Convert SVG to JPG

The transparency question comes first

This is the one decision that matters more than the pixel size. An SVG is normally transparent, and JPG has no alpha channel, so anything transparent becomes a solid fill colour. For a logo that means a rectangular block around it, which looks wrong on any page whose background is not that exact colour. So the question is not really about format at all: it is whether you have a background you are willing to bake in, or whether you need the graphic to stay transparent. If you need transparency, PNG is the right output and this conversion is the wrong tool.

NoteIf the graphic needs a transparent background, convert to PNG. A JPG will show a filled rectangle.

Choosing a resolution for the raster output

An SVG has no intrinsic size, so you choose the pixel dimensions when rasterising. Rendering at two to four times the intended display size gives a sharp result on high density screens and in print, at the cost of a larger file. Rendering at exactly the display size is adequate for a small graphic on a standard screen and produces a much smaller file. There is no benefit to rendering larger than the destination can use.

• Render at 2 to 4 times the display size for high density and print.
• Render at 1 to 1 for a small graphic on a standard screen.
• Larger than the destination needs only wastes file size.
• For an icon, 256 or 512 pixels square covers most uses.

Text is where conversions surprise people

If the SVG contains live text, the converter has to find the font. When the original is not installed, a substitute is used, and a substitute has different metrics, so the text can reflow, change size, or extend past the artwork. This is the most common visible difference between an SVG and its rasterised version. If the appearance has to match exactly, convert the text to outlines in the design tool first, so the file no longer depends on a font being present.

• Live text needs the original font installed, or it is substituted.
• Substituted fonts have different metrics, so text may reflow or change size.
• Convert text to outlines before rasterising when appearance must be exact.
• Text already converted to outlines renders identically everywhere.

When the JPG is the right file anyway

There are perfectly good reasons to end up with a JPG of a vector graphic. Email is the clearest: many clients do not render SVG at all, and some render PNG transparency as a white or black box, so JPG is often the most reliable attachment. Older content systems and some print workflows also only accept raster. Beyond compatibility, a JPG is a sensible delivery format for a graphic that will be placed on a known solid background, because it is much smaller than the equivalent PNG for the same appearance.

• Email, where SVG is often unsupported and PNG transparency is unreliable.
• Older content systems that only accept raster formats.
• A graphic placed on a background colour you control, where a JPG is much smaller.
• Any destination that rejects SVG, where raster is the only option.