Format Guide
PNG vs SVG
PNG and SVG are both used for logos, icons, and graphics with transparency — but they work in fundamentally different ways. Choosing the wrong one for your use case leads to blurry images at scale, unnecessarily large files, or compatibility issues. Here is the complete breakdown.
The fundamental difference: raster vs vector
PNG and SVG represent images in completely different ways:
- PNG is raster. A PNG is a grid of pixels. Each pixel has a color value and an alpha (transparency) value. The image has a fixed resolution — scaling it up beyond its original size produces blur and artifacts. A 200×200px PNG displayed at 600×600px will look soft.
- SVG is vector. An SVG is a text file containing mathematical descriptions of shapes, paths, and curves. It has no fixed resolution — an SVG displayed at 200×200px is pixel-perfect, and so is the same SVG at 2000×2000px or on a 4K display.
This single difference drives most of the format choice decision. If the image needs to scale to any size without quality loss, SVG is the correct choice. If the image is photographic or too complex to represent as vectors, PNG is the choice.
Feature comparison
| Feature | PNG | SVG |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Raster (pixel grid) | Vector (math paths) |
| Scales without blur | No — fixed resolution | Yes — infinite resolution |
| Transparency | Full alpha channel | Full opacity control |
| Photographs | Yes | No (impractical) |
| Editable in code | No | Yes (XML text file) |
| CSS/JS animatable | Limited | Yes (inline SVG) |
| File size (simple icon) | Medium (depends on resolution) | Tiny (math is compact) |
| File size (complex photo) | Manageable | Enormous or impossible |
| Browser support | Universal | Universal (all modern) |
| Email client support | Universal | Poor (avoid in email) |
When to use PNG
- Photographs with transparency. Product cutouts, people on transparent backgrounds, nature shots with removed backgrounds — these cannot be represented as SVG.
- Screenshots and UI mockups. These are inherently raster images. PNG captures every pixel accurately.
- Email images. SVG support in email clients is terrible. Use PNG for all images in HTML emails.
- Social media uploads. Most platforms accept PNG and render it at specific sizes — no need for infinite scalability. PNG is simpler to manage.
When to use SVG
- Logos and brand marks. A logo must look sharp at every size — favicon, business card, billboard. SVG handles all of them from one file.
- Icons and UI elements. Navigation icons, button icons, and UI symbols should be SVG for crispness on Retina displays and easy color theming via CSS.
- Illustrations and diagrams. If your artwork is composed of shapes and paths (not photographic), SVG is smaller and infinitely scalable.
- Animated graphics. SVG elements can be animated with CSS or JavaScript for interactive charts, loading spinners, and decorative animations — impossible with PNG.
Try it with PNGmaker
Use the tool flow directly from this guide. The idea is simple: understand the workflow, then get to the result fast.