What File Formats Does Nice Illustrations Provide, and Can I Customize Them?

Updated

Nice Illustrations provides every illustration in two formats: PNG for immediate use and fully customizable SVG for editing. According to the site, the SVG files can be opened in any vector editing application, where you can change colors or add and remove elements. That means you can drop a PNG straight into a project, or rebuild an SVG to match your own palette and composition.

The two formats and what each is for

Format Best for Editable?
PNG Quick placement in websites, apps, slides, and social posts No — it's a flat raster image
SVG Design work where you need to match brand colors or adjust the artwork Yes — colors, elements, and structure

The practical split is simple: use PNG when the illustration already looks right, and use SVG when it doesn't.

What "fully customizable" actually covers

The site states that all illustrations include "PNG and full-customizable SVG files," and that you can "change the colors or add and remove elements using any vector editing application." In practice that means:

  • Recoloring — swap the illustration's palette for your brand colors.
  • Adding elements — insert shapes, text, or extra objects into the composition.
  • Removing elements — delete parts you don't need so the illustration fits a tighter layout.
  • Resizing without quality loss — SVG is vector-based, so it scales cleanly to any dimension.

Because the SVG is a real vector file rather than a flattened export, these edits happen at the object level, not by painting over pixels.

How to customize an SVG

  1. Download the SVG version of the illustration you want.
  2. Open it in a vector editor — any application that handles SVG will work, per the site's wording.
  3. Select the element you want to change (a shape, a background, a character's clothing).
  4. Apply your edit — set a new fill or stroke color, delete the element, or draw a new one.
  5. Export back to SVG for web use, or to PNG if you need a raster version.

The expected result is an illustration that reads as part of your own design system rather than a stock asset.

Licensing, since it affects how you can use the edits

The site says the illustrations are "free to use for both personal and commercial projects," with no license fees and no attribution required — whether for a personal blog or a client project. Customizing an SVG doesn't change that: your edited version is still covered by the same terms. If you need the exact legal wording, check the License page linked in the site footer.

Common snags

  • Editing a PNG instead of the SVG. You can't cleanly recolor or remove elements from a PNG. If you need changes, start from the SVG.
  • Assuming every pack has the same coverage. The site lists themed packs (for example, Disabilities, Travel, Stay Home, and Tech Industry, each described as 12 illustrations), so check the pack before you plan a whole set around it.
  • Forgetting to keep a copy of the original. Once you've stripped elements out of an SVG, the untouched version is gone unless you re-download it.

If your goal is just to place artwork quickly, PNG is enough. If you need the illustration to match your brand or fit a specific layout, download the SVG and edit it — that's the format the site built for customization.