SVGConverter
SVGConverter converts PNG, JPEG, WebP, BMP, and TIFF images to SVG through a small Python API, command-line interface, and desktop GUI.
At a glance
| Interface | Best for | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Python API | Application integration and automation | Single files, mixed batches, metrics, progress, and cancellation |
| CLI | Scripts and repeatable workflows | Files, directories, recursion, output directories, and optimization |
| Desktop GUI | Interactive conversion | Both modes, conversion options, progress, and cancellation |
Choose a conversion mode
Raster image
│
├── embed ─────> SVG <image> (pixels preserved by default)
└── vectorize -> SVG <path> (optional VTracer backend)
| Goal | Recommended mode | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Preserve pixels, especially for photographs | embed |
A self-contained SVG with an embedded raster; the default keeps the original raster bytes, while Base64 adds some overhead |
| Create editable paths from logos, icons, or line art | vectorize |
VTracer-generated SVG paths; the result depends on tracing options and input complexity |
| Need both faithful and path-based output | Run both modes | They produce different representations; embed is not a substitute for vectorization |
Representative inputs
| Input | embed |
vectorize |
Suggested choice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Photograph | Faithful pixels; size follows the source raster plus SVG/Base64 overhead | May become larger and stylized | embed |
| Logo or icon | Faithful raster appearance | Often a good path candidate; size depends on tracing settings | vectorize when editable paths are needed |
| High-contrast line art | Exact raster appearance | Usually a good path candidate | Choose based on fidelity versus editability |
Conversion modes
embed(default) places the original raster bytes in an SVG<image>element. It preserves the source pixels, but it is not vectorization and can be larger than the original image because of Base64 encoding.vectorizetraces raster regions into SVG paths using the optional VTracer backend. It is most useful for logos, icons, illustrations, and high-contrast line art. Photographs can produce large, stylized output rather than a faithful smaller image.
Installation
SVGConverter requires Python 3.10 or newer:
python -m pip install --upgrade svgconverter
Install vectorization support when needed:
python -m pip install --upgrade "svgconverter[vectorize]"
To run the current development version instead:
git clone https://github.com/KageRyo/SVGConverter.git
cd SVGConverter
python -m pip install .
Command line
Convert one image, retaining its dimensions in the generated SVG:
svgconverter image.png
svgconverter photo.jpg --output output.svg
svgconverter logo.png --mode vectorize --vectorize-color-mode binary
Convert all supported images immediately inside a directory:
svgconverter ./images --output-dir ./svg-output
Include nested directories while retaining their relative paths under the output directory:
svgconverter ./images --output-dir ./svg-output --recursive
Convert several explicit files in one batch. Shells that support glob expansion
can also expand patterns such as ./images/*.png before invoking the command:
svgconverter image.png photo.jpg --output-dir ./svg-output
For batch conversion, existing output SVGs are skipped unless --overwrite is
supplied; the final summary reports converted, skipped, and failed items.
Supported inputs are PNG, JPG, JPEG, WebP, BMP, TIF, and TIFF (including
upper-case extensions). Run svgconverter --help for all options. Vectorize
mode requires the optional vectorize extra.
Embed optimization
Embed mode preserves the source raster bytes by default. Opt in to resizing or re-encoding only when a smaller raster payload is worth the quality trade-off:
svgconverter photo.jpg --max-width 1600 --jpeg-quality 82
svgconverter illustration.png --png-compress-level 9 --optimize-png
--max-width and --max-height only downscale and preserve aspect ratio.
--jpeg-quality applies only to JPEG inputs; --png-compress-level and
--optimize-png apply only to PNG inputs, so the same batch options are safe
for mixed formats. A resized JPEG without an explicit quality uses 95. The CLI
reports input, embedded-raster, and SVG sizes after each conversion or batch.
These controls apply to embed mode only.
Python API
from svgconverter import (
ConversionProgress,
EmbedOptions,
SVGConverter,
convert_file,
convert_file_with_metrics,
convert_paths,
)
convert_file("image.png", "image.svg")
convert_file("logo.png", "logo.svg", mode="vectorize")
converter = SVGConverter(overwrite=True)
result = converter.convert_directory("./images", "./svg-output", recursive=True)
metric = convert_file_with_metrics(
"photo.jpg",
"photo.svg",
embed_options=EmbedOptions(max_width=1600, jpeg_quality=82),
)
def report(progress: ConversionProgress) -> None:
print(progress.completed, progress.total, progress.input_path)
batch = convert_paths(
["logo.png", "photo.jpg"], "./svg-output", progress_callback=report
)
print(result.success_count, result.skipped_count, result.failure_count)
print(metric.input_bytes, metric.embedded_raster_bytes, metric.svg_bytes)
convert_file() returns the output pathlib.Path. Directory conversion returns
a BatchResult containing successful output paths and per-file failures, so a
bad image does not abort the entire batch. convert_paths() accepts a mix of
files and directories; existing batch outputs are recorded as skips unless
overwrite=True is selected. EmbedOptions is opt-in; without it, embed mode
uses the original raster bytes. convert_file_with_metrics() and
BatchResult.metrics report source, embedded-raster, and SVG byte sizes.
Use progress_callback for each processed item; return True from
should_cancel to stop cleanly before the next item. The result then has
cancelled=True.
GUI
Install the package and run:
svgconverter-gui
The legacy development command python main.py starts the same GUI. Select one
or more files, or a folder, to convert with visible non-blocking progress and a
converted/skipped/failed summary. You can cancel between files; any per-file
errors are shown after the batch without closing the application. The GUI offers
Traditional Chinese, English, and Japanese, plus the following conversion
settings:
- Select
embedorvectorizemode. - Choose an output directory, overwrite existing SVG files, and optionally include nested folders.
- Configure embed resizing, JPEG quality, PNG compression, and PNG optimization.
- Configure common vectorize options such as color mode, hierarchy, curve mode, speckle filtering, color precision, layer difference, and path precision.
Vectorize mode requires the optional vectorize extra, just like the CLI and
Python API.
For a supported release, Windows users can download the standalone
SVGConverter-vX.Y.Z-windows-x86_64.exe asset from the GitHub Release page; it
does not require a local Python installation.
Contributing and license
See CONTRIBUTING.md for local checks and commit conventions. This project is licensed under the MIT License.
Metadata
Release files for svgconverter 1.6.0
For a detailed explanation of source distributions (sdists) and built distributions (wheels), please see the package formats documentation.
Source distribution (sdist)
| File | Size | Uploaded | |
|---|---|---|---|
| svgconverter-1.6.0.tar.gz | 35.4 kB | Details |
Built distribution (wheel)
| File | Interpreter | ABI | Platform | Reset |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| svgconverter-1.6.0-py3-none-any.whl | Python 3 | none | any | Details |
Total release size: 64.4 kB
Release files / svgconverter-1.6.0.tar.gz
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|---|---|
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| Tags | Source |
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| Uploaded via |
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