SVG vs EPS: what's the difference?
Key points
- Both are vector formats that never blur
- SVG for the web, EPS for print and stock
- EPS can't store transparency
SVG and EPS are both vector formats that record a picture as points, lines and curves, so both stay sharp when enlarged. But they come from different worlds, and they are used in quite different places.
EPS: born for print
EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) was created in the late 1980s on top of PostScript, the language used to send pages to printers. It holds a single picture and writes the area it occupies (the bounding box) at the top of the file, which makes it easy to place inside other documents.
It served as a de facto standard in publishing and print for a long time, so print shops, sign makers and stock image sites still often ask for EPS.
SVG: born for the web
SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) was created to use vector graphics on the web. Its content is text (XML), similar to HTML, so you can read it in a text editor, recolor it with CSS or animate it with JavaScript. It is common for icons, logos, charts and illustrations on websites.
At a glance
| SVG | EPS | |
|---|---|---|
| Main use | Websites, app icons | Print, publishing, stock images |
| Opens in a browser | Yes | No |
| Transparency, gradients | Fully supported | No transparency |
| Color modes | RGB | RGB or CMYK |
| Animation, interaction | Possible | Not possible |
So which should you use?
For anything that goes on a website or in an app, SVG is almost always better: it is light, browsers draw it directly, and it is easy to work with in code.
If the recipient asks for EPS, send EPS. Print shops, partners using older design software and stock site submissions are the usual cases. Many places accept PDF instead these days, so it is worth asking whether PDF is fine.
What changes when you convert SVG to EPS
EPS has no transparency, so semi-transparent colors must become opaque. Text is safest converted to outlines first, so it looks the same without the font. SVG to EPS handles these automatically and warns you about anything it changed.