What happens when you convert SVG to PSD
- The SVG is turned into a PDF by librsvg, the SVG renderer used across Linux desktops, MuPDF draws it at 300 dpi on a white background, and ImageMagick saves the result as a PSD, all on our conversion server.
- The PSD has a single layer holding the whole picture. It does not rebuild the SVG's shapes or text as separate Photoshop layers, so edit the SVG itself when you need to change them.
- At 300 dpi an SVG drawn 10 cm wide becomes about 1,180 pixels wide; the longest side is capped at 6,000 pixels.
- This conversion runs on our server: the file is uploaded, converted, and deleted together with the result as soon as the result has been sent back to you. Nothing is kept. Files up to 25 MB are accepted.
How to convert SVG to PSD online
- Press "Choose SVG files" and select one or more files, or drag them onto the box. Files up to 25 MB each can be converted.
- There are no settings to choose: the converter keeps everything the target format can hold.
- Press "Convert to PSD". The file is uploaded to our conversion server, converted in a few seconds, and deleted together with the result as soon as the result is sent back.
- Save each PSD with its download button. Our server has already deleted both your SVG and the PSD by then.
Why convert SVG to PSD?
SVG files usually come from logos, icons, charts and illustrations on the web. People convert them to PSD because a PSD opens in Photoshop, GIMP and Photopea as a layer ready to retouch, mask or build a design on.
In short, SVG is good at what it was made for, and PSD is the more practical choice when the file has to open, upload or print somewhere else. SVG renders natively in every browser, while PSD does not open in browsers; Photoshop opens it, and GIMP, Affinity Photo and Photopea read most PSD files.
How to convert SVG to PSD on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android
On Windows
Open this page in Chrome, Edge or Firefox, drag your SVG files in from File Explorer, and press Convert. Each PSD is saved to your Downloads folder.
On a Mac
Safari, Chrome and Firefox all work. Drag the SVG files from Finder onto the drop zone and the PSD files land in Downloads.
On iPhone and iPad
Open the page in Safari and tap Choose SVG files. You can pick from Photos or from the Files app. The converted PSD appears in Files, in the Downloads folder; to put it in your photo library, open it there, tap Share and choose Save Image.
On Android
Open the page in Chrome, tap Choose SVG files and pick them from Files or your gallery. The PSD is saved to the Download folder, where any file manager can find it.
Best settings for SVG to PSD
There are no settings: the SVG is rendered at 300 dpi on white, as one layer.
Photoshop can also open an SVG directly and ask for a size, which suits artwork you want to scale first.
SVG vs PSD: the differences
| SVG | PSD | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Scalable Vector Graphics | Adobe Photoshop document |
| Type | image | image |
| Created by | the World Wide Web Consortium | Adobe |
| First released | 2001 | 1990 |
| Compression | Lossless | Lossless |
| Transparency | Yes | Yes |
| Animation | Yes | No |
| Vector or raster | Vector | Raster |
| Colour | any colour, described as shapes rather than pixels | up to 32 bits per channel, in RGB, CMYK, Lab or greyscale |
| What it holds | any colour, described as shapes rather than pixels | layers, masks, adjustment and text layers, plus a flattened copy of the whole image |
| In a browser | renders natively in every browser | does not open in browsers; Photoshop opens it, and GIMP, Affinity Photo and Photopea read most PSD files |
| Common uses | logos, icons, charts and illustrations on the web | Photoshop artwork, photo retouching, mock-ups and design files |
| MIME type | image/svg+xml | image/vnd.adobe.photoshop |
About SVG and PSD files
What is an SVG file?
SVG describes shapes as text instructions, so it stays sharp at any size and a simple logo can be under 5 KB. Turning it into pixels fixes it at one resolution, so choose the output size before converting.
What is a PSD file?
A PSD keeps every layer, mask, adjustment and text layer separately so the work can be edited later, and stores a flattened copy of the whole picture beside them. A PSD is limited to 30,000 pixels a side and 2 GB; larger work is saved as PSB.
SVG to PSD not working? Common problems
- "Files up to 25 MB can be converted." Server conversions have a size limit. Compress the images inside the file, or split it, and try again.
- "The conversion took too long and was stopped." Very long or complex files can pass the 90 second limit. Split the file and convert the parts.
- "This file is not really in SVG format." The converter checks every file before it runs anything, so a file of another format renamed to .svg is refused. Choose the page for its real format.
Convert SVG to PSD from the command line
librsvg and ImageMagick do the same on your own computer:
rsvg-convert -d 300 -p 300 --background-color=white input.svg -o art.png
magick art.png output.psdConverting on your own computer keeps the file entirely local, which is worth it for very large or very sensitive documents. For everything else, the converter on this page does it without installing anything.
SVG to PSD converter FAQ
Will I lose quality converting SVG to PSD?
The drawing is rendered to pixels at 300 dpi, so it is sharp at its own size but will not scale up cleanly like the SVG.
Why is the PSD a different size from the SVG?
The PSD stores every pixel, so it is much larger than the SVG, which stores drawing instructions.
Are my SVG files uploaded?
Yes, for this conversion. A faithful SVG to PSD conversion needs librsvg, MuPDF and ImageMagick, three open-source tools, which cannot run in a browser. The file travels over an encrypted connection, is converted in a private temporary folder, and is deleted together with the PSD as soon as the result has been sent back to you. We do not keep, read or share it.
Can I convert several SVG files to PSD at once?
Yes. Select or drop as many files as you like; they are converted one after another and each gets its own download button.
How do I open a PSD file?
PSD does not open in browsers; Photoshop opens it, and GIMP, Affinity Photo and Photopea read most PSD files. PSD is common for Photoshop artwork, photo retouching, mock-ups and design files.
Is this SVG to PSD converter free?
Yes. There is no sign-up and no watermark. Because this conversion uses our server, there is a fair-use limit of 25 MB per file and a number of files per hour, which stops the service being overloaded.
Can I convert SVG to PSD on my phone?
Yes. It works in Safari on iPhone and iPad and in Chrome on Android. The conversion happens on our server, so it is as fast on a phone as on a computer; the PSD is saved to your Downloads folder.