Quick links to procedures on this page:

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To export a Scalable Vector Graphics file
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To choose a color by using the SVG color palette
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To add reference information to a Scalable Vector Graphics object
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To add reference information to a Scalable Vector Graphics file
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Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) technical notes

Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG)

Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) is an open standard graphics file format that allows designers to put the power of vector graphics to work on the Web. It was created by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).

SVG files are described in Extensible Markup Language (XML). They are vector graphic images, which can provide superior detail and faster download times than bitmaps. Compressed SVG files have an .svgz filename extension.

To view SVG files, you need an SVG viewer plug-in such as the Corel SVG viewer.

Unicode support

SVG files support Unicode encoding for text. When exporting an SVG file, you can choose a Unicode encoding method.

Embedding and linking

You can embed information in an SVG file, or you can create additional files to store some of the information. For example, you can embed a style sheet in an SVG file, or you can create an external cascading style sheet and link it to the SVG file. By default, JavaScript, such as JavaScript related to rollovers, is embedded in the exported file, but you can choose to store it as a separate file linked to the SVG file. Also, you can embed bitmaps, or you can save bitmaps as externally linked files.

Exporting text

You can export text as text or curves. When exporting text as text, you can choose to embed all fonts in a Scalable Vector Graphics file to have full editing capabilities. You can also embed only the fonts used, and common English or common Roman fonts.

Using preset export options

To make your work easier, you can use preset export options, and you can create custom preset export options that you can reuse later.

Using SVG colors

SVG colors correspond to color keywords. You can use the SVG color palette available in the application to help ensure that colors in the exported SVG file are defined by color keywords. To ensure that the SVG color names you choose are retained in the SVG exported file, it is recommended that you disable color correction. For information about color correction, see Understanding color management.

Adding reference information to SVG objects and files

Reference information can be added to a drawing and retained in an exported Scalable Vector Graphics object or file. You can add information to a drawing so that the information appears in the file’s XML tags. These tags are derived from the data field names, each of which is formatted as general text, data and time, linear and angular dimensions, or numbers. For example, you can name individual objects in the drawing and add comments for each of these objects. The name and comments for each object display in the tags of the exported Scalable Vector Graphics file. For more information about assigning information to objects, see Assigning and copying object data.

Similarly, you can preserve page property information in a Scalable Vector Graphics file, in which the data field categories are maintained as inline tags. You can also rename the default author name, classification, description, and keywords categories.

To export a Scalable Vector Graphics file Back to Top
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Click File Export.
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Locate the folder in which you want to save the file.
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Choose SVG - Scalable vector graphics or SVGZ - Compressed SVG from the Save as type list box.
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Type a filename in the File name list box.
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Click Export.
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From the Encoding method list box, choose one of the following encoding options:
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Unicode - UTF-8 — produces a smaller file size. This is the default encoding method and is useful in most circumstances.
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Unicode - UTF-16 — produces a bigger file size
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In the Export text area, enable one of the following options:
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As text — exports text as editable characters, known as glyphs
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As curves — exports text as curves
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Choose one of the following options from the Styling options list box:
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Presentation attributes — lets you specify attributes directly in an element in the exported file
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Internal style sheet — uses the CLASS attribute to embed the style sheet in the Scalable Vector Graphics file
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External CSS — creates an external cascading style sheet file and links it to the Scalable Vector Graphics file
JavaScript related to rollovers can be saved to a separate file by enabling the Link externally check box in the JavaScript area.
You must embed fonts when you require the display of a specific font that the users may not have installed on their computers.
As the number of fonts or fountain fill steps increases, so does the size of the file.
Objects with mesh fills or drop shadows are exported as bitmaps.
If no single element in a drawing is selected, the content of the entire page is exported.
To preview the SVG file, you can use the Corel SVG viewer installed with the application.
To choose a color by using the SVG color palette Back to Top
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Select an object.
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Click Window Color palettes SVG colors.
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Click a color swatch on the SVG color palette.
To ensure that SVG colors are preserved in the exported file, you can disable color correction by clicking Tools Color management and then choosing Color management off from the Settings list box in the Color management dialog box.
To add reference information to a Scalable Vector Graphics object Back to Top
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Select an object using the Pick tool .
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Click Tools Object data manager.
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In the Name/value list, click a data field name.
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Type the information in the text box.

You can also
 
Rename a data field
Click the Open field editor button . Choose the name of the data field, and type a new name.
Add a data field
Click the Open field editor button. Click the Create new field button, and type the name of the new field.
Change the data field format
Click the Open field editor button. Click a field name and then click the Change button. Enable a field type option.

Fields containing no values are ignored when a file is exported to the Scalable Vector Graphics format.
To add reference information to a Scalable Vector Graphics file Back to Top
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Click on the drawing page to deselect all objects.
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Click Window Dockers Properties.
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Click the Page tab.
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Type information in one or both of the following:
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Page title box
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Content boxes in the Page information area

You can also
 
Rename the data field categories
Click any of the Name data fields, and type a new name.

The Page tab appears only when no objects are selected.
Information in the HTML file box is not retained in the Scalable Vector Graphics file.
A valid Scalable Vector Graphics file must contain unique field names and no spaces or special characters. In the SVG export dialog box, you can click the Issues tab and ensure that all elements of the file are correctly named.
Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) technical notes Back to Top
Importing an SVG file
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Most of the information in SVG files created in other programs is preserved in the imported file, even if CorelDRAW does not support a feature. For example, information about ink strokes in an SVG file created in Corel Grafigo is preserved in the imported file, even though the ink strokes are not displayed.
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Clipped and masked objects are imported as PowerClip objects.
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Group, object, and symbol names and IDs are retained in the imported file.
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Symbols in the imported file appear in the Symbol manager docker.
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Bitmap files embedded in an SVG file are retained.
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Links to external files, such GIF, PNG, or JPEG files, are supported on import unless the external files are stored on the Web.
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SVG color definitions and names are supported.
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Round-tripping is supported.
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Metadata is supported.
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Hyperlinks are supported.
Exporting an SVG file
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Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) allows three types of graphic objects: vector graphic shapes (for example, paths consisting of straight lines and curves), images, and text.
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Drop shadows are rasterized in SVG files.
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All CorelDRAW symbols are supported on export as SVG symbols.
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Object, layer, group, and symbol names are also supported. If the names are the same, the SVG file appends unique numbers to the object IDs. Invalid names are corrected on export.
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Graphical objects can be grouped, styled, transformed, and combined into previously rendered objects.
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You can export text as editable characters, so that after you publish an SVG graphic to the Web, text continues to be recognized as text. Text strings can be restyled, copied and pasted, or indexed by search engines. Text can also be edited by SVG- capable editing programs, eliminating the need for maintaining multiple versions of graphic images for editing.
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The SVG standard allows the use of Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) to define font, text, and color properties of objects on a page.
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Layers are retained as groups in the exported file. If you import the file back into CorelDRAW, the layer groups are converted into layers with the original layer names preserved.
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Only the active page in a drawing is exported. If you want to export only a part of a drawing, enable the Selected only check box in the Export dialog box.
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URLs assigned to text objects are retained in the exported file.
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Transformations, such as rotation and skewing, are usually retained in the exported files. In some cases, transformations may be lost, and transformed shapes may be converted into curves.
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