SVG to PDF

How to use the svg to pdf

1. Paste SVG markup.
2. Choose a page size, or size the page to the drawing itself.
3. Set the resolution and download the PDF.

About this tool

The SVG is rendered by the browser and placed in the PDF as an image, and that is worth being plain about rather than burying: the result is a picture of the drawing, not vector artwork. It does not stay sharp at every zoom, and its text cannot be selected or searched.

Doing it properly means translating SVG paths, gradients, clipping, filters and text layout into PDF operators — that is a rendering engine, not a conversion, and a half-implemented one produces drawings that are subtly wrong in ways nobody notices until they are printed. Between a rasterised drawing that is honest about itself and a vector conversion that quietly drops a gradient, the first is the better tool.

So the resolution control is the important one. At three times the drawing's own size it renders at about 216 dpi, which prints acceptably; at eight times it is around 576 dpi with a file size to match.

Rendering by the browser has one genuine advantage over a proper vector conversion. The drawing appears exactly as it does on screen, including any fonts installed on this machine — and since a recipient's machine may not have them, a rasterised drawing looks right everywhere while a vector one with unembedded fonts does not.

Common uses

• Turning a chart or diagram into something printable.
• Putting a logo into a PDF for a print shop.
• Getting an SVG into a format a client can open.

Frequently asked questions

Is the result vector or an image?

An image. A true vector conversion needs a full SVG rendering engine, and a partial one produces drawings that are subtly wrong — this says which you are getting.

What resolution should I use?

Three times the drawing's size is about 216 dpi and prints acceptably. Higher is sharper and proportionally larger as a file.

Why does my SVG not render?

Usually a reference to something external — an image, a stylesheet or a font loaded by URL. The renderer will not fetch those, so inline everything the drawing needs.