Real-time SVG Preview and Code Editing

Learn how to Design and edit SVGs with instant visual feedback

Quick Navigation

Why Real-Time Preview Matters

If you've ever worked with SVG files, you know the frustration: you make a change to the code, save the file, switch to the browser, refresh, and hope your edit looks right. If not, repeat the process. This tedious cycle slows down development and makes debugging SVG code unnecessarily painful.

What You'll Learn:

  • How to use SVGMaker's SVG Viewer interface
  • Editing SVG code with real-time visual feedback
  • Understanding the Monaco Editor features
  • Using transform tools (flip, rotate, resize)
  • Exporting SVGs in various formats (SVG, PNG, React, and more)
  • Practical code editing examples for colours, dimensions, and paths

Problems it solves:

Eliminates the edit-save-refresh cycle

See changes instantly as you type

Catches errors immediately

Spot rendering issues the moment they occur

Speeds up experimentation

Try different colours, sizes, and paths without waiting

Makes learning easier

Understand how code changes affect the visual output

Common use cases:

Debugging SVGs

Debugging SVGs that don't render correctly

Adjusting colours

Adjusting colours to match design updates

Cleaning up SVG exports

Cleaning up SVG exports from design tools

Learning SVG syntax

Learning SVG syntax through hands-on experimentation

Quick fixes

Quick fixes to icons and graphics before deployment

Understanding the SVG Viewer Interface

SVGMaker's SVG Viewer combines a professional code editor with an instant preview panel, all running in your browser.

Monaco Editor

The code editor uses Monaco Editor, the same editor that powers Visual Studio Code. This means you get a professional editing experience:

FeatureDescription
Syntax HighlightingSVG elements, attributes, and values are colour-coded
IntelliSenseGet suggestions for SVG elements and attributes
Code FoldingCollapse nested elements like `<g>` groups or `<defs>`
Find and ReplaceUse Ctrl+F to find, Ctrl+H to replace (with regex support)
Multiple CursorsHold Alt and click to edit multiple lines at once
Line NumbersEasy reference for navigating large SVG files
Error IndicatorsInvalid code is highlighted with clear error messages

Live Preview Panel

The preview panel sits alongside your code and updates instantly as you type. With less than 50 milliseconds of latency, changes appear virtually in real-time.

See coordinate changes

See the visual impact of coordinate changes as you type

Experiment with colours

Experiment with colours and immediately see the result

Catch rendering issues

Catch rendering issues the moment they occur

Debug path data

Debug path data by watching shapes form in real-time

Toolbar Features

The toolbar provides quick access to common actions:

Format Button

One-click Prettier integration to clean up messy code

Zoom Controls

Zoom up to 200% to examine fine details

Pan Support

Click and drag to navigate large or zoomed-in SVGs

Transform Tools

Flip horizontally, flip vertically, or rotate 90 degrees

Quick Resize

Access common dimension presets through a dialogue

Background Toggle

Switch between white, dark, and transparent backgrounds to see how your SVG

Getting Started: Step-by-Step Guide

Follow these steps to start editing SVGs with a real-time preview:

1

Navigate to SVG Viewer - Go to SVG Viewer in your browser

2

Load your SVG - Click the upload button to select an SVG file from your computer, or paste your SVG code directly into the Editor

3

View the preview - Your SVG appears instantly in the preview panel

4

Edit the code - Make changes in the code editor and watch the preview update

5

Format if needed - Click the Format button to clean up messy code

6

Use transform tools - Apply flips or rotations using the toolbar buttons

7

Export your work - Download or copy in your preferred format

Tip:

Your work is automatically saved to browser localStorage. If you accidentally close the tab, your changes are preserved when you return.

Key Features In Detail

Live Preview Performance

The preview updates with exceptional speed:

  • Less than 50ms latency - Changes appear virtually instantly
  • Smooth rendering - No flickering or jarring updates
  • Handles large files - Works efficiently even with complex SVGs

Code Formatting

The one-click Prettier integration formats your entire SVG code instantly. This is especially valuable when working with SVG exports from design tools like Illustrator or Figma, which often produce minified or poorly formatted code.

Before formatting:

<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 100 100"><circle cx="50" cy="50" r="40" fill="#FF5733"/><rect x="10" y="10" width="20" height="20" fill="#33FF57"/></svg>

After formatting:

<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 100 100">
  <circle cx="50" cy="50" r="40" fill="#FF5733" />
  <rect x="10" y="10" width="20" height="20" fill="#33FF57" />
</svg>

Transform Tools

Apply quick transformations without writing code:

Flip Horizontal

Mirror the SVG left to right

Flip Vertical

Mirror the SVG top to bottom

Rotate 90

Rotate the entire SVG clockwise

Zoom and Pan

Navigate complex SVGs with ease:

Zoom slider

Adjust from 25% to 200% zoom

Pan mode

Click and drag to move around when zoomed in

Fit to view

Reset to see the entire SVG

Export Options

SVGMaker's SVG Viewer offers two types of export: copy to clipboard and download.

