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CzarinaNina
CzarinaNina
Participating Frequently
August 30, 2018
Answered

SVG or not?

  • August 30, 2018
  • 3 replies
  • 1090 views

I am sorry if this issue has been raised before.  My eyes can't focus on the text to search the entire forum history.  I started to post this as a reply to a 6 month old question, but thought that it might be more likely to be answered if I posted it as it's own question. Forgive any jargon or common knowledge of field mistakes.  I am not educated in this field. 

When I save a raster image that I created in Ps as an svg I get the same code as any other svg I save in vector based design apps.  That means that the image design in photoshop has the .svg extension, it is in svg code, and since it is in code, I assume it is a scalable vector, but it is not editable in Ai. The image is in the svg code.

When the code is read as an svg it produces the same image. 

Wouldn't it be better to consider it a locked svg than consider it a fake svg or embedded raster image?

Just curious about what the general consensus of the design community is?

Please be easy on me. 

Thanks,

Nina

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer JJMack

It is not a fake it is a svg without any vector data just has raster image pixel data.   I do not know why any one would need such a file. That pixel data will be save as well in a Photoshop psd raster layer.   You can scale a raster image via interpolation no vector graphics is involved.

Photoshop does not support the SVG file format.  If  you open an SVG file in Photoshop it will open as a single raster layer.   During open Photoshop can scale the file using vector graphics if there is vector information in the SVG file but once into Photoshop as a raster layer it can only be scaled via interpolation.   However you can Place in a SVG that has vector data as a  smart object layer.  Abode special case these and call them vector smart objects.  While there are no vectors in Photoshop  the object has the SVG file so  Photoshop can scale the object SVG file as if it were opening at a different scale.

If you double click on such a smart object layer in the layers palette to open the object the SVG would open in AI if AI  is installed.  On my system they open in Internet explorer I do not install AI.    I have no need or desirer to learn AI at my age....

3 replies

CzarinaNina
CzarinaNinaAuthor
Participating Frequently
August 31, 2018

Thanks JJMack​!

So I took one of my layers that I hadn't rasterized yet, exported it as SVG, and opened the SVG in Illustrator.  It opened, and I can edit it's anchor points!  So I can continue to work part of the time in Photoshop, but I just have to make sure to not rasterize the layers. If I export each layer individually, each layer can be pasted onto 1 artboard and my whole piece is transferred to Illustrator, but also I am still able to edit; which means that it should save as a 'normal" svg!  It is a bit tedious, but it works!

JJMack
Community Expert
JJMackCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
August 30, 2018

It is not a fake it is a svg without any vector data just has raster image pixel data.   I do not know why any one would need such a file. That pixel data will be save as well in a Photoshop psd raster layer.   You can scale a raster image via interpolation no vector graphics is involved.

Photoshop does not support the SVG file format.  If  you open an SVG file in Photoshop it will open as a single raster layer.   During open Photoshop can scale the file using vector graphics if there is vector information in the SVG file but once into Photoshop as a raster layer it can only be scaled via interpolation.   However you can Place in a SVG that has vector data as a  smart object layer.  Abode special case these and call them vector smart objects.  While there are no vectors in Photoshop  the object has the SVG file so  Photoshop can scale the object SVG file as if it were opening at a different scale.

If you double click on such a smart object layer in the layers palette to open the object the SVG would open in AI if AI  is installed.  On my system they open in Internet explorer I do not install AI.    I have no need or desirer to learn AI at my age....

JJMack
    CzarinaNina
    CzarinaNinaAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    August 31, 2018

    Thank you!  I appreciate that you were clear without being condescending. That is the information that I needed to know. I needed to get a better sense of the relationship between Photoshop and SVGs, especially when considering smart shapes.  I have my solution!

    I do know the difference between raster and vector, but frankly Adobe apps blow my mind, so I did not know if Adobe had created some special converter that tracks every way you alter a shape even after you rasterize it.  I know it sounds insane now.... but, give it a few years. 

    Thanks,

    Nina

    JJMack
    Community Expert
    JJMackCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    August 31, 2018

    CzarinaNina  wrote

    I know it sounds insane now.... but, give it a few years.

    Thanks,

    Nina

    Photoshop been around for over 20 years It does not sound insane it  seems more like it is not possible to convert every raster image into a vector image.  The is nothing Adobe could track for a RAW image file they have they have the raw data and there was never any vectors data associated with that raw data.  There is to many details and noise to convert an image into manageable vector shapes.

    JJMack
      Mylenium
      Mylenium
      Legend
      August 30, 2018

      Why is any of this relevant? Sorry, but you simply have a wrong understanding of what SVG is. The format doesn't preclude the inclusion of pixel data in the form of encoded PNG streams. Why should they behave differently like any other pixel image then? There is no inherent magic button in any program I know that would turn pixel images into vector data just by saving it to a specific format. You mustn't listen to Internet myths and have to stop watching/ reading rubbish tutorials from people who have no clue about how this works, either.

      Mylenium

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