite path — PNG to SVG — is not true conversion unless the PNG is simple flat art suitable for tracing. Complex photos become poor SVG files.
Export SVG to PNG on Irreva
When you need a raster version of vector art, use the Irreva SVG to PNG converter. Upload your SVG, choose output size, and download a crisp PNG — processed in your browser, free and private.
Keep SVG as your master for logos and icons, export PNG when a platform demands pixels, and use the right format everywhere else.