Let’s Discuss SVG Icons: Why They Exist and How to Utilise (and Make) Them

Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) is a popular tool used to show two-dimensional graphics, logos, and illustrations on webpages without sacrificing resolution, making them excellent for logo design. In addition to resizing, they store text information (keywords) as literal text rather than shapes, which may assist your website to rise in Google's ranks.
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    Have you ever wondered what makes the website more approachable? The SVG icons make the elements in the website understandable. They are used for both coded and non-coded projects. The SVG indicates the action/information of the elements used.

    Here the question arises, what makes them consistent with the projects?

    The characteristics of SVG are their infinite scalability, colour, and other customisations, making them user-friendly with high image quality.

    What are SVG files?

    SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) icons are a popular design format used to create many different types of designs. One of the most popular forms of SVG icons is the colour-coded <path> graphic.

    Most SVG icons have built-in properties that allow you to change their appearances, such as size and colour. However, most SVG icon designers don’t realise that numerous other styles can be created using custom properties. These styles are great for designing logos, graphics, illustrations, and social media icons, among other things.

    In this blog post, we will explore some of the different SVG code styles accessible and how you can use them to create new and innovative designs.

    Why (and how) SVG icons work

    What is SVG? It is a universal file format that allows you to create icons, logos, advertisements, and other graphics that scale well. It’s a great way for designers and developers to create simple, scalable images that are easy to share online.

    An SVG icon can be edited using a paint program, saved as a bitmap, or converted to another file format like PDF or PNG. You can easily create your SVG file using tools like Adobe Illustrator and Inkscape. The next time you use a browser, the symbol that appears on your computer screen will be more appealing!

    Journey of SVG icons

    In past times, the usage of images instead of icons was prominent. This was due to CSS non-supporting browsers as the images were mostly in JPG or PNG formats with a raster format. This means there were scalability issues. Due to these different screen sizes, the demand for different resolution formats increased. Apart from that, there would be multiple HTTP for multiple images, which would downgrade the website’s performance.

    After all these issues the designers and developers faced, the SVG came into existence. The SVG’s story begins in the late 1990s, when Tamagotchi’s, iMacs, and Palm Pilots started to appear in our homes, and the image file format made its web debut.

    But compared to technology equipment, the file format’s ubiquity was a far cry. The majority of web browsers did not and did not plan to support SVG formats. 

    The first year when web browsers rendered SVG error-free was 2017, and since then, things have been moving rather quickly. SVG graphic formats are now widely accepted and used, finally receiving the deserved respect!

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    Why SVG became so popular

    SVG files are all XML code. You might see descriptions of things like numbers, colours, and shapes if you open the text file for a Free SVG icon. Due to this SVG characteristic, web designers and developers now prefer to employ SVG icons.

    Let's see some of the benefits of using SVG

    1. Lightweight

    SVG files can be considerably smaller than other picture file types when optimised. 

    2. Resolution

    SVG images are resolution-independent since they are coded rather than actual “pictures.” Your symbol will be perfectly apparent whether seen on any screen or equipment.

    3. Flexible

    SVG files are simple to read by humans and simple to edit and control using JavaScript or CSS.

    4. Time-saving

    Web designers will particularly appreciate SVG’s fourth time-saving feature. No need to produce separate raster images because these icons scale automatically. For all icons, only one file is required.

    So much about SVG; let's move on to how to make them.

    It can be quite intimidating to modify SVGs for designers and developers that work primarily with the front-end. In between the view box and path quotes, a ton of numbers and letters are mentioned.

    Thanks to SVG, though, you won’t need to learn any of those concepts. Creating SVG icons manually or with a tool are the two possible options. The second option, which employs essentially no code, is the easier one.

    Using diverse forms, colours, and path manipulation, you may create your icons on a virtual drawing board using a vector image application. When you have finished, export your .svg file. In the background, all of the codings will be completed.

    There is an additional alternative to generating SVG.Try different websites that offer pre-built free or paid SVGs’. Whenever I need an SVG icon, I use Iamvector because it’s free. Check it out.

    Although SVG images may be created with any text editor, a drawing application like Inkscape is frequently more practical.

    HTML embedding

    Let’s take a look at how to encode the SVG in HTML. Here are a few pointers to be kept in mind while writing the code:  

    1. While coding start the SVG with an <svg> element.
    2. The <any shape> element is used to draw a circle. For example, there is a “rectangle” in the code below. Any shape can be used in this section.
    3. You can fill different attributes ranging from width to height, colour, and stroke in the SVG.
    4. For closing, again, you will close it with  </svg> tag.

    You can see the example below:

    <html>
    <body>
    <h1>Sample SVG</h1>
    <svg width=”50″ height=”50″>
    <rect cx=”50″ cy=”50″ r=”40″ stroke=”Violet” stroke-width=”6″ fill=”red” />
    </svg>
    </body>
    </html>

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    Always remember to close all the elements of SVG. The reason behind it is simply because it is written in XML.

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    Editing SVG icons

    You can modify the colour and icon state after uploading your SVG icons. The Design tab’s Background function allows you to adjust the colours.

    You must first go from a neutral to a hover state in the Design tab to customise the hover state. Select the desired condition before editing the icon. If you want to see how your icon transforms when it is hovered over, navigate back to the neutral state.

    Let us briefly recap the points we have discussed.

    SVG in today’s world has become a very important aspect of designing websites. Creating and using them is interesting and gets the work done easily.

    Are you ready to create Something Spectacular?

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    I hope you enjoyed reading this article. Did you find the information on this post useful? Leave your comments below. 

    Print and share this article friendly; you are free to use and reproduce it, just please attribute Moss51 Art & Design as the original author, and link back to this post!

    Olivia Welsh

    Olivia Welsh

    I'm Olivia Welsh, and I'm a freelance professional creative writer. Currently working with a start-up venture that provides free vector icons to users. It offers its services to graphic designers,
    visual designers, UI/UX designers, and developers. Our team is dedicated to delivering high-quality content.

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