ksvgtopng5: SVG to PNG converter

Quick start

Convert an SVG to PNG by specifying width, height, the SVG path, and the output PNG name. Absolute paths are recommended to avoid CWD issues.

ksvgtopng5 800 600 /absolute/path/image.svg output.png

Usage basics

  • width and height: integers representing pixel dimensions.
  • path/to/file.svg: should be the SVG file you want to convert. Absolute paths are preferred.
  • output_filename.png: name of the resulting PNG file.

Note: If your SVG has external resources, ensure they are accessible in the environment where you run ksvgtopng5.

Common pitfalls

  • Working directory vs. absolute path: If you omit an absolute path, the command will look for the SVG relative to your current directory.
  • Output path: If you specify a relative output name, it will be created in the current directory. Use an explicit path if you need it somewhere else.
  • File permissions: Make sure you have read access to the SVG and write access to the target output location.
  • Large SVGs: Very large images can take longer to render; consider starting with smaller dimensions to verify correctness.

Examples

Basic conversion with explicit paths

ksvgtopng5 1024 768 /home/alice/pictures/logo.svg /home/alice/pictures/logo.png
ksvgtopng5 640 480 ./assets/icon.svg ./assets/icon.png

Quoting paths with spaces

ksvgtopng5 800 600 "/home/alice/My SVGs/banner.svg" "/home/alice/My SVGs/banner.png"

How it works (quick background)

  • The tool takes width, height, input SVG, and output PNG name. It renders the SVG at the requested pixel size and saves as PNG.
  • It’s part of KDE Plasma tooling (ksvgtopng). The provided link contains build and source details if you’re curious about internals.

Troubleshooting

  • If you get a “No such file or directory” error, double-check the SVG path and the output path permissions.
  • If the PNG is created but looks blank, verify that the SVG renders correctly in other viewers first.
  • For very complex SVGs, try rendering at a smaller size first to confirm the pipeline works.

Quick tips

  • Use absolute paths to avoid surprises when running from scripts.
  • Keep output filenames unique to avoid overwriting existing PNGs.
  • If you need transparency preserved, PNG is a good choice; ensure background requirements are met in the SVG.

See Also