Importing SVG to Photoshop, OpenSource is here to help

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SVG is a standard format for vector graphics, Most modern browsers support SVG out of the box. But there is a problem! How to make and edit SVG files?!

Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) is a family of specifications of an XML-based file format for describing two-dimensional vector graphics, both static and dynamic (i.e. interactive or animated).

The SVG specification is an open standard that has been under development by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) since 1999.

 

Only few well known graphic softwares are able to open SVG files! and it includes Photoshop. I searched for a solution several times but each time i couldn't find an easy to use , cross platform , portable , free and efficient way and didn't have time to continue but i finally found it. The good thing about this solution is it has all the things i mentioned plus it's OpenSource and works well under Windows and Linux.

The Inkscape is an Open Source vector graphics editor, with capabilities similar to Illustrator, CorelDraw, or Xara X, using the W3C standard Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) file format. Inkscape supports many advanced SVG features (markers, clones, alpha blending, etc.) and great care is taken in designing a streamlined interface. It is very easy to edit nodes, perform complex path operations, trace bitmaps and much more. We also aim to maintain a thriving user and developer community by using open, community-oriented development.

You can export your vector into many other formats as well (PDF, PNG, EPS, EMF, WMF, etc)

Inkscape also supports batch converting via third-party softwares (Uniconvertor and ConversionSVG)!! meaning that you can convert easily convert thousands of files with a single click.

Update : Second solution is Uniconvertor which is a standalone command line utility for converting graphic formats like SVG to other formats! haven't used it yet

 

 

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Comments

Valery's picture

There`s a much easier way.

There`s a much easier way. There is a plug-in that provides complete support of SVG format for Adobe Creative Suite, including InDesign and Photoshop, both Windows and Mac. SVG Kit by Scand Ltd. is available on http://svg.scand.com

Visitor's picture

SVG Kit by Scand is not open

SVG Kit by Scand is not open source.

DAud's picture

If you aren't afraid of

If you aren't afraid of command line it's much faster and efficient to convert using inkscape's command line export features:
inkscape originalfile.svg -A converted.pdf
or
inkscape originalfile.svg --export-pdf converted.pdf
to export into PDF and
inkscape originalfile.svg -e converted.png
or
inkscape originalfile.svg --export-png converted.png
to export into PNG.