Convert SVG to PNG on Mac, With Control Over the Size

sips -s format png logo.svg --out logo.png
sips -s format png --resampleWidth 1000 logo.svg --out logo-1000.png

We ran both on a 200 by 100 SVG. The first line gave a 200 by 100 PNG, the SVG’s own size. The second gave 1000 by 500, so the aspect ratio held. Both PNGs kept transparency. A vector file scales cleanly, so ask for the size you need at the start and do not enlarge a small PNG later.

For a folder of SVGs, loop over them:

mkdir -p png-out
for f in *.svg; do
  sips -s format png --resampleWidth 1000 "$f" --out "png-out/${f%.svg}.png"
done

Our sips guide covers the rest of the command.

Drag the file into a browser such as Safari or Chrome and it renders at any zoom. Select it in Finder and press Space for Quick Look, which draws SVG too. Quick Look is a viewer, not a converter, but Terminal can make a thumbnail from it:

qlmanage -t -s 800 -o . logo.svg

In our test that wrote logo.svg.png at 800 by 800, a square thumbnail. That is a preview image, not a size-controlled export, so use sips when the dimensions matter. Preview can also open SVG on current macOS versions and export through File > Export. If yours will not, sips is the dependable path.

Swap the format: sips -s format jpeg logo.svg --out logo.jpg. JPG cannot store transparency, so any see-through area becomes a solid background. Look at the result before you ship it. For logos and icons, PNG is almost always the better target. For a photo-like illustration headed for email, JPG is smaller. Our PNG to JPG guide explains that trade.

The right pixel width depends on where the image goes, so measure the slot, then double it for sharp screens. These are our test results for the same 200 by 100 SVG:

If you need other tools, rsvg-convert from Homebrew is a free command-line alternative. We only used the tools macOS ships, plus Smol.

Flat graphics produce small PNGs, but big exports add up. Our image compressor guide compares ways to shrink them, and the image converter roundup covers other formats. Remember the limit: once an SVG is a PNG, it is a fixed-size bitmap and you cannot turn it back into a clean vector.

For one or two SVGs, sips is the right tool. It is free, already on your Mac, and lets you pick the width. Smol is the weaker choice here because we found no setting for the SVG output size. In our test, Smol converted the 200 by 100 SVG to a 1024 by 512 PNG on its own.

Smol cannot write SVG, so it will never be the way to make or edit vectors. Where it earns its $29 (once, one Mac) is a mixed folder: SVG beside PNG, HEIC and TIFF files, converted in one job with nothing uploaded. See the buy page for details.