Copy Options

Copy directly to your clipboard for quick use:

OptionDescription
Copy SVG CodeRaw SVG markup for pasting into HTML or other editors
Copy as Data URIBase64-encoded SVG for use in CSS or inline
Copy as React ComponentReady-to-use JSX component for React projects
Copy as React Native ComponentFormatted for the react-native-svg library

Download Options

Save files to your computer in various formats:

SVG Downloads:

  • Pixel Perfect - Original quality, no modifications
  • Optimised - Cleaned up with SVGO for a smaller file size
  • Compressed - Maximum compression for web use

Raster Formats:

  • PNG - With custom dimensions (specify width and height)
  • JPG - Compressed raster image
  • WebP - Modern web-optimised format

Code Exports:

  • React Component - Download as a `.jsx` file
  • React Native Component - Download for mobile projects
  • HTML/CSS - Complete HTML document with embedded SVG

Professional Formats:

  • PDF - For print and documents
  • EPS - For Adobe Illustrator and print workflows
  • AI - Adobe Illustrator native format
  • DXF - For CAD software and laser cutting

Practical Editing Examples

Here are common SVG editing tasks and how to accomplish them in the code editor.

Changing Colours

To change fill or stroke colours, find the fill or stroke attributes and modify their values:

Change a fill colour:

<!-- Before: red circle -->
<circle cx="50" cy="50" r="40" fill="#FF0000" />

<!-- After: blue circle -->
<circle cx="50" cy="50" r="40" fill="#0066CC" />

Colour formats you can use:

  • Hex: #FF5733 or #F53
  • RGB: rgb(255, 87, 51)
  • HSL: hsl(14, 100%, 60%)
  • Named colours: coral, steelblue, forestgreen

Adjusting Dimensions

Modify the width, height, and viewBox attributes on the root <svg> element:

<!-- Original 100x100 SVG -->
<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="100" height="100" viewBox="0 0 100 100">

<!-- Scaled to 200x200 (viewBox stays the same for proper scaling) -->
<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="200" height="200" viewBox="0 0 100 100">

Understanding viewBox:

  • The viewBox defines the internal coordinate system
  • Width and height define the displayed size
  • Keep the viewBox unchanged when scaling to maintain proportions

Modifying Paths

Path data lives in the d attribute of <path> elements. Common commands:

M - Move to (starting point)

L - Line to

C - Curve to (cubic Bezier)

Z - Close path

<!-- A simple triangle -->
<path d="M 50 10 L 90 90 L 10 90 Z" fill="#333" />

To modify a shape, adjust the coordinate numbers. The preview updates instantly, so you can see the effect of each change.

Working with Gradients

Gradients are defined in the <defs> section and referenced by ID:

<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 100 100">
  <defs>
    <linearGradient id="myGradient" x1="0%" y1="0%" x2="100%" y2="100%">
      <stop offset="0%" stop-color="#FF5733" />
      <stop offset="100%" stop-color="#FFC300" />
    </linearGradient>
  </defs>
  <circle cx="50" cy="50" r="40" fill="url(#myGradient)" />
</svg>

To modify a gradient:

  1. Find the <linearGradient> or <radialGradient> in <defs>
  2. Change stop-colour values for different colours
  3. Adjust offset percentages for colour positions
  4. Modify x1, y1, x2, y2 for gradient direction

Quick Tips for Effective Editing

Format first

Always click Format when loading messy SVG exports

Use code folding

Collapse sections you're not editing to reduce visual clutter

Test at different sizes

Use the zoom controls to check how your SVG looks at various scales

Check transparency

Toggle the background to see how transparent areas render

Save frequently

Although auto-save is enabled, export important work regularly

Learn keyboard shortcuts

Ctrl+Z for undo, Ctrl+Shift+Z for redo, Ctrl+F for find

Troubleshooting Common Issues

SVG Not Rendering

Possible causes:

  • •Syntax error in the SVG code (check for error highlighting)
  • •Missing `xmlns` attribute on the root `<svg>` element
  • •Unclosed tags or missing quotes around attribute values

Fix:

Look for red error indicators in the editor. The Monaco Editor will highlight syntax issues.

Preview Not Updating

Possible causes:

  • •Very large SVG file causing performance issues
  • •Browser extension interfering with the page

Fix:

Try formatting the code first. If the issue persists, refresh the page (your work is auto-saved).

Large File Performance

Possible causes:

  • •Your SVG is very large (hundreds of KB)

Fix:

Consider using the Optimised or Compressed download option. Remove unnecessary metadata and comments. Simplify paths using a tool like SVGO before editing.

Format Button Not Working

Possible causes:

  • •The SVG contains invalid XML that Prettier cannot parse
  • •There's a syntax error preventing formatting

Fix:

Check for basic syntax errors first. Make sure all tags are properly closed, and attributes have quoted values.

Need Help?

If you run into issues or have questions about using the SVG Viewer, we're here to help!

FAQ

Find answers to frequently asked questions about SVGMaker features and functionality.

Documentation

Check the full documentation for detailed guides and tutorials.

Learn More

Support

Contact support through the chatbot for personalized assistance.

Ready to start editing SVGs?

Experience the power of real-time SVG editing with SVGMaker's SVG Viewer.

Open SVG ViewerBrowse Docs
Get started background

No credit card required