What file format are the icons on icons.download?

Updated

icons.download distributes its icons as SVG vector files. The site's own description states it offers "275 free SVG icons in 16 styles," so every download is a scalable vector rather than a fixed-size raster image like PNG or JPG. That single fact determines how you can use the files: you can resize them to any dimension, recolor them, and drop them into web, app, or print projects without losing quality.

Why SVG matters here

SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) stores icons as math-based shapes and paths instead of pixels. The practical consequences for your project:

  • Resolution-independent — the same file looks sharp at 16px in a nav bar and at 400px on a poster.
  • Editable color — fill and stroke values live in the file, so you can match your brand palette.
  • Editable size — width and height are attributes you can change, or you can let CSS control them.
  • Small file size — typically lighter than an equivalent raster icon at multiple resolutions.
  • Text-based — you can open an SVG in a code editor and inspect or tweak the paths.

How to use a downloaded SVG

The workflow depends on where the icon is going.

In HTML / CSS

Save the file and either reference it as an image or inline it:

<!-- As an image -->
<img src="icon.svg" alt="description" width="24" height="24">

<!-- Inline, so CSS can recolor it -->
<svg viewBox="0 0 24 24" width="24" height="24">
  <!-- paste the SVG contents here -->
</svg>

Inlining lets you set fill: currentColor so the icon inherits your text color.

In a design tool

Open the SVG directly in Figma, Sketch, Illustrator, or Inkscape. Because it is vector, you can scale and recolor it there without artifacts.

In an app

Most frameworks accept SVG directly (for example, as a component or asset). If your build pipeline needs a different format, convert the SVG to PNG at the exact sizes you need — but keep the SVG as the source.

Common snags

  • Editing color — if the icon uses a hardcoded fill, changing CSS color won't work until you replace it with currentColor or edit the fill value.
  • Stroke vs. fill — outline-style icons are drawn with strokes; solid icons use fills. Adjust the right property or the icon may disappear.
  • viewBox — keep the viewBox attribute intact when resizing, or the icon can crop or distort.
  • Rasterizing too early — converting to PNG before you know your final sizes locks you into one resolution.

Licensing, in one line

The site states the icons are "free to use in any project, personal or commercial," with no attribution required — so the SVG format and the license both work in your favor for client and product work.