How To Export Image as SVG in GIMP

GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is a free and open-source raster graphics editor often considered as a powerful alternative to commercial image editing software like Adobe Photoshop.

GIMP provides a wide range of tools and features for image editing, such as retouching, cropping, resizing, color adjustment, and special effects. It supports a variety of file formats, including popular formats like JPEG, PNG, GIF, and TIFF.

One of the advantages of GIMP being an open-source software is that it has an active community of developers and users who contribute to its development and create plugins and scripts to extend its functionality. This makes GIMP a versatile tool that can be adapted and expanded to suit different needs.

In this tutorial, we will explore how you can use GIMP to export an image file into an SVG File.

What is an SVG File?

SVG is a file format that defines two-dimensional vector graphics using XML (eXtensible Markup Language). It is designed to describe shapes, paths, colors, and other graphical elements using mathematical equations, rather than storing pixels like raster graphics formats.

An SVG file consists of a structured set of XML tags that represent various graphical elements and attributes. These elements include shapes (such as lines, curves, and polygons), text, gradients, transformations, and more. Each element is defined by its properties, such as position, size, color, stroke, and fill.

GIMP Export Image to SVG

Unfortunately, GIMP is a raster graphics editor and does not have native support for exporting images directly to the SVG format.

However, you can use a workaround to achieve this by converting your raster image to a vector format using a plugin called “GIMP-svg2” or by tracing the image manually.

Using the “GIMP-svg2” Plugin

1. Install the “GIMP-svg2” plugin: Visit the GIMP Plugin Registry (https://registry.gimp.org/) and search for the “svg2” plugin.
2. Download and install it following the instructions provided.
3. Open your image in GIMP: Launch GIMP and open the raster image you want to export as an SVG.
4. Convert the image to a vector: Go to “Filters” in the menu bar, navigate to “Generic” and select “svg2.” A dialog box will appear.
5. Adjust the settings: In the “svg2” dialog box, you can tweak various options such as threshold, smoothing, and color conversion to achieve the desired vectorization result. Modify the settings according to your preferences.
6. Export as SVG: Once you’re satisfied with the settings, click “OK” to start the conversion process. The plugin will convert the raster image to a vector representation.
7. Save the SVG file: After the conversion completes, you can save the resulting vector image as an SVG file. Go to “File” in the menu bar, select “Export As,” choose a filename and location, and select “SVG” as the file format.

Manual Trace

1. Launch GIMP and open the raster image you want to trace and convert to SVG.
2. Create a new transparent layer: In the Layers panel, click on the “New Layer” button to create a new layer. Ensure that it has a transparent background.
3. Trace the image manually: Use GIMP’s Pen, Bezier, or Paths tools to manually trace the shapes and outlines in the image. Create paths that follow the edges of the objects or regions you want to include in the SVG.
4. Convert paths to vectors: Once you’ve traced the desired elements, right-click on the active path in the Paths panel and select “Stroke Path.” Choose “Line” or “Bezier” as the stroke method, depending on the type of path you created. This will convert the paths into vector shapes.
5. Fine-tune the vectors (optional): After converting the paths, you can further adjust the vector shapes using GIMP’s selection and editing tools to refine the details.
6. Export as SVG: Once you’re satisfied with the vectorization, go to “File” in the menu bar, select “Export As,” choose a filename and location, and select “SVG” as the file format.

Conclusion

This post covered how we can use GIMP Plugins and Manual tracing to export a given image to an SVG path in GIMP.