All glossary terms
Technical & Files

What is SVG?

Also known as: Scalable Vector Graphics

Scalable Vector Graphics — XML-based vector format and the modern web standard. Used for textile CAD, browser-rendered logos, and embroidery handoff.

In detail

SVG describes vector graphics as XML — paths, shapes, fills, gradients, and text in a human-readable text format. Browsers render SVG natively, making it the standard for web logos, icons, and inline graphics. In textile work, SVG is used for: textile CAD systems (NedGraphics, Pointcarre, Easyweave) which import SVG for jacquard and woven pattern design; embroidery digitizing software which converts SVG paths to stitch sequences; vectorization output (VTracer, ImageTracer produce SVG by default); and any workflow needing infinite scaling. SVG vs EPS: SVG is more modern and web-friendly; EPS has deeper print-industry adoption. Most modern tools support both.

Example

A vectorized floral motif exports as a 12 KB SVG with 47 paths and 312 anchor points. The same motif as a 1024×1024 PNG raster is 4 MB. The SVG scales to any size without quality loss; the PNG pixelates above 1024.

Related terms

EPS
Encapsulated PostScript — a vector file format predating SVG. Standard for screen-printing handoff because RIP software has decades of EPS support.
Vectorization
The process of converting a raster (pixel-based) image into a scalable vector (path-based) image. Used in textile design to prepare prints for screen printing, embroidery, and CAD systems.
Bezier curve
A smooth parametric curve defined by anchor points and control handles. The fundamental building block of vector graphics in SVG, EPS, and PDF.
TIFF
Tagged Image File Format — the lossless raster format preferred for production textile printing. Supports embedded color profiles, alpha channels, multi-page documents, and 8/16/32-bit depth.

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