Should I export assets as SVG, PNG, or JPG with SVG Export?

Updated

Choose SVG when the asset needs to stay editable or scale to any size, PNG when you need a raster file with transparency or lossless pixels, and JPG when you need a small raster file and transparency doesn't matter. SVG Export lets you pick the format per asset before saving, so you can match each file to where it's going rather than converting everything the same way.

The three formats at a glance

Format Type Transparency Scales cleanly Best for
SVG Vector Yes Yes, at any size Editing, code, logos, icons, design tools
PNG Raster Yes No, fixed resolution Raster use with transparency, lossless pixels
JPG Raster No No, fixed resolution Small raster files where transparency isn't needed

SVG Export describes SVG output as "lossless vector extraction," and lists PNG and JPG alongside it as export options. The extension also inlines styles for SVGs that rely on external CSS, so an exported SVG keeps its appearance outside the original page.

When SVG is the right choice

Pick SVG if any of these apply:

  • You'll edit the asset later in Figma, Sketch, Illustrator, or a codebase.
  • The asset needs to render sharply at multiple sizes (responsive icons, logos, UI elements).
  • You want to copy the raw markup. SVG Export has a "copy to clipboard" option so you can paste SVG code straight into a design tool or code.
  • File size matters and the artwork is made of shapes and paths rather than photos.

SVG is the format the tool is built around, so it's the default answer for icons, logos, and illustrations pulled from a website.

When PNG or JPG makes more sense

Choose PNG when you need a raster file but still want transparency or exact pixel output — for example, dropping an icon into a slide deck, a document, or a tool that won't accept SVG.

Choose JPG when you need a small raster file and the asset has no transparency — a photographic background, a preview image, or a destination that only accepts JPG.

Both PNG and JPG are raster formats, so they're locked to the resolution you export at. If you later need the asset larger, you'd have to re-export rather than scale the existing file.

A quick decision rule

Ask two questions in order:

  1. Will I edit or resize this later? If yes → SVG.
  2. If not, does it need transparency? If yes → PNG. If no → JPG.

If you're unsure, export SVG first. You can always produce a PNG or JPG from the vector later, but you can't recover clean vector data from a raster file.

Matching the format to the destination

The format should follow the tool or platform the asset is going into:

  • Design tools and code (Figma, Sketch, a repo): SVG, so it stays editable and version-friendly.
  • Documents, slides, or apps that reject SVG: PNG, especially if the asset sits on a colored background and needs transparency.
  • Places that only take JPG, or where file size is the priority: JPG.

SVG Export lets you rename, resize, and preview each asset before it reaches your downloads folder, and you can bulk-export a selection as a zip. That means you can set the format per asset in one pass instead of running separate exports.