SVG viewer
Open an SVG or paste its code to see the picture, its size, its viewBox and what it is made of. Edit the code and the picture follows.
Free, no account. The file is read by code running in your browser. It is not uploaded, and nothing about it is stored.
The picture appears here.
What it shows
- The picture, on a checked background so transparent parts are obvious, with zoom and a dark background for light artwork.
- The size in pixels, and whether it came from the width and height or from the viewBox.
- The viewBox, the coordinate system the shapes are drawn in.
- What is inside: how many paths, groups, shapes, text elements and images.
- Warnings about text, linked images and scripts, which behave differently from one program to the next.
Opening an SVG safely
An SVG is a text file, and it can carry a script. This viewer draws the file as a picture, a mode in which browsers do not run scripts or load anything from the network, so opening an SVG you were sent cannot do anything but draw. The code box shows you everything in the file.
Reading the code
SVG is XML. The outer <svg> element sets the size; inside it, <path> elements hold the shapes as lists of drawing commands, and <g> elements group them. Change a fill colour in the code box and watch the picture change: it is the quickest way to learn what each part does.
Questions
How do I open an SVG file on my computer?
Any web browser opens one: drag the file into a browser window. To see its size and contents as well, open it here. To change the drawing, use a vector editor such as Inkscape, which is free.
Why does my SVG look different in another program?
Most often it is text. If the SVG names a font that the other device does not have, a different font is used. Converting text to paths in your editor fixes it. Features such as filters and masks are also supported unevenly in older software.
Can I save my changes?
Yes. Edit the code, then use Save as .svg.