Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) is an open file format designed to create and store two-dimensional vector graphics. SVG files are particularly suitable for graphics on websites because they deliver crisp visuals on high-resolution devices such as Retina displays or 4K screens, and they also have a very small file size. Unlike other image file formats, SVGs are based on XML structures that allow easy customization of properties and are also human-readable.
Advantages of SVG files
- Scalability: Since SVGs are vector data, they can be scaled to any size without loss of quality. This is especially important when creating responsive web designs to ensure the best possible display in different resolutions and screen sizes.
- Small file size: SVG files can provide high image quality with a relatively small file size. This is especially important in terms of web page load time and overall web performance, as faster-loading web pages are more user-friendly and preferred by search engines.
- Easy customizations: SVG files can be edited directly in the text editor. Colors, contours and even animations can thus be easily adjusted. Moreover, SVGs can be embedded directly in the HTML code of a web page, which has the additional advantage that they can also be controlled via stylesheets (CSS).
- Browser compatibility: Most modern web browsers support SVG files, so they can be easily viewed on different platforms and devices.
Disadvantages of SVG files
- Limited uses: SVG data is mainly suitable for displaying graphical elements such as logos, diagrams, and icons, rather than complex, detailed, and photographic images. In such cases, raster graphics such as JPEGs or PNGs are more suitable solutions.
- Browser processing: Because SVG files are processed and rendered by the browser, particularly complex SVGs can in some cases lead to increased system load and affect browser performance.
